Short on Cash? Make an iPhone Application.

These days, it is not uncommon to find quite a few stories of people doing whatever they can to make ends meet, most of which have ended in demise. Nearly every industry in America has suffered for numerous reasons, most of which involve a serious lack of personnel and money. But a few people have found a loophole.

Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch have swept America at large. I have one, my roommate has one, my brother has one, the random man on the bus sitting next to me has one. The Genius Bar at the Apple store on Michigan constantly has people inquiring about their current one or getting a new one. A newer feature on these phones and iPods is the App Store, where users can download or purchase applications for pretty much anything (so says the slogan).

My friends constantly comment on how many I have (I shamefully have four pages…), because it is very easy to get hooked. My favorite applications are Recorder, Alphabetic, and ColorSplash, if you care to check them out or are in search of new recommendations. The point is, with quite a few free options, you can find yourself scrolling for some time through multiple pages of apps.

But where do these come from? Each one has an individual creator, and anyone that successfully can code an application can submit it to use in the store. Depending on the application’s popularity, anyone could make a good amount of money for creating something that everyone else can get addicted to.

A New York Times article follows a man named Ethan Nicholas, who spent weeks on end developing an application called “iShoot,” which has earned him $800,000 in 5 months. He knew a little bit about coding, so he found Apple’s guide to creating these applications and worked on his game. He needed the money to support his family after his job suspended his bonus for the year. He certainly did something right.

It may be tedious and a bit difficult, but with the help of the internet and a great idea, you too could perhaps create the next iShoot. Maybe even earn a small fortune. Who knows.