This post will show you 10 ways that you can make money this Valentine’s Day. At the beginning of the new year it’s always a bit more difficult financially. Christmas, New Year and the holidays have now ended; children are back at school and we do have to be a bit more careful with money.
If you like to try different things, or get complete satisfaction out of short term projects, here are 10 things that you can do to make some money this Valentine’s Day.
Besides for people declaring their love and spoiling one another – including on the new ‘Friend-entine’ craze – on Valentine’s Day, this is also a day for creative entrepreneurs.
With a little bit of savvy and a touch of creativity, there are a few things you can do to capitalize now and work hard to give others the perfect surprise!
1. Flower delivery service.
Flowers escalate in price on Valentine’s Day. Are you able to source some flowers for a wholesaler and take orders for deliveries?
How do you make money: Charge per flower / per bunch of flowers and if you are doing deliveries as well, charge per delivery.
2. Decadent treats.
If you are good in the kitchen you could bake and sell cupcakes, chocolates, cake pops and other sweet things. Let people order them from you and then you deliver them on the day.
Alternatively, stock up on products and walk around a business park and sell these items. It’s great for someone who might have forgotten about Valentine’s Day, who needs a last-minute gift, or just wants a sweet treat for themselves!
You can also do this with:
> Stuffed toys
> Scented candles
How do you make money: Add a mark-up to the cost of your ingredients and for your time.
3. Organise an Amazing Race
Organise a couples Amazing Race Day and plan everything out. Possibly have two couples per team and carefully work out the route and challenges along the way. Create or purchase Amazing Race flags, Pit Stops etc online to use on the day.
Both couples in the winning team could win a dinner for two, or two tickets to go to a show together.
Plan this in advance and you MUST do a practice run. You need to know that everything works out before people pay you money to participate.
Try and get the prizes sponsored so that you don’t spend money on this. Offer businesses exposure on your social media platforms and any advertising that you are doing. If you can’t get it for free then try to negotiate special prices and use money from the entry fee to pay for these prizes.
How do you make money: Charge couples an entry fee. You can also try and find sponsors to keep your costs low. Just offer them something worthwhile in exchange for their sponsorship.
4. Arrange a tour.
Plan and book a bus, and if necessary a qualified guide for a half day or a full day tour. Sometimes tour guides have their own vehicles which will work out cheaper then booking one seperately to the guide. The tour should be intimate but still fun. For example: arrange a wine tasting tour where couples can mix their own wines and create their own blend at a wine farm. Hold this as a competition between the couples on the tour and let the wine sommeliers judge for the winner. Participants can take their wine home and celebrate with a romantic picnic.
How do you make money: Charge people to join the tour. Pay for the bus and guide. Let people know beforehand if lunch is included or if they must pay for that directly themselves.
5. Valentine’s Day gift boxes
Create unique Valentine’s Day gift boxes, or gift baskets and take orders for them. Buy products in bulk to qualify for wholesale prices and make more profit.
If you walk into a shop to buy a Valentine’s gift basket, you normally find the same thing in a gift basket:
Either food and a bottle of wine, or a teddy bear inside a mug that has a heart on it, an artificial flower and a chocolate.
Get creative and theme your gift boxes. Have a look here for some ideas to help you.
How do you make money: Buy products in bulk to benefit from wholesale prices and add on a mark-up for the basket. If they would like it to be delivered, add on a delivery fee.
6. Affiliate marketing of Valentine’s products.
Affiliate sales is such a great way to make money because you don’t need to purchase or carry any stock.
If you have a website or blog, or a large following on one or more of your social media platforms, register for affiliate marketing with a suitable company and sell products online and earn yourself a commission for all of the sales that you make.
The beauty of this is that you aren’t at risk because you don’t purchase any stock at all.
However, you do need to be driving traffic to your blog or have a large enough audience on your social media platform who would purchase something that you have recommended. (If you don’t have a blog yet but you are thinking about it, read here how you can start your very own blog today).
How do you make money: You will earn a commission off every sale that you make.
7. Plan exciting date nights!
Some people are just not imaginative when it comes to thinking of something to do. Some people don’t have the time to plan or they might have just met someone whom they want to impress and can’t pull a romantic night together. This is where you come in.
If you can think out of the box and get creative, find out what your client’s budget is and arrange a date (find out if it should be a surprise or not), and include a planning fee for yourself. Ensure that the evening goes off without a hitch.
How do you make money: Add on a service fee for time spent planning.
8. Valentine’s Day party
Plan a Valentine’s Day party. People are always looking to get out for the night, have fun and relax. Why not rent a hall and arrange a party where people can come together and have fun?
Top Tip: sell tables of 10 so if you need 70 people, you only really need to find 7 people who will book a table. They will get 9 of their friends to fill their table. Include food in the ticket price. If the hall has a bar or pub (like a sports hall), you are generally not allowed to take in your own beverages, so make sure that you tell people in advance that there will be a cash bar available.
Arrange a photobooth, photobooth props and possibly a photographer for the night (look at an amateur who is looking for practice and exposure).
How do you make money: Negotiate prices on the hall and on the food if possible. You will make your money on ticket sales.
9. Babysit!
Every couple who enjoys Valentine’s Day is looking for somewhere safe for their kids to go so that they can have a night off to relax and enjoy each other’s company. If you enjoy, and preferably have experience looking after children, then this might be a great opportunity for you.
Offer babysitting!
Or take it one step further and hire out a small hall and arrange a fun evening for the children. Tell parents what time drop off and pick up is, make sure you have their contact details (consider wrist bands for the kids with their parent’s details on them), and enjoy a night of fun and earn some cash from it.
How do you make money: Charge per hour or for the night.
10. Decorate a desk
This one definitely needs to be pre-booked and pre-arranged.
Your customer will request that you love-bomb their Valentine’s desk at the office. You might need to get prior permission from the manager so check this one out.
Arrive at an office very early and completely decorate the recipient’s desk. Use helium balloons, flowers, teddy bears, gift baskets, heart confetti or anything special that your customer has asked you for.
How do you make money: Buy products in bulk to benefit from wholesale prices and add on a small mark-up for yourself. Charge for the service and don’t forget to include petrol/ call-out fee. Work out your price and charge one cost per desk.
You might like to read this post on:
– Valentine’s Day box gift ideas
