Looking for a way to make money from home? I know it is tough. Who do you trust?
Unfortunately, if you do a search on-line, you will more than likely hit upon sites which are less than honest (so I don’t recommend you do that).
The best tip is to look for something you can do to use your skills and interests. Don’t try to do something simply to make money, or you’ll quit before you even get started. Below you’ll find TEN ideas for jobs you can do right from home!
Of course, you can always check out Amazon for several free Kindles (and some for which you pay), but below you’ll findseveral uniqueideas!!
1. Virtual Assistant. This type of job is for someone who is organized. Many sites (even mine) hire Virtual Assistants (VA) to help them. A VAworks for bloggers or websites. They might do things such as manage social media, check e-mail, write articles or even help with accounting.
The hours and pay varies from site to site, but it is a nice way to pick up a few extra hours of work and some extra spending cash. VisitVirtualAssistants.comor FlexJobs to learn more about how to become a VA (keep in mind that you do have to pay a fee to join this one).
2. Survey/Points Sites. I’ve recommended these before – because they work. You may not always get approved for every survey, but if you keep at it, you can definitely earn some money. In addition, it can take a while to turn those points into cash, but it does happen! Here are a few you might try (all of these are legitimate companies, so no worries on your part)
MySurvey — This is a site which pays you for taking…well….surveys! You earn free rewards for doing so. These include gift cards from MORE than 200 different partners! You can even skip the gift card and get paid cold. hard. cash.
Toluna — This is another really good one that I have used for years. I was paid $25 once for about 10 minutes of my time to get on a conference call! You will complete surveys and take polls and they reward you with money!
Harris Poll — This is one of the BEST survey sites! You will answer surveys and receive points. What is great is that even if you start a survey but are not qualified, they will still give you 15 points.
Survey Junkie — Another awesome survey site that rewards you with points. Signing up is free.
Inbox Dollars — This is another one which pays you for doing different things, such as watching videos, clicking on e-mails, playing games, etc. I would make sure you set up a different email account before you join (as you will get a lot of offers coming your way and you don’t want them to interfere with your regular mail).
Swagbucks — This one is a bit different. Yes, you can take polls and take surveys. However, they pay you for even more than that! You can get paid to search the Internet, shop and more! Best of all, it is completely free to join and you can get bonus points if you refer friends and family.
NPD VIP Voice — Another reliable survey site you can join for free! Just like other survey sites, you earn points for completing surveys, but you can rack them up pretty quickly if you do enough of them.
There are many others out there, but these are the ones I’d recommend to use to get started.
3. Open a Day Care. This is one which is for someone who truly loves kids. You will need to be able to prepare meals, teach kids and have a set up in your home which would be safe for children.
If this interests you, it is important that you visit your own state’s childcare license office to learn what it will take to become accredited. Share with friends to help them get the word out that you are open for business!
4. Home Based Business. I’m sure you’ve heard of many consultant based businesses, such as Thirty-One Gifts, Mary Kay, Party Lite, Pampered Chef, etc. These are great companies that allow you to set your own hours, get out and meet new people and still bring in a little spending money.
The one tip I have when it comes to this type of opportunity is to make sure you do your homework so you fully understand the start up costs and even what you have to do in order to maintain your consultant status.
5. Ebay. If you love to search out deals, Ebay might be a good deal for you. If you find a great deal on a toy on clearance, you can probably turn around and sell it on Ebay for more than what you paid for it. Another great thing to sell on Ebay is children’s clothes. Right now, the economy is so tough that parents can’t afford new clothes, so they can head to Ebay and purchase them for just a few dollars per item. Whatever you decide to sell, Ebay has tools to help you from determining your cost to ad layout. Just do your research and get ready to sell!
6. Sell Your Photos. If you are budding photographer, you can make money by selling your images. There are sites where you then sell your photos. As with any on-line endeavor, always read the fine print before you sign up so you know what you are getting into. Here are a couple of sites you might check out: iStockPhoto, Shutterstock, Fotolia.
7. Call Center Employee. When you place a call to a company, the call rarely goes to an office, but is directed to an employee (who is probably working from their home). You simply set up an area where you can work and follow a script, taking calls from customers. Pay varies, depending upon the type of company for which you work. If you are interested in this option, here are some sites you can visit to learn more: workingsolutions.com,liveops.comor sykes.com.
8. Data Entry. With the digital age comes the need to transfer all of that content on paper into digital media. Companies actually pay people, just like you, to enter this for them. This is the one where you will find a LOT of scams, so make sure you are very careful before you sign up. One site you can check out is HEA-Employment.
9. Content Writer. Love to write? You might be able to get hired for freelance writing jobs. The reason is that companies need to hire quality writers to create content for their websites. This can also be a way to sell your content to bloggers (if you are an expert in a field). Visit Upworkto get started!
10. Sell your wares. If you love to create items, you can sell them for cash. Check out Etsyand sign up!
11. Set up on On-Line Store.Online retailers are making a LOT of money! While many will maintain their own inventory, you don’t have to do that. You can actually easily create your own store and use dropshopping (where someone else mails out the products to the customer). I know a lot of people who do this and make a nice living at it (and have been able to quit their full time job).
One site you want to check out is Shopify. They are great because they help you do it all – from creating your site to helping you get up and running. They charge a minimal monthly fee for the connection process, but that is standard for any company which does this.
12. Rent Your Stuff. Believe it or not, you can get paid to rent out all sorts of things from vehicles to books and even clothes and more! It is a great way to put that item you had to buy for that ONE event and now sits in your cabinet. Rent it out to others and make some money on it.
You will want to check out RentNotBuy to learn more about getting started.
13. Start Your Own Blog. You can also start your very own website! Blogging is a fun outlet for your creativity and/or passion and you might turn it into an easy way to make a little money (or be one of the lucky few and turn it into your full-time income). Check out our great post on HOW TO START A BLOG.
14. Get paid to shop. The new way of saving money is not as much with coupons as it is with apps! You can use apps where you buy the things you need, submit your receipt and get cash back!
I’ve talked about these apps before on the site, so these are sites I trust. The ones I recommend you check out include: Ibotta, Checkout51, and Coupons.com.
15. Become a Freelancer.If you love to create and design or are good with proofreading and more, you could sell your services directly on Fiverr.
This is a marketplace where you can create logos, do animation, SEO analytics — all sorts of things! You can set up your own shop and people will come to you and you can also watch for people who post the type of work they are looking for.
16. Become a Freelance Writer. If you want to really get into writing for blogs, magazine or newspapers, you can become a freelance writer. This can be scary if you don’t know where to start. Learn more about how to break into freelance writing.
17. Be a transcriber. Contrary to what many people think, transcribing is still needed by many companies. You can work for yourself and actually bring in money for yourself and your family. Learn more about How to Get Started Being a Transcriptionist.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Of course, before you ever sign up, make sure you protect yourself. Here are tips to know if the company could potentially scam you:
- Watch for pyramid schemes.
- Be leery of a company who makes you pay before they tell you what your job will be.
- Read the fine print. Know what to expect before you agree to the terms (that means, don’t just click the accept button).
- Research the company at the Better Business Bureau to see if they are accredited or if there have been complaints filed.
Whatever you decide to do when you work from home, just make sure you do thorough research. Make sure it works for you and it is something you enjoy doing. Not all opportunities are for everyone. Good Luck!
