
Shopping is a skill as it is an acquired taste. You may find it hard to believe, but some people abhor shopping, not necessarily because of agoraphobia. This
creates an avenue for you to create a business around your shopping abilities.
Personal Shopper
For those who despise or are unable to shop, a personal shopper can be an invaluable asset to someone’s life. Department stores now implement in-house
personal shoppers to drive sales, but you can be your own boss by soliciting your services. Not necessarily only for the rich nor focused only on style or clothing, a
savvy entrepreneur can offer grocery shopping services, much like the home delivery services available. If someone has coupon and discount skills, you can focus
on that aspect to attract clients. If your skills saves them not only money but time as well, your services would be difficult to turn down. The infirm and the elderly
would also benefit from your services.
You can charge a fee for delivery or the service, or you can take a percentage of the total savings.
Supply Attainment
Most businesses favor simplicity over savings when it comes to office and janitorial supplies. Costco and Smart and Final purport to offer huge savings for
businesses, but their prices can be beat, especially through the use of coupons. Your service can offer at the same time supplies and savings. Similarly, the
internet has made ordering supplies enormously easy, yet most do not take advantage of combining deals and offers. You can charge a fee to set up affiliate,
merchant loyalty, online coupon, and reward program links, or you can place the orders for the company and take a percentage of the savings.
Trade Assistants
Similar to a personal shopper for the brick and mortar world, eBay’s version is a personal seller. Again, many want to get rid of their junk in trunks, closets, and
attics, but don’t know how to eBay. Signing up to be an eBay Trade Assistant requires previous buying and selling on eBay in regards to reputation, but your skills
may propel you to set up a brick and mortar store, like iSell where customers bring you items to sell online.
Entrepreneur
Besides making the best gift basket anyone could get, what else do you do with all the free stuff you get with coupons? Selling it at flea markets, garage sales,
eBay, and Tupperware-esque parties all are options. You may also want to look into selling it to corner grocery stores, or may even want to open up a store
yourself.
Teacher
What better way to pass on your savings techniques than to hold a course on saving money. When in line at the grocery stores, more than impatient shoppers
irritated that I’m holding up a line, I encounter those curious and wanting to know how I got bags of groceries for cents. They vow to start using coupons, but many
don’t know the ins and outs. You could teach them, and help them to Make Money Shopping as well.
Shopping as a business by Ken Choy
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