Think the only way to earn money online is with a conventional 9 to 5 job? Think again. Welcome to the world of side hustles or side gigs – freelancer jobs you can do on your own time from the comfort of your home office. With technology at your fingertips there are numerous options when it comes to side hustles.
Here are 5 to check out if you want to make money from home.
1. Virtual Assistant
If you have good organization skills, then why not earn money online as a freelance virtual assistant? All you need is a laptop, an internet connection, and a profile on a job site, like as Upwork or Freelancer, so you can apply for jobs. What will you be doing? A variety of things!
Virtual assistants are tasked with duties such as:
- Scheduling meetings
- Managing email accounts
- Uploading content
- Performing research, and much more.
If you’re looking to supplement your income and wondering how to make extra money, then being a VA could be the perfect side hustle for you.
2. Freelance Writer
Writing is one of the best freelance skills to possess if you want to earn money online. There’s a huge demand for good writers who can supply consistent, high quality content for: blog posts, websites, product descriptions, newsletters, email campaigns and more.
Even if you fancy writing a novel you can, simply by getting side gigs on Upwork or Freelancer, or one of the other many job sites on the market. If you’re good, then you’ll receive 5 star feedback and you can build your profile from there. The amount you’ll earn varies depending on your experience and the quality of the content you provide. Practice makes perfect though, right? So stick at it!
3. Social Media Marketer
If you love posting on social media, why not get paid to do so to help someone else out? Many businesses understand the important of social media to drive traffic, but don’t have the time to post themselves. They’re perfectly willing to pay someone to post and engage with their followers, and the pay for a social media marketer isn’t too shabby at $15 to $75 per hour.
Knowing how to use a scheduling tool, such as Buffer or Hootsuite, means you can schedule posts ahead of time at hours that work for you. This is one side hustle that may not even feel like work!
4. Transcriptionist
If you’re a whiz at typing accurately and have great listening skills, then consider transcription work as your side hustle. Many businesses record their meetings, interviews with clients or even shoot videos and create podcasts. These all need the audio transcribed into written text so it can be posted alongside the media or stored online. For instance, a video may be posted online but also need a written version to accompany the verbal feed so it’s accessible for deaf visitors to the site.
Even if you’re a bit slow starting out, keep at it and you’ll speed up. If you can type 60+ words per minute, with over 90% accuracy and you can deliver a job on time, then you’re well on the way to being in big demand as a freelance transcriber!
5. Graphic Design
If you have graphic design skills, then you’re in a great position to earn money online with this side hustle. From designing logos and ads, to creating newsletters and flyers, good graphic designers are never short of work, and you can charge higher rates if you’re very experienced.
It’s a good idea to belong to a few online job sites, and have an online portfolio so you can send off a link if anyone requests to see your work. Graphic design work can be demanding if there’s a deadline that needs to be met, but as long as you communicate clearly about the hours you’re able to work, and when you can deliver the project, everyone will be on the same page.
Working from home can be sometimes challenging when thinking of all the the distractions that can arise. Feeling hungry? You can lose track of time by cooking your own meal, or having the TV on in the background can also be a distraction. To make sure you get the most out of your time working from home, set up your own home office and dedicate that spot only for work so you don’t waste your time and end up working for longer hours.
Final Thoughts
These side hustles are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to freelancer jobs. If you have the motivation there are plenty of side hustles out there, and something that will suit your particular skills and qualifications. Good luck with your side hustle hunting!
P.S. Here are some more ways to earn a side income, from expert opinions.
About the Author:
Angela Pearse is a blogger for Zumper who frequently combines travel with freelance writing. She’s passionate about Art Deco hotels, historical novels, Netflix, hiking and healthy living.