Wish you could borrow ebooks from your local library? A few different apps allow you to do just that, including Libby, Overdrive, and Hoopla. You can buy ebooks from Amazon, Apple, Google, and other digital retailers, but why buy when you can borrow them from your local library? If your library is signed up with Libby, OverDrive, or Hoopla, you can browse, borrow, and read books directly through the app. This option includes audiobooks, magazines, and other digital content. Some apps even let you send ebooks to the Amazon Kindle app, where it’s easier to read. The first thing you’ll need is an account with your public or university library. If you plan to visit the library and borrow books, you need a physical card; if you just want to borrow ebooks, some libraries offer a virtual library card instead. You should also be granted a PIN or username to log into an online account in order to borrow ebooks. If you require a barcode to scan into an app, it should be printed on the library card you receive. If you’re unsure how the enrollment process works or are wondering what services you can use, check out the library’s website, or contact it directly. Made by Rakuten OverDrive, Libby is a full-fledged app through which you can search for, borrow, and read ebooks from your library. Download the iOS, Android, or Windows version of the app. You may also see links to download the app on your library’s website, if the service is supported. The first time you launch the app on your mobile device, it asks if you have a library card. Answer Yes, then copy your card information from another device, search for your library, or have Libby guess your library based on your location. Choose an option, then enter the details for your library account. After setting up your account and signing in, you’re taken to the app’s main screen where you can search for books by title, author, subject, and other criteria. You can also browse by subject as well as by specific titles chosen and recommended by librarians. When you find an ebook you want to borrow, tap the thumbnail to read the book’s description, view ratings, check out a sample, tag it as a favorite, and see if it is available to borrow. If it is, tap the Borrow link, then confirm your decision. If the book is not available, you’ll see a Hold button, which you can tap if you wish to automatically borrow the book when it becomes available. Once the book has been downloaded to your device, tap Open Book. You can read a downloaded book in the Libby app or the Kindle app. Choose where you want to read it (Libby or Kindle), and the title will open there. With the book open, tap anywhere on the screen to search for text, switch between a two-column and one-column view, bookmark a page, and access various settings. You can view all your borrowed books from the main screen of the Libby app. Tap the Books icon at the bottom to view your loans, holds, and tags, and access the book you’re currently reading. If at any point you want to send your borrowed book to the Kindle app, go to your Shelf and tap the Manage Loan link for the book you want to send over, then select the Read With option. Tap the Kindle Apps & Devices option and sign in with your Amazon account. At the Amazon page, use the drop-down menu to select the device to which you want to send the book. Tap the Get Library Book button. You can then open the Kindle app on your device and select the book to begin reading. OverDrive is an older app since superseded by Libby but still available to use. It’s also more widely supported as it’s available for iOS and Android phones, Windows 10, macOS, and Chrome OS. Open the app and tap the Sign in button. Select Sign in using library card. You will then need to search for your library from the Find your library screen. Tap the name of your library and enter your card number and PIN to sign in. Once you are signed in, tap Add a library to add your local branch library. You can then either search for your local library by name, city, or ZIP code, or browse from the list. Select your library, then tap the thumbnail for your library from the All titles screen. You are then taken to the library’s page, where you’ll have to sign in with your account one more time. To do this, tap the Sign In button and enter your card number and PIN or password. You can then browse and search for titles. Any book that you can borrow will display an Available banner, while anything unavailable will display a Wait List banner. If you want to learn more about a book, tap its thumbnail. You can view a description, details, and reviews of the book. You can also add it to your wish list or history, and read a sample of the book. To borrow the book, tap the Borrow button. You are then given an option to read the title through the Kindle app or through Overdrive. Tap Download EPUB ebook to download the book in OverDrive. From now on, you can read the book by tapping the hamburger icon in the upper left and selecting Bookshelf. Tap the book to open and read it in OverDrive. Tap anywhere on the screen to view the reader’s controls. You can alter the brightness, change the font style and size, and jump to the Table of Contents or a bookmark. You can also access settings for columns, text alignment, line spacing, and margins. If you want to read a book from OverDrive in the Kindle app, you must choose the Kindle option when you first borrow the book. Unlike with Libby, there is no way to move the book after you have already opted to read it in OverDrive. After borrowing the book, choose Read now with Kindle. Sign in with your Amazon account. At the Amazon page, use the drop-down menu to select the device to which you want to send the book. Tap the Get Library Book button. You can then open the Kindle app on your device, select the book from your library, and begin reading. If you prefer to read in the Kindle app, you can choose it as your default app in OverDrive. From the OverDrive app, go to My account > Settings and check the Kindle preference option. OverDrive will then automatically send each book to your Amazon account for you to download to the Kindle app. Hoopla lets you borrow, download, and read ebooks. However, Hoopla also offers access to movies, TV shows, music, audiobooks, and comics. The app supports iOS, Android, Amazon tablets, and Chrome OS. For movies and TV shows, Hoopla works with Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, and Roku. In order to check out ebooks, you must first sign up for an account at the Hoopla website. This account is separate from your library account. By default, Hoopla searches for the closest libraries based on your location. Select a library to continue. Download the Hoopla app on your mobile device and sign in with your Hoopla account. At the main screen, tap the Books icon and then the Ebooks header to look for ebooks. Tap a book that interests you to see more details about it. Tap the Borrow button to add the book to your library. You can then immediately read the title by tapping the Read button to download the book. While inside the reader, tap anywhere on the screen to access icons for bookmarking your current page, viewing the Table of Contents, changing the font, or searching for text. To access your borrowed books at any time, tap the My Hoopla icon in the lower left of the bottom toolbar. 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Want the latest defense industry news? Sign up for the Breaking Defense newsletter. When the Army ran its first full-length Project Convergence exercise during the summer of 2020, it served as a major milestone: proof that the service could connect decades-old systems to new modernized systems. The massive experiment – which one four-star compared to the Army’s pre-World War 2 exercise called the Louisiana Maneuvers – proved that the Army was getting serious about networking and future technology investments that Pentagon planners believe are vital moving forward as it prepares to square off against the Russian or Chinese militaries. In essence, Convergence is how the Army intends to fill out its part of the Pentagon’s Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) concept. These major exercises, now officially to be held annually, are a testing ground for the various concepts and technologies the Army expects to rely on in the coming decades – new helicopters, robotic vehicles, tiny drones, augmented reality goggles, all connected by a secure and robust network. If you’re feeling optimistic, you could say it’s a live look-in on the future battlefield. For this year’s edition, PC21, the exercise expanded even further, with additional units from the Army operating alongside each of the other military services. Held between early October and mid-November at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, the effort represented a less kinetic, more network-focused event. Inside this eBook you’ll find in-depth reporting about what the service did during PC21, what it found, and how much further it still has to go.
If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more. Upcycling businesses have taken off in the last few years, especially as people become more aware of sustainability and the potential of upcycling. If you’re looking for a small business idea that could really resonate with potential customers, selling upcycled products is one of the best business ideas to consider. Before we dive into upcycling businesses, let’s first establish a definition. Upcycling is when you take an older product and modify it into a new one. This could range from cosmetic changes such as a coat of paint and making minor repairs to more extensive changes to turn something old into something brand new.
Can You Make a Business from Upcycling?
There are many people running successful businesses based on upcycling products. Such a business is definitely possible, and it can be a great way to take something old and give it a new life by using discarded materials to create something new. There are a variety of products that can be upcycled and sold, including furniture and clothing. And the key to ensuring your success is knowing where to sell handmade items locally or online.
Why You Should Consider Starting an Upcycling Business
There are many reasons to consider starting an upcycling business, such as:
Sustainability: Upcycling is better for the environment since you’re taking old items and turning them into something new rather than creating something from scratch.
Save money: Small business owners are saving money by finding low-priced discarded items at local shops and thrift shops to upcycle and sell.
Uniqueness: For many small businesses, upcycling is a great way to be creative and make truly unique products that customers love and keep coming back to.
Easy to get started: Upcycling businesses have lower start up costs and ongoing expenses since there is no wait for products to get made or sampled. You can start looking for items to upcycle pretty much right away, so it’s easier to control business growth.
How to Start an Upcycling Business | 17 Simple Steps
If you’re thinking about upcycling as a side business, here are some steps to get you started. There are many types of upcycling businesses, so it’s really about what resonates with you. For example, you could start a furniture upcycling business, clothing upcycling business, textiles, and art upcycling business depending on your interests.
1. Research Your Competition
Before you get started purchasing scrap pieces and old furniture, it’s crucial to look at other businesses offering similar products. Look at their price points and any information you can find on online sales, shipping, and more. This will help you price products more accurately.
With any new business, having a niche is instrumental in differentiating you from others and staying unique compared to the rest. Some niches can include creating textured artwork from fibers and waste materials, restoring wooden furniture with a shabby chic look, embroidering on clothing, and more.
3. Create an Upcycling Business Plan
A business plan is a great way to solidify your business idea and make it more tangible. It helps you understand costs and profits better and how you plan on selling items. Some items to include in your business plan include:
Upfront costs
Ongoing business expenses
Unique selling point
Where you’ll find products to upcycle
How you’ll reach customers
4. Pick a Name and Brand Your Upcycling Business
Upcycling success is based not just on your product but also with branding and marketing. Come up with a catchy name for your business to start with. Creating branding materials such as a logo, tagline, and more can help your business stand out.
Before you start selling upcycled products, do some research on your target market. What are the prices they can afford, what do they value, and how can your products meet their needs? This will help you sell furniture and other products more effectively.
6. Form a Legal Entity and Register Your Business
You can form a legal entity and register your upcycling business to make things official. Depending on your situation, there are many types of legal entities you can choose from. If you’re a sole proprietor, you can operate as one or a limited liability corporation (LLC). You can also register corporate entities as if you’re planning on scaling quickly.
7. Get Your Taxes in Order
Taxes on your upcycling business will vary based on what state you’re filing from. The general rule is that you’ll need to file taxes on any revenue you’ve earned if it exceeds $600 in the year. You may also need to pay state and federal taxes based on the type of entity you file as. But, again, taxes can be challenging depending on the type of business, so if you’re unsure, it’s always best to work with a tax professional that can guide you accordingly.
Now that you’ve researched your competitors and target market, it’s time to start thinking about pricing. When pricing a product, you should consider the cost of the product, including its purchase price, raw materials needed to upcycle it, the time the entire process took, and any taxes and shipping fees.
9. Consider Startup Costs and Ongoing Business Expenses
Shipping costs and other business expenses can creep up if you’re not careful. Before diving in, think about how much money you are willing to spend in the beginning to create your products and how much you’re expecting to make. Consider ongoing purchases and expenses and shipping costs as well to project how long your business can operate before it makes a profit.
10. Set Up a Business Bank Account
A business bank account helps with separating expenses and ensuring you’re able to track expenses and costs. You can also get a business credit card to start purchasing raw materials and products to help you keep track of how much you’re spending for your business.
11. Get Permits and Licences
If you’re selling upcycled furniture products like farmhouse chairs, reclaimed wood, and other types of recycled products, you may need to obtain a resale permit. You may also need a business license for an upcycling furniture business as it may require a workshop.
Business insurance can help protect your business by covering you for general liabilities and issues. For upcycling furniture businesses, in particular, business insurance could be helpful depending on the types of materials and work you’re doing.
13. Create a Website or Choose Where You’ll Sell
You can either choose to sell through your own website or use a third-party platform to sell products. Both have their pros and cons, so you’ll need to weigh up what works best for you. If you choose to create your website, you’ll be able to pocket more of the profits. You can use basic website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify.
You can also sell online via third-party platforms through your own shop on Etsy. But before you get going find out how to start a small business on Etsy so you can optimize your digital presence on there. Amazon also has its version so it is will pay off to know how to sell on Amazon Handmade to bring in profits. Other avenues to grow your own business and sell your products can include wholesale orders with other shops and selling at
14. Buy the Necessary Equipment
Buying products to upcycle will require scouting many different sources for raw materials to find furniture and more. Some places where you can find products could include:
As your business grows, it’s essential to consider how your business will grow and what you’ll need. This could be employing staff to help out on admin tasks and assisting with making products to expand your product line.
16. Market Your Business
Marketing your business will help you gain more customers and reach your ideal customer. You can market your business through the following channels:
Social media platforms
Working with local newspapers and brands
Paid ads
Blogs and content marketing
Influencer marketing
17. Increase Your Profits
As you create more upcycled products and reach customers, increasing your profits should be a priority. In addition, you can expand your business by offering different types of products, bespoke services, and increasing advertising to grow your customer base.
Is an upcycling business profitable?
An upcycling furniture business or other kinds of upcycling business can definitely be profitable. However, profits will vary depending on the type of product being sold, the raw materials and cost of upcycling furniture, and where the products are being sold.
It’s challenging to establish an average profit because of the variations, but items can be sold from a small amount to upwards of hundreds of dollars and more with larger profit margins.
How does a furniture upcycling business make money?
A furniture upcycling business makes money by finding old furniture and making it into new furniture, by making it into shabby chic style, or creating unique furniture pieces with rust oleum paints, chalk paint, and more. An upcycling furniture business makes its money by selling these products directly to customers or through wholesale orders if possible.
What is the difference between upcycling and recycling?
With recycling, products are taken as is and used without really modifying them. With upcycling, the product is taken and altered to create something new. Image: Depositphotos
The notorious cybercrime group known as FIN7 has diversified its initial access vectors to incorporate software supply chain compromise and the use of stolen credentials, new research has revealed. “Data theft extortion or ransomware deployment following FIN7-attributed activity at multiple organizations, as well as technical overlaps, suggests that FIN7 actors have been associated with various ransomware operations over time,” incident response firm Mandiant said in a Monday analysis. The cybercriminal group, since its emergence in the mid-2010s, has gained notoriety for large-scale malware campaigns targeting the point-of-sale (POS) systems aimed at restaurant, gambling, and hospitality industries with credit card-stealing malware. FIN7’s shift in monetization strategy towards ransomware follows an October 2021 report from Recorded Future’s Gemini Advisory unit, which found the adversary setting up a fake front company named Bastion Secure to recruit unwitting penetration testers in a lead up to a ransomware attack. Then earlier this January, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a Flash Alert warning organizations that the financially motivated gang was sending malicious USB drives (aka BadUSB) to U.S. business targets in the transportation, insurance, and defense industries to infect systems with malware, including ransomware. Recent intrusions staged by the actor since 2020 have involved the deployment of a vast PowerShell backdoor framework called POWERPLANT, continuing the group’s penchant for using PowerShell-based malware for its offensive operations. “There is no doubt about it, PowerShell is FIN7’s love language,” Mandiant researchers said. In one of the attacks, FIN7 was observed compromising a website that sells digital products in order to tweak multiple download links to make them point to an Amazon S3 bucket hosting trojanized versions that contained Atera Agent, a legitimate remote management tool, which then delivered POWERPLANT to the victim’s system. The supply chain attack also marks the group’s evolving tradecraft for initial access and the deployment of first-stage malware payloads, which have typically centered around phishing schemes. Other tools used by the group to facilitate its infiltrations include EASYLOOK, a reconnaissance utility; BOATLAUNCH, a helper module designed to bypass Windows AntiMalware Scan Interface (AMSI); and BIRDWATCH, a .NET-based downloader employed to fetch and execute next-stage binaries received over HTTP. “Despite indictments of members of FIN7 in 2018 and a relatedsentencing in 2021 announced by the U.S. Department of Justice, at least some members of FIN7 have remained active and continue to evolve their criminal operations over time,” Mandiant researchers said. “Throughout their evolution, FIN7 has increased the speed of their operational tempo, the scope of their targeting, and even possibly their relationships with other ransomware operations in the cybercriminal underground.” Sign up for cybersecurity newsletter and get latest news updates delivered straight to your inbox daily.
There was a time when making money as a professional artist was practically impossible. Times have changed and thanks to a growing demand, art business is no longer a low paying hobby. Artists all over the world are using digital and offline opportunities to boost their income with creative business ideas.
On average, artists make about $50,000 a year. Of course, the number differs based on artistic talent. Popular artists who have successfully built their social media presence make good money every month.
How to Make Money as an Artist Online
Social media channels have opened up a host of opportunities for upcoming artists, giving them a platform to reach their audience and make good money with a high average artist salary. In the pandemic period, in particular, demand for artistic skills and art prints has gone through the roof. Find out about these channels and learn how to use the platforms. And remember there are outlets for many different kinds of art. So, learning how to sell on Redbubble can come in handy if your talent covers multiple skillsets. Let’s look at the various options available online to earn money.
1. Sell Art Online via Social Media Channels
With so many outlets online, where to sell art online can be a bit daunting. Artists from different parts of the world are using social media as an online marketplace. Instagram, in particular, is a leading destination for buying and selling art. Not surprisingly, millions of artists have set up their Instagram account to connect with potential clients. To be a successful artist on social media, though you need to build your follower base, which takes time and effort.
2. Start an Art Blog
Artists who have been successful in leveraging the potential of digital media understand the importance of showcasing their art. One way to do so is through a blog. With an art blog, you can make passive income and demonstrate your work. If you think creatively and combine the potential of blogging with email marketing and newsletters, you can build a strong follower base that can improve your earning further.
3. Start an Art YouTube Channel
Most people follow other artists to learn from them. This is where YouTube has been extremely successful in bridging the gap between artists and followers. Simple tutorials and tips can come in handy when you are trying to grow your base. Once you’ve accumulated a good number of subscribers, you can boost your earning considerably on YouTube.
Online courses have gained momentum in the last two years. And as the number of people signing up to join workshops have gone up, more artists have benefited from this new enthusiasm. Hosting online workshops is easy and with many platforms requiring minimal setup, artists are finding it easier to conduct online course.
5. Freelance Graphic Design
Artists specializing in digital art are in high demand these days. From small businesses to large enterprises, everyone is looking for skilled graphic designers who can help with branding and digital projects. As a freelance graphic designer, you can make good money in very little time.
6. Print on Demand
With the world slowly starting to open up, businesses are again looking for promotional assets to get the word out. Print-on-demand services are gaining traction again. Building print-on-demand websites or joining forces with these service providers can help improve your earning.
7. License Your Artwork
Many artists use stock websites as a means to earn passive income. Stock websites pay decent amount of money for images and clips. Your ability to make more money on these websites depends on the popularity of your artwork. In other words, the more people buy your art the more you’ll be able to make.
One simple way to build an online audience for your art is to share insights that your prospects value. eBooks come in handy for art marketing because they help the audience gain a deeper understanding of the art. You can use eBooks to promote your art pieces and drive the audience to your art classes.
Ways Make Money as an Artist Offline
There are of course many offline ways of making money as well. Art fairs, private events and competitions are some of the traditional options available to earn money. Let’s take a look at some of these opportunities.
9. Sell Art at Art Fairs
Art fairs have traditionally been the best places to connect with art enthusiasts and buyers. Art fairs are especially useful for artists trying to sell paintings. Given their popularity, you may have to prepare yourself for competition from fellow artists trying to sell traditional art.
10. Sell Fine Art Drawings
Fine art drawings are popular with home owners trying to elevate their decor. By catering to this growing demand, you can find an opportunity to make some extra money.
Another option is to tie up with art galleries to sell your art. Art galleries are particularly useful when you are a new artist looking for prospective buyers. By selling your artwork at the galleries, you will be able to access prospective clients you may struggle to reach yourself.
12. Become an Illustrator
A number of businesses engage freelance illustrators on an ongoing basis. As a freelance illustrator, you get to work on a host of creative art projects. This may include spatial branding, website and stationery.
Start Making Money as an Artist Today
With the right amount of preparation, you don’t have to spend a lot of time to start earning money as an artist. Wondering how? Let’s take a look at what you need to get started.
Invest in the right equipment: To entice your target audience through your YouTube channel or online classes, you must ensure you have the right equipment to create videos. Lighting, microphone and a good camera are some of the equipment that can help you create top-notch videos.
Post often and frequently: You cannot build followers with infrequent content. To keep them engaged, you need to post often and frequently so they keep coming back for more.
Create a portfolio: As an artist, you cannot completely depend on just one avenue to make money. You need to keep your options open and start thinking about building your credibility. To do so, focus on creating a strong portfolio that can help you bag commissioned assignments that pay pretty well.
It's surprisingly easy to kill your eBay business, if you're not careful – sure, you can start over from scratch without it costing you anything, but do you really want to? Still, if you want your business to end up dead in the water, here are some simple ways to do it.
Lie about an item: Say it works fine when it sometimes doesn't work. Say it's in perfect condition when it has a scratch. Your customers will hate you!
Post whenever you feel like it: Make sure to leave your customers hanging around, wondering when their item is going to turn up. This makes sure they buy from someone else next time.
Let items end anytime: Few people will be around to care about your auction if it ends in the middle of the night. Why go to the trouble of working out whether auctions will end at a good time?
Don't bother with email: Customers are just timewasters anyway. eBay businesses are supposed to run themselves! Never give informed responses to questions about your item.
Sell rubbish: Really, it's just eBay. You can just sell any old tat from the market for a 200% profit. Let quality be someone else's concern – I mean, really, what do they expect for that price?
Refuse to give discounts: You know what your items cost, you know what your profit margin is going to be, and you're not going to negotiate. Remember that giving customers special deals might make them feel good and come back to you again.
Make your listings ugly: As many colours, flashing lights and animations as possible will really give those customers a headache. Write as much in CAPITALS!!!! as you can. Preferably big, red capitals. Be sure to use the fonts Impact and Comic Sans. For an extra special touch, see if you can figure out a way to add some music.
Don't take photos: It's such trouble, after all. If buyers are picky enough to actually want to see items before they bid on them, then screw 'em, that's what I say.
Write short descriptions: Be as brief as possible, and use lots of mysterious abbreviations. This obviously makes you look very cool. You can even just write the title again in the description box. Think of the effort you'll save!
Use reserve auctions: Now, this is a fairly controversial final choice, but it really is one of the best ways to scare away your customers. They'll see 'reserve not yet met', and click that 'back' button before you know it. Luckily, they can always bid in a normal auction for the item somewhere else.
Now that you know the ten ways to kill your eBay business, how about we explore what to do if you want to do the opposite, and make a success of it? The next email will give you ten steps to successful selling on eBay.
