5 Ways to Make Money Using DIY Solar Panels

DIY solar panels are starting to spring up everywhere. In fact, there are a number of guides out these days which tackle the issue of how to affordably and easily build your own DIY panels, even if you're not particularly or at all technologically oriented or a DIY kind of guy. Sure natural energy which you can harvest yourself using these panels is great for the environment and everyone who lives in it, but let's not forget about all of the monetary benefits of it as well, so here are 5 ways to make money using DIY solar panels.

Power Bills – This one is particularly straight forward, but it should not be overlooked when you consider that last year it was estimated that the average American household spends $2500 annually to power their homes. Imagine having an extra $2500 freed up in your annual budget, we could all use it these days.

Surplus – This is where you start to see how powerful these DIY solar panels can be. Obviously you don't make exactly the amount of natural energy to live off of for a given month. You'll likely make more. In fact many homeowners construct multiple panels with the express purpose of generating large quantities of extra power. Why do this? Because the power company will pay you hand over fist for whatever energy which you create in a given month but don't consume. The government pays them to do this. Many homeowners with extra land to devote to it construct multiple panels and bring in a very attractive second income this way.

Tax Breaks – I just mentioned that the government reimburses the power companies to buy your power from you. This is because you are helping to alleviate from the overall energy crisis. Not only will they do that, but they'll also go one step further and reward you for generating natural energy in the form of generous tax breaks, so keep that in mind, particularly with the energy conscious Obama administration now in office.

Home Business – Professionally built and installed panels cost upwards of $3000. This is evidence that homeowners are willing to pay and pay well at that for this technology. Again to revisit the DIY solar panels guides, these guides teach you how to build your own panels using step by step illustrations and by teaching you the cheapest materials to do it with so that it still works. Many of these materials you likely have lying around your home or in your garage. Many people who do build these tools initially for themselves go on to build additional panels for friends and family, or start their own side business and sell these to other homeowners looking to save money just as you were.

Home Value – Finally, having functioning, money saving DIY solar panels significantly adds to the value of your home. Again, other homeowners and potential home buyers are interested in saving money just as you are, particularly a home which saves them money without them having to do anything. That's savings and income for life once you've got your panels build and working, so remember that when it comes time to sell your home.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/5-ways-to-make-money-using-diy-solar-panels-1004323.html

Author: John Wickley

A powerhouse investment.

Put the power of the sun to work for you by investing in a solar farm from SolarFarmers. The sun rises and sets each day - nothing could be more certain - and SolarFarmers can help you to reap the rewards of the energy it produces day in, day out. Whether you are a farmer, a hobby farmer or live on acreage on the urban fringe, a SolarFarmer’s installation is a genuine investment opportunity, returning for years to come - and with all the environmental benefits of clean energy production. Choose from either a 30kW SolarFarm or a 10kW MiniFarm, andyou can soon recognise substantial returns by feeding the excess power you produce back to the Queensland power grid. Under the Queensland Government’s Solar Bonus Scheme, you will be paid for the power you produce but don’t use. Hurry only a limited number of systems can be accepted under the programme. Signing up NOW will ensure that you will be paid for your excess power until 2028.

See http://www.solarfarmers.com.au/

Start Your Own Mushroom Growing Business

Whether you want to grow your own mushrooms to save money on buying mushrooms from supermarkets and grocery stores, or you fancy making money from your own home based mushroom growing business, you'll find advice and tips in this article to help you grow mushrooms that will be the envy of your friends and family, also the many customers for your mushroom growing business.

Mushrooms are the fruiting body of some forms of fungi, and there are many very different species of mushroom in a range of shapes, colours and sizes. Mushrooms are prized for their nutritional value, as well as being good to eat and containing many health benefits.

For those reasons and the fact that few people dislike them, you’ll find that harvesting mushrooms represents a very profitable hobby and business venture that virtually anyone can start, even without experience or high capital investment, and with just a small amount of space to work from.

How much you earn depends on the type of mushrooms you grow, and the scale of your operation, as well as your talent for marketing your produce.

As a small scale operator, maybe with just a small garden shed to work from, growing mushrooms probably won’t make you a full-time living, but you should earn enough to pay the mortgage or fund Christmas, and perhaps take a long holiday each year.

Add a few more sheds or acquire space from a local farmer or landowner to expand your venture, and you can grow as big as you wish and enjoy a very good living.

Mushrooms are not only easy to grow, they are also a year round delicacy and markets are plentiful. Private households, hotels, shops, restaurants,market stallholders, and others, are all potential clients. So you see, just a few clients can form the bulk of your market, and represent regular repeat buyers for as much stock as you can harvest.

Small scale operations need only a garden shed to make for a viable business; mushroom farms on the other hand require extra space and a more organised and systematic approach.

Growing mushrooms is very different from growing plants, flowers and vegetables, mainly because they do not contain chlorophyll, and instead they depend on other plant material - called ‘the substrate’ - for food.

Most popular species of mushroom, from a money making point of view, are the oyster and the shrimp, shiitake, and many other very common and more unusual types. Generally the various species of mushroom, of which there are many, have their own preferred growing medium and will respond better in some environments and temperatures than others.

There’s not a great deal to know about growing mushrooms, and it’s not an exact science, but there are rules and procedures to apply if you want to grow quality stock and maximise your profits.

Matters to concern you before starting your business include health and legal matters, pest control, market potential for specific species of mushroom, suppliers of basic cultivation and growing materials.

Most important of all, however, it’s very important to point out that some mushrooms are not for eating, they are poisonous, and you must learn all about mushrooms and the health and legal aspects of growing them for sale before embarking on this idea.

You’ll find plenty of useful information about the health and legal aspects information from the Mushroom Growers’ Association featured later.

Main Stages of Mushroom Production

These are the essential steps in growing mushrooms for profit:

1) Learn about mushrooms and the different species, also how those species are used in food and health preparations. Study the difference between cultivation methods for different species, and search on and off the Internet for potential clients for the various species.
2) Choose a specialty. Decide what species to grow, and preferably choose according to whatever capital you already have and equipment you can obtain at a premium while you establish your business.
3) Identify and comply with local and more distant legal obligations. Various rules and regulations surround the growth and marketing of most forms of plant life.
4) Decide where to grow your mushrooms and establish a suitable working environment. Your chosen location should be clean and dry, and have the correct temperature for storing your basic ingredients under cover and free from rain and sunlight.
5) Choose a suitable growing medium or ‘substrate’ for your chosen mushroom species. Straw and dirt are commonly used. You’ll also need mushroom spawn to lay on the medium. Your spawn can be self-grown once the cultures start to develop. You’ll also need cultivation beds on which to grow your mushrooms. Beds can comprise logs with cut out cavities for mushrooms, sometimes sawdust and simple wooden boxes will suffice.
6) Find a supplier for beds, medium and spores (spawn)
7) Prepare and sterilise the medium.
8) Lay spawn - spores - on the beds. Spores are mature mushrooms grown on a sterile medium.
9) Establish and maintain the correct temperature, moisture, humidity and other essential conditions for optimum mushroom cultivation.
10) Pick, pack and market your mushrooms.
11) Clear the beds and start all over again.

Basics on Which to Expand Your Knowledge

- The mushroom season, from preparing beds to harvesting the stock, lasts from between six and eight weeks, and rotating seasons means you will always have mature stock to market.

- Mushroom spore, grown on an appropriate medium in trays or boxes, must be maintained at a temperature of between 10 and 13 degrees C. The trays should be placed in a dim but well ventilated spot - an empty cellar or spare room is ideal.

- Mushrooms should be sold, and preferably used, almost straight after

picking. If you have to store them, keep them in a cool dark place. Try taking a stall at local markets. You won't make a fortune from passers by, but you might find several business owners, hoteliers and restaurant owners

becoming regular clients. Afterwards you can deliver to them direct.

- How you promote and make money from your mushrooms is the most important part of your business plan, and the one on which your success or otherwise in making money depends. But profit margins can be low which means, from a really small set up, you could be working hard and investing significant time and effort for precious little reward. See the next tip.

- Economies of scale are what convert a moderately successful mushroom growing venture into a hugely profitable one. Your success can be guaranteed before you begin the business, by pre-planning the scale of your operation and the type of mushrooms you’ll grow, as well as studying the market and potential for your stock, and aiming to contact likely buyers before you grow your first mushroom.

Tips

- Be market driven and make all plans and contemplate any investment and changes to your business based on money-making potential, past and current, also future. Even before you begin, talk to potential buyers and people currently buying other people’s mushrooms, ask about volume of stock they might purchase from you and at what price.

- When you’re up and running and manufacturing just a few species of mushroom, begin planning other species for your business and consider reselling other growers’ mushrooms also to provide variety for your own clients and add additional income streams to your business.

- Invest and grow slowly and carefully, and learn all you can from other producers and mushroom growing experts before embarking on a full scale enterprise.

- Study and make a list of marketing outlets, such as farmers’ markets, direct to the public, from your own Internet site, direct to restaurants and hotels, through small retail outlets and larger commercial wholesalers and supermarkets, and so on.

Learn as much as possible about potential markets before and after starting your business. A very good way to research markets, and keep your eye on what the competition is doing, is by searching on Google for both organic listings as well as firms advertising through Google AdWords.

Check out fellow suppliers, for example, based on a search for ‘mushroom + suppliers’ at Google.com:

Find potential markets for your mushrooms by keying something like ‘mushroom + marketing’ into the search box at Google.com.

by Avril Harper

Make Money by Keeping Honey Bees

For many of us making some extra money on a regular basis can make a big difference in our everyday lives. Aside from simply enjoying the benefits of having your own honey supply, there are a number of ways to make money by keeping honey bees like offering your services to deal with swarms of honey bees and removing bee hives from inside walls and ceilings.

While this is not the thrust of this article a very good friend of mine made a set of six videos on how to become a beekeeper and earned a solid second income selling them via the internet. He had a retired professional NBC-TV cameraman who lived nearby do the actual filming.

Here are a few ways for you to earn some extra income via keeping honey bees, and you may even think of one or two additional ways as you are reading.

If you eventually build up to having a few extra hives you can rent them locally to anyone growing one of the crops that are pollinated by honey bees, such as blueberries, apples or other fruits. The normal rate for the rental of one hive for a couple of weeks used to be about $35 - $40 per hive. This year I heard of almond growers in California paying over $100 a hive. This situation has come about due to the high loss of honey bees due to CCD [Colony Collapse Disorder ] which has been getting a lot of public press lately.

Other opportunities are:

1.Selling your excess honey from your home or at small local stores. You can get a higher price then what it is sold for in your nearby supermarket because it is locally produced honey. Many people believe that eating local honey is very helpful to reducing the negative effects of allergies as it has minute particles of pollen in it from flowers in the area.

2.Excess beeswax can be used to make candles. You can research how to do this on the internet or possibly from a crafts book available in your city/town library. Package them attractively wrapped by the pair with an attractive ribbon. These can be sold to friends and neighbors or through a local store.

3.Recipes are available on the internet for making your own lip balm using beeswax and a couple of other easily obtainable ingredients.

4.You can melt beeswax and make small bars of pure beeswax. Some people just like the feel and smell of the beeswax but it also can be used as a lubricant for the bottom rails of bureau drawers. You can buy small molds and use these to make any number of beeswax knickknacks. One member of my beekeeping association makes a number of beeswax animals, etc., to sell.

5.Some folks collect pollen from the bees to sell in jars as a health food. The equipment to do this is available at any number of beekeeping equipment supply companies.

6.Another big opportunity, if you are so inclined is to make yourself available to deal with swarms of bees. You let the local police in your town and adjacent towns know that they can give your phone number out whenever they get a call from a local citizen about a swarm being in a tree or bush on their property. Collect a healthy swarm and bring it home to start a new beehive relatively free of cost. Packages of honey bees used to start new bee hives are sold by beekeeping supply companies for about $65 per a three pound box.

7.If you have some good carpentry skills you can become available to remove honey bees from inside walls and ceilings in homes and other buildings. Pest control companies charge a good fee for this service.

No doubt I have left off a couple of other opportunities that may well pop into your mind as you are reading.

The trick is to start out small and if you make a good product and market it effectively amongst your friends as word of mouth will bring more business your way. In the meantime you will be learning how to properly operate your burgeoning small business. It can be fun to exercise your creativity and marketing skills and most importantly to start bringing in some extra money!

To learn more about keeping bees, please check the author's web site Beginningbeekeeping.com

By Albert Needham

How to Make Money with Goats

If you have a desire to have at least a few head of goats on your farm or large property, you may wish to know ways which you can make money by owning goats. You may even decide that getting a lot of goats may be a work from home answer if you are a dedicated animal lover.

Things You'll Need:
Goats
knowledge in goat care
Fenced property

Instructions
1. The most obvious way to make money with goats is to breed them and sell the offspring. But wait, it's not that easy. To get the most money for your goats, you should be looking to buy registered goats, particularly those of high quality from lines either proven in the conformation show ring (national shows, not 4-H) or those who are proven to be superior milkers.

Goat kids sold from proven show and top milkers command hundreds of dollars each. The mother of one of my doelings was purchased at a special sale for thousands.

2. Sell the milk. A good dairy goat will give you a gallon of milk a day or more. A gallon is approximately 8lbs. There are rules governing the sale of goat milk and this can be different in each area so contact your local FDA office or milk inspector. Easy to find a milk inspector by calling up a local cattle dairy owner. Normally, it is only legal to sell goat milk for non-human consumption but even then, the market is very good. Dog breeders adore it as do wildlife rehabilitators. You must learn how to safely milk your dairy goats and store your goat milk. Do your math carefully as to how many head of dairy goats you would need to start up a commercial dairy goat operation.

3. Sell the meat. Goat meat is quite expensive. There is quite a demand for it in ethnic markets. You will also find that there are two large meat kid pickups a year within the dairy goat world. These are held each Easter and Christmas season. Generally, these are people who drive state to state picking up dairy goat kids at predetermined locations. They pay a fairly hefty price for them. Boer goats are known for their meat quality and mix well with dairy goats. Other breeds that mix well for meat are Kikos and Tennessee Fainting Goats.

4. Rent them out. Goats are wonderful brush eaters. They are also small enough and agile enough to get into areas tractors and such either can't get into or would just rather not. The government itself rents time with large goat herds to clear out brushy areas prone to wildfires. California is a big state who makes use of these services regularly. A couple good dogs for herding and livestock protection and an easy-up easy-down electric fence system and your set to go. You should have a minimum of 50 head of goats for this. Any breed will do.



How to Make Goat Cheese

Goat cheese is a delicacy often used in many wonderful European dishes. This cheese can be pricey and somewhat enigmatic in quality. However if you learn how to make this fabulous cheese, then your search for the perfect goat cheese will end right in your own kitchen. Follow these key steps to make goat cheese and enjoy this tasty treat any time you want.

Things You'll Need:

Colander
Cheesecloth
Goat milk
Fresh lemon juice or vinegar
A large pot
Ladle
Salt and pepper to taste
Buttermilk (optional)
Additional seasonings (optional)

Instructions

1. Make a grocery list and obtain the basic materials needed to make the cheese. The list includes goat milk (about 2 Litres), lemons, kosher salt and cheese cloth. Also, you may also add buttermilk for an extra creamy flavor, if desired.

2. Heat the milk in a stainless steel/non-reactive pot to at least 185 degrees (or low heat). Allow to simmer, watching carefully to avoid boiling or burning.

3. Remove the milk from heat and allow to sit. Add lemon (or vinegar), stirring until the curds separate from the whey. The mixture should look like large clumps of cottage cheese when properly separated.

4. Line a colander with several layers of the cheesecloth. Ladle curds into a strainer, discarding the whey.

5. Allow curds to cool, squeezing as much moisture out of them as possible. Put curds in a bowl and season with sea salt. You can also add other seasonings of your choice, such as Herbs de Provence or whatever else you desire.

6. Press curds into the bowl to make a block, or wrap in cheesecloth. Place curds in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 days before removing and tasting.

Tips & Warnings

Be creative with the seasonings you add to the goat cheese. The French prefer salt and pepper. However Herbs de Provence, parsley and olive oil are sometimes used. You can also make this cheese without any seasonings.The whey can be used for protein shakes or other enriched meals if you don't want to discard it.Go to a farmers market for fresh goat milk. Supermarkets often do not carry goat milk or if they do it is of substandard freshness.Let the cheese warm to room temperature before serving to bring out the maximum flavor.Don't age the cheese too long if you plan to eat it fresh. The best goat cheese is not aged long at all (at most 2 days).

Make Money from your Spare Space

You can now have an ongoing income from any spare space that you have at home or at work for just $15.00+gst.

You may have a garage, a spare room, a shed, a storeroom or some spare space in your back yard that could be used for storage rental. You can even earn a regular income from your driveway or garage by renting it to a peron during the day when you are not using it!

Mini storage, self storage and boat storage units are great for many people who want to rent space but now they have the convenience of home storage and work storage. People want to find storage space for rent all over Australia.
Make Money At Home from your Spare Space. List your space for rent today!

See- http://www.storeroomrental.com.au/

5 Ways to create income from your Property

It's a common situation: owners of acre properties feel they are not capitalizing on their land the way they could be. Whether your property was inherited, bought as a residence or added to your real estate as a second investment property, you can take steps to create earnings from your prperty facilities and any animals you may have around the property.

1.
Sell agricultural products. This is one of the most versatile and important projects you can do to make any kind of farm pay off. Sure, it may be a hobby farm. but you may have a small product output. Any ag product sales are a help and an achievement. From eggs to produce to the occasional butchering project, you can make your farm a producer and feed locals with your output.

2.
Raise and breed animals. If you have the facilities to keep animals, even if they are just for show, you have the potential to make money by breeding, where you can charge breeding fees even if other farmers do the legwork, bringing their animals into your farm to be bred. You can also make money by buying animals young and raising them to adulthood.

3.
Open up the farm for tours. If your hobby farm is decorative and in a nice quiet location with interesting livestock, gardens or outbuildings, you can easily attract tourists and families alike. Use all of your assets to advantage with the tour option. You don't have to go overboard at the beginning: rather than open up to the public directly, you can try tours by appointment for a while. You may be surprised at how fun and profitable this business can be.

4.
Write for ag periodicals. If you are operating a farm with any kind of animals, domestic or exotic, for work or show, you have valuable knowledge magazines and periodicals want for their articles. Link up with editors to see how you can contribute.

5.
Invest in the property. Another way you can make a career out of your farm is to continually invest in improvements that will bump up the resale value. Then, when you sell the property and pocket the earnings, you can evaluate how your hard work paid off.

How to Grow High Profit Fresh Culinary Herbs

Growing fresh culinary herbs for a high profit involves more than simply planting herbs and selling them. You must do market research to determine what herbs in your area are in demand and whether or not you have the proper environment to grow the in-demand herbs in your area. You also must decide where you want to sell your high-priced, fresh herbs. Most speciality herbs can be successfully marketed at local farmer's markets and to high-end, locally-owned restaurants. In order to demand the highest price for your fresh herbs, you must consistently provide high quality herbs, fresh and hydrated, with no bruising, damaged leaves or insect damage.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:
• Herb seeds or plants
• Black plastic
• Drip irrigation system
• Small buckets
• Cold water
1.
Start your specialty herb seeds by placing them into planting flats. These seed will eventually become your high-profit culinary herbs, so be sure you pay extra attention to them. Placing your herb seeds into planting flats allows them to germinate and grow a little before being transplanted into your herb garden.
2.
Spread black plastic over the soil in your garden where you have decided to grow your specialty herbs. The black plastic has many benefits for you if you intend to receive the highest prices for your herbs. Black plastic will control weeds, keep your soil moist, greatly decrease disease and pests, and keep your growing herbs clean.
3.
Cut holes in the black plastic where you want to transplant your starter herb plants. The holes should be no more than two inches larger than your herb plant.
4.
Water your specialty herb plants using a drip irrigation system. A drip irrigation system has many advantages for growers of specialty herbs, including giving your plants an even and consistent watering and keeping the foliage on your herb plant clean from mud splatter. In order to command high prices for your herbs, your herbs must be fresh, hydrated, and above all, clean.
5.
Harvest your specialty herbs the evening before you intend to deliver or sell them. As soon as you cut your harvested herbs, place them into a bucket of cold water. Keep your specialty herbs in this cold water, in a cool location, overnight, until the herbs are sold or delivered. The cold water and cool location will keep the herbs hydrated and fresh for a longer time than if you were to cut them just before you leave.

Tips & Warnings
• Find herbs that are needed or popular with the ethnic groups in your area. These herbs will command a higher price, if the herbs are not commonly found.
• If you are selling your specialty herbs at a farmer's market, print some recipes using the herbs to pass out to customers.
• Do not keep basil in a cool or cold location because basil leaves will turn brown in temperatures below 16c

How to Make Money Growing Medicinal Herbs

As more and more people want to live a healthier and more natural lifestyle, the more of a demand there will be for medicinal herbs. This profitable business is perfect for someone wanting to make extra money (it could even become a full-time job), spend more time outdoors, and have fun doing it. It’s really quite easy and you can be on your way to big profits in the herbs business before you know it.

Recent medical research has shown that many herbs can be useful as health alternatives to expensive medicines. It’s even been reported that in Germany, doctors write seven times as many prescriptions for St John’s Wort as they do for Prozac for treating depression. So to say people want medicinal herbs is an understatement. In fact, it’s one of the most profitable herb businesses you could start.

First you need to think about what medicinal herbs you’d like to grow. There are hundreds to choose from. Don’t feel like you have to grow every one! That might create more headaches and unnecessary hard work than if you just focus on a select few. That way you’ll become an expert on those select few and build a reputation as a medicinal herb expert.

Here are a few popular medicinal herbs to consider growing for profit:

Catnip – you’ve probably heard of this one. It’s used primarily as a stimulant for cats, but it also can be a soothing sedative for people. It is also particularly useful for pain and stress relief, as well as helping with cold and flu symptoms.

Chamomile – chamomile can make for a great, soothing tea. It has many medicinal benefits such as being a digestive, calming and sleep aid.

Lemon Balm – the strongly scented leaves of this herb also make for a great tea in addition to being an immune booster and beneficial to the digestive tract.

Marsh mallow – this herb, also known as Althaea officinalis, can be used to treat many skin conditions, coughs and bronchitis, and also is helpful for the digestive tract.

After your herbs are all grown, you’re ready to begin selling. There are many opportunities to sell your herbs, whether they are sold right from your backyard, a garage sale, a fundraiser for a church or other charitable cause, or your local farmer’s market. At these events, make flyers or posters showcasing the value your medicinal herbs could have for your customers. If people learn what the herbs can do for them, they’re more likely to give it a try. When you hear success stories (“That tea really got my cough under control”) consider putting quotes on your flyers or posters, and soon your herbs will be flying off the shelves.

The medicinal herb business can be rewarding in that you’re not only making a nice profit, but also helping people live a healthier and more natural lifestyle. Have fun with it. Put your creativity into it, and you’ll see the customers continue to return.