The Win Report

So, how do you take your talent and turn it to gold? First, you need to do what a person with a good business talent would do. Research. Instead of just wanting to do things that you want to do, use your creativity to make things that people want buy. This is the most important thing that you can do to be successful at making money with your artistic ability.

The truth of the matter is that you do not have to be the best designer in the world to make a lot of money with your designs. You just have to make items that people want to buy. Sometimes things sell that just have a little different twist to them. Sometimes they are common items made into jewelry or furniture or usable art of any kind that people find interesting and buy.

We once exhibited at an artistic wholesale show in Philadelphia. The man in the booth across from us was being very successful at selling sterling silver pendants that he had made in the shape of leaves. They were not fancy, but they sold like hotcakes. Use your creative thinking to come up with ideas for products and then step back and analyze your ideas objectively.

Look around to see what is selling. Determine what people want. You can ask retailers and wholesalers about what items are selling the best. Styles and color preferences change so try to stay current with what is in style. Many designers believe that they can create the new “in” thing, but on a large scale, this takes a lot of money and influence. This does not mean that you can not make a lot of money with you products. Many designers make lots of money in their niche markets.

Research to find out what is being done. Use your creativity to come up with ways to do things a little differently. Sometimes small changes make the biggest difference. Radical changes are not usually accepted by the majority of the consumers. Contrary to the “be true to yourself” way of thinking, to make the most money, you have to appeal to as many people as possible.

John and Kay Jacobs have been successfully making and selling their own products for 15 years. They operate a booming internet business selling stone beads and pearls. Their experiences selling at wholesale and retail shows and on the internet gives them an excellent insight into successfully making and selling hand-made products.

The combination of Kay’s creativity and John’s logic has made them a Platinum Power Seller on eBay and one of the most respected sellers in their field. Now John is sharing the lessons that they have learned the hard way to help others succeed in making money from their hand-made products.

Many people simply go to the retail store and get sold to when it comes to computing equipment. You would be very surprised how easily you can pick up all the core components and assemble yourself or get a friend or family member in the know to do it for you. All the top brand PC manufacturers such as IBM, HP and Fujitsu Siemens offer you pre built PC’s, Dell on the other hand will take your order and build to your own style. Off them all Dell will come across more flexible with the specification, however, building your own will not only save you many dollars but make you aware of just how much profit these guys are making.

What are the core components of a PC?

Well let’s start with the basics you will need no matter how high or low spec you want the computer:

PC Case - Motherboard - Processor Chip - Fan - Power Supply - Hard Disk Drive - Memory (RAM) - Power Cord - Keyboard & Mouse - Graphics Card (may come on the motherboard) - Sound Card (if you require one). All these components will get you started. Remember build the PC to your own needs. Gaming PC’s generally need a good graphics card with 3d capabilities while general office PC’s do not need such powerful cards.

Processors:

Intel and AMD are the key players when it comes to processors, Intel offer the Pentium chip or Celeron while AMD have their range such as the AMD Athlon and Sempron. While both companies have their benefits Intel’s being that they are the largest selling globally but AMD seem to have the faster processing capabilities. When looking at the processors think sensibly and ask yourself do you really need the latest and greatest or would you notice the difference in point two of a processor e.g. 3GHz compared to 2.8GHz.

Remember keep the cost down, basic components such as the PC case comes in a number of different styles such as Mini Tower, Desktop. Choose what suits you. RAM (memory) will depend on what you plan to do, some games and simulators require large amounts of memory so check before you buy, and the graphics card will also depend on your PC plans. If you are generally using the PC for home and Internet browsing remember to purchase a modem or if you are planning broadband arrange with the installer and get yourself on the waiting list.

Building the PC

Building a PC is not as daunting as it seems. If you have not attempted to do this before it is a good idea to have supervision. Some of the components such as the memory need careful handling due to static electricity. Get an anti static wrist strap to protect the components, they cost very little and could save you a lot of money. There are plenty of cheap books out there to guide you in assembly but you will also find free articles online with diagrams for assembly.

Software:

Hardware is one thing but you also need the software such as the operating system and anti virus software for protection against viruses. Depending on what you want and what you are used to using before you can get free operating system such as Linux. Most of us are used to Microsoft Windows but you will require a licence to use this software. You may also need some office software such as Microsoft Office XP or 2003 standard or Professional edition. The anti virus software is essential and Norton’s or McAfee are some of the better known brands. There are also free downloads that will help protect your PC such as Stinger and Ad-Ware.

In Brief:

Building your very own PC gives you the flexibility that most manufacturers do not. The price is greatly reduced if you can assemble yourself and it will give you a great insight to all the components and key terms in computing. You will be surprised to find that not all is as technical as first seems.

Some quick notes: Do not forget the following: Modem - Make sure you also have enough USB ports for external devices such as a printer or digital camera. Always back your files up such externally on the off chance you have a problem with the Hard Disk Drive and your files are not transferable, something like a usb keyring would be ideal.

About the Author
Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of
Computer Parts which includes
Cheap Computer Accessories, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information for all of your Computer interests and needs.