If you are unsatisfied with your current job, or if you just want a chance to make some extra money, the Internet is the only resource you need. There are mountains of jobs that are easy to add to a full workload, and many of them have the potential to be new careers if you find a good fit.
The best part is that most of these jobs require little to no initial financial investment on your part. Time and effort – yes, but money – not so much. Here are five of the easiest opportunities that are in high demand and fully available online.
Become a virtual task manager
Remote personal assistants are fast becoming the norm. Busy managers and business owners need tons of tasks done, but outsourcing to freelance assistants is often less expensive and can fit a more demanding schedule. When you work as a virtual assistant, you can choose what kinds of tasks you want to do, and you get to pick your hours.
You can work fulltime with a single client, or you can spread your talents with a number of jobs to make sure you spend your time on the kind of work you prefer. Just some of the tasks you could do include managing calendars, data research, filling forms, paying bills, screening calls, taking messages and notes, and coordinating projects.
You can get started through project bidding sites like Upwork.com, or you can sign up with a freelance firm that matches clients and freelancers for a cut of the fee.
Consider online consulting
The range of consulting both individuals and businesses need is vast, and all of them are willing to pay good money for some actionable advice. There are many things you can consider depending on your expertise – you can give general advice for business planning, technical advice for managing IT, SEO recommendations to make websites more profitable, or even relationship advice.
Online consulting fits easily into schedules because you are your own boss, and you can do the entire job remotely via video and audio conferencing. Like many of these positions, one of the easiest ways to get your first few clients is to bid on freelance sites like Guru.com.
This is another field where you can start light, with after-hours work, and eventually develop a lucrative full-time job after you build your reputation and client list.
Start an e-commerce store
There’s a reason retail has struggled so much over the last decade. E-commerce is an easier way for people to shop, and it costs businesses far less money to run. With a website and some savvy social media use, you can market to a niche group to sell something you care about. Many people partner with suppliers and distributors and split the profit from sales, but it means your overhead is nearly zero.
You can use your e-commerce store as a source of secondary income, but if you find your passion, it can certainly earn you a living. If you don’t know where to start, here’s a suggestion: selling phone cases is an excellent example of a profitable niche because virtually everyone today uses smartphones which are usually covered in interesting phone cases. Some other trendy businesses include selling clothes, jewelry, games, and pet care. You cannot go wrong with any of them!
In any case, play with both available options and your interests, and then try to sell something that solves a problem within that niche. Once you get the knack for promoting and marketing, the money will flow.
Try web design
Every business needs a good website. Every. Single. One. And, as you have surely noticed, underwhelming websites are abundant. If you have any interest in web design, a good eye for aesthetics or the patience to meticulously craft a good piece, then you can have great success in this field.
The technical burden of knowledge is nowhere what it used to be, and you can be building sites from scratch with next to no knowledge in coding or HTML. In other words, it doesn’t take long to educate yourself in this field. If you do have the background, it only opens more doors.
The best way to get started is to build your own website to promote your business. It serves as the first entry in your portfolio, and as you develop a body of work, recruiting clients will only get easier. Once again, the sites like Freelancer.com and other bidding resources will help you find an abundance of work.
Venture into writing
Web design and e-commerce have something in common: they both fail without quality content. In fact, content marketing is the fastest growing sector within marketing, and it has a huge potential. Writing is another field where you can start light and add to your workload whenever you like.
As long as you have the skills, you won’t see a shortage of job requests. This can include a range of different things: magazine articles, website content, e-book, social media entries, and so on. You can even compose resumes and cover letters for people. As long as you employ imagination and your writing skills – only the sky’s the limit.
If you think that writing is not right for you, but you have a great command of the English language, you can also make money as an editor or proofreader. Many people want to see their text polished, so why not try doing it for them?
These five job types are a start, but they are far from the limit of what is available. Hop on any of the bidding sites and you’ll get an idea of just how much remote, freelance work is being done around the world. And the great news is – there are plenty of jobs you can pursue without blowing your budget to get started.
If you can find something you enjoy, it can become a transition to a happier career. Just remember to persevere in whatever you decide, and success will soon follow.
