Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – Given the unprecedented times we find ourselves in, more and more people are looking for ways to make money from home. To help you choose which income source might be best for you, the editors of International Living have put together a list of ways that you can use your skills to earn income online.
The list is broken into specific skill set sections, all of which include links to websites that can help you start building an online income stream.
International Living’s List of the Best Ways, and Places, to Earn Money Online
PROOFREADING
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There are many routes into freelance proofreading, even if you have no industry experience. For the highest paying assignments, search within a specialized field that you have some knowledge of. If you don’t have a specialty, see if you can start building your portfolio on freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Guru.
There are several proofreader-specific platforms out there that you may be able to get work from as an entry-level proofreader. All have competitive pay and flexible hours.
Suggested Websites:
• Scribendi
• Gramlee
• Scribbr
• Proofread Anywhere
TUTORING
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Using an online teaching platform, you can work from anywhere and create your own flexible schedule with part-time or full-time hours. There has never been a better time to explore your earning potential as an online tutor. And, nowadays, with a laptop, an internet connection, and a little know-how, you can be set up in a matter of weeks and start earning online from the comfort of your own home.
You don’t need experience or complex technical skills to get started. Whether you’re craving an adventure abroad or looking to pad your nest egg for retirement… teaching online is a fun, smart, flexible way to build a portable income.
Suggested Websites:
• Tutor Vista
• Yup
• Tutor
• Go Fluent
• Cambly
• Q Kids
• Chegg
• Skooli
• My Tutor Web
• Kaplan
• Studypool
• VIP Kid
• Tutor ABC
• Math Elf
• Preply
E-BOOKS
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A range of income opportunities exists in e-books: Work a little just to supplement your current income, or focus on writing and marketing a series of e-books as a full-fledged career and potentially earn a substantial income.
Where once you needed an agent who could pitch your proposal to book publishers, today all you need is a computer, an idea for a book, and a free account at any of the e-book publishing sites.
Not only has the internet made self-publishing a profitable, easy-to-pursue opportunity available to all of us, it has given us a wide range of tools to manage the writing process, as well as all the administrative work necessary for producing a book, tracking sales, and keeping in touch with readers.
Suggested Websites:
• Kindle Direct Publishing
• Lulu
• iBooks Author
• Blurb
• Smashwords
• Nook Press
BLOGGING
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The beauty of blogging is that anyone can do it. It doesn’t require polished writing skills or in-depth knowledge of web design. In fact, many successful bloggers start with no experience at all but can still build their blog into a real money-maker.
Your options for creating a blog are nearly as boundless as the number of topics you can blog about. Blogging is a great way to earn on your own terms. Whether you’re already retired, or ten years away, blogging is something you can start today, and fit into whatever schedule, or life plan you already have.
And it’s pretty simple to get started. All you need is a reliable internet connection, a computer, and a hobby or interest you’d like to share with others.
Suggested Websites:
• Listverse
• Mental Floss
• Pro Blogger
• Contently
• Blogging Pro
ART DESIGN AND CRAFTING
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Practicing an art or craft offers many benefits to retirees. As well as being a hobby and potential income, it can help ease the lost sense of purpose that often accompanies leaving the workforce.
What can you make from glue sticks, balls of wool, and some colored paper? A lot more than you might think. Arts and crafts aren’t just the domain of grandmothers knitting scarves in front of the television, or children with glitter caked to their face.
Artisan crafts are coming back in a big way, and it’s no surprise why. Online retailers are catering to this demand by giving artisans and craftspeople a place to sell their wares with ease to a world-wide market. For expats in search of new ways to make money overseas, this renewed demand for handmade crafts spells opportunity.
Suggested Websites:
• Behance
• 99 Designs
• Amazon Handmade
• Art Fire
• Zibbet
• Redbubble
• Folksy
• Society 6
• Turning Art
• Zazzle
• Saatchi Art
• Cafe Press
• Cargoh
• Uncommon Goods
• Aftcra
• Etsy
• Ruby Lane
• Spoonflower
VARIOUS FREELANCE SERVICES
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If you’ve been considering exploring the world of online freelancing, now is absolutely the time to act on those instincts and get involved. There are over 300 marketplaces for freelance services filled with millions of buyers who want simple things like proofreading and editing as well as more complex assignments like business consulting and pretty much everything in between you could imagine (literally thousands).
You can use your downtime to start building your online profile, reaching out to clients, and getting your first few paychecks. Before long, this could lead to a steady new income stream and increased financial security – invaluable assets in these unsettled times.
Suggested Websites:
• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Moonlighting
• People Hour
• Freelancer
• Toptal
• Remotasks
• Workana
• Flexjobs
• Solid Gigs
• Cloud Peeps
• Indeed
• Guru
• Service Scape
• Craigslist
• Fancy Hands
• Spare 5
• Your Mechanic
• Hello Tech
• Working not Working
• Just Answer
VIDEO
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Getting set up as a videographer is easy and more affordable today than it’s ever been. These days, most digital cameras, smartphones, and tablets have high-quality video capabilities, and you can buy a good handheld video camera for about $400.
For editing, you can use iMovie on a Mac and Windows Movie Maker on a PC. Both programs are free to download.
As a travel videographer, you’ll journey to exotic locations, experience dream vacations, and stay in five-star hotels – free of charge – in fact, you’ll be paid handsomely to do it. It’s quite nice to come home from your vacation with more money in your pocket than you left with.
Suggested Websites:
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Daily Motion
• Filmless
PHOTOGRAPHY
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Stock photographs are the generic pictures you see used again and again in brochures, magazines, posters, websites, billboards, and any kind of advertising. They’re pictures that have a specific topic of focus but are still universal enough to be used in many different contexts. For instance, a picture of a man in a suit holding his lower back could be used in an article about back pain, in advertising material for a pain relief medicine, or to sell orthopedic chairs.
Because stock photographs can sell over and over again, they’re an easy source of passive income for anyone who enjoys tinkering with their camera. All you have to do is pinpoint a subject you want to photograph – something simple with a defined concept works best – upload it to a stock photography website, and you’re done. Your picture can now sell repeatedly, without any further input from you.
Once you’ve built up a library of stock photographs, there is no limit to how much income you can make. All you have to do is upload your images to stock websites.
Suggested Websites:
• Floap
• Adobe Stock
• Shutterstock
• Alamy
• Fotomoto
• Getty Images
VOICE WORK
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If you don’t know, VO artists are people who lend their voice to commercials, audio books, animated series and films, radio ads, and all sorts of things. You can find a host of VO assignments on online platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, Voices, and Voices 123.
If you’re interested in becoming a VO artist, you will need some sort of computer with a fast processor and lots of storage ability. Try out microphones to find the best one for our voice and invest in a good pair of audio recording headphones. A free software called Audacity is perfect for editing recordings.
Suggested Websites:
• Voices
• Voice Bunny
• Voices 123
• Snap Recordings
WRITING
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If you read a lot, have been a writer in the past, have a background in education or English, or write for a hobby, you can tap into the myriad jobs in writing. Articles, blogs, product descriptions, ghost-writing, travel writing, thesis corrections, almost any type of writing you can think of has a corresponding online job.
Check out online job boards regularly and sign up for writing job alerts. It’s also a good idea to register with websites that specialize in remote work, as they frequently advertise content jobs.
Copywriting is a mega-industry, ripe with opportunity. And yearning for people who can fuel it with fresh marketing messages. Or what about travel writing? Imagine getting paid to travel the world. Travel writing can become a full-time passion if you like, or merely something you do on the side… a way to justify a vacation and defray some of the costs, maybe write off your trip on your taxes.
Suggested Websites:
• Due
• Contenta
• Freelance Writing Gigs
• Freelance Writing
• Journalism Jobs
• All Freelance Writing
ONLINE SURVEYS
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The internet is littered with companies that will pay you small sums of about $5 or $10 for completing lengthy online surveys.
At one time or another, you’ve probably seen an advertisement on social media or received an email. Companies need feedback on services and products and are willing to pay you to complete surveys online.
There are surveys at all levels of expertise. The survey companies will announce the subject of the survey, as well as the timeframe over which the survey will occur, the commitment involved, and the payment for completing the survey.
Suggested Websites:
• Swagbucks
• Survey Junkie
• Cash Karma
• My Points
• Inbox Dollars
• VIP Voice
No matter your skill set, no matter what you do now or did in the past, there is an online job that will align with your skills and passions. And the best part? This work can travel with you wherever you go.
Source: International Living