The times of having to go out and work a second job with unreliable hours to supplement your income are not gone but they have changed. Technology has made it easier than ever for people to earn from home or anywhere with an internet connection. Earning from home has never been easier but you are going to have to put in the hours. Companies are not going to pay you to surf your personal social media so get those ideas out of your head when it comes to working online. The following are tips to help you start earning from home as well as tips that will help you get started in the right direction.
Assess Your Skills And Which Jobs You Would Enjoy/Would Be Profitable
Assessing your skills to see which jobs that would be enjoyable as well as profitable is important. A person with web design experience or that has been a copywriter in the past can make immense amounts of money. For those that work a bit slowly hourly contracts will end up being the most profitable. For those people that are production monsters that can churn out a dozen articles in a day or complete an entire website in a day should bill by project as it will make them the most money overall.
Establish A Work Area Or Office
You need a place to work in your home whether it is an office or area that is quiet. An office massage chair can allow you to both work and relax after a long day at your full-time job. There are going to be plenty of distractions that will be present so reduce these to the best of your ability. Even knocking out work early in the morning is an option if you take public transport or carpool to work.
Flock To A Freelancer Platform Like Upwork
Upwork and other freelancer platforms allow a freelancer and company to connect. One of the toughest aspects when freelancing is keeping your finances in order as there are costs associated with working. You can write off quite a bit of your expenses when tax time comes around but save the documentation with these expenses. Freelancers often times are asked to provide proof of certain financial activities by the IRS to make sure they are paying the appropriate amount in income tax. Find clients that have high budgets for projects you know that you will be able to deliver quality work. The better you work with clients the larger chance they will use you again or hire you long-term for a specific project. Many clients are also willing to pay long-term freelancers more as they know they will hit deadlines and communicate well.
Establish Working Hours For Your Side Gig
Set working hours for your side gig as you are going to have to put in a consistent amount of time to earn a stable amount of supplemental income. Aim for a few hours during the week and more during the weekend as this can be a great time to earn. Even as little as 10 hours a week can make a huge difference in your income levels as well as quality of life. Being able to be financially comfortable will relieve quite a bit of stress from a person that was living paycheck to paycheck. Getting into a routine with a side gig you enjoy after your full-time job might be easier than you think in terms of motivating yourself with all of that extra income.
Take On More Work Than You Want To At Certain Points
Side gigs are much like any other job as they fluctuate with how busy a person is during a certain month. The only drawback in regards to side gigs is that you are not earning when things are slow as clients will not need the work. Each industry has those slow times of the year with the holidays being busy for ecommerce businesses while it is dead in those like web design or content creation. This will help stabilize income you are used to making during those slow times. After a year or two you will figure this out or ask a fellow freelancer what they have observed in the past. Many freelancers are very willing to give tips to those starting out that they wish they would have known. At times knocking out immense amounts of work for your side gig over the course of a few weeks can leave you in a very good place financially.
As you can see the world of online side gigs is here to stay with millions of people taking advantage of extra opportunities to earn. Take time to research where you can start earning that is in line with your skillset to open up a world of possibilities!