Are you an innovative problem solver? Do you have specialized knowledge in a given field? Then maybe you should start getting paid for it. Companies all over the world are willing to pay you for your help solving all kinds of problems and you can earn between $20 and $40,000 a pop. No joke.

To get involved with this, all you have to do is go to IdeaConnection.com. They have a pretty rigorous application (at least as far as internet standards are concerned) but they want to make sure that you aren't some nut who will end up being a drain on their system.

They also have cool contests where organizations post problems and whoever comes up with the best idea wins. This is less formal than the problem solving program and you only have to fill out a simple form to participate.