How Do I Get Started Working From Home?

I have a friend who’s youngest child just started 1st grade this year. It’s the first time in 14 years where she’s had a significant block of time during the day to herself. Sure there’s still laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, bills to pay, etc. Trust me, she isn’t bored and her kid’s after school activity schedule is so crazy that many days she tries to squeeze a nap in there. She told me that she’s thinking about getting a part-time job at a clothing store she likes at the mall. I asked her why. She said she wants to just make a little money on the side to help pay for a few shopping trips and some fun random things. I asked her how much the store would pay her. She said $10/hr. Then I asked if she could set her own schedule. Would they really just let her work during the day when her kids are at school? Would she have summers and weekends and holidays off? Probably not. So this $10/hr “just for fun” job is going to affect her whole families’ lives! Who would drive her daughter to softball if she’s working? Can she have Sunday off to go to church with her family? The more we talked about it, the less and less appealing this job sounded to my friend. I asked her why doesn’t she just work from home? She said she’d have no idea where to even start! What would she do? How would she make money? Let me give you my best ideas, most of which I have personally done. They’re organized below by income potential which corresponds with difficulty level. All of these jobs allow you to set your own schedule and make money on your terms! Let’s begin your income journey and start working from home today!

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Make a Little Extra Money

If you want to easily make just a little extra money then this list is for you. These jobs are little to no stress, can be done whenever you want to, and can bring in enough for a splurge shopping outing with a friend, fill up a tank or two of gas each month, or cover Saturday night eating out. Absolutely anyone can do these in their spare time.

*ideas with an asterisk next to them are things I have personally done to make money and I know work

1. Online Surveys* – click here for my complete list of over 40 survey companies or get started by signing up with YouGov, Global Test Market, or Toluna Opinions.
2. Swagbucks* – more than just surveys, click here to read how I make money with Swagbucks or click here to get started with them. You make money for surveys, watching videos, searching the web, playing games, printing coupons, and more!
3. Ebates* – get cash back on your shopping. If you buy anything online (Groupon, Amazon, Kohls, etc.) you go to Ebates first and then do your shopping. They will give you a percentage back on your online shopping and you don’t have to do a thing besides click through their site first. It doesn’t change the price for you, you just earn cash back from them! Click here to sign up.
4. Ibotta* – this app gives you money back after you’re done shopping. You take a picture of your receipt and qualifying items get you money. Like $.10 for a gallon of milk, $1 for Ritz crackers, or once I got $10 for spending $50 at Gap. Click here to read how I’ve made over $255 with them in less than a year. Or click here to sign up with ibotta and get a $10 bonus!
5. Amazon Mechanical Turk* – Read my detailed article about mturk here.  Basically, get paid for doing small jobs (turks) like transcription, web searches, label images, etc. No experience necessary, it’s really easy to get started, sign up for whatever small jobs you want to do, and they’re an Amazon company so pretty reputable.

Make Decent Money

These jobs take a little more work than the jobs mentioned above, but the payout has bigger potential. These are the type of jobs that can bring in hundreds per month, but are still low stress and can be done whenever you have time. They take a little more skill and commitment, but that’s why they pay more.

1. Sell a Gig on Fiverr* – create custom logo designs, proofread resumes, make up a jingle. Whatever your skill is, sell it on Fiverr. There are many people that generate full-time incomes with Fiverr, but let’s start simple and think of a gig that people would be willing to pay $5 for and you’re on your way to making some decent money. It’s free to get started, click here to browse what others are selling on Fiverr.
2. Become an Uber Driver –  this can’t be done from home of course, but it is an excellent way to earn a few hundred each month and set your own schedule. 
3. Freelance – there are many sites like Freelancer or Upwork where companies hire you to help with any of their online work. It can be writing articles, website design, logo creation, sales and marketing experts, IT support, etc. Sign up as a freelance worker and apply for jobs that appeal to you.
4. Sell Stock Photography* – This is one of my personal favorites. Read all my stock photography posts here. If you love taking pictures then this job can easily bring in hundreds per month and the more photos you upload the more you earn! I make the most by selling through Shutterstock, but there are dozens of great stock photo sites that you can sell your work through.
5. Sell Print on Demand* – There are many sites like Cafe Press where you sell your art, photography, graphic designs, etc. on products that the company prints them on and ships for you. All you have to do is upload your images and they take care of the rest! Check out my top ten print on demand sites here.
6. Start a Camp/Club – Music camp, LEGO camp, baking club, karate camp, chess club, etc. Whatever you’re able to teach can easily be turned into a fun camp for kids. You can do this over summer, spring break, after school, etc. Depending on how you set your price based on how long the camp is, you can easily earn $500 in one week of work! Click here for a more detailed article.

Make Lots of Money

The jobs in this section have the potential to bring in a lot of income! There are many people making a good living doing these jobs. Of course, you have to put in the necessary time to build these up but the income potential makes the hard work worth it!

1. Start a Blog* – There are dozens of bloggers out there making 6 figures a month! While I haven’t hit that mark yet, I have made thousands with this blog and am still a new blogger. If you don’t know how to start a blog, read my tutorial here. If you’re ready to get started, head to BlueHost and sign up now!
2. Open an Etsy Shop* – The hardest part about selling a product is marketing your product and getting people to see it. Etsy has millions of visitors a month looking for handmade, vintage, one of a kind products. I love my Etsy shop and have made thousands in the 18 months it’s been open. I hardly spend more than an hour a week on my shop and still earn decent money. Read my tutorial on how to start an Etsy shop here.
3. Start a Niche Site – This is similar to a blog, but different in many ways. This idea is more about finding a niche (sports memorabilia, ducks, tents, flip flops, etc) and creating a site that can sell products via drop-shipping, has ad-generating income, sells a course, etc. Once the site is up and running, you might have to pay for some Facebook ads or do your own marketing, but it’s otherwise passive income. A blog differs in that you’re regularly updating a blog website, you have an email list you stay in contact with, so you put more time into a blog-style site than a niche site. I haven’t done this yet, but I am planning on doing it soon! I still recommend BlueHost for buying your domain, hosting your niche site, and using WordPress to create it.
4. Teach a Skill* – My first at home job was tutoring math. This was 11 years ago and I charged $30/hr. I could have charged a lot more. My schedule filled up fast and I turned down a lot of students! I know many math tutors that charge $50+/hr, which is a great income from the convenience of your own home. I knew one piano teacher that had 3 students at the same time for an hour lesson, each paying $40/hr. He had three rotations of 20min with him at the piano, 20 min. composing on a keyboard, and 20 min. of theory. He’d rotate through three students in that hour and the parents preferred the hour lesson too. The best part, he was only 18! How many 18-year-olds can make $120 in an hour of work? I was very impressed with him! Whatever your skill is – piano, chess, art, foreign language, chemistry, etc. you can make great money teaching others about your passion and it’s very intrinsically rewarding to watch someone else learn and grow and develop a talent they otherwise wouldn’t have!
5. Stock Trading* – I actively day traded ETFs for 18 months and made $3,500 with a $10,000 initial balance. Nowadays you don’t have to be standing on the floor of the exchange to make your own trades, you can do it from your computer or phone from anywhere with a connection! Read my article about how to get started in the stock market here. If you’re curious why I’m not trading anymore after making a 35% return, the short answer is I didn’t enjoy the emotional stress. It’s hard to lose money and there’s a reason not many people actively trade. There were days I lost $1,000 in a matter of minutes because of one little mouse click and then I’d call my husband crying and he’d console me blah blah blah. However, overall I loved the experience! I learned a ton, made money, and some day might do it again. Let me tell you it is possible, it isn’t the same as gambling, and many people make a nice living this way. The biggest downside I see for getting started is having the money to trade with. If you only have $500 to trade, you aren’t going to make much. If you have $100,000 to trade with then the rewards (and failures) are much bigger!
6. Get Hired – If you want a more traditional route and reliable paycheck, then try searching through online hiring companies like Indeed. Start by clicking here to search for jobs. Type “remote” in the “where” field and only jobs that you can do from anywhere will show.

As you can see, there are many ways to get started working from home! Whether you need an extra $100 or an extra $10,000, it’s possible! Figure out what your strengths and talents are and turn those into an income source. Doing something you love, from home, and earning money is the best! What’s holding you back? Get started now and you’ll be glad you did!