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7 Ways to Make Money From Home
Making money from home can be fun, exciting, challenging, and a great financial opportunity all rolled into one! I'm giving you my best tips – for FREE – so you can be a successful work at home mom person just like I am. While it took me years to figure all of it out, you're going to learn it in less than an hour! The best ways to make money from home are the ones you are passionate about, so keep that in mind when reading this post!
>>>Books about working from home (some are FREE!!)<<<
Starting a Business
Starting a business is not like finding a job online. There is paperwork to file, legal stuff to take care of, and more. But if you want to be your own boss and control your own destiny, starting a business is the way to go.
Only you can decide whether you want to work for someone else, or you want to be your own boss. While there's lots of freedom that comes with being your own boss, there is also a lot of responsibility. You don't get business hours! You work and work and work, and then it pays off. With a job, you get a paycheck and don't have that stress, but you might not make as much money.
When you're working from home, you need business cards. High quality business cards can be expensive, but I use Moo and always search for coupon codes before ordering.
Ebook: Make Money Online Volume 2 – 67 More Real Companies That Pay You To Work In Your Pajamas
1. Start a Blog.
Make a full-time income like I do… by starting a blog! Read How to Start a Blog in 7 Easy Steps, snag your domain and hosting.
One of the most important parts of blogging? Using amazing images! I take mine, or get them for less than $1 each at DepositPhotos.
Free Ebook: 100ish Random Work at Home Tips, Tricks, and Ideas to Get Your Cash Flow Started
2. Become a Social Media Consultant.
Are you internet savvy? Do you love helping others grow their social media networks? Have you started a fan page and built it from the ground up? Are you a marketing genius?
If you answered yes to these questions, you may make an excellent Social Media Consultant. To build your portfolio, offer to help your favorite bloggers, or some of your friends, in exchange for them promoting your business for you.
Sign up for a Free 30 day trial of HootSuite Pro to get acquainted with social media scheduling, sharing, etc. It will save you a ton of time. Time is money!
Read blogs like ProBlogger, Social Media Examiner, and Smart Passive Income for more social media tips. Become an expert in this field by doing research, before you take on paying clients.
3. Become a Virtual Assistant.
A Virtual Assistant is similar to a Social Media Consultant, but a little different in the fact that you're basically like a secretary working from home. Sign up for my (super affordable) virtual assistant training to get started.
Virtual Assistants can also write articles. If you'd like to do that, you must have strong grammar, spelling, etc. I like to write articles and sell them to other bloggers in Facebook groups (I list them in my training course).
You can set your own prices, but I sell my articles for about $20 a piece. They're 400-600 words each, and take me less than 30 minutes to write. $40 an hour is a rate I'm totally okay with. Images are also a Virtual Assistant's best friend! They can increase the value of your articles by at least $5 each.
Along the same lines, you can write for websites like Examiner, and make decent cash as well.
4. Start an Etsy Shop.
If you're crafty and love everything girly, you'll love owning your own Etsy shop! Nellie Bug's was my first “real” business, and I created it from the ground up by making tutus, hair bows, and other unique items for little girls (and even some for boys). There are many different types of shops on Etsy, so it's important to be original when starting your shop. Don't start a jewelry shop just because it looks easy or popular – start it because that's your passion.
Watch YouTube videos, sign up for affordable (or free!) classes on Craftsy, and attend local craft fairs so you get an idea of how it all works. Craft shows are a bit different than selling on Etsy, but doing research in your market is smart.
Helpful Articles:
— How to start your own boutique
— Top 10 Tips for Starting an Etsy Business
5. Do surveys online.
I don't do surveys online often, but I do have a few friends that literally make a full-time income from doing surveys, sweepstakes, etc all day. It's not the type of stuff I enjoy doing, so I only do it once in a while. However, if you're already surfing the web, why not make some money while you're at it? Spending even an hour each day on survey sites could add up quickly! $$$
Tip: Set up a separate email address to use for survey sites! They email you a lot.
Inbox Dollars is the site I've earned the most money from so far. I don't complete the offers that require a credit card, but they pay really well, so what I recommend is getting a prepaid card and completing them that way. The best part about Inbox Dollars? You get paid $5 just for signing up!
Swagbucks is another site I've earned some cash with. Using their search engine and watching their videos is the quickest way to the top!
I will continue to add sites to this list as I discover and approve of them. While others might give you an entire list of 50 sites, I only give you what I have experience with and trust!
6. Become a Life Coach.
Being a Life Coach can be very rewarding. Are you great at solving other people's problems? Do you enjoy encouraging your friends, helping them find their own path in life?
If so, you could make a great Life Coach! You can't exactly major in “life coaching” at a legit college, but you can study counseling and psychology. Harvard, Yale, and other well-known colleges all have coaching programs. If you don't have the desire to get a degree, taking a few coaching and health classes here and there while offering free coaching is a great way to build your portfolio. It's best if you do get a degree, but a piece of paper isn't everything.
You can study to become a Life Coach completely online, and you can even coach your clients via Skype, Google Hangouts, etc so you technically never have to leave your house! Perfect for a hermit, right? ;)
7. Flip stuff on Craigslist.
When thinking of ways to make money from home, Craigslist might seem kind of scary. As long as you play it safe, and don't invite a bunch of random strangers to your house to purchase things, you'll be fine. Craigslist isn't the only way to sell things, though. You can also do Ebay, or any other auction site, if you don't mind dealing with shipping. Another good idea: buy items at garage sales for super cheap, and resell them in local Facebook groups. Not quite as sketchy as Craigslist can be, and it will still make you a decent profit.
When thinking of things to buy, baby and toddler items should be at the top of the list … followed by antiques (but make sure they're valuable! Don't just buy junk.).
Items like baby carriers, car seat covers, etc can all sell for $20 or more each. You can get them for free (just pay shipping), and then sell them! Use this link and then search google for “seven slings promo codes”. Find one that makes the items free, and go from there. :)
Whether you want to be your own boss, just want to catch up on bills, or want to be able to spend more time with your little ones… starting a business is not something that you can do overnight. Weigh the pros and cons, your strengths and weaknesses, and then find something that will work for your family. Good luck!
Wow – you have some really good ideas! I was laid off nearly 2 years ago and did the whole “find a job” routine. After 1 maybe 2 interviews in the space of 1 year I decided to start up a mini daycare (I have fibro so have to conserve my energy carefully) – I have not enjoyed a job as much as this one in probably 15 years. I’m rested, not stressed and love the kids. =D
Tina ‘the book lady’
You need to add a “share this” gadget to your blog so we can share right from the post on FB & Twitter, etc. Go here:
Hint – do not do the “floating” gadget that sits on the side of your blog – it makes it VERY hard to read posts then. Get the one that goes at the bottom of your post. =D If you need help setting one up let me know – I love to help.
Tina
The share buttons are in a floating gadget to the left. :D Thanks!
Great ideas! I would love to be a life coach actually and hope to pursue that someday soon.
Thanks for yet another fabulous post Sadie!
Such great ideas!
Other things I’ve seen friends do are :: Run Errands for Working Moms, Become a Virtual Assistant and Making Meals {that go in the freezer for the week} for Busy Families.
We live in such a wonderful time of technology that working from home is possible for every passion!
Thanks for putting such a wonderful post together :D
A good friend of mine just became a life coach and she is loving it. Thanks for joining in at Teach Me Tuesday!
i need to make some money, tried dog sitting, but did w/ a friend and her dog brought fleas to my house. so i gave up on that….still having a problem w/ fleas and she refused to do anything to help. i try to do surveys and things for local companies, sometimes i can make 100 for an hour or two but does not happen often…will try to sell jewelry and clothes i dont need anymore. but that is a pain in the butt.
These are some great ideas! I’m always looking for ways to earn a little extra income.
Thanks for all the ideas! Great article!
Very nice and informative article…
I love these ideas….My husband is a cabinet maker and we use the scrap wood to make cutting boards and we sell them on ebay and etsy…. I would love to do some other things to earn cash so that I could stay home with our youngest child. :))
Awesome article.
I just submitted a proposal to a small growing business that is growing rapidly. I hope to hear back reguarding my career being Social Media Consultant
My one part of my business is getting re-opened this week on my site for Website and Social Media consultations. I cringe to allow access to my phone, but I know not everyone does Google Talk or Skype, or other IM voice services. However, I keep getting requests and some of them on facebook try to get me to do freebie work. If I can get a couple bloggers to earn more than $30 grand or more in cash plus a car in less than a year, I think I am work the consult.
These are all great tips and recommendations to work from home. Like any business though, the ground work is usually the hardest part. I think really immersing into the area of interest that you want to invest it really pays off. Research, skill building courses, being organized and resourceful are some things I also think should be taken into consideration when pursuing any independent business!
Those are some ideas I may need to look into.
interesting and good ideas!
Some of these are really great tips!
These are really good idea. The way the economy is right now, we really need some ideas to help out. I think if you put your mind to it you can come up with a lot of ways to make some money from home
Great info!
nice ways
I wish I could set down and talk to you about making a home business work. I tutor-1 have one child-That doesn’t pay the bills. I’ve also done a few alterations. I guess I just don’t know how to promote my self to get work. I’m out of work with no income. I need a miracle or a lot of help>