Taking the leap from traveling every day to a traditional job to working from home can be a dramatic change, but the benefits are plentiful. “You have the flexibility to work around your schedule and don’t need to spend hours commuting every week,” points out R.J. Weiss, Certified Financial Planner and founder of TheWaysToWealth.com. No wonder 70 percent of home-based workers cite a better work-life balance as the reason they chose their career path. And the perks don’t end there: “You also get to select the kind of work you want to do and can often get started right away,” he adds.
With a wide variety of work-from-home options available, figuring out which would be the best fit can feel daunting. Fortunately, you can find out quickly by simply answering a few easy questions. Start with the first question at the top of the next page. Your answers will reveal which at-home job matches what you’d enjoy doing most….
Are you crafty?
You can turn handmade potpourri, soap or other crafts into a stream of income. All it takes is setting up a storefront to sell your wares at online marketplaces, such as Amazon.com/Handmade, eBay.com, and Etsy.com. Simply take a few photos, write a description and set your price. You can start with one product, then build inventory as you go. Once you make enough handicrafts to fill a table, you can rent a booth at farmers’ markets, vendor shows and pop-up events to sell in person.
Tip: Make more money by…including more details in online product descriptions, such as “organic lavender potpourri cotton sachet” rather than just “lavender sachet”. Shoppers who are ready to buy type more specific searches, so your item will come up in their top results.
Do you have a special skill?
“There’s someone online willing to pay you to teach it to them,” insists Jen Ruiz, author of 25 Ways to Work From Home (Buy on Amazon, $12.99). From baking and photography to sewing and bookkeeping, you can earn hundreds of dollars every month by sharing your know-how on eLearning platforms, such as Skillshare.com, Teachable.com, and Udemy.com. Don’t think you have anything to teach? “If you like children, are patient and are engaging enough to hold their attention, you can teach English online,” notes Ruiz. Language tutoring websites, such as Teacher.QKids.com and VIPKid.com, pay about $10 to $25 per hour and don’t require teaching certifications or experience.
Tip: Make more money by…cashing in on incentive bonuses that are frequently offered, such as being on-time for live classes and recruiting friends to be online teachers.
Are you a whiz at keeping others on track?
“Consider being a virtual assistant,” recommends Ruiz. “If you’re organized and able to manage multiple tasks at once, then this is the gig for you.” You’ll be paid $9 to $15 per hour by businesses and entrepreneurs who need administrative support, such as answering phone calls, replying to emails, scheduling appointments, and performing data entry. Start getting assignments by signing up to virtual assistant websites, such as FancyHands.com and Zirtual.com. Or apply to job posts from companies looking for help by searching for “virtual assistant” at FlexJobs.com.
Tip: Make more money by…telling clients about unique qualifications you have, such as Excel spreadsheet expertise or fluency in Spanish. This helps you beat out competition and command a higher rate.
Do you enjoy driving around town?
You can earn $7 to $20 per hour while behind the wheel. Ride-sharing (such as Lyft and Uber) is one way, but there are plenty of driving jobs that don’t involve picking up passengers. For example, you can run errands for folks who need groceries, pet food or other supplies by signing up at Instacart.com, Postmates.com, and Shipt.com. You can deliver take-out food for DoorDash.com, GrubHub.com, or UberEats.com. Or you can help Amazon deliver packages by signing up at Flex.Amazon.com.
Tip: Make more money by…picking jobs whose peak demand coincides with the hours you’re available to work. For example, more folks place Instacart grocery orders on weekend mornings and UberEats deliveries spike at lunch at dinner.
Are you a people person?
If you’re happiest around others, you’d be a good fit as a direct sales rep. Companies that sell their own line of products, such as Mary Kay cosmetics, doTerra essential oils, and Tupperware storage containers, are looking for folks who enjoy hosting parties in person and online to introduce customers to their products. “While many think you need sales experience, you don’t,” assures direct sales coach Becky Launder (ModernDirectSeller.com). “You have the flexibility to make your own hours, plus unlimited earning potential.” Not only do you reap 15 percent to 30 percent commission on what you sell, you can invite others to join your sales team and earn additional commission based on their performance.
Tip: Make more money by…demonstrating how a product solves a problem since customers are more likely to buy something that offers a fix. For example, do a live Facebook video showing how a Mary Kay charcoal mask cleans clogged pores.
Do you crave variety?
Post offers to do tasks on more than one type of work-for-hire website or app. For example, love animals? Let pet owners know you’re available to walk dogs and feed cats at Rover.com. A natural at creative projects? Let entrepreneurs know you can do voiceovers, logo designs, or background music at Fiverr.com. Handy with home or yard tools? Let homeowners know you can assemble a bookshelf or create a garden at TaskRabbit.com. Have expert skills? Let companies know you’re available to edit a manuscript or translate an interview at Upwork.com. You’ll end up doing a little bit of everything so you’re never bored.
Tip: Make more money by…including more details or a short video about yourself in your profile. Research from Fiverr shows that job orders increase more than 200 percent when customers get to know you.
