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Originally Posted On: https://ernestsembutnieks.com/work-from-home-jobs/
The traditional job market is rapidly shrinking because of the high rate of internet penetration, advances in technology, automation, and the explosion of digital platforms. As a result, the majority of the world population is gravitating towards online jobs that they can do from the comfort of their homes. In fact, data from the last U.S. census shows that more than 8 million people in the country work from home. And that figure is projected to double by 2021. And these days, many people are quitting their traditional 9-5 jobs to take up work from home jobs because they offer greater possibilities for tripling their incomes and living a better life.
Whether you’re a stay at home mom with some free time or a teenager looking for ways to make money online or just an adult who’s looking to make a change in his life or create another income stream. You will definitely find something that you can make work and earn that extra income on the side or even full-time income. That’s up to you how hard and serious you’re going to take this.
If you’re reading this and wondering how you can legitimately make money from the comfort of your home, read on to find out:
10 Legitimate Work From Home Jobs That Will Help You Earn Money
- Freelance writing
- Start a blog
- Transcription
- Start an Etsy shop
- Social media management
- Virtual Assistant
- Web development
- Online surveys
- Vlogging
- Online tutoring
You’ll find that a great deal of these are legitimate work from home jobs with no upfront cost. Meaning you don’t have to invest any money in order to get started.
If you think you don’t have the skills for any of these – think again. It’s a lot easier than you might think. For every single work from home job, I’ll list – you can find a step-by-step guide or a tutorial. As long as you have the patients you will start making money online in no time. Persistence is the key. Do a little work each day. Nothing happens over one night. I suggest you read a book – the compound effect. It will help you stay consistent and will keep you disciplined and it will manage your expectations.
Freelance writing
As of this writing, there are more than 1 billion websites on the internet. These websites need content to thrive. That means there is a high demand for freelance writers than ever before. Freelance writing is the practice of generating content, such as blog posts, news articles, web copy, ebooks, and press releases for individual clients and organizations. The good thing about freelance writing is that it doesn’t require high initial capital costs. You only need a computer, a good internet connection, and basic writing skills to start. The more you write, the more your writing skills grow and the more you earn.
How to get started with freelance writer
First, you must learn how to write for the web. Many freelance writing courses exist out there that can teach you how to write for the web. Make a living writing is a great website that can help you get started with freelance writing. It has a plethora of blog posts, books, as well as courses that contain insightful information on how to start and grow your freelance writing career.
Once you’ve read the blogs, books, and courses, you can sign up with various online writing market places, such as Upwork, Fivver, and Texbroker and so on. Most online writing marketplaces require you to take a test and submit samples before they accept you. Once accepted, your profile becomes active, and you can start picking writing jobs and working on them. You can also find freelance writing work privately by directly contacting website owners and organizations that require content.
How much money can you make as a freelance writer?
The amount of money you can make a freelance writer depends on you, the kind of freelance writing you do, how you source for writing jobs (privately or through online writing marketplaces), and the amount of time you devote to your freelance writing career. The more time you devote to writing, the more you earn. You can earn more by contacting clients directly than using online writing marketplaces. If you take writing as a career, you can earn more than if you take it as a side hassle. Averagely, serious freelancers make about $50,000 a year. Here is a YouTube video that teaches you how to start a freelance writing career.
Start a blog
Blogging is one of the most effective ways to make money from the comfort of your home. However, making money with a blog requires hard work, consistency, and patience. Here is how to start a blog and make money with it:
Register your domain name
A domain name is like your address online. It helps people find your blog online. An example of a domain name is ernestsembutnieks.com. You can register your domain on domain registrars, such as GoDaddy, Hostgator, and Bluehost.
Choose a reliable web hosting provider
A web hosting provider will ensure your blog is available or accessible online. Examples of web hosting providers include WordPress, Hostgator, Bluehost and SiteGround.
Choose a blogging platform.
A blogging platform is a software that will allow you to post your content on your blog. Examples of blogging platforms include WordPress, Blogger, and Tumblr. While Blogger and Tumblr are good options, WordPress is the best, by far.
Choose a theme
Once you’ve installed your favorite blogging platform, choose a theme. The theme will dictate the overall look, style, and feel of your blog. A theme includes the layout, color scheme and style elements of your blog.
Launch your blog
Once you’ve selected your theme and customized it, launch your blog and start posting content on it. There are many courses on Udemy on how to start a blog. A good example is ’ How to Start a Blog – 7 Day WordPress Blog Challenge by Zac Johnson.’’ You can enroll in it for free and learn how to start a blog.
How you can make money with your blog
Before you can start to make money with your blog, you need to create awareness for it and build an audience. You can create awareness for your blog by consistently creating high-quality, useful and actionable content and sharing it on different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Social media can help drive a ton of traffic to your blog. Quality and actionable content will also help your blog rank high in search engines and this will helps drive organic to your website. More traffic means more followers. Once you have enough followers and your blog gets consistent traffic, you can monetize it by:
- Selling digital products, such as eBooks, music, images, videos, and online courses on it,
- Signing up with Google Adsense. Google Ads is an online advertising system developed by Google whereby advertisers pay to display ads on your blog. When your blog follower or visitor clicks on the ads or buys a product through it, you get a certain percentage of money as commission. Google Ads is a great way to make passive income online.
- Selling membership. You can create an exclusive members-only section on your blog that offers premium content. Or you can create a section that lists job offers. Selling membership is also a great way of making passive income online.
How much do bloggers make?
According to an article on Life hacker, serious bloggers make between $1000 and $10,000per month.
Transcription
Transcription involves converting speech to text. If you watch audios, videos, and movies these days, you’ll notice that they come with subtitles at the bottom. That’s the work of transcriptionists. Also, industries like legal and medical are transcribing audios files than ever before. That means the demand for transcriptionists is higher than ever.
How much you can make as a transcriber
Beginner and budding transcriptionists can make about $15 per hour, while experienced transcriptionists can make between $25 and $30. With these rates, a serious transcriptionist can easily make $1500 in a month if they work for 3 hours a day.
How to get started with transcription
The good thing about transcription is that you don’t require a lot of initial capital investment to start. You only need a computer, a good headphone, good internet connection, and impeccable listening and typing skills. Of course, you have to get training on how to transcribe audio and video files. There are many courses and video tutorials out there that can teach you how to be a Pro transcriber. One of the best transcription courses is ’How to Become a Transcriptionist by Chelsea Flint.’’
Also, check out this YouTube video (how to do transcription work as a freelancer | Jaslearnit) to learn how to transcribe.
Start an Etsy shop
Buying online is a common practice these days. Thousands of people do their shopping online since it’s easier and more convenient. Google projects that more than 2.15 billion people globally will buy products and services online in 2021. It’s no wonder that businesses are moving online to take advantage of the ever increasing number of digital buyers. You can make money from the comfort of your home today by starting an online store to sell your products. One of the best online platforms to sell your products is Etsy. The main products you can sell on Etsy include handmade jewelry, vintage clothing, paper goods, and antics. With over 16 million customers, Etsy is a powerful platform to sell your products. Etsy is user-friendly and the set up is easier for everyone has the knowledge on how to operate a computer.
How to start an Etsy shop
Sign up to sell on Etsy
To sign up, visit the Etsy website (etsy.com).
Click on the ’Sell on Etsy’’ link located on the right-hand side of the website’s homepage.
Choose your country, the currency you would like to price your products with and your preferred language. Then click ’Save’’ and continue.
Create your Etsy shop’s name
It’s a good idea to create a short and memorable name. Your chosen name must not include special characters and spaces, must be unique, should not have trademark issues, and must be 4 to 20 characters in length.
Add products to your Etsy shop
Start listing your products on your Etsy shop.
Select payment methods
Select the payment methods you want to use in your Etsy shop. The payment options available on Etsy store include PayPal, Etsy Payments, Money Order, Check, and credit card. Credit cards are also used for verification purposes on the platform.
Open and customize your Etsy shop
Once you’ve selected your preferred payment methods, click on the ’Open Your Shop’’ tab located at the bottom of the last page. Finally, edit and customize your shop. You can now start advertising your shop to customers on and off the platform and start selling.
You can learn how to build a successful Etsy shop from the Etsy website. You can also enroll in the ’ Building an Etsy Shop that Sells: Strategies for E-Commerce Success’’ course to learn more about building a successful Etsy shop
You can also read my guide on how to sell on Etsy if you don’t have any product to sell.
How much can you make with an Etsy shop?
Like any online business, making money on Etsy is a daunting and challenging task. But with hard work, rigorous marketing and patience, you can make up to $53,000 annually.
Social media management
The rise of social media has driven many brands to create profiles on different social media platforms to harness potential customers. This has led to the demand for social media managers, as customers need to interact with brands before they can buy from them. You can make a living as a social media manager from the comfort of your home. The responsibilities of a social media manager include:
- Managing social media campaigns, including generating content suited to each target audience
- Managing all published content, such as text, videos, images, and audios.
- Responding to customers in a social way
- Building a loyal community for the business and growing it
- Managing design, such as profile image, cover photo, landing pages, ads, thumbnails and so on
- Evaluating key metrics and customizing social media marketing strategy as required.
- Compiling social media reports.
How to get started with social media management
The fact that you can post content and respond to comments on social media doesn’t mean you can be a social media manager. You have to be trained to be a great social media manager. The good thing is that you don’t need to enroll for a degree course in social media management to become a social media manager. You can train yourself by taking social media management courses and watching social media management YouTube videos. This video walks you through the steps to become a great social media manager. You can also check out these courses on social media management on Udemy.
How much can you earn as a social media manager?
As a social media manager, you’ll need to undertake difficult tasks and employ a huge range of skills. That’s why companies are willing to pay good money for those services. Most companies pay their social media managers between $22,000 and $ 115,000 every year. And the good thing is that you can do it in the comfort of your home.
Virtual Assistant
With almost all businesses and companies carrying out their activities online these days, the demand for virtual assistants has skyrocketed. And these businesses prefer to hire freelance virtual assistants to help them to stay organized and complete daunting administrative tasks. Virtual assistant tasks include social media management, research-oriented tasks, data entry, e-commerce tasks, administrative tasks, as well as email and chat support tasks.
How to get started as a virtual assistant
You need a computer, good internet connection, basic knowledge of the domain you intend to work in, good communication skills, basic computer knowledge, data entry skills, and writing skills to earn money as a virtual assistant. You’ll also need tools like Quickbooks, Google Drive, Dropbox, Grammarly, Freelancers Union, Google Voice, and Lastpass to help you succeed as a virtual assistant. Check out the best online virtual assistant courses on Udemy here. Also, checkout out the video ’ How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 30 Days’’ on YouTube to learn virtual assistance from scratch.
How much you can earn as a virtual assistant
The pay for virtual assistants varies. But on average, you can make between $15 and $80 per hour. However, the amount you’ll earn as a virtual assistant will hinge on the number of hours you work per day, your skill level and the nature of the virtual assistant tasks. You can find virtual assistant jobs on platforms like upwork.com, zirtual.com, fancyhands.com, and indeed.com.
Web development
These days, it’s far easier to build your own website, thanks to the explosion of website builders. With website builders, you don’t need to have web design skills or coding knowledge to be able to build a website. However, the majority of the population doesn’t know how to use web builders or doesn’t have the time to build their own website. That’s why many people are making decent incomes building blogs and websites for other people.
How to get started as a web developer
You only need a computer, a good internet connection, and basic computer knowledge to start a career as a web developer. You’ll then need to learn how to build a website with a website builder. Examples of website builders include WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and Site123. The good thing is that some of these website builders are free to use. Once you know how to use them, you can start searching for simple website development jobs on platforms like Upwork.com, Fivver, and freelancer.com. It will be hard at the beginning, but once you do a couple of jobs, you’ll get the hang of it. When you become confident in your website development abilities, you can start learning how to build websites from scratch. To be able to do that, you’ll need to learn HTML, Javascript, and CSS. With this knowledge, you can create corporate websites and earn good money.
There are many online web development courses for beginners out there. This post contains 8 web development courses that you can enroll in as a beginner. You can also check out this complete web development course on YouTube to grow your web development skills.
How much you can earn as a web developer
Web development is a well-paying job. You can make an average of between $30 and $150 per hour. However, this depends on your experience and the nature of the task.
Online surveys
Online survey tasks are increasingly becoming common because researchers and businesses want to get answers to specific questions, compare results, evoke discussions, and base decisions on real information. Online survey tasks include answering questions about buying or shopping behavior, taking opinion polls, and reviewing products or services. If you’re an individual who always has an opinion, you can make good money with online surveys.
How to get started with online surveys
The awesome part about online surveys is that you don’t need any specialized skills to make money off them. You just need a computer, and an internet connection and you’re good to go. Just sign up with sites like SwagBucks.com, DarwinsData.com and PaidViewpoint.com, take surveys and earn. Check out this post about how you can make money with paid surveys.
How much can you make with online surveys?
The secret to making more money with online surveys is signing up with as many survey websites as possible. You can earn from $1 to $50 per survey and this depends on the time it takes to complete the survey.
Vlogging
Vlogging is one of the fastest-growing professions. It involves creating videos of what you’re passionate about and sharing it with the world. For example, if you’re enthusiastic about traveling, you can start a travel vlog. If you’re a great cook, you can start a cooking vlog. Vlogging is one of the most effective ways of making passive income online.
How to get started with vlogging
Get acquainted with vlogging
Watch vlogs of successful vloggers and see what they are doing. This will give you an idea on how to create videos that people will love.
Create your own YouTube Channel
This is where you’ll be posting your videos and inviting people to watch, like and share. This is also where you’ll monetize the videos.
Acquire the right equipment
With so much competition out there, you need the right equipment to record top-quality videos that viewers will like. So make sure you acquire a good quality digital camera, a microphone, tripod, and a computer to edit the videos. You’ll also need good lighting.
Record your videos and post them on YouTube
Once you have all the equipment on hand, record your videos, edit them and post them on YouTube.
Promote your Videos
Your videos will not sell themselves, so promote them to create awareness for your vlog. Share the videos on social media, and build an audience by encouraging views to subscribe to your YouTube channel.
Monetize your vlog
Once you have a large subscriber base, your video views will start to increase. Once you have enough views, you can apply to be part of the YouTube Partnership Program. This program pays you for ads shown on your videos (before and after).
How much you can earn with vlogging
Earning as a vlogger depends on the number of subscribers you have and your video views. If your views range from 30,000 to 40,000, expect to earn from $500 onwards.
Online tutoring
If you have experience and expertise in a certain subject or are fluent in a particular language, you can make money online as a tutor. Online tutoring entails working with students who are in need of extra help. You can do this on Skype, over the phone or sign up with websites that offer this job.
How much can you earn with online tutoring?
According to GlassDoor, an average online tutor earns between $14 to $25 per hour.
How to get started with online tutoring
You need a computer, good internet, and your favorite subject to start a career as an online tutor. Once you have identified the subject that you have experience in or have high affinity with, create a profile on some of the best paying online tutoring platforms and start sourcing for work. This post highlights the top 15 legit websites that offer online tutoring jobs.
How to avoid work from home job scams
While the internet offers many opportunities for making money from the comfort of your home, it’s full of scammers who will not pay you for jobs done. Some have even created fake websites to harness your personal details. They can use those details to steal your identity. Here is how to void such scams:
Do your own due diligence
Research the company to determine whether it’s legit or not. A legit company must have a physical address, phone number and email address clearly displayed on their website. If you don’t see those, don’t work on that website.
Also, check its reviews online. If you people are saying it’s a scam website, don’t sign up with them. You can get a company’s reviews on review websites like Glass Door, Angie’s List, Epinion.
Know how to detect work from home job scams.
For example, if the website asks you to provide your financial information, pays extraordinary rates for little work, has glaring spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, wants you to pay some money to get jobs, or offers you tasks immediately, even before interviewing you, then that is a scam website.
Contact the company
Call or email the company directly. If they dot pick up the phone or reply to your email, that is a sign of a scam company. If they pick up the phone or reply to your email, but the person is unprofessional, that is a sign of a scam.
Check out their keywords
If you see words like multilevel marketing, quick money, unlimited earning potential, free online jobs, that is a sign of a scam website.
Summary
Most of the people who got scammed online are saying: “I felt that something is not right from the beginning”. Trust your own instincts, if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
These are 10 legitimate work from home jobs and all you need to get started is a laptop and a good internet connection. They are perfect for stay at home moms, teenagers who are looking for ways to make money online and of course also adults that want to change their 9-5 jobs or just looking for ways to make extra money online.
Final Thoughts
Thanks so much for reading. I hope this was helpful to you and soon enough you will get started, hopefully, today! There’s not a better time like right now.
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