If you want to make money online, same here.
For some lucky souls, those chocolate chip cookies they've been selling saved them from going down under. Still, not everyone has the ability to step outside and given some quarantine restrictions, it’s made side hustling a little harder than before.
But the good news is, if you’re wanting to make some money from the comforts of your home, you can! And most of all, you don’t need to learn a new skill or step outside:
Here are some ways to make money online from home during quarantine:
- Teach a language on iTalki
- Sell your clothes on Depop
- Create an information product
- Freelance on Fiverr or Upwork
- Dropshipping
Teach a language on iTalki
Average earnings: $15/hr
FYI, it’s a complete myth to need multiple foreign languages under your belt to teach a language online. I’m looking at you George, just speaking English is fine.
By signing up as a community tutor, you don’t need formal qualifications either. All students are looking for is someone to practice speaking to, add maybe add a sprinkle of grammar here and there. Kind of like having a coffee chat with a friend.
You’ll also have the opportunity to set the times you’re free, perfect for after work or weekend gigs. Maybe you can even have a rant or two about your day, who knows?
If you’re feeling really generous, you could even give them resources like a cool Youtube video you’ve come across or your favorite podcast episode that you think they’d be interested in.
To become a teacher, you’ll have to submit a 1-3 minute video along with a short pitch and upload it on the platforms. Then students have the opportunity to choose from a pool of teachers. So with that winning personality of yours, you can find people you actually want to chat to and even make international friends. So that’s your side hustle and social life, sorted.
Sell your clothes on Depop
Average price: $5/item (more if it’s vintage)
Let’s be real: we all have that one sweater we wore once and never wore again.
Now, this doesn’t give you the excuse to sell all your old faded t-shirts okay? But sometimes, there just comes a point where sometimes you’re not feeling that particular pair of flared jeans anymore, maybe it’s gone out of style for you.
To get started, you’ll want to start making a pile of things you don’t use on the weekly. You’ll be surprised how much you don’t end up wearing. Then, decide in the moment to sell them all on Depop. It’s hard to let go but after doing it a couple of months ago, I don’t regret a thing. Plus, it makes dressing up so much easier!
After that, go ahead and take quality pictures of yourself wearing them. This can be around your house or in the park, depending on the quarantine restrictions in your area. Remember, the highest quality pics often get the most attention.
Now you’ll have every excuse to post those mirror selfies, eh? ;)
Once you’ve sorted the photos, upload them on your Depop page and start shipping purchases whenever it's safe. If you can’t sort it out now, buy some envelopes, a permanent marker and some tape on Amazon or your local post office in the meantime. At least you've already prepared in advance.
Pro tip: I’d price it a little higher since people often negotiate in the chat box.
And if you think no one is going to buy your run down Nike 80’s sweatshirt, you’re wrong! Even if the logo is a bit frayed, people pay $20+ for that “vintage” feel. Again, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Create an information product
Average earnings: $100 per information product
Not so fast! Before even thinking about creating an information product, it’s important you build some sort of online community. Do this the moment you decide to create your information product, since you need to build credibility before your launch date.
Most people build communities on Twitter since it’s the easiest social platform to forge relationships but others opt for forums like Reddit, Quora, IndieHackers, etc. depending on what they’re selling.
Once you’ve set that up, you’re going to want to chat about your niche. All the time. Just constantly showing up, answering questions and providing value. Share what you know about the topic you’re wanting to make a information product in-depth and people will follow you.
Some people who are doing community building right:
He has two courses up on Gumroad now on AWS and growing a Twitter presence, which has made him six figures. Before that, he spent time building credibility on Twitter + various forums by sharing his story on why he left Amazon.
He runs a physical OS system for remote teams and preaches about the benefits of remote working (without mentioning his services).
Once you’ve at least got some online presence, you’re ready to start selling your information product. The best part about it is you’re selling what you already know.
The most popular information products include:
- Ebooks
- Online courses
- Paid podcasts
If you’re a freelancer, you can sell a guide on how to start freelancing. If you rent your spare room, you can make a course on how to rent out a room on Airbnb. You could even teach how to give your cat a bath since there are some pesky cats out there. Worst case scenario? You can teach about what you do in your 9-5. There’s nothing you can’t share!
The problem with these online course platforms though is that it’s not only a crowded marketplace but hard to be featured. Although you can earn hundreds of $$$ on Udemy, for that you need thousands of students. One creator we’ve spoken with makes $500/month with 50k students. Although you can charge more on Teachable, competition is fierce.
Other than that, you need to be thinking about:
- Filming
- Editing
- Lighting
- Creating a ppt
- Recording a voiceover
- ...and that’s just the start.
Ever thought of making an audio course? Forget the days about filming or editing. It’s like having a coffee with someone you really admire in the industry, except you can pause and digest what they say. Or getting to know your mentor in a more personable manner!
But how about an exclusive podcast? It’s more sustainable to do an audio course because it doesn’t rely on donations. You’re not constantly brainstorming content ideas or having to record each week. And compared to an ebook, you don’t have to spend hours writing (which can be such a pain!)
If all you want to do is have a chat and share your knowledge in the easiest way possible, then audio courses are your best bet.
Freelance on Fiverr or Upwork
Average earnings: $5-20 per project
If you have some digital chops, then freelancing platforms like Fiverr or Upwork are great places where you can make some pocket money.
Some jobs you can do include copywriting, graphic design or marketing automation. But beware, don't expect to make huge amounts of money or find your ideal clients on these platforms.
These websites are geared more towards quick jobs so if you want to make more, it’s about quality over quantity. The more jobs you do, the better. Another thing is that consistency in getting a job is quite hard and you’re competing with other freelancers so I wouldn’t suggest it as a full-time gig.
However, if you want to make some decent money on the weekends or if you’ve got no plans on weekdays, consider freelancing on these platforms and maybe you can explore a new way of doing things compared to your 9-5.
Dropshipping
Average earnings: >$1000 a month (but requires time)
Dropshipping is about you shipping a product directly from the manufacturer.
Normally, you’d buy, let's say, a phone directly from a third-party store. But with dropshipping, what you’re doing is buying it directly from the phone manufacturer for you to ship it directly to the customer.
This incentivizes businesses like Amazon and Alibaba since they won’t need to hold stocks in their warehouses. Basically, you’re acting as a medium between the supply chain and customers.
Although you can dropship just about anything, most people focus on high ticket items like iPhones, since they’re often high in demand and yield the most profit. It’s also more sustainable as people are actively searching for these high ticket items. Not to mention, it’s more evergreen compared to fashion where supply changes over time.
To start off with, start with setting up a Shopify store and start partnering up with businesses who supply these nuanced products by searching them up online. Build relationships with them and do a little ad promotion on FB/Google Ads for your store so people in your area are aware of your services. The more time you dedicate to it, the more you’ll earn.
In short…
There’s no shortage of jobs you can do with the knowledge you already have. All you need to do is get creative. As long as you have a skill, you can make money from anywhere, even on your bed.
And sure, maybe it’ll look different to what you expected side hustling to be especially in these strange times but it doesn’t make it any less legitimate. The world is your oyster, make the most of it and start making money online!