Strategies to make money from home

[Russman]

Hi,

Anyone have any good ideas for making money from home ?

Would like to try to add some income equal to a part-time job salary.

I've seen some ads talking about folks who have made money from home, but feel those are just solicitations or possible fee scams.

Any real life examples/ideas ?

I have fairly proficient computer skills, so anything online or working with PC would be great. Just don't know whether those opportunities truly exist.

Thanks.

 

[dtbach]

My next door neighbor got caught up in one of those scams. After a couple thousand dollars he got wise. I don't know of any that really are legit. Do a few searches on the Internet and see what you might come up with.

 

[SumDay]

Make/cook/build something and sell it on the Internet or at craft shows/farmers markets/etc.

 

[Accidental Retiree]

Depending on your educational background, both Educational Testing Service and Pearson offer online essay scoring job opportunities. They may not be hiring now, but they do from time to time.

 

[Amethyst]

Could you parlay your computer skills into a business? My brother taught basic computer classes at a local community college for quite a few years after his ER. He also had a successful business helping people set up their computers, trouble-shooting, etc.

Amethyst

 

[travelover]

My neighbor was doing English language coaching via the internet to Koreans or Chinese. I don't think it was big money, but was legit.

 

[antmary]

I think a great job would be to help people with social networking - especially those with online businesses. I have an online business, and have spent hours learning about Facebook, Pinterest, Linked In, etc.

Other than that, I think that selling something online is a good way to go.

 

[heeyy_joe]

A really good printer could get you ten to twenty.

 

[Moemg]

I sell on ebay . How much I make depends on how much effort I put into it . I sell women's cocktail dresses and some business wear . You really need to find what grabs you and go with it . My nephew sells motorcycle parts . It's easy part time work and if you get a supplier it has endless possibilities.

 

[bizlady]

You might consider a service like eLance to post your interests.

 

[ShortInSeattle]

Lots of people want what you want. That is why anything that is ready for you to step into will either have a ton of competition or pay very poorly. You might consider starting a side business built around your skills.

A good writer? Consider self publishing an ebook on a subject you know well.
A marketing whiz? Help local businesses do it right.
Crafty? Sell something on Etsy.
Love kids? Babysit with a twist. (Add in arts & crafts or something.)

The book "$100 startup" has some good case studies.

SIS

 

[UserRequested]

You could start up an Early Retirement forum, and charge for advertising

 

[photoguy]

Mechanical Turk maybe?

Another option that I think is nice is dog/house sitting (never done this but we use one). I think we pay about $50 night and the agency takes a cut (not sure how much). But all you have to do is walk the dog/feed it/etc.

 

[RonBoyd]

Why has nobody mentioned the "world's oldest profession" or that certain chemical concoctions can bring in huge amounts of cash?

 

[travelover]

Why has nobody mentioned the "world's oldest profession" .....

I was a cube rat whore for years. Enough.

 

[timo2]

Hi,

Anyone have any good ideas for making money from home ?

Would like to try to add some income equal to a part-time job salary.

I've seen some ads talking about folks who have made money from home, but feel those are just solicitations or possible fee scams.

Any real life examples/ideas ?

I have fairly proficient computer skills, so anything online or working with PC would be great. Just don't know whether those opportunities truly exist.

Thanks.

As a rule of thumb, those solicitations about work at home are scams of one sort or the other. I do know a couple people that checked them out, and they were bogus. Actually, those people soliciting the scheme are probably doing the work at home thing themselves. And they want YOU to pay them.

 

[heeyy_joe]

Why has nobody mentioned the "world's oldest profession" or that certain chemical concoctions can bring in huge amounts of cash?

World's oldest profession? You want the OP to be a farmer?

 

[ronocnikral]

herbalife.

 

[SumDay]

Another option that I think is nice is dog/house sitting (never done this but we use one). I think we pay about $50 night and the agency takes a cut (not sure how much). But all you have to do is walk the dog/feed it/etc.

Honestly, I have thought about this, but accepting 1 or 2 dogs in my home instead of driving around. People are nuts about their pets (as I am) and I really fret when we leave them. We have a neighbor teenager who does a great job, but they are only interested in this so long. Then you have to break in a new one. Anyway, this may be my retirement j*b.

And, I cook dog food for my dogs (heart/liver/tongue & veggies & whole grains), and I've considered selling it locally to a small group of [-]suckers[/-] fellow pet fanatics.

 

[Malcolm2]

Stay away from the multilevel marketing like Nu Skin, etc.

 

[ERhoosier]

A really good printer could get you ten to twenty.

 

[jim747]

Not exactly working from home but most auto dealers, rental agencies, etc. often need drivers to pick up or deliver cars.

If you are active and live in a neighborhood of homes with lawns, you might put out the word that you can do light yard work. This idea turned into a pretty good business for a friend who lost his job. You can be a busy as you want to be.

 

[photoguy]

A really good printer could get you ten to twenty.

Speaking of printers, I know some photographers also hire out their printer. Many of the large format printers are designed for heavy use and are under-utilized when owned by individuals. The printers are at a sweet spot -- too expensive for most amateurs (a few $k) but inexpensive for a business.

I suppose one could do this also with 3d printers too.

 

[target2019]

I think home maintenance as a side business could work. Would be best to specialize in general maintenance, and stay away from the riskier areas, like water, electricity, appliances.

 

[Arifriekinel]

Just as much as I know

I have worked at home now for a couple of years doing various things. If you have ever been interested, making small flash games with ads, or with a sponsor is a good way to get a small amount of royalties. Same with developing small, free apps for mobile devices, with a thin ad bar at the very bottom.

Most of my money comes from transcription, which is an amazing job if you can land one, and I can link you to a few reputable companies if you'd like. The best thing about these type of jobs is it's very steady work that you take and complete on your own time. My boyfriend and I already live pretty much the same life as when his father was retired and mother was semi-retired (both in their 50's, they have now taken up jobs after buying a new home, and are working until they sell their current house and can leave the state to fully retire).

I also used to work an hourly job at home for a short period of time, but I just COULDN'T handle it, because it was the dreaded customer service. If that's something you can handle though, I can also refer you to companies that hire at home customer service agents. Most large companies are finding it cheap and efficient to hire American at home-ers. The hourly pay itself for me wasn't very good, but my pay was a bit more than doubled each time through commissions.

Finding my own clients to work for has been my most lucrative, but most time-consuming work as well. If you're wanting to feel a lifestyle that's really easy going, finding a work at home company that will just funnel you nice, laid back work, with a deadline however many days in the future, which you can choose however much or little of as you want, would be my recommended choice. But if you're looking for something more stressful, which also pays more, head out there and market yourself!

There are different sites better suited to different areas of skill. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are almost a must if you're going to come out as an individual in any area. Etsy is a great place to go when marketing your art, while other sites like Elance are better suited for business.


As far as finding those laid back jobs, I have found searching for work at home moms' sites works very well. They have good, verified information often.

The best grouping I've found so far of legitimate work at home jobs you don't need to pay for is at Working From Home - Getting Started Working From Home - Finding a Job When Working From Home

They provided me a lot of really good resources and info about what to expect when starting to work from home, and they also have links to different companies that hire people at home.

Anddd, I think I've put everything I can think of at the moment there. Honestly, anything can be a work at home business if you make it one. You can even be someone's personal assistant from your home desk. So long as you're never paying the people, you've got nothing to lose!