How to Start A Fashion Blog: 27 Tips to Launch Your Business

There is no doubt that there are thousands of people out there with an undying passion for fashion and blogging but absolutely no idea on how to start a fashion blog. And you know what? That’s completely normal.

We can all agree on one thing:

With any creative project, the hardest part is actually getting started. More often than not, we’re stuck wanting to learn how to start but get completely overwhelmed with the hundreds of resources we’re met with.

Luckily for you, fashion blogs are absolutely huge right now! If done right, you can easily be making thousands in passive advertising, affiliate sales, sponsored posts and much more.

Yes, it’s quite competitive. Yes, there are thousands of fashion blogs out there. But one thing remains true: Most of them are subpar.

Your chance to stand out is actually much higher than you might think – if you’re willing to put in effort, take on challenges and learn patience and endurance along the way.

In today’s post, I’ll show you how to become a fashion blogger, create something truly awesome and unique, grow a huge following and make money while doing it!

Quick Intro Into The World of Fashion Blogging

Fashion blogging has very quickly turned from a hobby to a major profit-making business.

Most fashion bloggers have thousands, if not millions, of followers, their own product lines, and their own businesses. Basically, fashion bloggers have become the new “celebrities”.

Blogging is competitive. You’ll find it hard at first to break into the market – as long as you’re different, smart about your content, and unique with your brand.

10 Easy Steps to Starting A Fashion Blog

Before we get into some fashion blogging tips and tricks, I’ll take you through a step-by-step guide on how to start a fashion blog and get it up and running.

1. Get a domain name and hosting

First things first, you need a domain name. After all, wouldn’t you trust a website with a normal URL (myfashionblog.com) more than one with a domain name in the end (myfashionblog.domain.com)?

This will be the place you’ll be posting from, networking with, launching products from and much more. So make it right!

Choosing your right domain name can seem a little bit doozy – you have to think of it as your “brand name.” and as challenging as this sounds, here are a few tricks to get it right:

  • Make it short.
  • Make it easy to spell and pronounce.
  • Let it reflect what your blog is about.
  • Be as unique as possible.
  • Make it flexible so it could be brandable later on.

2. Install WordPress

WordPress is one of the top blogging tools online and will remove the hassle of having to find a web developer or web designer at first.

Using it is a fool-proof way of getting your blog up and running in no time. No HTML. No CSS. Nada!

3. Pick a theme

WordPress comes with a lot of nice free themes that you can choose from – at first. Using a free theme in the beginning works, but later on, you may want to shift to premium or hire a Web designer to give your blog a little bit of an extra oomph.

Keep it simple to start with – a nice static background, a color scheme, and an organized layout.

4. Install essential plugins

Plugins are an essential part of the WordPress experience. Plugins usually really help in enhancing the user’s (and your) experience on your website and optimize it for your advantage.

Here are some of the best plug-ins for fashion blogs:

  • Pinterest Hover Pin-It Button – adds pin-it buttons for the images on your blog.
  • SEMrush – Learn from your competitors. What’s their website traffic? What keywords do they use? What keywords should you use?
  • WP SEO by Yoast – Yoast pretty much does all the heavy lifting for you when it comes to SEO optimization.

5. Tell your story

Write your About section, include your name, your picture and why you started this blog.

Why should people listen to you?

What made you start this blog?

Where do you want to be in the next 5 years?

6. Content, content, content!

Content is king. You need to publish the best content your brain could possibly produce. And then publish some more.

  • Start by having an editorial calendar – Have a list of topics you want to write about, and have a minimum of 3 posts per week. Then, build out a calendar around those posts.
  • Write long blog posts – Not only will you rank higher on Google, but you’ll also be providing higher value!
  • Add value – Create style guides, DIY tutorials, give advice, and share your vision.
  • Focus on evergreen content – Instead of writing about topics that are relevant for a week or two, write content that will stay with you forever.
  • Write about what you love – You probably already know it: The readers can feel whether or not you’re passionate about what you’re writing about.
  • Keep a running list of topics – Choose a niche but make sure that niche encompasses enough topics to talk about.
  • Use pictures – Use captivating pictures in your blogs…Which brings me to the next point.

7. Invest in high-quality photography

Either invest in a high-quality DSLR camera and take the DIY route (set up a tripod and take your own pictures) or invest in a photographer.

No matter what: Always make sure your pictures are high quality, visually appealing, and edited to fit with your general theme.

8. Create a strong brand

It’s not about your logo or your brand name. It’s about who you are and everything you say and do. Whether it’s a signature look, a quirky personality trait or an-out-of-the-box content strategy – make sure you stay unique.

9. Build out a network

Of course, having good content is an essential building block to start a fashion blog, but it’s definitely not enough. If no one sees it, then it’s as if you haven’t even started yet.

One of my main fashion blogging tips for you is to build a network. Here’s how:

  • Create a Instagram profile.
  • Follow fashion bloggers who inspire you.
  • Learn what they do.
  • Reach out to them.
  • Comment, like and share their posts.
  • Start discussions.

10. Social media is your holy grail

Even though you’d think that this is a no-brainer, the amount of people who know how to start a fashion blog but don’t invest in social media is insane.

As a fashion blogger, make sure you use Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest and populate your feeds.

And finally, be patient and be yourself. Starting a successful blog requires hard-work and takes endurance.

How to Grow a Following as a Fashion Blogger

1. Start with social media

Again with the social media, right?

Definitely.

Social media is crucial when it comes to growing a following, and one of the best ways to do this is through having an Instagram with your blog handle and a Facebook page with your blog name.

Social media generates a golden opportunity to generate thousands of likes, shares, and visitors to your blog through cross-promotion.

2. Use Google Analytics for important insights

For you to grow a following, you need to first learn the insights on your blog. How long do people stay on your site? What type of people visit it? Where do they come from? How many page views do you have?

Once you have an idea of those insights, you can build your optimization strategy around them.

3. Engage with your readers and followers

Communicating directly with your followers and readers adds much more value than you might think.

You’ll be building a sense of community and that specific sense of community is what will keep them coming back for more.

Reply to their comments, ask them questions, let them ask questions, and always show them that you’ve read their comments.

4. Network on ground

Attend all fashion weeks, exhibitions, and galleries around you and network your way through them.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll find a local brand that would love to partner with you, or another blogger who doesn’t mind giving you a shout-out.

5. Grow an e-mail list

One of the most important fashion blogging tips is: grow your e-mail list.

Ask them to sign up for your newsletters, or offer them a goodie (e-book, discount, free PSD template, style guide…etc) in exchange for their e-mail.

6. Collaborate with other bloggers

Even better if they have the same audience! Collaborating with another “bigger” blogger is an easy way to get your blog out there.

It’s a great source for new followers, and it will put you in front of a new audience.

7. Write guest posts on other blogs

Choose a blog that has a similar audience to the one you want to acquire and write a blog post there. Preferably a blog with higher traffic than your blog and a larger following!

8. Do expert roundups

Find some celebrities, big fashion bloggers or fashion influencers and request an interview! By writing about some of the biggest names in the industry, you’ll be creating a huge amount of interest for your blog.

9. Host giveaways

Contests are one of the most effective ways of growing a following for your blog.

Run a contest and let your followers know that they have a chance to win a giveaway when they “share” or mention your blog.

It’s a win-win situation.

You get hundreds of new followers and visitors, and they get a gift!

8 Ways Fashion Bloggers Make Money

It’s not all about how you can start a fashion blog. It’s also about monetizing it and creating a decent source of income from your passion.

1. Seriously, embrace Instagram

Instagram is a goldmine for all fashion bloggers out there.

Fashion influencers make anything from $200 – $5000 per post.

Promote your Instagram everywhere, make sure it’s consistent with your blog and grow a following there so you can later get paid for posting about a brand!

2. Create a media kit

Once you have created a blog and actually started to get a decent amount of traffic, you’ll need to create a media kit.

A media kit is your passport to brand partnerships, sponsorships, ads, and collaborations.

Make sure to include a little bit about yourself, your blog, your follower count, average engagement, blog traffic stats, and rates.

3. Use affiliate links

One of the easiest (and most low-effort) ways to earn money as a fashion blogger is through affiliate links.

You can use sites like RewardStyle and ShopStyle that will direct the users to the products that you have listed.

You’ll get paid one of two ways: either per click (a few cents for every click that the website you directed to gets) or per action (a set percentage of each converted sale).

4. Sponsored posts

Sponsored posts are one of the main pillars when it comes to making money as a fashion blogger. Sponsored posts are when a brand chooses a blogger who they think represents them and gives them a product/service to review.

However, you will definitely need a decent following and traffic to go this route. It also doesn’t hurt to reach out to brands that you think resonate with your blog and offer a sponsored spot.

5. CPC or CPM ads

Another foolproof and quite common way most fashion bloggers make money is through putting display ads on their blogs.

You can choose between CPC (pay per click) or CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) ads through Google Adsense.

6. Sell private ads

You can, later on, reach out to firms or advertisers and offer a per-month price for placing their ads on your blog.

7. Sell digital products

If you want to generate an even higher stream of income, try selling digital products. These could include:

  • Online fashion courses
  • PSD kits
  • Fashion style guides
  • E-Books
  • Create your own product and launch a line

And much more!

8. Join an ambassador program

Ambassador programs are becoming more and more popular because of how low effort they are.

You can partner with a brand you love, get a unique promo code for yourself and whenever this promo code is used, you’ll get a set commission or a percentage of the sale.

The Bottom Line

Creating a fashion blog will certainly be an exhilarating experience.

It will take effort, it will take time – but it will most definitely be exciting.

You can learn more about how to make passive income through blogging here or learn about the most important steps to becoming a blogger here.

How to Become a Voice Actor: A Step-By-Step Guide

If you have a naturally smooth and attractive voice, you might have wondered how to become a voice actor and earn from your voice.

You might think it’s as simple as recording yourself, sending recordings to different companies, and getting hired.

However, this career path requires plenty of time and effort before you even get to record your first demo.

Plus, this industry is highly competitive. It turns out, there are plenty of other voice actors, and it’s not easy to land a job, especially if you’re only starting out.

Today, our comprehensive guide on how to become a voice actor should help you start from scratch and get voice acting jobs in no time!

9 Steps on How to Become a Voice Actor

1. Study Other Voice Actors

Observation is the first step in every successful plan of action.

Head to a play and observe how the actors enunciate and express themselves.

Listen to radio commercials and study the way their tones change accordingly.

This will definitely help you understand the art of voice acting and will eventually help teach you how to become a voice actor.

2. Learn How to Act

Part of becoming a voice actor that sometimes gets ignored is the acting part.

Hone your acting skills and join acting groups or acting guilds, as well as a couple of improv classes.

Improv classes take your acting a little further and teach you how to think on your feet while speaking and acting without losing your composure.

Being a part of a community of actors with both veterans and newbies is definitely one of the best ways to learn how to act. You benefit from the wisdom of the veterans and get to learn from shared experiences with newbies like yourself.

Also, it enables you to network. The entertainment industry is notoriously hard to break into, and knowing people in the industry would make it much easier for you.

3. Find a Voice Coach or Trainer

When starting out as a voice actor, you simply don’t know what you don’t know. You may have the talent, but the most successful voice actors can attest that education, coaching, and training sessions are worthwhile investments.

There are different types of voice over coaches for different skills that you’d need for different voice actor jobs.

In the beginning, you’d want to look for a general vocal coach who can teach you the basic concepts, techniques, and tips to becoming a voice actor.

When you want to go beyond the basics, there are vocal coaches who can help you with accents, audio production, demo creation, character voice development, and so much more.

Continuous education is a big factor fin your success.

4. Set up Your Home Recording Studio

The most important aspect of a home recording studio is its soundproofing.

Set up a space in a quiet corner in your house, such as a walk-in closet or space under the stairs with minimal foot traffic, no outside sounds, and minimal ambient noise.

Egg crates are inexpensive and work surprisingly well as a sound-absorbing material on your walls. Cover everything else with comforters, especially surfaces where noise can bounce off.

Later, when work picks up, you can designate a space or room as a permanent home recording studio and use professional audio insulation material to soundproof your space.

5. Invest in Your Equipment

Professional quality microphone

If you want to become a voice actor with steady clients, don’t skimp on your microphone.

No matter how great your voice quality is, your recording can be ruined by a cheap mic that records poor quality audio or too much background noise.

A quality microphone decreases background noise and picks up the most important sound in a microphone: your voice.

It’s also recommended to get a microphone that connects to your computer via XLR, instead of USB or wireless microphones.

Also, you’ll want to get a microphone stand; you won’t want to hold the microphone for hours on end.

A mesh pop filter that you position between the microphone and your mouth is another worthwhile accessory to invest in. Its purpose is to reduce popping sounds from fast-moving air after making P, B, T, J, C, or K sounds.

Professional quality headphones

Another piece of equipment that you can’t afford not to spend on is your headphones.

You’ll need to hear your recording accurately to assess the quality of your voice and background noise while you’re doing the editing and post-production.

Also, you’d want snug-fitting, comfortable headphones, as you’ll be wearing them for a long time while editing.

High quality computer/laptop

Your computer needs to be able to store all your recordings, handle all your recording equipment, and be compatible with the audio editing software you’ll be working with.

If you’re buying a brand new computer or laptop, consider the ports available, sound card, processor, and memory.

6. Learn Technical Skills

Before you get intimidated, technical skills refers to setting up and using audio equipment to record and then edit your recording.

Of course, you can hire professional sound engineers to do it for you, but this would cost you a huge amount in the long run.

You’ll need a solid software program to be able to record your voice with as little background noise and as little compression as possible.

These programs should also allow you to edit your recordings, such as reducing background noise, enhancing portions of the audio, and removing and stitching together relevant sections.

Here are the most highly rated audio recording and editing software that you can use.

Audacity

Most new voice actors choose to use Audacity because it’s free and simple to use, but even veteran voice actors find Audacity a great voice recording software overall.

It’s compatible with different operating systems and it has great functionality that holds its own against other pricier software.

WavePad

With its overall quality, user-friendly interface, multiple effects, and compatibility with various common file formats, WavePad is consistently highly rated among voice actors.

For just $39.95 you can create professional quality audio recordings at the comfort of your own home.

RecordPad

RecordPad is actually from the same company that offers WavePad (NCH Software).

It has fewer functions than WavePad because it’s a recording software; it allows you to record, rip, and burn audio. However, if you don’t need plenty of editing and filtering functions, this is cheaper than WavePad.

Here is a list of other software popular with voice actors.

  • Adobe Audition
  • Mixcraft 9
  • Sony Sound Forge Pro
  • GarageBand & Sound Recorder
  • Cool Edit Pro 2
  • Twisted Wave

 

7. Practice Constantly

You might think practice isn’t really essential, since you technically speak all the time.

Wrong.

Being a voice actor is much more than just being able to say the words.

You must know how to convey the feeling of the character you are portraying through the tone of your voice, the choice of words, and the depth of emotions.

To actually practice this means reading out loud every single day.

There are plenty of voice over scripts available online that you can access through a simple Google search.

If you have kids at home, you can also practice by reading children’s books aloud.

Children’s books are so animated that with just one story, you can practice voicing out different characters.

8. Record Several Voice Over Demos

When you’re confident enough in your voice acting skills, you can move on to the next step and create voice over demos to demonstrate your abilities to casting directors and potential clients.

A voice over demo is a short audio clip that showcases your voice acting skills in a few minutes. The majority of clients only have to listen for a few seconds before they decide whether or not to hire you.

I recommend creating plenty of demos to highlight your versatility and range. For instance, have one for audiobook narration jobs, one for character voices, one for radio advertisements, and so on.

Also, a great way to build your portfolio when you’re already getting gigs and jobs is to request permission to use a sample of your work on a project for your demo. This way, prospective clients can hear a final version of your voice acting work.

9. Market Yourself

The next thing to do is to market your skills and services by building a solid online presence.

First thing you need to do is to create your own website where potential clients and producers can learn more about you, contact you, and listen to your voice over demos.

If you’re not confident in your website-building skills, you can enlist the help of professionals such as Voice Actor Websites to help you.

Social media marketing is important but only secondary to your own website. If you can only choose one social media platform, choose LinkedIn. You want to convey that you’re serious in pursuing voice acting as a career.

Build your brand through your online presence. Once people start trusting your brand, they will work with you regularly and the next thing you know your calendar would be filled with bookings.

Where to Find Voice Actor Jobs

Before exploring resources and job boards, here is a list of the specific jobs involved in the voice acting industry that you may want to consider:

  • Dubbing for Foreign Films
  • Animation Voice Overs
  • Commercial Voice Over
  • TV Program Voice Over
  • Radio Hosting
  • Radio And Audio Dramas
  • Video Games Voice Over
  • Audio Book Reader
  • IVR Phone Systems Voice Over
  • E-Learning Programs Voice Over
  • Voice of God Voice Over For Live Events
  • Podcasts
  • Documentary Narration

 

When choosing what to specialize in, you must take your skill set into consideration. People who do voice overs for animations have a whole different skill level compared to those who talk for an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) phone system.

Choosing the job that fits your skill and interest is highly essential to ensure success.

Here are some of the job boards and resources you can look at to find voice acting jobs.

 

How Much Can Voice Actors Make

One of the most discussed topics within voice actors’ community is the compensation.

Voice actors generally get paid on a per-project or per-job basis. You can earn up to $150 for a 15-second recording for a small website with not a lot of reach.

For an audiobook, you can earn around $2,000 to $5,000.

Consider that aside from the time you spend actually talking, you take some time to edit the recording and do some post-production on the file.

If you calculate it per hour, it averages out around $250 to $300 an hour.

So, can you make a living with your voice?

You always have the option of working on this part-time or full time.

If we calculate that and assume that you have at least one job a month, you’re definitely making enough to take care of a few bills here and there.

Should you choose to work full-time on voice acting, being able to accumulate more working hours can earn a higher rate. For example; a FUNimation voice actor can earn $70,000 to $83,000 a year.

The rate can increase over time, should you get more clients and have something unique that they may need.

Building your name within the industry is something you should really work on to get a higher compensation.

Putting up the capital to get you started may cost you thousands of dollars, but the return of investment is fast as long as you’re doing the job right.

Final Thoughts

Voice acting can be an exciting, unique, and rewarding career, but it’s not for everyone, and it can be overwhelming for someone who’s starting from scratch.

Hopefully, our guide on how to become a voice actor has been helpful to you.

with hard work, support and a little help from your peers, you can certainly thrive in the business in no time.

Are you planning to start your career as a voice actor soon? Share your plans with us in the comments!

25 Things to Sell to Make Money Right Away

You’re probably in a bind and wondering whether there are things you can sell to make money.

Oftentimes, you only have to look around your house and take stock of what you have that you don’t use anymore.

I know, I know, spring cleaning is so exhausting.

But if you can make money out of the stuff you uncover, wouldn’t you be inspired to do it soon? Even today?

Seeing the piles of clutter might also make you rethink your spending habits. Every time you’re tempted to reach for your credit card, remind yourself of what you went through while clearing unused stuff and really, REALLY consider if you’re going to use whatever you wanted to buy.

Here are some ideas of stuff around the house that you can sell to get some money quickly.

The 25 Best Things to Sell to Make Money Fast

Start clearing your house of clutter and look out for these things that you can sell.

1. Old Electronics

Technology is evolving every day, from phones to computers to TVs.

People generally assume that as technology evolves, it makes its predecessors obsolete.

That is not always the case, and even if it does, it doesn’t mean you can’t sell it!

How many old cell phones do you have sitting in a drawer somewhere?

Gather your old electronics, be it old laptops, phones, portable DVD players (remember these???), radios, watches, or even old calculators, and put them up for sale.

I’ve talked about how to sell old laptops and old phones before, so these articles should help.

2. Clothes

You probably have many clothes lying around that either don’t fit you or just don’t like to wear anymore.

People usually just donate them to Goodwill or to the Salvation Army.

But sometimes you do need some cash, so don’t feel guilty about selling your clothes to make money, especially if they’re in very good condition.

3. Shoes and Handbags

If you have designer shoes and handbags that you took care of, they’re some of the best things to sell to make money.

It’s even possible to charge more than what you bought them for, depending on the rarity and the condition of your items.

4. Jewelry

Among some more common things you can sell to make money is your old jewelry.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be gold or silver or any other expensive material. Even replicas, costume jewelry, or fake jewelry for children would likely have buyers.

When selling your jewelry, make sure to get them appraised by a reputable jewel appraiser beforehand. This way you can find out the real value of your items before auctioning them off.

You can find an accredited appraiser easily on the American Society of Appraisers website.

5. Books

The chances of you rereading a book decline considerably after the first read, and after the second, it becomes almost negligible.

This doesn’t just apply to novels but to textbooks as well.

If you have stacks of old books lying around, give them life again and put them in a new reader’s hands.

Surprisingly, books hold their value quite well and some even go up with age.

Time to clear off some of those bookshelves.

6. Toys

Children outgrow their toys in a matter of months, if not quicker, and if that toy is in good shape, all is not lost!

There is a separate section dedicated to either handmade or used toys on a number of websites that can enable you to sell them from home.

7. Furniture

It isn’t uncommon for furniture to end up in a garage, storage facility, or attic after some usage.

But that’s silly.

Worst case scenario, you can sell them for a really low price to college students needing furniture in their dorms.

Best case scenario, you can refresh your furniture and sell it to used furniture dealers or on flea markets.

8. Musical Instruments

Remember that time you were going to learn how to play the violin and you quite 2 weeks into the New Year?

Hey, this isn’t about me. This is you we’re talking about.

According to statista.com, the total revenue from the purchase of musical instruments has amounted to $4.3 billion in 2021.

People are spending money on instruments and my your failed New Year’s Resolution could be worth something.

9. Sporting Goods

Oh yeah, exercise equipment.

I may have used my New Year’s analogy a little too early.

Brand new sporting goods such as bicycles, fishing gear, baseball equipment, and others tend to sell well on every online store, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t looking for cheaper alternatives.

There’s always a demand for secondhand sports and exercise goods and equipment.

10. Antiques

The market for antiques is ripe with buyers, both online and in person.

One example is something like Hummel Figurines.

These little porcelain things are just sitting in people’s houses and they could be worth thousands of dollars.

You might want to check in with other family members before you start selling off heirlooms, though. It’s really not worth starting a family feud over ceramic figurines.

11. Artwork

In a true bind, you can literally rip the art off your walls and put it up for sale.

However, bear in mind that art is extremely challenging to appraise because it’s only really worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

12. China Sets

Lots of newlyweds register for expensive china sets and never even take them out of the cupboard.

I’ve been married 5 years and we have $2,000 worth of plates we’ve used once.

Your mistake could be someone else’s discount china.

WAIT.

The china was the mistake, not the wedding.

Sorry about that.

13. Old Video Consoles and Games

Modern consoles have made sharing games easier, which has kind of slowed down the used games market.

However, there are a LOT of people out there who want original retro consoles and games and are willing to pay a premium for them.

Dust off that Nintendo because it could be worth some money.

14. Planners

Every New Year, people often make planners and schedules that they are going to follow throughout the year but are unable to keep track later on.

If you are one of those people and your planner has gone unused, you can always sell it to people who manage to keep track of their daily routine.

Of course, it would be better if this is an undated planner so that anyone can use it anytime.

Man, this list is slowly turning into a list of failed resolutions.

15. Kitchen Gadgets

Your old utensils and tools might not be useful for you, but there are many who can still use them, either for their kitchen needs or as decoration.

For instance, you may have started to take up baking as a hobby, and so you have plenty of cake pans and measuring tools lying around, but then you gave it up maybe because you don’t have the time or your oven broke down (it happens).

Instead of staring at your unused gadgets, just sell them and earn money while helping others with their needs.

16. Tools

Although no tool is ever obsolete, if you do have any that you think you don’t need, or are getting an upgrade, don’t throw them out!

Instead, ask around if anyone is willing to buy them. You’d be surprised at how many tool junkies and DIYers there are who are constantly looking for good deals on tools.

17. Holiday Decorations

Now, be honest. How many bins of decorations do you have sitting in your attic?

Start taking the minimalist approach to holidays and selling those decorations you can let go of (that is, those without much sentimental value).

You may have to wait when it’s close to that holiday before you can sell them, but at least have them clean and ready for when buyers inquire about them.

18. Baby Gear

The used baby gear market is HUGE.

There will always be new moms looking to save some cash on baby expenses by buying second-hand.

If you don’t plan to add to your population count, unload what your child or children will never use again and get some money out of them.

19. Makeup

Ever bought something in the wrong shade or wrong formula for your skin (you’re allergic or you broke out)?

Or maybe you simply have buyer’s remorse and you’ve lost the receipt?

Sell them to sites such as MUABS or GlamBot.

Facebook Groups also has buy and sell groups that trade in new and used makeup.

20. Gift Cards

You may have been given a gift card (or a dozen) to stores you never shop at.

Fortunately, you can turn those gift cards into cash or another gift card to a store that you do shop at.

Start at websites like Gift Card Granny to exchange your gift cards for cash.

21. Old VHS Movies

To be clear, I’m talking about VHS tapes of feature films, not home videos or your parents’ wedding videos.

eBay has made buying and selling VHS tapes popular. You might be able to sell your old tapes or anywhere from $5 to $25, and even more if they’re sealed.

Disney classic animated films are especially in demand, but obscure and B movies that aren’t available on DVD can sell for up to $100 or more.

22. Scrap Metal

Handling and collecting scrap metal might sound like a tetanus infection waiting to happen, but these are one of the more valuable things to sell to make money.

People make a living finding and selling scrap metal, and thieves target demolition and renovation sites to steal some.

But you don’t have to go that far. If you have old appliances, old kitchen pots and pans, patio furniture, or even aluminum cans in your home, you can sell them.

Try to keep your eye out for copper in old electronics and cables, as these are more valuable.

23. Vintage Stuff

There’s old, and then there’s vintage.

If you still have your grandparents’ stuff sitting in your attic, don’t be afraid to rummage through it and possibly find things to sell among their old canes or cans of denture cream.

You may find old postcards, rugs, retro cameras, typewriters, coins, clocks, dolls, sheet music, stamps, lace, and so on. These may look like junk to some people but are treasure to others. The trick is to find these buyers.

Etsy and eBay are probably the most popular online marketplace for vintage goods. Of course, flea markets are also good places to sell your vintage items.

24. College Notes

Provided you haven’t graduated from college too long ago, the subjects you took are in demand, and your notes are legible and detailed, students will pay for them.

Here is a guide on how to sell your college notes for side cash.

25. Hair

This is probably one of the stranger things to sell to make money, but hear me out.

If you have long and shiny hair and are ready for a change, you can easily sell your hair online.

You can make anywhere from $100 to $4,000 just by selling your locks.

There are probably local hairdressers that might be interested in your hair to make as extensions.

It’s weird, but it’s a real thing, I promise.

Best Places to Sell Your Stuff

So you’ve done your spring cleaning and you have all this stuff.

Now what?

Here are the best ways and platforms to sell your stuff.

1. Host a garage sale.

Sort and organize your items, price them, set a date, and advertise it all over town.

Give out flyers and post it on your neighborhood Facebook group.

When the day comes, remember to have change on hand, be polite when haggling, and be safe. Lock your doors and windows, keep the curtains drawn, and don’t let anyone in under any circumstances.

If you have any items left at the end of the day, don’t fret. Read on for more places to sell your things.

2. Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace makes it easy to sell your stuff to people in your area who may have missed your garage sale or don’t have the time to get out of the house.

Doing your transactions over social media may sound sketchy, but it’s a great way to actually have a record of your transactions with people and vet your buyer through your mutual friends, if you have them.

3. Craigslist

aka. Old Reliable.

Everyone has at least heard of Craigslist and a few are even brave enough to use it regularly.

Be prepared to haggle and make sure you take proper precautions when meeting up locally.

4. eBay

eBay makes it so simple.

Simply upload a few pictures of your product on eBay, type in relevant details, click on “Sell,” and done!

Whether you’re selling an old phone, jewelry, furniture or any of the things listed above, you can get bids on your items pretty soon.

5. Etsy

Etsy is an online marketplace where you can list your handmade, vintage, or factory-made items easily.

While the Etsy crowd is more “craft-minded,” the Vintage category is a great place to sell the vintage stuff you unearthed in your home.

6. OfferUp

OfferUp is stepping up its game to becoming a huge name in the buy and sell industry.

You can sell your products to people all over the US with OfferUp, provided you are comfortable shipping your stuff and dealing in credit.

7. Bookscouter

Bookscouter is only available for books as it works based on the ISBN behind it.

Once you enter your book’s ISBN number, Bookscouter automatically starts finding the best buyer for you (usually vendors).

Start Scouring Your House For These Things to Sell and Make Money Today!

Whether you’re saving up to buy something or would simply like to have some extra cash, rolling up your sleeves and doing some Kondo-ing might make you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

So start turning your mess into money today!

But if you have stuff that you aren’t using or use quite infrequently but just can’t let go of, you may be able to rent them out so you can still make some money from them.

Ever made money from selling your stuff? Did we miss out on potential moneymakers in this list? Tell us in the comments so we can add them here!

11 Great Stay at Home Mom Jobs to Try

Being a mom to a colicky newborn, a fussy infant, an adventurous toddler, or all of them can be a handful in itself. Throw in working a full-time or part-time job in the mix and it’s a formula for disaster. Instead, many moms gravitate towards stay-at-home mom jobs for extra income.

The problem is stay-at-home moms can’t just take any work-from-home job because they have to work around their kids’ schedules and needs.

Today, I’ve compiled a list of the best jobs that allow stay-at-home moms to earn a living while caring for their children at home.

7 Online Jobs for Stay at Home Moms

1. Brand Ambassador

Stay at Home Mom Brand Ambassador

As a parent, you probably have a lot of products that you can recommend to other parents.

Now, you can make money from it.

If you’re the type of person who loves to recommend new products or trends to others, and maybe try those things out for yourself too, then this is simply a way to make money by doing what you were going to do anyway.

Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to baby products. For instance, you can recommend skincare products that fit a new parent’s regimen and won’t harm their precious babies.

Becoming a brand ambassador is a great stay-at-home mom job because it doesn’t bog you down with too many hours at work at a time or require a strict schedule.

Your mission as a brand ambassador is to spread the word about a brand through word-of-mouth marketing, as opposed to direct marketing.

Your main tools are your social media accounts, so it’s best to start building your followers as early as you can.

Recommended Reading:

2. Voice-Over Artist

If you have a good speaking voice, can act or otherwise manipulate your voice, and have a spare room or space that you can soundproof, being a voice actor may be an option for you.

People who produce games, advertisements, cartoons, videos, and movies are constantly on the lookout for talented voice actors.

You’ll need to invest in high-quality recording equipment, your studio, and your training and education, but once you get clients, you can earn around $250 to $300 an hour.

Recommended Reading:
How To Become A Voice Actor

3. Online Tutor

Online Tutor

Tutoring is one of the most flexible options for anyone looking at stay-at-home mom jobs. You get to choose which subjects to teach, what time and which days you work, and your hourly rates.

There are so many types of tutoring that it’s easy to find a niche you’re good at. You can tutor students in certain school subjects, or become a music tutor, a language tutor, or an art tutor.

Then, you can schedule your tutoring sessions for when you know you’ll have time away from the little one. For instance, you can open up your schedule during play dates, nap times, or when they’re in daycare.

You can start by applying to an online tutoring company. Here are 10 companies currently hiring online tutors.

You can also go on your own. Online tools like Skype have made it easy to set up live online tutoring sessions. You can branch out by creating a website for yourself where you can sell pre-recorded courses.

4. Data Entry Specialist

A data entry specialist generally involves inputting data from various sources, which may or may not need to be edited, into a computer for processing, management, and organization.

Data entry jobs have had a bad rap in recent years, but if you know where to get legitimate data entry jobs, you get a chance at a highly flexible job that requires little more than typing skills and attention to detail.

Recommended Reading:
Legit Data Entry Jobs From Home

5. Search Engine Evaluator

You might not have guessed it, but people actually get paid to search for things on Google!

A search engine evaluator’s job is to search for certain key terms and evaluate the search engine results for accuracy and quality. Companies like Lionbridge AI, Appen, and FlexJobs regularly hire search engine evaluators.

Search engine evaluators are also called internet assessors, web search evaluators, or internet judges, so search job boards for these phrases as well to get more openings.

This work is usually project-based so there will be times when you have lots of work and other times when you might not have any at all.

There are also usually tests and training to go through before being approved as a search engine evaluator.

Recommended Reading:
Where To Get Search Evaluator Jobs

6. Online Proofreader

If your spelling, grammar, and syntax are on point, your attention to detail is strong, and you don’t mind reading for hours at a time, online proofreading may be a good fit for you.

Proofreading used to be the responsibility of the writer who created the content. However, as online content continues to grow in volume, online proofreaders become more in demand.

Online proofreading is also one of the most flexible stay-at-home mom jobs as you literally can do it whenever, wherever, as long as you meet the deadlines.

Recommended Reading:
Legit Proofreading Jobs You Can Apply For

7. Writer

If you have the skills and the talent, hundreds of writing jobs are available to you with one quick Google search.

The problem now isn’t so much the opportunities as finding the right writing job that fits your skills, schedule, circumstances, and salary expectations.

Think about what style of writing you’re best at: technical, legal, scientific, sales copy, casual, storytelling, etc. Then think about how much time you’ll realistically have to write per day so you know whether to take a full-time, part-time, or freelance job.

Recommended Reading:

# Stay-At-Home Mom Side Hustles

Maybe having a regular or semi-regular job doesn’t thrill you, or you don’t really need a stable income but would like to earn extra spending money for the household. Perhaps a gig that you can pick up and drop at any time sounds like a better option for you.

Here are some side gigs you can do as a stay-at-home parent.

8. In-home Daycare

There are many different types of parents; some are stay-at-home moms while others work out of the house and need someone to take care of their kid for a few hours.

You’re already taking care of your own babies and doing a great job of it. So you’re likely to be well equipped to take on a few more little ones.

Not only will you get paid for a little extra work but it’s also great for your children, who’ll get to socialize with other kids.

You’re probably already part of a group or social circle of friends with kids of their own, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find daycare clients. You can charge them competitive rates and they’ll probably feel more assured by leaving their children with someone they already know and trust.

If not, you can always try your hand at advertising on your neighborhood Facebook groups or offline through pamphlets and flyers on your community board.

Just make sure to check the laws in your area for opening a daycare center in one’s home.

9. Sell Your Crafts Online

If you’re a creative person who wants to share that creativity with the world, then this is the right path for you.

The internet has made it ridiculously easy to set up your own business as a crafty person. Stores like Etsy and Amazon Handmade helps crafters easily connect to willing buyers who are on the lookout for handmade items.

But these are only two examples of the many options out there.

There’s no limit to what you can make or earn. From small handmade gifts to big artsy decor items, and even jewelry or clothes.

If you’re brave enough, you can even create your own online store to sell your crafts from. It’s pretty easy to create your own website these days and you need minimal knowledge about design and programming to get it done.

Website platforms like WordPress and Squarespace have made it really easy to get things set up.

Plus, if you’re looking for creative designs for marketing material like flyers, email headers, or social media posts then you can quickly and easily create beautiful designs yourself with Canva.

10. Direct Seller

This is a great opportunity to generate a lot of income if selling is your strength. Direct sellers sign up with a company to distribute their products to clients in their area.

You have to set up your own network of clients and you can’t change the pricing on the products, but working with a direct sales company with existing products that are already proven to work is an easier way to set up your own business; one that allows for flexible workloads and less stress.

There’s usually a monthly sales quota to meet and you’ll usually have to buy some or all of the products in advance to resell. It’s important to make sure that the company has a buy-back policy for the products you end up not selling.

Most companies will also allow you to earn bonuses through the earnings of other resellers you’ve recruited. However, you’ll need to do research to ensure that what you’re joining is a direct sales company and not a pyramid scheme or an MLM scam.

Every company’s policies and compensation plans will differ so you’ll have to carefully assess each. Companies like Avon, Mary Kay, and Amway are big retailers that make use of direct sellers.

11. Rent Out Your Baby Gear

If you live in an area that’s a popular vacation destination then you can build up a nice nest egg by renting out your baby equipment.

Stuff like strollers, cribs, car seats, and changing stations all can fetch you some extra money.

BabyQuip

This is mainly for those situated in the US, and you’ll have to set up an account on BabyQuip where you’ll outline the locations you can cover, the type of equipment you have to offer, and your rates.

Renting out your baby equipment is a great way to get your money back on all the expensive baby gear you bought, especially after your toddler has outgrown them.

Find the Best Stay at Home Mom Jobs Today!

It is entirely possible to juggle staying home to be the primary caregiver for your child or children and working from home.

The stay-at-home mom jobs and side hustles I outlined above are just to get you started. There are plenty of other opportunities out there!

If you’re hungry for more, check out our massive lists of work from home jobs and side hustles and see if one of them is a good fit for your interests, skills, and your kids’ schedules.

Are you currently looking for stay-at-home mom jobs? Does anything from our list interest you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Get Paid to Text: 16 Legit Ways to Earn Cash Texting

We’re already on our phones constantly, texting with other people not only through SMS but through different messaging apps. Can you imagine how much you can make if you can get paid to text?

Well, you don’t have to imagine anymore, because companies exist that are willing to pay people to text.

Can You Really Earn Money by Texting?

Being fun to be around in real life can earn you some solid opportunities.

But if you can hold your own in a great text conversation, then you can grab some neat perks.

There are quite a few ways to make money by sending texts and each comes with its own set of pros and cons.

Most of the time you’d need mobile phones, though sometimes companies will provide their own applications or software through which you need to send the texts.

But if you want to make money with your smartphone through texting, then make sure to see what opportunities are available and which of them are legitimate. It’s important to know that there are many scammers out there and something that sounds too good to be true usually is.

Below, I’ve listed the three main ways to get paid to text and specific examples that are reliable and used by many people across the globe.

Join These to Start Making Money Today

Before digging into the list below, I suggest you sign up for the 3 best market research companies.

You’ll be notified when new chances are available to earn cash. All you need to do is respond, text in your answers, and get paid.

These companies pay in cash and offer cash signup bonuses to get you started.

On to the list!

Get Paid to Text through Ads

No one likes seeing ads everywhere and so far texting has been relatively ad-free.

But some companies are paying people to see and send ads via text.

If you don’t mind seeing the occasional advertisement, then you can earn some easy money from doing what you’re already doing – texting.

1. IMGR

IMGR

In order to use IMGR (not to be confused with Imgur), you’ll have to download their get paid to text app and send texts via that platform.

The main downside here is that the people you text ads to need to have the app too for you to get paid for texting.

The app is available for both Android and iOS devices and gives you 1 point for each branded message you send and 1 point for each branded message you receive.

IMGR is available to anyone over the age of 13.

How’s the pay?

Points accumulate from the first until the end of the month.

The service resets the points you’ve earned every month, so you’ll need to cash out before that happens.

The minimum points to qualify for a reward is 90, which gets you $1 in your PayPal. Complete points table and details can be found on their Points page.

2. 1Q

1Q Homepage

1Q pays people to answer simple marketing and research questions via text.

They’ll text you a question, you respond as fast as you can, and they’ll deposit money directly into your PayPal account.

That’s right! Payments are instant. You don’t have to reach a minimum balance or wait to cash out.

How’s the pay?

For the work you’re doing, it’s pretty decent.

You get paid $0.25 for every question answered.

I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it literally takes just a few seconds to reply and then you immediately get paid.

You’re basically getting paid to check your notifications and answering simple questions. It’s as easy as it gets.

3. McMoney

McMoney is a newer app in this space and is paying users to receive text messages.

You can get paid to text by installing the app, receiving text messages, and simply deleting them after you receive them.

Why?

Their goal is to help improve mobile operators assess and improve their services by sending out network tests to a list of people who signed up to receive notifications.

Users simply need to install the app and let it run in the background to earn money.

You can make a few extra bucks each month just by being on their list.

How’s the pay?

The earnings per message vary per country, but some websites estimate it at $0.02 to $0.06 per message.

4. SMS Profit

SMS Profit is an Android app that rewards users for receiving SMS messages. You earn points for each message, and the points can be redeemed for cash or mobile top-up.

Just run the app, make sure that your phone always on internet and get paid for received SMS for each phone number that you verified.

You don’t even need to do anything about these messages. No need to click links, or reply. Once your balance is updated, simply delete the messages.

How’s the pay?

You will be paid for each received test SMS and successfully pushed back to SMS Profit’s server.

One SMS could be from 0.01 USD up to 0.06 USD.

The best thing about SMS Profit is you can add multiple devices (and phone numbers) within one account, so you can get paid more.

5. Money SMS

Money SMS is a free android app that pays users for receiving SMS messages. You just need to keep the app and internet running on your phone – and that’s it!

How’s the pay?

You will automatically get paid €0.02 when you receive test messages. You can withdraw your money when your balance hits 2 EUR.

You can cash out your earnings via PayPal, Bitcoin, WebMoney, Skrill, Litecoin, or Ethereum.

Get Paid to Text by Answering Simple Questions

One of the first apps to do this was ChaCha, which is now no longer running.

Then other companies have jumped to fill this space, of which the biggest player was KGB (not that KGB, though).

KGB

This company allowed you to answer questions people ask through their text messaging services.

However, they too have moved away from the question-and-answer space.

Today, new apps have opened up to fill the void.

Here are the ones you need to check out.

6. Fibler

With over 100,000 installs in the Google Play and App Store, there’s no doubt that Fibler is a widely used expert platform.

You can register with Fibler, advertise your knowledge, and get paid to text with people who have questions related to your field of expertise.

Fibler How it Works

You set your rate and are paid each time someone connects with you to ask a question.

You also have the option to allow voice and video calls as well.

7. Hummr

Hummr is an app that helps to connect people who need help with their projects and tasks with those who have experience and expertise.

You can answer questions via text, audio call, video call, or email.

On top of that, it’s also a social app; you can connect with other people and share photos, videos, and stories with them.

How’s the pay?

You get to set your own rates, and you set your own hours and availability, so your earnings are entirely up to you.

8. JustAnswer

From lawyers and doctors to electricians and plumbers, JustAnswer has plenty of experts ready to answer your questions who are just a text message away.

Aside from text messaging, experts can also be contacted through phone chats or video chats, if they opt to.

Apply to be a JustAnswer expert and submit proof of your expertise, which will be verified first before you’re allowed to answer questions on the site.

You will get a percentage of the amount that customers pay per question, which means you can get anywhere from $5 to $30 per question.

JustAnswer pays experts monthly through Hyperwallet, PayPal, direct deposit, or Venmo (US-based experts only).

9. Working Solutions

Working Solutions is a third-party service provider that allows businesses to outsource their customer service, sales, and marketing needs to contractors.

To apply, you’ll need to have excellent communication skills as well as some experience in online chatting.

Your main responsibility is to answer questions that these businesses’ customers have, which can come in through SMS and possibly through voice calls, social media, or email.

How’s the pay?

The average agent pay is around $15 per hour, but you can make as little as $7 or as much as $30 per hour, depending on the program you’re working under and on any financial incentives that you may be eligible for.

Get Paid to Text: Adult-Only Apps

(The links and website screenshots end here!)

If you’re not one to shy away from online adult content and have no issue with flirting through text, then this one’s for you. Be sure to check out our full guide on how to get paid to go on dates as well.

The adult industry is huge and people want more personal connections.

Texting is one part of that world that can help anyone easily earn extra money.

If they don’t have any moral objections to flirting with strangers, that is.

There’s a big market for this, which means there are also many different ways to get the, er, job done, as they say.

One of the things that you should look out for is whether the app will require that you send photos or videos in addition to texting.

Read the terms and conditions before you sign up for these services, and make sure that you’re comfortable with the service you end up picking.

It should be noted that most of these sites are mainly looking for female chat operators but that the demand for male operators is increasing.

Here are some of the more well-known adult texting apps that guarantee payment.

10. Lip Service

Lip Service is basically a staffing agency that provides customer service agents, phone actors, and text/chat operators to various companies that need them.

You’d need to be a woman, at least 18 years old, reside in the US or Canada, have a smartphone, and have a reliable internet connection.

How’s the pay?

Their rates aren’t explicitly published on their site, but forums and other sources state that you can get paid around $18 per hour to text.

11. Chat Recruit

Chat Recruit is a chatting service based in the UK but is open to people worldwide. Besides webcam and phone chats, the service also allows people who sign up to earn money by chatting via text.

What’s great about this is that they let you choose which of these services you want to offer, so you can simply stick to texting if you want. Of course, you can expand your services to webcamming to earn more.

Chat Recruit also offers a platform for psychics, astrologers, clairvoyants, and other fortune-tellers to connect with customers via chat or SMS. So if you ever get tired of adult conversations, you might want to unleash your psychic powers, help customers with their lives, and get paid to text them with your advice.

How’s the pay?

It’s pretty easy to get paid via Chat Recruit because they pay directly into your bank account, whether you live in the UK or any other country.

The payment works in a series of levels that you can move up on depending on how many hours per week you put in.

So the more hours you put in, the more you get paid.

The company pays per text and per minute of phone call (if you go for that option too). As far as I can tell, the payment is around 20 pence (about $0.25) per text you send.

12. Text121 Chat

Text121 Chat connects businesses that need text chat operators, customer service agents, and adult phone operators to those looking for such jobs.

Text chat operators can work from home as much or as little as they want, as long as they commit to sending at least 1000 messages a month.

Why is it here under adult texting? Because most of their clients are looking for adult text operators.

How’s the pay?

You’ll get paid per text message; little information is available but it’s reportedly $0.07 per message.

13. TexKings

TexKings is a company that partners with various agencies and specializes in marketing and recruitment.

They’re continually hiring text chat moderators to react and reply to text messages sent by users. The content of the messages range from the mundane to erotic, but when they cross over to offensive to malicious, you’ll need to handle that as well.

How’s the pay?

The pay varies according to the project and the number of messages you’re able to send, but it ranges from 8 to 15 euro cents per message.

They also give out bonuses between €25 to €125.

14. FlirtBucks

This one is a bit different from the other adult texting apps in that you’d need a computer to get paid to text and flirt with men on the platform.

But FlirtBucks offers their Chat Operators a safe environment to interact with clients, whether through text chat or through video calls.

Note that although you can do video calls, you don’t have to take your clothes off. In fact, this is discouraged.

FlirtBucks instead encourages friendly, playful, flirtatious conversations and interactions. They remind their Chat Hostesses that they are in control of the chat; if the conversation crosses the line and becomes too graphic, they can always close the chat session.

If you have a pleasant personality and can talk to anyone about anything online, being a Chat Hostess might be a lucrative side gig for you.

How’s the pay?

In your first 3 months, you can earn 10 cents per minute, and if you go beyond six months, you can earn 15 cents per minute texting.

You can earn more if you chat with two or more clients at the same time.

Video chat earnings are higher, but you don’t have to do this, as I’ve mentioned.

15. Phrendly

Phrendly is an app that allows users to flirt through text, phone calls, and video calls without having to give out their personal numbers or risk real-life rejections.

It’s been described as “paid Tinder” in that it works similarly, with users swiping left or right. The difference is once someone likes your profile and initiates texting, you get paid to text with them.

How’s the pay?

You can make $0.35 per text message that you reply to if you reply within 24 hours. So it’s in your interest to engage and keep that person replying if you want to earn more.

Once you accumulate $10, you can withdraw it through direct deposit to your US-based bank account.

If you’re interested in receiving phone or video calls, you can earn even more; you can set your audio call rate up to $48 per hour and your video call rate up to $66 per hour, and you get 70% of that.

A catch: whoever initiates the contact is the one who pays. So make sure you patiently wait for someone to text you first.

16. BONUS: ChatOperatorJobs.com

This website isn’t an adult-only text site. Instead, it’s like a marketplace that connects chat operators with companies looking for text chat services.

You can find various chat opportunities here.

How’s the pay?

Earn $0.13 – $0.19 for every message you answer on your cell phone, tablet or PC!

The best part? You can work part-time or full time – All hours and days available. Plus, there is no experience necessary. If you pass basic checks, you can start almost immediately.

Get Paid to Text: Wholesome No-Brainer SMS to Adult Chats

Getting paid to text is unlikely to be the dream job you are envisioning, but there are still some programs out there that will help you make some extra cash in your spare time.

If texting isn’t really your thing, though, then I have suggestions for other easy ways to make money with your phone.

Here are other ways to earn through doing the most mundane stuff: watching TV, listening to music, eating, taking a walk, or simply hanging out.

Or check out these 100 easy ways to make extra money and find the right job for you.

You’d be surprised at what some people will pay you to do.

How to Become a Travel Agent and Conquer the Industry from Home

I know some people dream of travelling the world but can’t afford it so they turn to the next best thing – becoming a travel agent.

A lot of people like to travel.

Like a whole lot.

Which is why the tourism industry is as huge as it is. But not everyone can afford to have their dream holiday, especially when work takes up so much of our time.

So if you can’t do, then you dream, right? Well, a travel agent can do both.

Let's Go Travel

Travel agents get to plan and book dream holidays for their clients and every so often even get to go on those holidays themselves.

Because travel agents get to go on what is known as “familiarization” trips where they try out everything they might want to book for their clients.

This is still a job, though, and you probably won’t get a chance to go lie by the beach with a drink.

But it’s definitely still more attractive than sitting behind a desk for 9 hours a day.

However, if you’re really keen on leaving the desk altogether then you can check out these 15 ways to get paid to travel.

There’s definitely no better time to get into tourism than right now, which is one of the worlds largest industries and makes around $1 Trillion US globally.

So maybe you’re looking for a change or have wanted to know how to become a travel agent for a while now but weren’t sure where to start.

Here’s Why You Should Become a Travel Agent

Well, besides the benefit of having a decent paying job (that’s fun to boot), you also get to travel like you have the kind of money your clients do.

Some travel agents even receive special rewards or bonuses from partnerships they take on with hotels, resorts, or restaurants.

Some travel agents even incorporate social media into their business to show off the destinations they can offer their clients. Instagram is a perfect example of this and is used by many travel agents to get extra perks from hotels and the like.

So really it’s all up to how you want to approach it.

However, this is still a job and with that comes a few downsides that you need to deal with as well.

There’s a reason people would rather hire someone to book their vacations for them – and mostly it’s because it takes a lot of research, time, and effort.

You’ll also have to deal with a lot of people, which comes with its own set of headaches sometimes, especially from entitled clients.

You’ve Got to be a People Person

People Person

Like I said, travel agents have to deal with a lot of people and you have to be sort of a sales and service person wrapped into one.

It’s what you make of the relationships that you form with those people you meet that will determine where your career goes.

Travel agents get to do with a lot of hotel reps, for instance, who try to convince them why they should send their clients to their hotel.

Building up solid relationships with some of these reps can come in handy later on when they’re looking for more perks for their clients or need to cash in a favor.

So it’s essential that you know you can work amicably with people (even when they aren’t being friendly) as well as be able to sell your travel packages when business is slow.

It also helps if you’re a pro at sniffing out amazing travel deals.

Become a Travel Agent Working from Home

When working for an agency, a travel agent will generally get a small base salary and work to get commissions.

The agency takes a big chunk of that commission though, which is why working from home and is a great option.

But most people don’t take this option because they don’t know how to start a travel agency.

Travel agents who work from home usually partner with a host agency who take a much smaller piece of the commission they earn.

Starting your career as a travel agent from home can be relatively cost-effective because all you really need is a computer, an internet connection, and a phone. Most people already have these readily available so there might even be no extra cost at all.

You don’t need any specific qualifications to become a travel agent from home, though if you want to work for an agency, they will likely prefer someone who has a college degree.

Here are the steps you need to follow to become a travel agent from home:

1. Find a Great Host Agency

This part will probably take the longest because there are a lot of things to consider and many agencies to choose from.

The host agency you end up choosing can have a big impact on how your startup business will grow.

I’ve already spoken a bit about the benefits of signing up with a host agency if you want to know more. So it’s important to make sure you familiarize yourself with all of the host agencies available to you and choose one that fits your needs.

Someone who has never worked in the tourism industry before may need an agency that offers training and more support at first, for example. Other things to consider include the size of the agency, whether they’re local or international, whether they offer marketing support, and what travel niche’s they cover. I’ll get more into specializing in a niche a bit later on.

I also found that this blog post has a detailed breakdown of what you need to know before choosing a host agency.

2. Create a Website for Your Business

Travel Website

There are many free and paid options for creating your own website.

If you have some spare cash, then you can even spring for a web designer. Though that’s completely optional and not necessary to have a great looking and functional website.

Some great free website builders include Wix, WordPress, and Squarespace.

All three of these services also have paid options which allow you even more creativity and versatility.

But the free options are great to start out with as well.

They’re also genuinely easy to use and you don’t need to know anything about design or programming to get started.

3. Get Social

Social Media Travel

Marketing your new status as an independent travel agent will be an important step towards gaining new clients.

While a host agency might offer some help getting you off the ground, it’s mostly up to you. It’s therefore essential that you get familiar with the basics of advertising your services on social media.

It’s also a good idea to make sure you remove any potentially embarrassing posts or pictures, or just set your personal accounts to private.

Because in today’s world, you have to sell your digital persona as much as your real-life one.

So make sure everything people can see about you is “on-brand”.

Successful Travel Agents Choose to Specialize

There are quite a few niche categories to specialize in as a travel agent, and it’s widely known that any successful travel agent specializes.

This is because it helps you stand out in a smaller crowd, if you excel in what you do.

It’s much harder to be the best travel agent when competing on an international scale across all travel types.

But someone who specializes in one or two niches can become the best in what they do. This strategy has led many independent travel agents to success.

Some travel niches include: cruises, safaris, honeymoons, rural tourism, cultural and historical sites, theme parks, and luxury travel.

The actual list of niche options travel agents can choose from is very long.

But you can make your niche as small and specific as you want. It all depends on what you’re passionate about.

How much do travel agents make?

Travel agents based in the US had an average annual salary of $40,840 in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Though the income travel agents make depend on a number of factors like their region, chosen niche, experience, number of clients, the effort put in, and the host agency they chose.

Travel agent average salary

This is probably the part you’ve wanted to see the most, which is understandable. We’ve all got to make a living after all.

However, there’s no real solid number to go on here. It’s also good to keep in mind that an independent travel agent’s main income is usually commission-based. So the more clients you have, the more you’ll earn.

The Bottom Line

Becoming a travel agent can be an immensely rewarding job.

You have the ability to create dream vacations that are personalized to your clients, giving them once in a lifetime memories. If that idea makes you excited, then you’ve definitely got a career as a travel agent in your future!

Now that you know how to become a travel agent, what niches are you most eager to specialize in?

Let me know in the comments!

Jobs for Pregnant Women: 28 Possibilities to Explore

Having a baby is wonderful, but let’s be honest: it can be costly and it can be hard on one’s body. If you’re pregnant and looking for work because your current job is too physically demanding, or because you want some extra income to help your expenses, we have a list of jobs for pregnant women for you to consider.

The prospect of searching and keeping a job while pregnant may sound daunting. After all, you’ll need a job that has flexible hours or at least offers some personal time off and is not too physically or emotionally exhausting.

Thankfully, there are now plenty of job opportunities for pregnant women available, particularly remote positions.

I’ve compiled some of the best jobs for pregnant women out there, including work from home jobs for those who prefer to work online, as well as offline jobs for those who are restless at home.

20 Online Jobs for Pregnant Women

Let’s first explore some online jobs for pregnant women that you can do remotely or from the comfort of your own home.

1. Writer

Being a freelance writer is one of the best jobs for pregnant women.

It’s the type of job that gives you the ultimate flexibility to work wherever you want, whenever you want while making a decent income.

There are several different paths you can take when pursuing a writing career.

If you’re creative and able to write well, you can write advertising copy and website content. If you’re analytical and are a skilled communicator, you can try writing technical documents and books.

Here are 153+ companies currently looking for writers — all you need are a few writing samples to get you started and you’re good to go.

2. Blogger

Being a blogger gives you a whole other level of flexibility that being a freelance writer doesn’t give you.

Yes, you can write whenever you want, as I’ve said, but you’re given specific topics to write on, plus you need to turn your work in by a certain deadline.

When you’re a blogger, you get to write about whatever you want and you get to set your own deadlines.

The only downside to blogging is that it takes a little bit of time to actually develop—you will need to build an audience, create mailing lists, and learn how to monetize your blog.

On the plus side, though, once you get everything established, you’ll be able to make a decent passive income working a few hours per week, all while writing about subjects you actually care about.

3. Online Proofreader

For every piece of content put out online, there had to have been someone who went over and edited and proofread the work before it was published.

If correcting someone else’s writing is more up your alley than actually doing the writing, then online proofreading might be a great fit for you.

Editing or proofreading is the perfect way to make some money while pregnant, and you can even pursue it as a permanent job later on.

4. Data Processor

If you’ve got unparalleled organizational and analytical skills, then you can try being a data processor.

You’ll basically be responsible for turning source data into a database and that’s it.

It is a bit of a repetitive job, but it’s perfect if you can type quickly, have no time to learn or develop other skills, and just want to make money as soon as possible.

Here are companies currently offering data entry jobs.

5. Online Stylist

If you’ve always had a flair for fashion, now is your time to shine!

This may seem like a job you need to apply for in person, but in fact, there are many online stores and companies are looking for online personal stylists.

A lot of the work involves curating outfits for buy-boxes and helping customers find new styles to try.

If you feel like you’ve got the skills for it, then read more about finding online fashion stylist jobs here.

6. Chat Agent

Traditional customer service jobs may be too stressful for you to handle, especially ones over the phone.

If you’re still interested in customer service though, being a chat agent may be a better fit for you.

You’ll need to stick to a specific working schedule, but at least you won’t have to worry about actually talking to customers and potentially dealing with irate ones.

Here is a list of places to look for work at home chat jobs.

7. Social Media Manager

This is one of the best jobs for pregnant women out there.

If you know the ins and outs of social media marketing, then being a social media manager is one of the best ways to make money while pregnant.

Plus, you can make it into a career even after your pregnancy, as social media grows bigger.

8. Paid Survey Taker

Before anything else, I’d like to state that this is far from being the highest paying job you can do online.

The income isn’t the same as the income you’d make writing, for example.

However, if you’re just looking to make some side income, why not try it anyway?

Answering surveys is a great source of quick cash and generally requires little time and effort to make some side cash.

Plus, you can do this during your downtime, which means you can do other jobs.

I’ve rounded up my favorite paid online survey companies here.

Survey Jobs for Pregnant Women

9. Online English Teacher

Teaching English online can actually pay well.

Most of these positions allow you to create your own schedule, allowing you to wrk as little or as much as you want to.

10. Transcriptionist

If you’re typing speed has always been off the charts, being a transcriptionist may be for you!

You will need a quiet workspace and a computer that can handle transcription software.

The thing about transcription is that the pay tends to be a bit low at the start, but you can advance rapidly and start making a lot of money.

11. Graphic Designer

Graphic design is a skill that is constantly sought after, and more and more graphic designers are either freelancing or working remotely.

If you’re creative and proficient in graphic design software, you’ll find someone or some company to hire you, even on a part-time or freelance basis.

This is not just a side hustle that’ll bring you extra money on the side too.

It’s a legitimate job that you can advance in and is a rapidly growing career. There are plenty of graphic design jobs for pregnant women too, as a lot of them are remote.

12. Website Tester

You’d be surprised at the number of companies that will actually pay you to test websites, apps, and UI.

It’s not a full-time gig and you won’t be making as much money as you would being a writer or a graphic designer, but it’s still good money on the side.

13. Online Moderator

If you’re the kind of person who spends the majority of their time on online forums like Reddit or maybe pregnancy-related forums, then you can take it to the next level and become a moderator!

You’ll be in charge of responding to inquiries, providing information, deleting and moving threads, and other tasks related to maintaining an orderly forum.

Online moderator jobs have few requirements, but because of that these spots are also highly coveted.

14. Online Researcher

If you’re naturally curious and have excellent online research skills, why not get paid for them?

Several online platforms pay people to research industry-specific questions, compile the results, and use them for content, marketing, and other purposes.

Here are some companies currently looking for online researchers.

15. Virtual Assistant

The term “virtual assistant” is a general term for assistants who do administrative tasks for individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses.

You’ll be mainly responsible for answering calls, responding to emails, organizing schedules, and other day-to-day tasks.

You can work as an independent contractor, join a virtual assistant company that deploys virtual assistants to different employers, or be directly hired by the individual or business in need.

Here is a big list of websites with openings for virtual assistants.

16. Search Engine Evaluator

When you do a search in Google or any other search engine, algorithms and bots take over and serve you the information you were likely searching for.

Sometimes, though, a bug can cause an error in the search results that are returned by the search engine algorithms.

Search engine evaluators act as quality control analysts by doing various searches and judging the accuracy and relevancy of the results.

17. Online Test Grader

If you have a background in education, grading tests may be a good fit for you, since you already have previous knowledge and experience.

You’ll probably need to have a bachelor’s degree and previous teaching experience to qualify. You may also be asked to take some tests.

18. Video Editor

With the rise of the amount of video content online, the demand for video editors is also rising.

The great thing about this online job is that even if you don’t have a college degree, you can start by taking online courses.

If you can manage your deadlines and avoid difficult clients, video editing may be one of the top jobs for pregnant women you can do.

19. Mock Juror

This one isn’t exactly a career or a steady job, but being an online mock juror may be a good gig for you.

Online mock jurors sit on mock trials that are hosted by companies who recruit these jurors so that lawyers can present a made-up case with made-up evidence so the lawyers can make decisions on their case strategies.

We’ve listed companies that hire online mock jurors if you’re interested.

20. Legal Assistant

If you have a legal background or experience in the legal field but don’t have a law degree, you can try working as a virtual legal assistant.

The exact responsibilities may vary depending on the firm that you apply to, but in general, you’ll need to be able to comprehend legal documents, conduct legal research and analysis, and perform general administrative tasks as needed.

Tips And Tools For Working Online Jobs As A Pregnant Woman

The first place you should look for online jobs is FlexJobs.

Save yourself hours of research and access thousands of legitimate jobs from human-vetted companies.

Every little thing matters when you’re pregnant, so having the right tools ensures you can be as productive and efficient as you can be.

Here are some things that can help you get into the groove while working.

  • A desk at the perfect height — It’s better if you can have either a table that has an adjustable height or an adjustable stand where you can prop your laptop. Make sure your eyes are level or higher than the top of your screen.
  • A comfortable working chair — As your pregnancy progresses, sitting too long will become more and more uncomfortable. Exercise balls are great to sit on, plus it strengthens your core and pelvic muscles. Or you might want to invest in a donut pillow to sit on; it’ll be useful way after you give birth.
  • A water bottle and nutrition-rich snacks within reach — You don’t want to waddle to the kitchen every single time you get thirsty or snacky. Have these essentials within reach so you only have to stand up to refill or to go to the bathroom.
  • An ideal workplace location — Speaking of the bathroom, you’ll want to work as near to the bathroom as you possibly can. Trust me and thank me later.

8 Offline Jobs for Pregnant Women

Remote and online jobs are popular jobs for pregnant women, but if you want to work out of the house, you still have some options.

Here are a few more ideas for some offline jobs that are flexible and do not require long-term commitments.

1. Cook

If you’re already a good cook (or you make some incredible baked goodies!), you can always offer your cooking services.

A great way to start is to sell ready-made meals or advertise a meal-prep service.

2. Dog Walker

Who doesn’t love dogs? (Don’t answer that if you don’t love dogs, thank you).

If you feel like you need some physical activity while you’re pregnant, then doing so with a canine companion is definitely better than doing it alone.

It’s definitely worth asking around your neighborhood if anyone is looking for a dog walker.

Here is our guide to being a dog walker, including sites and apps that you can check out for dog walking jobs.

3. Retail Salesperson

This is a tricky one.

Some stores don’t mind having pregnant salespeople, while others don’t usually prefer it.

Your job is to find companies that are pregnant-friendly—maternity stores are your best bet!

Retail work generally has a high turnover rate and you are likely to pick up extra work during holiday seasons.

4. Accountant

Being an accountant is one of the best jobs for pregnant women who love math, as there’s a constant demand for it whether it’s for individual entrepreneurs, SMEs, or larger companies.

This is also one of those traditionally office jobs that can transition into a work-from-home role when you’re near your due date and when you’re still settling into motherhood with a newborn.

5. Photographer

If you’ve already got the photography equipment, then why not start a page and offer your services for money?

You can work around your own schedule, it’s as flexible as you want it to be, and there is definitely a lot of room for growth.

Read our detailed guide to making money with photography.

6. Corporate Recruiter

Do you have experience in human resources? If so, perhaps being a corporate recruiter could be your next thing.

You will be responsible for:

  • Crafting job descriptions (so you will need great writing skills.)
  • Conducting pre-screening interviews.
  • Conducting face-to-face interviews.
  • Choosing a pool of qualified candidates.
  • Coordinating all interview schedules.

7. Crafter

Are you a DIY enthusiast? Did you find yourself sewing baby clothes or even making a crib once that pregnancy test turned positive?

You may have a hobby that’s possibly lucrative!

You get to have an outlet during your pregnancy while profiting from selling the finished products. Double win!

If you’re interested but don’t know quite where to start, read our guide to selling crafts online

8 Offline Jobs for Pregnant Women

Remote and online jobs are popular jobs for pregnant women, but if you want to work out of the house, you still have some options.

Here are a few more ideas for some offline jobs that are flexible and do not require long-term commitments.

1. Cook

If you’re already a good cook (or you make some incredible baked goodies!), you can always offer your cooking services.

A great way to start is to sell ready-made meals or advertise a meal-prep service.

2. Dog Walker

Who doesn’t love dogs? (Don’t answer that if you don’t love dogs, thank you).

If you feel like you need some physical activity while you’re pregnant, then doing so with a canine companion is definitely better than doing it alone.

It’s definitely worth asking around your neighborhood if anyone is looking for a dog walker.

Here is our guide to being a dog walker, including sites and apps that you can check out for dog walking jobs.

3. Retail Salesperson

This is a tricky one.

Some stores don’t mind having pregnant salespeople, while others don’t usually prefer it.

Your job is to find companies that are pregnant-friendly—maternity stores are your best bet!

Retail work generally has a high turnover rate and you are likely to pick up extra work during holiday seasons.

4. Accountant

Being an accountant is one of the best jobs for pregnant women who love math, as there’s a constant demand for it whether it’s for individual entrepreneurs, SMEs, or larger companies.

This is also one of those traditionally office jobs that can transition into a work-from-home role when you’re near your due date and when you’re still settling into motherhood with a newborn.

5. Photographer

If you’ve already got the photography equipment, then why not start a page and offer your services for money?

You can work around your own schedule, it’s as flexible as you want it to be, and there is definitely a lot of room for growth.

Read our detailed guide to making money with photography.

6. Corporate Recruiter

Do you have experience in human resources? If so, perhaps being a corporate recruiter could be your next thing.

You will be responsible for:

  • Crafting job descriptions (so you will need great writing skills.)
  • Conducting pre-screening interviews.
  • Conducting face-to-face interviews.
  • Choosing a pool of qualified candidates.
  • Coordinating all interview schedules.

7. Crafter

Are you a DIY enthusiast? Did you find yourself sewing baby clothes or even making a crib once that pregnancy test turned positive?

You may have a hobby that’s possibly lucrative!

You get to have an outlet during your pregnancy while profiting from selling the finished products. Double win!

If you’re interested but don’t know quite where to start, read our guide to selling crafts online

8. Librarian/Library Assistant

Libraries are generally quiet and calm, and visitors to the library just want to find books and sit down to read them; they’re not very demanding of your attention or your time.

Honestly, this is as pregnant-friendly as you can get.

If you don’t have a degree in library sciences, you might find it difficult to find work as a librarian, but you may still be able to work as an assistant.

Just make sure you’re not required to lift piles of books that may be too heavy.

The Bottom Line

Pregnancy is stressful enough as it is.

I hope this list of jobs for pregnant women has helped you narrow down some potential work you could pick up while you wait for your little one to arrive!

How to Make More Money with Uber: 12 Brilliant Hacks

Uber pros

If you’re here, you’re probably already an Uber driver and you want to learn how to make money with Uber.

Driving for Uber is one of the best side gigs or even full-time hustle available when you have a car and a pristine driving record.

The way you’re paid by Uber is flexible in that you aren’t paid an hourly wage. There are ways to increase your Uber revenue so that you’re earning four or even five figures a month.

Today, we look at how to make more money with Uber, as well as the pros and cons to being an Uber driver so you can judge for yourself if this is hustle is for you.

12 Tricks for Uber Drivers to Make More Money

Here are a few tricks for Uber drivers that you can utilize to maximize the amount of money you can make in the shortest time possible.

Uber Driver

1. Drive the right car.

What makes a car the right car to drive with Uber is one that balances your driving skills, fuel efficiency, maintenance needs, and your income goals.

For instance, you can make more money driving a larger car because you’ll be eligible for both UberX and UberXL, but if you can’t drive a larger car comfortably, it may not be worth it.

2. Always keep water and snacks in the backseat.

Nothing feels better than getting inside of an Uber car and finding a few snacks and water.

It shows the passengers that you care about their comfort and increases your chance of getting a larger tip and a good review.

Don’t just place it in the backseat haphazardly, though; invest in a car seat organizer so everything is neatly arranged on the back of your seat.

3. Don’t follow the herd.

A few weeks in and you’ll already know about the “recommended times” and the “recommended locations” where the demand is high.

Whether that’s a busy Saturday night or a certain morning route, it’s always better to completely ignore those.

You’ll be dealing with high competition since all Uber drivers in the area will tend to flock to those recommended locations at those recommended times.

You’re more likely to actually get a request where there is a lack of drivers.

4. Log out of the Uber Driver App before a surge.

Learn about the general surge times and log out of the app 15 minutes before.

Let’s say you know that 5 p.m is a huge time for surge pricing as everyone is leaving work.

Log out of the app 15 minutes before since that reduces the number of drivers, hence increasing the surge fare. Plus, you won’t get a request right before the surge pricing kicks in, so you won’t be missing out on the higher fares.

5. Stay in one place when you’re waiting for a request.

It’s tempting to drive around the city when you’re in between rides, hoping to increase the chances that you’re pinged for a ride.

Unless you’re doing it to familiarize yourself with an unknown area, it’s a bad idea.

You waste gas, you wear out your car, and it’s unlikely that the one or two pickups you get to make will be worth it.

A better strategy is to find a safe place to park (not idle) and wait for a while. Ideally, it’s near a high-traffic area where there are riders.

6. Watch the Uber Passenger App as well.

This is one of the most important Uber tricks for drivers.

You need to understand your local market, and to do that, I recommend downloading the Passenger App.

You’ll be able to know how many Uber drivers are near you and make a strategy around it.

For example: if people are leaving a concert, all drivers may be in the same place by the main entrance.

Instead, go to the other entrance where you’re more likely to get a request instantly.

Herd of Taxis

7. Follow the alcohol.

Friday and Saturday nights, along with major holidays, are definitely the best days to make the most money with Uber.

Surge pricing usually lines up with bar closing times.

However, remember that you do have to deal with inebriated passengers, and there is always the risk of someone getting sick in your car.

8. Be ready for the mess that comes from following the alcohol.

If you’re going to deal with drunk passengers, you need to be ready.

Puke-proof your interiors (Scotchgard your cloth covers or just change to vinyl covers), have proper barf bags (the ones with a plastic ring to hold on to) within easy reach, and keep an emergency cleaning kit complete with rubber gloves, soapy water, and a portable vacuum for “accidents.”

Uber does charge a cleaning fee to passengers who make messes, so you get back at least some of the cost of your emergency puke kit and to actually deep clean the mess.

Remember to document and take pictures of all messes first before you clean them up, though.

Lastly, air fresheners are your best friend; have a few of them handy.

9. Dress and act professionally.

Always dress in clean and nice clothes, and put a lot of effort into being polite and respectful to the passengers.

Making a good impression goes a long way toward high ratings and even possibly a tip.

10. Stay updated on weekly incentives.

Gamifying ridesharing can be a good or bad thing, depending on who you ask. But we’re not going to pooh-pooh a chance to get extra money from Uber.

Not every city offers these incentives, but when you see chances to boost your earnings (for example, “Do X trips and get an extra $Y”), do your best to take advantage of them.

11. Sell useful stuff to your passengers.

You might have heard about the “Uberpreneur” a few years back who made more than $250k a year selling jewelry as he was driving his Uber.

It’s not for everyone, though.

Riders book Uber to go someplace, not to go through a sales pitch.

However, if you’re careful to sell goods that your passengers might need, you just might be able to earn a few extra dollars a day.

For instance, display folding umbrellas or rain ponchos for those days when there’s unexpected rain. Or offer portable power banks for those who forgot to charge their phones.

12. Make even more money by incorporating other apps with Uber.

Instead of just making money with Uber as a driver, you can capitalize on being an Uber driver by downloading these apps.

  • Vugo. This is a company that will pay you to set up a tablet in your car and display ads in the backseat.
  • Wrapify. They are a company that will pay you to wrap your car in a commercial ad. Just be wary as there are a lot of car wrap scams that exist out there. Stick with legit, proven companies like Wrapify.
  • GetUpside. Save up to 25¢ per gallon of gas with this cash back app
  • Stride. Track your mileage and expenses with this app so you can maximize your tax deductions come tax season.
  • Waze. Uber’s in-app navigation can fail you. Waze is much more accurate and can get you to your destination quicker and safer, which are all good things if you’re looking for good ratings, good tips, and to squeeze in as many rides as you can in a day.

Pros of Making Money with Uber

Uber pros

If you’re new to driving for Uber or trying to decide if it’s worth it, it’s always important to weigh the pros and cons so you can end up making an informed decision.

I’ll lay everything out and help you decide if it’s worth it.

1. You have a flexible schedule.

Possibly the biggest advantage of making money with Uber is that you can work as much or as little as you want.

You can dictate your schedule around important occasions and holidays.

Need to work late at night? Do it.

Take a whole month off because you just need some “me time”?

Yup, go for it.

Have a friend’s baby shower all the way across the state? You guessed it…Do it!

2. It’s perfect for entrepreneurs.

If you’re an entrepreneur who’s in the process of starting or funding their own business, then Uber is a great way to make that extra money you need to fund your business.

Usually, entrepreneurs go for part-time jobs but those often come with strict schedules, and, well, a boss.

Which brings me to the next point…

3. You are your own boss.

Driving with Uber, there’s no one telling you what to do, how to do it, or when to do it.

If you thrive in an independent work environment and don’t like being constantly supervised or micromanaged, then you’d like driving with Uber!

4. Only skill required: driving well.

You don’t need to be a great writer, a crafty person, some Bitcoin guru, or even have special skills at all to be able to make money with Uber.

Driving well (read: driving safely, not driving fast) is enough.

You don’t even need any equipment but your phone and your car.

There’s a very low barrier of entry to the job in general (all you need is a car, a license, and no criminal background).

5. You get to meet new people.

This one can be a pro or a con, depending on whether you like people.

If you’re an extrovert, then you will love the fact that you get to meet all types of people.

Maybe you’ll get to learn a thing or two from them.

Most side hustles don’t give you the opportunity to interact socially.

6. You get to explore your city and beyond.

A lot of freelancers who work from home or remotely complain about the sudden monotonous routine that they find themselves in after a while.

They are sick of working from the same place every day.

When you make money with Uber, you’ll actually get to see new places and neighborhoods you’ve never even heard about.

7. Learn while working.

Yes, you can listen to music or news while driving, but why not use this time to listen to podcasts?

You can use the time you work and make money to master another subject.

8. Take advantage of the surge.

Let’s be honest: this definitely sucks for the rider.

For you, though, it’s definitely quite freaking cool.

If you are in an area or a time that often has surge pricing, you can make up to double the money (or even more) for the same amount of work.

Although it’s not smart to always be chasing the surge pricing (you’ll get to know why in a minute), it’s still a major advantage.

Cons of Making Money with Uber

Uber cons

The benefits are enticing, but there are some drawbacks to being an Uber driver, too.

1. You have to do your taxes.

Having to do your own taxes is dreadful.

But since you’re considered an independent contractor, you’ll have to calculate your own taxes and pay your own expenses.

2. You subject your car to hard use.

The biggest enemy of your car is wear and tear.

The number of miles will increase, you’ll need to maintain your car religiously, and repairs will be more frequent.

The expenses add up and will take a considerable chunk off your earnings.

3. You subject yourself to some risk.

You’d probably think twice before picking up a hitchhiker, right?

Well, picking up an Uber passenger is a slightly more sophisticated (and paid) version.

It’s not to say that driving with Uber is dangerous, but driving strangers around to places that you may be unfamiliar with does sound a little risky.

4. Customers may leave unfair ratings.

You can do everything to improve customer experience, but in the end, you can’t control how you’re rated by your passengers.

But if you have a low rating, you’re less likely to be pinged when someone needs a ride.

Moreover, if your average rating falls below a 4.6-star rating average, your account is flagged and Uber will consider whether or not to kick you out of the platform.

5. It’s a sedentary lifestyle.

If you’re making money with Uber as a side hustle, then you won’t have to really worry about this, since you have plenty of hours left in a day to make up for the lack of activity when you’re driving.

But if you’re taking up Uber as more of a long-term, full-time business, this can affect your health.

6. There’s little to no growth potential.

As I’ve mentioned, you do get to explore your city and learn new things from interacting with all sorts of people.

But in terms of a career ladder, it’s a dead-end, quite frankly.

Your income can increase from year to year, but there are no promotions or any higher level you can get up to.

Start Making More Money With Uber!

Hopefully, you’ve weighed the pros and cons of becoming an Uber driver and decided to go for it.

Whether you’re trying to earn more money to pay off debt, fund a business, save for a holiday, or build a nest egg, every cent of extra income matters.

If you think you can’t handle being an Uber driver, considering renting out your car or other ways of getting paid to drive.

Are you currently driving for Uber? Did I miss any hacks to increase your Uber income? Tell me in the comments so I can add those to the list!

How to Make Money on YouTube: 18 Ideas to Try

In the past decade, YouTube has grown from being home to random online videos to becoming one of the biggest marketing and advertising tools on the internet. It’s no wonder many users want to know how to make money on YouTube.

YouTube is still primarily a video-sharing platform, with 500 hours of video being uploaded every minute (Source).

But YouTube definitely opens up plenty of opportunities to earn passive income, if you know how.

Today, let’s look at some of the ways you can earn money on YouTube.

What You Need to Make Money on YouTube

Before we even begin to talk about earning from YouTube, you’ll need to think about the video content you’re going to upload.

And before you plan your content, you need to know who you’re creating this content for.

The more focused your target audience is, the better position you’ll be in to monetize your YouTube videos.

Defining your target audience means knowing their demographics: gender, age group, location, marital or family status, income level, education level, occupation, and other relevant details.

More importantly, you need to understand how they think, what makes them tick, their values, and their frustrations and problems.

Knowing all of these helps you produce the type of content that interests them and would likely persuade them to take an action that you want them to take.

You want to make valuable video content; that is, it should be educational, entertaining, inspirational, or all of the above.

Relevant, useful, and consistent content is what will hook your target audience to your YouTube videos.

When you’ve built an audience that consistently watches your videos, the next step is to enroll in the YouTube Partner Program.

What is the YouTube Partner Program (YPP)?

The YouTube Partner Program is YouTube’s in-house program that allows creators to make money from their YouTube videos through several ways, all within YouTube terms and conditions.

This program also allows creators greater access to YouTube resources, a support team, and their copyright match tool.

The minimum eligibility requirements to join are:

  • Reside in a country where the YPP is available
  • Have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
  • Have more than 1,000 subscribers
  • Have exactly one linked AdSense account
  • Follow YouTube’s monetization policies, including YouTube’s Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, Copyright, and Google AdSense program policies

Once you meet these eligibility requirements, you can apply to be part of the YPP, which then places your YouTube channel under review by both humans and their software to check if your channel meets all their guidelines.

Finally, once you’re approved, you can now enable monetization on your uploads.

Make Money on YouTube through the YouTube Partner Program

Once your application to enroll in YPP is approved, the following monetization methods are available to you.

1. Become an AdSense Publisher

The easiest and most common way people earn money on YouTube is through AdSense.

AdSense is Google’s in-house program that allows publishers to serve advertisements on their content and earn on a per-click or per-impression basis.

How to Get Started

Once you’ve been accepted to YouTube Partner Program and AdSense, and mastered the do’s and don’ts of YouTube, here’s how you can begin earning money through ads:

  1. Go to YouTube Studio.
  2. Go to Menu > Content.
  3. Select the videos you want to turn ads on for and click Edit and then Monetization.
  4. Select On in the dropdown.
  5. Click Update Videos, check “I understand the consequences of this action,” and click Update Videos.

How much can you earn?

The amount you can make from YouTube AdSense will depend on several things, including the popularity of the channel, number of viewers, watch time/viewer retention, CPM/CPC, and so on.

The numbers vary, but YouTubers earn about $1 to $4 per 1000 video views from AdSense. Note that this is just an estimation; YouTube pays based on the advertiser’s chosen ad type (either on a Cost Per Click/CPC or Cost Per View/CPV model).

You make money based on your viewers’ engagement with the ads. Engagement means if the viewer clicks on the ad, or watches the ad for over 30 seconds.

In addition, YouTube AdSense takes a percentage of your ad revenue, which varies depending on the publisher or ad network.

AdSense members are paid on a monthly basis (payments are sent between 21st to 26th of each month). They can choose from check, wire transfer, electronic fund transfer, or Western Union Quick Cash as methods of payment.

2. Super Chats & Super Stickers

When you do a live stream on YouTube, the Live Chat feature is turned on by default, in which viewers currently watching your live stream can pipe in with messages.

Your loyal fans can purchase Super Chat and Super Stickers so that when they participate in live chats, they can post chat messages that stand out. They can even pin these supercharged messages to the top of the chat feed.

Chatting with your audience during a live stream is already a great way to engage with your audience, but enabling super chats takes this engagement to the next level because these messages are highlighted and thus easy for you to acknowledge them, all while other viewers are watching.

Not only that but other viewers seeing these messages are now inspired to use them, too. This increases your engagement even more.

The revenue you earn from this is almost just a bonus.

3. YouTube Premium

Your ad-supported content is automatically made available to YouTube Premium subscribers, who can watch your video without ads but doesn’t take away from your revenue.

In fact, even if they download your videos and watch them online, this adds to your watch time, which affects your ranking and thus increases your YouTube revenue.

4. Enable Channel Memberships

Channel Memberships is a program that allows viewers to support a channel on a monthly basis and in return, receive exclusive perks.

For instance, you can implement a members-only community, create members-only videos and live streams, and host members-only live chats.

You can also include perks such as custom badges, emojis, and free digital and physical goods.

5. Sell Exclusive Merch Through Merch Shelf

When you get to 10,000 subscribers, you can turn on your Merch Shelf, which enables creators to showcase and sell their official branded merchandise.

You can display up to 12 items below your channel description, which your viewers can click individually to be redirected to the merch retailer you work with and order the merch from there.

Monetizing with merch not only allows you to earn money from the sales but also enlists your viewers to promote your channel when they wear or use the merch.

The top three products sold include t-shirts, hoodies, and caps. Other popular items are sweaters, phone cases, pins, mugs, stickers, and many more.

You can design it yourself with your quotable quotes, logos, the link to your YouTube channel, or any other unique design.

YouTube supports selected platforms and retailers, so make sure you work with someone on their list so you can take advantage of this feature.

Other Ways to Make Money on YouTube

Although being enrolled in YPP is highly recommended, you can still earn without it. Here are other ways to make money on YouTube if you aren’t eligible yet to enroll in YPP or you want to supplement your earnings from it.

6. Promote Products via Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is a tried-and-tested method of earning money online. It can be used in your own blog, on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and most other platforms online.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that you can use affiliate marketing to make money on YouTube as well.

If you’re new to this, affiliate marketing is simply about directing other people (in this case, your YouTube viewers) to a store (like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and others), then earning a commission from any product that YouTube viewer bought since they clicked your affiliate link.

The best thing about affiliate marketing is that each link you use has a corresponding cookie, which is placed on the viewer’s PC or phone to track what they purchase. The product you recommend (or link to) doesn’t even have to be the item they buy. You still earn commissions even if they decide to skip your recommendation and buy something else.

How do you start?

Any video that reviews or recommends products can easily be used for affiliate marketing.

Affiliate programs are not exclusive to specific stores like Amazon. Smaller brands and companies may also offer their affiliate marketing program to CJ.com, LinkShare.com, ShareASale.com, and other similar websites.

To make money on YouTube with affiliate marketing, your only choice is to include links on the video description, or in the actual videos (via annotations or overlays). The goal, whichever method you choose, is to redirect traffic to an affiliate landing page.

How much can you earn?

Commissions vary between affiliate marketing programs, niches, amount of YouTube viewers, the YouTuber’s popularity, and a bunch of other factors.

Just like earnings in AdSense, the key is to produce a lot of engaging videos consistently. The more videos you upload on YouTube, the more opportunities you’ll have to add affiliate links.

Note that YouTube has no specific rules about affiliate marketing, but many marketers believe that YouTube probably isn’t too happy if you keep on redirecting viewers away from YouTube. So balance out your videos with and without affiliate links.

7. Seek Third-Party Sponsorships

Getting sponsors from brands and companies is the real deal. It happens every day on YouTube, but only the top-tier creators are even considered.

This is the dream of many YouTubers, since having a sponsor can definitely turn their hobby into a full-blown career.

Grapevine Homepage

Getting third-party sponsors used to be hard, but with websites like YouTube BrandConnect, GrapevineLogic, ChamBoost, and other similar services that bridged the gap between  YouTube creators and sponsors, getting paid extra money has become much easier.

Your popularity, viewer engagement, and other stats would play a huge role in determining your fees.

How much can you earn?

The sky is the limit to how much you can earn from third-party sponsorships. Some YouTubers even become long-term brand ambassadors for international companies.

Of course, brands and companies tend to look for YouTube creators who can carry their products well. So if your YouTube channel is all about beauty, fashion, and cosmetics, it’s harder to get sponsors in the tech niche.

8. Sell Products

Selling products of other people/companies (also known as affiliate marketing) is good and effective, but why just get a cut of the sales, when you can sell your own products and take home 100% of the sales?

Depending on the amount you wish to invest, your product could range from online courses/ebooks, to actual products (like shirts, plushies) that you have to ship.

A great example of this is the debut graphic novel of Minecraft YouTuber DanTDM (real name Dan Middleton).

His book “DanTDM: Trayaurus and the Enchanted Crystal” was promoted on YouTube and actually landed on the #1 spot of The New York Times Best Seller list and spent 3 weeks in the UK’s best-selling books list.

9. Teach

How-to’s and tutorials are some of the most popular YouTube channel themes.

It has created many of today’s six-figure-earning YouTubers and it’s never too late to join them.

If you have a very specific skill, such as drawing, dancing, cooking, or any other skill that can be taught through videos, there’s no limit to what topics you can teach.

10. Offer Services and Consulting

If you’re going with the teaching route, the next step is to offer your professional services.

For example, if you’ve been uploading Adobe Photoshop tutorials and you’ve got a huge following, you can offer one-on-one tutorials, promote local workshops, or even offer consulting services.

As long as you are offering something of value, and the services you’re advertising are related to your YouTube channel’s content, post away.

11. Create Your Own YouTube Series

TV viewers have already been juggling streaming sites with cable TV for years, which is why YouTube web series are rising in popularity and even getting picked up by YouTube as YouTube Originals, or even by Hulu or Netflix.

What’s interesting is that shows on YouTube are going beyond prank shows and sitcoms and expanding into shows with actual scripts and plots, talk shows, and many more. Team up with a scriptwriter, director, actor, and other creatives waiting for their chance to shine.

Note that traditional YouTube videos can only go for 15 minutes, so if you’re planning a show with longer episodes, you’ll have to request a limit increase.

12. Fan-Fund Your Channel via Patreon

If you have an interesting channel that your audience can’t get enough of, but you’re not yet eligible for YPP (or have been rejected, or you just don’t want to enroll), you can turn to Patreon and set up membership options so your audience can pay for perks.

Some of the perks you can offer include priority access, additional exclusive content, access to an exclusive community, and often an option to publish their names on your videos’ credits.

13. Promote Your Website via YouTube

If you’re already running your own business, YouTube is a great marketing tool.

Whether you run a small online store, or maintain an info site, directing traffic from YouTube to your website increases conversion rates significantly.

It’s important to note that you should always keep your viewers in mind when promoting your site.

Always consider if the site, product, or anything you’re marketing has value to your audience. Take Walmart’s YouTube channel as an example.

The people handling its YouTube channel balance product promotion with useful content like cooking tutorials, testimonials, and product reviews.

14. Crowdfund Your Project

If you have an amazing idea for a product, but you can’t turn it into reality for lack of funds, crowdfunding can be your solution.

Many crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo use YouTube videos to explain product ideas and encourage people to “invest” in their would-be product.

15. Market Research

YouTube is a goldmine for marketing professionals.

The platform has an in-depth analytics tool that enables you to look at how your videos are performing and compare specific videos.

You can use YouTube to discover what people are interested in, or what they think of a particular brand.

It’s free marketing research.

16. Become a YouTube Manager

Many companies are looking for people to manage their social media accounts.

However, the main requirement of this job is having extensive experience with the platform.

If you’re an active YouTuber waiting to hit it big, or building up the required number of views to monetize your videos with AdSense, this career path may be what you’re looking for.

17. Create or Edit YouTube Videos

Many affiliate marketers, companies, and individual YouTubers are looking for people to help in the background.

If you have the skills to create or edit videos, be on the lookout for jobs like these.

Of course, you have to know what makes a YouTube video viral, such as using keywords for meta tags and crafting share-worthy titles.

18. Become a Journalist

Anyone can be a journalist on YouTube.

And with modern technology allowing you to communicate to people around the world with just WiFi and a laptop, you can interview celebrities and experts for your own YouTube show.

Take a look at these millennials who interviewed then-U.S. President Barack Obama in 2015, and decide if you’d like to try your luck with journalism.

How to Become YouTube Famous

Making money on YouTube isn’t easy.

Like blogging and other passive-income-generating ways to earn online, it could take you months, years, or even several years to actually make bank.

There aren’t secret techniques to earn a profitable revenue on YouTube. It all boils down to how many followers you can attract and how quickly you can become “YouTube famous.”

If you want to market your YouTube channel some more, here are several things you can do:

  • Learn about SEO and video marketing. Using the right keywords on descriptions is gold.
  • Create a community within your channel – reply to comments and engage in other ways.
  • Plan your content and try to bring something new to the table.
  • Be authentic. Stick to your values, mission, and goals.
  • Keep up-to-date with YouTube policies.

Once you’ve amassed a sizable and loyal following, you can be sure that they’ll be watching whenever you upload a new video, click on a link if you recommend a product or website, and engage in contests, polls, and other activities you plan to hold.

As a result of having a healthy engagement level on your YouTube channel, you can maximize the earning potential of your AdSense, affiliate links, or sponsored posts of every video you upload.

Start Making Money on YouTube!

With news of nine-year-old Ryan Kaji taking home $29.5 million in 2020 (Source), it’s not surprising that everyone dreams to get a slice of the YouTube money-making pie.

In fact, thousands of couples, parents, comedians, product reviewers, gamers, and almost every type of hobbyist are currently making vlogs about their life, careers, experiences, skills, and anything under the sun.

Some are even earning a decent amount enough to replace their day jobs’ income.

So if they can do it, so can you!

Were you inspired by today’s article? Share your YouTube channel in the comments!