How To Sell Your College Notes To Earn Side Cash

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Student loans suck.

If you’re currently in college, chances are you have a student loan hanging over your head, and you want to get a head start on repaying that massive debt.

If you’re one of the lucky ones who don’t need student loans to get a college degree, you’re probably still looking for a way to earn some side cash for other expenses.

But it’s hard to find the time to do a side hustle. Attending classes, doing homework, participating in extracurricular activities, and trying to have at least a semblance of social life can take up much of your time.

Fortunately, there’s a way you can make some money by doing something you have to do anyway: taking notes.

In today’s blog post, I discuss how to sell college notes: why you should do it, how to effectively take notes, and where to sell them.

Why Sell Your Notes?

There are plenty of ways you can make some side cash, but why sell your study notes?

First, if you’re taking a course that is in demand, you can certainly help plenty of students, not only in your school but even around the world.

Also, as I’ve already mentioned, you’re going to take notes anyway, so you might as well make money from it.

In addition, you get to learn how to be a good entrepreneur, as you become better at sales and marketing.

Lastly, in the process of trying to earn money, you get to be a better note-taker and you might even get a higher GPA because of your excellent notes.

How To Take Excellent Course Notes

When you’re looking to sell a product that you make, it’s on you to make sure that they’re high-quality.

Here are some tips on how to take college notes that you’d be proud to sell.

1. Go to class.

Seems obvious, but this needs emphasis.

Classroom setting

The only way you’re going to earn money from taking notes is if you’re actually in class to take them in the first place.

2. Choose to take digital notes if possible.

Digital notes on your laptop are easier to restructure in terms of layout, format, and chronological order, plus they’re easier to upload.

However, there are some subjects that will require handwritten notes, especially those that deal with graphs and illustrations. Do your best to scan these handwritten notes.

Or better yet, invest in a digital notebook so you can convert them to digital files and upload them to the cloud.

3. Focus on the most important concepts.

Information overload is real, even for notes.

Students learn better when key terms and concepts are emphasized, such as names, dates, thesis statements, and definitions.

4. Make your notes as readable as possible.

The most important aspect of your notes should be the content, for sure, but it helps if your content is aesthetically pleasing as well.

If you’re typing, use fonts that are easy to read and non-distracting. On the other hand, if you’re handwriting your notes, make sure your handwriting is legible and you use a pen thick enough to show up clearly on scans.

Another technique you can use is to have a color-coded system to highlight the key concepts.

Perhaps most importantly, format your notes such that topics are organized under headers and subheaders so that they’re easier to scan.

5. Don’t sell something that you didn’t make.

Never, ever offer up copies of your teacher’s, professor’s, or classmates’ homework, presentations, or course handouts. Earning money from others’ hard work is unethical and illegal, and will lead to you being blocked from selling them.

On that note, most websites don’t accept essays that you’ve submitted, because the moment you submit them, they become property of the college or university; it’s no longer yours.

7 Places To Sell College Notes

Now that you have some premium notes to offer, here are some websites where you can upload and sell college notes.

1. Oxbridge Notes

Official site: Publish Your Notes | Oxbridge Notes
Pay: 50% commission after fees (e.g. taxes and PayPal)

UK-based Oxbridge Notes only accepts the best of the best notes, so if you’ve got what it takes and pass their application process, this website is for you.

They will only take digital documents, such as Word and PDF, so if you only have scans of handwritten notes, this site isn’t for you.

But you barely have to do anything once you’ve uploaded your notes; just wait for the monthly payments to be credited to your account.

Note that they only accept notes from the following countries:

  • United Kingdom
  • United States
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • New Zealand
  • Ireland

2. OneClass

Official site: Official Notetaker – OneClass
Pay: As much as $470 per course per semester for elite notetakers; 25 OneClass credits per document for casual participants.

OneClass is a community of university students sharing course content, such as lecture notes, textbook notes, chapter summaries, and study guides.

They accept both digital documents and scans of handwritten notes in exchange for OneClass credits that you can swap for other course content posted by others.

They also offer a service called Homework Help, which provides unlimited access to a library of real questions and answers from students and allows students to ask one question a month, all for a subscription fee.

If you want to earn actual cash, apply to be an official note-taker, which earns you up to $470 per course per semester.

OneClass accepts notes from the following countries:

  • United States
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • New Zealand

3. Stuvia

Official site: Stuvia Upload
Pay: Pricing is up to you; minimum price per document is $2.50; earnings per download is automatically calculated by Stuvia when you upload files.

Stuvia allows you to upload your digital files, determine your own pricing for it, and earn money every time someone downloads your notes.

They accept summaries, lecture notes, study guides, flashcards, as well as bundles of these materials.

Although they accept notes from students all over the world, most of their students are from the following countries:

  • Belgium
  • France
  • Germany
  • Netherlands
  • South Africa
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • United States of America

4. Notesgen

Official site: Become an Author | Notesgen
Pay: Depends on length and quality of your notes.

Notesgen considers itself the number one online platform for various kinds of online study material.

To become a Notesgen Author, upload your notes in a digital format, whether they’re digital documents or scans of handwritten notes, price your notes according to the Notesgen pricing policy, and start earning from your notes.

Notesgen also has a mobile app that makes it accessible to its users.

They are based in India, but they accept notes from 143 countries worldwide.

5. StudySoup

Official site: Apply to be an Elite Notetaker | StudySoup
Pay: As much as $500 per course per semester for elite note takers

StudySoup is a peer-to-peer learning marketplace providing subscribers with class notes, study guides, and solution guides for important textbooks.

Applying as an elite notetaker allows you to sell these college notes to students who subscribe to StudySoup.

StudySoup accepts both digital and scanned handwritten notes in any of the common digital file formats, though they strongly recommend the PDF format.

6. Nexus Notes

Official site: Nexus Notes
Pay: Notes sell for $35 a set; you get 50% commission

Nexus Notes accepts high-quality notes, templates or course guides, regardless of your grades.

https://unsplash.com/photos/sNwnjxm8eTY

They accept both digital and scanned handwritten notes in PDF format, and they serve students from Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

7. StudentVIP

Official site: StudentVIP
Pay: 25% commission

StudentVIP caters to half a million student members in Australia and is a great place to sell your notes if you’re studying in Australia.

Only members are allowed to sell their notes on the platform, but membership is free and also gives you access to other students’ notes.

Bonus: How To Become A Top Note Seller

Here are some tips on how to sell the heck out of your college notes and become a top seller on your chosen platform.

Offer a sample of your notes or a mini-study guide for free.

Free samples are hard for students to pass up. Students who get free samples of your notes are more likely to buy your notes and are more likely to leave positive reviews.

Keep your prices affordable.

Free samples are great, but students won’t end up buying your notes if your prices are too expensive.

Person holding out change

Don’t sell yourself short, but bear in mind that college students don’t have much to spend. Strive to price your work product such that you’re compensated for your hard work while still allowing college students to afford it.

Advertise to your network.

No matter where you sell your college notes, make sure that you let your target market know that you’re selling.

Chances are your school would have a digital noticeboard or forum where you can post the link to where you’re selling your study notes.

Advertise on social media and your website as well. If you don’t have a website yet, it’s the perfect time to get one set up, not only for this side cash endeavor but for all of your future online businesses or endeavors.

Observe what other top sellers are doing.

Learn from other people who are successfully selling their own notes.

Find out what strategies other top sellers are doing and see if you can implement it or a version of it that fits with the other techniques that you’re doing.

Start Selling Your College Notes Today!

The main challenge of making side money as a college student is finding the time to do the work.

Luckily, there’s a way you can earn money by doing what you normally do as a student, and that’s by selling your college notes.

Start taking high-quality notes and selling them today!

Other Ways You Can Make Money

There are other ways you can make some side cash aside from selling your notes. The most popular is to become an online tutor.

Or you can go through this list of online jobs for college students.

The Definitive Guide to Starting an Airbnb Business

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How To Start An Airbnb Business

If you have a house, apartment, condo, or even a spare room, you might want to rent it out and learn how to start an Airbnb business to pull in some side cash or even make it your main source of income.

Ever since the company now known as Airbnb was founded in 2008, millions of property owners and hosts have been making money off of renting out their properties temporarily to short-term visitors.

Some have even acquired properties with the main purpose of listing it on Airbnb to make some money.

In today’s article, learn how to start your own Airbnb business: what to consider before starting, how to make your listing attractive to the right customers, and how to be successful in this business.

How To Start Your Airbnb Business

Before you start your business, you need to understand that while renting out your property has the potential to make you a living, it’s a huge undertaking that requires commitment.

That is, it takes plenty of time, effort, and focus to create and maintain a successful Airbnb business. If you don’t think you can spare a lot of these, maybe this business isn’t for you.

Here are the steps to take to start running your Airbnb business:

1. Research the specific laws in your city.

The laws related to renting out a property on Airbnb differ among cities.

For instance, for short-term rentals (less than 30 nights), San Francisco requires that the permanent resident (that would be you) be present when someone rents your property for the entire duration of their stay. You are also required to register as a business and pay a transient occupancy tax.

It pays to know what the laws are so you can avoid paying hefty fines. You can look up the gist of short-term rental laws for major US cities in this page, but for more complete information, it’s best to contact your local government directly.

2. Read up on the rules and contract provisions if you’re renting.

If you’re only renting the property that you’re listing on Airbnb, make sure you aren’t any violating any of the terms of your rental agreement.

Landlords generally don’t allow renters to sublet, and if they do, they normally have certain rules and safeguards in place to protect themselves and their property. Find out all you can so you don’t have to worry when you do start your Airbnb business.

3. Create a solid business plan.

Wanting to succeed is one thing, but planning to succeed is another thing.

Having a business plan allows you to map out the details of your business, discover some previously unknown factors, and know exactly what you need to work on.

Here are some of the questions to ask when writing out your business plan.

What are the costs involved?

When starting your Airbnb business with a property you already own, you can expect to spend initially for sprucing up the property and making it attractive to potential renters.

Airbnb Expenses

How much you spend is almost entirely dependent on the existing condition of your property. Cleaning, furnishing, repairs, and general maintenance are just some of the likely costs.

Regularly recurring costs include Airbnb’s host service fee (normally 3% but may be higher based on your location), cleaning materials, amenities such as coffee, snacks, towels, and bed linens.

Other costs that you have to get ready to spend for include repairs and maintenance fees for the appliances and furniture.

You can incorporate the costs into the price of the rental to cover them, or in the case of cleaning, you can add a cleaning fee in your pricing settings.

Any repairs for furniture that’s damaged by the renters should be covered by the deposit that they’re required to pay when they book through Airbnb. Any damage beyond that can be claimed through Airbnb’s Resolution Center.

Who is your target market?

Unlike other businesses, when you go into an Airbnb business, you already have a product for which you’re trying to find a target market.

Airbnb renters are usually looking for a place to stay briefly, usually around 2 to 5 nights.

In addition, renters are generally looking for a more personal experience than staying in a hotel or motel.

Depending on the size of your property, you can either target individuals, couples, or families.

Consider the location of your property as well. Is your area a tourist spot popular with vacationers? Or are you in an urban area that is visited for business trips, seminars, or conventions?

Think about the traffic of visitors to your area. Is there a seasonal music festival, sporting event, or convention near where you are? Or are there peaks during the holidays? Or is there a regular influx of visitors into your area all throughout the year?

How much rent should you charge?

I know, I know. Math.

The price of your rent should depend on multiple factors, and doing some market research will help you get to a fair price that’s profitable.

Consider the size and the location of your property, as well as the amenities you’re willing to offer them.

Also, think about your competition. Does your area have hotels around? Or other Airbnb properties? How much are they charging?

airbnb rent

Also consider if you’re going to charge higher for peak days or even months when your property is more likely to be in demand.

As I’ve mentioned above, you’ll need to consider your costs and if your rental price can cover these costs while still earning you money.

How much money can you expect to make?

Yup. More math.

When you haven’t started, it’s quite difficult to estimate how much you can make per month.

The best you can do is to estimate it by assuming your property is booked three nights a week at the minimum rental rate that you were planning to charge renters.

Then, calculate how much profit you earn per night by subtracting the cost from your rental price. Multiply this profit by three nights a week and four weeks a month to estimate your projected monthly income.

When you have your business up and running, keep meticulous records of your income and costs so you know whether or not you’re making money on the property so you can adjust your strategy and pricing if you need to.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Your business plan should also include how you’re going to increase your profits over time.

You can do this by raising prices, but you risk dissatisfaction, especially if you manage to get regular renters or your prices are higher than other properties in your area.

You can balance this out by offering more amenities or doing minor renovations and improvements to the property to justify the price increase.

At some point, you might want to expand your Airbnb business, either by acquiring and listing additional properties in the same area, or branding out into a new area entirely.

If you do decide to expand, check first if it’s possible given the laws in your area. As I’ve mentioned, some cities require the property owner to be a permanent resident of the property being rented out, meaning you have to be physically there for most of the year.

And if you’re allowed to do this, what’s your plan for overseeing the properties? Are you going to hire a caretaker to help your guests? Can the increased income accommodate hiring an employee?

4. Form a legal business entity to protect your Airbnb business.

The usual legal business entity that Airbnb business owners set up is a limited liability company (LLC) because it’s simple to file and benefits both you personally and your business.

The major benefit to you is that your personal finances are separated from your business finances. So in case a renter ever sues you for something related to your business for any reason, you personally won’t be held liable, only your business will be.

To make sure your finances are segregated, make sure you open a business bank account and credit card. That way, when you set up payment with Airbnb, the payments go into your business accounts.

Operating as an LLC allows you to register for state and federal taxes, as well as take advantage of a few tax breaks.

Also, make sure to take out insurance on your property, if you haven’t already done so.

5. Sign up for an Airbnb account.

Once you’re legally in business, register on Airbnb as a host by clicking on Get Started on this page.

Decide whether to sign in using your email address, Facebook profile, or Google account. Once you’ve selected your option, fill out the information requested, submit it, and you can start customizing your profile and putting up listings.

airbnb app

Read the terms and policies thoroughly to make sure that you don’t unwittingly violate these policies and get banned from Airbnb.

Also, read this guide to responsible hosting in the United States and learn all the information you possibly can.

6. Write appealing listings.

When you’re ready to list your property on Airbnb, you can now start creating the listings for your property.

Here is a guide on how to write listings that attract potential renters.

Create a compelling title.

“One-bedroom condo” doesn’t quite cut it, not if you want users to notice your listing right away.

Find descriptive words and phrases that sincerely capture the experience they’re going to get when they stay. “Quiet” and “tranquil” are great to describe a peaceful retreat. Or maybe “lively” or “dynamic” if you’re located in a bustling urban area.

If your property has other unique features, such as a balcony overlooking a view, or proximity to a place of interest, make sure to mention it.

Of course, don’t go overboard with the adjectives on the title, because you want the property to sell itself.

Upload multiple photos of your property.

The title of your listing will catch their attention but what keeps them on your listing are images of the property.

Take multiple, high-quality images of the property inside and out from a variety of flattering angles.

airbnb kitchen

Show off the main areas: bedroom/s, bathroom/s, kitchen, laundry room, and the living room.

The extras are also worth showing; if you have a state-of-the-art kitchen with modern stoves and equipped with nice cookware, or a balcony with a fantastic view, or access to a swimming pool, make sure you capture them on photos.

Plenty of Airbnb veteran hosts recommend posting not less than 10 photos per listing. This gives users a very good idea of what your property looks like and if it’s a good fit for them.

Quick note: Before you do your photoshoot, make sure everything is clean and tidy while still showing off your personality.

Write a detailed description.

This is where you can make good on the promise of your title and really delve into what makes your property special and why they should book it now.

As with your title, use descriptive words to help them visualize your property’s amenities.

Bear in mind that these descriptions should match with the photos of the property you’ve uploaded to your listing, so you need to write separate descriptions for all the main rooms that give details that may not be apparent in the photos.

For instance, you can have a photo of your couch that you can describe as “comfortable,” or you can have a photo of your kitchen and in your description, you can include the brands or style of the appliances.

Also, if you offer something extra, include it in your description. So if you’re featuring a fully-stocked fridge or pantry where they can get whatever they like or a stack of board games in the living room, make sure to mention that.

7. Promote and market your Airbnb business.

Running an Airbnb business means your listings and bookings are handled by Airbnb’s site. Because of the way the site is set up, your rating is one of the first things Airbnb customers will see when they’re looking at listings.

This means much of your marketing will come from word of mouth; that is, your renters’ positive reviews. With this in mind, you need to ensure that your renters are satisfied with the whole experience from start to finish.

Make sure you’re always responsive to their queries, from the time they reserve your property to the time they check out. Don’t forget to reach out to them afterward and ask for their honest feedback.

Aside from the word of mouth, you also want to attract potential renters to Airbnb and book your property. Promote your Airbnb listing on your social media and your website.

If you don’t have a website or social media presence, now’s a good time to create these marketing channels that link back to your Airbnb listing.

Even if your listing “lives” in Airbnb, having a web presence is essential in case Airbnb ever folds up or if you want to eventually list your property on other platforms as well.

8. Aim for repeat customers.

Promoting and marketing is mainly to get new renters, but it’s also a good idea to get regular renters and keep them coming back.

Of course, the best way to attract and retain customers is to invest in the upkeep of your property. Make sure it’s perpetually clean, furnished, and comfortable.

Also, I’ve previously mentioned asking feedback, but feedback is only as good as what you do with it. Pay close attention to what your renters say you did right and what can be improved.

Additional Tips On Being An Exceptional Airbnb Host

Whether you’re hosting for side cash or as a fulltime Airbnb business owner, being a good host is essential. Here are some tips to be an excellent Airbnb host.

1. Be honest and straightforward.

When you’re writing descriptions and uploading photos, it’s tempting to embellish the great aspects and hide the not-so-great aspects of your property.

But this will definitely backfire when your renter gets to see and experience everything up close.

Always be upfront with everything about your property. Chipped paint? Some discolored tiles or imperfect grout? Just be honest and price your property accordingly.

At the end of the day, most renters simply want an affordable, clean place to stay, rest, and relax. Your goal should be to provide that to them.

2. Familiarize yourself with all the legal aspects of renting out.

We’ve covered this above, but this needs to be emphasized.

You don’t want to deal with legal issues on top of the things you already have to deal with when running your business.

If you require permits and licenses, get them together as soon as you can. Some areas also charge special taxes for Airbnb hosts.

Know your rights as a property owner, as well as your renters’ rights.

3. Treat your renters as guests.

Remember that most of the time, your renters will behave as guests.

They normally wouldn’t expect you to act as their butler or maid and expect you to wait on them hand and foot. They’re generally respectful of your furniture and appliances.

You might even get an occasional thank-you note or a small gift of appreciation.

airbnb gift

This coin has two sides, though. Know your rights as a host and draw the line at unreasonable demands and behavior.

For instance, if your renters come home drunk and puke everywhere and don’t clean up, or they violate any of the House Rules you’ve set and they’ve previously agreed to (e.g. no pets, no smoking), or worse, destroy your stuff, don’t be afraid to draw the line and ask them to leave.

Also, don’t hesitate to get Airbnb or even the police involved in extreme incidents.

You might want to turn off automatic booking so you can vet your renters before they make a payment.

4. Keep all payments and communications within Airbnb.

A benefit of listing your property on Airbnb is that you’re insured up to $1 million in case something untoward happens. But a condition of being covered is that you have to keep all exchanges of money as well as messages within the Airbnb platform.

Besides, Airbnb takes a cut of your profit. The least they can do is to provide a safe, secure platform for payments, communications, and support for both renters and hosts.

5. Pay close attention to detail.

Successful Airbnb hosts and business owners notice details and give their own personal touches on their properties.

Think about the type of experience you’ll be creating. You want to stand out from the hundreds or thousands of listings, and so aside from providing the necessities to your renters, think of providing little extras and bonuses.

Complimentary snacks, coffee, and tea are nice, as well as various entertainment options like books, board games, movies, and video games.

You may want to leave them a welcome gift, like a bottle of wine or something that fits their personality based on their profile or your initial interaction with them.

If you’re in a tourist location, you may want to create a brief unofficial guide to your city for your renters to peruse, either in a physical book form or a digital file.

So Is Running An Airbnb Business For You?

To be successful in your Airbnb business, you need to maintain a steady cycle of attracting new renters, keeping your renters satisfied, and encouraging repeat bookings.

All this needs to be done along with property upkeep and periodically improving and upgrading your amenities.

So as you can imagine, starting an Airbnb business takes major commitment and investment.

If you’re not absolutely certain you can devote as much time, effort, and attention as needed to make your Airbnb business successful, you might want to list your property only occasionally for some side cash.

Other Resources

There are other sites and applications that can list your property, which we’ve covered in this article.

Or maybe you aren’t ready to rent out your home to strangers yet. Why not start with your car? We’ve written a guide on how to earn money by renting out your car.

95 Legitimate Work from Home Jobs for 2023

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There are few things more frustrating than trying to find legitimate work from home jobs.

That’s why I did all of the research for you.

Below is a list of 95 different work from home jobs you can do and they are all completely legit.

Best of all, each job idea links out to companies that are currently hiring. This list literally contains thousands of companies that are actively hiring remote works.

This is one of the most comprehensive and complete guide online today.

Hopefully this list helps alleviate some of the headaches you’ve no doubt experienced while searching for a job.

Let’s just get right to it!

Please note that this list ONLY includes jobs that can lead to a substantial income if hired.

And by income, I mean, these jobs PAY YOU. Some work from home jobs pay by the hour, others are salaried, some include benefits, and others offer career advancement options. Remember, these are JOBS!

Admin Work From Home Jobs

Admin Work at Home Jobs

1. Data Entry Jobs

Data entry involves scraping information from one source and transferring them into a new source.

Pay for these jobs are either by project or per entry completed.

Rates can be on the low side, but considering how many data entry jobs are available without any educational/skill requirement, it’s a great way to start a work-from-home career.

Here are 14 companies offering real data entry jobs.

2. Virtual Assistant

A VA (virtual assistant) is the modern-day secretary.

Tasks include answering phone calls, responding to e-mails, organizing tasks, and more. General VAs earn somewhere from $4 to $10/hour, while those with specialized skill (such as marketing or programming) earn higher.

Want to learn how to be the Jack-of-all-trade VA?

Read my guide to virtual assistance here.

3. Transcription

If turning audio (like interviews) into text is something you’d be great at, check out these 15 online transcription companies that pay.

Note that bilingual jobs should be priced higher than English transcriptions.

4. Web Research

Research is highly lucrative because most companies have no time to go through the nitty-gritty of compiling thousands of local business e-mail addresses or mining a list of cosmetologists within a specific state.

Here are 7 companies hiring online research jobs.

You can also find one-off projects like these on Upwork.com.

5. Translation Work

If you’re bilingual and would want to use your skill for a new career, provide translation services whenever possible.

There’s plenty of work to be discovered online, whether you’re fluent in French, Russian, Arabic, Chinese, or any other language.

Note that you may price your service higher when translating legal documents, medical transcripts and other technical texts beyond the scope of regular folk’s expertise.

6. Customer Service

Customer service jobs were one of the first legit opportunities available online.

Today, even giant companies like Amazon and TeleTech offer entry-level positions with benefits.

Pay ranges from $8 to $25 per hour, depending on experience levels.

Many of the customer service jobs are phone-based, which means you’d need a working landline and phone service on top of a desktop/laptop and other devices.

In some cases, chat-based support may only require a computer, high-speed internet and acceptable typing speed.

If you’re a part of the technical support team of a company’s products and services, your responsibilities may slightly vary.

Other jobs that may fall under customer service include home-based travel agent, helpdesk, sales agents, and more.

Writing Work From Home Jobs

Writing Work From Home Jobs

7. Blogging

There are two ways to get started with blogging.

Either get hired by someone and begin blogging away on the client’s website, or start your own blog and monetize it.

Of course, the first option is better if you need money more quickly since blogging from scratch won’t make you rich overnight.

If the blog owner pays you for the posts you publish, you’ll receive a nice paycheck at the end of each month.

8. Copywriting

If you’ve got flair for words, copywriting should be your go-to specialization.

Copywriting is one of the most expensive types of writing, with the most in-demand writers bagging 20 cents to $1 per word projects easily.

Marketing copy for websites, email campaigns, landing pages, etc. are often sought out by companies.

Freelance is the way to go – so copywriters can juggle multiple clients at a time and earn the biggest chunk of commissions.

9. Web Content Writing

Writing for the web is similar to blogging, except copyright of all the content you craft such as ebooks, manuals, articles, magazine features, technical writing, blog posts, and other texts will be passed on to the client.

Depending on the job agreement, a web content writing position may be paid on a per-word basis, weekly or monthly.

It is rare to find writing jobs with hourly rates.

We found 153 companies that are hiring people to get paid to write. This list is the most extensive one here.

10. Editing & Proofreading

Those with exceptional grammar and writing skills will have a great chance at finding editing work from home jobs.

As a rule of thumb, rates of proofreaders/editors should be at least double the rate of web content writers.

This job isn’t for the faint of heart though, since deadlines and other demands of the job can be brutal.

Up for the challenge? Try one of these 32 companies looking for proofreaders.

11. Academic Writing

Writing academic papers has been a booming business for years, even if the whole idea of writing essays or papers for lazy students who are willing to pay ghostwriters has been debated since the start of these websites.

Essaywriters.net, for example, lets you pick a topic you wish from the database, let you work on the essay, and get paid upon approval.

12. Resume/Cover Letter Writing

Writing resumes and cover letters require very specific rules and styles.

If you’re skilled at making resumes look impressive to the eyes of an HR personnel, then you can try your luck at this writing subsector.

You can join a company like Resume Writers so you skip marketing and go straight to writing, or market your own writing service on a platform like Fiverr.

13. News Writing

If you know the who’s, what’s, where’s, when’s, why’s and how’s of stories you read day in, day out, your journalistic talent may be trying to get out.

You can either write news for a single blog, or a news network site.

Either way, payment will mostly be done on a weekly or monthly basis. You can also try to apply to SmartBrief and summarize news stories in exchange for $14/hour pay.

14. Email Marketing Specialist

If you have experience with internet marketing and a proven track record with successful copywriting, this career path would be perfect for you.

Not only does it offer up to $50/hour pay, it also introduces you to an entire group of internet marketing clients, who will more than likely keep you busy for years once you’ve proven your copy to work wonders.

15. eBook Writing

The cool thing about writing an eBook in this day and age is that there are endless tools to make it a breeze.

As a writer, offering an eBook package to your clients allows you to focus on one topic at a time and serve as a break from demanding deadlines.

If you know someone who could help with eBook cover design as well, then best to pair up for the service package.

In the long run, you can even write your own eBook, market it yourself, and keep 100% profit of your passive-income generating eBook.

16. Online Dating Ghostwriting

Yes, you read that right.

If you’re a natural flirt with a strong romance game going on, why not help other people get their love lives started?

This type of ghostwriting is kind of underground and in the gray area when it comes to ethical writing, but has existed for years on popular online dating sites like Match.com and Bumble. You’ll even find some help-wanted job ads for ghostwriter on Tinder.

Interested? Curious? Learn more about this job here.

17. Legal Writer

Those who have a law education or experience in a legal profession would find home in any of these 10 websites that provide legal writing jobs.

Some projects include estate planning, consulting, writing legal content for sites, white papers, and more.

18. Fiction Writing

Love making up stories of gore, horror, romance, sci-fi, or adventure?

You’ll have to work on your math to build up an actual income, but since there are over 20 sites that accept submissions of fiction and short stories, you’re bound to make the cut as long as you got the goods.

Educational Work From Home Jobs

Teaching Work from Home Jobs

19. Online Teaching

Teaching has been a part of the online employment space for years.

Professional licensed teachers, or even just passionate people who love to share what they know to others has plenty of opportunities available online.

You can either make money by blogging about what you know, or find an online teaching company that often serves as the middleman for students and fellow teachers like you.

These companies charge by the hour… sometimes as little as $5/hour, or as high as $25/hour.

20. Homework Tutoring

You don’t have to visit houses for tutoring gigs anymore.

Today, you simply need to apply and log-in to sites like Homeworktutoring.com and get paid for helping students with math, English, physics, economics, chemistry, biology and other subjects.

Generally, tutors don’t need teaching qualifications to land a job, but rates could go higher for licensed educators.

Here are 10 companies hiring online tutors.

21. ESL Teaching

Millions of people around the world are interested in learning how to speak English properly to advance their careers or just to learn a second language.

Anyone can become an ESL teacher with these ESL companies and start a work from home job that pays by the hour.

22. Write Lesson Plans

Dozens of teachers have successfully turned this into a lucrative business.

It may sound sketchy, but teachers only sell lessons plans to fellow teachers, who in turn, spend less time preparing class lessons during their down time.

And some people make over six figures per year writing them.

23. Test Scoring

If you’re interested in a seasonal, part-time job, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) opens up slots for online test scorers for tests like TOEFL, GRE, and more.

24. Online Fitness Coach

There’s a growing community of online fitness coaches who are making videos of exercises and fitness programs.

You can do this by creating an exercise and diet plan in exchange for a one-off fee.

Graphic & Design Work From Home Jobs

Graphic design jobs from home

25. Draw Cartoons and Caricatures

Many artists are selling customized work online.

Whether you’re good at caricatures or crafting unique cartoon characters, there’s a special niche you can choose for your drawing business. A great place to showcase your work is on DeviantArt or Fiverr.

You can maximize your earnings as a cartoonist by following these tips.

26. Supply Companies Digital Flyers and Posters

Companies now understand that artists can be hired on a telecommute basis and still retain the requirements of the job.

If you’re a pro at Photoshop and graphic design, you’ll have a lucrative career creating flyers and posters for companies.

27. Web Designer

There’s a special skill in designing a website with proper layout that caters to efficient user experience.

The outlook of web designing continues to be high with 27% growth rate until 2024.

You can earn up to $65,000/year with this career and there are tons of work-from-home opportunities available.

28. Infographic and Banner Ad Designer

The need for engaging content on websites and social media has increased the need for infographics and banner ads.

A graphics design artist with years of web design experience can easily cater to clients with these projects on top of his/her career or business.

The great thing is you can do this freelance, or employ with a web design firm.

29. Design T-Shirts

Love designing quirky and interesting t-shirts?

You can turn this passion into profit by joining print-on-demand websites.

You won’t have a fixed income, but if your designs become popular, you can definitely earn huge in this business and even turn all past designs into a passive income-generating machine.

30. Logo Designer

Logos remain an important part of branding in any company; logos are now needed on websites, blogs, apps, printed materials, and so on.

So if you have vector skills, this career route should be one of your priorities.

Logo designers on Fiverr earn somewhere from as little as $10 to a whopping $1,000 per job, so the income you make depends largely on your skills and how well you market yourself.

31. Illustrations

From sketches to children’s book drawings, anime or black and white portraits, you can sell your artwork online no matter what drawing style you’re good at.

Some even make a living creating maps of imaginary worlds, or a customized adult coloring book.

You’ll need to master the popular tools like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and more, but once you do, your earning potential is endless since there’s a market for every kind of artwork online.

32. Freelance Photographer

You don’t need to work a desk job as a photographer to earn a great income.

As a freelance photographer, you can take your camera and laptop anywhere and still be able to produce stunning work.

What’s great about this career is that almost any industry requires professionally-taken photos. For instance, Obeo hires photographers to take pictures of homes on the real estate market.

33. eBook Designer

eBooks are here to stay, which makes ebook designing a suitable career for those with internet marketing, publishing and graphics design experience.

This job doesn’t just involve creating a head-turning cover, it also requires designers to format the book with proper layout (Table of contents, call-to-action buttons, and more).

Adobe InDesign or other specialized software should be used.

A single eBook can churn out as little as $100 or high as $1,000.

34. Sell Calligraphy

If you’ve mastered the art of calligraphy and is obsesses with Pinstagram-worthy artwork, you can turn this hobby into a full-pledged income-generating career.

There are several ways to do this, but selling calligraphy on Etsy proves to be the most effective.

35. Write Greeting cards

Love inspirational quotes and heart-warming greeting card designs?

The paper card version may not be as popular today, but the virtual kind continues to be a favorite all over the world.

There are over 25 companies that would love to hire a card designer with a fresh take on happy birthday or Valentine’s Day cards, so make sure to check them out.

Audio & Video Work From Home Jobs

Audio work from home jobs

36. Create Whiteboard Videos

Explainer videos have become a popular way for companies to “explain” products, services, finances, and other topics that may have been hard to communicate otherwise.

It showcases information in easy-on-the-eyes animation.

There’s a huge income potential for this niche and there’s very little competition right now.

37. Voice Over Acting

Do you have what it makes to become the next James Earl Jones or Morgan Freeman?

Were you born with an amazing voice that fits ads and other videos perfectly?

You can provide voice-over work as a freelancer on Fiverr, or join a group of voice-over talent on companies like Voices.com or InternetJock.com and earn as much as 35% commissions on every job.

38. Write Closed Captions

Closed-captioning originated in the broadcasting industry, wherein texts are placed at the bottom of the screen and shows viewers the exact words people are saying on screen.

Today, it’s available in YouTube and most video content, so the closed-captioning industry has become a thing of its own.

You can apply with several companies offering full-time closed-captioning work with pay ranging from $10 to up to $75/hour.

39. Join a Video Production Company

If you have experience in video production, you can find telecommute or work-from-home jobs that cater to the production of videos from start to finish.

From freelance motion graphics artist to post-production editing, there are tons of available opportunities to choose from.

Hourly rates vary, depending on your experience, skill and job description.

40. Create Animated Videos

Creating short animated logos, banners and videos could earn you from $50 to $500 a pop.

If you’re good at 3D animation, this can add up pretty quick and give you a substantial monthly income.

Fiverr and Upwork have tons of gigs available for animated video work, so make sure to check out what’s available.

Better yet, build a website for your portfolio, so you could market your animated video work more effectively.

41. Write Lyrics

Poets and those with a flair for lyrics can have a career in video production.

Marketing companies regularly hire people to write music lyrics for ads, and other types of content.

You can even write lyrics for a client’s romantic engagement plans, or have it in Spanish, Hebrew, or any other language. Rates for lyrics range from $20 to $500.

42. Create a Jingle

Creating jingles have been a popular side gig for musicians for decades, but the advent of YouTube and online marketing has refreshed its popularity and it seems to be a growing sub-niche in video production.

Whether you’re using a ukulele or any other instrument with your jingle, or just your voice in English, Spanish, or another language, you’d find that each custom, 30-second jingle can earn you anywhere from $30 to $200.

Not bad for a day of hard work, right?

43. Sing or Rap for Videos

If you’re not fond of jingles, but has the voice chops for a brandable song, you can always sing or rap for cash.

As long as you have a home studio set-up and an amazing voice to boot, you can advertise your skills and earn up to $500 per song. To give you a perspective on the income potential as an online singer, there’s a popular opera singer on Fiverr who earns $1,000 for every 1-minute song produced.

44. Produce Sound Effects for Videos

Audio engineers can make a killing online earning from sound effect work.

Whether you love making zombie sounds, or adding sound effects for animation, mobile games, apps, podcast, short ads, commercials, corporate videos, there’s always a need for professionally created, royalty-free sound effects.

Earn about $10 for every 10-second sound effects and if you’re pretty good, this could add up quickly to a sufficient monthly income.

45. Compose Original Music

Musicians looking to cash in on their guitar or piano skills can compose original music for clients in exchange for cash.

The soundtrack can be used for a wide range of industries, and included in YouTube promos, TV ads, presentations, trailers, branding, and more.

Depending on the genre of music you could provide, rates can be as basic as $100 a pop, or up to $1000 for corporate jobs.

Web, Mobile & Software Development Work From Home Jobs

46. Search Engine Evaluator

Help Google, Bing, and other companies ensure that their search engines are working effectively.

You can earn up to $15/hour by testing web search inquiries of its relevancy, sending reports to the company, and cashing in monthly.

Google is the biggest employer of these kinds of jobs, but there are several legit companies that hire search engine evaluators regularly as well.

47. Game Developer

Game development has had its peak at the height of the Android and iOs boom, but it continues to be a lucrative career option if you have experience in the field.

Whether you’re expertise is in the development of online games or games for consoles like PS4 or Xbox, the need for skilled game developers are at an all-time high.

As a home-based game developer, you can earn up to $65,000/year (or more), depending on the company you apply to.

48. Mobile App Developer

There are tons of success stories of mobile app developers who have hit it big and sold their apps for millions of dollars.

But if you’re just starting out and want a more stable income, you can check out Android Jobs or Core Intuition (for iOs/Mac) for mobile app development jobs with an hourly rate or project-based fee.

There’s always space for more apps in the world of smartphones and mobile gadgets, so the outlook for this career path remains positive even after 2017.

49. Software Programmer

The number of software programmers working from home full-time has been growing 11.5% each year in the last 10 years and this number won’t be going down any day.

If you’re one of the thousands of skilled programmers thinking of transitioning into a home-based position, there are always opportunities available for experienced software programmers.

An average of $70,000 can be earned, but this income can go lower or higher depending on experience and expertise.

50. Quality Assurance Tester

Those with comprehensive experience in software development can transition into QA testing.

The pay is much lower, about $10 to $15/hour, but you get to work totally from the comfort of your own home 40 hours a week.

Crossover, for example, has a continuous need for QA testers from around the world.

51. Helpdesk Support

If you have technical knowledge in mobile phones, networking, software, apps, and other common tech issues, you’d be amazed by the number of helpdesk opportunities available for you.

Chat-based support often receives less per-hour rates compared to phone-based support, so if you have a landline and fast internet and aren’t bothered by phone jobs, then choose from any of these 7 legit companies offering home-based helpdesk support jobs.

52. Technical Writer

For those who are lucky to have a knack of writing technical material, such as programming tutorials, there’s a very special place for you in the online world.

It’s rare to find people with both exceptional writing skills and tech knowhow, which is why technical writers earn anywhere from $30 to $75/hour rate, plus more if you decide to do consulting as well.

53. Web Developer

There is never any shortage for websites that need creating, so web developers continue to be in-demand.

If you’ve got mad skills in coding in HTML and CSS with in-depth knowledge in languages like Ruby, JQuery and JavaScript, you can earn up to $70,000 annually as a web developer.

The great thing about this career is you can build a portfolio from past projects, so it’s easier to market your work in web dev.

54. IT Project Manager

With many virtual offices being put up, even managerial positions can be done from home.

Such as the case of IT project managers, whose main job is to oversee tasks of a work-from-home team from start to finish.

Much like its office-based counterpart, IT project managers communicate with the team, end users and customers throughout the duration of a project.

Earning potential is lower than $100,000 a year.

55. System Administrator

Remote technologies have given sysadmins an opportunity to perform their jobs from home.

Today, system administrators can develop systems, install, maintain and upgrade computer systems even without being on-site.

While the office-based sysadmin can earn about $70,000/year, note that the home-based version usually has lower rates.

Internet Marketing and Social Media Work From Home Jobs

Social Media Work from Home

56. Social Media Marketer

Do you know the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media networks?

Do you have your own following? Is it easy for you to communicate on social media?

If so, there are tons of companies who would be lining up to hire you to manage their social media accounts.

You can earn as little as $15 an hour, or as high as $30/hour, depending on the company and your level of experience.

57. SEO Specialist

A search engine optimization specialist or expert wears many hats, but the job’s ultimate goal is to optimizing content and webpages for Google Search.

It’s a type of career that can only be performed through extensive experience, since no amount of certifications or degrees could compare to A/B testing and proven track records.

If you have what it takes to increase rankings of web pages, you can earn from $35/hour to up to $200/hour.

58. Internet Marketer

Internet marketing professionals has a flair for advertising products, services, or events online.

Their job encompasses SEO, SEM (search engine marketing), target market research, e-mail marketing, content strategy, keyword research, webpage banner ads, and more.

Depending on your experience, you can earn up to $1,000 a month per client.

59. PPC Consultant

Online businesses rely on ads to attract more customers and spread word about their products or services.

But placing ads isn’t as simple.

A PPC consultant helps manage paid ad campaigns and decide which network (Google/Bing/etc.) is best to post an ad, at what time, and directed at which type of audience.

Setting up an ad campaign can earn a PPC consultant $1k up to $5k, then a monthly fee of $300 (or more) for continuous management.

60. Lead Generation Specialist

Lead generation specialists help companies discover and collection information of potential customers who have higher chances of buying the products.

Because customers are the number 1 driving force of businesses, leads to buying customers are priceless.

As such, lead generation specialists can earn $3,500/month per client.

And if you go the freelance route and take in more clients, the earning potential is limitless.

61. E-mail Campaign Copywriter

Newsletters and email campaigns require a special kind of writing skill because it involves keyword and market research, strategically-placed call-to-action buttons, and a bit of psychology that would encourage readers to join, buy, or perform any other goal.

Depending on what works best for you, you can set an hourly rate of $35 to $50/hour, or a one-off fee ranging from $200 to $1000 for the entire campaign.

62. E-mail Marketing Expert

This internet marketing professional is the go-to guy in everything involved in creating effective marketing strategies and proper distribution techniques of email newsletters.

The e-mail marketing expert uses statistical analyses and social media cues to increase sales.

The average pay range of this career is about $50,000.

63. Affiliate Marketing Executive

If you’ve been in the make-money-online space for years, you know exactly what affiliate marketing is and how it works.

Those with proven track results of growing revenue via affiliate marketing will have the opportunity to earn up to $80,000/year, plus commissions depending on the deal you made with your clients.

64. Social Media Influencer

Marketing agencies are always on the lookout for big names in social media.

If you have a huge following and can “influence” this audience by promoting products and services, you can turn your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media accounts into a money-making portfolio.

Generally, social media influencers are either paid per post or per campaign and the rates are dictated by the amount of followers you have.

65. Analytics Master

Those who know their way around Google Analytics and can analyze the website data and use this to improve traffic, convert leads, enhance page loads, and ensure that search engines crawl through the web site regularly.

A Google webmaster is a very specific job, which means competition is low but qualifications can be grueling.

If you’re confident of your skills, you can earn from $40 to $50 an hour working as a Google Webmaster for each client.

66. Social Media Evaluator

Social media evaluators are hired by social media networks (or third-party companies hired by the big social media) to assess certain parts of the platform and improve relevancy of the newsfeed for better user experience.

In some cases, ad placements, navigational menu, or newest updates on each social media platform are evaluated.

There’s no specific requirement to become a social media evaluator, which is both a good thing (no certifications or advanced skills needed) and a bad thing (competition can be tough).

Social media evaluators are usually paid $10 to $15 an hour.

Miscellaneous and Odd Work From Home Jobs

Odd Word from Home Jobs

67. Online headhunter or Virtual Recruiter

The cool thing about globalization is that even jobs that have been exclusively performed in the office can now be done from home.

As an online headhunter or virtual recruiter, your job is to find skilled talent for a company or client’s specific requirement.

While majority of online headhunting positions are commission-based, look further and you’d be able to see opportunities with a base salary of around $47,000/year with commissions.

Even Amazon is hiring HR people to work from home.

68. Mortgage-Loan Officer

Banks and other financial institutions have welcomed the potential of generating leads online and have begun hiring virtual mortgage loan officers that work from home.

As a loan officer, your main role is to help people get approved for a home loan.

And like most opportunities in the financial industry, the income potential is impressive.

On top of an average of $60,000 annual income, loan officers may also take home up to 2% commission for every loan closed.

69. Assistant General Counsel

Even attorneys can work from home and earn a substantial income.

As an assistant general counsel, your job is to help companies comply with relevant laws and regulations by developing policies and business practices in line with state, federal and international laws. On average, assistant general counsels can make up to $190,000 annually.

70. Problem-Solver or General Researcher

Do you love Googling various information every day? Are you a natural at researching?

If so, there’s a sub-niche of online workers whose main goal is to solve problems of clients.

On Fiverr alone, online private lessons in this category go from solving a mechanical engineering problem, to answering police questions.

71. Online Counselor

Online counseling is just like the traditional counseling, except your patient won’t have to visit your office.

You could just “meet” online instead. Those with counseling experience and educational background can earn from $15 to $25 per hour, while senior-level counselors with over 10 years of experience can even make up to $50/hour.

If you don’t have qualifications and still want to become an online counselor, give relationship or life advice, post an ad on Fiverr instead.

72. Nutrition Planner

Nutritionists with a knack of writing can consult or write features for fitness websites for up to $500 per piece.

If you want a more stable income stream, you can provide a service to create customized meal plans with exercise programs and earn about $100/month per client.

Those who wish to employ with a company can take home up to $44,000 annually from a work-from-home nutritionist position.

73. Genealogy Researcher

Genealogists (those who study family history or family trees) can work online with flexible hours and enjoy the freedom to take on multiple clients.

Those with certifications can earn up to $100/hour, while hobbyist genealogy researchers are paid from $15 to $25/hour or on a per-project basis.

74. Gaming Coach

Are you exceptionally amazing at a particular game?

Are you willing to share your well-kept secret on how to move past a popularly-difficult level on Dark Souls 3?

Can you create a custom Minecraft world?

If you have a specific skill on any game and want to coach someone in exchange for cash, there’s a community of gamers open to welcoming you as a gaming coach any day.

Your earnings, of course, depends on the job you complete.

75. Local Travel Guide

Even travel guides don’t have to be in the field anymore.

With the popularity of travel blogging and forums, locals have gone online and provided tourism services to visitors.

As a local travel guide, you can be paid by creating a custom itinerary for tourists based on their requirements (kid-friendly, nature trips, beach stop, etc.). Some even go further by creating a budget spreadsheet, or including basic local phrases for the trip.

76. Notary

Notary services are more in-demand than most people expect.

The cost to get setup is minimal and it’s a great way to pull in some extra money each week from the comforts of your own home.

I’ve broken down the exact steps you need to follow to become a notary.

77. Fashion Stylist

Becoming a fashion stylist is a dream to many. Imagine getting paid to pick out and put together someone else’s wardrobe.

With the right connections, you can even make it big in some circles in Hollywood.

Here’s a full breakdown of everything you need to get started and different companies that are currently looking for fashion stylists.

78. Medical Billing

As a medical biller, you will handle billing of doctors patients and insurance companies alike.

You will be responsible for sending, appealing, and even denying claims. This job usually requires a background or training first, but once you get that out of the way, you can perform all of your work remotely.

This is one of the most stable jobs you can land.

Here’s everything you need to get started, plus 15 companies currently hiring medical billers.

79. Medical Transcription

Continuing our medical themes, medical transcription is a more specialized version of your standard transcription jobs and with that comes higher salaries.

They are more competitive and require more experience than other jobs, but once you’re in, you’re in.

Check the link above for requirements, potential salaries, and companies that are currently hiring.

80. Sewing Jobs

For our more crafty readers, you can put your sewing skills to work and land a remote job as a home based seamstress.

There are lots of companies out there looking to hire people to sew from home and you can even turn your sewing skills into your own full-time business, independent of employers.

81. Accountant

Here’s another traditional office job that is transitioning into remote possibilities.

If you have experience as an accountant, you can keep your skills at home and work remotely.

I found 7 companies currently hiring online accountants and that’s just the start.

82. Virtual Bookkeeper

Although similar to accountants, virtual bookkeepers perform more specialized services.

Experience requirements are generally a little more lax and these jobs may be better suited for entry level positions.

83. Data Scientist

A data scientist is someone who is table to clean up a large dump of data using their knowledge. They do this in order to discover solutions and make sense of the data being given to them.

This is probably the most specialized remote job on this list and with that comes huge salaries. Data scientists can get paid upwards of $200,000 per year.

Yeah.

Seriously.

84. Drone Pilot

This may just be the newest job on the list.

Drones are increasing in popularity year-over-year as new uses are found for them almost daily.

With increased demand, comes even more need for drone pilots to handle everything from surveillance to package deliveries.

85. Secret Shopper

While it’s unlikely you’ll be able to find a job that provides you with a full-time income, secret shopping is still a viable way to make money from home.

You will be responsible to evaluate stores and employees alike. Help brands see what their store are doing right and how they handle customer interactions.

86. Mobile Bartender

You can finally put the skills you learned in college to use!

All of those nights you spent mixing drinks instead of studying have paid off!

I kid, I kid.

But seriously, mobile bartenders are needed around the world to help cater to off-site events and companies are regularly hiring to fill positions.

87. Errand Runner

The gig economy isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

As an errand runner, you’ll be helping people complete tasks throughout the day that they otherwise wouldn’t have time to do.

You’ll often find jobs like walking dogs, picking up groceries, or keeping houses clean.

89. Beta Testing

Companies are always looking for beta testers to help try out new products or services.

You’ll be paid to test out both digital and physical products. You’ll be required to write reviews, provide feedback, find bugs or glitches, and to just share your overall thoughts and experiences.

90. Brand Ambassador

Brands are constantly looking for influencers to help spread awareness of their products. If you have an Instagram account, you no doubt have come across ads masquerading as normal every day posts.

Those are brand ambassadors and they’re getting paid to do some stealthy “word-of-mouth” advertising.

With the right niche and a big enough following, you can make some really good money, receive free products, and rise to the top of your social circle.

91. Loan Signing Agent

You can become a loan signing agent and work with mortgage companies to help process loans, all from the comfort of your own home.

Depending on how much you want to work, you can easily do this full-time or part-time to make some extra cash in your spare time.

The requirements are few and there is always a demand.

92. Appointment Setter

Unlike traditional virtual assistant work from home jobs, appointment setters focus on just one area and I’ll give you a guess as to which one that is.

You will be making phone calls on behalf of a company to either get the sales team or a manager on the line with prospective clients.

You will need good conversational skills and somewhat of a thick skin as these are typically cold calls you’ll be making.

93. Book Typing Jobs

All of those Kindle eBooks have to come from somewhere. Did you know that people are regularly hired to transcribe paper documents into digital ones?

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, check out our full list of book typing jobs here.

94. Online Consulting

If you have expertise in a field and wanted to try your hand at online consulting, look no further than this list of companies hiring consultants.

This is one of the few work from home jobs where you can set your own rates. The more experience you have in a field, the higher your talents will be valued.

95. Online Proctor

Yes, I did a double take too, but these are online PROCTOR jobs, not the other thing you might be thinking.

You’ll be administering tests remotely and making sure no cheating is being conducted. Pay ranges from $9-$25 per hour, which isn’t bad considering the work is fairly straightforward.

Other Work at Home Jobs to Consider

The above list is a massive compilation of all different types of jobs you can do remotely.

But what if you’re looking for something more specific or have certain requirements?

I’ve broken down some more specialized resources for you below.

Finding a Job with Benefits

Many people who plan to transition into a work-from-home career do not pursue this route because of the lack of benefits.  

If this sounds like you, you might want to check the 10 companies offering work-at-home jobs with health insurance. Note that if you go the freelance route with any of these career options listed above, you can always negotiate for benefits (or their equivalent amount) before signing on the dotted line.

Be aware that rates will generally be much lower if you’re not from the United States, UK, or any other first-world countries.

This is because employers usually conduct research on local salary rates before offering home-based jobs to potential hires.

Finding a Work at Home Job as a Mom

Moms have it especially difficult when it comes to landing a real job from home.

It can be hard to balance raising a child and committing full-time to an employer all in the same day.

I’ve broken down two lists that will help.

Here is a full list of work at home jobs that specifically hire moms. These are companies that want remote workers and aren’t afraid of a little background noise.

Next is a list of ideas that moms can do to make money on the side. These are less traditional jobs, but still provide opportunities for income.

Jobs for the Disabled

You would think remote work and disabilities would be a perfect match, but the truth is, it’s hard for disabled people to find real work from home jobs.

I found a list of 15 companies actively hiring disabled workers, plus put together a number of resources that connect the disabled with legit work opportunities.

The Bottom Line

This list of legitimate work-from-home jobs can be the start of your journey to financial freedom and obtain work-life balance you can’t achieve in a 9-to-5 job.

As always, feel free to leave a comment below if you have ANY questions regarding any of these jobs.

I’ll be more than happy to help point you in the right direction!

Please Share Our List of Work From Home Jobs!

If you found this article useful and you know of someone who is looking for a work at home job, please do us a favor and help us spread the word!

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 a Calligraphy Business on Etsy

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Cursive writing has been slowly becoming extinct for decades, but a surprise comeback has ignited a passion in the form of calligraphy. So I put together this quick guide on how to start a calligraphy business to help you cash in on your exquisite handwriting.

If you’ve always loved gliding your fancy pens onto paper and create classy handwritten posters, greeting cards, invitations, envelopes, menus and other creative letterings on a wide range of media, now’s the time to get started.

How much do calligraphers make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, calligraphers and other fine artists earned abour $49,000 in 2018.

Many calligraphers also sell ready-made products on top of their custom orders, which ensure that even slow periods could produce money in the end.

Like any business, marketing will also dictate the sales you’ll receive, so learn how to spread-the-word (both offline and online) your calligraphy products and services.

Here’s how to setup your business and get started:

How to Start a Calligraphy Business in 6 Steps

1. Practice Makes Perfect-for-Selling

Calligraphy is a skill not many people have, but if you practice often and take time to learn from books, online courses and workshops, you’d find your artwork getting better by the day.

It could be feedback from your friends on social media, or a 100-piece wedding invite gig offer from an acquaintance, but you’ll definitely know when your work is store-worthy.

2. Gather Your Startup Capital

Let’s face it:

You may have started calligraphy as a hobby, but once you turn it into a business, you’ll require some kind of startup capital to buy more equipment and supplies, such as pens, markers, ink, paint, brushes, calligraphy pens and stocks of specialty paper (parchment and calligraphy paper).

If you’re going to promote your work online, you’ll need extra cash to set-up a website, produce business cards, invest in a good camera and set aside marketing funds.

Depending on the amount of supplies you already have before you decide to put up a calligraphy business, your startup capital could be as little as $100 or as high as $1,000.

And since you won’t have an employee or a brick-and-mortar store, almost all your sales would be for profit.

3. Decide on an Angle

In order to get the attention of customers, you have to develop your own style.

There are tons of resources online to get inspiration.

Check Pinterest, download as many fonts as you can, visit websites of other calligraphers to see what kind of classic and modern calligraphy styles are out there.

Fortunately, handwritten calligraphy can be so similar that no person can copyright their work.

Using quotes, lyrics, and other copyrighted words and then selling them for profit, on the other hand, is against the law.

Once you’ve decided on a calligraphy style and practiced it to perfection, you then have to figure out a game plan to market your handwritten work. Do want to focus on the wedding industry, or diversify and try out various markets?

4. Price & Sell Your Product on Etsy

(If you’re new to Etsy, be sure to check out our guide on how to setup a store and sell on Etsy before continuing.)

The minute you’d decide to sell calligraphy, you have to be ready with pricing (even if you don’t have any customers yet).

There’s nothing more off-putting to would-be buyers than when they catch you unprepared.

It can be tricky, since this industry doesn’t follow a “one size fits all” pricing. However, you can compare prices of other sellers on Etsy and go from there.

Many calligraphers start with a lower price than market prices, but don’t go too low that you’ll end up losing money.

You can increase prices as your skills improve. As a starting point, note that calligraphers charge about $1 to $5 per wedding invitation, but those would longer text can be priced a lot higher.

Before you market your product on Etsy, make sure you have your own ordering system in place.

Set up a work calendar, so you can easily check if you can accommodate orders as they come in.

When creating an Etsy listing, ask customers to fill-up a quick questionnaire that includes deadline, number of orders, writing media (watercolor, ink, markers, etc.), colors, and information about the text that will be handwritten.

Do the math and send your customer a quote. If he/she agrees with the price, create a new Etsy listing specifically for that customer. Begin the work once your customer buys that customized listing.

5. Join a Community of Creatives

The comeback of calligraphy also resulted in various communities popping up both online and offline.

Join a calligraphy group where you can learn from people who have successfully turned their craft into a profitable business.

It’s also a great way to discover new calligraphy styles, develop marketing skills, and seek feedback from people who knows best.

Aside from regular contests, these groups also hold calligraphy exchanges which are a popular pen-pal-like activity where participants send and receive handwritten postcards and other artwork by mail.

Both contests and exchanges are a fun way to practice your skills and receive much-needed feedback, especially for those who are just starting out.

6. Master Your Craft

It doesn’t matter if you’re busy with customer orders or not, but you have to spare time to master new skills, new calligraphy techniques, new media, and more.

Adding specialties to your offering could double your earnings significantly.

The Bottom Line

You can thank Instagram and Pinterest for the rise in calligraphy over the past few years and this is creating huge opportunities for people to launch their own businesses fueled with nothing but their own creativity and the power of Etsy.

While you’re here, check out these 29 other online jobs for artists to see how you can put your other artistic talents to good use.

Get Paid to Write Articles: 7 Tips to Kickstart your Writing Career

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Being a starving writer may be conducive to your craft, but it certainly isn’t a fun way to live. I often find that people avoid becoming writers because they don’t think that they can get paid to write articles.

In reality, it’s a perfectly viable option.

Modern life – in the form of the internet, especially – has made becoming a paid writer easier than ever. The online world is moving at breakneck speed and people are constantly looking for new content to feast their eyes on.

Yes, a lot of the content on the internet that’s being soaked up these days come in the form of video, but that doesn’t mean writing is dead. Not by a long shot.

Here’s how you can make a career out of writing online and get paid to write as many articles as you want.

Blogs Where You Can Get Paid to Write Articles

Taking on the odd writing assignment here and there can be a great way to get started as a writer.

Luckily, there are plenty of blogging sites who are constantly on the lookout for guest posts or contributors.

If you’re able to get one or two articles submitted to a couple of places then you can start building a name for yourself as a writer and, hopefully, many more opportunities will follow.

Take a look at these blogging sites across varying niches that pay for articles:

Writers Weekly

This blog distributes their articles to freelancers from all over the world every week. They focus on articles about writing for writers and those working from home.

They pay $60 per 600 words via PayPal and you need to send them a query (idea for an article) so they can accept it before you start writing.

The Introspectionist

This is a woman’s magazine that focuses on in-depth informational pieces, persuasive essays, and creative non-fiction around certain topics.

The article ideas you can present depends on the theme of the coming month’s issue, so make sure to check out their editorial calendar. They pay $25 for a cover piece and $15 for other articles.

Mamalode

If you’re a parent then you probably have a story or two to share. This blog will gladly pay for it.

They require articles that are around 400-1500 words and the payment you receive depends on the number of views your article gets.

Make sure to check out the types of articles they accept and pitch your story.

Polygon

Being a popular name in the gaming and entertainment industry means you’re going to have a big demand for lots of content. Which is exactly why Polygon needs a lot of contributors.

Just pitch them an idea in one of their categories, and if they like it, they’ll get back to you.

They pay per word and effort put into an article, though no specific price was given.

The Penny Hoarder

Know a lot about being frugal? This blog is all about creative ways to earn and save money. They require evergreen articles of at least 700-900 words and payment will be discussed after your pitch is accepted.

There are many, many more blogs and websites out there that are willing to pay for article submissions.

Just make sure you know how much they’re paying before sending in any content.

Cracked

Have a knack for writing pop-culture articles in a humorous light?

Crack is known to pay up to $250 for accepted submissions. Be sure to read a few articles on their site first so you know what you’re getting your in to with Cracked.

Great Escape

Great Escape is always looking for writers to write about their experiences making money in travel, not so much the travel itself.

If you can help others make more money in the travel industry, you can get paid $150 per article published.

How to Regularly Get Paid Writing Jobs

The key to landing any writing job is to write quality content.

People say that they want this length and that topic, and these SEO practices must be adhered to. But the most important thing – and it will always be the most important thing – is that the content appeals to the reader. That means high-quality content.

Getting regular work as an online writer takes some gusto and confidence in your writing abilities. After all, if you don’t want to read what you put out then how can you expect other people to?

Some other things to consider:

1. Settle into a Niche

The first thing you’ll want to do when starting a writing career is, find your niche. Of course, not everyone finds a niche that fits them right from the start and it’s perfectly normal to add new niches or even switch to a different niche later on in your writing career.

The point of a niche is to focus your writing skills. Because you need to be very familiar with the topic for you to be able to piece together meaningful sentences about it.

I’m not saying you have to be an expert, because learning on the job is very much part of what it means to be a writer. But every topic is different and has a different audience. You need to know how to write for them.

Only repetition and growing your skills in one niche will help you become better at this.

2. Try These 10 Freelance Writing Sites

In addition to blogging sites, you can try freelance websites who usually have a list of available writing jobs.

  1. Flexjobs
  2. Freelancer
  3. Upwork
  4. PeoplePerHour
  5. Guru
  6. Hubstaff
  7. iWriter
  8. JournalismJobs.com
  9. ConstantContent
  10. Vocal

3. Set up your own website

Becoming a successful paid writer can be just as much about marketing yourself as it is about writing any actual content.

Setting up your own website with examples of your work and ways for potential clients to contact you can be a great help towards setting yourself up as a professional writer.

Just make sure to market it effectively on social media and other sites.

How to Make More Money Writing Articles

Finally, I have a few general tips that will help writers across any industry.

These are a few small adjustments you can be making that will certainly add up over time and help you bring in even more work.

1. Learn the best SEO practices

SEO is an extremely important part of writing online articles.

You want your articles to rank well on search engine algorithms so people can easily find them.

Otherwise, the company or blog you’re writing for will likely start looking at hiring someone who can achieve that. So make sure to keep up with all the latest SEO trends.

2. Build up a portfolio

Having a portfolio is just as important for a writer as it is for a designer. In the beginning, especially, simply getting writing jobs is much more important than getting paid to write articles.

Yes, we all want to get paid for our work. However, it will be much easier to make money writing articles once you start building up a writing portfolio.

3. Thesaurus is your friend; Just don’t abuse it

Some people might warn against using a Thesaurus. But I say hogwash and poppycock to that.

A thesaurus can be an amazingly handy tool for a writer – if used with great care and moderation.

4. Always keep building up your writing skills

Writing is a learning process and if you don’t keep at it, you’ll eventually stagnate or even lose the skill. Passion is a big part of it, but so is excellent grammar and a big vocabulary.

If you want to be a great writer then keep writing (even when you don’t need to) and read other writers’ work to get a feel for what works.

Go and Get Paid to Write

Building a career might seem impossible as a budding writer.

But it really is easier than ever to get started and live out your passion.

And if you’re looking for EVEN more websites to help you get started, I found over 153 companies that will pay you to write for them.

Make sure to leave us a comment below and let us know what topics you like to write about!

Here’s How To Start A Business With No Money

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“I’ve got a great idea for a business, but I just don’t have the money to get it started.”

Does this sound like you?

It’s true that starting a business is so much easier with capital, not having money shouldn’t scare you off.

Starting a business with no money might seem like a far-fetched idea at first, but I promise you it’s doable.

In today’s blog post, I discuss how to start a business with no money.

How To Start A Business Without Money

Traditionally, to build a business, you would normally start from a business idea, build it up using your capital, and earn money from it eventually.

But starting a business without capital requires a change in your mindset.

Here are the steps on how to prepare to start a business with no money.

1. Work with what you have.

Look at the resources you have and how you can use them effectively to start up your business.

Think about your skills. What fundamental skills do you have that can help you start up your business? What technical skills do you have? What personal skills do you have that can help you professionally?

Business plan prep

Next, take stock of your knowledge. What degree, training, and classes do you have under your belt that you can apply in your business?

Reflect on your experience, both professional and personal, and think about what you can offer. What have you done previously that you’re good at and can convert into a profitable business?

Consider your connections as well. Who do you know that can help you in starting your business, either as a mentor, partner, supplier, or any other role? Do the people you know possibly know other people that can help you as well?

2. Draw up a solid business plan based on the resources you have.

No matter what business idea you have, it’s always good to start with a solid plan that you can always refer to.

It’s especially important to have a business blueprint and financial plan especially when you’re starting a business with no money. Outline the fundamentals of your business and how you can obtain them with your limited resources.

Do and get everything you can do and get for free.

List down what you need for your business and figure out alternatives.

For instance, the primary requirement for an online business is a website. However, domain names and hosting cost money.

If you have absolutely no money to start up your own website at this point, figure out temporary alternatives. Can you possibly start with a free website service and then switch to a paid website later? Or maybe even use a Facebook page first?

The same goes for other marketing tools you need: tools for email marketing and autoresponders, keyword research, social media, graphics design, scheduling, accounting, communication, project management, and other such tools.

There are plenty of free tools and resources available on the internet. Some are readily available, while others require you to dig deeper than the first page of your search results.

With plenty of patience and a bit of luck, you’ll be able to get the fundamental requirements of your online business for free or for very little.

3. Don’t pass up opportunities to earn side cash.

You’ll need at least some cash to operate a business if only to pay for your food, power, and internet bills.

From everyday things you already do to things you can sell for quick cash, opportunities to make side cash are all around you.

They may not seem much if you look at them per transaction, but if you scrimp and save every single penny from these side cash endeavors, you can earn just enough to keep you afloat.

You may even earn enough extra cash to put up as capital for your business.

4. Explore your funding options.

As you build up your business, you may need more capital than just the bare minimum, especially if you want to be profitable in a few months instead of a few years.

Here are some funding options you may want to consider:

• Small business grants

Frankly, small business grants aren’t easy to apply for.

However, when you’ve got your business up and running, you can try to search for small business grants for which you can meet the minimum requirements to apply.

The influx of free cash is well worth the time and effort of searching. Hopefully, you won’t be tempted to use the cash for anything else aside from growing your business.

• Angel investors

An angel investor is typically an individual who has a high net worth and cash to spare who invests in small businesses to provide capital in exchange for a stake in the company, usually through part ownership.

They’re invested in your success, so when you get an angel investor, you not only get capital, you also get a mentor that you can go to for advice on your business.

Angel investors would typically ask for their money back within a few years, so you do have some time to grow your business such that you’re able to pay them back.

You typically find angel investors through your network, but you can also try to find an angel investor interested in your business through online angel investor networks and directories.

As with small business grants, it’s not easy to find an angel investor for your business, but it’s worth the trouble.

Angel Investor

• Peer-to-peer lending

Peer-to-peer lending is a financial practice wherein lenders lend money to borrowers via a third-party application that matches lenders to borrowers.

If you borrow money through peer-to-peer lending, you’re typically subject to stricter requirements than those who are taking out personal loans. This is because you’re eligible to borrow more money for a longer period.

The interest rates may be higher than those offered by banks or financial institutions, but the applications can be done mostly online, making it easier and quicker to get a decision on your lending needs.

• Small business loan

Applying for a small business loan from your bank is another option you can take if you can handle the requirements, the interest rates, and the repayment terms.

The main requirement of a business loan from a bank is steady cash flow; that is, your business should already be making money. If you haven’t yet started up your business, you’re not likely to get approved for a loan.

Online Businesses You Can Start With No Money

At this point, you can’t afford to start businesses that require significant capital, especially product-based businesses that involve manufacturing or reselling.

Online businesses are the most logical way to start your business without money because it requires very little of you; a computer, an internet connection, and your knowledge are enough.

Here are a few online businesses you can start with no money.

1. Service-based businesses

If you have a specific skill set, this may be the only investment you need to start your online business.

You can provide this particular service on your website and promote it on all channels available to you, and the good news is that there are plenty of websites that allow you to advertise your service for free, not to mention social media.

Here are some examples of online service-based businesses:

  • Social media management
  • Virtual assistance
  • Graphics design
  • Video editing
  • Resume/cover letter writing
  • Bookkeeping
  • Travel management
  • Website creation and design
  • Copywriting/Proofreading

 

2. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a fulfillment method wherein the retailer sells products but does not keep them in inventory.

Instead, the dropshipper offers products to buyers, collects their payment, pay third-party suppliers who then send out the products to the buyers.

Dropshipping is attractive to entrepreneurs who want to start selling products but don’t have the capital to assemble inventory.

There are plenty of dropshipping suppliers that offer a variety of products. It’s up to you to do your research and select legitimate suppliers that offer the products you’re interested in selling.

To start dropshipping, you only need to have your marketing skills and a website or an e-commerce platform to sell your products from.

3. Consultancy

A consultant is an expert in a specific field who works with an individual or business to offer professional advice.

It sounds very vague and general, but this is to your advantage. It means anyone can start a consulting business based on their expertise, years of experience, and depth of knowledge.

Consultants assess an issue, prepare a solution usually based on process, document and present that solution, and assist in implementing that solution.

Below are some types of consulting you can go into:

  • Leadership consulting
  • Marketing consulting
  • Organization consulting
  • Efficiency consulting
  • Health and wellness consulting
  • Career consulting
  • Green living consulting
  • Image consulting
  • Financial consulting

 

4. Brokerage

People hear “brokerage” and they think “stock market” (and if you’re a day trader, you can certainly start a day trading business), but it doesn’t have to be.

A brokerage business, in general, is one that brings buyers and sellers together.

You can find brokers in many different industries, such as real estate (e.g., real estate brokers bringing property sellers and buyers), recruitment and human resources (e.g., headhunters bringing job seekers and companies that are hiring), and sports (e.g., sports agents bringing athletes and sponsors together).

Find an industry that can benefit from having an online brokering service, whether competition already exists or not.

The important skills to have in starting a brokerage business are excellent lead generation, marketing, communication, and interpersonal skills.

5. Education

You can start an online education business with no money, armed with little more than your knowledge, teaching skills, and your laptop.

You can teach people various skills, such as playing musical instruments, photography, or using certain software.

You can also tutor students in subjects such as math, science, or English.

Starting an education business is a snap, even with no money. You can schedule classes and hop on to communication platforms like Skype or Zoom to hold live classes.

Alternatively, you can upload video courses to read-only shared drives and restrict access to only those who have paid.

The Bottom Line

Starting your own business with no money sounds crazy, but it’s really not impossible.

It’s going to take more time and more effort than if you have capital, but with patience, determination, and a little luck, it’s certainly feasible.

Other Resources

There are plenty of online businesses you can launch from home. Here are 50 ways to start an online business.

What’s your story?

Ever tried to start a business from scratch? Have you succeeded? Tell us your story in the comments!

Speakwrite Review: Is this a Legit Transcription Job?

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This SpeakWrite review is for anyone looking for freelance transcription jobs that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

Is SpeakWrite legit? If it is, is it worth your time?

Can you do it from home?

Are there full-time positions? Or just side gigs?

How much does it pay?

All these questions answered in a bit, so read on to learn all about SpeakWrite and other ways you could earn transcribing from home.

History of SpeakWrite

Out of the many transcription companies (both scam and legitimate) that have introduced themselves to work-from-home people like you and I, SpeakWrite is different. It’s been around since 1997.

Just let that sink in for a minute – this company has been around a year BEFORE Google was founded.

SpeakWrite launched its company offering typing and legal transcription services mostly for law firms, insurance companies and government agencies.

Unlike transcription companies in recent years that offer online gigs, but never publish company information, SpeakWrite has always been transparent. They are based in Texas and has plenty of contact information available on the website.

SpeakWrite’s founder Richard Jackson worked as a commercial litigator for 30+ years and employed over 50 people within his own law practice. SpeakWrite was born from his company’s own needs – to produce legal documents as fast and as accurate as possible.

From its launch until today, SpeakWrite has been one of the go-to transcription service provider to the FBI, American Bar Association, and other legal and law enforcement agencies.

Speakwrite Stats

What Are the Tasks of a SpeakWrite Transcriber?

SpeakWrite has three types of transcription work available: legal transcription, general transcription, Spanish transcription (or other languages).

As a legal transcriber, you’ll be working on projects as varied as court documents to police reports. The information you deal with can be quite sensitive, so this type of work involves more requirements than general transcription.

General transcription work is perfect for beginners – those who want to try and dip their toes in the world of freelance transcription jobs. As a general transcriber, you might be involved in projects like listening to podcasts, minutes of meetings,  speeches, and so on.

Spanish transcribers (and other bilingual transcribers) can be assigned general and legal transcription projects, except the output required is in the language they are assigned with.

Speakwrite Requirements

SpeakWrite doesn’t hire just anybody. Only applicants living in Canada and the United States are accepted.

Typing Experience

In general, transcribers must be able to type at least 60 words per minute with 90% accuracy.

This company doesn’t have data entry or medical transcription jobs.

Transcription Experience

  • General and bilingual transcribers must have at least 1 year of transcribing experience within 12 months before your application.
  • Legal transcribers are required to have 2 or more years of experience within a law firm.

Skills

  • General transcribers should know how to transcribe specific projects such as interviews, speeches, and so on.
  • Bilingual transcribers must be expert in the language that they were hired to do, on top of knowing the dos and don’ts of transcription.
  • Legal transcribers are required to know legal terminology and how to transcribe court hearings and other types of legal proceedings.

Technical requirements

SpeakWrite jobs are work-from-home positions, but the company isn’t providing for computers for you to work on. As such, you should have the following hardware before applying for a job:

  • A computer (laptop or desktop) with licensed Windows 7 OS (or newer), at least 1GB RAM and sound card. Unfortunately, the SpeakWrite software isn’t compatible with Apple iOS.
  • Licensed version of Microsoft Word (2007+), Adobe Reader (8.0 or newer), Windows Media Player
  • Good-quality headphones, printer, and a comfortable chair

Background Check

Background checks are a part of the application process, especially if you’re seeking a legal transcriber position.

SpeakWrite Pay

Before we talk about how much you can earn transcribing for SpeakWrite, consider these first:

  • Contract basis: Transcribers hired work as a contractor. You won’t have benefits and you basically work for yourself. This means you are in control of your schedule and fit other transcription or online jobs if you like. As an independent contractor, you’d also need to file and pay for your own taxes.
  • Work hours: There is no set schedule given, but you can choose when/how to spread the work hours you can commit to. SpeakWrite requires at least 15 audio hours per month. You can only schedule up to 12 hours in a day.
  • Not hourly payment: SpeakWrite doesn’t pay on an hourly basis, but based on output. This means you shouldn’t expect the traditional hourly wage. Good news though for those who could type quickly, since transcription often pays per word, or per audio hour completed.

Probably a good thing about Speakwrite is that they never promise you riches when you join the company as a transcriber. But it may disappoint you to learn that you’d only earn around $.005 to $.006 per word, which totals $5 or $6 for every 1000 words transcribed.

For experienced transcribers, an average $15/hour is possible, but beginners may find it hard to make $10 an hour. Like in data entry work, as your skills improve, so does your output and average pay-per-audio hour.

Transcribers who can pick up the slack during peak hours, or take on urgent projects get a 10% bonus on top of the pay, but no specifics were mentioned on the website.

Payments are made twice a month via PayPal, direct deposit, or check. Canadian transcribers are only paid via mailed check.

Speakwrite Review: Pros and Cons of SpeakWrite

Check the Indeed.com reviews of past and current SpeakWrite transcribers to learn about the realities of working for this company.

If you’re thinking about applying to SpeakWrite, be sure to weigh these pros and cons first:

PROS

  • SpeakWrite is legitimate, and has been around for over 20 years, so you’re sure not to run out of projects to do.
  • The hiring process is long and shoos away those who aren’t serious. This means that once you are hired, there are less competition for transcription work.
  • SpeakWrite provides better opportunities (and more work hours) for transcribers who last longer than 1 year as an independent contractor for the company.
  • Flexible work schedules means you can work as much or as little as you want, from your home, at the beach, or wherever your feet takes you. Just be sure you have the hardware and internet to do the job.

CONS

  • This job isn’t for beginners. You’d be lucky to earn $5 an hour if you’re new to transcribing. Imagine getting a job with bad dictation, noisy backgrounds, and other audio issues, which all could make the job twice as hard.
  • Not available for applicants outside Canada or US.
  • Not available for applicants using Mac (Windows PC users only)

Take SpeakWrite Reviews with a Grain of Salt

If this isn’t the first SpeakWrite review you’ve read, I’d understand you completely. Like many transcription companies, the feedback of past transcribers are often a mix of good and bad.

Here’s why you should take these reviews with a grain of salt and try the job yourself:

  • Transcribing is not easy. If you’re new to this job and you think you’ll just be entering data and typing, you’ll soon realize how wrong you are.
  • It’s not all about skills. Sometimes, even if you’ve had 10 years of legal transcription experience and you receive a project that involves someone “eating his words,” with dogs barking as background noise, or the weakest voice you’ve ever heard, the job would be harder and longer than your normal transcriptions.
  • Proofreaders are the yang to the transcribers’ yin. After you’ve submitted the transcribed material, a proofreader checks your work for accuracy. The level of proofing will vary between proofreaders, so expect varying feedback to your work as well.

Lastly, the “uncaring management” problem could be 100% true, but it could also be exaggerated. Sometimes, folks who haven’t worked from home are not used to the impersonal vibe of having no boss looming around their shoulders.

Wrapping Up this Speakwrite Review

SpeakWrite is not a scam – this I’m pretty sure since people have been paid for their work in the past 2 decades. But there are worrying signs not to waste your precious time working for the company as well.

If you’re currently between jobs or have a lot of free time, I recommend you try SpeakWrite yourself and see if the issues are worth the benefits.

But if you’re interested in a job that could replace your paycheck, here are 95 legitimate work from home jobs you should seriously check out.

Where To Sell Baby Clothes Online For Cash

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If you’re a parent, you probably already know this, but babies outgrow their clothes very quickly and you can actually sell baby clothes back and recoup some of that cash.

You’ll find yourself with bags of clothes every few months; some worn out, others barely worn, others still with the tags attached, but all don’t fit your little one anymore.

Unless you have other family members you can hand over these clothes to, or you’re planning to have another baby, these clothes will probably just find themselves in a landfill.

Why not sell these baby clothes online?

Sure, you can donate these clothes, but why pass up the chance to help other parents get baby clothes in good condition for a reduced price, while making some side cash that can go to your kid’s new clothes?

In today’s blog post, I run down some of the places where you can sell your baby clothes online for cash, as well as some tips for you to be able to sell them.

Where To Sell Baby Clothes Online For Cash

Here is a list of some online marketplaces where you can sell baby clothes as well as items such as baby shoes, jackets, or coats. Note that this list is in random order and not ranked by any criteria.

1. thredUP

Thred Up Homepage

They claim to be the largest online consignment and thrift shop, thredUP accepts secondhand clothes, any secondhand clothes, including baby clothes as long as they’re high-quality, in almost new condition.

A benefit of using thredUP is that it’s very likely that they’ll accept your items because they accept over 35,000 brands. Plus, they take your items on consignment, meaning they’ll pay you after the items you ship to them are sold.

If you’re selling to them, they can either send you a Clean Out bag where you put your items for sale, or you can print out a prepaid shipping label from their site and use your own packaging to send your items to thredUP.

thredUP sells the item on their site for a listing price that they determine based on factors like its retail price, age, quality, and whether they have the same item in stock and which sizes they have. You get a percentage based on their payout table.

When someone buys your item, you can cash out your profit after the return period has passed.

In case your item doesn’t get sold, you’re given a specific time to claim your items back so you can sell them with another marketplace.

2. Kidizen

Kidizen Home Page

Kidizen is a marketplace, community, and platform all in one, where you can sell preloved baby and kids’ clothing.

You can start selling in minutes; create an account, click on “Sell” on the toolbar, and you can create your first listing.

Upload pictures of the item, fill out the form with the details, such as size, category, gender, and other information to make it easier for shoppers to find your listed items.

Set your price (with shipping), and the website will let you know how much you get to keep.

If doing it yourself doesn’t seem appealing, Kidizen also has Style Scouts (available in only 10 states) who make house calls to consult with you and advise you how to price your baby clothes to sell your items as quickly as possible and with the maximum return on your investment.

When you have an account with Kidizen, you also get access to a community that allows you to connect with other parents and sellers on the site and swap secrets and tips on selling your baby clothes online.

3. Josie’s Friends

Josies Friends Home page

Josie’s Friends is an online consignment store created to solve the need for convenient consignment for busy parents of babies and kids while aiding impoverished children worldwide.

Request a bag from them, send your baby clothes, accessories, or footwear to them for free. They prep, photograph, and market your items on their site.

Once an item sells, you get 50% of the listed price via PayPal after a specific return period.

If they don’t accept any of your items, they can ship it back to you for a fee or donate the items in a charity of their choosing.

Your items don’t expire, meaning they’ll continue to keep your items on their site for sale. But they do reserve the right to donate your items after a year if the items have declined in quality.

4. Once Upon A Child

Once Upon a Child

Known as America’s #1 national franchise specializing in reselling gently used clothing, shoes, toys, and baby gear, Once Upon A Child is a network of physical locations where you can walk in and sell your baby clothes.

This is not an online option, but I included it here because it has plenty of stores where you can drop off your items.

Package the items you want to sell, with clothes clean and folded; no hangers or garbage bags. Go into the store and have a store employee review your items.

They’ll make an offer based on style, quality, and condition. If you accept the offer, they’ll give you cash on the spot.

This is a good option if you prefer dealing with someone in person and getting the cash immediately.

5. TOYCYCLE

Toycycle

Currently, their consignment service is only available in the San Francisco Bay Area, so if you live in this area, this is a great option for you.

All you have to do is to gather the baby clothes, toys, and baby gear that you want to sell. Toycycle will pick them up for you and process them for selling on their website.

When your items sell, you have the option of taking cash payouts, which range from 15% to 80% of the listed price on the website, or store credit, which nets you a higher percentage, but you can only use that in the website.

6. OfferUp

Offerup Logo

OfferUp is a basic buying and selling app that allows you to sell your baby clothes to someone who needs them locally.

Start by simply downloading the OfferUp app on your phone and creating your listings. You can even have your first buyer in minutes.

It’s free to use if you’re meeting up with the buyer and the payment actually changes hands, but if you’re shipping the items and use their payment system, OfferUp takes 9.9% percent per transaction plus payment fees.

To be absolutely safe during a meetup, go to SafeTradeSpots and look for a place near you where you can meet with your buyers under surveillance. This assures the safety of both sellers and buyers.

Unlike online consignment apps, you’re going to have to be the one to photograph, list, and price your items.

7. Bagsy

Bagsy

Bagsy was founded by three moms who have a passion for fashion for their kids and wanted to make it easier for other parents to sell their gently used baby’s clothes to other parents.

To be a consigner with Bagsy, simply sign up online and request a Bagsy Consignment Bag to have it shipped to you for free.

Fill the bag up with your clean, good condition, gently used baby clothes, give the sealed bag to your postman or post office, and they’ll take care of the rest.

If you want Bagsy to return unacceptable items to you, order “Return Service” as well when you order a consignment bag from them. Otherwise, they’ll donate the items that they decide they can’t sell.

They’ll keep trying to sell items for 180 days, after which they’ll either return the items to you (if you purchased Return Service) or donate them.

Bagsy only accepts certain brands, so check their brands list first before you order a consignment bag.

8. Poshmark

Poshmark is mostly known for women’s clothing, but it’s actually one of the best ways to sell baby clothes online.

Simply download the Poshmark app, take pictures of the items you’ll sell, and upload your collection in minutes.

When someone buys your item, Poshmark provides a prepaid label for you to ship the item, and you get paid as soon as the package is delivered to the buyer.

The commission works simply, for sales below $15, you get paid $2.95, while for sales $15 and above, you get paid 20%.

For more details, read this review of Poshmark.

Tips On Selling Baby Clothes Online For Cash

Before you go ahead and list your baby clothes on one of the above marketplaces, here are some tips to help you sell them quickly at the best possible price.

1. Know how to price your baby clothes.

Competitive research is key; know how much the same or similar clothing is priced on other shops so you’d have an estimate of how much customers are willing to pay for the clothes you’re selling.

Also, take shipping and handling into consideration when deciding your price.

2. Freshen them up…

No one will want to buy wrinkled, dusty clothes. Wash them first and remove stains as best as you can.

3. …But be honest.

There are just some stains that you can’t get rid of, and there’s some damage to clothing that you can’t mend. Include it in the product description as full disclosure.

4. Learn how to take clear photos.

You don’t have to have next-level skills to photograph your clothes. Laying them flat and lighting them carefully to remove shadows vastly improves photo quality.

5. Package your product with care.

Clothes aren’t really handled carefully by couriers and delivery men, so it’s up to you to make sure that the clothes are protected from rough handling, moisture, and all other external things that can damage your clothes.

You can even take it to the next level by including a personal note, or even just by using special wrapping paper. It’s a good way to make your customers remember this customer experience as a good one.

6. Know when to sell selected items.

Certain types of clothes sell more quickly during certain times of the year.

January to February is a great time to run a sale on winter wear and red and heart-print items in time for Valentine’s Day.

March to May is a good time to sell pastels, florals, and spring/summer-appropriate wear.

June to July is generally a slow month, except for Fourth of July items (red, white, and blue items, stars and stripes patterns, etc.).

August to September is when fall-related wear is most in demand. Sweaters, cardigans, leggings, and thick socks are popular.

October is perfect for Halloween costumes and festive Thanksgiving outfits. It’s also perfect to start listing snow gear, like mittens, boots, and hats, if you have them.

November to December is when to list your unused, new with tag items for shoppers who are looking for holiday presents and stocking stuffers. Winter wear and knits are popular starting in November.

Selling more than baby clothes? Check out these other sites to sell clothes online.

Are you interested in selling baby clothes? Or have you ever tried to sell baby clothes online for cash? Share your story in the comments below!

Peer-To-Peer Lending: How To Make Money From It

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Peer To Peer Lending: How To Make Money From It

Peer to peer lending, also called P2P lending, is a relatively new financial practice where borrowers can borrow money at lower interest rates without going through a bank or other traditional financial institutions.

So if you’re in a pinch and you can’t borrow money from the bank for some reason, you can borrow money through peer to peer lending companies or apps.

But did you know that you can also lend money and make some side cash out of it?

In today’s article, I’ll talk about peer to peer lending and how you can make money from it.

What Is Peer-To-Peer Lending?

Peer-to-peer lending is a relatively new financial practice that involves lending money to borrowers (individual or business) from lenders through online applications that match borrower to lender.

Lenders are where the funds come from, and the incentive for them to lend is that they earn interest on the amount that they lend.

What is P2P Lending

Peer-to-peer lending platforms take care of processing and accepting loan applications and payments and take a fee for originating the loan, as well as some of the interest that the borrowers pay on the loan.

Borrowers use peer-to-peer lending because it’s quicker and more accessible; it’s as simple as opening an app or internet browser. Plus, this is a good alternative if they need to borrow money for personal loans, debt consolidation, or to fund their small business.

Pros

The advantages for the borrower are more apparent. P2P lending doesn’t require the typical underwriting process, so the credit score requirements aren’t as strict as those of traditional banks or lending institutions.

Borrowers also benefit from favorable loan terms, fewer fees, and lower interest rates, plus you can look for the best P2P lending companies with the best rates without impacting their credit scores.

The peer-to-peer lending model is also favorable to lending companies because they don’t need to spend on infrastructure. Because costs are low, they can lower the fees and offer more competitive interest rates.

Because there are plenty of loans to choose from, lenders can easily pick and choose which loans to invest in and diversify their investments.

Plus, lenders get to invest in a growing market that’s estimated to be worth billions and even hundreds of billions in the next 5 years.

Cons

For borrowers who have not-so-great credit scores, the interest rates tend to be higher than others.

Also, getting a loan to cover a debt only compounds the problem if there’s no attempt to curb unnecessary spending.

For lenders, it’s an investment that is not without risks. If a borrower defaults on a loan, there’s no way you can recoup that investment because it’s not insured by the federal government.

Investing in plenty of loans sounds like a great plan in theory, but it’s not easy to keep track of multiple loans, especially when they number in the hundreds.

Types of P2P loans

Different peer-to-peer lending sites offer different loan products. Here are some examples of what they offer:

Personal Loans. Fixed-rate, unsecured (i.e., no collateral) personal loans are the most common loans offered by P2P lending companies.

Depending on the applicant’s credit score, they can borrow up to $30,000 to be paid between 3 to 5 years.

Personal loan proceeds can be used for anything from debt consolidation, home improvement, or to repay a medical debt.

Business Loans. For borrowers who need funding for their small businesses, many P2P lending companies now offer them.

The payouts are usually larger than what banks offer, although interest rates by P2P lending are also higher.

Home Improvement Loans. Some homeowners who are thinking of selling their house might want to work on the house first before they sell it. Others may simply be required to work on the house due to damages that require repairs and upgrades.

Either way, chances are they’re going to be looking for a loan as a means to work on their home.

Home Improvement

Student Loan Refinancing. Student loans are no picnic to pay, and if it’s at all possible to refinance it and negotiate a payment schedule that’s more convenient, students will look for a loan to allow them to do that.

Healthcare Loans. Taking out a personal loan to repay a medical bill is certainly an option, but some P2P lending companies offer loans that are specific to healthcare costs and medical expenses.

Auto Refinancing. Whether it’s to lower monthly payments, reduce interest rates, or adjust loan terms, car owners sometimes look to refinance their car loans.

How Do You Make Money From Peer-To-Peer Landing?

So the next thing you need to know is whether it’s possible to make money by being a peer-to-peer lender/investor.

The answer is yes, it’s possible.

And the next question is, how much?

The answer isn’t that simple.

How much you make from P2P investing depends on how much you invest, how many loans you invest in, and the type of loans you invest in.

Borrowers who are less risky qualify for lower interest rates compared to borrowers with not-so-perfect credit histories.

Thus, investing in low-risk loans gets you lower returns than high-risk ones, as with most investments.

But how do you know which borrowers are likely to default on their loans (i.e., not pay their loans)?

Banks spend millions on entire departments to calculate risks and predict which borrowers will pay them back and who won’t. But P2P lending companies don’t have this kind of manpower.

How To Balance Rewards And Risk

Even without a definite way to vet risks per borrower, it’s definitely still possible to make money from being a P2P investor.

Here are some strategies to maximize returns and minimize risks.

Spread your investment out among many different loans. Don’t keep your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes. Distribute your investment among many different loans.

For instance, if you have $1000 to invest, it’s better to invest as little as $25 in 40 different loans instead of investing the entire $1000 in a single loan.

Be prepared to invest in hundreds of loans. This way, even if you lose money on one loan, you have hundreds of others to compensate for that loss.

Diversify. It’s important to distribute your investment among many different loans, but it’s also important to distribute your investment among different types of loans.

Don’t focus on only one loan grade, such as investing only in mid-risk loans. Invest in different loan grades: low-risk, mid-risk, high-risk loans, and all the ones in between.

Although you’re more likely to earn money from personal loans, do your best to disperse your investment to different types of loans, such as business loans or student debt restructuring loans.

Don’t be afraid to also invest in loans in different lending companies, as they offer many different kinds of loans and cater to many different borrowers.

Reinvest. When you receive your loan payments in your account, you can wait for them to accrue, pull them out, and spend them.

But a much better way to maximize your returns is to immediately reinvest the loan payments you receive. The idea is to stay fully invested and give your money all the chances to grow.

If you’re able to balance your rewards and risks, it’s possible to earn annual investment returns of greater than 10% and even up to 15%, but the more common annual returns reported are in the range of 4% to 8%.

How To Be A Peer-To-Peer Investor

In a nutshell, peer-to-peer lending platforms let investors buy consumer debt hoping to make some money on that transaction, and let investors pick and choose which loans they want to finance.

The specific steps may vary per company, but here are the general steps of how to be a peer-to-peer investor.

1. Check the qualifications and requirements.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has some minimum standards for investors in P2P. These include:

  • At least $70,000 gross annual income (except California, where you need to have $85,000 gross annual income), and a net worth minimum of $70,000
  • Residence in an approved state; this differs depending on the P2P platform you choose to trade in
  • Bank account to receive loan payments

2. Download the apps or access them through your internet browser.
The next section includes a list of the best lending apps to start investing in.

I would recommend reading up on all of them so you can study the requirements of each lending company and find out which ones you’re eligible to invest in and which ones fit the kind of investments you’d like to make.

You don’t even have to choose just one. If you have enough funds to invest, you can certainly choose to invest through more than one lending company.

3. Browse available loans.
As I’ve mentioned, different peer-to-peer lending companies offer different loan products and different loan grades at different interest rates.

Go over the loans and the borrowers carefully, especially if this is your first time to invest.

4. Invest in your chosen loans.
The exact procedure for this varies among different P2P providers. In general, select which loan you want to invest in and input the amount you want to invest.

5. Reassess your investment strategy over time and adjust as needed.
Even if you follow the advice I gave in the previous section to balance your rewards and risk, there are still times when your specific strategy won’t work.

It seems like a lot of work, but monitor the loans that you’ve invested in so you have an idea which ones are earning and which ones have defaulted if any.

The Best Peer-To-Peer Lending Companies To Invest In

As I’ve mentioned, there are plenty of peer-to-peer lending companies to choose from. Here are the most established and popular ones that you can check out.

1. Lending Club

  • Must have a gross income and a net worth of at least $70,000 ($85,000 in CA). The income requirement is waived with a net worth of $250,000 or more
  • Minimum investment: $25 per note; $1,000 initial account balance requirement
  • Estimated APR: 6.95% to 35.89%
  • Personal loans up to $40,000
  • Loan terms of 36 or 60 months, based on loan amount
  • Fees: 1% of interest payment; $100 annual account fee for balances <$5,000
  • Assets: Invest in 30 different credit grades; Credit ratings from A1 and 55 for multiple loan types
  • Automated investment available

Lending Club is the current market leader with a 45% share.

They offer four different types of loans: personal loans, business loans, auto refinancing, and patient solutions.

They also have an automated solution for investors who don’t want to pick loans manually, allowing diversification at a click of a button (or tap of the screen).

In addition, they have a comprehensive resources page to learn more about investing with them and coming up with the right strategy to maximize your earnings.

2. Prosper

  • Must have a gross income and a net worth of at least $70,000 ($85,000 in CA). The income requirement is waived with a net worth of $250,000 or more
  • Minimum investment: $25 per note
  • Estimated APR: 6.95% to 35.99%
  • Personal loans up to $40,000
  • Loan terms of 36 or 60 months
  • Fees: 1% annually of borrowed principal balance
  • Assets: Invest in 7 different credit ratings for multiple loan types
  • Automated investment available

Founded in 2006, Prosper is the original P2P lending platform in the US.

There are 7 different risk categories, from AA (high credit rating) to HR (high-risk). You can spread out your investment across these 7 risk categories.

They offer many different types of loans; aside from the usual types, they offer baby and adoption loans, engagement ring financing, and even green loans, where you can get financing for switching to a sustainable lifestyle, such as installing solar panels, energy-efficient roofs, or a water preservation system.

3. Upstart

  • Must be an accredited investor (income of $200,000 or more in the last two years or net worth of $1 million or more)
  • Minimum investment: $100
  • Estimated APR: 21.5%
  • Personal loans up to $50,000
  • Loan terms of 36 or 60 months
  • Fees: none for investors; if loan defaults, Upstart turns the origination fee over to investors
  • Assets: Invest in personal loans with a credit rating of AAA to E
  • Automated investment available

Upstart is a relatively new company started by three former Google employees.

What makes this P2P company truly unique, though, is how they determine risk. While other P2P companies use a borrower’s FICO score, Upstart created a system that uses artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) to assess a borrower’s risk factor.

In addition to the usual FICO score determiners, such as payment history, current debt level, length of credit history, and types of credit used, Upstart’s AI/ML factors in a borrower’s educational attainment, field of study, GPA, and employment background as well.

This results in a more accurate risk assessment and mitigation. Accordingly, they have the lowest delinquency rate of the three lending platforms I’ve mentioned here, with 89% of their loans either current or paid in full.

A drawback is that investors cannot choose individual loans to invest in; investors must choose a specific loan grade or loans with specific criteria and Upstart will randomly assign you loans that meet these criteria.

The Peer-to-Peer Lending Bottom Line

In summary, investing in peer-to-peer lending can earn you some money as passive income, but as with any investment, there’s risk involved.

Minimize risk by diversifying your investments, frequently monitoring your loans, and only investing with money that you can afford to lose.

Other resources

Want to know about other ways to earn passive income? Here are 25 passive income ideas.

Or maybe you want to know about earning money without doing too much. Here are 14 everyday things that can make you some money.

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Here’s How to Land an Internship from Home

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With home-based jobs popping left and right in fields that aren’t traditionally accommodating to remote work, such as doctors or bookkeeping, it’s understandable why many college students are trying to find out if there are actually legitimate internships from home.

Who wouldn’t want to complete internship credits at the comfort of their own homes, right?

Join me as I try to investigate everything you need to know about online internships.

Do virtual internships exist?

And if so, are there paid internships from home?

The quick answer is YES.

There are virtual and paid internships, but as you might have guessed, they come few and far in between and they’re very quickly filled. Plus, not all industries are able to offer virtual internships because the work involves face-to-face interactions.

When it comes to virtual internships, the curse of social media managers remain the most important thing to watch out for. Many companies believe that for interns to be able to work remotely, the only job fit for them to perform involve manning the company’s social media accounts.

Although social media is usually one of the tasks performed by interns across all industries, internships do not have to be exclusive to this role.

Instead, internships should:

  • Give interns industry-specific skills – Studying business management in school is one thing, but actually putting what you’ve learned into action is the next step. Internships give students a platform to gain new skills and practice what they know in a real-life setting.
  • Provide interns with work experience – After graduating college, job-hunting will prove to be challenging for those who didn’t complete an internship. This is because companies prefer to hire people with experience, even if the “experience” only involves a couple of months of internship.
  • Allow interns to network within their future industry – Working as an intern gives them an opportunity to meet people and build their professional contact list.
  • Build confidence – Since interns are learning every day (either by doing or through observation) within a specific business, they gradually become more confident in their chosen field. This will show during interviews when ex-interns try to land their place in real-world jobs, as they convince certain HR folks that they’re the best one for the position.

Pros and Cons of Internships from Home

As someone who has had my fair share of working from home (and also an office-based employee of a company), I can guarantee that both set-ups have their ups and downs.

And since internships are just like regular work, the pros and cons of completing internships from home are almost the same.

Pros of Virtual Internships

The biggest advantage of virtual internships is the flexibility it gives college students.

Most often, internships are required in the junior or senior years, which is also the busiest time of their schooling.

This flexibility give you more freedom and control over your time, so you can take your courses or work part-time all while completing an internship as well.

Because you are allowed to complete your internship tasks remotely, you can do them at home, in school, or wherever your obligations need you to be during your “shift.”

When it comes to improvement of skills, doing your internships from home will develop three major skills:

  • Communication skills – Skype is there for face-to-face meetings, but most of the communication between the intern and his/her superiors would involve e-mail and messaging apps. If you’re used to communicating verbally, you can always call and video-chat instead of e-mailing and sending text messages, but as you progress with your internships, you’ll be able to notice the refinement in your communication skills.
  • Time management skills – Doing your partial (or entire) internship remotely means you’d have to plan and prioritize your tasks. Interns may not find this skill as useful now, but once they begin their careers, they’ll soon realize how juggling tasks effectively can impact their overall performance at work.
  • Computer skills – Most of the tasks involved in online internships are digitized. Although many people today are up-to-date with the latest gadgets, apps and tools, learning what is used within the industry you want to built a career on is actually useful.

Cons of Online Internships

You might think that completing your internship from home is all good, but know that this set-up isn’t for everybody.

For example, if you’re used to being around people while working, you’d feel quickly isolated without “officemates” throughout your internship stint.

There’s an easy fix for this: You can still be around family or friends as you do your internship and not feel isolated.

However, it doesn’t change the fact that as an intern working remotely, company news, memos, instructions from your superior, or other updates may not be given to you in real time.

As such, there would be times that you’ll be out of the loop or experience miscommunications.

The biggest disadvantage of virtual internships is that completing tasks on your own require discipline and self-motivation.

Most people develop this sense of discipline in school, but if you’re a late bloomer and was waiting for your first job to practice your work ethics, online internships could become a struggle for you.

Where to Find Companies Offering Internships from Home

You can find virtual internships traditionally and online.

  • Traditional sources – Referrals from your professors and your school’s career center are traditional sources of internship leads, but they require submitting applications and interviews before landing the internship program. Sometimes, internships are already part of your chosen course, so you’re lucky if you are given options for remote internships.
  • Online sources – Your first bet is to check out industry-specific career websites. For example, if you’re studying pre-law, look for law career sites and check available internship programs there.
    • Internships.com – Like InternQueen, this website has been around for a long time, even before Chegg.com acquired the original Internships.com in 2014. No matter which company owns it, the site remains one of the most comprehensive internship listings you could find.
    • InternQueen – This is Lauren Berger’s blog and she’s been helping young professionals land internships and jobs for over a decade. Aside from virtual internship leads, there are also a ton of solid advice available here.
    • LinkedIn – The cool thing about LinkedIn is that the companies themselves post internship programs, so you’re guaranteed that there are slots available.
    • VirtualInternships.com and other similar paid services – Companies like VirtualInternships are involved in the placement of interns in fields like business, legal, marketing, engineering, IT, and so on. They remove the need to dig for the best internship program for you, but their services are pretty expensive, especially for young professionals who are just starting out their careers.
  • Note that India is probably the biggest supporter of remote internships, so don’t be surprised if the results of your online search is filled with India-based companies. Stick with Internships.com, InternQueen, LinkedIn and popular career sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, Dice.com, and CareerBuilder, among others.

The Low Down on Internships from Home

You don’t have to sacrifice your part-time job, family time, or extracurricular activities while completing your internship credit requirements in school. With virtual internships and the skills needed to perform jobs remotely, you’ll be able to juggle everything your way.

If you’re finished with internships, don’t forget to explore my post about online jobs for college students, or high paying entry level jobs.

20 Small, Profitable Business Ideas To Launch From Home

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Is doing the daily grind taking a toll on your body and soul? Go through our list of small, profitable business ideas and see if it sparks something in you to leave the daily grind behind and start your own business.

Thanks to the internet, there are now numerous opportunities for entrepreneurs of different backgrounds.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a working student looking to augment your income, or an employee working 50 to 60 hours a week just to get by, or a retiree or almost-retiree looking to have some spending money in the twilight of your life.

If you have a computer and an internet connection, you can launch a business.

The internet has solved previously difficult problems for entrepreneurs: training, selling platforms, suppliers, marketing, and even temporary or full-time employees can now all be found online.

If you want to succeed so badly that you’re willing to learn everything you can and dedicate as much time to your business as you need, you’ll likely build a profitable business.

Here is a list of small but potentially profitable business ideas to inspire you to launch your own business.

Product-Based Business Ideas

A product-based business, as the name implies, sells actual physical, tangible items.

Many factors can drive the success of a business, but for product-based businesses, the major factor that can make or break it is the quality of the product you’re offering.

It doesn’t matter if your website looks good and functional, or if your buyers receive their products on time. If the product you’re offering is shoddy and poor quality, they’ll never buy from you again, and worse, they’ll let everyone know how bad your products are.

Here are some small product-based businesses that are potentially profitable.

1. Making and Selling Handmade Products

With sites like Etsy and Amazon Handmade, selling your own handmade products is easier than ever.

These are some handmade products you can make and sell.

Jewelry. You’ll need training, excellent tools, high-quality raw materials, and a unique creative instinct.

Wire-wrapped crystals, personalized engraved necklaces and bracelets, and beaded jewelry are some of the types of jewelry that sell best.

Home and living products. Handmade home décor, such as handpainted wall hangings, hand-poured candles, and handmade doilies are some products you can make and sell from home.

Aromatherapy products. Essential oils and blends are making a comeback, and making your own oil blends can get you some profits.

Aromatherapy

Shower steamers, inhalers, and roll-ons are some of the best-selling aromatherapy products on Amazon Handmade.

To be safe, though, thoroughly read the FDA guidelines on aromatherapy products.

Skin care and hair care products. With the increasing demand for environmentally friendly, organic, and natural skincare products and packaging, you can fill that demand with handmade products.

Some of the popular products in this category are soaps, shampoo and conditioner bars, moisturizers, and salves.

Bear in mind that skin and hair care products are classified as cosmetics, and there are FDA guidelines for these as well.

Hair accessories. Headbands, floral crowns, and tiaras, especially for children, are currently trendy.

Other hair accessories you can make include decorative hair combs, sweat-wicking headbands for workouts, and one-of-a-kind hair clips.

More Reading: The Best Crafts to Make and Sell

2. Retail Arbitrage

Retail arbitrage, is the act of buying products from retail or online stores and then selling them for higher prices so you can make a profit.

It may have had a bad rep lately, but this is a small lucrative business idea that you can comfortably start from home.

The first and probably most important rule of retail arbitrage is to choose items that you can get for cheaper than what people are willing to pay for them.

When shopping for items for retail arbitrage, always have a smartphone with internet access so you can scan bar codes and compare to prices on Amazon or other marketplaces such as eBay.

This will help you determine whether the possible profit is worth the trouble, especially considering you’ll have to shoulder packaging and shipping costs.

Merchant fees also take away from your profit, so keep that in mind as well when you tack on your desired profit to the product cost.

Here are a few suggestions for products to buy and sell.

Clothing. You can get the most profit from brand-name items, and even more if they still have the original tag.

Retail Therapy

Kids’ toys. You can get toys on clearance for a lower price, sometimes even for a mere 10% of their original retail price.

Kids’ toys are in demand around the holidays, so make sure you have enough stock during the months of October to December.

Cosmetics. Makeup junkies are always on the lookout for discontinued shades or product lines.

Stationery. Journaling buffs are on the lookout for low-priced notebooks and writing implements.

You can find and buy these items from clearance racks of stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Big Lots, Ross, Marshall’s, and TJ Maxx.

Even specialty stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, GameStop, Office Depot, Staples, Walgreens, and CVS may have random items on sale or clearance that you can sell.

The most popular way to sell these products is through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), but you can sell through eBay as well.

More posts:
How to Become an Amazon Seller with FBA in 5 Steps
20 Products You Can Buy Cheap and Sell High

3. Thrift Store Flipping

Thrift store flipping is similar to retail arbitrage, but instead of buying and selling new, unused items, it involves buying secondhand, used items and reselling those.

If you’ve ever been to a thrift shop, you’d know that people will donate anything, and you’d have so many choices of products to sell.

Here are a few suggestions for products to look for.

Clothing. If you can find brand-name items, even if they already show some signs of wear, you can sell them for at least some profit.

You can also put together a collection or a clothing lot. For instance, you can put together 10 garments in the same size and the same type (e.g., blouses, summer dresses, winter coats) and sell them as a lot.

This way, you can move several products at once, save on shipping costs, and keep a larger profit.

Video consoles and video games. Older consoles and old games have a large nostalgia factor for gamers. As a general rule, the oldest ones and the newest ones sell best.

Book sets. Popular books can make you some money, but book sets are more profitable since people are willing to pay more for them instead of having to find each book in a set.

Limited-edition book sets, such as anniversary releases or boxed sets, can earn you even more.

Glassware. You’d be surprised at how many buyers look for glassware online.

Look for glassware in unique shapes and colors (blue glass is particularly in demand). Vintage Pyrex cookware also get snapped up pretty quickly by collectors, so keep an eye out for these.

Furniture. If you have a talent for repairing and refurbishing furniture, flipping furniture may give you the highest profit margins among all the other products I mentioned.

As the name suggests, your main sources of products are your local thrift shops. Other sources you can look into are flea markets, garage/yard sales, Craigslist (if you’re lucky, you might even get some items here for free!), and library book sales.

The main marketplace for thrift store flippers is eBay, but the site Decluttr is also popular.

If you manage to find vintage items like jewelry, rugs, silverware, and other antique items, you can also turn to Etsy to sell them.

Related posts:
Flipping Thrift Stores

4. Dropshipping

Not everyone can make handmade products or have the time or access to source products in actual brick-and-mortar stores.

Fret not; another option you have is dropshipping.

Dropshipping is a fulfillment method in which the retailer (you) does not stock the items; instead, the retailer forwards the order and the customer details directly to the supplier, who then packages and ships the items directly to the customer.

The retailer is in charge of marketing and promoting the products, as well as processing customer payments and making sure the payment is forwarded to the suppliers.

The advantages of running this type of business are that it’s very simple to start (you can start now if you want to), you don’t have to put out a lot of money for inventory, and you can work from anywhere that has an internet connection.

Here are a few products to dropship that are currently more profitable than others.

Shapewear. This product category includes waist shapers, bodysuits, butt lifters, and any other garment designed to improve the body’s silhouette.

It first became popular a few years back, and with its popularity still growing, it may well become an evergreen product category.

Pet products. You can take your pet to a groomer, but more and more pet owners are now trying to do it themselves.

Pet products

Pet grooming products, such as brushes, clippers, rakes, flea combs, dental care tools, and shampoos and conditioners specially formulated for pet hair.

Pet accessories also sell well. Pet clothes, diapers, fancy leashes, and beds are sought-after items.

Athleisure. Athleisure is growing faster than any other fashion category, as the line between activewear and daywear is slowly being blurred.

Athleisure includes hoodies, leggings, sweatshirts, sweatpants, sports bras, tank tops, and capris, all available in a wide range of colors and material.

Travel products. The travel industry continues to flourish, and travelers are always looking for ways to make their travel experience easier and more comfortable.

Packing cubes, travel-sized containers, travel pillows, and folding bags (for those times when you suddenly need to hand carry some items) are a hit with travelers.

Smartwatches. Wearable tech surprisingly remains popular, so make sure to find suppliers that provide high-quality smartwatches that can track steps, measure heart rate, and even monitor sleep.

Your choice of suppliers will make or break your business. Look for reputable suppliers who carry high-quality items, pack them carefully, ship on time, and address issues quickly and in a satisfactory manner.

5. Selling Private Label Products

Private label products are those that are manufactured by one company for another company or retailer (that’s you) that places their own brand on the products and sells them as their own.

It’s not like buying wholesale for a lower price and then selling at retail price, because in that scenario, you’re clearly a middleman; the brand is already established, and you’re merely making it available to people who want it but can’t access it, for instance.

When you’re selling private label products, you control the specifications, the packaging, and how you want to sell them, without having to build infrastructure for manufacturing.

The ideal private label products are those that are easy to ship, affordable, and are in demand.

Below are some suggestions of what to sell.

Clothing. Customers are always on the lookout for unique, high-quality clothing that fits their lifestyle.

Make up. There is a general movement away from conventionally produced makeup with preservatives, irritants, and potential carcinogens that are tested on animals.

Look for cruelty-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, organic cosmetic private label products.

Packaged food. Health-conscious consumers are looking for “guilt-free” snacks that are gluten-free, nut-free, organic, non-GMO, and low in trans-fat.

Supplements. Various supplements addressing various needs or nutritional deficiencies are popular online.

Supplements

Phone accessories. Cases for Apple AirPods, mobile phone grips, mobile card wallets, and self-charging mobile phone cases are a hit with customers online.

As with all product-based businesses, you’re only good as the quality of your products. Choose private-label manufacturers carefully. See the list below for some high-quality product manufacturers.

Related posts:
How to Sell Private Label Products
Private Label Manufacturers

Service-Based Business Ideas

Instead of selling physical products, service-based businesses sell a service that involves skill and expertise.

In this type of business, your relationship with clients can significantly impact the success of your business.

Unlike product-based businesses where the quality of your product is the main factor of your success, in service-based businesses, your interactions with your clients largely dictate whether they return as clients, give you larger tasks, and recommend your service to others.

All of these businesses have you starting out as a freelancer or an employee.

Upgrading to a business almost always involves hiring your own freelancers or employees, while you become in charge of the management side of things: workforce and project management, training, and marketing.

Below are some service-based businesses that you can start from home.

6. Virtual assisting

Being a virtual assistant doesn’t sound very glamorous, but the pay can be decent if you have unique skills to offer.

You’ll need to be a good communicator and have great organizational and time management skills.

The duties may vary depending on your client, but usual tasks include organizing calendars, booking meetings, and replying to emails.

Related post:
How to Find Virtual Assistant Jobs Online

7. Social media consultancy

Offer advice to businesses or individuals about how to use social media for promotion and marketing.

If you feel you don’t know enough about social media marketing, you can take online courses for you to learn basic to advanced knowledge and techniques.

8. Website development

Note: Need at least a certification, more preferably a bachelor’s degree.

Websites, quite simply, are in demand nowadays. Every business, online-based or brick-and-mortar, small to medium or multinational, needs a website to reach out to potential customers and widen their reach.

You’d need to have the programming knowledge to develop websites, and plenty of courses are available online that you can take within the comfort of your home.

Some of the projects you can do include building e-commerce pages (with product pages and shopping carts), online galleries (for showing off portfolios and artwork), and other specialty websites that are specific to the clients’ preferences and needs.

9. Graphic designing

If you’re an artist who knows how to use digital tools like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, you can put those skills to use as a graphic designer.

There is a constant demand for visual and branding elements for companies big or small. You can be asked to design logos, flyers, pamphlets, newsletters, infographics, slide decks, promotional emails, banner ads, and other marketing materials.

10. Financial advising

Note: Need at least a certification: Certified Financial Planner.

Managing personal finances is difficult to do on your own.

Add student loans and credit card debt to the mix, and you have a disaster in the making.

If you don’t have control over your personal finances, it can result in crushing debt and ruined credit.

Here’s where you can help.

Provide sound financial advice to individuals so they can get out of debt, avoid debt, or know where to invest their hard-earned money.

You can also help other entrepreneurs organize both their personal and business finances so they can separate personal and business expenditures and pay the right amount of taxes to avoid penalties.

11. Copy editing/proofreading

Nowadays, content is king.

But not if the content is error-laden.

If you have a knack for syntax and grammar, or if you have experience in teaching English or proofreading, this line of business can be a perfect fit for you.

There are hundreds of thousands of documents out there that need to be edited or proofread: from college application essays to college homework, from business proposals to marketing plans, from blog posts to sales pages.

Related post:
Online Proofreading Jobs

12. Translation

If you’re bilingual, or at least reasonably fluent in more than one language, offer translation services to individuals and companies.

Marketing nowadays isn’t just limited to one’s local area; companies are now able to sell worldwide, and they’d always need translators to accurately communicate their marketing messages in the local language, considering social and cultural quirks.

13. Video production

If you’re already a videographer by trade, or if you’re proficient with video editing tools, such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, offering video production and editing services from home can be a lucrative business.

Video Production

Video production is in demand for commercial and real estate applications, as well as for events and weddings.

You might also get an aspiring YouTuber or two who create compelling videos but can’t edit their videos to save their lives.

14. Travel planning

You can now purchase travel agency software online and book flights, hotel accommodations, car rentals, and tours.

If you love to travel, and love planning for travel, have great organizational and planning skills, and a talent for finding bargains and deals, this can be something you can help fellow travelers with.

15. Online teaching

Do you have teaching experience, or currently teaching? Online teaching may turn out to be profitable for you.

If you’re proficient in a few subjects, especially English, you’ll always find students who’ll need tutors like you. Offering this service online allows you to reach students from all over the country and even around the world.

Related post:
Online English Teaching Jobs

Turnkey Business Ideas

Building an online business from the ground up can be a harrowing experience if you don’t have the technical, marketing, and social media expertise to start.

If you’re an entrepreneur with capital, willing to hit the ground running, and confident of your business idea, a turnkey business might be a good fit for you.

A turnkey online business is an existing business that is ready to operate at full capacity from the moment you purchase it.

It’s similar to buying a grocery store with the infrastructure built, licenses and permits current, electricity and water hooked up, complete inventory, employees, suppliers, and POS installed: all you have to do is turn the key in the doorknob and you’re open for business.

However, because you’re likely putting a great amount of capital into this business, you’ll want to research the business you’re buying very carefully. Always be clear about what is included in the price you’re paying and if you can, have it valued by a third party.

Here are a few turnkey business ideas that you can start from home.

16. Franchising

Franchising is an agreement between a franchiser and a franchisee (that’s you) that enables the franchisee to use the brand and trademarks of the franchiser, as well as its business systems and processes, to sell products and services according to specifications set by the franchiser.

Franchising traditionally has been for brick-and-mortar businesses, such as coffee shops and fast-food restaurants, but nowadays, franchising an online business is now possible.

Check out sites such as Franchise Direct to read details about possible online businesses open for franchising, such as a website builder business, a social media agency, or video marketing agency.

The good thing about franchising is that the business model is already proven and tested. However, you may have to pay royalties continuously to the franchiser, depending on the franchise you purchase.

17. Direct selling/multi-level marketing (MLMs)

MLMs have been controversial, to put it mildly, but contrary to popular belief, MLMs aren’t always pyramid schemes.

Direct selling refers to selling products directly to the customer in a nonretail environment; that is, not in malls, stores, or kiosks. Instead, sales occur at home, work, or other non-store locations.

This eliminates many steps in the distribution process that drive up the price of the item so that consumers get the lowest price possible.

You or your mom has probably bought makeup from a Mary Kay beauty consultant, lotion from an Avon lady, or containers from a Tupperware dealer. Those are established, legal direct sales companies.

Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a technique used by direct selling companies to encourage existing distributors to recruit new distributors. They incentivize it by offering a percentage of their recruits’ sales.

So how do you know if an MLM company is legit?

A good way to ascertain if an MLM company is legitimate is to read the fine print and determine whether the focus is on making sales to consumers or on recruiting new members or “downlines.”

Does it encourage its sellers to make money from selling its products to consumers? Or does it encourage sellers to recruit new members to buy their products? If it’s the former, then it’s quite likely that it’s a legitimate MLM company. If it’s the latter, it’s likely a pyramid scheme.

Aside from that, search for any cases against the company from the FTC or any class action suits.

Some of the top legitimate MLM companies you can consider joining include the three companies I mentioned above, as well as Amway, Herbalife, and doTERRA.

18. Flipping websites

Perhaps you don’t like any of these other turnkey business ideas.

Why not try your hand at supplying a turnkey business?

Flipping websites involves checking out websites that have potential, buying them, improving them, and selling them.

Your prospective customers are those who want to run their own website but don’t have the time or inclination to start from scratch.

When customers buy from you, they expect a fully functional website, with content and special features required by them, such as ordering products, booking appointments, or enrolling in online courses.

They would also expect that the website already has a significant amount of traffic and their responsibilities will be to maintain that traffic.

Others

These are businesses that don’t fall exactly into the categories above but are solid business ideas nonetheless.

19. Application development

“There’s an app for that.”

Thanks to application developers who create these apps, there’s an app to help with almost every conceivable problem, from the mundane to the extraordinary.

If you have a knack for creating apps, with or without experience, you can certainly take some online courses and study how to do it.

You can then create the application for a client, or let your creativity and problem-solving skills kick in and create an application by yourself.

Once you’ve created your application, promote it with a marketing strategy designed to promote your application to whoever needs it.

20. Stock photography

If you’re a professional photographer or even a passionate amateur, consider selling stock photos to photo selling websites or sell them from your own website.

You can also expand into selling prints of your photos, or daily items, such as mugs, t-shirts, mousepads, etc. with photos you’ve taken.

Which Small Profitable Business Idea Will You Launch Today?

Of the 20 business ideas I’d enumerated, which ones are you most interested in? Do you have any other small business ideas? Tell us below!