I am sure we will tell our grandchildren about the year that took us all by surprise and how we had to find creative ways to make money. The year 2020 introduced several new challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and established a “new normal” with the practice of social distancing. Even if bars, restaurants, and shops are fully open again, I doubt if they are as clustered as they used to be or if there are no more masks in the audience.
Times have certainly changed. Amidst the negativity, dysfunction, fear, and lost lives, many people have lost their jobs and have had to be creative to make a living. Despite the negativity, 2020 has enabled many people to start living in a way they could only dream about before.
This only applies to a small percentage of people. Most of them have jobs in which they must be physically present. For those of you, I have attached several links for mindfulness and self-care:
Honestly, I screamed at the idea of working at home. I thought I would lack the motivation and skills to get out of a hole. Also, I knew that my hours of work would decrease. Finding a job and keeping busy is a source of pride at the office. At home, on the other hand, once the work is done, there are a lot of distractions around. I’m not sure I want to go back to work full-time in person now that I’m a year behind at home. I have proven to be effective and as useful at home as at the office.
Working at home can be a real challenge because you must create your schedule, constantly monitor it, and set goals to accomplish the same amount of work. You also need to be creative, learn new skills, and network in ways you may not have.
There are many legitimate ways to make money while sitting at home. Whether you are a stay-at-home parent with kids, looking for extra income, or want to get into the world of writing, there are thousands of ways to make a little extra money on the Internet.
When you start looking for options, it can be overwhelming. However, like everything else in life, all it takes is time to learn a few extra skills and a willingness to change.
If you’re wondering when I’m going to get to the point, we’ve just arrived. Here are some legitimate options where you can earn money and develop multiple sources of income.
Content Writing
What exactly is content writing? Content Writing is the process of editing and writing web content, including blog posts, articles, scripts for videos, and podcasts for others. Since the beginning of social media, it has become a popular niche.
Businesses and website owners like to delegate the work instead of taking each task as their own. Indeed you can become an author, write for ghosts, develop CVs, and do data entry, among other niches. Consistency and word-of-mouth will separate you from a secondary hobby to get you into full-time work. If you’re successful, there are many opportunities for growth, such as writing for reputable media and popular digital newspapers.
Blogging
If you’re not sure you write for others, then write for yourself! It can make you nervous and overwhelm you, but the best advice I received was just to get started!
Creating a blog is still a good idea, given how the internet is evolving nowadays. Readers like the information and the availability of different perspectives. Write about your experience and opinions. You can certainly reach a wide audience and create meaningful links. Writing is an art, and like everything else, it takes practice.
Stick to your style and interests. There are numerous topics you can blog about. If you’re looking for information on starting a blog, check out this quick read.
Start your website
Many businesses thrive because a website makes it easy for consumers to find a product they like and order it in minutes.
A website gives you many possibilities. If you own a product or business, you can set it up and sell it online.
Otherwise, dropshipping is still a huge market. With dropshipping, you can order and sell products without having to keep an inventory or be responsible for returns. You can start a clothing line and sell electronics, gifts, or collectibles.
Getting started doesn’t take time. WordPress is free and easy to use. There are many pay-per-use website creators like GoDaddy and Shopify with plans for $29 a month. What’s the difference? Both GoDaddy and Shopify have pre-built shops and automatic hosting, which means all you do is add the product!
Generating revenue requires consistency, time (20-30 hours per week), and effort. Finally, learn to love what you do and build a brand around your shop. The shops I’ve worked with that are the most successful succeed because they sell a story with their product. As a result, customers are more willing to invest in something they believe in!
Affiliate marketing
What’s more, if you’ve started your website, you can take great advantage of the affiliated products and the products! To learn more about affiliate marketing, click here. The key is to choose something reliable.
For newsletter marketing, where you can insert products into emails and send them to your contact list, I prefer Mailchimp. In addition, ClickBank is a popular choice for getting started quickly and showcasing various products.
Become a virtual assistant
A virtual assistant is a person who provides services to a company remotely. It can be a freelancer when this person is not affiliated and sets his or her hours independently.
Typical virtual assistant tasks include administrative work, marketing, website design, accounting, social media assistants, and more. Virtual assistants can take over all the tasks a company needs to delegate.
Scams to avoid in home-based business opportunities
The new age
Many business opportunities and franchises are now home-based. The pros are enormous. You can wake up at 7:30 and start working five minutes later. Many of these opportunities require only a computer, a high-speed Internet connection, and a telephone.
You can work around your family life and completely forget about office politics. You become the boss and answer only to yourself. So how do you evaluate a home-based business opportunity or franchise? In this article, I will look at the types of businesses you should be very skeptical about or avoid altogether.
Starting a home-based business: What to look for?
Avoid any multi-level marketing plan where you cannot see the final product or the product’s retail price is too high. One of the strategies I have recently studied is to sell vitamins at much higher prices than street prices. They justified their costs because they had a superior product.
Be very skeptical about gambling that persuades customers that their chances of winning are higher than if you bought average lottery tickets in supermarkets. Most are clever schemes designed to take money from ordinary people with no payment or a much lower percentage payment than ordinary lottery tickets.
Similarly, products that have not yet been independently tested, proven, and approved should be avoided at all costs. One such product I heard about recently claimed that it could save users a lot of money on fuel costs. The idea is that you regularly use their product in your vehicle, and you can save over twenty-five percent!
My main concern is that if it has worked and claimed to work, why haven’t the big car manufacturers adopted it yet? But why haven’t the big car organizations recommended it to their members?
Beware of scams
Moreover, you want it :
- Avoid any scam that involves clairvoyance, psychic ability, or magic. Many of them are cleverly designed to take money from easily fooled people.
- Be careful and don’t get involved in pyramid schemes under any circumstances. Usually, the only people who tend to make money in this kind of business are those at the top of the pyramid. Most people lose money in these businesses, making them illegal in many countries worldwide.
- Also, learn to be wary of companies that claim you can make a fortune by working only a few hours a week. Financial freedom does not develop by working less but only by working consistently and intelligently. If they were as good as they claim, why would they sell you the secret for such a small amount of money?
- Finally, never pay in advance for a home-based work opportunity where they refuse to reveal all the details until you have paid them a large sum. Some work-at-home franchises are pending.
The pros of buying a franchise are that you can talk to other franchisees in most cases and find out how they are doing. They will be happy to tell you about the franchisor, the products, and any difficulties they have encountered.
Conclusion
Always talk to an accountant and a lawyer before signing a franchise agreement and making payments. A home-based business has its rewards, and finding the right opportunity could be a reason for a new life start.
In 2021, you can earn money at home in many ways. I know many barriers such as time, skills, money (to earn money!?), and security. However, if you’ve been on the fence and you’re not sure, now is the time more than ever.
Learn new skills, network, and get out of your comfort zone. Share your interests and sell an idea. Look around you at the many people who get started every day.