Nowadays it seems like everyone and their mother is out doing some form of side gig. That’s all completely understandable, considering how hard it is to come by some money these days. Most financers even encourage more than one source of income at a time, given the unpredictability and volatile nature of the global market and job economy.
While most people are working remotely to a certain degree now, some can use this chance to eventually translate into working in an office full-time or even work abroad. This is the perfect time to be as productive as you possibly can, be over-productive if you will. Most of your schedule has been freed up and with you in control of your hours, it allows for more avenues for you to potentially look into doing other work that can beef up your wallet.
For all the damage the pandemic has wrought and all the damage still to come, you can still look at it from a glass half full perspective if you really tried. This unfortunate situation has also demonstrated the capacity for many workers to untether themselves from cubicles and work from home and still be productive, however unlikely the concept had been five years ago.
Visionary companies are realising that there are vast cost savings to be had in letting workers work from wherever. There’s no need to pay the costs of running a cubicle farm when workers already have places they can work—their home, a coffee shop, wherever.
Whether you’re looking to live in a foreign country some day, just want to work from home in the current coronavirus environment or want to restructure your career to be able to work remotely forever, here are 10 ways you can do it.
1. Online tutoring
If you think being a tutor means you have to have the 4.0 GPA or finished this degree or that, you could not be more wrong. There are many ways to benefit from tutorship that doesn’t necessarily mean the academic vein, it can be as simple as teaching someone how to operate Microsoft Word or the basics of baking. It’s all about what you know and how well you know it. Playing up your strengths and expertise in a niche field is the way to go.
2. Sell your photos
If you have any inkling of skill whatsoever in photography or photoshop, consider selling your skills for a profit. Stock photography websites are huge repositories of photographs, covering almost every possible subject you could imagine these days. More and more people are getting into the creative field, and stock photography is one of the most convenient and accessible ways for them to hone their craft legally. You can simply upload your images to any number of image databases like Shutterstock or Pixabay and wait for your downloads to start appearing. Usually magazine editors, designers, or any organization dealing with a visual medium will be the ones liberally using your photos.
3. Online surveys
If you’re a student with not that much time to sacrifice, an increasingly popular way for you to earn money is by filling out online surveys in your spare time. Research companies are always recruiting new members worldwide to answer surveys and test new products. For even just a few minutes of form filling, you can make a couple of quid which is paid as cash or rewards. Some companies even offer You can bag up to $5 for each survey.
4. Cashback
The online shoppers who just can’t stop their hands from metaphorically swiping their credit cards will be even more delighted to hear they can actually get paid back for it. This whole concept is called cashback, ie. literally getting some cash back. There are plenty of mobile apps showing how to make extra money just by doing simple things. Most online e-commerce shops will have some form of incentivised sales to encourage you to buy more to also get maximum cashback.
5. Paid for searching on the web
If you want to earn cash for doing what you already dedicate hours of online, try paid searching. This is arguably one of the easiest methods of making money while idly sitting by, and don’t we all love a good bargain? Some websites actually reward you for searching in top-tier search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, or eBay. You simply install an add-on to your browser so that when you conduct a search, there will be a few sponsored results alongside your normal search
6. Become a virtual assistant
If you’re someone with an arsenal of very niche and in-demand skills and love a good challenge, consider the VA path. It’s a good way to instil some variety into your mundane workday. The good thing is that most business owners nowadays are looking for more people to fill in the gaps of their workforce by the task, so you don’t have to worry about suddenly being handed work you’re not sure you can do. These highly specialised jobs exist both for the benefit of the company and the employer and is one of the sure-fire ways for you to hone your skills in a specific department and nurture it professionally.
7. Create a podcast
It seems like everyone has a podcast these days – and for good reason. Podcasting doesn’t have to be all that complicated, contrary to popular belief. All you really need is a microphone, laptop, and one of the many free recording software out there to start. There’s not much commitment to it, either. You can choose to publish weekly or bi-weekly, the ball’s completely in your court. There are a number of ways to make money from a podcast, with the most obvious one being commercial sponsorship.
8. Drive for a food delivery service
With social distancing guidelines, nearly all restaurants have closed their dining room or opened with limited seating. This means more take out, and by extension, more people to deliver said take out food to the point of destinations. Become a hero by providing food to front porches in your city and earn while doing it! Driving for Uber Eats, Grubhub, or Postmates is a great way to make extra money in your free time by delivering food to hungry clients. It’s relatively risk-free and a great way to earn tips, as people tend to be more generous in a domestic setting. You can also try alternatives like Amazon Flex to run deliveries, which doesn’t include only food. Delivery services are advancing rapidly; today, you can get a flex bot to help you grab blocks while working for Amazon Flex.
9. Drop-shipping
Dropshipping is a method of retail where the seller doesn’t actually have a physical inventory. Instead, when a customer makes an order, you purchase the item from a third party, and they ship it directly to the customer. Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is. The way this is set-up means that you’ll never have to fork over a single dime to store your products or maintain inventory. You also don’t have to buy products in bulk hoping you can resell enough to make a profit. You can do this through online selling platforms like eBay or Amazon.
10. Freelance proofreading
As a direct result of the emergence of online schools with tumultuous assignments, proofreading is another lucrative online career. Most agencies pay around 25% of the price of a translated document to a proofreader, with a lot of them paying around $18 to $20 for proofing the same document. This is also one of the most flexible jobs available in terms of working hours. You can work full time, part-time or around the clock as long as you have your deliverables met.
Conclusion
It’s hard to make an honest living, that’s true. But you reap the rewards with so much satisfaction knowing you literally dedicated a healthy amount of your time towards earning every penny. Luckily, the few examples here won’t make you break a sweat!
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