Month: May 2019

40 Different Private Label Manufacturers to Try

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Last time, I talked about choosing between private labels and white label products. If that guide helped you in deciding and you end up picking the private label route, hold on to your seats because there’s a good chance you’ll need this list of private label manufacturers.

What is a private label product again?, you may ask:

A private label product is any product you contract a manufacturer to create based on specifications you sent. Once the product is ready, you sell it exclusively under the name (brand) you choose, and market it how you want.

Plenty of big brand-named companies like Ray-Ban and Nike have been selling private label products for decades, and they won’t stop anytime soon.

The earning potential for selling private labels is high, but knowing the products you want to sell is just half the battle. Finding a reputable and reliable private label manufacturer that you can partner up with is a hurdle you have no choice but to take.

4 Ways to Find Private Label Manufacturers

The private label supplier you work with can help your business succeed (or cause it to fail), which is why it’s important that you find a manufacturer that produces quality goods.

1. Google

A bit obvious, no?

Searching online is a foolproof way of finding what you need, but you have to bring in your A game when doing your search.

Use keywords to your advantage to filter out suppliers that you don’t need.

Know that some manufacturers only produce a particular type of product (example: clothing only, shoes only, etc.), so you can use these details when finding the right one.

  • Main keywords – use “private label manufacturers,” “private label suppliers,” “private label companies” or “private labeler” with all your search queries
  • Secondary keywords – Add the niche or product type you’re looking for. “makeup private label supplier” “makeup private label manufacturers” and so on. You can be as creative as you want by switching up secondary keywords to “lipstick,” “cosmetics,” etc. if you’re in need of makeup suppliers.
  • Filter by location – You can also add location details with your search. “makeup private label manufacturer China”
  • Filter by other factors – Need specific manufacturers, such as those who allow “dropshipping”? Include those words into your query for advanced search

Note that contact details you find by going this route may not be the most accurate, so double check your information, especially if you’re going to be calling overseas for inquiries.

This phase of your research is also when you’d likely decide on niche. Picking out what products to sell can help you filter your manufacturer search. And if you need ideas, check out this handy list of the best selling products on Amazon to get inspiration.

2. Directories

The cool thing about online directories today is that they are now very organized, which saves you time if you’re on a hunt for the best private label manufacturers.

Here are a couple to start your search:

China manufacturers

In 2011, China ended the United States’ 110-year run as the number one country in factory production and has been the world’s largest manufacturing nation since. There are a lot of reasons how this came to be:

  • China has the lowest labor costs in the world.
  • China has a workforce of 112 million people.

If you’re worried about private label manufacturing cost, there’s no question that China-based suppliers can solve your problem.

China produces 70% of the world’s umbrellas, 50% of toys, 85% of the world’s Christmas lights, and so on.

You don’t need to go overseas to find China private label companies. Just check directories like Alibaba, Global Sources, Made-in-China to save time hunting down manufacturers.

You do have to dig deeper about companies you deal with, since not only will there be language barriers when communicating via these platforms, you also can’t be 100% sure about the company’s reputation and history.

International Manufacturers

If you prefer manufacturers not based in China, see Thomas.net, PLMA, Store Brands, Maker’s Row, and more.

Some directories, like Oberlo, do the vetting phase for you, so you only need to choose the products to sell and they’ll handle everything from packing to shipping and customer service too.

3. Forums

Sometimes, it is worth your time to ask experts leads of private label companies they’ve worked with in the past, especially for communities like Reddit and Quora.

Ask around and share your experiences as well, conversing with people who have been private labeling or dropshipping can be helpful in more ways than one.

Aside from giving insider tips and supplier leads, experts are also good at sharing reviews of manufacturers.

4. Sourcing Agents

You can hire a sourcing agent (a regional representative performing outsourcing activities on your behalf) to help you find the manufacturers you need.

This is particularly useful if you want to go with China-based manufacturers, since you can hire a sourcing agent fluent in Chinese.

Sourcing agents are great negotiators, which means they can help you with bargaining the price when placing orders and finding you a manufacturer flexible with your terms. If you’re aiming for a manufacturer from China, check out this list of sourcing companies.

Upwork is a good source of finding sourcing agents, who you can hire by-the-hour or project basis, depending on your budget and extent of work still needed to complete.

6 Questions to Ask When Dealing with Private Label Companies

1. How do you order private label products?

Depending on the manufacturer you chose, you may need to order the products via:

  • online shop platform – You can place products into a cart, add notes for each one, and pay after checking out. This works like any ordinary ecommerce site, except that you’re dealing with a manufacturer and not a retailer.
  • online form – This may be old school, but forms allow for more words and flexibility, which is why some companies still use this method of accepting orders.
  • catalog + email – Sometimes, websites of private label manufacturers only contain a digital catalog of products and contact information. If this is the case, ordering usually goes via email.
  • phone order – Other private label suppliers prefer to receive orders via phone. This option is never available to China-based companies though.

Know that because private label products are somewhat customized by your specifications, the manufacturer would need as much details as possible to produce exactly what you need.

2. Is There a Minimum Order?

All private label manufacturers only process your order after full payment. You also must follow minimum order requirements, which vary between industries and suppliers.

In most cases, the minimum order is per-variant. (1,000 pieces soap bars, 200 shirts, etc.). Others go by amount (any $1000 worth of products for each order).

3. Do they ship products directly to you?

Private label companies ship products directly to your office, home, or any address you list down. Unless, it’s a dropshipping company (see below).

Also, if the products will be coming from overseas, make sure you know your import duties and taxes to avoid getting blindsided.

4. Do they allow dropshipping private label products?

Not all private label manufacturers offer dropshipping (wherein they manufacture, pack, and ship the product to your customer then you collect a percentage for the sale).

However, there are companies specializing in dropshipping private labels, so learn the difference.

5. What are my customization options?

The amount of customization you can request for a particular product depends on the policies of the manufacturer you’re dealing with.

In most cases, you will be given some control over how the product is packaged.

Sometimes you can alter product features at the development phase, but this depends largely on the manufacturer.

6. Do I need a contract?

A contract protects both you and the manufacturer, so make sure you document everything and keep purchase orders, receipts, and contracts.

These documentation can protect you if you face problems once you receive the product.

My Giant List of Private Label Manufacturers

Here are 40 private label manufacturers to get you started:

Health Care Products

  1. AC Pharm – skincare products (Australia)
  2. CBD Hemp – CBD hemp products (Florida, USA)
  3. Black Label Beard – men’s grooming (USA)
  4. Garlabs – hair and skin products (USA)
  5. JTCC – cosmetics, men’s grooming, toiletry, fragrance (India)
  6. Private Label Dynamics – skincare, hair care, pet care (Australia)
  7. Private Label Select – personal care, lip care, men’s grooming, baby (New Mexico, USA)
  8. Propper – Medical, dental devices (New York, USA)

Clothing

  1. Alanic – sports clothing (USA)
  2. Brandwear – men and women’s clothing & accessories (Canada)
  3. DSA Manufacture – DSA Manufacturing
  4. Design Make Produce – High-fashion women’s clothes and swimwear (UK)
  5. LQ Tactical – Military wear and tactical gear (Texas, USA)
  6. Mr 520 – Men and women’s apparel (Ukraine)
  7. Optimacotton – Men’s cotton shirts (Canada)
  8. Plus Samples – Plus sized clothing for women (UK)
  9. Zega Apparel – Men and women’s clothing (US, Canada, Pakistan, UAE)

Shoes

  1. ByPaige – canvas shoes (USA)
  2. Modern Vice – men’s footwear (USA)
  3. Italian Moda – men and women’s shoes (Italy)

Cosmetics

  1. Auroracos – cosmetics line (China)
  2. Audrey Morris/a> – makeup kits (Florida, USA)
  3. Biovedanaturals – Organic cosmetics and herbal extracts (India, New York USA)
  4. Bionature – spa and beauty products (Malaysia)
  5. Citcosmetic – makeup and beauty products (Korea)
  6. KBL Cosmetics – skincare and cosmetics (USA)
  7. NC Cosmetics – cruelty-free cosmetics (Australia)
  8. Oscars Spa – spa and beauty products (China)
  9. Pinnacle Cosmetics – makeup sets (Australia)
  10. SLG UK – beauty, cosmetics, fragrance (UK)

Food and Drink

  1. Dream Chocolate – chocolate (USA)
  2. GWS Foods – sauces, dips, spreads (USA)
  3. Yilingz – Asian sauces (China)
  4. Madwills – sauce and spread, for restaurants (Canada)
  5. My Drink Beverages – beverages (Canada)
  6. You Bar – protein bars (USA)
  7. Goldline – pet food (UK)

All Around Options

  1. Business in Guangzhou – clothing, shoes, accessories, home decor, electronics, jewelry, beauty products (China)
  2. China Brands – toys, clothes, electronics, home, jewelry, etc. (Canada)
  3. China2West – also serves as sourcing agent (China)

The Bottom Line

Assuming you’ve already chosen a manufacturer or two to partner with your ecommerce business, your next task is to sell those products.

How do you plan to sell them? Do you prefer to work on your own website? Or take advantage of Amazon’s massive audience?

FYI, if you want to go the Amazon route, here’s a useful guide on how to sell private label products on Amazon properly.

Either way, I hope this list of private label manufacturers can help you get started on building a real ecommerce business.

What to Sell on Amazon in 2024: Product Research 101

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So you’ve decided to jump on the ecommerce train and that Amazon.com is a good place to start. But how do you decide what to sell on Amazon?

Well, you’re right to set your sights on selling on Amazon as a business; after all, it’s the largest online marketplace, with millions of shoppers already on the platform.

The downside of this is that choosing what products to offer on Amazon can feel overwhelming.

I’m sure you’re thinking: “If there are millions of shoppers, there are probably hundreds of millions of products on Amazon.”

While the statement above can be true, you can solve this with proper product research.

Thorough product research helps you determine which product is going to get you the most profits.

Today, this guide will help you sort through millions of products, narrow them down, and figure out what to sell on Amazon.

Product Research: 9 Tips to Help You Decide What to Sell on Amazon

The purpose of product research is to find a product that has high demand and low competition. In other words, a profitable product.

So don’t get too overwhelmed by this decision.

I agree that this is one of the most important decisions of your ecommerce business, but getting ahead of yourself can cause perfect product paralysis.

It’s a very common pitfall wherein people who want to begin selling on Amazon look far and wide, research for months and assess thousands of products, then end up not choosing anything because they’re not the “perfect product” yet.

Follow these 7 tried-and-tested techniques of filtering out products and discover what to sell on Amazon.

1. Find a product that solves a problem.

You know why men’s subscription grooming kits exploded?

It’s because the products included in the monthly box are shaving cream, razors, and other grooming items that they’ll be using for as long as they live (or feel like grooming).

While it doesn’t fall under basic needs like food and clothing, toiletries like these are part of one’s everyday routine.

The problem is having to remember to change your razor or restocking shaving cream; a monthly subscription kit with grooming essentials solves it.

Start with yourself.

What problems or inconveniences in your life do you wish could be solved?

Is there a product or two that you think would solve it?

Survey your friends or family members for challenges they’re facing daily, weekly, regularly.

The odds are many other people are having the same problems.

2. Find a product you’re interested in.

Some would say to choose a product that you’re passionate about, but I think having some kind of interest will do.

This is important because you’ll be working on your ecommerce business for months or years.

As such, it’s understandable to choose something you won’t quit once you get bored with it.

3. Check out your competitors.

Having some competition is good—it means your product is popular and there is a market you can tap.

But don’t pick a product with tens of thousands of competitors because you could drown even before you can begin selling on Amazon.

If you do find a product, but it has over 100k search results, you have two options:

  • Skip that niche and find one that has less competition.
  • Or dig deeper into that niche and follow tip #4 below.

4. Find a gap in the market.

All hope is not all lost if you get stuck in the middle of your research with a good product that has high competition.

You still have a chance of making it here.

However, you do need to be smart about it and find a gap in the market.

Make your product super-specific.

For example, if you’re interested in selling cooking equipment, you can target a precise group of people if you offer “cooking equipment for low-carb cooking” instead.

Include egg boilers, vegetable steamers, and other commonly used tools by people who follow a low-carb diet.

Even if you feel a niche is absolutely saturated, brainstorming ideas can help you discover that there are still smaller niches within larger markets that have lesser competition.

Want to sell books on Amazon?

You’d likely face plenty of competition with new books, but if you target hard-to-find books or sell books as a collection (grouped by theme), you’re giving customers a reason to check out what you’re selling.

5. Aim for products with high profit margins.

You don’t need to get a lesson in finance to figure out if a product has an excellent profit margin and ROI.

You just need to check the products of other sellers on Amazon, note down prices from wholesalers, and add all expenses (like Amazon fees, taxes, and so on) to weigh your option.

There’s even a simpler rule of thumb “the 3x rule” that you can incorporate into your product research.

With this rule, your goal is to sell a product 3x its purchase price.

If you bought an item for $20, your target sales price would be $60.

This rule assumes that a third will go to fees and other costs, while you get a 100% return on investment.

6. Check what people are buying.

Of course, you’ll need customers. You need to find a product that people want to buy. How do you do this?

Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest) to see what people are sharing, what products are in demand, and what seems to be the “next best thing.”

And while you’re at it, make sure to follow trendsetters (known as influencers) of a niche you’re interested in.

Whenever you see a product heating up in social media, use tools like Google Trends to double-check if that product is hot locally, within a particular country, or around the world.

7. Check out brick and mortar stores.

So what do brick and mortar stores have to do with selling on Amazon?

Even as online shopping becomes more and more popular nowadays, people still buy from physical stores.

Paying attention to what they’re selling and what customers are buying can give you an inspiration or an idea of a product to sell.

8. Stick to products that meet certain proven criteria.

When deciding if a product can be profitable, these proven criteria can definitely help:

  • Evergreen — You want a product that you can sell all year round and possibly something that customers need to purchase again and again. If a product is seasonal (Christmas lights, Halloween costumes, etc.), it means your revenue is seasonal as well.
  • Available on wholesalers — If you plan to sell on Amazon, you should also have a manufacturer or supplier in mind to get the products from. (Check this list of private label manufacturers, if you have no idea where to start).
  • Weight and Dimensions of the Product — Shipping fees add up costs quickly. A product that’s heavy or fragile will definitely have higher shipping fees than one that’s smaller and lighter. Look for a product that is simple, easy to pack, and hassle-free to ship.
  • Price — Go for products that you can sell for $20 to $75. Aiming too low makes it hard to earn a profit unless you’re going wholesale with thousands of inventory. Aiming too high means you might not have enough buyers.

Note that not every best seller fits these criteria, and not every product that meets these criteria will be a best seller. But these criteria are a good measure of how profitable a product is.

9. Read blogs of other Amazon sellers.

People who sell on Amazon and share their journey about it on a blog will post a list of the best selling products on Amazon every so often.

This type of list is also popular during Thanksgiving week (Black Friday, Cyber Monday), Christmas, year-end sales, and other popular shopping days.

You can learn a lot by reading these blog posts.

Other Tools to Help You Find Products to Sell on Amazon

The above product research tips can help you find products to sell on Amazon as well as other ecommerce sites.

Here are some more tools to help you with your product research.

Amazon-Specific Tools

Customer Reviews

Read customer reviews of products you’re interested in on Amazon.

Positive reviews give you an idea of what makes the product popular, while negative reviews alert you to what you can improve in the product or what to look for in alternative products.

Going through reviews takes time, but it’s worth it if you’re digging deep into your product research.

Best Sellers Rank (BSR)

When you search for a product, the results often show you products with the “Best Seller” tag.

Don’t just ignore this when you’re doing product research.

Know that Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank uses both recent and historical sales figures of a particular item.

This means that if you search a product and it brings back 2-3 (or more) products with the BSR tag, it indicates that the product you just searched is in demand and that there’s room for more sellers to sell the same thing.

Popular categories

Aside from researching individual products, checking which of the categories and subcategories are popular can help you decide which products to sell on Amazon.

Popular categories that have plenty of products in the BSR have products that have high market demand. However, the more popular categories and subcategories have more competition, so consider this too when doing your product research.

Chrome Extensions

Browser extensions are such an underrated source of tools for business.

If you’re looking for something that can help you sell on Amazon, make sure you get Jungle Scout.

Known as the best tool for finding products to sell on Amazon, Jungle Scout gives you details of monthly sales volume of any product and information about your competition.

This is a paid Chrome extension though, so it may not be in your budget if you’re just starting out.

Amazon Sourcing and Research Tools

These tools are paid ones, and you can invest in them a little later on in your Amazon journey when you’re making enough profit to afford these tools.

However, if you’re willing to shell out a little more capital for greater returns, here are some Amazon tools to help you research what to sell on Amazon.

Keyword Research Tools

Once you’ve decided on a product, make sure to let it run through a series of SEO tests.

For example, if you decided on “sportswear,” use tools like Ahrefs to find better keywords that people actually use, such as “sports shorts,” “running shirts,” and so on.

Start Researching What to Sell on Amazon

Product research is the first thing you should master when you’re learning how to make money with Amazon.

Finding products to sell on Amazon isn’t easy, but it’s a necessary step you should never skip, especially if you’re serious about your ecommerce business.

Once you’ve got this phase down to a science, you’re off to the next step – actually selling your items and advertising your store.

If you’re ready to learn step-by-step instructions on how to sell on Amazon, market your products, and get the most out of your business, check out this beginner’s guide to Amazon selling.

47 Different Jobs That Pay Weekly

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Working from home continues to be an attractive option for many people, even more so if you can find jobs that pay weekly.

The work environment is totally different from traditional jobs, but most work-from-home jobs still pay twice a month or monthly.

If you’re hunting for the jobs that pay every week, whether to catch up on bills or add to your grocery fund, I got you covered.

I compiled a list of jobs that pay weekly (some even pay daily) below. Check it out and see what jobs fit your skills perfectly.

47 Jobs that Pay Weekly

I’ve broken down this list into 8 different categories.

Jump directly to the section that catches your eye:

Each category has multiple companies that are currently hiring and pay out quickly.

Call Center Jobs

Customer service jobs may involve all calls, chat-only, or a mix of both. Some may even just require you to man a company’s email account. These are all home-based, work-from-home call center jobs.

  • A Better Call – B2B telemarketing. Pays a base rate of $20/hour, plus commissions. Applicants must have experience in the contact center industry.
  • Accolade Support – Customer service agents are paid from $7.25 to $9 hourly. Work hours are flexible – you can choose what time to work.
  • Apple @ Home – You should have knowledge about Apple products (Mac, iPhone, iPod, etc.) Pays $10 and $23 an hour. Must commit to a minimum of 20 hours of work. Learn more about other work-at-home opportunities from Apple here.
  • Blue Zebra – Appointment setters are paid $15 to $25 an hour.
  • Blooms Today – Assist people ordering flowers and get to earn from $15 to $24 an hour.
  • Brighten Communications– Appointment setters and lead generation experts can earn $12 an hour. You need to commit at least 20 hours weekly.
  • Call Center QA– Get hired as a telephone mystery shopper and earn $5 per call. Payment are sent weekly via PayPal.
  • Gametime – As a “Fan Happiness Associate,” you make sure that inquiries, concerns, and complaints about orders, ticketing and returns are completed. Pay is $15/hour plus benefits.
  • Infocision – Hires work-from-home sales representative to make calls on behalf of non-profit organizations. Pays weekly. 
  • LunarCow – Available only in the US. You are assigned to cold-call businesses and invite them to place ads within LunarCow’s guides.
  • NextWave – Hires outbound political call agents, Pays at least $10 an hour.
  • OnPoint@Home – Transcribe and make outbound calls on behalf of politicians. Pays weekly, but you must commit to at least 24 hours a week.
  • Pleio – Help patients remember to take their meds by calling them from home. You can earn anywhere between $8 and $20 per hour.
  • Westat – Work from home collection agents are paid $8.25 per hour. Get paid more if you’re bilingual.

Data Entry Jobs

Data entry jobs won’t lead you to your first million, but if you’re not doing anything, might as well earn some cash on the side while passing time, right? I don’t recommend these data entry jobs as a full-time job, but they’re definitely one of the easier ways to make money online.

  • Amazon Mturk – This micro-task website lets users earn quick change for tasks that you can complete within minutes. Payment is done weekly via gift card or direct deposit.
  • Clickworker – Similar to Mturk, you can perform a bunch of small tasks like browsing the web, tagging photos, and so on. You can earn up to $9/hour, paid weekly.
  • Sig Track – US citizens only, since you’ll be processing voter registrations and petitions. Must know how to work spreadsheets. Tricky payment scheme, but pays weekly via PayPal.
  • Lionbridge – Data entry specialists are paid $5 to $6 an hour. Payments sent by check only.

Tutoring Jobs

If you have a heart for teaching and want to get into what jobs pay weekly, check out these online tutor opportunities that send payment every week.

Tutor jobs range from teaching English to people from another country, or helping a student get through Algebra.

  • Cambly – As a tutor for Cambly, you get paid $0.17 per minute (that’s around $10/hour). You’ll be teaching English to people from around the world via video chat. No teaching experience necessary, but you have to be a Native English speaker. Receive payment via PayPal every Monday.
  • Chegg – Tutors here earn up to $20 an hour and they can work when they want. The company accepts 18 years old and up with some kind of teaching experience. Payments are sent every Thursday morning via PayPal.
  • NiceTalk – Teach English via an app. The company prefers experienced teachers, Payment is $10/hour paid weekly as long as you earn a minimum of $20 for the week.
  • Studypool – This website is quite different than other tutor sites, since you help students by bidding on their questions and giving the best answer. You’re paid via PayPal weekly.

Interested in more jobs like these? I’ve got a list of the best online tutoring jobs here.

Transcription Jobs

Transcription involves listening to audio files and transcribing the content into text format. You’ll have to be a good listener and have super typing skills to perform these kinds of jobs.

  • Allegis Transcription – Transcribe interviews for insurance companies. No experience needed, but you have to complete training before starting.
  • Babbletype– Transcribe content for market research. Earn around $10/hour.
  • Daily transcription – Accepts only Canada and US-based transcribers. Earn from $0.75 to $0.85 per audio minute and get paid weekly via check.
  • Go Transcript – As a transcriber for Go Transcript, you can earn up to 60 cents per audio minute. Payments are sent weekly via PayPal. Get to work as little or as much as you want.
  • Rev.com – This is a popular transcription site. Pays low (around $.40 – $.65 per audio minute), but work is available constantly. Receive payment every Monday through PayPal.
  • Scribie – One of the oldest companies here (launched in 2008). Pays $5 to $25 per audio hour. You can withdraw your “income” anytime since there is no minimum payout threshold.
  • Speechpad – Get hired to caption and translate content. You can earn from $0.25 to $1 per audio minute and get paid automatically to you PayPal account every Tuesday and Friday.
  • TranscribeMe – No experience necessary, but those with specialization like law or medicine can earn higher than the regular $20 per audio hour
  • QuickTate – Jobs here are unique because you get to transcribe voicemail messages or letters. It’s flexible with work hours – choose when to work since the company operates 24/7. Earn $0.25 cent per word for general transcription and $0.5 cent per word for technical transcription. Payment sent Mondays via PayPal. There’s no experience necessary, but you have to pass a $15 background check before you begin working for QuickTate.
  • WeLocalize – Transcribe song lyrics and get paid $4 per song. You just need the iOs app and iTunes to begin. Weekly payments sent via PayPal.

Of course, the faster you are in completing a task, the more tasks you can work on and the higher income you can “take home.”

Website Testing Jobs

As a website tester, you just visit websites and navigate as normally as you would any site. Click links, check out posts and find possible errors to report. You don’t need technical knowledge, since the target of these website testing is common folk like  you and me.

  • Usertest.io – Review websites and get paid $10 after 2 days. No experience necessary, but your internet connection must be excellent.
  • Usertesting.com – Also pays $10 per test, but you need to pass a test before getting access for website testing jobs. Once accepted, you will be sent an email every time there’s an opportunity available for you. Pays $10 via PayPal 7 days after test completion.
  • Userfeel – Those with good ratings receive more tasks. Get paid $10/test every 7 days via PayPal.
  • TryMyUI tester – Each test gets you $10, sent every Friday via PayPal.

These jobs that pay every week are in demand, so bookmark these sites if you really want to cash in one website testing.

Writing Jobs

For those who have a knack for writing, I hand-picked what jobs pay weekly for you.

  • Boost Media – Those who have strong copywriting skills can make a killing writing Pay-Per-Click ads. You’re paid $15 to $20 per hour, with payments sent via PayPal every Tuesday.
  • Hire Writers– Available for writers based in USA, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Singapore and New Zealand, this company has a tier-based fee for writers. You can earn up to $20/article, plus bonus from clients if you impress them that much. Payment is sent every Friday.
  • iWriter– The problem with iWriter is that everyone starts with very low rates. However, if you work hard to go up the ranks, you can earn as much as $40/500-word article. The company also pays weekly through PayPal.
  • Online Writing Jobs – Payments are sent every Friday via PayPal or check. Writers earn somewhere between $15 and $40 per article.
  • Textbroker – This one also works on a tier system and only accepts writers from Native English speaking countries, but they’re one of the highest paying sites. top-tier writers can earn up to 5c per word and paid weekly via PayPal, direct deposit, check or other methods.
  • Verblio – Formerly known as BlogMutt, this company hires writers and pays via PayPal every Monday (as long as you sent invoice for all your submitted work). Tier-based rates, so the higher level writers get to earn more.

Translation Jobs

  • Unbabel – Hires translators from around the world. Double-checks work of robots. Pays via PayPal or Payoneer weekly.
  • Translate.com – Founded in 2011, workers here are paid to translate social media posts, blog articles, support tickets, and more. Users report downtimes with work, but you can “withdraw” your earnings via PayPal whenever you like.

Earn from Mobile Apps

There are jobs that pay weekly which you can do straight from your phone. You don’t need much experience or specialization – you just need a bit of time to commit and to download the necessary apps:

  • Field agent – Tasks are easy, but they’re not work-from-home. You have to get out as a “field agent” and complete tasks like taking photos of grocery items for $3 to $12 per task. Get paid via Dwolla or PayPal weekly.
  • Gigwalk – Similar to Field Agent, which means you can get to earn $3 to $100 completing simple tasks around your area. It’s available as Android and iOs app. Payment is available via PayPal.

The Bottom Line

If you’re new to the work-from-home space, I recommend you try these jobs that pay every week so you can dip your fingers into each industry and see where you want to focus on.

Of course, you can also just sell things to make money online, or look for full-time jobs that you can perform in the comforts of your own home.

How to Start Couponing and Make Life-Changing Financial Habits

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You don’t need to be knee-deep in debt to learn how to start couponing.

If you’re looking to save money, but can’t sacrifice your Starbucks fix or unsubscribe to your Netflix account, you’d be surprised that a little organizing, planning and commitment to really make couponing a part of your daily life can make a huge dent on your finances.

Couponing isn’t exclusive to a particular class in society either.

This is true:

Once you’ve learned how to maximize coupons and save money, there’s a big chance you’ll never want to stop and including coupons from your day-to-day life becomes a natural thing.

This guide on how to start couponing should help you figure out a plan and avoid getting drowned in unnecessary coupons.

How Do Coupons Work?

Different kinds of coupons exist.

Manufacturers, your favorite local grocery store, and other companies all create coupons for consumers. They do this to promote their products, get rid of overstock, introduce new items, or just bring in new customers.

As a consumer, these coupons can save you hundreds of dollars in cash simply by buying products against them.

You don’t have to do anything more.

Just watch the savings pile up and continue couponing even if you feel you’ve saved enough…

Get exclusive discounts from a specific grocery store, brand, manufacturer, and so on.

It is so natural that millions are processed every day and manufacturers reimburse up to 8 cents per coupon.

7 Steps to Learn How to Start Couponing

Couponing isn’t as serious a change as starting a family, or moving houses, but it’s a big enough change that requires commitment for it to actually work to the advantage of your finances.

If done right, couponing can save cash from your weekly grocery budget, stock your pantry with discounted goods, buy in bulk to resell as retail, or even to help underprivileged people.

Follow these steps to couponing, if you’re ready to make money grow out of thin air:

1. Get Your Couponing Supplies Ready

Couponing can quickly overpower your life if you’re not prepared, which is why you should do a bit of planning before you get started.

GET SUPPLIES: First off, get some supplies. A calculator, pair of scissors, and a couple of envelopes or binders you’re not using. Get your printer out of the storage, if you have one.

MAGAZINES & NEWSPAPERS: Organize your mail subscriptions and Sunday newspapers. Of course, you may not need traditional coupon sources (magazines/newspapers) if you can find some online or straight from your local store. It will depend on what coupons are available for your unique situation and spending habits.

TIME: While you’re still a beginner and getting used to couponing, set aside a few hours each week for acquiring the coupons. You can set this a day before your grocery day, or Monday (once your Sunday newspaper and other subscriptions reach home). You’ll get the hang of scheduling your couponing as you go.

LEARN THE LANGUAGE: It can be confusing to jump into the world of couponing if you don’t know the different terminologies. Here are some common terms used:

  • Store coupons – Only valid at the specific store.
  • Manufacturer coupons – Not valid at all stores, but those that accept coupons and have products from that specific manufacturer may consider these types of coupons.
  • Store coupon policy – Know that stores don’t have the same policies, so if you’re new at couponing and want to see if your favorite stores will accept coupons, then ask about their policy while planning.
  • Expiration dates – Coupons are only valid for a limited time, so make sure you check out expiration dates first before using them. Use the FIFO (first in, first out) rule.

2. Seek Out Local Coupons

The most obvious source of coupons near you is your local grocery store, but you’d be surprised there are other ways of finding coupons nearby.

At the store, be on the lookout for:

  • Coupon booklets – Aside from store flyers, stores also print out booklets or mini magazines that contain a year’s worth of coupons. You can get these free usually near the cashier.
  • Coupon printers – If you’re lucky to have store with in-store coupon printers, you don’t need to snip-cut-and-store your coupons. You just have to get a loyalty card, scan it on the printer and you’ll receive current and valid coupons. These types of coupons can be used in conjunction with manufacturer’s coupons.
  • Coupons hidden on aisles – Sometimes, either the manufacturer or store places a bunch of coupons in front of the product you can use them for. They have varying expiration dates as well, so if you buy this item regularly, save a couple for your collection.
  • Store receipt – This isn’t for those with bad eyesight, mostly because the print can be so small, but some stores print out coupons with your receipts. This isn’t general coupons either – stores print coupons specially for you based on your loyalty card, purchase history or commonly-bought products. FYI, the register printer is called a Catalina, which is why you’d hear the term “Catalina coupons” when referring to store receipt coupons.

At home, you can also find coupons directly in your mailbox from things like local newspapers, store flyers, manufacturer flyers, and so on.

Before throwing products in the trash, check for coupons hidden inside the box, can or other types of packaging. If you find one, check expiration dates and keep valid ones with the rest of your stash.

3. Find Coupons Online

Finding coupons online is trickier than getting coupons traditionally, because the internet is vast and can quickly turn into a black hole if you’re not careful.

To maximize your time finding coupons online, here are 3 websites you should focus on:

Store Websites

Check if your favorite store like Target has an app.

Download it, so you’ll be able to check coupons easily.

For stores without apps, check if they have a Facebook page, Twitter account or an official website. Bookmark these sites, so when it’s your schedule to gather coupons again, you can access updates to your favorite stores quicker.

Manufacturer Websites

Familiarize yourself with manufacturer names of the products you love.

Bookmark the webpage where a particular manufacturer publishes coupons.

For example, Proctor & Gamble is the manufacturer of Gillette razors, Pantene shampoo, Crest toothpaste, Herbal Essence hair products, Pampers, and a whole lot more.

Some coupons here are printables (you print it the old-fashioned way), while others can be loaded onto a card (like Rite Aid).

Coupon Websites

There are hundreds of websites that find, upload and organize coupons for you.

This may sound like a good thing now, but it can be overwhelming to check hundreds of sites every time you need coupons. As such, choose only a handful (preferably the most complete, up-to-date, regularly updated and has many products you’re interested in).

Your personal list of coupon websites and apps will probably change as you go, but make sure you keep your list down to 3 or a maximum of 5 sites.

Here are the 10 most popular coupon sites:

  1. Coupons.com – It is the most popular couponing aggregator around.
  2. Swagbucks – This site is an all-around money-generating goldmine that turns your ordinary tasks like web browsing or grocery shopping into cashbacks. Use Swagbucks’ coupon aggregator, which earns you 1 Swagbuck for every coupon redeemed in store. You can exchange 100 Swagbucks for $1, or load your Swagbucks into gift cards.
  3. Ebates – This site has been around since 1999. Get coupons, rebates, cashbacks from hundreds of brands.
  4. Amazon coupons – If you love shopping on Amazon, bookmark the coupon page to check for relevant coupons before checking out.
  5. Groupon – It’s a popular discount site for restaurants and getaways, but this site also has coupons for many brands like Adidas, ASOS, Bed Bath & Beyond, American Eagle, and a whole lot more.
  6. Don’t Pay Full – Ideal for online shopping across multiple online stores, Don’t Pay Full has tons of online coupons you can redeem without a catch.
  7. RetailMeNot – Get coupons to use on pharmacies, health stores, restaurants, all-around stores like Target, Best Buy, JCPenney and so much more.
  8. Savings.com – You can find coupons per brand like Banana Republic, GAP, or by store like The Home Depot, Macy’s, Kohl’s, HP, Walmart, etc.
  9. RetailMeNot Everyday (formerly RedPlum) – Known best for coupons you get via mail, RedPlum acquired the online coupon site RetailMeNot for $630 million in 2013 and rebranded to RetailMeNot Everyday. You can find both online and in-store coupons here.
  10. SmartSource – Available as Direct2Card or printable coupons, SmartSource organizes coupons by category (food, drinks, household, personal care, etc.).

Coupon Apps

Like coupon websites, coupon apps can take up a lot of your free time. Check Google Play or the Apple Store and you’ll find dozens of coupon apps available for free download. I recommend choosing just an app or two to prevent getting overwhelmed. Here are the most popular coupon apps:

  • Ibotta (Android/iOs) – This app has reportedly gave back $500 million to consumers. It’s free to use and allows users to scan items while shopping.
  • SnipSnap – If you’re getting overwhelmed by your couponing, this app can help you get your printed and online coupons organized digitally. Its “near me” filter feature is super useful to learn which coupons are valid locally.
  • Yowza!! (Android/iOs) – Unlike other coupon apps wherein users upload coupons, this app also lets retailers and brands share coupons directly into the app.
  • GroceryIQ – Made specifically for grocery coupons. Works with loyalty cards.
  • Coupon Sherpa – Coupons arranged by brand, store and type of product.

4. Know Your Coupon Rules

Every store and manufacturer have different coupon policies. It may be confusing at first, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it if you keep on using coupons for a particular store or brand.

Some common coupon rules include:

  • Print on the coupon must be legible and clear; Barcode should be visible and scannable
  • Remit address printed should be valid
  • Expiration dates must be indicated or printed with “No Expiration Date”
  • Manufacturer coupons are printed with “manufacturer coupon”
  • Photocopies of a coupon is not allowed
  • Stores accept only one manufacturer coupon per item
  • Maximum coupons a user can use per brand, per manufacturer, per day depends on the store
  • Coupon limits exist and vary between stores to avoid extreme couponing
  • Coupons can be printed black-and-white or colored – they will be valid as long as text is legible

These rules can change without prior notice.

Some stores regularly tweak their policies, usually when manufacturers publish new rules.

5. Start Doubling Your Savings

You can double your savings simply by taking advantage of the following:

Join Loyalty Programs

Coupon sites and apps sync with loyalty programs of popular stores, so it makes sense to join loyalty programs of your favorite stores if you’re going forward with couponing.

Coupon Overage

If you have extra coupons for an item, you can use it against other items in your cart that don’t have coupons.

For example, you have a coupon for $5 off Listerine mouthwash and you get a bottle on clearance for $2. With your coupon, you can use the $3 difference on something else in your cart.

Know that some stores frown upon coupon overage, while others accept this with open arms.

Check with each store to know which stores you can use this trick with.

Price Match Policy

If you have proof that competition has a price lower than what your store has, you use this price-match policy on top of a coupon for extra savings.

Coupon Stacking

In this trick, you “stack” a manufacturer’s coupon with a store coupon and use together within a single transaction.

Double check the store’s coupon policy if this is allowed.

Buy One Get One (BOGO) Coupons

BOGO coupons are common among drugstore chains and big stores like Walmart.

This can be a huge price saver, especially if you’re a fan of bulk shopping.

“Double and Triple Coupon Days”

What’s cool about these kinds of promos is that the store doubles or triples the value of coupons (up to a certain amount).

Not all stores do this, but if you’re lucky enough to be near a store that does, make sure you know the schedule for additional savings.

Become a Reseller

If you’re able to buy a lot of the same products, you can resell them for profit.

Note that stores have policies to prevent hoarders from buying unnecessary amounts of products of the same likeness.

Learn all about these policies if you decide to become a reseller.

6. Go Shopping!

Now that you’ve gathered and organized your coupons, now is the time to use them.

Make a grocery list as you normally would, then bring out your binder of printed coupons, coupon app, or coupon websites, as you figure out which coupons you can use.

List the coupons beside an item on your grocery list ($1 off from eBates, 50% off via SnipSnap, and so on).

Your strategy, or the time you use your coupons to incorporate as much money-saving combos possible, will get better over time. But it won’t improve until you practice using all possible coupons.

Learn when stores send out coupon flyers, schedule when manufacturer coupons are updated, special coupon deals of brands, and so on.

Once you’re at the cashier, see if the coupons are being used. If issues occur, ask the cashier why a coupon isn’t valid. With practice, you’ll understand the process and follow coupon rules smoothly.

7. Reorganize your Coupon Stash (and Repeat)

Always clean your coupon stash for expired coupons. Reorganize, then go back to step 1.

How to Make Couponing a Habit

You’ll find that every coupon saves you just change (cents to a dollar or two).

This may not seem like a big deal, but if you add up all the savings you get from your weekly food grocery, monthly clothes shopping, or quarterly stock up of household supplies, using coupons can actually improve your finances quite a lot.

Couponing is free. You just need a bit of time and effort to master how to play the game.

Track how much money you save at every transaction.

Make a log book of your receipts and savings. Doing this gives you plenty of motivation, especially if you’re trying to save for a vacation without the stress, or bulking up your retirement fund.

With practice, couponing can become a habit your finances will thank you for, and be an effective way of earning mindless money.

Private Label vs. White Label: How to Succeed Reselling Products

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If you’re new to ecommerce and marketing, there are two terms you’ll encounter that will probably confuse you at the beginning of your journey:

private label vs. white label

Do you know how to differentiate them?

It’s Okay… even old-timers who have been active in the ecommerce space for years still get these two jumbled up and use them interchangeably.

Private label and white label are both used for describing products sold by a reseller or retailer. They are very similar, but each has significant differences and advantage/disadvantages that you should know about.

What is a Private Label Product?

A private label product is any product you contract a manufacturer to create based on specifications you sent. Once the product is ready, you sell it exclusively under the name (brand) you choose, and market it how you want.

You’d be surprised at the number of private label products are out there in the market.

  • Nike, for example, buys a bulk of products from their trusty manufacturers, place Nike tags on all of them, conduct quality control, then sell it.
  • Rihanna’s makeup line “Fenty Beauty” have all its products made by Kendo Brands. This third-party company also produces cosmetic products of popular brands like Marc Jacobs and Kat Von D.

Because you are only paying another company for manufacturing these private label products, this business model has the potential of bringing in a large profit.

Private labeling is mostly used for physical products, which is why there are plenty of private label cosmetics, clothing, household items, and other types of products without consumers knowing the actual origin of the products.

I covered private label products in-depth a few days ago here.

What is a White Label Product?

The term “white labeling” was coined in the music industry at the time when promotional vinyl copies of music are sent to DJs in blank, white sleeves (or as they called it “white labels”) so that DJs wouldn’t have any pre-conceived notions about the music if they saw names of the artist written on the vinyl.

The same concept can be adapted to white label products.

A white label product is any generic product (or service) created by one manufacturer that other retailers rebrand and sell, making it appear as if they made it themselves.

Each retailer can resell the white label product under his/her own branding.

Because manufacturers already made the product before you come into the picture, this means you can’t have the product customized with your specifications.

The only changes you have control over are the packaging, branding, and marketing of the product.

If your company already has an existing (and popular) brand, this is good news since you can just tag the product as your own and let your popularity do the marketing for this new product. There’s a higher chance you’d succeed in selling white label products.

Because you don’t have to undergo product and market research, you’ll enjoy a higher profit margin due to less spending on product development and quicker startup (since the products are ready for selling).

It’s hard to list successful examples of white label products, since the entire concept of white labels is anonymity (no one knows who exactly manufactures the product). But here’s an awesome example:

  • Dollar Shave Club sells up to 1 billion of razors yearly, but none of those were produced by the company. Other companies produce the razors, which Dollar Shave Club buys and rebrands with their own logo, then sell it to subscribers who receive a box of shaving/grooming products weekly, monthly, or how often they want to.
  • Dollar Shave Club’s concept was such a hit that Unilever bought the company for $1 billion in 2016.

White labeling is often used in software as a service (SaaS), but can also be used in actual provides and services.

What is the Difference between White Labeling and Private Labeling?

First, let’s discuss the similarities:

  • White label and private label products are created by a third-party manufacturer/s
  • You have total control your marketing and advertising campaigns
  • You can re-brand the products to whatever name you want
  • Manufacturers do not have trademarks to the products you buy

See how it can be so confusing?

White labeling and private labeling seemed so alike. But here are several key differences:

Customization of products

  • Private label products: Private labeling allow retailers to customize products, which means you get to sell items that look different to your buyers (even if the manufacturer sells a variation of your product to another retailer.
  • White label products: White labeling means the products are already made, even before you make a deal with the manufacturer, so the only customization option you’d have is with packaging.

Exclusivity

  • Private label products: Retailers can send manufacturers specifications of the product, which means it’s highly unlikely for another retailer to sell products identical to yours.
  • White label products: White labeling isn’t so exclusive, since manufacturers offer the same product to many retailers like you.

Cost and ROI

  • Private label products: As a retailer, you’d invest more money with private labeling since you have input from product research, product development and up to marketing. However, expect higher ROI because you’ll be selling a seemingly unique product in the market and consumers like that.
  • White label products: You can buy the general products at a cheaper price, but you’d have to spend money marketing them more aggressively (since you might have competition selling the exact same thing). If done right, white label products can also bring in good money.

3 Ways to Sell Your Private Label or White Label Products

Now that we know how to differentiate the two, let’s check out which selling method fits private labeling and white labeling.

Is one better than the other, when it comes to selling on your own branded website?

How about trying to sell in stores?

1. Dropshipping private label vs. white label products

In a dropshipping setup, you partner with a dropshipping supplier who will manufacture, package and ship the products to your customers. The benefits of dropshipping is that you don’t have to stock inventory, rent a warehouse for your business, or even handle shipping.

Read more about dropshipping here and learn how it could be an awesome path to reselling goods online. 

Private labeling + Dropshipping

With private label products, manufacturers are open to your ideas – you can dictate product specifications, packaging, and so on.

This comes at a higher expense to you, but the cool thing about private labeling is that the products get to be branded with your company name and branding.

When combined with dropshipping, private labeling can be very efficient in distributing YOUR products to YOUR customers.

Even if you don’t get to touch the final product or handle shipping, when the product reaches your customer, all feedback about that product goes to you, your company and your brand.

You must get a respectable manufacturer, since you don’t get to conduct quality control over your products, since technically, they go from the factor and straight to your customers’ door.

White labeling + Dropshipping

When combined with the concept of white labeling, dropshipping can be double powerful, especially if your customers are wholesalers willing to do the rebranding themselves.

Unlike the regular white labeling approach where you can stamp your brand onto the generic product before sending to your customers, this isn’t possible when dropshipping is involved since the whole point of dropshipping is to not have to be physically involved with the packaging, handling, shipping and customer support of the entire transaction.

In this setup, your customers will receive the products blank (except for returns instructions). There will be no information about who manufactured, supplied and shipped the products to the customers. A white label will be included in the package that details a generic return address.

No one will know your role in this business model. You will be anonymous, so make sure you have a contract agreement and payment arrangements with the supplier in place before leading buyers their way.

2. Selling Private label vs. white label products via FBA

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service wherein you store your products in Amazon fulfillment centers, and then the company picks, packs, ships, and provides customer service for these products.

Like dropshipping, the benefit of selling via FBA is that you won’t need any warehouse or brick-and-mortar shop to store your products.

You can sell both private label and white label products via FBA. Amazon accepts these products with open arms and give you a MASSIVE platform to sell your products in.

The key, however, is to have an edge over your competition, especially if you decided to go with white label products.

If you’re interested in step-by-step instructions on how to sell on Amazon, I recommend this Amazon selling training.

3. Selling Private label or white label products on your own website

If you decide on selling products on your own website, your success will depend in several factors, including:

  • how unique your product is
  • how creatively you market your product
  • how popular your website becomes
  • how much time and effort you can commit to the website
  • level of your marketing skills

Dollar Shave Club didn’t have a unique product, but the original owners was smart enough to cash in on the subscription-box theme that was going on at the time and delivered a totally cool product that will be in-demand regardless of season, holiday, or trends.

The Bottom Line

Private label and white label products allow virtually anyone to become business owners without having to set up an entire warehouse, hire hundreds of people, or lease a space to stock inventory.

As I discussed above, both have their pros and cons, and it shouldn’t be a matter of private label vs. white label. Ultimately, the type of product you’d choose should fit your brand, resources, business goals, and commitment level since any ecommerce business requires hard work.

The Road To A Successful Business Is Paved With Private Label Products

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If you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur and starting your own online business, but you have no products to sell and no way to produce them, then private label products might be the perfect solution.

It’s one of the cheapest ways to get a startup business off the ground.

Both companies and small businesses alike have been selling private label products for years, even if you didn’t realize it because they were right under your nose the whole time!

Now, thanks to the many new avenues of job creation that have opened up thanks to the internet, people have started selling their own private label goods online – right from their own homes.

Plus, the way this system is structured is ideal for those looking to sell products online because you don’t have to manufacture your own goods and you can’t end up with too much stock if you don’t order too much at a time.

If this has gotten you excited to start your own thing then read on to find out how you can enter the private label game.

What is a Private Label Product?

Private label goods are created by a manufacturer who doesn’t sell their own products.

These goods are then sold by another company who puts their own brand name and packaging design on the products.

The company who sells the products are allowed to do so through an agreement with the manufacturer.

Private label products don’t just include physical products, either. They can also include abstract products and services like insurance or medical schemes.

For the most part, though, those who are want to start their own business with private label products usually go for physical goods as it’s easier to get into that type of market and there’s a bigger demand as well.

Examples of Private Label Products

A few examples of private label brands include artists who sell their own art printed on things like t-shirts or pencil cases, stores who sell their own brand of products like Target’s Archer Farms brand, and restaurants who sell their own brand of sauces or oils.

None of these people/businesses created the products themselves.

Instead, they paid an already established manufacturer to start producing the goods for them.

There are even a few hugely popular brands that fall under the private label classification too, like Nike. (If you were surprised by that, you’re not alone. I wasn’t expecting them to be on that list either).

Though it looks like their manufacturer – who also makes clothes for Zara and Abercrombie & Fitch – are now looking to get into the branding game too.

How do you find private label products?

Before getting started, it’s important that you know this isn’t a side-hustling opportunity that will quickly help you earn a few extra bucks.

It’s exactly the same as starting any other business; you have to put in the time and effort to make it a success.

If that’s not what you’re looking for, then have a scroll through the other posts on here. I have tried, tested, and researched plenty of easy side-cash opportunities over the years that might suit your needs and skills.

Now, let’s get to the good part:

One of the first things you’ll have to do before setting up your own private label brand is finding a great product to sell.

In case good product ideas are in short supply, then have a look at places like Kickstarter for inspiration. You could also try Etsy and Amazon to see what people are buying right now.

If you’re able to, it also helps to do a little market research. Talk to family, friends, or put up online polls and ask around to see what people are looking for.

The Best Private Label Products to Sell

The most ideal private label products are goods that are small and easy to ship, won’t break easily, and are high in demand.

Categories that do really well:

  • Clothes and Accessories
  • Cosmetics
  • Skincare
  • Supplements
  • Phone Accessories
  • Water bottles

Don’t let these categories dictate your choices, though.

If you find a niche that you think will do good then go for it.

How to Sell Private Label Products

Selling private label products is a three-parter. Well, at least, I broke it up into three broad categories that can be broken into smaller goals to put on your to-do list.

You’ll first need to find a manufacturer, of course. Without this, you’re pretty much not getting any goods to sell.

Secondly, you’ll want to get the marketing and packaging design out of the way. There are plenty of ways, both cheap and expensive, to do this.

Finally, you’ll have to find a place to sell your goods. Some people opt to build their own website and grow it from there, while others choose online shops like Amazon.

Below are some tips on all three these aspects of starting up a private label business.

1. Find a Manufacturer

This can be tricky if you’ve never worked with manufacturers before, as there’s a lot to consider.

But the best advice I can give you here is that you should make sure you’re getting a good price per batch of items. Also, make sure that they don’t talk you into taking bigger batches than you can or should.

Negotiation is very much an open possibility, which means you can (and really should) try to negotiate a good price and batch size.

There are private label manufacturers in the US and Canada, but it might be hard to find one that fits your pocket. If you want to use the cheapest option available, then look at a supplier like Alibaba from China.

Their website makes it easy to find the items you want and they usually have a great variety of products in every category.

It will take around two weeks or longer for them to ship the goods to you, however, so that’s something to keep in mind.

2. Design the Face of your Business

The packaging of your products and the branding you use to market your business is what will draw people in and make your products recognizable.

It’s really important to nail this part so it is better to splurge a little here on a professional designer.

But, if money is tight, then you don’t have to spend a lot to make your business stand out. There are online places like Fiverr where you can hire people for reasonable prices and websites like Canva that’s free and easy to use but helps you produce amazing content.

3. Sell Private Label Products on Amazon

Amazon is a great option for selling private label brands because there’s already a huge market for it there. So you could consider making Amazon your “business partner” and setting up shop to get heaps of organic exposure.

Plenty of small businesses are already selling on Amazon and it’s a great way to check out the competition.

Hell, some people simply opt for searching out private label products on the website and then selling those same products with better packaging and marketing tactics.

It’s worked out for them, so if you’ve got some great marketing skills then this is a solid option.

If you’re open to the idea of selling on Amazon but have no clue on where to get started then have a look at Amazing Selling Machine and whether their training course might be right for you.

Selling Private Label Products on Other Stores

Our vast internet is wonderfully diverse enough that Amazon isn’t the only option out there for people who want to sell private label products. Other options include the classic online independent sales site, eBay or China-based AliExpress (only open to China, Russia, and a few other Asian countries).

The products you sell might not be especially unique, but you can use some out of the box thinking to get them sold.

In fact, I would say creative selling could be the line between success and failure for a private label business.

Don’t be afraid to take an outside the box approach to where you decide to sell either.

The Bottom Line

The whole idea behind selling private label products is that you don’t have to create the things you’re selling yourself.

For those of us that don’t possess a lot of creativity when it comes to making things, this is the best solution to starting our own online business.

Those of you who do like to make your own art or crafts, however, should consider making and selling your own things online instead – as that’s a very lucrative industry right now too.

Either way, let us know what you decide to do – we always love hearing more about your new ventures.

20 Best Places to Apply for Secret Shopper Jobs

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Secret shopper jobs aren’t a new concept.

In fact, I myself was a secret shopper years ago with plenty of success. At the time, the gig was called mystery shopping and I worked as a “mystery shopper.”

Before you explore this gig, you must know that being a secret shopper doesn’t equal a full-time or even part-time gig.

But it is a great way to earn a bit of extra income or get a few freebies here and there through “easy work” that won’t take up a lot of your time.

In this article, you’ll learn what secret shopper jobs involve, where to apply for work, and how to spot mystery shopper scams.

What Do Secret Shopper Jobs Involve?

Retail chains, restaurants, chain stores, and companies in the hospitality and automotive industry are often on the lookout for regular people whom they can hire to assess their brick-and-mortar businesses from a customer’s perspective.

Often, third-party companies are hired by these businesses to recruit secret shoppers to do objective assessments during their “shopping trips.”

What do Secret Shoppers do?

These businesses often provide a set of survey questions for secret shoppers to answer.

Sometimes, they have special requests, such as inquiring about a certain promotion, doing a specific transaction (e.g., returning an item).

Other times, the secret shopper is requested to act like a “difficult” customer, see how the company’s employees handle the situation, and report back.

You may also be asked about the appearance of the store; if the surfaces are clean, if the displays are neatly arranged, if the lighting is bright, if the uniforms or outfits of the staff look clean, etc.

You won’t always be asked to buy something.

However, if the company requires that you do, they will reimburse items bought—up to a certain price—in addition to paying you for your feedback.

A secret shopper, for their part, has to get to the venue where the shop will take place, follow the instructions from the company to the letter, and then write up a detailed report about their experience.

They then also have to hand in receipts (if they were told to purchase anything) so that the company can verify the purchase and reimburse them.

Can working as a secret shopper make you rich?

While there are some who do make a few hundred bucks a month through secret shopper gigs, this is definitely not the case for everyone.

In fact, they’re more of exceptions to the rule.

It’s also important to know that you might not always have time for secret shopper gigs while working a full-time job.

Some jobs need to be completed during a certain time of the day. I’ve found that this often falls within normal business hours.

It’s similar to secret shopping in the sense that you get free stuff and have to provide some feedback for that privilege.

Don’t just get discouraged, though.

I’m not trying to turn anyone away from mystery shopper jobs.

They are a fun way to make some extra side cash or get things like meals and clothes for free.

I just want to make sure your expectations are managed.

So if this still sounds like something you’d want to try your hand at, keep reading!

So how much can you earn from secret shopper jobs?

Normally, a secret shopper is paid somewhere between $7 to $40 per shop.

Shoppers may also receive reimbursements for any money that the shopper had to spend.

Sometimes, companies don’t pay extra at all but do reimburse purchases, equaling a free meal or product.

For example, I used to evaluate a local fast-food chain every now and then, where I got free sandwiches every time.

Keep in mind, though, that reimbursements may take a few weeks to be credited to you.

As is the case with pretty much everything, the amount you’ll earn depends on the company that hires you and how involved your shopping experience needs to be.

If you have to spend a lot of time there, ask a lot of questions, or provide a lot of feedback then you can expect to earn more.

That said, this isn’t always true and many companies just won’t pay more than their standard rate, even if you have to put in more effort with some shops than others.

The income is something you need to consider when taking on any secret shopper job.

It will be especially low in the beginning until you can prove you’re a trustworthy shopper and get better-paying gigs.

Just keep in mind that this is pretty normal for most side gigs where companies hire independent freelancers for temporary stints.

From my experience, being a secret shopper offers just enough perks to warrant the effort and time you need to put in (if you’re not a perfectionist like I am).

There’s a wide variety of companies who need mystery shoppers. You really won’t ever feel bored with the work, but you can’t rely on it as a steady income.

This is why most people take on secret shopper jobs as side gigs in addition to a full-time job or a few other part-time jobs.

The great thing about applying to become a mystery shopper, however, is that you don’t need any experience, special skills, or certifications.

This makes secret shopping an ideal side hustle for almost anyone.

Still, it does help if you have an eye for detail and can remember and follow instructions really well.

20 Places to Find Secret Shopper Jobs

You’ll find most mystery shopping jobs via online portals on mystery shopping companies’ websites.

There may be a few people who work directly with the companies whose businesses they will evaluate, but for the most part, these companies stick to hiring people via mystery shopping companies.

It would be great if you can manage to cut out the middleman, but don’t count on that plan working out.

It’s very important to sign up with authentic mystery shopping companies because there are A LOT of scams out there.

Here is a list, in no particular order, of companies that I’ve worked with before and some that I haven’t worked with, but that I know are legit:

1. BestMark

Bestmark homepage

There are two main reasons to trust Best Mark.

First, it was featured by Oprah.

Second, the BBB rating of Best Mark is consistently positive.

This company is one of the oldest and with the biggest number of assignments available.

2. KSS International

Previously known as Kern Scheduling Services from 1998 to 2001, KSS International isn’t itself a mystery shopping company.

It provides a platform for companies to connect with mystery shoppers.

If you’re new to mystery shopping, make sure to read the “code of mystery shoppers” KSS International published. Those rules will apply to most assignments (even from other companies).

Payment is sent via PayPal directly by the company that hired the mystery shopper.

3. Perception Strategies

This healthcare marketing and research firm has been conducting secret shopping assignments to doctors’ offices for years.

Perception Strategies has an A+ BBB Rating and offers phone-based and in-shop assignments.

Because you have to visit doctor clinics to complete assignments offered by Perception Strategies, they list the locations currently available for their jobs.

The application process to become a mystery shopper is harder than the rest of the companies on this list, though.

4. Secret Shopper

SecretShopper.com Home page

Operating for over 25 years, this international business lets almost anyone become a secret shopper without too many requirements.

The goal of Secret Shopper is to “provide objective feedback on employee behavior, service efficiency, product knowledge, and adherence to company standards.”

Secret Shopper has various assignments, which is good for maximizing your chances of getting assignments.

Aside from getting cash for your effort, you could also receive free services, meals, or complimentary stays.

5. Market Force

Market Force has been around since 1972.

It is a popular choice for secret shoppers who want to be assigned to gas stations, fast food establishments, sit-down restaurants, grocery stores, drug stores, and many other well-known brands.

Market Force also has an app called Eyes:On, which is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

I love the app because it makes finding nearby assignments simpler.

When you’re commuting to work, you can schedule and complete a secret shopper job, enter your report, and upload pictures if needed while on-the-go.

6. AboutFace

AboutFace is a mystery shopping and customer experience company founded in Atlanta two decades ago.

The company works with leading brands across North America.

Known for having one of the higher rates per shopping assignment, they send their payments via PayPal.

7. Sinclair Customer Metrics

Sinclair’s secret shopping programs have been helping businesses improve their services since 1987.

They have tools like video mystery shopping, where they use hidden cameras to capture details that can otherwise be missed.

Register to be a secret shopper on their sign-up page.

8. IntelliShop

Intellishop home page

This company is known for having a transparent mystery shopping process, including fees for secret shoppers and their hiring process.

They have online, in-store, and phone-based shopping assignments, and caters to the most number of industries than any other company on this list.

IntelliShop also has an A BBB Rating.

9. Ath Power Consulting

Ath Power Consulting is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) and is an Elite Member for the fifth consecutive year.

The research firm has been in business since 1997. No wonder there are over 500,000 mystery shoppers registered to their portal.

Ath Power Consulting offers more than 10,000 mystery shopping jobs a month.

The main difference you’ll find with this company is that Ath Power Consulting pays pays twice a month, instead of sending out payment right after completing the gig.

10. GAPbuster Worldwide

Founded in 1994, this Australia-based company lets mystery shoppers dine or shop for cash.

Mystery Shoppers at Gap Buster are called “evaluators.

Gap Buster evaluators are recruited to visit stores, restaurants, showrooms, venues, outlets, call centers and even online sites.

There are equal amounts of good/bad reviews about Gap Buster, but the company does pay via EFT (electronic funds transfer) at the end of each month.

11. Call Center QA

This secret shopper job opportunity is different in that you can do this at home.

Call Center QA is a company offering telephone mystery shopper jobs.

Get paid $5 for every completed telephone mystery shop (takes around 10 minutes to finish). All you need to do is complete an online feedback form right after your call.

You can then request payout in 7 business days or less.

12. Helion Research

Helion Research offers mystery shopping services to top brands in various industries.

Some of the brands they work with include MasterCard and Mercedes.

They pride themselves on providing free training to their mystery shoppers, as well as paying on a regular monthly schedule.

13. ACE Mystery Shopping

ACE Mystery Shopping helps businesses all over the country increase their profits through their standard mystery shopping services.

The company also offers customer service analysis and reputation management to businesses.

Their secret shopper jobs pay between $5 to $50 per shop, depending on the shop type, location, difficulty, length of the survey, and other factors.

14. Business Evaluation Services

BES has been in business since 1996.

The company provides mystery shopping services to various industries, including retail, food and beverage, financial, hospitality, electronics, and many more.

Sign up to be notified about secret shopper jobs in your area.

15. BARE International

BARE International has been conducting mystery customer research at the national and global level since 1987.

As an evaluator for BARE, you record your experience at various touch points throughout the customer journey.

With BARE, you’ll receive full control over dates, deadlines, payments and workload.

16. ACPView 

ACPView works with retail stores, restaurants, grocery stores, banks, government agencies, and even public transportation agencies.

As an independent myster shopper for ACPView, you are expected to have great report writing skills.

Once you sign-up, you can see what jobs are available in your area.

The payment for each job will depend on the client, how long it takes you to conduct and report the shop, and the complexity of the job. You’ll receive payment either via PayPal or direct deposit.

17. Amusement Advantage

One of my favorite mystery shopper jobs are those that involve experiences.

In the case of Amusement Advantage, you’ll be visiting fun places like zoos, amusement parks, aquariums, museums, kid play places, and other similar attractions.

There are just a few downsides to the Amusement Advantage mystery shopping jobs – they usually just pay free admission to the assignment (and free tickets after completion).

Plus, if the assignment does offer cash as payment, you’ll receive it within 30 to 45 days.

Amusement Advantage is legit though. They’re a member of the MSPA.

18. iSecretShop 

Join iSecretShop and get paid to shop, dine out, share your thoughts, and help businesses improve their service quality.

The registration process is straightforward and takes just a few moments.

You can use the iSecretShop app (available on both iPhone or Android) to check mystery shopper jobs, but you do not need a smartphone to use our system. You can also access them on desktop.

19. Pinnacle Financial Strategies

For over 20 years, Pinnacle’s Peak Performance Measurement programs have assisted financial institutions improve their service and sales quality.

They’re a member of MSPA and are A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau.

Pinnacle has its own job board, where you can find assignments. Payments are made directly via PayPal.

20. Confero

Confero began as a training consulting service in 1986 and expanded with mystery shopping services in the late 1990s.

The company’s president even served as one of the first Board of Directors for the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA).

Today, Confero’s mystery shopper jobs are available on site and online. Evaluators measure the customer experience at the front line of service, either on site or online.

How to Avoid Secret Shopper Job Scams

Like I said above, there are a lot of mystery shopper scams out there, so be vigilant.

Things to look out for include:

  • Unsolicited offers: Jobs are hard to find and everyone is looking for ways to make an extra buck. Remember, legitimate companies will not go out of their way to find you. You have to find them and apply for the job.
  • Companies asking for payment: You will never be asked to pay to apply for a job. This is just like any other job in the sense that you’re providing a service and they’re paying you. It’s never the other way around.
  • They’re not on Google: Real companies will have a website and, often, social media pages as well. Googling an opportunity or company will usually reveal any red flags, especially if you put the word “scam” in your search as well.
  • Email domain is from a free email service: Legitimate emails will come from email addresses with a corporate website as a domain name; not from Yahoo!, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.
  • They’re not a member of the MSPA: This by itself doesn’t automatically mean that you’re dealing with a scammer, but having the Mystery Shopping Providers Association seal of approval is a good sign that you’re dealing with a legitimate company.
  • They need cashed checks, now: Somehow scammers always find a way for their victims to send money to them. When it comes to mystery shoppers, they frequently use fake cashier’s checks.

It’s frustrating, but I always try to look on the brighter side. Halina has a nice collection of fake checks going and we’ve had our share of fun trying to scam the scammers.

  • Bad grammar: One of the hallmarks of a good scammer is bad grammar. Don’t think they’re dumb though, it’s a tried and true scammer technique. Be on the lookout for this.

Are there Still Mystery Shopper Jobs in 2024?

Yes, the companies above are still accepting mystery shopper applications in 2024.

Be a bit patient in getting your first mystery shopping gig. After the first few ones, you’ll get a better feel for the gig.

Getting secret shopper jobs will require that you be attentive and thorough.

There are a few tricks to completing this type of job successfully. One of which is being good at pretending to be a customer because you may feel a bit sheepish while doing it the first few times.

But once you get the hang of it you can earn a nice supplemental income every month.

Alternatively, if you really love food (and who doesn’t, right?) and would love to get paid to eat, rather than shop around, then check out my list of real ways you could get paid to eat.

In addition, you can look for opportunities to get paid to test products, like becoming an Amazon product tester.

It’s very similar work to mystery shopping and you don’t even have to leave your house. Win-win!

7 Tried and Tested Ways to Get Paid to Go to School

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Getting a college education in the US is getting more and more expensive with each passing year. Fortunately, there are now options for students who hope to study tuition-free, get paid to go to school, or at the very least graduate without the burden of crushing student loan debt.

The more college-educated citizens there are in a country, the more highly skilled workers, managers, and executives there will be to raise the country’s economic value.

Also, giving middle-class and poor students the chance to go to college without going too far in debt can give them a chance to get out of their class and aspire to a higher income for themselves.

If you want to pursue higher education but feel constrained by your financial situation, take a look at the options available to students to get paid to go to school.

7 Ways to Get Paid to Go to School

It’s unlikely you’ll find someone to just straight-up pay you cash to attend your classes.

But here are the options; go through them and find out which one fits your situation best:

1. Tuition Reimbursement from Your Employer

Those of you who decided to work after graduating from high school could still change paths, especially if you discover that your employer has a tuition reimbursement program.

Not sure if they do?

Check your benefits package. This is often included in the document you signed when you joined the company.

Corporate tuition reimbursement policies can vary significantly between companies.

Some employers allow you to take any course you want, while others would only shoulder a degree that could improve your skill, which will eventually help you do your job within the company more effectively.

The amount a company pays for will also differ. Rules, such as the GPA you need to maintain or if you need to stay at your company for a number of years after receiving the reimbursement, will also be different between companies.

The good thing about tuition reimbursement is that you can ask around if they offer this perk before joining a particular company.

But a disadvantage is that you’ll have to pay for your college courses upfront first and you’ll get reimbursed later, meaning you’ll have to have some cash in your pocket first before they pay you back.

2. Join the U.S. Military

The U.S. Military isn’t for everyone, but if serving your country or joining volunteer services is something that appeals to you, you have a couple of options, including:

  • GI Bill — Depending on when you served, service members and veterans can take advantage of either the Montgomery GI Bill for active-duty military members (MGIB-AD), Montgomery GI Bill for reservists (MGIB-SR), or the Post-9/11 GI Bill. They all provide up to 36 months of educational assistance, but the amount varies depending on Congress’s approval. Check out the US Department of Veterans Affairs has a Comparison Chart and Payment Rates on its website.
  • Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program — Veteran family members can get tuition reimbursement through this program.
  • The Peace Corps — Aside from the training you receive from a 27-month assignment, those who volunteer to join the Peace Corps also get a stipend and a $10k payment upon completion.

Also, the military has tuition assistance of up to $4,500 per year, if you’re qualified.

Be sure to check your eligibility and other benefit details for the particular branch of the military you’re in.

There are obvious associated risks if you go this route, but if you’re planning on joining the military anyway, getting a free education out of it is a very good perk.

3. Join the AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps (officially the Corporation for National and Community Service) is a government agency aiming to help American communities address poverty, the environment, shelter, education, and other human needs that are unmet.

Join AmeriCorps as a member and be eligible for benefits such as a living allowance during your service term (typically between 10 and 12 months), development of transferable skills, establishment of your professional network, and money for college through the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award.

You can use the award to pay your current tuition at eligible schools, institutions, and training programs.

If you already have an existing student loan, you may also be eligible for deferment and interest forbearance (i.e., AmeriCorps may shoulder your interest payments that accrue during your service term).

Between the stipend and the education award, you’re essentially getting paid to go to school.

4. Look Into Tuition-Free Schools

Get paid to go to school with a scholarship

Yes, surprisingly, these exist.

There are tuition-free colleges and universities that give you a chance to earn a degree without paying if you meet certain criteria.

You might have to be from a specific state, be from a family that earns below a certain threshold, or work for a certain amount of hours on campus.

Check out these lists of tuition-free colleges and universities all over the country:

5. Find Scholarships

Scholarships are called “gift aid” because, unlike student loans, you don’t need to pay them back and it’s one of the few ways you can actually get paid to go to school.

They are very similar to grants, but scholarships are given to students based on merit.

There are plenty of scholarships available and the qualifications will vary based on your record of achievement.

For example, those who excel in sports, such as basketball or football, are actually discovered by different colleges and offered scholarships so they could play for the colleges’ sports teams.

Aside from athletes, those who have a special gift in mathematics, technology, or other subjects can be awarded scholarships relevant to their fields.

State scholarships are also available to those who excel in high school, but these are often called “state grants” as well. Check with your state agency to see what scholarships are available.

6. Win a Grant

Grants are need-based financial assistance, which is essentially free government money.

Like scholarships, those awarded with grants do not need to repay them.

It is offered as either full or partial tuition coverage and given by the government, private companies, associations, non-profit organizations, and so on.

  • Federal grants – Handled by the US Department of Education, the government awards about $150 billion to more than 12 million students. You have to fill up the federal financial aid form—the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)—to be considered. This isn’t just a single grant though, you’ll find hundreds of public grants, such as Pell Grants (pays an average $2,500) and a lot more that’s usually named after a politician.
  • Private grants – Companies like Pepsi give grants to the children of their employees, or even the spouses and employees. These grants are usually under the company’s foundation and are publicly available on their websites. Coca-Cola’s Scholars Program, for instance, has a budget of over $3 million annually for the scholarships of 1,400 college students.
  • Professional associations –  If you’re studying to become a nurse, or a computer programmer, you can find industry-related associations that may be willing to support your studies through grants. You do have to research a lot more to find these associations, but they exist.
  • Institutional grants – These types of grants are given by private universities. You can find information about these grants on the enrollment pages of these colleges. Or better yet, ask someone from the school in person when you get a chance to visit.

You can find grants that would fit your skillset on websites like CollegeGrant.net or Scholarships.com.

These grants can even go beyond “skill” and may be offered based on a student’s gender, ethnicity, physical condition, and so on.

There are grants for students who are hoping to become a teacher, grants for students who are interested in in-demand science and math subjects, grants exclusive to a specific university department, and more.

7. Work as a Resident Assistant

If the school where you plan to study has on-campus housing and you plan to live in it, you might want to consider applying to be a resident assistant (RA), sometimes also called a resident advisor.

The RA’s responsibilities include enforcing housing rules and policies, communicating with students, reporting those who break the rules, coordinating activities, maintaining the house, and coordinating necessary repairs, all to ensure that the accommodations are safe and comfortable for everyone.

All of these are aside from your responsibilities as a college student.

As an RA, you’ll be paid a monthly salary, as well as discounted or even free housing. You may even receive discounts on your tuition and other school-related expenses as long as you’re employed.

In addition, being an RA is also one of the most rewarding jobs you can do where you can help others, often going above and beyond.

However, not everyone has the skills and the passion to be an RA, and not everyone who applies to be an RA will be accepted.

Fortunately, there are other items on this list you can try.

How Much Can I Get Paid to Go to School?

The amount you can get paid to go to school varies depending on the aid you’ve chosen to apply for.

Scholarships and grants can give you as low as $1,000 to over $35,000 each year with an average of $5,000.

The amount of cash that students receive varies on a case-to-case basis.

But it’s good to know that there is ALWAYS money available for students in need of assistance.

Students assume that getting grant money is impossible that not enough people try their luck. In fact, in 2014, almost $3 billion in federal grant money wasn’t rewarded to anyone because of the lack of applications.

Do You Have a Chance to Get Paid to Go to School?

Honestly, if you don’t apply, then there’s zero chance that you’ll be accepted.

Anyway, there’s nothing to lose.

This is your future, your dreams we’re talking about, so apply to every applicable scholarship, grant, and financial aid you can find.

To sum it up, apply early and apply yearly.

Most of these funding sources have been doing this for decades, so expect them to have calendars already put in place.

Scholarship applications have fees and deadlines that you need to meet. In most cases, grants should have been already awarded to students at least 3 months before the start of the school year or before the start of the semester.

And after you’ve submitted your application, you can always look for online jobs for college students or choose from 100 different side hustles to keep yourself busy while waiting for a response.

Which one of these options seems like a good fit for your situation? When do you plan to enroll? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Get Paid to Date: How to Make Up to $250 Per Date

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How awesome that we live in a world where we could get paid to date!

For more than a decade, I’ve been actively looking for ways to earn money: online, offline, and by unconventional means. Getting paid to date is one of the most unconventional ways to make money that I’ve encountered.

I’m sure this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

But if you’re single and would love to eat out for free, receive gifts, and socialize in exchange for cash, then this can be a great, if unusual, opportunity for you to earn side cash.

Let’s take a closer look at this side gig and where you can legally sign up for it.

How can you get paid to go on dates?

The idea behind get-paid-to-date companies is that they take away the trouble of finding a date for important occasions, such as weddings, family reunions, business dinners, and other such events.

With Hinge, Bumble, and other dating apps, you get to meet people, go on several dates, and try to see if there’s a spark before you’d be able to willingly let them meet the people in your life, like your friends and family.

But what if you’re single, need someone to accompany you next weekend, but you’re not currently dating or have no time to socialize?

This is where get-paid-to-date sites shine the brightest.

The rules of finding a date to hire on these sites or apps vary, but the end goal is the same: to find someone who will accompany you to a particular event or even just a meal with all the details and expectations of the date already laid out for both parties to accept or reject.

  • Bidding sites — There are websites that follow a bidding system, where the person “selling” their time goes on a date with the highest bidder.
  • Dating apps — Others look similar to a dating app, except some restrictions have been put in place. For example, all users are required to upload their pictures and personal details, but only paying users can send a message to dates-for-hire.
  • Classified ads — Some companies take a classified ads approach. Those looking for a date post their budget, details of the date (when, what time, etc.), and wait for dates-for-hire to message their interest.
  • Tinder-like — There are even apps that have most of Tinder’s features. The only difference is that the goals of the date-finder are declared upfront, so no one is expecting to find their soulmate or their future spouse.

Others may have different approaches, but they mostly have these in common:

  • Fees: Most of these companies take a percentage of the membership fees to maintain the platform.
  • Not illegal: Many of these get-paid-to-date websites clarify that they are NOT escort services.
  • Physical contact not required: You’ll read on all of these platforms that sex or any physical contact is not required during the date. In fact, these websites encourage users to report any user who propositions another person for sex.

What to Expect on the Date

The “date” can be anything from attending concerts to going to the beach, or just sitting down one afternoon in a coffee shop.

There are tourists who look for dates locally, so they can check out hot spots and eat out at local restaurants without having to worry about sightseeing alone or not knowing the local language.

In some cases, the date could mean something more formal, such as business dinners, awards nights, galas, and so on.

The good thing about these get-paid-to-date sites is that they require paying members looking for people to hire to indicate as many details about the date as possible. This goes beyond the basics (such as date, time, location, what kind of event, etc.).

Listing down all the expectations they have for the date is important since the dates-for-hire rely on these details when deciding to go on that particular date or not.

How Much Can You Get Paid to Go on Dates?

Paid daters can earn anywhere from $50 to $500 per date. You will be paid cash either before or after the date. Payment details are one of the essential pieces of information you’re given before accepting a date.

Most websites don’t have limits on the number of dates you accept, which means you can commit to as many or as few dates as you want.

Of course, this industry is totally about physical appearances. How much a person for-hire earns will directly depend on how attractive he/she is.

Pull in some extra cash in the meantime…

While you’re waiting for the dates to line up, check out some of these sites that will pay you to be an influencer:

4 Things You Should Know

  • The majority of those who are successful are good-looking women and men who are non-traditional and are perfectly OK with getting paid to date.
  • Those with looks stunning enough to attract more people can make over $1,000 a week doing this full-time.
  • While many of these get-paid-to-date services claim that you can get paid to date rich men and women, there are more older, financially stable men looking for women than there are rich, powerful women seeking men as dates.
  • There are no rules that ban you from going on a second date with another person outside of these sites, although that would be at your own risk.

13 Get Paid to Date Websites and Apps

Here are some of the most popular websites and apps that allow you to earn money from dating:

1. WhatsYourPrice

This one is an auction/bidding site where women advertise their profiles and men bid on whoever they want to go on a first date with.

It claims that bidders can “meet attractive people who otherwise may have been out of your league” while advertisers can “get reimbursed for the time and effort it takes to prepare for a date.”

2. Ohlala

In contrast to other similar sites, the women get to choose date requests listed by paying male members.

3. RentAFriend

Dating doesn’t always have to imply something romantic.

RentAFriend focuses on platonic relationships and just hanging out.

They even offer “virtual friend services” where you can hire someone to hang out with you virtually on platforms such as Facetime and Zoom.

4. My Bunny Date

Create an account as a “Gorgeous Member” for the opportunity to get paid to date other “Generous Members” for a mutually agreed-upon price before the date begins.

My Bunny Date will also donate to charity on the Generous Members’ behalf, so you’ll actually dating for a good cause, too.

5. MissTravel

This site is focused solely on pairing up potential partners to take vacations together and travel the world. These dates are a little more extreme than your average meetup for coffee.

6. TourBar

This site is for travelers to meet local singles to show you around town and experience it as a local would.

It’s like having a dating app and a local guide in one.

7. Rent a Gent

In contrast to the other sites on this list, this is a proudly woman-owned and operated website where ladies can book a Gent that has been pre-screened by an all-female panel.

8. GFRental.com

Probably the opposite of RentAGent, GFRental is geared toward men looking for the girlfriend experience without the strings. Women who want to be girlfriends for hire need to apply.

9. Phrendly

You can get paid to date virtually now, too: Phrendly provides a platform for socially distanced dating through phone, chat, or video calls.

10. Metee (Google Play/Apple iOs)

Meete helps its users connect with new people by chat or video and start meaningful relationships and make friends.

With more than 17 million users worldwide, Meete makes it easy to meet someone nearby and find local strangers.

Meete looks like a typical dating app, except after a certain point (days/weeks/months) of messaging men, women could convert the points into cash.

It’s like a popularity contest – the more popular you are on Meete, the easier you can reach payout. Your money transfers directly to your bank account.

11. ToChat (Google Play/Apple iOs)

Tochat is a live video chat app designed to help people find new friends through video chat. It has over 10 million users worldwide.

Conduct multiple tasks on the app and earn gems. You can then cash out these gems, which could lead to thousands of dollars a month.

12. Secret Benefits

Secret Benefits gives men and women a chance to meet and build relationships. Anyone can join free to build their profiles.

You can then connect with other people and talk to them about your needs, expectations, and how the relationship will be defined.

13. OKCupid

OkCupid is dedicated to helping people find love and happiness through meaningful connections. The company’s one-of-a-kind algorithm matches people to what actually matters.

Signing up is free, but you need to tell your date upfront that your date is to be paid for. The amount will be based on your negotiations.

Sugar Dating Sites

For all you sweet summer children who may not be aware, sugar dating involves a sugar baby, who receives gifts, money, or other forms of support from a sugar daddy (or mommy), who receives companionship in return.

So basically it’s getting paid to date but on a regular basis.

Admittedly, there is still some stigma in being a sugar baby or being a sugar daddy.

Many people still view this as borderline sex work, but nowadays, with an increased understanding of consent and boundaries, more and more people view this now as a consensual quid-pro-quo, with both parties knowing precisely what they’re getting into and having clear-cut terms of the relationship.

This way, sugar babies can dispel the notion of being manipulative gold diggers, and sugar daddies can dispel the idea of being lecherous rich people who take advantage of the situation.

Sugar dating sites facilitate searching and making contact between sugar babies and sugar daddies, aside from helping to remove sex from the equation, as these completely legal sites recognize that sex in exchange for cash is illegal.

If this interests you, here are some of the most recommended sugar dating apps (no links or screenshots, though):

1. SugarDaddy[dot]com – One of the pioneers of this online industry (as evidenced by the domain name), this site is known as reliable and reputable, as all members are required to be verified.

2. Seeking[dot]com – Previously known as Seeking Arrangements, this is one of the most popular and most trusted sites on this list.

3. Secret Benefits – Plenty of sugar babies swear by this site, which is free to use by aspiring sugar babies.

4. RichMeetBeautiful – The matching algorithm is reportedly so good that sometimes what starts out as a sugar dating arrangement turns into something long-term.

5. Sudy – This app is one of the newest ones on the list, and the functionality reflects that. They don’t have too many users yet but it’s a chance for you to stand out from the competition.

Dating Safety Tips

Like any kind of dating these days, there is a risk of danger with making money dating other people. This goes for both men and women.

Here are some safety tips when meeting someone you’ve encountered through one of these sites.

Protect your real-life identity.

Set up a username that doesn’t have your full name in it, don’t use photos from your social media, never give out your actual phone number (use a burner phone if you must), be purposefully vague about where you live (especially when you live alone), and never give them your financial information or send money electronically.

Do a video call at least once before you meet them in person.

Avoid being catfished. Take precautions not to reveal your location or any identifiable information about you in the background of your video.

Meet them in public.

Never meet them in their car, a parking lot, a motel, or anywhere secluded where you can’t escape quickly. Make sure someone else always knows where you are and who you’re meeting.

Never accept a ride home from them.

Take or rent your own car, ride public transportation, have a friend pick you up, or use a rideshare app. Always have a way to get home by yourself.

Follow your gut.

At any time during your conversations or date, if you feel uncomfortable for any reason, walk away. Don’t feel pressured to be “nice” and carry on conversations or continue contact with someone you have a bad feeling about. It just might save your life.

Get Paid to Date today!

WhatsYourPrice spokesperson Heather Ebert described their service as follows: “By attaching a monetary value to a date, singles tend to take dating more seriously. Our members are able to cut through the noise and avoid an endless cycle of messaging so they can get straight to the date.”

It would’ve been a perfect justification for making money dating, but what I personally find not OK is how this industry highlights our society’s obsession with good looks (over personality).

That said, if you’re still interested in dating men or women for cash, the websites above are your best bet.

If you’re not interested in dating as a way to earn extra cash, but need a side gig, you could always get paid to eat and if you’ve completely sworn off ever leaving your couch, you can make money watching movies instead.

How to Sell Breast Milk and Make $2500 Per Month

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I know it’s called “liquid gold,” but did you know you could actually sell breast milk for cash?

It may be a rather unconventional way of earning money online, but if you’re currently breastfeeding and have more than enough to last your child weeks or months, you can make some decent income on the side.

By deciding to sell or donate breast milk, you’re helping:

  • Moms with low or no milk production
  • Babies who are fostered or adopted
  • Dads left with a newborn by himself due to maternal death or abandonment
  • Moms who had a double mastectomy, which resulted in being unable to produce milk
  • Moms with infectious illnesses, breast-related surgeries, and other disorders that could affect the amount or quality of milk supply
  • Moms taking medications that leave their breast milk unfit for baby’s consumption

So, yes, there’s a market for breast milk, and breastfeeding moms are making a killing shipping out their breast milk to help fellow parents feed their babies.

Today, you’re going to learn all about selling your breast milk.

Before we get started, if you have a newborn or a new baby on the way, make sure you create a FREE Amazon Family account.

They will ship you a giant welcome box FILLED with all kinds of free baby samples.

Plus, you get insane discounts on baby essentials and cashback bonuses.

Is Selling Breast Milk Legal?

As of this writing, there are no state or federal laws in place banning the purchase or sale of breast milk.

As such, your breast milk may be the only chance for babies who are unable to access an unlimited supply of breast milk.

And why not?

Breast milk has been proven to have the following benefits:

  • Nutrition-packed content — Breast milk has essential nutrients not found anywhere else. For example, the yellowish, thick fluid known as colostrum helps a newborn’s immature digestive tract to develop during the first few days after birth.
  • Protection against common infections — Breast milk has been known to protect babies from various viral and bacterial infections and thus improve survival rates within the first year.
  • Reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, allergies, asthma, and diabetes
  • Promote healthy weight for babies — Babies fed breast milk have higher amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, which impacts fat storage and may reduce the chances of obesity.

Earn Extra Cash While You Pump

Pumping takes up a lot of time. You can be using your phone during this time to make some extra cash.

These 3 sites are always looking for new members and they PAY cash for you to share your thoughts.

I highly recommend signing up with all three and really maximize your earnings while you wait.

Newborn baby toes

Where to Sell Breast Milk Online

1. Only the Breast

  • Ad listing fee: Free
  • Requirements: To begin selling breast milk here, everyone (both the sellers and buyers) must register for a free account. Anyone can post an ad, as long as there is no nudity and follows other posting guidelines. The ad will then stay up for 100 days, totally free of charge.

If you’d have to choose only one place to sell breast milk online, go to Only the Breast, a classified ad website catering to breast milk buyers, sellers, and donors.

Only the Breast also lets wet nurses promote their services at Only the Breast.

The good thing about this website is that they do everything they can to ensure that the breast milk they offer on their site is safe to consume. For instance, sellers on the site must complete a screening test from AccesaLabs (a kit costs $259), which tests for hepatitis, HIV, and other diseases that may carry over to the baby.

Once you’re cleared, Only the Breast will allow you to sell breast milk as much or as little as you want.

They have detailed instructions on how to use aseptic techniques to express, handle, store, ship, and freeze breast milk to prevent contamination, as well as detailed at-home pasteurization techniques.

Adhering to their guidelines increases your chances of selling your milk quicker.

The cool thing about this website is that breast milk is categorized based on age, mom’s diet, freshness, for premature babies, and so on. There’s even a category that says “willing to sell to men.”

Ads on Only the Breast are as descriptive as they can get. In one post, the mom says she’s selling dairy-free breast milk without peanuts or wheat consumed.

2. Breastfeeding Moms Unite

  • Ad listing fee: Paid
  • Requirements: Registration is required

Breastfeeding Moms Unite is another online marketplace for  buying and selling breastmilk. It is less active and less popular than Only The Breast, but this may be a good secondary option if you want to get more people to see your listings.

They also have helpful guidelines to ensure the safety of the breast milk that you sell, but donor screening is not required.

Aside from buying and selling breast milk, there are also ads for doulas, lactation consultants, wet nurses, and even surrogates.

Listing an ad on the site isn’t free. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to selling, buying, donating, or looking/advertising as a wet nurse.

You’ll be paying either:

  • $20 for 90 days (+30 days free), or
  • $24 for lifetime listing

You can also pay an extra $6 for additional ad exposure by 400+.

The good news by having a paid marketplace is that the chances of scammers are low. Those trying to sell or buy breast milk invest in $20-$24 to find people who could help with their milk requirements.

3. Ni-Q HDM Plus™

  • Ad listing fee: No ads or forum here. Ni-Q built their own HDM Plus™ system for safe breast milk donating between donors and buyers.
  • Requirements: Everyone needs to register to join the Ni-Q HDM Plus™ database. Donors are required to submit an application and must be accepted first before actually donating breast milk.

Ni-Q offers HDM Plus™, which is human donated milk that’s triple-tested for safety.

To produce this, they would need donors of human milk, and that’s where you come in. Register on their site, fill out the donation application, and then wait for a representative from Ni-Q to contact you with the next steps.

The compensation is $1 per ounce of breast milk supplied by a qualified donor.

What makes Ni-Q HDM Plus™ amazing is that the company is involved every step of the way – starting with screening the breast milk donors, to finding people who would buy the milk, and making sure donors are paid.

While there is no guarantee that you’ll be accepted as a donor, those who do are immediately

4. Human Milk Banks

  • Ad listing fee: No ads or forum here.
  • Requirements: Donors must pass a physical exam and lifestyle interview. The breast milk must also pass screening before getting paid.

Human milk banks have several steps in place to ensure that the mom selling breast milk is healthy.

Human milk banks pasteurize donated milk, which means some of the benefits of breast milk, such as antibodies, may be lost in the process.

In addition, milk is pooled from several mom donors, so they may not be very specific with the age range of babies the milk is suitable for.

In order to sell or donate breast milk, you must:

  • Pass an interview or two about your lifestyle
  • Pass physical tests to ensure you have no infectious diseases
  • Pass screens that ensure breast milk is free of bacteria

Human milk banks also screen comprehensively for caffeine intake, smoking, and medication.

All breast milk bags are placed on BPA-free packaging and stored under the right temperature all throughout its shipment process.

The comprehensive steps taken to pasteurize the donor milk and screen for a bunch of things mean that breast milk from these places are higher-priced than those sold directly by other moms.

This is the main complaint of buyers who wanted bacteria-free breast milk but couldn’t afford the $4 per ounce breast milk price tag.

Some of the human milk banks you can sell breast milk to include:

Some of these milk banks pay, while others are non-profits that only help babies in need of breast milk.

5. Online Milk Communities

Warning: Selling your breast milk on online milk communities is done at your own risk. It’s technically legal but largely unregulated.

A simple Google search or a Facebook search can help you find groups and communities for buying and selling breast milk.

These groups or sites generally require you to register with your information to be a member. This is so the admins of the group or owners of the site can vet you and avoid spammers.

You’ll be made to fill out an information sheet about you and your breast milk. For instance, you’ll be asked questions about:

  • your health,
  • special diets,
  • any recent viral or bacterial infections you’ve had (e.g., colds, respiratory infections, stomach flu, etc.),
  • any medications you’re taking,
  • how long you’ve been producing breast milk, and
  • many other relevant questions.

Because they’re unregulated, online milk communities won’t usually require you to undergo blood tests and breast milk screening. But if you want your breast milk to be appealing to buyers, doing these tests are a good idea.

Familiarize yourself with the best ways to pump, store, and transport breast milk to minimize contaminations. Some lactating mothers even know how to pasteurize their breast milk.

Note that it’s best not to sell on Craigslist or eBay, as selling bodily fluids violates their terms and conditions.

Should You Sell Your Breast Milk to Bodybuilders?

Now to delve into something a bit controversial; selling breast milk not to parents for their babies but to bodybuilders.

Let me start by saying that where and to whom you sell your breast milk should entirely be your decision. The goal here is to help you make an informed decision.

In recent years, breast milk has been touted as a superfood by bodybuilders, who claim it helps them build muscle mass, due to its high protein content and its growth factors.

Women have earned thousands of dollars selling breast milk to bodybuilders. As recently as 2022, a woman went viral on TikTok after posting a video sharing that she’s made more than $13,000 from selling her breast milk.

Because of the scarcity of breast milk and the demand for breast milk from a donor who is a healthy eater, non-smoker, and non-drinker, bodybuilders are willing to pay more per ounce for breast milk than milk banks can.

However, there’s actually little evidence aside from anecdotal ones that breastmilk really does help build muscle mass more than any other food.

In addition, there are so many more babies in need of breast milk to literally survive than bodybuilders; I don’t know about you but it’s more fulfilling to help a baby live than to help bodybuilders gain more muscle.

How Much Can You Make Selling Breast Milk in 2023?

If you’re selling breast milk on Facebook or in Only the Breast, expect to earn an average of $2.50 per ounce of milk.

Babies need somewhere around 20 to 30 ounces of breast milk a day, so by using the average price, you can earn $30 to $75 a day, which can earn you up to $2,300 a month.

Because you are the one setting the price, you can price your breast milk higher or lower than the current “market prices.”

In fact, some moms actually sell them in bulk (for example, $400 for 2,500 ounces).

If you want to go through a human milk bank, know that prices there are much lower.

Mothers Milk Cooperative paid only $1 per ounce and pays via direct deposit about 90 days after sending the milk. This time frame apparently is used to test your breast milk for quality before sending it over to the baby who needs it.

Here’s a bit of bad news: the money moms will make from selling breast milk is taxable, so it’s best to keep a record of all your sales and be ready for filing income tax.

Things to Watch Out For When Selling Breast Milk

While there are no laws governing the sale of breast milk, there are three things you do have to know about breast milk and its buy-and-sell industry:

1. Scams

Unfortunately, there are scammers who will take advantage of people’s desperation.

There will be some potential buyers who will suddenly cancel their orders after you’ve prepared everything for shipping.

Be careful when dealing with people online and do your due diligence.

2. Contamination

While buying and selling breast milk is legal, The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend sharing or selling breast milk between two people, especially strangers, due to the potential risk of contamination. The FDA is also against giving babies donated breast milk from the internet due to this same reason.

Dirty breast pumps or containers and non-sanitized hands during handling can easily contaminate breast milk. Worse, if the breastfeeding mom is sick, she can pass on infectious microorganisms to the baby who’s going to feed on it.

The buyer has no way of knowing if the milk they bought is free from bacteria.

This is why it’s important to only sell breast milk in reputable marketplaces that have procedures in place to ensure that the breast milk is safe to consume before it is bought.

They normally have instructions on how to properly extract and store their breast milk so that it’s safe to sell.

3. Breast milk changes in composition depending on the baby’s needs

It isn’t common knowledge, but the chemical and biological makeup of breast milk changes every day to meet the ever-changing needs of a baby.

This is the reason why breast milk for 12-month-olds looks different from the colostrum you saw at the start of your breastfeeding journey.

Thus, newborn milk isn’t recommended for older babies, and vice versa.

Keep this in mind when listing your breast milk for sale; you want your breast milk to benefit the babies who need it.

The Bottom Line: Would You Sell Breast Milk in 2023 if you Could?

Every mom has a different breastfeeding journey.

All moms want the best for their babies, but for a wide variety of reasons, they may not be able to breastfeed even if they wanted to.

When this happens, those who wanted to stick to their breastfeeding plan can choose the next best thing: to buy another mom’s breast milk so her baby continues to receive the benefits of breastfeeding.

Got an oversupply and want to skip the marketplace altogether? You can donate breast milk at National Milk Bank or at the Human Milk Banking Association of North America.

Other Ways For Moms and Moms-To-Be To Earn Money

Are you looking for ways to earn income as a stay-at-home mom? Or are you expecting and looking for ways to earn extra cash while waiting for your bundle of joy? Here are some articles to help you get started:

20 Online Jobs for Teachers to Make Extra Money

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No doubt, teaching is one of the most noble, fulfilling careers you can choose. But as we know, you won’t get rich from it. Fortunately, there are now online jobs for teachers you can either do on the side, a transition job after leaving, or a passive income source.

These are jobs you can do from the comfort of your home and there are part-time and full-time positions available.

Go over this list of online jobs for teachers and find the one that’s ideal for you.

20 Online Jobs for Teachers

We’ll start this list off with a few part-time teaching jobs.

The following jobs can easily be done in the evenings after class, during the weekend throughout the school year, or even the entire school break.

It’s ideal for teachers who have daytime jobs but are looking for ways to earn extra money on the side, or those who are trying to dip their toes on work-from-home teaching jobs.

1. Answering Questions

If you’re naturally curious and love to research, you may want to answer questions in exchange for extra cash.

There are quite a few question-and-answer sites, such as Just Answer, Wonder, Maven, and Studypool (among others) that will allow you to earn as much as $4,000 a month, if you’re a doctor, lawyer, or other professional.

You can still earn money from this gig, even if you’re not a university-level professor.

But do check your expectations from some sites like Answeree (that pays in cents per answer).

To know more about the ones worthy of your time, check out this post on how to get paid to answer questions.

2. Online Adjunct Professor

If you’re a college graduate or have plenty of teaching experience, you can apply to be an online adjunct professor at a college or university, especially now that the majority of colleges and universities host online classes and allow their professors to teach them remotely.

Same with most teachers, online adjunct professors don’t earn very much, but because you can do this online, this may be a job position that appeals to you if you still want to teach but want more flexibility and dread the commute.

3. Online ESL Teacher

As a teacher and native English speaker, the transition into teaching ESL (English as a secondary language) from home should feel natural.

These online jobs for teachers are flexible, which teachers can do either part-time or full-time.

Home-based ESL teachers teach students who may be from another country, so you need a high-quality internet connection, webcam, and headset.

Sites like italki and VIPkid pay between $18 and $40 per hour. You can even teach students on your phone. See our list of companies willing to hire you as an ESL teacher.

If you are fluent in another language aside from English, you can earn even more.

4. Online Tutor

Teachers with plenty of experience teaching traditional subjects, such as mathematics, science, history, and many more may find online tutoring to be a great fit.

Depending on your expertise, you’ll be paid by the hour somewhere between $15 and $100.

Most sites require you to commit to a minimum number of hours per week to be an active tutor, which means you can also do this either as a side gig or full-time.

Almost all of these tutor sites require some teaching experience, and you’ll be responsible for your own educational materials.

Online tutoring sites also don’t normally require teaching licenses to teach general subjects, although you might be required to have teaching credentials to teach college-level or higher subjects, as well as specialized subjects (e.g., financial, business, or advanced science subjects).

Choose from the best online tutoring jobs.

5. Homeschool Consultant

More and more parents are homeschooling their kids each year, leading to more and more online jobs for teachers.

As a teacher with experience creating lesson plans, following a curriculum, and planning activities, you can help parents new to homeschooling find their footing.

Your job as a homeschool consultant will likely be seasonal, with the demand usually before the start of the school year.

The good thing about this job is that you get to dictate your consultation fees. However, there are no third-party sites that will give you leads for clients.

Instead, you’d have to look for clients and do outreach yourself.

Kris Bales, blogger at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers, uses her blog not only to share her adventures with homeschooling (they’ve been doing this since 2002) but also to post and advertise her consultancy services.

Her pricing scheme is simple: she charges $40 for every 3 lengthy, detailed e-mails filled with answers to homeschooling questions from clients.

6. Online Test Grader

If you love checking homework, reading and scoring student essays, evaluating exam papers, and so on, you’re in luck. Some schools are outsourcing the scoring part to third-party teachers.

The pay for scorers averages around $12 to $15, which isn’t that huge, but you can do this as a side gig.

Check out these legitimate sites that offer online test grader jobs and see if it’s something you’d like doing.

The next few ideas will focus more on full-time jobs for retired teachers, teachers who have switched careers, or teachers who aren’t currently working.

You’d be glad to know that if teaching continues to be your passion, you don’t need to give it up; you can still do these online jobs for teachers.

7. Online Proctor

If grading isn’t your thing, maybe monitoring students while they’re taking a test is a better fit for you.

Everything is making the move online, and even proctoring can now be done online as students take tests from remote locations. Your main task will be to make sure that students aren’t cheating.

After years in the classroom, you should certainly have the ability to catch students who are trying to cheat their way to higher scores.

You can browse through our list of online proctoring jobs from home.

This is one of the few online jobs for teachers that isn’t so much about teaching; rather, this deals with student behavior.

8. Lesson Plan Maker

You probably know this all too well.

You spend most of your school break creating lesson plans for the coming year, preparing for another batch of students.

If you’re interested in helping other teachers who are swamped, you can work on lesson plans on their behalf.

This position can also be called curriculum developer or teaching materials provider, but the tasks are similar: create worksheets, lesson plans, activity sheets, and other teaching materials based on specific concepts, topics, or subjects.

Payment for this job varies. You can be selling a simple worksheet for $1 a pop, but if over 5,000 people buy it, then it’s a huge payday for you.

Interested? Here’s a more comprehensive guide to earning a six-figure income selling lesson plans online.

9. Textbook Writer

Writing a textbook takes a lot of research, knowledge, and experience.

As an educator, you’d know what makes textbooks effective and what doesn’t work.

Publishers open up writing positions regularly, and more and more of these positions are remote or work-from-home jobs.

In rare cases, such as popular bloggers or influencers with a background in education, publishers may find you and offer you the job.

Here are some textbook publishers you can check out for work openings:

10. Educational Consultant

Different types of online jobs for teachers

Education consultants can work for schools, universities, individuals, families, or textbook publishers.

Their job is a mix between a tutor and a homeschool consultant.

As an education consultant, you assess a student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, develop their talents, create tests to evaluate aptitude, and find the most appropriate school for a student’s preference, potential, and best match.

When hired by a school, educational consultants assess how students learn, find problems with existing policies, and create solutions to improve school programs, student learning, and so on.

Educational consultants for publishers review existing and pre-published textbooks and determine flaws or whether it’s time for revisions.

Requirements for this job are higher than usual; you’d have to have either a Master’s degree or a Ph.D., as well as extensive experience in the educational system. The job can be completed remotely and it could earn you up to $95,000 annually.

11. Writing Coach

Writing skills are one of the most underrated but highly valuable hard skills you can learn.

As a writing coach, your job is to help your clients develop and master their writing skills according to their goals.

For instance, you’d coach a fiction writer on developing a compelling plot, fleshing out engaging characters, and finding their personal tone and style.

By contrast, you’d coach a student on the basics of writing an essay, while you’d coach a corporate professional on writing formal letters and emails.

Much like online tutoring, you can become a full-time writing coach from the comforts of your own home.

12. Online Proofreader

Checking and correcting your students’ spelling and grammar is a skill, and you’d be glad to know that online proofreader jobs exist whhere you can get paid for this particular skill.

Proofreading is different from copy editing in that copy editing focuses on consistency, accuracy, and continuity of the document, while proofreading is all about syntax, format, punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

Thus, proofreading is normally the last step in the publishing process.

Go over our list of legitimate online proofreading jobs and see if you’re interested in doing this type of job.

13. Online Translator

You may never have thought that being bilingual or multilingual can earn you money, but thanks to our virtual economy, online translators are now in demand.

The payment greatly varies depending on how many languages you know and how rare these languages are. For instance, there are probably more bilingual Spanish–English speakers than there are bilingual Farsi–English speakers, so Farsi–English speakers may be paid more hourly.

Consider these highly-rated companies offering online translation jobs.

The next items aren’t jobs but rather ways to earn passive income.

Unlike the jobs listed above wherein you are paid for services rendered right after completion or within a month, “jobs” that allow you to earn passive income don’t work that way.

Instead, you’ll have to do the work for weeks, months, or even years without pay and implement various monetization techniques for blogging or ebook writing and only if you succeed can you earn some cash.

The upside to these kinds of jobs is that once money starts pouring in, there’s a good chance it won’t stop anymore.

14. eBook Writer

There’s money to be made with ebook writing, especially if you have a unique voice, story to tell, or specialization to share. You can even expand your earnings by turning this ebook into an audiobook, or taking part in speaking engagements.

Don’t want to publish under your name?

You can also ghost-write an ebook for someone else and earn around 2 to 10 cents per word.

15. Voice Coach and Instructor of Musical Instruments (Guitars, Drums, etc.)

Music teachers, rejoice!

You can stay at home and still be able to use your craft to help kids improve their singing chops.

If you’ve been teaching kids how to play the piano, guitars, drums or other musical instruments in a school setting for years, you can also switch online and do it completely remote.

If you don’t want to teach, but you have a voice with character, maybe voice-over or voice-acting gigs are a better fit.

16. Test Scorer

You’d probably had thousands of papers, quizzes and exams scored throughout your career, but did you know that you can do this as a side hustle?

You do need to have a bachelor’s degree to apply for these jobs. Check out sites like Measurement, Inc., Pearson, or ETS if you’re interested.

Do note that this kind of online job for teachers is somewhat seasonal. This is because it’s likely that you’ll be scoring standardized tests, which students take in the spring or fall.

17. Online Moderator

The job of an online moderator is very similar to that of a traditional teacher.

As an online moderator, you’re assigned to oversee a group of people (just like your students in a class). You’ll respond to questions, address complaints, conduct surveys, make the engagement of the entire group come alive, and most important, you de-escalate situations that require a referee.

Where do you get these online moderator jobs, you ask? Check here for a list of companies.

Pay is okay, at $15 to $30 an hour, depending on your skills and the company you decide to work for.

18. Social Media Jobs

The job of a social media manager is similar to online moderators, except the space you’ll be moderating is within a particular social media platform like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter/X, and so on.

There are several types of social media jobs you can try – all of them are easy to learn.

Pay for social media jobs vary depending on the role, but the skills needed are mostly the same. Do you have what it takes? This guide should help you decide if your skills are perfect for a social media job.

19. Online Dating Consultant

Maybe in your past life as an educator you also served the hat of a guidance counselor or advisor.

If you did, and you helped young adults navigate their dating problems and relationship dilemmas, then you might enjoy a career as an online dating consultant.

No, you won’t dictate who people should pick or swipe. Instead, you’ll be guiding them make better choices when it comes to dating, relationships, intimacy and communications.

If this sounds interesting to you, learn more about it here. These kinds of consultants earn somewhere between $50 and $100 an hour. Experienced consultants with big-named clients have rates that start at $300/hour.

20. Life Coach

As a teacher, you’ve guided young minds throughout their developments. You’ve helped kids who had fears of speaking in public thrive in making speeches by the time they’ve graduated. You’ve turned easily-frustrated kids into strong-minded teens.

If this sounds like you, you may also have a career in life coaching.

Life coaches earn between $12 and $150 an hour. The best thing about life coaching is you can accept as many clients as your schedule permits – and this job can be done completely online.

What’s the best online job for teachers?

Teaching has always been thought of as a noble profession, but it doesn’t mean you’d say no to making bank if possible.

These online jobs can pave the way to the freedom you’ve been looking for to get out of the 8-to-5 rat race, enable you to work completely from home, or bulk up your retirement fund significantly.

Selling Plasma 101: Here’s How to Donate Plasma For Money

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People often donate their blood, but did you know that you could donate plasma for money?

Technically, you CAN sell blood. But since hospitals don’t like using it due to the potentially unsafe blood supply from “donors” lying about illnesses to earn cash, the FDA warns about it and asks all sources to label blood that came from paid donors.

There’s another serious reason why blood is tricky to sell: whole red blood cells can be tested for diseases, but they are too fragile to undergo any kind of virus removal processes. After testing, blood goes directly into another person.

Good news:

There’s a specific PART of your blood that can be sold. It’s called blood plasma and it makes up about 55% of your blood.

To obtain plasma, blood is drawn from your arm, then parts of the blood are separated via a special machine. The goal is to collect the plasma (a pale yellow liquid made up of water, enzymes, proteins, and antibodies), while the red blood cells and other leftovers are placed back into your body.

Plasma can be used in treating various health problems such as leukemia, blood disorders like hemophilia and medical emergencies like burns. It can also help people who are undergoing transplant surgeries. The properties of plasma are also used in developing medicine for rare diseases.

Interested? Read on if you want to make money in one day and decide if this is something you want to pursue…

What Are the Requirements for Donating Plasma?

Like donating blood, not everyone can donate plasma for money.

The general requirements for donating plasma include:

  1. Legal age – Donation centers typically allow donors from 18 to 69 years old, but the minimum age requirement could still change based on local or state laws. A written consent from a parent or guardian may be allowed, on a case-to-case basis.
  2. Weight – Your weight will determine how much plasma you can donate (and ultimately how much you can earn from each donation). The FDA has three weight range: 110 to 149 pounds, 150 to 174 pounds, and 175 to 400 pounds.
  3. Physically healthy – You should have no infectious diseases. There will be a basic check-up during your first visit to the donation center, so you must pass a heart check, urine test and blood prick test (to determine your iron, hemoglobin and blood levels). In some centers, donors are also tested for their reflexes.
  4. ID or other proof of identity – You must have your Social Security Card or a copy of it, other government ID, and proof of address.

Except for the physical tests, these requirements are often only needed during your first donation with a particular company.

Note that every plasma donation centers may have specific requirements, so check their websites before your visit.

What are the Restrictions that Prohibit You from Donating?

If you are deemed not an eligible donor after your physical test, you may be given one of two types of deferrals: temporary or permanent.

Temporary deferrals are given to would-be donors who:

  • Weigh below 110 pounds
  • Come to the centers sick with not-so-serious illnesses such as flu or tummy ache.
  • Are recovering from a recent surgical procedure
  • Have low levels of iron or hemoglobin
  • Recently got a tattoo or any kind of piercing

After your physical test, the center will determine when is the right time to go back, what you need to do to become eligible for another go in the future..

Permanent deferrals are given to interested donors who:

  • Are positive for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis
  • Suffer from any blood-related disorder or disease (such as leukemia)
  • Have mental illness or anyone who does not understand the process involved with plasma donation

As its name suggest, potential donors given permanent deferrals are not (and will never be) eligible as a donor. There’s a chance you can overturn this decision with a second medical opinion.

Does Donating Plasma Hurt?

This is a valid and most common concern among potential donors. When it comes to pain, it is typically no more painful than donating blood. To answer this question, you need to understand the process involved in donating plasma.

How long does donating plasma take?

First-time donors should spare 2 hours or more for the basic physical test and filling out paperwork.

Once you’ve finished tests and paperwork, the entire procedure takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

If you weigh 150 to 400 pounds, it will take longer because more plasma will be taken.

What’s the process of donating plasma?

If you’ve ever donated blood before, the discomfort you felt from that experience will likely be the same for when you donate plasma for cash.

When it comes to the pain involved, the first discomfort you’d feel is the pricking of your finger during the basic blood test. The phlebotomists will then use an IV and needle to draw your blood. Of course, you’d feel hurt if they can’t find a vein, or if they blow a vein.

Once the needle is in, the plasma will be separated and taken, while the blood returns to your body. The returned blood is mixed in with saline, which can lead to some discomfort and cause you to feel cold.

People sometimes get dizzy during this stage, especially if the donor is somewhat dehydrated. This is the reason why donation centers recommend would-be donors to temporarily avoid diuretics (like coffee and alcohol) and instead drink a lot of fluids the day before and the day of donation.

Are there side effects to donating plasma?

Generally, people who donate plasma don’t experience any side effects.

But in rare cases that it does, they may experience one or more of these things:

  • Bruising – Some people who are sensitive to needles and bruise easily can experience tenderness, swelling or pain at the injection site during and after the procedure. This should subside after several hours though.
  • Allergic reaction – Every donation center uses different disinfectants (like iodine) for cleaning donor’s injection site. Some people may have allergic reactions to these chemicals. Let the phlebotomists know if something feels amiss.
  • Citrate reaction – Used to prevent blood clots during plasma collection, citrate can cause a reaction to donors that often felt as tingling around the mouth, nose or fingers. Shortness of breath, irregular pulse, chills and twitching are severe signs of a citrate reaction.

How Often Can You Donate Plasma?

The American Red Cross guidelines state that people can only donate once every 28 days.

However, since this is only a “guideline” and not law, donation centers accept plasma donations from a person up to two times within a 7-day period with at 24 to 48 hours in between to give the body time to “refill” plasma lost from the previous donation.

How Much Do You Get for Donating Plasma?

Private blood banks and donation centers pay people $20 to $50 per donation.

Based on FDA’s weight range, you can earn:

  • $15/donation if you weigh between 110 to 149 pounds
  • $30/donation if you fall between 150 and 174 pounds, and
  • around $45 if you’re on the third weight tier from 175 to 400 pounds.

The number of times you donate each week can also affect the amount of extra cash you can get from donating plasma.

Other factors that make the pay range higher include:

  • First-timers – Plasma is big business and private companies know this. As such, they spend ads, referrals and various promotions (like coupons) to attract new donors. This is the reason why first-time donors are paid higher ($50 or more) than repeat donors.
  • type AB Blood – If you have this blood type, it means you’re part of the 4% of the population with it. Plasma from this blood type is “universal,” which means it can be used by anyone regardless of blood type. As such, plasma donation centers give a higher rate to people with AB blood type.
  • anti-D – This special anti-body protects babies from HDN (Rhesus Haemolytic Disease of the Foetus and Newborn), a disease wherein a mother a mother with Rh (D) negative blood is pregnant with a baby that has Rh (D) positive blood. In HDN cases, the mother’s blood develops an antibody that sees the unborn child’s red blood cells as a threat and destroys them leading to brain damage, liver disease, or death.
  • Demand – if there’s a particular protein a center needs, or if business is slow, rates may suddenly become more competitive.

You might feel icky with coupons and “deals” for donating plasma, but know that you are technically selling your plasma to businesses, which in turn, sell it to pharmaceutical companies, labs and hospitals for a wide range of medical use.

In fact, some of these donation centers even give donors their own debit cards to make processing of payment smoother, and send referral fees, reward points, and other credits easier.

How to Find a Plasma Donation Center

There is no governing body of all plasma donation centers, but FDA does inspect these locations for compliance.

Your best bet is to look for online reviews from past donors and find a plasma donation center near you (so it’s easier to see if they are in compliance with state and FDA laws).

Because plasma donation centers are run by private companies, they only require regular business license to operate. If you want to make sure you’re dealing with legitimate plasma donation centers, you can also check if they are listed on the International Quality Plasma Program (IQPP).

Search “plasma donations centers near me” or see if there’s a branch of these popular centers in your area:

  1. BPL Plasma Donation Center – Has 14 locations across the US. Allows each donor to sell plasma twice a week. $300/month extra cash possible – more if you refer other people or participate in promos and other programs. Payment is topped up on a prepaid card.
  2. Octapharma Plasma– One of the biggest names in the plasma donation industry with over 100 locations across the United States. Pays up to $50 per donation and allows two donations in a 7-day window as long as there’s a 48-hour gap). Offers plenty of incentives, including a loyalty program and frequency bonuses. Octapharma Plasma pays with its own prepaid debit card.
  3. Biotest Plasma Center – With 12 locations (Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, etc.). Donors are allowed up to two times of donation per week (with a 24-hour in between donations). $50/donation is paid straight to the donor’s Biotest re-loadable MasterCard debit card, where referral and other bonuses are also deposited.
  4. Grifols– Similar to Octapharma in that it has over 100 locations, but this company can be under different names such as Plasma Resources, Talecris, Biomat USA, among others. Paid by prepaid debit card, Grifols pays donors varying fees for one location to the next.
  5. KEDPlasma – Available in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas, KEDPlasma can pay up to $400 per donation for those with special proteins and antibodies. Donors can also visit the center up to twice a week, as long as there’s a day in between donations. Payments are sent via a Wirecard prepaid card.
  6. CSL Plasma– Located in 39 states and multiple centers within each state. New donors can be paid up to $400 either via the CSL Plasma Reloadable Debit Card, or as rewards via CSL Plasma’s iGive Rewards Program.
  7. Interstate Companies – You can find these centers in over 14 states across the US. Payment varies by location, but all of them pay via prepaid debit card. People are allowed to donate twice a week with 2-day gap between donations.
  8. Biolife Plasma Services – Available in over 30 states. Earn up to $70/week if you donate the maximum 2 donations per week. Schedule appointments via its own app, and receive payments via the BioLife Debit Card.
  9. Physicians Plasma Alliance – This one is only located in Tennessee, but it has to be included here mainly because this center can pay up to $500 per donation. Earn more by donating up to two times per week and by sending referrals, then get paid via prepaid debut card.
  10. ADMA BioCenters – This one is also available in just one location in Georgia. Eligible donors can visit twice per week and paid via cash card. There are incentives for repeat donors and other programs.
  11. GCAM Plasma – Pays $25 to $30 per donation via debit card. You can donate twice a week with 2-day waiting period between donations. Available in California, Idaho, Indianapolis, Texas, and Washington.
  12. B Positive – This center is available only in New Jersey and Maryland. It’s got a cool refer-a-friend program that pays $20/referral via its own B Positive Visa debit card. As for the donations, eligible donors can be paid up to $50/week for two sessions within a 7-day period.

The Bottom Line

Selling plasma isn’t probably the most traditional thing you can sell to make money, but this industry is thriving and it won’t stop anytime soon.

Donating plasma can help save lives. You may not be directly giving your blood to another person, but companies involved in these donation centers use your donated plasma to manufacture medicine, antibodies, and other medicinal products that help others with blood diseases and disorders.

If you tried donating plasma for money, but don’t want to repeat the experience, you can still earn from this business by referring a friend, sharing a social media post of a private center, or participating in other promotions.

If selling plasma for money isn’t for you, but you need extra cash to pay your credit card, buy groceries, or add regular deposits to your emergency fund, explore the site some more and check out our guide to make money online fast doing no-brainer things like watching movies, and so on.