Apparently, other stores have caught on in terms of taking this advertisement strategy to the next level. That’s why it’s always good to shop around before buying anything. Visit various stores, check on eBay, and drop by second-hand shops before spending your hard-earned dollars. Sometimes though, it’s easier to spot the fake bargains than you would think.

Zellers, for example, sells video games, yet their prices seem to always be several dollars higher than their competition. EB Games and GameStop may be official Nintendo retailers, but they’re definitely the most expensive stores of the video gaming bunch.

The Brick holds a new kind of sale practically every weekend or two. Whether it’s a “Boxing Day Sale,” “Midnight Madness Sale,” “Red Tag Friday Sale”… well, you get the point. They always invent a new type of sale to advertise on television. And the biggest joke of the Brick’s commercials is with regards to the fact that they always advertise their stores having hundreds upon hundreds of people in them. Every time I visited one of the company’s stores, I saw maybe… 10 people… at the most.

Just because a sale is advertised on television doesn’t mean it’s a true sale. Technically, a company could go so far as creating a “false sale.” For example, if a product normally sells for $100, then a 50% off sale would reduce the price to $50, right? Well, what if one day before holding the sale, the company increases the original price from $100 to $150, then on the day of the sale, holds a 50% off deal, lowering the price to $75? That’s not 50% off the original price of $100 - it’s only 25% off. But you wouldn’t know that unless you had seen the cost prior to the store raising it and then claiming to have a 50% off sale.

There’s an old saying. “Buyer beware.” It holds true even in our 21^st century society.

Where the problem lies, however, is in the ethics behind doing this. Sure, a self-serve checkout counter is more convenient than having to wait 10 to 15 minutes before being served (of which these days, let’s admit it, 80% of our population doesn’t have the patience to wait 10 to 15 minutes), but the grocery store chain is earning more profit than ever before. Let me explain exactly what I’m talking about.

By using the self-serve counter, you are avoiding the need of having to interact with a cashier. This means that the grocery store can hire fewer employees, therefore creating longer checkout lines and further encouraging their customers to serve themselves. For each cashier the grocery store eliminates, it’s less money that they have to pay out. If a cashier works 10 hours a day at a salary rate of $8.00 an hour, the store is saving $80.00 a day by hiring one less employee.

Yet on the reverse side of that, do you get any price discounts for using the self-serve counter? No. In other words, the grocery store is figuring that added customer convenience is worth saving $80 a day. And the fact that most 21^st century customers do use the self-serve counter proves that point. But it does mean that one less person in the world will get a job, and you’ll be essentially giving a company $80 for speeding up your checkout time.

On the business side of things, it’s probably one of the most ingenious strategies that have ever been invented, up until the point when all cashiers are eliminated in place of automatic self-serve machines and companies save hundreds of thousands of dollars not having to hire people to fulfill certain job positions. But on the ethical side, that one less person having a job means that he or she will have a harder time finding money to pay off bills and mortgages.

So which side do you pick? Business or morality?

This is the most obvious of teenage jobs. It's easy to do, and it can sometimes be fun too! Only one problem, you usually will get paid much less than minimum wage! If you would like to let people know that you are up for babysitting their kids, simply make posters, and put them on bulletin boards in your local libraries, convenience stores, or city halls! Just remember that you can't expect to make too much money doing this!

Fast Food-

Here's one field I've never worked in, but I'll assume it pays the same as the current field I am working in... Minimum Wage! Sure that's not fun, but it gets you more than babysitting. It is also nice having set hours so you know how to work your school schedule around your job, and set wages are nice to have too, because then you don't have to worry about getting jipped because your employer gave you twenty bucks even though you worked six hours!

Convenience Store/Retail Store/Mega Store/Grocery Store Worker-

All of these fit into about the same catagory. You'll probably work for minimum wage, maybe a small bit more, and you'll have set hours, which, as I stated earlier, is nice! You should probably be good with people if you want to take a job in this area. You'll end up doing a lot of talking. I work in a convenience store and I've had people that sit in there for hours at a time. Sometimes they can get really annoying, but I guess that's just part of having a job.

Lawnmowing and Other Yard Services-

Offer to rake the leaves for someone, offer to mow someones lawn! It's really easy work, and you'll usually get paid well for it! If you want to start a small lawnmowing business then simply set your prices based on yard size. Bigger lawns for about twenty dollars, medium sized ones about fifteen dollars, and small lawns for ten dollars. As for raking. Most lawns can be done in under an hour, charging ten dollars per lawn is reasonable, and it's an easy way to make a quick buck.

Start your own business-

Make something! Sell it! It may be the hardest thing to do, but it is definitely the most profitable. It's also fun to do with friends! If you have any idea for a service you could offer, just make a poster, and post it on bulletin boards. It's a cheap, simple way to advertise, and hundreds of people could see your advertisement everyday! Just make sure you watch out for shady people! Haha!

Thanks for reading!

The first step is to develop a plan. The plan should reflect your ability and taste. Take the venture seriously like you'd take any other business undertaking. You should offer goods about which you are well informed. Be clear in your mind about the kind of merchandise you intend selling- Are you going to offer a variety of goods or only specific things? How are you going to sell? Is it going to be sold on a fixed rate or in an auction? Then, the problem of warehousing- where are you going to store the goods, has to be sorted.

It is always better to start the business on a small scale with minimal risks. You can accommodate the goods in the basement or garage of your residence or consider renting a premise for the purpose. Make sure that the law permits you to use that particular space for commercial purpose. In addition, think about how you are going to pay for the items- a variety of finance options are available depending on your ability to pay interests, your collateral securities and the progress of your business.

How are you going to receive payment from the buyers? PayPal is option for many, as you do not need a merchant banking account. Explore the open market for sellers willing to sell you goods that want to sell on your online store. If you are a regular customer, they may offer the goods on discounted prices. In addition, tie-ups with transporters become necessary to ensure efficient and safe delivery of the goods to the buyer at a reasonable cost.

You need to invest in some necessary things like a computer, a digital camera, and a postal scale. You merchandise need to be photographed as they create an impression in the buyersÕ. In addition, the descriptions that go with the photos have to be honest and accurate. Set aside some time to devote to you business, for making new lists of goods for sale, inventories, to wind up old deals, to check for emails from potential buyers

When you have the plan in place, then the time is ripe to register yourself as an eBay seller. Visit the eBay site and click on the sell tab found in the homepage. Provide all the information asked including bank and credit card account numbers. Right software tools for your business like Sellathon, Seller's Assistant Pro, and Turbo Lister help to track potential buyers and manage auctions. As you gain experience, you may specialize in the selling of particular items.

It is imperative to build and creditability. Pay attention to the feedback that they give you. eBay is a good opportunity for doing business, with the right action-plan and information it can indeed be very lucrative.

Make your displays easy to access.

It's important that your merchandise be accessible to her. A woman may navigate through your store with a baby carriage or a child in tow Are you aisles sufficiently wide to accommodate this? It's important that your displays be kept at eye level. She doesn't want to have to crane her neck to see what you have to offer. Be sure to have wide aisles in your store so she comfortably push a baby carriage along while she looks.

Make your store a lively and dynamic place to shop.

There are a variety of intangible reasons women shop in certain retail stores. It's not just price and selection that attract her. She wants to shop in a fun and personal environment where she can feel comfortable. She also wants access to salespeople whom she feels she can trust to help her make smart buying decisions. You can bring her into your store by hiring friendly, outgoing sales people and creating a pleasant, upbeat environment that makes shopping more fun and less of a chore. This is her escape from the responsibilities of her busy schedule. Make it easy for her to shop and enjoy herself at the same time.

Give her the extra conveniences she wants and needs.

Women on the move don't always have time to drive around looking for parking to come into your store. Make sure there's adequate parking close to your store. If you're open at night, make sure your parking lot is well lit. Do you have clean, easy to access restrooms with a baby changing station? These are all factors that influence a woman's impression of your store. Shopping at your store should be fun and convenient.

Make your displays easy to access.

It's important that your merchandise be accessible to her. A woman may navigate through your store with a baby carriage or a child in tow Are you aisles sufficiently wide to accommodate this? Are your displays low enough to be at her eye level? She doesn't want to have to crane her neck to see what you have to offer. Keep the aisles wide and displays at eye level and she'll love you for it.

Give her the extra conveniences she wants and needs.

Women on the move don't always have time to drive around looking for parking to come into your store. Make sure there's adequate parking close to your store. If you're open at night, make sure your parking lot is well lit. Do you have clean, easy to access restrooms with a baby changing station? These are all factors that influence a woman's impression of your store. Shopping at your store should be fun and convenient.

Indulge her with some extras.

On a hot summer day, have a glass of cold tea available for your female customers. Slip some samples into her bag when she checks out. Have someone help carry her bags to her car if she purchases a lot. Little thing like this can mean the difference between a one time customer and a lifetime customer. Get her contact information when she makes a purchase and follow up with a handwritten thank you card. Little things mean a lot to her!

Get to know a little about her.

Women like to have relationships with the retail stores they purchase from. Encourage your sales people to remember the names of your female customers and greet them personally when they enter the store. A woman will keep returning to a retail store where she feels she's being given personalized service.

Have special events and promotions designed for working women.

Sponsor a monthly "shop until midnight" event to give working women a chance to visit your store and get their shopping done. They may not have the time to shop during the week. How about scheduling fashion shows, trunk shows, and special guest appearances? This can bring in a great deal of female traffic.

Give some of these ideas for marketing to women a try and find out quickly you develop a following among your female customers.