The coronavirus pandemic has made more and more companies transition to a new way of working. Businesses are struggling to stay afloat while others are shutting down.
Truth be told, we all want to get back to our normal lives. But we don’t know how long this ‘new normal’ will last.
So, what should you do if you’re stuck at home while bills still have to be paid? How would you feel if you could meet all your expenses through online work?
Great! Right?
It’s true, almost all work from home jobs need training. However, the prices of most online courses have greatly reduced in recent months and years.
With as little as $49, you can rest assured that you will have the right skills to start your work from home journey.
Here are some benefits you’ll get to enjoy when working from home:
- You’ll have a flexible schedule
- You’ll get to customize your learning and working environment
- Spend more time with your family
- Save your money, which you’d have otherwise spent on commuting and eating out.
The only things you need to work from home are a computer and a stable internet connection. Now, let us look at the top three work from home jobs that are likely to see you through the next few months and beyond.
1: Freelance Writer
With a little interest and attention to detail, your ability to become a top-notch freelance writer will be easier than you thought. This is because of the seamless online learning offered through platforms.
Let’s face it. Nobody was born a writer. In some way, we all learned how to write due to various reasons.
In fact, according to Website Builder, a third of the American workforce has participated in freelancing in the course of their career.
Although writing books is also a great way to generate income, its revenue is usually a bit inconsistent. This is why most book writers are also freelance writers–they get to earn full-time income every time they write.
To help you kickstart your freelancing career, we’ll cover three types of freelance writing you can do from the comfort of your home.
i) Writing for Newspapers and Magazines
Writing for newspapers and magazines involves contributing articles to various print publications. Although this is one of the most traditional forms of freelance writing, it’s still a viable freelancing path today.
Magazines are written for a specific audience. Many of their sections contain work that has been contributed by different freelance writers. You’ll need to be well-versed in a particular niche and do a lot of research for your work to be published in a magazine.
Some common types of magazines include:
- Trade/industry magazines – Produced by people from the same profession or industry
- Popular/ Consumer magazines – You are likely to find these magazines at your local supermarket or newspaper agency
- Custom publications – They are magazines produced by specific businesses for their clients/customers. They usually serve as marketing strategies.
Most newspaper companies don’t allow freelance writers to write their news stories. However, some allow writers to contribute to newspaper sections, like lifestyle or entertainment.
So how do you land these freelance writing tasks?
- Simply look up for their article submission processes online.
- Find out if they are accepting freelance workers.
- If they are looking for writers, check their rates, and then send a personalized pitch if you are comfortable with their pay.
You can also use Google to find different types of writing tasks online. For instance, search “write for our magazine,” “magazine writing submission,” or “write for us” to find magazine related online work.
Alternatively, you can sign up for emails from sites that share current freelancing work for their subscribers.
ii) Regular Blog Posts
After learning how to write enchanting articles, you’ll also find regular jobs on various websites and blogs.
There are millions of sites and blogs, and most of them are always looking for freelance writers to generate content for their clients.
If you can land a few of these online jobs with consistent work, you’ll have a steady stream of income. Some websites, such as FlexJobs and ProBlogger, offer some of the best work from home jobs.
iii) Writing Competitions
Most writing competitions pay highly for winners and runners-up. You can participate in any of these competitions and earn up to $2,000 for a short story writing contest or an article on a specific topic.
These writing competitions usually run throughout the year. The good thing is that even if you don’t win, you can still submit your piece somewhere else since your work will still be unpublished.
2: Online Business
Before you start an online business, you need to ask if you are ready for it. Is it for you?
Remember, setting up your business website is not a guarantee that your business will be successful. This is because online business is not a way to get rich quickly, and what is suitable for others may not be ideal for you.
As such, you need to learn new skills in online marketing in order to make a decent income from selling information or items on your website. However, there are a few standard things that all business start-ups have in common.
Here is a breakdown of what most businesses do to succeed, both online and offline:
- Conduct personal evaluation- what are your strengths?
- Analyze the market or the industry you want to get venture into
- Evaluate your target audience
- Have a business plan that can help you determine how much money you might need for your business
- Where necessary, seek financial assistance from a venture capital firm or an investor
- Set up your business
- Prepare for trial and error since even experts do make mistakes
Learning how to start and run a successful online business is not for newbie entrepreneurs alone. Even seasoned entrepreneurs enroll in courses to learn new skills as well as digital marketing strategies.
3: Independent Contractor
An independent contractor is a person/organization that offers specific services to businesses. Normally, their work is outlined in a written or verbal contract.
So, how is an independent contractor different from a virtual assistant?
There are some slight differences between an independent contractor and a virtual assistant. But, most businesses use these terms interchangeably.
A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who offers services from a remote location. They are never attached to any company.
However, independent contractors can handle more specialized work compared to virtual assistants. Some responsibilities of an independent contractor can be:
- Gathering materials needed to complete a task
- Overseeing assignments
- Creating a website
- Crafting content for a website
- Liaising with a client for job requirements clarification when necessary
- Acts as a customer service representative
They perform compensated work for various businesses, but they are never considered employees.
Kick-Start Your Online Career Today With Small Revolution
With today’s advanced technologies, it’s no longer necessary for people to be in offices to be productive. This has been possible thanks to technologies such as Google Hangout, Skype, Zoom, Slack, Cloud Computing, and Facetime.
Working from home not only rewards you financially but also contributes to your happiness. This is because it boosts your self-esteem and confidence level.
As an employer, working from home helps you:
- Boost your business productivity
- Lower your organizational cost
- Reduce turnover
For an employee, working from home enables you to:
- Save time as there is no commuting
- Become more productive due to flexibility
So, what are you waiting for? Get ahead by enrolling in one of these work from home courses today. Scroll through to find a training that suits you.
