The Best Online Jobs and How to Get Started (2020)
As many have started working from home due to Coronavirus, many have also lost their jobs.
If you are looking for ways to earn money from home, you may decide to steer away from the gig economy and instead look for a part-time job. Read on for ideas for online jobs that you can start pursuing right away.
The Top Paying Online Jobs in 2020
Graphic Designer
Do you have design skills? Then becoming a graphic designer online might be the right route for you. Even if you don’t have a degree in graphic design, you might have the skills it takes to create excellent designs for professionals and individuals that can’t do it themselves.
You can create a Fiverr.com account for free to get started. Then, you can post examples of your work online to attract people who like your style. If you don’t have samples yet, you can use social media to post in groups for entrepreneurs and offer to do your first 3–5 designs for free. When you have a profile of your work, you can start earning online.
If you have attractive designs that sell, you may want to also sell them as designs that multiple people can purchase. For example, if you have a cool sticker, logo, or typeface, you can create stickers and other physical products for people to purchase online.
Sites like Redbubble allow users to upload their designs to sell on clothing, stickers, water bottles, and other items. Once your design is uploaded, people can purchase your designs, and you get paid without ever having to print the physical items yourself.
Tutor
If you have a college degree, you can get an online job as a teacher or tutor. Kids and adults all around the world want to learn English. Websites like VIPKid allow you to teach English to children from other countries.
To teach English, you must be a native English speaker, have a bachelor’s degree in any field, and have a working computer with a webcam and high-speed internet. If you have previous teaching experience, you have a better chance of landing the job and earning more money.
Facebook Ads Manager
Many local businesses need to advertise online but are unsure how. Many don’t have the time, or don’t know where to start. If you have a Facebook account and know how to use the advertising platform, you can start contacting local businesses or online businesses to offer to be their Facebook Ads Manager.
Typically, a company will give you an ad spend that you can work with. Then, you’ll either get paid an hourly or set rate. Some companies will also pay a commission on the sales your ads bring in. Therefore, if you are a talented ads manager, you can earn a salary and a commission.
Translator
Do you speak multiple languages fluently? If so, then you might be able to find translation jobs online. Websites like Freelancer.com and upwork.com often post opportunities for people to translate several documents for them in exchange for cash.
If you’d like to turn your translation skills into a business, then you might be able to get a job with a publisher or a blogger. There are several publishers, writers, or bloggers that have a niche market in one language. For example, someone might write about how to vacation in Bali, but in German.
If they have a strong market, then they may be able to use the same material and duplicate their blogging efforts by also appealing to a Spanish-speaking market. Therefore, you can create a role for yourself by translating material hourly. You may even be able to negotiate a portion of the profits from duplicating the market as your bonus pay.
Transcriber
If you love writing but do not speak multiple languages, then you may be able to transcribe words to text. Transcription services are in high demand and do not typically require previous experience. While many companies hire transcribers, the pay is usually between $5 and $25 per hour. You can check out scribie.com and TranscribeMe.com to see if there are job postings that appeal to you.
As you gain experience, you may be able to create a client list and freelance rather than use job pairing websites. Many courts, small businesses, law firms, and other specialists can use transcribers, so you may be wise to figure out a niche that you like right away. This will help you to advertise your services in the future.
Dropshipper
Dropshipping is a supply chain method where a store never stores or ships an item that a customer buys. Instead, when a customer purchases an item, the manufacturer or supplier ships the customer’s order.
As an example, a customer might buy a t-shirt that you listed from Amazon. Instead of you sending the shirt to Amazon and Amazon sending it to the customer, you get an alert with the customer’s information and send it directly.
One of the most popular websites for dropshipping is Shopify. If you want to sell on Shopify, you can create an account for free. Then, you can determine what customers are searching for by doing keyword research and trends. Then, you can create your online store and begin adding items to sell. You should have a store with similar items.
For example, you wouldn’t want your store to sell leggings and cupcake decorations. Instead, you’d wish to your store to sell leggings and t-shirts, or cupcake decorations and muffin pans.
Many bloggers and business owners use Shopify to sell items that are relevant to their brand.
For example, travel bloggers may sell passport covers, fanny packs, and scarves that have secret compartments for passports. Additionally, fashion bloggers might use Shopify to sell their handmade earrings and other accessories.
Even if you’re not a blogger, you might want to follow their lead by creating a Shopify store that has a consistent brand. You can earn a lot of money by dropshipping, so be sure to create a shop that will appeal to your target audience.
Freelance Writer
Freelance writers, like translators, can often find work online. If you have a strong command of English or another language, companies are always looking for website copy, proofreading, help writing their newsletters or email funnels, and blog posts.
You can find work in almost any niche, and writing jobs can range from several paragraphs to several pages. You can search for freelance writing jobs and freelancer.com, upwork.com, and other freelancing websites.
Self-Publisher
Do you have an idea that you want to share? Perhaps you are good at explaining how to do something. Whether you have a story to tell or a skill to share, you can put your ideas all in one place and publish a book on Amazon Kindle.
Publishing with Kindle Direct Publishing is simple, but it may be challenging to earn money. When you write and edit your book, you can upload it to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Then, you’ll be able to add a cover and a description and begin selling your book. If you are not already a popular author, then you will need to advertise your eBook heavily.
You will also have the option for people to purchase physical copies of your books. Most publishers earn 70% of their sales. Publishers can also set their own prices. Therefore, if you have a highly sought-after idea and sell a lot of eBooks, then you could earn a lot of money from self-publishing.
Virtual Assistant
Do you love the details of running a business, but don’t want to run your own? If so, then becoming a virtual assistant might be an excellent option for you. Virtual assistants typically earn $20–50 per hour from home, depending on what their skills are, according to Belay.com. VA salaries also depend on what niche they serve.
For example, some virtual assistants help their bosses with basic email organization tasks and perhaps some other busywork that their bosses need to be done. Others will be able to write copy, create courses, and manage advertising campaigns or create leads for the people they work for. Depending on how much revenue a virtual assistant can earn for the company they work for, they might be able to earn more than the average assistant.
To become a virtual assistant, you must first have the skills to offer. Then, you will have to learn how to market them. While there are online courses that teach people how to become a virtual assistant, you can also start searching for virtual assistant jobs online. There are Facebook groups for entrepreneurs that post help ads often, or websites like freelancer.com also have virtual assistant job postings.
Course Creator
If you have a skill or idea to share but don’t love to write, then you might want to consider creating an online course. The two leading platforms on which people choose to teach their skills are teachable and Udemy. Teachable allows users to create a path from scratch, then market and sell it themselves.
Typically, the earnings per course are well over $100. Udemy will enable people to post their class on the platform, but Udemy does all the selling for you. However, they often offer steep discounts and take a cut of each sale. This means that while you don’t have to do much of the work, you also have a much smaller earning potential.
However, if you get good at creating and selling courses, you might also be able to do it for other people. Therefore, you could earn an income from your course as well as create a business doing it for other people.
Streamer
If you have a talent or hobby you would like to share, and don’t mind being on camera, then streaming is something to consider. To stream you will want to customize your own profile and content to appeal to an audience. You can do anything from streaming cooking to playing video games and beyond!
There are multiple different streaming platforms available to you such as Twitch, Youtube, and Mixer. Each platform has its own way of monetizing your stream for you. This includes receiving tips, subscriptions, and donations. The key to successful streaming is having awesome content that appeals to a wide audience. The larger the viewership, the more likely you are to obtain more tips and subscriptions.
Streaming as a whole requires that you sell yourself as entertainment to an audience. Think about what you would like to share, and set up our first stream. The possibilities for streaming are endless, and a great way to earn some extra money while doing something you love.
Blogger
If you have a niche and love to write, then you may want to consider starting a blog. To start a blog, you will need a domain and host, and it requires investing in yourself. Then, you will design it and fill it with content that is interesting to the niche that you serve. For example, you may want to start a cooking blog for stay at home moms, or a lifestyle blog for people that love the outdoors and want to be more sustainable.
While you won’t make money blogging right away, there are several ways to make money from blogging. Some of these ways are:
- Advertising — As you gain a following, you can start advertising products on your website. You can either sell real estate in the sidebars and blog posts, or you can sell ads that are permanently on your website. Your earning potential will depend on your niche and how much traffic your site gets on a weekly and monthly basis. A few ads on your website can create some supplementary income.
- Affiliates — You can create passive income streams by using affiliate marketing. Affiliate marketing is when you recommend services, digital products, and physical products of other companies in exchange for a commission. For example, if you run a blog about how to take care of curly hair, you might link to specific hair products and earn a commission when people use your link to purchase the products.
- Digital Products — As a blogger, you have an assumed level of expertise on the topic you blog about. Therefore, you may be able to sell online courses or other products relevant to your niche. For example, if you are a photography blogger, you might be able to sell Lightroom presets or a Photography 101 course on your blog.
- Services — Another way that bloggers make money is by offering their services. For example, a person that blogs on organization and minimalism might offer their services by selling time with their readers one on one. They may help their readers organize a closet or evaluate how minimalism will impact their life.
While blogging might be a slow start, if you have the time to put into your blog, you can build it into a successful brand that generates passive revenue over time.
The Bottom Line
If you want to work online, you can get started today. Some options will take a while to build an income, and others allow you to begin earning today. Some of the ideas mentioned above will have you working by the hour, and others will make you passive income over time. You can earn money online, and often do it quickly when you put your mind to it!
Originally published at https://yourmoneygeek.com on April 29, 2020.