Blog entry by Linea Van Horn, posted on June 13, 2011 by starsoversf

Now that Jupiter, planet of abundance and expansion, is moving through the highly magnetic sign Taurus, (believe me, this doesn’t have anything to do with the imminent termination of my unemployment benefits), I’ve been thinking about ways to increase and maximize income. We’ve got a little window here, until June 2012, to intentionally activate the flow of resources and money. And this is not the royal “we,” by the way. Anyone can take advantage of this temporary opportunity.

What are some ways we might amplify our income? Here’s a short list of suggestions, just a beginning really, because I’m sure you’ve got some ideas to add, too.

Repurpose old content. Dig out some of the work you did 5, 10 or 20 years ago. No one’s seen it in a long time, and there could be some value in it you’ve forgotten. There’s a whole new audience available now; digitalizing and distributing your previous efforts can give your voice and passion a whole new life, not to mention a new revenue stream.

Personalize it, if possible. Not all work lends itself to one-off products, but it was a conversation about this very subject that got my mind started down this track. Many years ago, a friend of mine wrote an astrology report, designed to be individualized. Clients go online, purchase the report, enter their birth information, and she creates the report either digitally or in a printed version, which costs extra, and sends it to them. She’s made a lot of money on it over the years. She mentioned how glad she is now that she made that choice early on: she could have put it all in a book, she said, and earned a few thousand dollars from it if she got lucky. Instead, she’s earned many times that amount, with no end in sight, thanks to an increasingly digitized and expanding audience.

Break it down into smaller pieces. Break down your work into smaller, more accessible units. This is one thing I can easily do, and plan to. I’ve carefully recorded all the classes I’ve taught and make that information available to people who want the information but are too far away or for whatever reason can’t come to the class. That has worked well. Now, I’m planning to make modules out of the class information, so that if a person only wants to learn about, say, progressions, they’ll purchase just that class. Your profits will be smaller per sale, but there will be more sales, and also this is a great way to track what people are interested in and willing to pay for.

Use it in more than one place. One of the hallmarks of a good idea is that it is flexible. Perhaps a solution that works in one place in your life might also be effective in another area. Or, there can be more than one way to apply your knowledge or ideas. This step is an exercise in creativity and requires an ability to visualize and not be constrained by tradition. It’s one of the main ways you can use one idea to develop more than one revenue stream.

Direct exchange of services. While this may not generate actual income, it is a time-honored way of exchanging goods and services and does save you money out of pocket. Naturally this is also a great way to expand your contacts and to get – and give — more referrals.

Expand your perception of what has value and worth. Find pleasure and satisfaction in simple things. A good meal, a stroll shared with a friend, family time, the feel of sunshine on your back. Jupiter in Taurus wants us to rejoice in the physical world, to savor sensation and take pleasure in our bodies. Happily, none of that requires money. Simplify and enjoy all in your life that is already rich.