If you’re looking for a way to work online and earn money, it can be tough to figure out where to start. After all, there are so many options available that it can be difficult to determine which one will give you the best results.
Working online is a great way to earn extra money. You have the ability to do it from just about anywhere, in any condition.
There are three main ways you can work online:
- Sell Your Expertise
- Sell Products
- Sell Services
Each of these options can offer different benefits, so it’s important to identify which one is right for you before getting started.
Table of Contents
Sell Your Expertise (Online Consulting)
Every one of us is a subject matter expert, we can all make a difference in someone’s life or help out a company solve a problem they’re dealing with as a third-party consultant.
By working online as a consultant, you can get paid for your opinions and skills without having to work from an office.
The beauty of being a consultant is the flexibility it offers. It’s an opportunity for people who want to work from home and establish their own schedule to make a living.
There are many ways on how you can sell consulting services online. Your client base is out there, they just don’t know yet that you actually exist.
Build a Personal Brand
The best way to promote yourself as a consultant online is to build your personal brand. This is a slow approach but one that can really scale your practice over time.
To do this, there are tools and strategies that you have to build at the beginning of your consulting practice, and they are as follows:
Build a Website for your Consulting Business
One of the first steps is to build out your own website. This can be made easier with some help from services like Squarespace or WordPress. One of my favorite things about these types of sites is that they allow anyone to build websites without necessarily knowing how to code.
To get started in building a website for your consulting business, you first need to register a domain name.
A domain name is your web address, so if I wanted to go to Mother Nature Network, the domain name is “mnn.com”. Or if I wanted to go to Business Insider, my domain name would be “businessinsider.com”.
You can use your own name as your domain name if you’re looking to build your personal brand as a consultant.
The next thing you need is a Webhosting account. A Webhosting account is what allows your website to be seen on the Internet. There are hundreds of choices, but I recommend Bluehost because it is affordable and very user-friendly.
They offer a free domain name for unlimited time when you buy their hosting package. They also have an excellent customer service team that will help answer any questions you might have while building and operating your new website.
Once you’ve got your domain name and Webhosting, the next step is to install WordPress on your site. It’s a free open-source platform that you can easily use to create your website. You can choose from millions of free themes as well as buy some premium ones as well.
There are tons of WordPress theme markets, I recommend the one at Themeforest.net because they have some of the best themes out there.
Finally, don’t forget to install a WordPress plugin that allows you to track all your website statistics. Google Analytics is free and tracks everything you need.
Once you’ve got these basics covered, it’s time to start writing about your expertise. You can use your website to offer advice, publish posts that showcase your knowledge, and link back to other sites you’ve contributed content to.
The key here is to create a “hub” where people can come for more information on the topics you are an expert in. It’s also important because this website is going to be the first place you establish yourself as a consultant.
As people come to your site, they will see how knowledgeable you are and hopefully want to hire you on a consulting basis.
The important thing here is that this is a good marketing strategy for getting your name out there. You can use articles you publish on your site to get your name in front of people who are searching for consultants just like you.
If you’re comfortable talking in front of a camera, you can also create videos and post them on YouTube and your Facebook page to build your social media following. While these social media platforms are very popular, it’s still a good idea to have your own website as the main hub for your practice, where you can put a link to your landing page to collect emails or where they can book a schedule to consult with you.
Build an Email List
Email marketing has always been one of the best ways to market businesses online. And it’s still true today, especially if you know what you are doing.
The key to using email marketing is building an email list where people who take the time to join your list can opt-in for free advice or tips that will ultimately lead them to hire you as a consultant. Then all they need to do is reply back to your email with their request.
The best way to do this is by offering valuable content that people want to read about (or watch) and then asking them for their email in exchange. Once you have their email address, it’s important to continue communication so they will trust you and ultimately hire you down the track.
There are many ways to build email lists. You can build one manually through your primary website, which probably won’t get you too many leads initially.
Another way is to set up what is known as a “squeeze page” or basically a temporary landing page on your primary site that offers visitors something for free in exchange for their name and email address.
You can use EngageBay’s all-in-one CRM system that’s more than a customer relationship platform. You can publish landing pages, opt-ins, and even have your customers book you with an integrated calendar booking system.
If you’re collecting emails, you should use an autoresponder service like Aweber to automate your email sequences and improve your conversion rate.
Once you have your prospects’ email addresses, it’s important to send them regular emails with helpful content to keep them engaged with your site and brand.
Your email list will help you build continuous relationships with your prospects and clients, which thereby builds a stronger trust and credibility, which could equate to more consulting hours and perhaps, referrals from your existing clients.
Promote Your Consulting Business in Online Marketplaces
If you need clients fast, one of the best ways to get consulting clients is through online consulting marketplaces like Clarity, Growth Mentors, Comatch, Toptal, and ConsultPort.
First, you need to set up a profile by creating a profile video and uploading a resume. Most expert marketplaces like these allow you to have a mini-portfolio website that pretty much acts like your online resume wherein you can showcase your expertise and experience.
If you’re serious about working online as a freelance consultant, you have to be active on these platforms. Most allow you to browse posts from companies who may need expert consultants like yourself, you can then message or submit a bid to be considered for the project.
You can also browse posts and apply for projects that interest you, be mindful though because some of these posts may not be legit or spam. This is why it’s important to read the requirements and qualifications needed in order to be considered by a certain company.
If you’re on board with one of these marketplaces, start promoting your consulting business to potential clients.
How? Here are a few tips that you can use to promote your business on online marketplaces:
Post about your expertise. Post short write-ups about what services you offer and what makes you unique from other consultants. You can post these pieces of advice in the discussion sections, or in your profile page/portfolio.
Comment on posts related to your expertise. Some of the posts in these online marketplaces are open for discussion especially if you’re not hired by a company that is looking for an expert consultant like yourself. If an article or post really caught your attention, express your thoughts about it and share it with your connections. This is a great way to get your name out there.
Create a profile video. Most online marketplaces give you the chance to create a professional profile video, make the most of it by showcasing your skills and services in this one-minute-long clip. You can also share personal insights like why you decided to start consulting, or what drives you to do what you do.
Be an active member of the community. If you want to be visible and known as a legit consultant, you need to show your commitment by actively participating in discussions and asking questions apart from sharing pins and articles about what kind of services other freelancers offer. Providing value for others is why people will come back to check on your profile and see if you’re available for hire.
Take part in webinars, workshops, meet-ups, or conferences related to your expertise. You can do this by joining relevant communities or groups on social media like Facebook or LinkedIn (see here some of the best FB groups suited for online marketers).
There’s no other way to stand out from the rest of the crowd than joining these kinds of events, you’ll get to meet new people and expand your network. You can also build relationships with other companies that may need your services in the future (and don’t forget about providing value).
Sell Products Online
Another way you can work online and earn money is by selling products online. You can sell your own products or buy and sell products either as a marketplace flipper or a retailer.
The simplest form of selling products online is by posting products or unwanted items that you may already have in your home on online classified websites like Craigslist, Kijiji, or the Facebook Marketplace.
Another option is to sell products on your own website. To do this, you will need an eCommerce platform like Shopify to help you build an online store easily.
You can then market your eCommerce store either through paid advertisement, organic social media posts, or search engine marketing.
Yet another way to sell products online is by joining marketplaces like eBay and Amazon.
If you’re not sure as to what products you’re going to sell, I’ve written comprehensive guides on what products to sell on eBay and on Amazon. You can read them by clicking the links below:
Provide Services as an Online Freelancer
One of the most common ways people work online is by offering freelance services. As an online freelancer, you can work as much or as little as you want and set your own schedule.
There is a growing number of people who prefer working for themselves in the gig economy to holding traditional jobs with a regular salary.
Freelance work can be rewarding, but you need to budget so that you have enough money at the end of each month after taxes and other necessary expenses are paid.
There are many freelance platforms that you can use to find work, but the most popular ones are Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Guru.
You will have to register for these sites in order to start earning money.
There are many ways on how you can work online as a service provider. You can offer virtual assistant services, such as data entry and customer service work.
You can also offer writing services, such as ghostwriting and writing blog posts or articles of all types. You can even be paid to do internet research for various kinds of clients.
There are many skills that you can learn and then use on freelancing sites in order to get the opportunity to work for clients that will pay you well.
In addition, there are hundreds of courses online to teach you about different skills and services that you can use to find work as a freelancer.
Some jobs require advanced training in highly specialized areas. If you have advanced degrees or training in these subjects, then the sky is the limit on what you can earn as an online freelancer.
If you’re not sure as to what service to offer, or you’re not confident with your current skills; there are ways on how you can improve your skillset. You can subscribe to websites like Skillshare for as low as $7 a month to learn any skill that you may need to get off the ground and start your freelance services business.
From graphic, web design, SEO, programming, you can become an expert in no time.
Just to give you an idea as to the many types of services that you can offer as an online worker, check out the list below:
Ecommerce Customer Service
As an eCommerce customer service representative, you can work from home and help customers on eCommerce sites. There are many people who have started their own online businesses but don’t want to handle the customer service aspect of running a business.
This is where you come in as an independent contractor for companies that hire you. These types of opportunities are found on Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Guru.
Ecommerce jobs pay a lot higher than data entry work because there is a greater level of skill involved in this type of work. However, don’t expect to make the same amount as someone who works for an eCommerce company from their desk. The reason is that you are doing it from your home office and you’ll also have to pay for your own health insurance and other benefits.
You can expect to make anywhere between $10 an hour up to $20 an hour depending on the company you work for, how much experience you have, and what type of eCommerce company it is; some companies provide better pay than others.
It’s all about finding the right customer service job for you.
Medical Billing and Coding Specialist
Medical billing and coding is a career that requires you to have some experience.
You’ll need to complete a medical billing and coding certification course before applying for jobs online. There are many people who want good-paying jobs without having to invest a lot of money into their education, but – if you’re going to have success – then you will have to invest in the training and certification courses.
It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to pass these exams, but after you become certified you can expect to make at least $20 an hour handling medical billing and coding jobs.
Virtual Assistant
Becoming a Virtual Assistant can be a great opportunity for those who are looking to make some extra money. It allows you to work from home and not have to travel anywhere. Becoming a VA is also good for those who don’t want to become an expert in one particular field; it allows them to do all different types of jobs that they might not otherwise do. This gives the VA more variety and that means they’ll never get bored with their work.
Becoming a Virtual Assistant does require some skills, though. You should be well-versed in English (think grammar, vocabulary, punctuation) and also use a computer proficiently (keyboarding, word processing).
It’s also important that you’re knowledgeable in a variety of subjects, such as marketing, social media, personal administration, and more.
You can find a few Virtual Assistant jobs on Upwork.com but you should also make sure to check out other freelance websites for lower-paying jobs that don’t require as much experience.
The great thing about becoming a Virtual Assistant is that it’s a career path that allows you to become self-employed. You can work as little or as much as you want and the only person who will tell you what to do is yourself.
Now, there are other types of Virtual Assistant jobs like email management and customer service, but those require further education or experience. It’s best for those who are willing to invest in themselves.
Data Entry Specialist
Data entry is another popular career choice among those who want to work from home. Data entry jobs are perfect for stay-at-home moms or students that need flexibility. You can find these types of jobs online, but it doesn’t mean you’ll always get the job; finding the right data entry job is similar to finding the right Virtual Assistant position.
It’s important that you do your research and find out where it is you want to apply for these types of jobs. Working as a data entry specialist does require some skills such as typing, word processing, and excellent grammar skills (the better your typing speed and accuracy the higher your chances of getting hired).
There are a variety of data entry jobs you can choose from, including medical billing, accounting, insurance claims processing, and more. It all depends on what type of certifications or experience you have.
It’s important to note that becoming a data entry specialist does require a certain degree of focus and patience. The pay for these types of jobs isn’t usually the best; it’s about consistency, hard work and always following through on your promises.
Customer Service Representative
Working as a remote customer service representative is one of the more popular ways to make money online simply because there are so many companies that need this type of help. The great thing about working as a customer service rep is that you get to work by yourself and not have to worry about answering other people.
People sometimes find it difficult to break into the customer service industry, but there are other ways such as: working in retail companies or becoming a virtual assistant. What’s great about customer service is that you can potentially make $15 an hour or more, depending on the company you work for.
Customer service jobs are becoming seen as a more legitimate way to make money online, but there are still some people who see it as lower-paying work.
Not all companies offer great wages or benefits, but there are ways around that such as asking for (and negotiating) a higher salary.
Now there are some customer service jobs you can do online, but it’s best to first try out the job for a little bit before committing to anything long-term.
The great thing about working as a customer service representative is that you’re your own boss and have the ability to change how much work you want to do each day.
Freelance writer
If you’re good at writing and have a passion for the written word then becoming a freelance writer may be just what you’re looking for when it comes to making money from home. The great thing about being a freelance writer is that you can work as much or as little as you want, simply by providing the company you work for with the right amount of content.
You can find freelance writing jobs almost anywhere online, but it’s important to remember that not all companies are created equal when it comes to offering high-paying and quality jobs in this industry. The truth is that there are a lot of scams out there in the world of freelance writing and it’s important that you do your research before applying for any jobs.
You can find great freelance writing gigs if you know where to look, including Craigslist, oDesk, and Freelancer. Another good site for finding these types of jobs is Upwork. Keep in mind when looking for freelance writing jobs that you don’t necessarily have to provide content for a website. Some clients will want you to write product descriptions or even promotional flyers.
So it’s important to realize that freelance writing can be fun and healthy work experience as long as you know where to look for potential jobs. Remember, before trying out any new site for finding these types of positions, be sure to do some research first.
Being a freelance writer can be rewarding, but it’s important that you know what types of jobs are available before starting out. Some companies will want to hire you full-time and pay you per article, whereas others will consider hiring you as a contractor. Depending on how many hours of work you’re willing to put in each week, you can potentially make more than $20 per hour.
Now you may be wondering if it’s possible to find freelance writing jobs on sites like Craigslist or Freelancer, but the answer is yes. It just takes some time and patience in order to get your name out there and get enough work experience under your belt so that potential clients will want to hire you. The other good thing about working as a freelance writer is that the possibilities are endless when it comes to what types of jobs you can do and where you can do them (in terms of location).
Web developer
Becoming a web developer is another great way to work online and make money from home.
Web developers build websites for businesses and other organizations. The skills required for this job are extensive, but some of the necessary qualifications include knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, and many others.
So why is it that web developers are in such high demand? Well, if you don’t know much about computers or programming languages then you may not understand why this profession is so valuable, but the truth is that web developers are needed for almost every type of project and website.
Like being a freelance writer, becoming a web developer can be rewarding work but it’s not always easy. In fact, it’s often considered one of the hardest jobs when it comes to working from home because most employers (or clients) expect their employees (freelancers) to have the necessary skills and be able to work fast. So make sure you’re up for the challenge before applying for any online job as a web developer.
One of the best places to apply for one of these positions is a freelance marketplace or job boards for online jobs. Keep in mind that most employers who hire people to work from home ask their employees to sign contracts, so it’s important to read the fine print before signing.
So as you can see, working as a web developer or freelance writer is a fun and rewarding work experience that can help you make extra money from home. All it takes is time and patience in order to develop your skills and get noticed by potential employers.
Internet Researcher
Working as an internet researcher is another way to make money online. The job really depends on what the client needs, but it may include researching specific topics, locating hard-to-find information, or even compiling data.
An internet researcher’s job is very beneficial because they work whenever they would like, which gives them more time to spend with their family and friends. Clients usually provide their information to the researcher and then let them know how long it should take to complete the project.
So this type of work can be rewarding if you don’t mind staying at home all day long, but for those who enjoy spending time outdoors, there are other types of jobs available that allow you to work online while traveling.
Work as an SEO Specialist
You can also offer SEO services from home by becoming a search engine optimization specialist for small businesses locally or internationally.
The first step to offering SEO services is creating your own website. Next, you’ll need to promote it using search engine optimization techniques. Focus on enhancing your website’s visibility through various methods including generating keywords, writing good content, and creating interesting images to use in social media sites like Instagram and Facebook.
Drawing web traffic to your site can be done by submitting it to directories, submitting press releases about the site, or asking others to link back to your site. Taking these steps will help you grow your website’s traffic.
Create a marketing site for your SEO business to help generate more clients. You can add articles about common search engine topics, tips on how to do SEO, and current information related to the industry. This will help you reach out to people in your target market and attract new customers interested in your services.
Offer Web Designing Services
Working as a web designer is another way to make money from home, but it does require you to have experience in design. If you don’t, there are schools online that offer web design courses to teach the necessary skills.
Like SEO, the first step is also developing your own website and branding yourself as a web designer.
The next step is picking up a few clients. You can promote your services via social media sites like Facebook or Instagram. Another way to promote your web design business is through paid traffic and search engine optimization.
It’s important for web designers to be reliable and timely when it comes to meeting deadlines for their clients’ projects. It’s also important to stay up-to-date with any new technologies that will make your work easier and more efficient.
Graphic Designing Services
If you’re good with graphic design, you can offer graphic design services on websites like Guru.com, Fiverr, or even on your own website. There are many people looking for text-based ads, which you can offer on your site to match with the design services you provide.
Creating banner designs is a good starting point when it comes to designing graphics because banners are visible across all types of computer monitors and may be placed on popular websites. You can also create logo designs for businesses, which will help you reach more people online.
Over time, you’ll build a portfolio of your design work so potential clients can see the quality of your work and choose whether or not to hire you. These links can be added to your resume and portfolio on your site as a way to show your past work.
Freelance Proofreading
Proofreaders are needed on a regular basis by businesses, universities, and other institutions that need documents edited for spelling and grammar mistakes. Employers do this because it saves them time and money compared to having their own team of editors. If you’re good with words, editing may be the perfect opportunity for you.
While you can get jobs from freelance websites, the best way to build your proofreading career is by building your personal brand.
You can do this through content marketing by posting videos on YouTube, and LinkedIn as well as by writing articles related to your practice on your own website.
On your website, you can create the following pages:
- Home
- Services
- About
- Blog
Your homepage is where you’ll welcome your prospective clients. This can point to your services and about pages.
On your services page, you can create different packages for your services with an order or schedule buttons for prospects to hire you.
You can also include a contact me page for prospects who may have questions about your services or experience, though I suggest that you lay everything on your about page, as this will be like your resume on the web.
Your blog page is a chronological list of all the articles that you will publish on your website. Blogging will help you publish content articles that will organically attract traffic to your website over time as well as build your credibility to your prospective clients.
People looking for freelance proofreading services search online, publishing content (videos or articles) gives you more exposure to potential clients. You can also sign up with companies like Quicktate or Scribendi that will help match you with employers looking for your skills.
Social Media Manager
Social media managers are needed on a regular basis by organizations that want to keep their online presence active. Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn provide users with the ability to interact with businesses or other people. This can be valuable for companies because they can promote events, products, services, news updates, etc., over social networks.
One of the many challenges most entrepreneurs and businesses have is the ability to consistently post interesting content on their social media pages.
Huge businesses hire their own social media managers and assistants who work around the clock to constantly pump new social media content. This puts small businesses and self-employed professionals at a disadvantage – and this is where you come in.
You can offer social media management services where you post content on behalf of your prospective clients. This can be done on a per-post basis, or for an overall monthly fee.
If you’re not yet familiar with social media marketing, I suggest that you learn the craft first before offering the service, this way, you can build a long-term online career for yourself and keep your clients long term.
You can take social media courses on sites like Udemy and Skillshare.
Teaching & Tutoring Online
Teaching and tutoring online can be a great way to work at home or wherever you have an internet connection. You’ll need to teach subjects that are in high demand, but you’ll need to develop your own course materials. This will require research on the topic, including what the audience is interested in, what people are currently learning, and how it relates to different industries like engineering or finance.
You should also think about writing blog posts for popular websites about your field of expertise. This way, you can make money while helping other people learn specific skills related to your chosen career path. You can also offer to tutor people one-on-one since this gives you more flexibility in hours and location.
It’s important to maintain a professional relationship with your clients. This means being punctual, showing up on time, dressing professionally, explaining the learning process patiently to students who are just learning, and offering constructive feedback during lessons.
A resume is also an essential component of this work because it will help you get more jobs in the future. It’s best to list all previous teaching and tutoring positions, whether they were for personal or professional use, the number of students you helped, your teaching philosophy, and any other materials you can provide.
Teach English Online
Are you bilingual? If so, you can make money by teaching English online to students all over the world. Most of these jobs are for conversational English, which means you’ll teach new phrases, common vocabulary words, and helpful expressions that people use while speaking in different situations.
You’ll need to create an online course with your own materials that will be sent to students. You can do this on your own or work with other people who are interested in teaching online, which gives you more flexibility. These courses should include everything students need to learn, like course content, assignments, quizzes and exams, materials for reference, etc.
A resume is also an important part of this opportunity because it will help employers know if you’re qualified for the job. They may be looking for people who have taught English on-site before, whether it was at a school or some other location.
The type of work is completely up to you, but you should always be careful about joining new organizations that promise high earnings and little work. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
It’s also important to focus on improving your customer service skills when working within a virtual environment. You may not be able to see the people you’re working for, but they’ll still need quality support through chat or email if they have any questions about the course content or assignments.
Online Music Teacher
You can also teach music online, which is perfect for musicians with full-time jobs who want to earn additional income. This is generally done one-on-one, so you’ll need to be patient and willing to put in extra time after your regular work schedule.
You can teach on a variety of instruments like the guitar, piano, violin, or drums since students will need to work with the right tools for their preferred instrument.
To be successful, you’ll need to know your musical instruments well and make sure that your students understand how they work and the basics of music theory. You should also think about creating a website or blog where you can display some of your best work and convince potential clients online.
Teach Yoga Online
Are you an expert in yoga? If so, you can make money by teaching yoga online to students all over the world. This typically requires you to create an online course that includes videos and instructions for new yoga poses, sequences, and breathing exercises. You’ll also need to explain how different poses can help increase flexibility and improve circulation while reducing stress.
As with any other job, it’s important to create a resume that shows your experience and what makes you a good fit for the position. Although online yoga courses typically require less time than other types of work, it’s important to create a schedule that allows enough time to develop lesson plans and complete all coursework.
You may also want to find like-minded people who are interested in working with you and creating a blog or website to promote your courses. Apart from the resume, this will help potential employers get a better idea of who you are and what you’re interested in teaching.
Teach Financial Literacy Online
Teaching financial literacy can be an excellent way to make money online because it helps people improve their financial skills and find ways to manage debt and save money. You can create a course that covers a variety of financial topics, including how to balance a checkbook, use credit cards responsibly, pay off loans faster, and avoid bankruptcy.
In order to be successful in this industry, you’ll need to have an understanding of your student’s needs and provide high-quality resources that they can use as they manage their money and improve their credit score.
Creating a course that explains the basics of paying off debt may not be effective for people who don’t understand simple transactions like writing checks or depositing money into a savings account. Instead, you should target your coursework toward specific individuals and offer valuable lessons and tips that they’ll find helpful.
Editing Services
You can also find online work as a freelance editor.
The fastest way to land paying clients online is by joining online service marketplaces like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr.
If you’re looking to work for companies that hire editorial employees, you can join sites like FlexJobs and SimplyHired.
While you may not be able to rely on a steady flow of work, you may find a few gigs that allow you to earn additional income. In order to find work as an editor, you’ll need to create a resume that shows your experience and writing samples, and like any other freelance career, building your personal brand through your own website and video sites like YouTube is going to be the best investment of your time.
Earn Money Blogging
Finally, you can also make money by blogging for others. You’ll be expected to post high-quality content on a regular basis. In order to be successful, you’ll need excellent writing skills and a deep understanding of your topic.
In order to find work as a blogger, you should create a website and blog about something that other people want to read. Surprisingly, simply sharing your knowledge about common issues, such as money management or home improvement projects, maybe enough to draw a loyal following.
If you’re an expert in a specific subject, you can also find gigs creating content at a site like Freelancer. In order to create a resume that showcases your experience and writing samples, you can visit sites like BloggingPro or iBlogZone.
There are several ways to find work online, but marketing yourself effectively is the best way to get hired by top companies and tech startups, owners of which may not have the time to write and publish blog content on a regular basis.
Online Gamer (just kidding)
While you can make money playing games, it’s pretty tough to turn it into an online job as it’s hard to find companies that will actually pay you to play online games. How you can get compensated as an online gamer is through streaming your games and gaining social media following on both YouTube and Facebook but then, of course, there’s no guarantee that you will earn money, at least at the start.
If you’re interested in making money playing online games, and you’re already a gamer, you can start recording or streaming your games on Twitch to start building followers and subscribers. Like information publishing, this type of gig takes time to build but it can be semi-passive later on.
Business Plan Writing
Not all entrepreneurs can put their ideas into writing, and for this reason, you can offer your help and help them package their vision into a well-written business plan that’s worthy of soliciting funds.
In order to stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to use your writing skills to produce a business plan that captures all of your client’s vision and ideas. In addition, you should also make sure that it includes a realistic assessment of their resources and a description of precisely how they’ll be able to make money.
Work as an Online Transcriber
nother job that you can do online is to transcribe audio and video files. If you have a good command of the English language and are familiar with punctuation and other grammar rules, then becoming an online transcriber might be a great opportunity for you.
Audio transcription is one of the most common jobs that you can do online and it requires little to no experience, training, or education.
Many companies out there will hire freelancers with little to no previous work experience in the field, which makes this a great opportunity for people that are just entering the online workforce or looking to make some extra money online.
The hourly rate will vary depending on how fast you are able to transcribe the file, but most online transcription jobs will pay somewhere between $10 and $20 per hour.
And since you don’t have to do any face-to-face work or travel to your clients, you can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have a laptop, desk, and internet connection.
Finding Jobs as an Online Transcriber
If you are interested in becoming an online transcriber, then there are plenty of companies that will hire you for this job.
You can find jobs on popular freelancing websites like Upwork, Freelancer, Guru, and Fiverr (just to name a few).
Just type in a search for “audio transcription” and you will see all of the current jobs available.
Look through each job posting carefully to ensure that you meet the requirements, including the specific audio or video file, rate of pay, and language skills required.
You can also go straight to a company’s website to find their contact information and complete a job application.
A few companies that frequently hire online transcribers include Amazon, Rev, and QuickTate.
Once you apply to a specific company, they will give you a transcription test before hiring you full-time.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of ways people from around the world find gigs and jobs that help them to work online and earn money from the comforts of their home or even anywhere.
There are three main ways you can work online:
1. Sell your expertise
2. Sell products
3. Provide services
When you sell your expertise, you don’t necessarily do the grunt work of delivering a service or selling a product. You’re technical, selling your experience, knowledge, and skills through advice and conversations. In other words, you’re a consultant.
As a consultant, there are actually many areas where you can specialize in. You can become a business strategist, a marketing consultant, a relationships counselor, or a life coach.
Selling your expertise as a consultant could be somewhat an enjoyable career since you’re technically just talking to people, provided of course, you already have the expertise in your chosen consulting field.
Your clients will pay you per hour for the time you spend consulting with them.
Another way that you can work online is by selling products. You can sell physical goods or digital products. If you’re an expert in something, you can write books, or sell courses based on your expertise or you can sell other digital products such as games or software.
If you’re not techy enough to deal with digital products, you can always sell physical goods by launching your own eCommerce website, selling on Amazon, or by simply flipping products locally on classified websites and the Facebook Marketplace.
The fastest way to start working online is by offering services.
Over the years, there have been a plethora of online service marketplaces that allow freelancers to launch lucrative service-based careers from anywhere in the world.
There are many skills that one can acquire to provide services online, but it is important to be aware of the demand of the skill, the expertise/training required, and what you hope to gain from providing this service. You should also take note of your competition if you are looking for a specific niche. For example, if writing is what you are interested in providing services for, research how popular it is before making any assumptions.
Blogging is typically very popular, while competitive, there is a lot of demand for writers who can help entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their blogs and market reach through blogging.
When first starting out with working online, it is recommended that you start small with something that you know well or at least have an understanding of. It will help prevent frustrations and give you time to think about how to proceed.
The key to building a career online is by building your personal brand and reputation.
You can first launch your career by joining several online service marketplaces. It can be challenging at the start because you don’t have yet any reviews under your belt on these platforms but what you can do is slowly build your portfolio and credibility by trying to land your first few gigs.
In saying that, you may need to lower your rate at the start, at least until you get going.
The best way to build a long-term career online is of course by building your reputation. To do this, you have to invest in your own website, we can help you build one here.
On your website, you can build out your portfolio, and an online resume to establish your expertise and credibility.
While you can advertise your services through paid social media and search engine ads, organic growth through content marketing will give your the best bang for your efforts.
You can do content marketing by consistently writing articles and filming videos on topics based on what your target market may search online.
If you’re building your own website, here are the few tools that you will need to get you started:
- A domain name
- A Webhosting account,
- A website platform like WordPress, and
- A theme or web design
There you have it! How to work online and earn money.
With all these services at your fingertips, it’s safe to say that you’re never short of work to do. Provided that you’re skilled in the area; there is always a market for your service and people who will pay you well for them.
It’s vital to note though, that there are certain skills, services, and expertise that are more in demand than others. Make sure you do your research well to avoid frustration; it’s better if you start small by offering services that you’re confident with before branching out into other areas.
It should be noted, however, that the more popular a service is (for example blogging), the more competition you’ll face. If you’re looking for a way to set yourself apart from other bloggers, then there are a few things that you can do to ensure that your blog or website stands out from the crowd.
In most cases, you will become a self-employed professional or business owner when you decide to work online. While there are some companies that are hiring remote employees, landing long-term jobs online as an employee can be challenging but you can get jobs on a term or per-project basis.
Welcome to the gig economy!
If you’ve made it here. I hope that this article was helpful and that you’ve found it valuable in starting your online career. A lot of work energy and hours have been poured into this article to give you the most value.
If you think that I’ve missed some ideas on the subject, please feel free to share yours through the comment form below, and if you think that this article can help others who may also be looking for ways on how they can work online to make money from home. Please don’t hesitate to share this post on your social media accounts!
