Christmas is just around the corner, YEAH!

Am a Christmas fanatic and if there's any holiday I always look forward to, then it's Christmas and its finally almost here. Most guys get lazy over this holiday season, so why don't you take advantage of this and cash out at the opportunity. Christmas is big business and if you are a big fan of Christmas, you can start a Christmas business of your own.

Many of these businesses will be quick to start so you can have your own business up and running profitably in no time.

Christmas Biz Idea 1 - Gift Wrapping

If you like to wrap presents, start a gift-wrapping service. Many people would happily pay someone to wrap presents, I know I would. You could come up with different gift wrapping designs and display them on you gift wrapping stand. Most gift shops charge an extra fee for wrapping a gift, you could position yourself in a strategic place near the shop and charge a little bit less than what those shops charge.

To get customers for your business, print some simple business cards and/or flyers and distribute around the shopping mall. Wrap a present (or an empty box) and take a photo of it to demonstrate that you can, indeed, wrap gifts.

Christmas Biz Idea 2 - Interior Decorations

Two Options Here:

Tree decorating
Christmas trees are becoming trendy in Kenya and more and more families get Christmas trees every year. If you always have pretty trees and enjoy decorating them, let people know. You can do tree decorating for businesses or individuals. Most will already have supplies, but if you have to purchase decorations, charge more. Some people put up multiple trees, so just a few clients could turn into quite a bit of cash.

Interior Holiday Decorating
Again, you can do this for businesses or homes, and in addition to or separate from tree decorating. You can use the client's supplies or use greenery, flowers or even fruits, vegetables, pinecones, spray paint and maybe some fake snow to create inexpensive but lovely décor.

A trip outside can give you great decor options in many areas, spray-painted tree branches, leaves, pinecones are classics.

You could use apples (red & green) as centerpieces (stack in big glass cylinders--one all red, two all green) or, hollow them out to make tealight holders to spread in a row across a mantle. Decorating in all white or silver or another color? Spray paint them to match.

Christmas Biz Idea 3: Outdoor Decorations

Nine out of ten women I know have to threaten, plead, cajole, beg, bribe and maybe even cry to get help putting up the outdoor decorations. The other woman is now divorced because she couldn't get any help.

So, save some marriages and offer to be the one to take care of this "honey-do". Offer your services to put up the outdoor decorations and you can be sure to make some extra cash out of this. Though it is important to note that such a business would mostly be profitable in the leafy suburbs of Runda and Muthaiga.

Christmas Biz Idea 4 - Christmas Baskets

Baskets are pretty easy to put together if you have a knack for grouping and displaying items.

One thing to be sure you do is tell your customers exactly how to use your baskets. Here are some examples:

Gift Baskets for the Stressed Women on your List (or the New Mother, the Vegan, the Buddhist, the College Student, the Teacher, the Book Lover, the Beer Connoisseur, the Triathlete, the Writer, the Tea Lover, and so on.)

Gift Baskets for the Golfer (and other hobbies/obsessions)

Gift Baskets for 10-14 Year-olds (You can even make this gender-specific, and of course, vary the ages.)

Great Gift Baskets for Grandparents (cute photo frames, greatest Grandma/Grandpa sweatshirt, memory books, disposable cameras, cooking with kids cookbook, and the like.)

Spend a few minutes brainstorming on basket ideas and target markets for them.

Then, go shopping. You should plan to charge double or triple your cost for the baskets, so keep that in mind when shopping. A mix of inexpensive and quality items makes for nice, stuffed to the brim baskets!

And, you do not have to use baskets. Almost anything can be a great "basket" container-an ice bucket, a cooler, a toolbox or fishing tackle box, a backpack, a mixing bowl, a flower pot, a small wastebasket, a portable file box, a diaper bag, a pasta pot, whatever! Do try to match the "basket" to the contents-office supplies in the file box, bar supplies or cocktail mixes in the ice bucket and so on. You can re-purpose some things, too-give hobby supplies in a fishing tackle box and voila' -you've provided storage! (The tackle box works well for makeup supplies, too!)

Marketing and Promoting your Christmas Business

Create some flyers and have some business cards printed and then just start telling people. Include your friends, family, co-workers and neighbours.

If you have a blog, a Facebook or MySpace page or any other online social media connection, tell those people, too.

If you need to, offer one or two free "gigs" to get references, pictures and testimonials so you can prove to prospective clients that you *can do* what they want you to do.

Remember, Christmas Spirit is contagious, too! Be sure you have lots -- it will really help you persuade clients. Do whatever fits your personality--wear silly antlers or a Santa hat or LED reindeer earrings. Sing "Jingle Bells". Give everyone a candy cane attached to your business card--who's gonna refuse that?

And, don't take rejection personally. Just move on to the next person or business on your list and spread the joy of the season!

You can have this project up and running in a day and be taking orders and making money tomorrow! You might find that you love making baskets and decide to turn it into a full-time business, or you might just use the idea to add to your existing arsenal of marketing techniques.