60+ Legitimate Work At Home Jobs: Make Money From Home in 2019
You landed on this page, so I’m guessing you want to find a legitimate work at home job, right?
Maybe you’ve seen your work at home neighbor coming and going as they please, going on vacation whenever they want, and not really hurting for much of anything.
Maybe your college roomie is living the freedom lifestyle and you want in.
Or maybe you’re just an overwhelmed mom, sick of spending most of your time away from home, missing all those little minutes with the kids.
Whatever your reasons are, you’re not alone. More and more people today are looking to ditch the nine to five grind and replace it with a legitimate work at home job.
I mean, that’s the dream, right? Working from the comfort of your own couch. A pants-optional dress code. And no commutes or traffic jams to kill your vibe every. damn. day.
While it does take a little self-discipline to make it happen, pretty much anyone can make their work at home dreams a reality in today’s world.
And you might be asking yourself, “But how can I actually make money from home?” I get it. It does sound like it’s too good to be true. And five years ago that was more often the case. There were “dream job” scams everywhere.
But today, more employers than ever are hiring people to work from home because it just makes more sense to their bottom line.
Plus, it’s easier than ever to build a successful freelance career, service-based business, or personal brand with little to no start-up costs. So you don’t necessarily have to work for someone else to make your work at home dreams a reality. You can totally do whatever you want on your own terms. And your own time.
But, if you’re anything like me, figuring out where to dive in can be a little intimidating. I mean, it took me a couple of years to get to where I am now. So, to help you out, I’m going to break it all down for you.
First, I’m going to give you a quick rundown of 60 legitimate ways to work from home, then I’ll cover the pros and cons of working for yourself versus working for someone else, some of the more common questions I get about working from home, and then we’ll take a closer look at your options.
Because I do believe that you can create a life that you’re wildly passionate about. And location and income freedom are the first steps to making it happen.
Disclosure — This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. This means that I may earn a small commission off any purchase, at no additional cost to you. I only promote products and services that totally rock. You can read my full disclosure statement here.
Here are 60 legitimate work at home jobs:
- Work at Home for Amazon
- Work at Home for Apple
- Work at Home for VIPKid
- Human Resources + Job Scouting
- Call Centers
- Customer Service
- Insurance Companies
- Work at Home Jobs Near Me
- Blogging
- Affiliate Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Commissioned Guest Writing
- Direct Sales
- 1-on-1 Coaching
- Group Coaching
- VIP Days
- Masterminds
- Consultant
- Online Courses
- Online Group Programs
- Membership Sites
- Online Summit
- Publish a Book
- Self-Publish a Book
- Publish an eBook
- Content Writing
- Copywriting
- Ghost Writing
- Proofreading + Copyediting
- Transcription
- Translation
- Data Entry
- Virtual Assistant
- Done-For-You Spreadsheets + Templates
- Business Planning
- Social Media Management
- Public Relations
- IT + Computer Consulting
- Lead Generation
- Sales Training
- Cover Letter + Resume Services
- Tax Form Preparer
- Bookkeeping + Accounting Services
- Debt Reduction
- Event Planner
- Professional Organizer
- Photography
- Graphic Designer
- Legal Services
- Website Design
- Sell Arts + Crafts Online
- Online Art Teacher
- Social Media Evaluator
- Search Engine Evaluator
- Hospital Bill Auditing
- Referral Service
- Debt Collection
- Internet Research
- Taking Surveys
- Mystery Shopper
Working for Someone Else vs Working for Yourself
The first thing you need to figure out when you decide to work from home is whether you’re going to be working for someone else or for yourself.
And there’s a lot of grey area here.
So when I say “working for someone else,” I mean that you’re on their payroll and likely have employee benefits.
As a freelancer, you may work for lots of different people or companies, but you have to do your own taxes, find your own healthcare, and so on.
And there are plenty of pros and cons for each.
Pros and Cons of Working for Someone Else
As I already said, when you’re working for someone else, you don’t have to worry about all the paperwork. You don’t have to figure out how much you owe for taxes, social security, or whatever other fees your city, county, state, and country withholds.
And, after you find a work at home job, you don’t have to constantly worry about finding clients and customers to keep the money coming in — you’re paid an hourly wage (in most cases).
So, in a sense, there is a little more security and less work for you to do once you land a job.
On the flip side, you’re limited by how much you can make. They tell you how many hours you get at what wage. There isn’t a whole lot of wiggle room there unless they let you go crazy with overtime. But you’re still trading time for money no matter how you look at it.
You also have to deal with all the rules and regulations that come along with that job. I’m personally not one for corporate culture, and all those rules drive me absolutely crazy.
But some people thrive with that kind of security and structure. So, if that’s you, then you might want to look for different companies that hire people to work from home. I’m listing a few of the more popular options below, as well as some legitimate places to find additional leads.
Pros and Cons of Working for Yourself
On the other hand, if you work for yourself, you are responsible for paying all your taxes, for knowing all the rules and regulations about your industry and working online, and taking care of your own healthcare and retirement fund.
And, depending on your business, you have to find your own clients and customers.
(Total disclosure — this used to be the one thing that stopped me from being able to make money from home. Now, it’s one of the easiest!)
But on the other hand, there is nothing holding you back from making as much money as you want. There is no glass ceiling. And, if you set it up right, you’re not trading time for money.
And this is why I love working for myself. Because I’ve created a solid business model that allows me to make money online around the clock. And to do it in a genuine, heartfelt way.
And, if you are one who needs security and structure, it’s totally possible to get that from your own business, too. You just need to know how to set your income goals, and then how to create a plan to make those goals a reality.
The [Free] Biz Planning Challenge
If you like the way that sounds, then you need to check out my free Biz Planning Challenge where I show you exactly how to do this.
You’ll learn how to:
- Set realistic (and drool-worthy) income goals.
- Map out your content plan to crush the hell out of those goals.
- Plan out your year to get it all done with total grace and ease.
You can learn more about the training here or sign up in the form below.
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What kind of work can I do from home?
So people are always asking me if they can actually find real work at home jobs or legitimate ways to make money online.
My answer? Hell yeah!
I make a legitimate income from home. So do a lot of other people that I know. And I created this list to show you that it’s completely possible for you, too.
But what you can do to work at home will lie entirely on your own ambitions and skill set.
If you don’t have the drive or passion to put in a little work and build your own business, then it’s not going to happen. Because it does take work.
And if you can’t convince an employer that you would be an ideal work at home employee, then that’s probably not going to happen, either.
There are a ton of postings on sites like Indeed all the time for recruiters and sales positions that are solely commission based, and that’s because for an employer to give you a set wage, they need to trust that you’ll do the work you’ve been hired to do without any supervision.
So landing a paid work at home position isn’t necessarily a walk in the park, either.
But if you do have a little drive and dedication, then you can totally make it work.
And, if you want to go into business for yourself, then you more than likely already have a marketable skill.
Because there are billions of people in this world. And I’m sure you excel at something that someone else struggles with. And a handful of those people would happily pay someone to either help them out in that area or teach them how to do it themselves.
So when you’re deciding what kind of work you can do from home, you need to figure out what your superpowers are. What your gifts and talents are. And if you want to spend the majority of your time using them to help other people out.
What are the highest paying work at home jobs?
As I’ve already said, if you work for someone else, then you’re going to be limited by how much you can make.
But, if you build a sustainable online business around your own strengths, skills, and expertise, then the sky really is the limit.
For the most part, I sell information products. And my income is only limited by the number of people I can reach and connect with. And I automate that process by getting a continuous stream of pre-qualified leads to my site around the clock using Pinterest and Google.
It’s a very simple online business model that allows you to easily scale a business to six figures and beyond.
What you’re selling or offering will also determine how much you make.
If you’re a lawyer representing or advising digital entrepreneurs, then you’ll obviously be able to charge a lot more than someone who does data entry.
If you’re a graphic designer for high-end clients, then you’ll be able to charge more than a graphic designer for non-profits.
In this case, your clients are determining how much you can make, not necessarily your skills.
Some people don’t care to work for high-end clients, though, so it’s totally understandable.
Because at the end of the day, you want to create a business that you love. And if you don’t like your clients, you’re going to hate your job.
And yes, if you’re earning an income from home and not on someone’s payroll, then you should absolutely treat it like a business.
How can I make money online without paying anything?
There are also legitimate work from home jobs with no startup fee.
Working for someone else usually doesn’t cost anything. You would, of course, need a computer and internet connection, though. More than likely a phone, too.
You can set up your own business for free, too, and make money online without an investment upfront. (I don’t really recommend it, though.)
For example, let’s say that you want to teach people how to design their homes. You could start a free blog (but you wouldn’t have a custom domain). You could get a free email marketing provider (but those can be a total hassle). And you could manually pin your blog posts to Pinterest, building your traffic and your email list (but that’s super time consuming). Then, you could either sell 1-on-1 design sessions or an information product to your email subscribers.
The downside to that is a free website domain name is pretty unprofessional and the free email marketing programs are free for a reason.
For the first year of my business, the only thing I paid for was my website hosting, my email marketing program, and my Pinterest scheduler. And I was able to quit my 9 to 5 within 4 months. My monthly costs? About $30.
So it is possible to get things up and running with very little to no investment.
Yes, there are companies that require you to buy in. If you can’t afford it, then I don’t recommend doing that. You can always do something like affiliate marketing (which is pretty similar) and then build up to something bigger that you would have to buy into.
How do I make an extra $1000 a month?
I’m going to subtitle this one, “How to make money online for beginners.” Not because you’re necessarily a beginner per se, but because it’s beginner level easy.
You match your strengths, talents, and what you like to do with anything from the list below. You can focus on just one thing or string together multiple income streams.
I personally make money from my online courses, coaching packages, ads, affiliate marketing, and direct sales. I’ve also done a ton of freelance writing and proofreading in the past, as well as working with sponsors and brands.
Why don’t you get a real job, you damn hippy?
Because I despise working my ass off to make some rich dude even richer.
So I found a way to earn a legitimate, honest income from home by creating a business that I absolutely love. And now I help other people do the same thing.
But also…
Location Independence: I can work from anywhere, as long as I have internet (or a phone signal, really).
Income Independence: There is nothing holding me back from earning any amount of money with my business.
Time Independence: I can work at any time. I don’t have to miss my son growing up because I have to work. If I want to take a day off so we can hang out, I have the ability to do that. If I want to take a weekend off, or a week off, I can. I create my own schedule and it perfectly reflects how I want to live my life.
But enough about me. Let’s talk about how you can make some real money from home today!
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Work at Home for Amazon
So you want to go the easy route and work for someone else. I do get the logic behind it and completely understand that not everyone wants to be their own boss.
From all of the research I’ve done on this topic, Amazon seems to be the best company to work at home for. They pay well and offer pretty solid benefits. The only downside is that it does matter where you live, even though you’ll be working from home.
At the time of writing this, they aren’t hiring anyone to work from home who lives within 50 miles of one of their customer service locations and you must live in one of the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin or Wyoming.
You can browse their current openings here.
Work at Home for Apple
Apple is also a really great company to work from home for, but it’s not the easiest job to snag. They seem to hire students more often than not. And, if you’re not currently enrolled in one of the schools they’re partnered with, you can’t apply.
Apply also pays a competitive wage for a customer service gig, offers benefits and paid time off, and you get a free Mac while you’re working for them. #bonusperk
They do open up non-student support positions from time to time, so if this is something you’re interested in, keep checking their job board here.
Work at Home for VIPKid
Another work at home job that I see mentioned all the time is VIPKid, where you teach English to Chinese kids.
While you don’t need a teaching degree to land a job with them, you do need to have your Bachelors.
They offer competitive pay and flexible hours, and if kids are your thing, then it would be pretty ideal.
You can learn more about working for VIPKids here.
Human Resources + Job Scouting
There are also a lot of smaller companies that are looking to hire people to work from home for different positions. And these numbers are projected to grow every year.
Human Resources and Job Scouting is a really popular work at home job on the Indeed boards.
You just want to make sure that you’re applying for a job that offers you an hourly wage, not something that’s commission based.
Because there are a lot of recruiting positions out there that require you to have your own network. And basically, it’s your job to find people to fill different jobs, and you only get paid if the people you send over get hired.
So there’s, of course, no job stability whatsoever that way.
But if you’re that chick who just knows everyone, though, and you love connecting different people, then this might be the job for you. Just go into it knowing all the facts.
Call Centers
A lot of call centers are also outsourcing to the work at home crew. Basically, you sign in to their system and make calls for them using their own phone.
I’ve only done this when I was call banking for the 2018 midterms, and you do have to use your own phone, but you’re not calling from your own number.
You can check the Indeed boards for current remote call center job positions.
Customer Service
You can also get a work at home customer service job. And while some of these may be directly through a call center, a lot of companies are starting to outsource their own customer service staff in the same way.
Again, just check the Indeed boards for any current remote customer service positions.
Insurance Companies
Some insurance companies also hire claims adjusters and customer service staff who work from home. Keep in mind, though, that you will more than likely need to go away for training for a couple of weeks if you get a job with an insurance company. That’s just a lot of stuff to learn.
I found some remote insurance positions through the Indeed boards, but you can also go directly to the larger insurance companies website to see their current openings.
Work at Home Jobs Near Me — Indeed + FlexJobs
I’ve found that the best resources for work at home positions have been Indeed and FlexJobs.
Both are pretty swamped with postings, and you really do have to weed through them to find the quality jobs.
But again, if you just want to work for someone else from the comfort of your own living room, then the time invested would probably be worth it.
You can click here to see the Indeed work at home jobs and click here to see what FlexJobs has.
Blogging
Personally, I’ve always felt that if I’m going to put in all that effort to work from home, I’d rather find my own clients.
This is what I did as a freelance proofreader and writer. And what I now do as a coach and online course creator.
And the best way I’ve found to get myself in front of prospective clients is by blogging.
Why? Because blogging is a really easy way to show up in Google and Pinterest search results.
Plus it’s a totally free way to market your products and services.
For example, if you’re a freelance writer, you could write an article on “Why you need to hire a freelance writer today” and optimize it so that it shows up when someone searches for “hire a freelance writer.”
Then, when they click through, you prove to them that you’re the gal for the job before you even have a conversation with them.
Your blog post does the work for you. And it continues to do the work for you as it lives on.
This type of blogging is technically called content marketing because you’re using content (AKA blog posts) to market yourself or your business.
But it’s also possible to earn money from a blog alone, which makes it a great option for people who don’t really have anything to sell or any services they’re trying to market.
Selling Ad Space + Sponsored Content
And the most common way to do this is through selling ad space and working with different brands and sponsors.
So basically, companies want to pay you to put ads on your website to market their products and services to your audience The more traffic you have, the more they pay.
And you’re not going to make a whole lot going this route. If you get 100,000+ page views, you might bring in an extra $1,000 a month. Which might be enough for you and your family. But once you have a blog set up, it’s so easy to add some additional income streams and make even more than that!
You can also work with brands and sponsored. In this case, they’ll normally pay you to write a review of their product. Just be careful, a lot of companies will reach out asking you to review them for free. I personally don’t like working for free. And you shouldn’t either.
And this really is only a win for the company because they get free exposure and a free back-link, so always consider whether doing this is worth your time.
Affiliate Marketing
One great way to make money with a blog is through affiliate marketing. Basically, you become an affiliate for a company, and you promote their products and services in exchange for a commission.
When you’re just starting out, you can use Amazon Affiliates, ShareASale, and SkimLinks to earn a steady stream of affiliate commissions.
Then, as you grow, you can start talking about the different products that you use and love that will also help your audience and readers solve whatever problems your content helps them solve.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is also a great way to increase your blog revenue.
Basically, you get people to sign up for your email list, you provide them with a ton of value there, and then you sell them either affiliate products or your own products and services.
And I freaking love email marketing.
Because I am a productivity coach first and foremost. So anything that allows me to get more done in less time basically makes me drool. And email marketing is the ultimate way to simplify and streamline everything. To create content once and then reuse it over and over again, all on autopilot.
I personally use ConvertKit to manage my email list. It’s simple, easy to use, yet powerful enough for the craziest funnels that I set up.
Commissioned Guest Writing
And finally, you can pitch different bloggers who pay for guest writers.
Here’s a pretty comprehensive list of all the different sites that pay bloggers to write for them.
Coaching
When it comes to making money from home, though, most people start by helping other people out by coaching them through their various problems.
1-on-1 Coaching
And the most common way to do this is through 1-on-1 coaching. And the best part of this is that you don’t even have to leave your home.
Unless you’re teaching something that you absolutely have no choice but to be there in person, you can coach people 1-on-1 through Zoom, Skype, or even FaceTime.
And, like I said earlier: I’m sure there’s something that you’re really good at that someone else isn’t. And in most cases, there’s a good chance that they’ll pay someone to help them learn that skill or improve in that area.
There are so many different kinds of coaches out there, I couldn’t possibly list them all. But there are life coaches, business coaches, time management coaches, parenting coaches, and so on.
Group Coaching
Now, when you’re coaching, you are still trading time for money to a certain extent. In other words, your income is limited, for the most part, to how many coaching clients you currently have.
So one way around that is to offer group coaching sessions. This way, you’re coaching 4-6 people at once. This allows you to make a lot more money during a set period of time.
You just have to structure the sessions a little different so that you’re able to help everyone at the same time.
VIP Days
One way to really scale a coaching business is to offer VIP days. These are highly targeted group coaching days where you dive deep on a certain topic. Because they’re all day events, you can charge top dollar for them.
And again, these can be held remotely, so you don’t have to book a venue or anything like that.
You can either hold a series of classes throughout the day or bring in some guest experts to help you out.
Masterminds
Another way to scale a coaching business is to put together a mastermind. This is a very select group of people who meet throughout the year for guidance from the host and the other members.
And while a lot of masterminds meet online, they normally have quarterly or annual meetups in person to really make the most of the experience.
Consultant
Another way you can scale a coaching business is to transition into consulting.
So a coach helps people find solutions to their problems. A consultant just tells people what those solutions are.
So you’re hired for your expertise and are expected to deliver results immediately.
And some people prefer that. They have a solid skill set and they go in and teach other people how to do the exact same thing.
I personally don’t prefer that method because I think there’s always an individual preference that should be taken into consideration, and just telling people what to do and how to do it makes that tough.
Online Teacher
My absolute favorite way to make money online is to create digital information products and then use these products to teach people how to do whatever it is that you do.
Online Courses
Why?
Because you create the product one time and then sell it to however many people need it.
There is no cost to create it, and, depending on your platform, little to no cost to sell it.
There is no limit to how many people can buy it.
And, you can hook them up to some solid passive income funnels, and make money around the clock. While you’re sleeping. While you’re shopping. While you’re on vacation with your family.
They give you total freedom. This is why they’re the backbone for my entire business.
Group Programs
You can even take it a step further and combine online courses with your coaching practice.
This allows you to make a ton of money online because you can charge top dollar for these types of programs.
Because they’re exclusive — most people will have to apply to get it because seats are limited. And then they get the full course material plus personal attention to take the material to the next level.
Membership Sites
Membership sites are also a great way to earn recurring income online. And there are a bunch of different ways you could set this up.
You could use it as a way to introduce potential customers to your style and content and not charge as much.
Or you could use it to provide ongoing support after a student finishes ones of your online courses or group programs and charge more.
You could create an open-door community around a general topic or idea and charge less.
Or you could create an exclusive community where members receive high-end support.
Online Summit
You could also host an online summit to make money from home.
To do this, you put together a list of experts and either interview them all or have them all give a presentation or training.
Most online summits are free while it’s happening, and then people can pay to have unlimited access to the trainings.
Write a Book
You can also make money online by writing your own books. These can either be eBooks or you can have them printed.
Traditional Publishing
And one way you could go about becoming an author is through a traditional publishing house.
Most houses don’t accept unsolicited manuscripts, though, so you would need to connect with a literary agent to get your foot in the door.
Then, they’ll typically offer you a lump sum for your book, and once your book has made the house that amount you’ll start to receive royalty checks for a portion of the sales.
New authors don’t always get the best contracts, though. So if you go this route, you need to hope like hell your book with make the best-sellers list so you can get a better contract for your next one.
Also, keep in mind that all of the big publishing houses are owned by media giants. So all that money you’re not getting is just moving up the line to pad some rich dude’s pocket.
Which is just total bullshit.
Self-Publishing
Because of this, more and more people are self-publishing today.
Back in the day, this wasn’t really a viable option because you would have to pay out of pocket to edit, format, and then print your book.
Today, you can outsource the editing and formatting and use a platform like Amazon Direct Publishing to print on demand.
Digital Publishing
Or, if you want to skip the hassle of creating a printed version of your book, you could simply create an eBook.
Most people only read eBooks today anyway. Plus, if your eBook lands on a best-seller list, you may end up with the big publishing houses bidding for the rights to print, landing you with a pretty sweet contract.
Freelancing + Service-Based Businesses
You can also make a legitimate, full-time income from home by freelancing.
Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is one of the most popular ways to do this. And one of the best places to find reputable freelance writing gigs is the Pro Blogger job board.
Before you head over there, though, you should know the difference between the various types of gigs that will be listed.
Content Writing
The first type of freelance writing you can do to make money from home is content writing.
This includes writing blog posts, product descriptions, emails, and so on.
A lot of businesses will outsource this type of writing because they know their time is better spent running their actual business.
Now, the downside to this is that a lot of people will write content for these businesses for not a lot of money. So while you should get paid at least $150 for a solid blog post, there are people out there writing them for $5. Most of the stuff they’re writing is total crap, though.
Because of this, you will find a lot of people that are offended that you’re demanding an honest wage for your writing. And if you’re looking to become a freelance writer, then you’ll just have to learn to ignore those people. They’ll get what they pay for and their business will suffer as a result. There’s nothing you can do about that.
But there are still plenty of businesses who will pay for quality content. These are, of course, pretty competitive gigs, though.
So you can cut through the competition by niching down, learning some SEO best practices, and really honing your voice and style.
Copywriting
Another freelance writing job you can do to make money from home is copywriting.
And this differs from content writing in the sense that you’ll be writing marketing copy. So sales pages, landing pages, promotional emails, even social media copy.
Now, it can (and should) be argued that writing copy means writing everything for your business. That’s what I teach inside of my online business programs.
But when it comes to the jobs you’ll find on the Pro Blogger board, copywriting generally refers to anything you write with the intention of growing an email list or promoting products or services.
Ghost Writing
You can also get a freelance writing gig as a ghostwriter. What this means is that you’re writing as someone else, not as yourself.
And this can be anything from blog posts to about pages to novels and screenplays.
And, since a lot of celebrities and high profile people tend to use ghostwriters, it can be pretty lucrative.
The only downside is that you can’t use your own voice or style. You have to sound like the person you’re writing as. So if you’re writing for a celebrity, you need to sound like that celebrity in your writing.
Proofreading + Copyediting
If writing all day isn’t really your thing, then you can always work from home as a proofreader or copyeditor.
While most people think those are one and the same, they aren’t really.
So a proofreader typically reads the final copy not only for any mistakes that everyone else may have missed but also for any formatting or typographical errors. At this stage you don’t want to rework any of the content unless absolutely necessary, because it’s already been proofed, meaning that it’s in the final stages of publishing.
A copy editor, on the other hand, will typically be one of the first editors to go through the content. And most freelance copyediting is going to be line editing, which means you’re checking for grammatical and style errors. Some copy editors are tasked with editing the context and overall flow of the piece, though.
I was a freelance copy editor for years, and only stopped once I got pregnant because finding all those errors was just ridiculously tough with preggo (and eventually mom) brain.
But you can find a lot of these jobs on the Pro Blogger board, as well, or by reaching out to in house editors, literary agents, and author and their networks.
Transcription
Another freelance writing job that can earn you some decent money from home is transcription.
What this means is that you transcribe audio or video files into text.
And while that may not sound difficult, I absolutely hated it. Because it’s one thing to take a clear recording and type out what people are saying.
I’m a fast typer. I have ears.
But most of the recordings that you get are not clear. Maybe the sound is choppy. Maybe multiple people are talking over each other. Maybe there’s a really strong accent that you just can’t understand.
Whatever the case, it’s nerve-wracking. So feel free to check it out, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Some of the more popular transcription companies are REV and TranscribeMe.
Translation
If you speak more than one language, you can find plenty of work at home gigs as a translator.
Some of the more popular translation companies are REV, Welocalize, and Verbal Ink.
Administrative Services
If you’re more interested in helping other people run their businesses, then you can also work at home in an administrative position.
Data Entry
Data entry is a job that is being outsourced more and more often to freelancers. So while you may find a data entry job through a company on Indeed, it more than likely will be a contracted position, meaning that you’re not on their payroll and are responsible for your own taxes.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are also in high demand these days. With more and more people building their own businesses from home, more and more people need remote assistants to help them juggle their ever-growing workload.
Because of this, there has also been a rise in cheap labor in this field. Because people in the Philippines can charge $3 an hour for these same services and justify it because their cost of living is so low.
But there are many companies, myself included, who would rather hire someone here who can handle bigger jobs.
So if you’re going to market yourself as an administrative assistant, you need to set yourself apart from the cheaper competition. And you can do this by adding different specialties and skills to your resume that a less expensive person wouldn’t have.
And this could be anything from SEO to marketing to highly targeted social media engagement.
You can go on Fiverr and see what other people are offering for cheap, and then brainstorm different ways you can market yourself to stand out.
Done-For-You Spreadsheets + Templates
You can also make money online by creating done-for-you spreadsheets and templates.
So if you’re a total whiz at Excel, you can create custom spreadsheets that companies need to track different things inside of their business.
Or you can create templates of different documents that companies need, like standard operating procedures and terms and conditions, and then sell editable copies of them.
Business Services
Or, you could offer more specific remote services for other businesses, which generally means that you can charge more.
Business Planning
If you have experience running a successful business or a background in business management, then you could help other businesses plan how to grow and scale.
And this could either be done in a coaching capacity, meaning you help them find the right plan for their business. Or in a consulting capacity, meaning you just tell them what to do. Or as a combination of the two where you go in with a proven model and help them find a way to make it work for their unique business.
This is what I do in my signature online business course.
Social Media Management
If you’re great at building engagement and getting solid leads from social media, then you could earn a really great income from home either managing a company’s social media handles or teaching them how to do it themselves.
I know people who have grown 6 figure businesses teaching how to get quality leads from social media, so if that’s your jam, then it’s something you should definitely look into.
Public Relations
Or maybe you’re a total whiz at helping people land coveted media spots. You know, that high-profile interview that will take their whole business to the next level.
Or you’re great at teaching people how to network and gain the exposure they need.
In that case, you could provide PR services to either local businesses or remotely.
IT + Computer Consulting
If you’re great on a computer or have a background in coding, computer science, or just fixing tech stuff that confuses everyone else, then you could work from home as an IT or computer consultant.
Seriously, I can’t even tell you how many tech problems I face on a day-to-day basis. Having a tech person on hand to just make them go away is something that every digital nomad needs.
So if that’s you, then go market that skill. It’s in high demand.
Lead Generation
Or maybe you’re great at building an email list or drumming up new leads. Then you could offer a lead generation service to local or online businesses.
Sales Training
Have you spent the last 5 years in a sales position making someone else rich? Put all that training to use and create your own program teaching people how to sell their own stuff.
Trust me. A lot of entrepreneurs struggle with this. And since you’re in sales, you should know how to market it right.
Cover Letter + Resume Services
Or, if you’re a total rockstar at polishing up a resume and making anyone shine, then there are plenty of people who need your help.
Seriously.
People today don’t know how to write a resume. It’s just not a skill that most people care about, but a requirement for most jobs.
So market yourself as a resume writing pro, and help all those poor souls out.
Accounting Services
A lot of people also need help with their money but don’t want to hire an accountant or bookkeeper full time.
Tax Form Preparer
First of all, a lot of people need help with their taxes, and not just during tax season.
And most of us creatives in the online space need a lot of help here. So if this is your specialty, then there’s definitely a market.
Bookkeeping + Accounting Services
Most small businesses and entrepreneurs also need someone to help them keep the books.
And, like I said, this isn’t someone that we want to have working for us around the clock.
But we need someone to advise us on stuff like what type of business we should form (financially speaking). And we need someone to help us pay our taxes quarterly. And how to pay our contractors. And what we owe for social security.
Most people don’t know stuff like that. So if you do, then you can definitely sell your services.
Debt Reduction
A lot of people are also carrying a lot of debt today.
So if you could help them manage or reduce their debt and lower what they’ll pay in interest, then your fees are completely worth it.
Service-Based Businesses
To work from home, you don’t just have to know how to help other businesses, either.
There are plenty of services you could offer that don’t require a fancy office space.
Event Planner
If you’re super organized and an awesome project manager, you could always become an event planner.
And this doesn’t only have to be for local events (which would mean running all over the place taking care of everything).
You could also help entrepreneurs or businesses plan their online events. Things like summits, seminars, and online conferences.
These are huge money makers for everyone involved but can be a total headache to take care of.
So there’s a ton of potential here if you were to niche down and narrow your sights on a really specific audience.
Professional Organizer
If you’re super organized, you could also become a professional organizer. I do this locally and I absolutely love it.
Because I also have my blog, online courses, and coaching clients, I don’t take many local clients.
And because my site is optimized for local search results, I don’t even really have to market it.
I always have a couple of clients a month, which is more than enough for me at this point.
If it’s something that you’re interested in, then NAPO is a great resource.
Photography
If taking pictures is more your jam, then you could freelance as a photographer.
Now, this one is pretty dicey because a lot of local photographers really struggle with getting their business off the ground.
Especially in today’s world where it’s easier than ever to just take your pictures yourself.
And, if there’s a lot of competition locally, booking weddings and special events can be tough.
But there’s a ton of demand online for stock photography. And, considering that most bloggers and entrepreneurs reuse the same stock photos over and over, we’re always looking for something different. Something that not everyone else is using. Something that you don’t see on every single pin on Pinterest.
Can you fill that gap? Because there’s absolutely a market there.
Graphic Designer
Or maybe you’re better at designing the pictures themselves and creating graphics.
This is something that a ton of bloggers and digital entrepreneurs outsource.
Because for one, it’s time-consuming. But also, graphic designers can do it way better.
Couple that will some marketing know-how and your designs are guaranteed to get more eyes on our stuff.
Legal Services
There are also a ton of lawyers who have moved to the online space. Because most of us know absolutely nothing about how to protect our businesses, our content, and our assets.
We need help forming our LLCs, creating all of the legal pages for our websites, writing contracts, getting our trademarks registered, dealing with plagiarism, and so on.
Website Design
Most of us also have no idea how to design our websites. Because it doesn’t only need to look nice, it also needs to load fast to boost our SEO and convert well to boost our bottom line.
Plus, we usually want it to look a certain way or do a certain thing and rather than waste hours, days, or even weeks trying to figure it out ourselves (if we even do), it’s so much easier to just hire someone else to do it for us.
Arts + Crafts
Now, like I said, you don’t just have to have a skill that helps other bloggers and entrepreneurs to successfully make money from home.
I know a ton of artists and crafters who have built very successful online businesses that give them total location and time freedom (which for creatives is obvi super important).
Sell Arts + Crafts Online
So the first, and the most obvious, thing that you can do as a creative or artist to make money from home is to sell your arts and crafts online.
You can either do this through an Etsy store or create your own store on your website using WooCommerce or Shopify.
And then you could market your products by adding an arts and crafts blog into the mix. Document your creative process. Show people how you make your art. Let people see how much your creations can improve their lives.
Online Art Teacher
You can also teach people how to make their own art. And you don’t have to be limited to local workshops, either.
You can easily coach aspiring artists or hold online workshops or create your own courses on how to create certain types of arts and crafts.
And, once you get good at that side of things, you can teach other crafters how they, too, can make money online.
It’s a total win-win for everyone!
Miscellaneous
And there are, of course, other ways you can make money from home that don’t fall into my neatly organized categories above (hey, I’m a professional organizer — I can’t help it!).
But I did put these at the bottom for a reason. Because I tried a few of them out for this article and they’re really not worth your time or effort. So proceed with caution.
Social Media Evaluator
You could make money from home being a social media evaluator.
Appen is one of the most common companies that offer small jobs like this.
And I did have to sign a non-disclosure, so I can’t really talk about what I did. But I can say that it had to do with evaluating social media. #sorry
But it was a colossal waste of my time. I tried giving it a full month and I couldn’t make it. Primarily because the tool I was supposed to be using didn’t work. And I spent more time going back and forth with their support team, who did nothing but speak to me in a condescending way and then have me do the same things over and over again. Which you, of course, don’t get paid for.
It was completely ridiculous and not at all worth it.
I will say, though, that once you get your foot in the door as a social media evaluator, other contracted gigs may become available. I saw some that were $20+ an hour. So, if you’re looking to piece together smaller gigs to pay the bills, then it is a viable option for that reason alone.
Search Engine Evaluator
Another popular work at home job is to be a search engine evaluator. And this is another one that I personally thought was such a waste of time.
Lionbridge is where most people find search engine evaluator jobs, but to get in, you have to pass some pretty serious tests.
Now, I’m horrible at taking standardized tests. I absolutely hate them because my brain can justify any response being the correct answer.
And the first step is a standardized test.
If you fail, they usually give you a second chance. And I did pass it on the second try. And I passed the second part, too, which was incredibly tedious.
Again, I signed a non-disclosure so I can’t say much about it.
But, since you are evaluating search engines, it does make sense for it to be that difficult.
But the third part I was completely over it and didn’t have the willpower to even try. And the third part was pretty tough. But I think it’s the job you’d actually be doing, so maybe it was a good thing that I didn’t pass. Because I would have been horrible at it.
I have heard that once you’re in that you’re not even guaranteed work. So you spend over a month getting in the door, and you’re not even guaranteed 20 hours a week.
So do what you want with that information.
Hospital Bill Auditing
One super interesting job that I found while researching this topic was hospital bill auditing.
Because there are a ton of people who get billed from stuff from doctors and hospitals that they shouldn’t. And if you’ve ever spent the day on the phone going back and forth between your insurance and the hospital, you know that it’s a total pain in the ass.
I would gladly pay someone to do that for me. And apparently, so would a lot of other people.
So if you have the patience of a saint, it’s something worth looking into.
Referral Service
Another interesting work at home job that I thought of was a referral service. Because I also have a local business and I’ve paid people referral fees for sending me clients.
So I looked into referral services, and quite a few people do this.
Basically, you build your network or professionals (making sure they pay referral fees). Then you build your network of people who might be looking for professionals. Then, when someone is looking for a professional, you make the connection.
Debt Collection
You could also pick up random jobs as a debt collector. Now, this is different than working for a debt collecting company in the sense that some people or businesses will hire people to collect their debts for them, rather than using one of those big companies.
Personally, it sounds a little mob-y to me, but if shaking people down is your thing, then it might be worth looking into.
Internet Research
Or maybe you’re the type of person who can find anything online. Or you just want to know the answer to everything.
Then becoming an online researcher might be your jam.
One of the most popular companies that offers research jobs is Wonder. You simply have to apply and take a research assessment quiz. Once you’re in, you have access to all of the jobs that have been requested.
Taking Surveys
You can also supposedly make money from home by taking surveys. And unless you spend all day every day on your phone, I don’t see how you can actually make any decent money this way.
I signed up for one to test it out and I never qualified for any of the surveys they had available, so I deleted the app.
Some of the more popular ones are SwagBucks and Inbox Dollars.
If you’ve had success with this one, let me know. I’ll happily update this section with your success story.
Mystery Shopper
And finally, you can make an extra $10-$20 bucks by going into corporate restaurants and harassing the wait staff.
Yes, I’ve waited tables in a corporate restaurant. Their rules are absolutely ridiculous. And the fact that they offer to comp someone a meal to come in and make sure that their server asked them if they wanted a freaking Pepsi by name is even more ridiculous.
Simply put — your bad review will more than likely cost a struggling college student, starving artist, or single mom her job. Don’t be a dick.
Moral of the story — don’t work for corporate assholes.
Did I Miss Any?
If you know of a kickass work at home job that I missed, drop it in the comments below and I’ll look into it and report back!
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