There seems to be an overwhelming number of "gifted" individuals on this planet. Just look at the classifieds in the newspaper or the advertising section in the back of virtually any women's magazine. And for anywhere between $3 and $6 a minute, you can gain telephone access to them or their "team".

MONEY - FUTURE - HAPPINESS - CAREER - LOVE. These words are very meaningful and important to just about everyone on Earth. By focussing on providing "services" that encompass these five words, psychics have access to a neverending supply of hopeful and often desperate customers in a market that's riding an enormous wave of paranormal belief. In this totally unregulated market, the potential for making money is almost limitless.

You've seen the ads. You've seen the TV Shows: Medium, The Ghost Whisperer, Psychic Investigators, Crossing Over, The Dead Zone and several more. The acceptance level has never been higher. So why would you wait to jump on this bandwagon? According to the Psychic Advice website: "The ability to become psychic is within all of us. For you to become a true 'psychic' you must first learn to switch your mindset from yourself and onto another person as the center point. Your focus should be centered on the inner workings of that person as it relates to the world they live in. Becoming a psychic reader requires patience and practice."

You can even get your children involved. According to the School Library Journal, Helaine Becker's "Are You Psychic? The Official Guide for Kids" is a "solid offering for kids interested in honing their paranormal skills". There's a lot more credibility in someone who's been psychic since they were a child.

Or, you could do what most psychics do. Hone your cold-reading skills. If you've tried to move that compass needle with just your mind. If you've tried to bend that spoon by just softly rubbing it with your hands. If you've tried to heal your grandmother's lung cancer and failed, don't give up! There's not much money in doing those things anyway. Just practise this 13 point guide to cold reading. You won't be disappointed and neither will your friends. And when you've amazed them, they'll tell their friends and bang! There's your first customers.

But if you want to make some real money, you need to have some real psychic skills and you need to be able to demonstrate them under specific conditions. There must be real psychics out there that know next Monday's Lotto numbers, or know which three horses will win the Trifecta down at the track. That should be a pretty simple task for anyone who can "see" into the future. It's strange that you never hear about them.

The other option is if you can prove that you can do telekenesis or telepathy or speak with someone's dead relatives, then why not go for one of the many Psychic Challenges that are now on offer from various Skeptics societies around the world?

How's $100,000 sound from the Australian Skeptics? What's more, if you don't want to nominate yourself, but one of your satisfied customers decides to and you accept - and you succeed - your customer will receive $20,000! How many customers are there out there that would love to get some of the money back that they outlayed to their psychic?

Or, you could go for the big one. James Randi's $1 Million Psychic Challenge from the James Randi Educational Foundation. But you'd better be quick. From April 1st, 2007, the challenge will be closed to all but the most famous psychics. In order to participate in Randi's Challenge, you will have to first have had your special skill highlighted on a TV show, magazine article or book. And from April 1st, Randi will be calling out the big guns - John Edward, Uri Geller, Sylvia Browne and James van Praagh. These high-profile psychics are going to have to put up or shutup. According to Randi, "rather than merely waiting for applicants to present themselves, we will regularly and officially highlight well-known persons in the field and challenge them directly by name. Those challenged will then have a six-month period during which they may respond; during that period the JREF will heavily publicize the fact that such a challenge has been issued, we will issue press releases on the matter, and we will be frequently asking that those challenged make a response".

Interestingly enough, even though this challenge started in 1964 with a $1,000 prize, no "psychic" has ever passed a preliminary test. None of the other challenges offered by skeptics the world over have ever been won either. Why?

John Edward has flat-out refused Randi's requests to meet in the past. Browne has twice accepted but reneged. Uri Geller had this fabulous encounter with Randi on the Johnny Carson show way back in the 70's. This video clip also shows how Randi busted televangelist Peter Popoff's "divine" powers.

Roll on April Fool's Day! Personally, I can't wait!