Virtual assistants (VAs) do the same clerical work as their real-life counterparts, but their efforts are entirely online. Experienced VAs can pull in big bucks, so don’t be shy about tossing your resume in the ring, especially if you’re well-versed in social media marketing! VAs can make anywhere from $10-$50/hr. Join my Facebook Group to start making connections today!
Make Money With Your Phone
Some companies will pay you to test their apps. It’s not a bad way to make a little extra cash and I average about $5/month with SlideJoy – and I literally do nothing for it!
Legit Survey Sites
There’s a lot of survey sites that aren’t worth your time (like Swagbucks!) but I’ve also written a guide on how to make your first $50 with InboxDollars and how I’ve made over $700 with SurveySavvy!
Social Media Managing
Create, edit, update, design and stimulate activity for the social media accounts of companies, corporations, or even online bloggers like me!
Consulting
People are willing to pay for expert knowledge in a variety of fields. Best of all, these exchanges can be done entirely online, so you can work in your pajamas if you’d like.
Testing Websites
Do the links work? Do the images load? Become a guinea pig for web developers and test websites via UserTesting.
Telecommuting is the new normal in the world of data entry. Take advantage of this cultural shift and start working from home via Freelancer – BONUS $20 when you sign up!
Copywriting
Freelance copying can pull in big bucks for the dedicated. All you need are writing skills and a willingness to seek your own opportunities (or you can work through a “middle-man” using a site like Textbroker!)
The world of self-publishing is growing by the day. If you have a story idea, put it online and see if you can become the next bestselling author!
Some other work from home ideas include:
If you really excelled in school, help a child improve their grades by virtually tutoring them in your favorite subject. Whether you’re looking for a role as a social studies tutor, English, Math, or otherwise, tutoring is a great way to make extra cash. Find a great opportunity on sites like Tutor Hub!
Earn Cash with Rakuten
Not only does Rakutensave you tons of money (now on in-store purchases as well!!) but you can refer your friends to join and make money, too. I’ve earned back over $700, there’s literally NO reason not to use Rakuten when you shop online! And if you’re still hesitant, read up on how Rakuten works!
Get Creative
Your homemade scarves could turn a nice profit on a crafting site. If you can create it, there’s a market for it, so get online and start selling your wares via a site like Etsy!
You could also look into designing and creating greeting cards for a site like Smart Alex!
If you have an eye for design, consider becoming a web-based graphic designer. All you need to get started is Photoshop and you can start work through sites like Fiverr!
If you’ve got a flair for fashion, perhaps you could create and sell t-shirts via a site like Hanes Ink!
Making Money with Photography
You don’t need to be a professional photographer. There’s money to be made by staging and selling “stock” photos for websites that collect and re-sell them. Check out Shutterstock to get started!
Reselling
You can always sell things you no longer need and if you’re a parent, you can be constantly reselling the clothes your children outgrow. It basically makes it so that you get kids clothes for free!
There are ample opportunities for call center representatives who want to work from home. These jobs are typically by phone or through virtual “live chats.” Thousands of opportunities are typically available on UpWork!
Save AND Earn
As I said above, Rakutenis always a great option to save AND make money, but there are so many more, like:
- Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
($3/referral – refer enough people and you can get Amazon Prime for FREE!) - Discover Card (The only credit card I recommend – $50 bonus for anyone who signs up through the link plus double your cash back at the end of your first year!)
- iBotta ($5/referral + a $10 bonus to those who sign-up; I average $50 earned back each month!)
- The Grove Collaborative ($10/referral + $10 for those who sign-up!)
($3/referral – refer enough people and you can get Amazon Prime for FREE!)Reviewing
Some companies will pay you to review their goods and services online. Many provide free products, but often times they’ll pay, too! One company I absolutely love is Blogging For Books, though they don’t pay, they do provide free books and hey, if you were going to spend money on ’em anyway…
There’s also online focus groups will ask your opinion on everything from products to politics. If you’re willing to share them, you can make this a steady side gig.
Translating
You can find a lot of translation work on the web. Since it doesn’t require face-to-face interaction to get it done, it’s becoming a brisk online business.
Troubleshooting
Lend your tech support skills to companies who are looking for people to fix their websites, databases and cloud networks. It’s a job that can be done just as easily online as in the real world.
Affiliate Marketing
If you already run a blog or online business, one of the easiest ways to make money from your creation is affiliate marketing. Getting started with affiliate marketing is surprisingly easy! Personally, I *love* ShareASale, but above all it’s important to find a company that allows you to be an affiliate for companies you actually support.
Investing
You don’t need to physically travel to Wall Street to try your luck on the stock market. Email a financial advisor and get started with stocks, bonds, franchises and natural commodities whenever you’d like.
Web Browsing
If you don’t mind new and experimental search engines, you can pull in some money by testing them for their developers instead of automatically directing your queries to Google.
Speaking of Google, they’re willing to pay people to test their algorithms and judge their search engine results pages (SERPs) for accuracy and relevancy. Turn it into a full-job time for maximum cash.
Transcribing
Do you have an ear for dialogue? Become a transcriber and lend your services to blogs, businesses and closed-captioning companies. Personally, I’ve paid for one myself a time or two when I wanted to convert video to text and I loved it – such a time saver! Check out Rev for transcription and closed-captioning work!
Do for others
This will require you to leave the couch, but you’ll still be your own boss and set your own hours if you drive for others. We live in an average size city in the middle of Illinois and still my Uber friends love to earn that extra cash, only working a few hours on the weekends.
Did you know you can get paid to do someone else’s laundry? Check out Laundry Care for more info!
Are you an expert in something? Do you enjoy sharing that knowledge with others? With sites like Udemy, you can easily set up your own course and make money (it’s how I made enough money to quit my 9-5!)
Your spare bedroom can be used as a landing pad for travelers all around the world. Advertise the space online; book people’s appointments online; open your doors in the real world.
And of course babysitting – It’s not just for teens! If you’re planning to spend your Friday/Saturday night at home with the kids anyway, why not offer up your services to watch someone else’s kid, too, and get paid for it? BONUS: Maybe all of the kids will place nicely together and you can actually enjoy an evening watching something other than Octonauts. A gal can dream, right…?
Coupon Collecting
Are you tired of the piles of flyers, circulars and coupons that wind up in your mailbox? Start gathering and selling them on Ebay for extra cash.
Tweet
Yep, you read that right – tweet! You need to have a decent following, but yes, it’s totally possible to get paid to tweet.
Lose Weight
Check out this man’s story on how he lost 50lbs and was paid nearly $700 to do so!
Watching Television
While it won’t buy you a house in the Bahamas, there are certain sites, like Viggle, that will give you cash, prizes, and gift cards for watching and reviewing their TV programs.
Direct Sales
In the 21st century, Avon ladies are digital. Direct sales might be a good fit for you if you enjoy challenges and self-made opportunities. There are so many options, from Norwex to BeachBody to the aforementioned Avon!
Inventing
Companies are always looking for the next big thing. Sell your ideas to others for a portion of the proceeds.
Catering
Take a step up from selling your cookies on a personal blog. Become a caterer and arrange full-scale meals for parties, weddings, conferences and sports events.
Mystery Shopping
This is another job that will require you to leave your house, but since you’ll book these engagements entirely online, it’s still considered a virtual career. Check out Best Mark for some amazing opportunities (and use ID Number IL42201 should you sign up!)
Odd Jobs
If you like creativity and spontaneity, consider becoming an “odd jobs” specialist who builds a reputation for completing any digital task no matter how small or unusual it is (err on second thought, maybe set SOME limits…maybe…) Did you know Craigslist even has an “odd jobs” category? Easy peasy to get yourself on there!
Apps
Create, design, sell, manage and flip apps for interested parties. It only takes one great idea to become a sensation.
Web Designing
Do you have knowledge of programming languages like C++ and SQL? Use them to become an online web designer.
Last but certainly not least, ask your current boss if the company has any work-from-home opportunities. You might be surprised to learn that you can do your morning tasks from your home office.
My Favorite Ways to Earn Money Online
Of the 50 listed above, my top earners (and favorite to use!) are most definitely:
- ShareASale for affiliate marketing
- Rakuten– you get an automatic $10 when you sign up!
- iBotta – $5/referral + a $10 bonus to those who sign-up; I average $50 earned back each month!
