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Assuming we're ruling out inheritance, marriage, lottery wins, robbing a bank and other such illegal activities or twists of fate, then the only realistic way to make a very large sum of money in a short space of time is to do something creative, ideally with the opportunity to generate a residual income in some way thereafter. A million is probably a little optimistic for such a short timescale but there's no reason not to aim high.

First of all, if you literally do not have a cent, you will need to raise some money or have access to credit, if only to pay for phone calls, postage, materials etc. I'm assuming that you're not completely destitute, living on the street with nothing more than the clothes on your back! The quickest way to do this is to sell off some items you do own that you no longer require - local small ads are often free or try a 1 day listing on eBay with instant paypal payment to give you some working capital.

While you're raising this starting capital you need to work out what you're going to do to raise such a sum. While there's not going to be time to write a best selling novel or movie script, you could produce a synopsis of an idea or paint an artistic masterpiece or two or write a bestselling song, put together a band good enough to get a recording contract or similar. You then need to tout the product/idea around all the appropriate agents etc. or any other relevant contacts. Unfortunately although you may earn the million dollars you require within the timescale, you'd be unlikely to receive it within that period.

OK, so you have no creative skills! How about research skills? Find out about rare high value items that you might be able to locate in your area - scour boot fairs, school fetes and other sites where a rare first edition or antique wouldn't be recognised and snap them up for peanuts with your eBay sales proceeds, to then sell through a specialist auction house. No luck? Borrow a metal detector and a shovel and go exploring ancient woodland.

Too energetic? OK, let's resort to the internet. Think of a subject you know something about and research forums and newsgroups on that subject. Look for a problem that appears time and time again and you've got your product. Draft a list of questions that people ask most often and then obtain answers, either from your own knowledge or through research or asking experts in the sector or by posing the same questions in other forums. If you can get a reply from another expert you're going to be able to name drop when you market your new product. All the while you're doing this you should also be posting loads of helpful advice to get yourself a good name and add credibility, and also acquire contact names.

Once you've got your collection of questions and answers, you simply need to structure them into an eBook, or if you have the facilities, create a DVD or downloadable video. Now all you need to do is let all your new friends know that you've created this brilliant new guide that solves all their problems. You then offer a joint venture to all websites you've found in your field, offering them 50% commission on sales of the guide, and finally list the product with Clickbank so that anybody else can sell your guide for 50% commission. You could also promote your guide on eBay.

Then you just wait for the sales to flood in.

If you've worked solidly, this will have taken a week, so in week 2 you start over with a second topic and repeat the process, and again in week 3 with a third etc.

Obviously this is a very simplistic description of the process. There are many indepth guides that wll provide more detailed information about the process.

Learn more about this author, Lynne Oconnor.
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