Live streaming is wildly popular nowadays. You might have even watched a live stream or two today!

New technology and faster internet connections are allowing people to easily stream their lives, their thoughts, and even the video games they’re playing right from their computers and mobile devices.

But did you know that you can earn some side cash by simply broadcasting your daily life and your opinions?

In today’s blog post, you’ll learn how to make money live streaming: how live streaming works, where to live stream, and how to earn from it.

What is Live Streaming?

First, what exactly is live streaming?

Live streaming is the broadcasting of live video over the internet to an individual or to an audience.

In a nutshell, it’s just you, on camera, talking to the world. Think PBS on the go, with limited start-up costs!

Unlike pre-recorded videos that can be edited, from which scenes can be added or cut, or filters can be applied, live streaming is real-time, uncensored, and often unscripted.

You can stream from your phone, tablet, or laptop from a broadcasting platform. You can be as raw or as polished as you want.

What Can You Live Stream?

You can stream your everyday life, your random thoughts, and your virtual and actual interactions with people in your life.

You can show the world your singing, dancing, and even your jokes.

Show your audience the sports game you’re watching, along with your running commentary.

If you have opinions on politics, religion, or any other controversial subject, you can stream that too.

Love cooking? Stream it!

Love playing video games? There’s a huge audience who just love watching other people play!

Bottom line: Pretty much anything you want!

The possibilities are almost endless, and it leaves a lot of room for anyone to take advantage of the boom and make money from live streaming.

Live Stream Platforms

There are numerous sites and apps available that can help you to live stream instantly.

When choosing one, always keep in mind how simple it is for you to use, how easy it is for your audience to engage with you, and how straightforward it would be to monetize your live streams.

Here are some of the live stream platforms you can choose from.

1. YouTube Live

The granddaddy of online video, YouTube now offers its own live streaming platform, YouTube Live, to secure its video dominance.

Being on YouTube Live allows you to broadcast your live streams, record these live streams, and allow audiences these recorded live streams as searchable, on-demand videos, all on the same platform.

YouTube’s incredibly large audience is also a considerable advantage. Your viewers are already familiar with YouTube, and placing your videos in an already-popular platform increases the chances of attracting new fans of your live stream.

2. Facebook Live

If you already have a following on Facebook, simply going on Facebook Live is a good way to broadcast your live stream right on your followers’ News Feed.

Simply go to your Facebook app on your mobile, tap the Live button on your post composer, and you’re good to go.

3. Instagram Live

Another social media platform that provides users the ability to live stream is Instagram.

You can share a live video on Instagram and connect with your Instagram followers for an hour.

Once that hour is over, you can share a replay of your live video on your Instagram stories.

The usual people on Instagram Live are celebrities and high-profile influencers.

4. Twitter Live

Yet another social media platform that has moved into the live streaming space is Twitter.

Twitter Live is usually for breaking news, but if you have enough interested Twitter followers, live streaming on Twitter can be lucrative for you.

5. YouNow

YouNow is also a mobile app for both iOS and Android that’s mostly used by a younger crowd.

A few years ago, YouNow was one of the most popular live streaming platforms, but recently, a part of its audience share has been taken by Twitch.

6. Twitch

Known particularly for streaming video games and e-sports being played by popular gamers, Twitch has a huge user base and is, therefore, one of the most popular platforms around.

If you’re a gamer, it’s unlikely you’ll need any other live streaming platform.

7. TikTok Live

TikTok was the breakout star of social media in 2020, and with more than 800 million active users, it remains a force to be reckoned with in 2021.

LIVE on TikTok is a feature that allows creators to engage with their audience in real-time.

It also allows creators above 18, with more than 1,000 followers, and with more than 100,000 video views within the last 30 days the chance to be sent virtual gifts (that can be exchanged for actual cash) from their biggest TikTok fans.

8. LinkedIn Live

You may not think that you’ll have any use for your LinkedIn account aside from applying to jobs and maybe networking with colleagues in your industry.

But if your target audience comprises millennial working professionals and older users (read: more spending power), or you want to be noticed by brands, LinkedIn Live Video might just be the key to your success.

To get started, you’ll need to apply to have the feature added to your profile. Both personal and business pages can apply. Once approved, you can get started.

However, one inconvenience in using LinkedIn Live is that they currently don’t offer native streaming; you’ll have to sign up for a third-party streaming tool, like StreamYard or Restream, which is an added expense.

Also, you might not even get approved; LinkedIn has a certain set of criteria.

9. Amazon Live

If you (or, fine, your parents) have ever shopped through QVC, you’d know that there’s nothing like product demos done live, sometimes with audience participation, and time-bound offers (“call now and get a free gift” or “call now and get 80% off”) to compel a captive audience to open their wallets and buy that thing now.

And this experience is just what Amazon is trying to offer their customers through Amazon Live.

You’ll need to be an Amazon Influencer to be able to live stream. When you feature products on your live stream, you earn commissions from qualified purchases made through the product carousel that will appear below your live stream.

You can demonstrate the products to your audience and show them in real time why you love that product and why you’re recommending it to them.

Plus, you can also do a live promotion, such as discounts that will only apply if your viewers Checkout the products you’re featuring from their Carts while the live stream is active.

Making Money from Live Streaming

Now that we know what live stream platforms are out there, the next thing is to learn how to monetize your live streams.

There are several ways to earn money from live streaming, but bear in mind that not all of these revenue streams will work with all platforms.

Also, to truly make decent money, you will need to make use of several revenue streams (ain’t that always the way!).

Here are some of the ways that you can make money from live streaming.

1. Ads

Joining the right live streaming platform with the right advertising network allows you to earn a commission for each view or click, depending on how the advertising network sets its metrics.

Like with any advertising network, the earnings per view/click are usually pennies, but with a large enough audience you can easily pull in $1,000 or more a month purely from ads.

YouTube Live and Facebook Live are capable of showing ads during live streams.

The problem is that ads can be annoying, and so viewers can install ad-blocking software, which reduces your commissions.

So if this is your sole source of revenue from live streaming, you’ll want to rethink your strategy and get another source.

2. Donations/Tips

That first tip you’ll ever receive from your fans is something special.

It’s validation for your live streaming endeavor that someone appreciated your material enough to send you something, even if it’s just a couple of bucks.

Most people think that donations and tips aren’t going to earn you much money, and they’re right.

However, having it as a side revenue stream can help you at least earn some change for coffee.

In addition, most major live streaming platforms allow you to receive donations and tips, either from their own integrated services or currencies or by allowing you to advertise your accounts with third-party services, such as PayPal or Venmo.

For instance, YouTube’s main tip tools are Super Chat and Super Stickers, which YouTube viewers can buy to highlight their messages to you during your live stream. Twitch, on the other hand, allows viewers to buy Bits and use them to Cheer for you. You get a cent for each Cheer you get from your viewers.

3. Subscriptions

How can getting tips from your fans get better?

Why, by getting them regularly, of course.

If your fans can pay a set amount every month, no matter how small, this gets you closer to earning a sure, steady income, while being able to give them more of what they want and some exclusive content in return.

Most of the above live streaming platforms support subscription plans and allow viewers to subscribe to a live stream right on the platform.

For instance, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch have channel or page membership programs allowing viewers to have a weekly or monthly payment to creators on these platforms in exchange for exclusive content and perks for subscribers.

However, to be eligible to incorporate this feature on your live stream, your account needs to meet certain requirements.

If your account isn’t eligible for a subscription program, or the platform you’re using doesn’t have one, consider using third-party providers to allow viewers to make regular weekly or monthly payments to you in exchange for your content.

Patreon allows people to sponsor you on a weekly or monthly basis and in return for providing them with something: such as regular live streaming and exclusive access and perks.

4. Brand Partnerships and Sponsorships

When you’ve made a name for yourself, you can start reaching out to brands and propose partnerships with them. They can sponsor one or more of your live streams in exchange for featuring their products or services, either by displaying them as a banner or on your background, mentioning them to your viewers, or actually using and reviewing them on your live stream.

To build a successful partnership, you’ll need to be intimately familiar with your audience. You need to know their ages, genders, interests, and problems they need solutions for.

At the same time, you need to be a genuine fan of the brand you want to partner with and feel comfortable enough to promote their products and services to your audience. Remember, your viewers trust you, and if you break that trust, they won’t be back to watch any of your content.

5. Affiliate Programs

Memberships to affiliate programs enable you to share affiliate links, promo codes, or coupon codes to your viewers so that when they purchase something from your affiliate.

The way this usually works is that you post the affiliate link or code somewhere on the stream description.

An important thing to remember is that not all live stream platforms allow affiliate marketing on live stream videos that they host, so be very careful to read up on their terms and conditions.

Also, make sure to recommend products and services that are relevant to your content, and not create content solely to promote. The quality of your videos should always go before making money from live streaming.

6. Live Selling

Live selling is a practice where sellers show viewers, fans, and potential customers their products, demonstrate how these work and how much they cost, and other details.

During a live selling session, viewers can place an order through links shown during the live stream session.

And yes, as I’ve said, QVC and HSN are the forerunners of this type of selling. Though they often weren’t really broadcasting live; their shows were often taped. But viewers can still call in to order the products they want with the promotions that are advertised during the time of airing the episode.

What makes today’s live selling a step up from the live selling of old is that today’s live selling sessions are much more interactive, with sellers being able to answer viewers’ questions about the products in real time and being able to see which products are selling out.

Plus, the engagement isn’t just limited to seller-viewer. Everyone watching can see and interact with each other as well, which fosters a sense of community and competition at the same time, because they’re up against each other for the products being sold.

With the 2020 pandemic descending on the world and everyone staying at home, potential customers are more comfortable than ever with doing everything online, even buying online with a few taps.

As I’ve mentioned above, Amazon Live is currently giving Amazon Influencers the ability to sell products through live streaming.

Facebook and Instagram have also launched Live Shopping on their respective platforms.

Live selling is already popular in China, but still relatively rare in the US and other western countries. Getting in on the action now means you can get ahead of the pack.

7. Your Own Products or Services

Instead of, or in addition to promoting other companies’ products, why not try your hand at selling your own products?

Selling your “merch,” as it’s often called, is common enough that live stream platforms offer plenty of advice and tools to help live streamers boost their sales.

The most important aspects of selling your merch are still up to you: concept, design, production, and shipping for physical goods, or hosting and delivery for digital products.

Make sure that the products you’re selling are related to your live stream content, especially if you have a particular theme.

For instance, if you have been doing workout-themed live streams, and your viewers are really digging the different exercises you’re doing, you can sell merch like activewear and exercise equipment, or digital goods like an ebook on fitness or an entire workout program with instructional videos, cookbooks, and food and exercise charts.

8. Mentoring

Maybe doing an entire video course is too overwhelming for you, or you might think you’re not “academic” enough or knowledgeable enough to be an online instructor or lecturer.

But if you are able to give valuable advice, tips, and guidelines about a certain topic, you might want to be somebody’s mentor.

The idea is to offer your viewers one-on-one time with you (for a fee) so you can help them achieve specific goals.

Your success here is largely dependent on the quality of your mentorship and how dedicated you are to helping your viewers solve their problems.

9. Pay-per-view content

Media companies and influencers making content available through pay-per-view is another trend that became popular during the 2020 global pandemic.

And pay-per-view live streaming is the next level.

Gaming-related live streams remains the most popular type of content, but nowadays, people with different hobbies and interests look for content that appeals to them.

But to truly be successful in making money through offering pay-per-view live streams, you need to be able to offer something premium that makes it stand out from thousands of other free content such that viewers are willing to pay for your content.

There are virtual ticketing services that allow you to sell admission to your live stream, such as Ticketleap or TicketSpice. They handle the ticket sales and sending the URL for the live stream to those with confirmed payment, and they get either a flat fee or percentage of the ticket sales in return.

Do You Need Your Own Website?

Using any one of these live streaming services is great, but it’s very likely that you’ll eventually need to have your own website to make the most out of your live streams.

Having your own website is like having your own home base where you can direct your audience to know more about you and what you’re all about.

You can host replays of your live streams here, as well as additional resources that are useful for your viewers, such as blog posts, images, videos, or any other media that complement your live stream content.

You can also promote your own products there, too, without fear of treading on any terms and conditions or having to sound like an annoying salesman in your streams.

Another thing you can implement on your own website is a membership system. Users pay to gain access to exclusive member-only content, one-on-one sessions, badges and trophies, a community discussion area, and so on.

Bottom line? I highly recommend building your own website.

Downsides of Live Streaming for Money

The main hurdle in making money from live streaming is building a fan base. Several live stream platforms require you to have a substantial number of followers and content views to even be considered for their live streaming service, let alone allow you to earn from ads and other monetization avenues.

Of course, if you’re a lady you will likely get a larger following sooner, but with the added disadvantage of having to handle more, ahem, “difficult” followers.

Aside from these, you’ll need to make sure you stream consistently, as people prefer knowing when to expect your live stream. Depending on your niche, you may stream for an hour a day, or end up streaming for 10 hours every day (very common with gamers who stream).

Another downside to consider is that nothing dies on the Internet. This may sound good; that is, until you make your first mistake.

Because live streams tend to be spontaneous, it’s only a matter of time before you make a blunder live. It can range from simply mispronouncing words to Freudian slips, from wardrobe mishaps to highly offensive remarks.

Worse, there’s nothing to stop viewers from taking screenshots or recording snippets or even entire sessions of your live stream, which can then become viral.

Mistakes are inevitable, but just remember to sincerely apologize and learn from them.

Final Thoughts on Live Streaming

There’s no quick and easy way to make money with live streaming, as you need to build up a user base. That being said, there’s a great potential for making thousands a month via live streaming, especially if you make sure you have more than one revenue stream.

While the initial costs of this marketing angle are low (a smartphone and an internet connection), the time cost can mount up quite quickly.

Other ways to make money from videos

If making or watching videos is your jam, and you’re wondering if you can ever turn that into a paying gig, the following articles from our site may help:

Get Paid to Do ASMR Videos: How to Turn Sounds into Cash
Get Paid to Watch Movies
Get Paid to Watch TV

Have you ever broadcast live from any of the above platforms? Did you manage to make any money from live streaming? Let me know in the comments!

If you have a passion for photography, the right equipment, and an entrepreneurial vision, then you’ve already probably wondered how to make money with photography.

Well, let’s be clear about one thing right off the bat:

If you’re looking for a way to turn your passion for photography into a profitable business, then you need to have a system and approach it as a business.

Yes, you can’t transform into a paid photographer overnight–but you can start on the process now. Being creative and imaginative is not enough; after all, plenty of photographers make a decent living with very mediocre skills.

While professional photography might feel like quite a competitive industry to try and break into, there are still plenty of ways to make money with photography.

In this article, I’ve rounded up all the different ways that will actually help you start getting paid for your photography skills.

Set Yourself Up To Be A Successful Photographer

Before we dive into all the ways to make money with photography, let’s get into the steps you can take so you can be prepared when you eventually make money.

1. Work for other photographers.

When you’re first starting out, it’s always a good idea to work with other photographers. This is perfect for when you want to make money with photography but aren’t ready to venture out on your own and want to learn and practice more.

Help out with post-production

Post-production editing is a very time-consuming task, and you’d be surprised at the number of photographers who are looking for some editing assistance.

You can work with more experienced photographers and edit their photos. If they’re happy with your work, you may get an assistant photographer gig later on.

Work as an Assistant Photographer

Being an assistant photographer is one of the best ways to get experience, build your portfolio, and learn from and network with more senior photographers.

It’s going to be a struggle to find photographers who will pay you what your skills are worth. However, the networking opportunities and the things you will learn will be absolutely valuable. Plus, it gives you a much higher chance of getting clients later on.

How to find assistant photographer jobs:

• Join all types of photography groups on social media platforms.
• Look for “assistant photographer” jobs in job sites.
• Go to photography events and conventions.
• Network with local photographers.
• Get involved in a photographer organization.

The bottom line is:

It’s much better to learn photography by doing instead of learning solely from books, blogs, and online tutorials.

2. Pick a niche

At this point, I’m assuming you’ve already taken a photography course or two and have already experimented with different genres of photography.

You might enjoy all kinds of photography, but if you want to start making money with photography, picking a niche is highly recommended.

Here’s why:

When you specialize in a niche, you get to identify which techniques you need to study, as well as invest in continued education and training.

Also, when researching which niche you want, you get to know which ones have the most money-making potential.

In particular, wedding photography and travel photography seem to be more lucrative than, say, nature photography.

It’s not all about the money, though; it’s just another factor to consider aside from your skills and passion.

Another advantage of concentrating on a niche is that you’ll have a much more cohesive portfolio. It’s always much better to show a client a portfolio with a specific set of images that fall under a theme, instead of random pictures from random photoshoots.

Here are some niches you can specialize in:

• Fashion photography
• Maternity shoots
• Nature photography
• Wildlife photography
• Wedding photography
• Portrait photography
• Club photography
• Sports photography
• Food photography
• Product photography
• Travel photography
• Real estate photography

3. Set up a website.

Your next logical step should be creating a website (if you don’t already have one). Even better if your profile has a theme that matches your niche.

Contrary to popular belief among photographers, Facebook or Instagram can’t replace your own website.

This is not to say they are useless. Both social media platforms act as great places to generate interest, engage with followers, and network with other photographers as well as potential clients.

With your own website, though, you’re not jostling for other photographers for views from your audience. You can create a whole experience that revolves around your own unique photography style and your brand.

Having your own website gives you the ability to provide potential clients with a multi-sensory experience, easy navigation, and seamless viewing of your pictures.

Your website visitors are thus more likely to purchase prints, contact you for shoots, or offer brand partnerships.

4. Start a photography blog on your website.

If you like writing, being a photography blogger is a good content marketing tool and an additional source of income aside from your photography skills.

Blogging requires both patience and time, but the rewards are absolutely worth it. You can create a blog that attracts readers and adds value to their lives.

You can then earn cash through advertising, brand partnerships, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and much more.

By having a blog, you’ll actually have an artistic platform that will give you credibility and allow you to share your work with the world.

And of course, the more followers you have, the more you’ll be contacted for work, and the higher you can charge for projects and bookings.

Here’s how you can make money with a photography blog:

• Use display ads by Google AdSense.
• Collaborate with other bloggers from different industries (such as in the fashion or travel industries).
• Publish engaging and informative content to get more pageviews and gain popularity.
• Post content regularly.
• Learn to use SEO to get on top of the search results page.
• Use affiliate marketing.

5. Set up a store on your website.

Aside from your blog, you can set up an ecommerce store right on your website.

You can sell physical items, such as prints of your photos, photobooks, merchandise with your photos on them, and photography tools and gadgets.

You can also offer up digital items, such as ebooks, equipment checklists, wallpapers, and printables.

If you can set up a booking system for calls and appointments, as well as an advance payment system, this will help you with your photography business as well.

I recommend using WordPress to build your website, as plenty of ecommerce solutions specific for photographers have already been built to work with WordPress.

6. Start a vlog.

If you already have a blog on your website, the natural transition is to start a vlog.

But what can you vlog about if you don’t have any assignments or bookings yet?

Start by posting honest reviews of the equipment that you’re using. When you get more assignments and clients, you can start sharing stories, advice, and tips and tricks.

Eventually, you can expand to mini-courses and how-to videos.

As your viewership grows, you can earn more money through ads, affiliate marketing, and sponsored videos.

Starting a YouTube channel is the traditional way to start a vlog, but more and more photographers are finding their way to Twitch.

I’ve written about how to make money with both platforms so check out our article on YouTube and Twitch and decide for yourself which one is right for you.

7. Build Your Social Media Presence

Since photography is a visual art, the best social media platform for you to establish your brand is Instagram.

But don’t ignore all the other social media platforms. Every one of them is a chance for you to put your work out there, expand your reach, find potential clients, and engage with them.

Link back to your website (see how having your own website works here?), to your useful blog articles, and to your video reviews on Facebook and Twitter.

Post your best work on Instagram and make sure to link back to your website or your ecommerce store.

Grow your followers by consistently posting useful, engaging content, and you’ll see results.

14 Ways to Make Money with Photography

Once you’ve set up your website and your digital marketing and income tools, you can now start to recoup your investment in these as well as your equipment and get that income.

Here are some actionable ideas to start turning your photography skills into money.

1. Join photo contests.

As a beginner in a field where no one knows your work or who you are, joining photo contests is one way to expose your work to photography experts as well as enthusiasts, while getting the chance to win some money or prizes.

The money is uncertain here, of course, but it’s a good stepping stone to bigger opportunities even if you don’t win anything, as the contest can get your photos in front of big brands, experts in the field, and plenty of potential clients.

Some competitions offer thousands of dollars in cash, equipment, or the chance to snag the project of a lifetime.

For instance, a wedding photography contest may have the grand prize of shooting a celebrity wedding. What it doesn’t pay in cash, it makes up for with exposure and publicity.

You can look for local photo contests as well as on Google to find online or even international photo contests.

2. Reach out to small local businesses.

There’s probably a small business near you right now that is trying to gain more followers to promote their business.

And they’re looking for photographers to take photos of their stores, their products, and sometimes even their personnel to display in their websites and social media platforms.

Reach out to these local businesses and offer your services. Offer a discount in exchange for their permission to include some of the photos you took in your portfolio.

You get to take high-quality photos to help both their business and yours, so everybody wins!

3. Conduct photography tours.

If you live in a city or town with a lot of tourists, and you know it like the back of your hand, you might want to become a tour guide.

But not just a tour guide, but a photography tour guide.

Offer to lead tourists on a photo walk and help them take pictures of local “hidden gems” while exchanging photography tips and tricks.

Your social media platforms and website can help you offer this service; your social media for promotion and finding interested tourists, and your website for tourists to select and book a schedule.

4. Offer portrait sessions.

It’s not only local businesses that may need your services.

Individuals who need portrait photographs for their portfolios, resumes, websites, social media profile photos, or for school photos will be looking for someone local who’s available at a day’s or even a few hours’ notice.

Accepting these types of projects allows you to network with local clients, who spread the word to other potential clients. Plus, these portrait photos will be great additions to your portfolio.

5. Offer your services on freelancer platforms.

If you’re ready to make the transition to making money as a freelancer, you can start creating your freelancer profiles on platforms such as Fiverr, Upwork, or Freelancer.

Companies also post openings for freelance photographers on these sites, especially if the assignments are one-off. Look for the specific niche of photography that you want to specialize in and try to get gigs in your niche.

If allowed by the platform you’re posting in, link back to your website and your social media platforms so potential clients can look at your portfolio and know that you’re taking your photography career seriously and you’re not just a weekend hobbyist.

One disadvantage of using freelancer sites is that they take a cut of your payment. But getting your profile in front of a database of potential clients may be worth the cut these sites take.

6. Become a photojournalist.

News and media outlets, whether traditional or digital, are veering toward freelance news photographers and photojournalists.

Also, whatever your niche, you’ll benefit from the experience you get from capturing news and current events in real time and evoking the emotions of those particular moments.

Start by covering local news on your own and then emailing your photos to editors-in-chief of various publications; local or national, traditional or digital, magazine or newspapers. If you can find their email addresses, include them in your outreach.

If your one or a few of your photos are accepted, you can get published and paid.

The faster you submit, the more likely your photos will be picked up. Learn how to pick out your best photos quickly so you can send them as soon as you can.

7. Open a Flickr account and license your photos through Getty Images.

Flickr has become a home to thousands of photographers wanting to make money with their photography.

Open a Flickr account, post your best photos, and enable the Request to License badge on your photos, as well as Allow Getty Images editors to invite my photos.

This way, if potential customers see your photos and likes one or a few, they can click on Request to License on your photo page and they can license the photo via Getty Images.

Also, if you allow Getty Images editors to review your photos, they can include the photos they like on their Flickr collection.

Every time someone licenses your photos from Getty Images, you get a fee.

Admittedly, this is an uncertain source of income, but it’s a possible source of side cash that you can just set and forget; that is, upload your best work and wait for clients to license your photos.

8. Sell your photos on mobile apps.

Your DSLR isn’t the only high-quality camera you can use to take photos.

Nowadays, even midrange smartphones have high-quality built-in cameras that can take excellent pictures.

If your photography skills extend to your smartphone, there are mobile apps willing to actually buy your best photos.

Some of the best mobile apps to sell your photos include:

• Foap
• agora
• Dreamstime
• EyeEm
• Snapwire

Learn more about Foap here.

9. Sell your photos to stock photography websites.

Similar to mobile apps, there are stock photography websites where you can sell your photos.

Just make sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into with stock photography and don’t end up like the guy who made $1.88 while Walmart made millions off of his image.

There are a variety of stock photography websites you can choose from, including:

• Shutterstock – Pay rates that start from 20% (one of the highest paying.)
• iStock – More viewers, and 15% rate.
• Alamy – If you’re a student, you get 100% of your sales price for two years. If you’re not a student, then you’ll get 50%.
• Picfair – You set up the amount you want to get. Competitive.

A few things to bear in mind:

• The more quality pictures you upload, the more money you get.
• There are plenty of websites that accept pictures from both amateurs and professionals.
• Stay on top of trends when shooting for stock websites.
• Capture the most high-quality images you possibly can.
• Photos of people are always in demand, no matter what.
• Always check the account terms – learn how you’re going to be paid and when, and most importantly, how much.
• Add as many relevant keywords to your images as you can.

10. Sell prints of your photos online.

Selling prints of your photos on your website is another way to make money with your photography skills.

You can use a print-on-demand service to fulfill orders so you don’t have to invest in a high-quality printer and ink.

Another good thing about using print-on-demand services is that they may be able to print your photos on various items, such as t-shirts, keychains, mugs, buttons, mouse pads, hats, tote bags, and many other merchandise and souvenirs.

Plus, aside from the printing, they take care of the packaging, branding, and shipping of the items to your customers.

Some of the best print-on-demand websites you can use include:

• Threadless
• Zazzle
• Bonfire
• Printify
• Printful

11. Sell your photos in galleries.

Another great place to sell your photos is in local art galleries.

Go down in person, take your portfolio with you, and ask them for wall space.

Photographs of nice local views or landmarks are popular with local art galleries, and they’re more likely to be snapped up.

However, they won’t sell if your photos have people in them.

12. Publish a photobook.

This may be an ambitious undertaking for you if you’re not yet that well known, but creating and publishing a photobook is a great project, especially if you’re into travel photography.

Did you go on an insane trip recently and took hard-to-compete-with pictures?

Did you dive with a shark and take pictures?

Did you take unique pictures of a tribe abroad?

Do you have a story to go with it?

Good!

Pair a really good experience with fantastic photos, compile them in a photobook and sell it on your website!

13. Write an ebook about your photography skills.

Once you’re doing well with your bookings and additional income, it might be time to share your blessings with beginners.

You can write an ebook sharing your photography knowledge, tips and tricks, and best practices. You can even include recommendations of the best equipment for aspiring photographers.

Ebooks don’t cost too much in terms of overhead, plus you can sell them straight from your website.

You can also use them as a marketing tactic. Sell your ebook on Amazon so you can direct readers to your website, which has your portfolio, your booking system, and your online store.

14. Create and sell a photography course.

If your ebook did well, and you feel you have a lot more to share, why not try your hand at teaching photography online?

Think back to the photography courses you’ve taken, both in-person and online. You can also check out photography courses currently being offered; not to plagiarize but for inspiration.

Create an outline, flesh out each chapter, and come up with your own approach based on your niche and your strengths.

Upload your course to Udemy or Skillshare, promote it on your social media and on your blog, and wait for students to enroll.

You can even expand this to an on-demand consultancy service through a video call, or an in-person workshop.

For you to pull this off, you would need to have a genuine love for teaching and for watching your students evolve.

Start making money with photography today!

As a hobby, photography can be quite expensive.

But it’s a hobby that can make you money, if you have an entrepreneurial spirit.

Have you ever made money with photography? Share your experience with us in the comments!

We don’t often think about notaries public until we need them. But some of our lives’ most important transactions and agreements will require their help and supervision.

In connection with this, few people consider becoming a notary public when they’re looking for work-from-home job opportunities, but being able to notarize documents is an in-demand capability that can easily be a side hustle.

If you’re interested in becoming a notary public, whether as a side hustle or as a necessity in your full-time job, look no further.

Today, you’ll learn all the basics on how to become a notary: the qualifications, detailed steps, how much everything will cost and how much you can potentially earn.

What Does a Notary Public Do?

A notary public is an official appointed by the state government to serve as an impartial witness to the signing of important legal documents.

They have to make sure that the documents are indeed legal, verify that those signing the documents are who they say they are (usually through ID), and make sure that they know what they’re signing and aren’t doing so under duress.

Notary publics have the freedom to choose who they work with and how; either by opting to work with signing services or getting direct business on their own.

Some notaries simply get the certification to add to their résumé, as many companies, such as banks, schools, and law firms require this type of service often.

It takes around a couple of weeks to become a notary, depending on the process of the state you live in.

After that, you’re free to offer your services to any individual or business that needs official documents signed; and there will be plenty. Notarial services are needed across almost all sectors, from banking and real estate to medical services and tech companies.

What is the Difference between a Notary Public and a Notary Signing Agent?

The main difference is the focus of their responsibilities. Notaries public handle a wide variety of documents, while notary signing agents (NSAs) specifically handle home loan documents.

Both are required to obtain their notary commission (more on this later), but NSAs are required to pass a yearly background check and a yearly exam in addition to their commission.

What Are the Qualifications Needed to Become a Notary Public?

The exact qualifications for who can become a notary differs among states.

However, in general, those wanting to be appointed as a notary public must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a legal resident of the United States
• Complete a course of study approved by the Secretary of State
• Pass a written examination prescribed by the Secretary of State
• Clear a background check

If you have a past criminal record or conviction, it’s still possible to become a notary in plenty of states. Most of them disregard petty crimes as long as they don’t involve fraud or dishonesty.

It’s better to declare any arrest or criminal record at the time of your application, as non-disclosure can hurt your application more that it can help.

How to Become a Notary in 6 Simple Steps

1. Apply to become a notary within your state.

The very first step is to apply to become a notary with your state. This can be done through mail or online through their respective websites; search for “apply to be a notary [your home state]” to find those websites.

You’ll be asked to pay an application fee, and this varies by state as well. Expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $120.

You can apply to become a Notary Signing Agent (NSA) in addition to your regular Notary Public responsibilities. This generally requires an extra certification and a training course to handle the extra complicated documents. But again, the requirements vary between states, so you’ll have to check up on that for your specific state.

Many states will do a background check on you. There are a few states that don’t, but it’s better to be prepared for it than not. Those applying to become an NSA will also have to go through a separate background screening.

2. Undergo training.

After applying, you’ll need to complete a training course. In most cases, this can be done online and takes anywhere from 3 to 6 hours.

Some states have only a number of approved notary training courses or providers that you can enroll in, so you’ll need to enroll in the right ones for your training to be valid.

3. Take the notary public exam.

The notary public exam isn’t the same everywhere, but some states allow an open-book exam. There is also a fee, which also varies per state.

To pass the exam, you’ll need to learn the finer details of being a notary. You’ll likely be asked about notary law, how to handle specific notarial situations, and the best way to accurately identify signers.

The full texts of notary laws are usually available on state legislature websites, and the state agencies licensing notaries normally provide notary public handbooks for your reference.

You can also ask the state agency issuing the notary public exam if they have practice tests available.

Practice tests are also available, usually with the state agency issuing the notary public exam, through the agency you trained with, or online through notary associations, such as the National Notary Association.

The results will be sent by email or by mail and usually take a minimum of 7 business days. Retake policies differ per state as well, so consult the specific state agency website.

4. Take your oath of office.

Once you’ve passed the notary public exam, you’ll get your commission certificate in the mail, usually after around 6 weeks.

Information on how and when to take your oath of office will be included in the information packet that will be sent with your commission certificate.

Oath-taking is usually done before the Secretary of State or another government official. Then, you’ll have to register your signature at your state’s notary regulating office.

Most states require you to post a surety bond, which is intended to compensate aggrieved parties in case you make a mistake that injures or costs someone. Most states require bonds of between $5,000 and $10,000, though it could be more or less than these amounts.

In addition, most notaries need to take out an Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance to protect you as well if you do make a mistake.

5. Gather the necessary materials.

Then, buy any necessary supplies before you can start your new business. Your commission certificate should also include a list of supplies that you’ll need, as well as the authorized vendors from whom you can buy these supplies.

At the barest minimum, you’ll need a notary public seal and a notary journal.

Your notary seal will include your name, the words “Notary Public,” your commission’s expiry date, and the county where you live.

Your notary journal can be any ledger or notebook, but it is recommended that you choose a hardbound one with page numbers, rather than loose-leaf, perforated, or spiral notebooks whose pages can easily be removed.

I break down all the supplies needed and the costs associated below.

6. Start networking to gain clients.

As with any other business, you’ll have to network a bit to get clients.

Check your state’s notary law to learn the allowable, legal ways to advertise your services.

Many people opt for signing up with a signing service that get the loan signing appointments for them.

But you can also print out business cards or contact businesses/realtors to offer your service as a notary.

How to Become a Remote Online Notary

If you live in a state that allows remote notarization, you can take your notary services online and work as a remote online notary.

Remote online notarization works pretty much the same way as the usual notarization but using two-way audio-video technology, digital signatures, and an electronic seal.

In some states, you’ll have to already hold a commission as a traditional Notary Public before you can apply as a remote online notary, while in other states, you can apply to be both at the same time.

If you were already commissioned as a notary public, bear in mind that applying to be a remote online notary is a separate application and thus has different fees, training, and needed supplies; you’ll need to have an electronic seal and digital certificate, again, only from approved vendors.

Your surety bond and insurance should also be amended to cover remote online notarizations.

You can work through websites such as Notarize.com connect individuals and businesses with online notaries public so documents can be signed remotely by all parties as needed.

The Cost of Becoming a Notary

There are a few costs associated with getting started as a notary, but, these fees put together still come down to a relatively low start-up cost.

Here’s what you’re likely to spend:

First off, there’s the application fee when you submit an application, which is different from one state to another but ranges between $20 to $120 as I mentioned above.

Then, there’s the cost for the training course and the exam.

You will have to supply a passport photo (and live scan fingerprints in the state of California) before you’re certified.

Most states require you to pay for the oath of office, which is in the range of $40.

The surety bond costs around $50 for a four-year bond, after which you’ll have to renew it. E&O insurance premiums cost around $50 annually.

Finally, there are the supplies.

The National Notary Association recommends the following supplies for anyone starting out:

• Official notary public seal stamp
• Basic journal with a notary privacy guard cling (Required in some states)
• A 5-year hotline subscription to the NNA (not necessary, but being an NNA member is not a benefit)

Most notaries agree that it’s good practice to keep a journal even if the state doesn’t specifically require it. It’s safer for you to keep records of your notary public obligations to avoid any possible confusion or future questions about the legitimacy of your business activities.

In total, becoming a notary can cost you around $300 to $500 for the whole process.

Other expenses:

As a notary, you will likely need a computer, cellphone, car or other transportation, and a printer.

The latter is very important because you might have to print out various certificates or loan packages when you prepare for a meeting with clients. At times, there can be over 100 pages of both legal-size and letter-size pages so you’re going to be relying heavily on your printer.

Unlike most of the other work from home jobs I’ve talked about, becoming a notary requires a bit of capital to get started and a lot of paperwork to get through before you can start working.

However, it can be a very fulfilling part-time or full-time career so don’t feel disheartened at these costs.

How Much Do Notaries Earn?

This depends somewhat on the state you’re practicing in. The fees you’re allowed to charge differ between states, but this usually doesn’t include travel fees.

So most notaries can charge whatever they want for travel expenses, within reason of course.

Most notaries charge between $2 to $15 per signature, depending on the state. How much you earn depends on the need for notaries in your area and subsequently how many documents/signatures you can notarize every hour or day.

When documents are signed, there’s often a need for more than one signature and from more than one person, meaning a notary can make upwards of $50 an hour depending on the state they’re in.

Sometimes, businesses even have multiple documents that need to be signed, driving up the price even further.

From what I could gather, however, most notaries public make more money through their additional traveling fees.

There are plenty of industries that require notaries public, but some also seem to be more lucrative than others. Those that opt to specialize even further, into becoming an NSA, seem to be earning the most out of the group.

This is because signing agents in the mortgage industry usually negotiate premium rates with the title companies or signing services that hire them and they make a considerable amount of income from this one part of the industry alone.

Apply to Become a Notary Soon!

Being a notary public can be a fulfilling job as you get to meet interesting people from all over and exercise your duty as a ministerial official.

It’s a flexible option and a great choice for both those who want to make side cash and anyone who’s looking for a solid full-time job.

If the startup costs of becoming a notary feel a little steep to you, then you could always opt for these work-from-home jobs that require no financial investment on your part.

Planning to become a notary? Let us know in the comments!