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Do you participate in Black Friday shopping, Cyber Monday or even Small Business Saturday? Traditionally, I have not paid the slightest attention to these “holidays.” In fact, I tend to avoid them as a cost saving measure. (The same with Tax Free Weekend.)

But, I am working on being more strategic as a small business owner, and want to take advantage of the marketing opportunities these “shopping days” give me. Since I don’t have a physical product, I am not sure how to use it to my advantage.

Upcoming “Shopping” Holidays

Saturday, November 30 – Small Business Saturday

Friday, November 29 – Black Friday

Monday, December 2 – Cyber Monday

Worth It for a Business Owner

I would love your input…

I offer a variety of services…some as hourly packages, some as one off consultations and then web design and refreshes. I thought I might offer special pricing on each type of service.

I could even offer a “new customer” special as well. Just brainstorming…

What do you think? Do specials that businesses offer during these “holidays” tempt you? Do you think it’s worth the effort to come up with something? Or money to advertise it? (Outside of my existing mailing lists, of course.)

And do you think that as a service business versus physical product that using these “holidays” is a good marketing move? I’m working on some marketing campaign assets now for a variety of my clients, so thought I would take the time to make some for myself as well. And I would love to hear your feedback.

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.

How To Use Debt To Your Advantage

by Elizabeth S.

Debt isn’t ideal, but you can certainly make the most of it. There are a lot of ways to use debt to your advantage.

Acquire Property

Easily the most strategic way to use debt to your advantage. Holding on to property for ten or more years is almost a sure-fire way to make some money. A mortgage is one of the kinds of debt most people think of as “good debt” because, managed responsibly, it makes you money. Equity in the home can build quickly, but even when it’s a slower market, you’re almost always going to profit if you hold on for a long time. Also, interest on a mortgage is usually tax deductible.

Start Your Own Company

With the internet and the rise of e-commerce, working for yourself has never been more accessible. You might want a business loan to purchase equipment, product inventory, or to hire staff. There is a lot of risk here, but if you have a niche talent or market opportunity, it could pay off, big time. Interest here might be tax-deductible as well. Depending on your state or province, there might be additional relief through government programs to help small businesses, minimizing the risk a bit.

Go Back to School

Student debt isn’t always the wisest idea. For example, if you’re stuck in a low-wage job and looking to increase your income, a four year philosophy degree might not be the best idea. But there are a lot of programs out there that can have a huge salary increase for minimal investment! A student loan can be a responsible way to use debt to your advantage. Some examples are:

Project Management Professional (PMP): this can cost anywhere from $1000-$3000ish and can be done in a couple of months. Glassdoor says Project Managers average around 82k in my area, and ZipRecruiter says they make around $125k in New York City. Of course, this won’t help if you don’t have a bit of business experience to begin with.
Scrum Master Certification: this cert costs about $1000-3000 as well, and can earn you over $100k. A bit of tech background is needed with this one. If you’re a low level data analyst or tech support person, this can be a huge leap.
Graduate certificate: There are a number of programs available for people with degrees that give certifications in specific areas. These can really boost income! Your local colleges are a great place to start looking, but many of these are also done online, in your own time.

Improve Your Credit Rating

I mentioned that at one point, my credit rating was in the low 500s and I had all R9 scores. I got a low-limit credit card with Capital One and slowly began to improve my credit. A friend of mine did the same with a car loan, but it cost her a lot more (her interest rate was 9% – yikes!). This can be an expensive way to build credit, and it’s risky, too. If you have bad habits with debt, using debt to improve your credit rating is not for you. Wait until you demonstrate some responsibility.

Paying off all your bills in full doesn’t give you great credit. It might actually mean that you have no credit rating at all. There are some credit cards with 0% interest rates, and those can be great for using debt to your own advantage!

Elizabeth S.

Elizabeth is a single woman in her early 30s, working as a manager at a software company and living in the most expensive city in Canada. She hopes to blog about her journey to eliminate debt and build savings for home ownership someday. Whenever she has taken two financial steps forward, she’s always taken a step back with a bad credit card purchase (we’re looking at you, unnecessary iPhone of May 2019). Elizabeth lives alone with her fur kids, a dog and cat, and when she’s not in front of the computer, she enjoys running, camping, reading, and baseball.