70. Create a
membership site
A membership site is one that offers
extra information or content that’s only available if you’re a subscriber. Not
all such subscriptions cost money, but those who purchase a premium membership
will get better, broader content from the site. This feature works on thousands
of websites – think of all the times you’ve tried to access specific content
and have been asked to sign up to “unlock” it.
Starting a membership site is an
effortless way to boost your income, especially if you already have a website
in place that offers some content. It’s a straightforward addition which can
generate a lot more income on an existing platform. Alternatively, you can
start one from scratch. You’ll need a lot of content, and you’ll have to
separate the content into paid and unpaid. It’s a delicate balance to strike –
you’ll need your free content to be good enough to inspire credibility but not
so exhaustive that there’s no reason to pay for more.
For
someone who’s already created a website, adding a membership feature isn’t too
complicated. The best way is to use WordPress with an added membership plugin –
options include MemberMouse, MemberPress (a little
more expensive) or WooCommerce Memberships.
To profit from a membership site, try
and pick a monetiseable niche. Make sure it’s something that you’re interested
in, as you’ll need to be producing consistent content.
71. Tutor online
Online tutoring is a super flexible
way to monetise your skills. There are several different ways to become an
online tutor: you can get work through online tutoring websites, which cuts out
the need to find and reach out to clients, or offer your services yourself.
Some online companies offer tutoring
over Skype, while others use cameras and chat facilities to deliver sessions.
If you want to go solo, you can advertise your services on social media or
websites which market private tutors – just be sure to highlight that your
sessions are all online.
Be aware that if you are going to
work through an agency, some – but not all – will require teaching certificates
and classroom experience.
72. Offer online
virtual tech support
If you’re tech-savvy, this could be
an easy job for you. Many individuals and companies alike require technical
support, and for smaller companies, this isn’t necessarily something they can
do themselves. This is where you step in.
You can offer virtual tech support
and troubleshooting over the phone, over email, or on an online chat facility.
You can choose your hours and your clients. The best way to make money is to
procure some stable company clients – the better you know your clients, the
better service you’ll be able to offer and the more you can charge. Having
businesses as clients also provides a steadier income.
If you want something even more
stable, many companies are now recruiting for technical support roles based at
home, which is a good place to start.
73. Earn money as a
software developer
Anyone with a knack for technology
can become a software developer. There is a multitude of online courses you can
take, which will give you some basic skills which you can monetise. For more
experienced software developers, your potential client base is even broader.
Software developers can earn up to
the twice that of a full-time web developer. But being freelance takes hard
work, especially at the start. Finding enough work is a freelancer’s biggest
challenge. Fortunately, freelance marketplaces have starting appearing, which
makes it a lot easier to advertise your services. Try websites such as UpWork
or Freelancer.
A tip here is always to get a signed
agreement before you set to work. Having a signed contract before you start
guarantees you’ll get paid at the end and prevents clients from dropping out
and avoids you wasting your time.
74. Set up a
ghostwriting business
Individuals, often celebrities,
principally hire ghostwriters to write anything from articles and speeches to
books and blog posts. People employ ghostwriters when they don’t have the time,
resources or writing ability to produce the work themselves. Ghostwriters write
under the name of their clients, meaning they are not credited for their work,
although many ghostwriters develop an extensive network of contacts in the
writing industry.
As a ghostwriter, you can charge
clients a project fee based on the type and length of the text.
Tools
such as Bibisco, Manuskript and
oStorybook are often used by ghostwriters to improve their productivity and
workflow.
A little experience in this industry
goes a very long way – ghostwriters with past experience can earn up to £40,000
per book. To make even more money, consider specialising in a particular niche,
for example, speech writing. Ghostwriting is also an excellent place to start
if you later want to write under your name.
75. Create an online
travel website
For avid travellers with experience
in the tourism industry, starting an online travel business is a fun way to
make money. The tourism and travel industry is one of the largest in the world
and is continually growing.
Such a
big industry means there’s plenty of room to start a new business, but it also
means you’ve got lots of competition. Try and offer an innovative service which
nobody else is delivering on the market. Perhaps specialise in travelling to a particular
area, or a specific type of travelling – business travel, or
backpacking, for example.
To reduce your startup costs, use a
host agency. You’ll get high commissions for the sales you generate and won’t
have to worry about establishing relationships with flight, accommodation and
activity suppliers. It’s also a good idea to start a blog to accompany the site
– here, you can share the experiences of previous customers and engage your
target market.
76. Create and send
press releases
Press releases inform the public
about the products, services or activities of an organisation in an appealing
way to attract customers. They need to be newsworthy as well as stimulating, to
spike the attention of the reader.
Press
releases are crucial for businesses to reach more prospective customers,
increasing company exposure, potential sales and traffic. The structure of the
content in a press release is usually based on the inverted pyramid metaphor –
used widely in media and journalism. At the very least, a press release should
answer 5Ws and 1H: Who did what, where, when, why
and how? You’ll
need a catchy, engaging and immaculate writing style, a computer and an
internet connection. The low startup costs make it an easy and profitable
venture to start from home.
Credibility, again, is key here –
consider completing some online courses to gain qualifications that’ll give
your service more legitimacy.
77. Write University
Getting into university is more
competitive than ever before. More and more students are opting to continue
their studies after college and are desperate to live the uni lifestyle. But
for some, writing an admissions statement can be a real challenge. This is
where you step in.
The startup costs are next to none.
You can get your business going with a laptop, the internet and a simple
website to advertise your services. You can reach potential customers by word
of mouth or by promoting online. You’ll need excellent written skills and
grammar and preferably some knowledge of the admissions process. When selling
your service, you can charge per word, per page or per hour of your time,
however you see fit.
Top tip: it’s a good idea to offer a
few example admissions statements (perhaps your own) for free, so that
prospective clients know what to expect.
78. Document
creation
Companies
often require help with creating various documents. These may be contact lists,
directories, checklists, inventories, emergency contact forms. To make work
more manageable, you may want to opt for some kind of document creation
software such as Hotdocs, Ecrion or Foxit Software.
This job requires solid design skills
as well as broad business knowledge. You can market your skills through
freelance websites or by making a website and contacting companies directly.
79. Create ads for
small businesses
An absolute must for small businesses
to grow is advertising. But the nature of small businesses means that more
often than not, they don’t have the resources or the expertise to do this
in-house. This is where you step in.
Starting
a business in ad creation has relatively low startup costs. Previous knowledge
or experience in either advertising or design is helpful. From there, all you
need is design software such as Bannersnack,
Canva or Photoshop. Having a few formats and price options makes it a really
easy business model with massive scope for growth. Finding customers is also
relatively easy – you can use a simple ad campaign of your own or a mailing
list to target small businesses.
If you want an automated business and
you’ve got the expertise, you can even set up a website where small businesses
can create their own ads using your templates!
80. Online
collections agent
One of
the more challenging jobs in customer service, becoming a collections agent
involves reaching out to clients who have unpaid bills, unpaid invoices,
loan instalments or any other outstanding payments.
Collections
agents are responsible for creating lists of debtors and organising them based
on how severe the debt is. The next step is getting in touch with customers and
discussing how the debts may be collected, locate unresponsive customers using
credit bureau information and performing background checks. Software used for
debt collection includes Collect One, Collect, or Collection Words.
If you’ve got experience in debt
collection, it’s a straightforward business to set up online. Use your industry
contacts and advertise directly to companies to procure clients.
81. Formatting
documents
Formatting makes documents appear
more professional and visually appealing for a reader. This task involves
selecting an appropriate font for plain text (headings, subheadings paragraphs,
etc.), choosing the colour of the font, dividing texts into sections, bullet
points or numbering, headers and footers, writing quotations in the right way
and, if need be, adding bibliographic references.
Stylish formatting can add a higher
level of professionalism to marketing materials or websites, which instils
greater trust into prospective customers. If you’ve got a knack for graphic
design, this is a business you can quickly start at home with some design
software.
Advertise your services with a
website, reach potential customers via mailing lists and consider investing in
paid ads to maximise your exposure.
82. Make money in
data entry
In this role, you’ll input and manage
information in various types of documents. Typical tasks include entering data
into existing sheets, creating new data in databases, updating existing records
and deleting the files that are no longer of use or no longer current.
It’s a straightforward business to
start from home with nothing more than a computer. Most companies will be
spoilt for choice when choosing a company to handle their data entry, so make
sure your website is slick and spend time on your marketing campaign.
Some
clients will require you to work with various data entry software such as EpiData or Entrypoint Data Entry, so
it’s a good idea to master these.
83. Buy and sell
secondhand books
Books are always in high demand, and
despite the introduction of eBooks, printed books are still more popular than
ever. More often than not, novels are read once and discarded or stored on a
shelf. You can make decent money by buying and selling secondhand books.
You
can buy all kind of secondhand books online and in charity shops. It is best to
source your books from charity shops or online from individual vendors selling
one-off books to find the lowest prices. Opt for books in good condition and
choose a niche to narrow down the books you buy. Selecting a niche will also
help you to hone your brand and attract a specific target audience. You can
sell your books through an online marketplace such as Abebooks, eBay and Amazon.
Competitive pricing is
crucial to success in selling secondhand books online. You want to undercut
your competitors but ensure you make a worthwhile profit.
84. Become an online
editor
Editing is a process of planning,
revising and post-edit writing material such as books, magazines and websites.
Editing is mainly used in fields such
as literature, film and video but also creative industries such as public
relations, marketing and advertising. As an editor, you will work closely with
the writers to help produce their stories and structure their ideas so that
their message comes across clearly. You will also check for errors in spelling,
punctuation and grammar. That said, the role of an editor is much more hands-on
than that of a proofreader – editors make alterations to flow, structure and
tone to achieve an overall effect. For this reason, it’s a much more
competitive industry, and you’ll need a credible portfolio to attract
customers.
There
are many tools available to editors online to improve their service, such
as StyleWriter, Intelligent Editing and Serenity Software.
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