Introduction
If you’ve read our other posts in the “Start Here” series, then you already understand What’s Holding You Back And The Options You Have and know about The 5 Online Remote Job Models With My Freedom Rating for Each.
Naturally, the next step is to take action and start the journey you’ve chosen for yourself. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of people struggle and procrastinate.
There are too many platforms and resources out there, each with their own benefits. For someone who’s just starting out, it is challenging to pick just one as the best.
For example, it was really hard for me to pick the right WordPress theme for my very first owned website, which almost drove me crazy.
There was no way for me to confirm if I had made the best choice. I could never know unless I had the luxury of enough time and money to try each option on my list. So in the end, I chose one and stuck with it.
That’s what I recommend you to do as well. You can always improve things later. But taking that first step is key for success.
To help you get started fast, I’ve handpicked resources I have personal experience with or know someone who does. I’ve also done a LOT of research and listened to other people’s experiences. As a result, every single resource on this page is authentic, with countless people making a living off of it.
So without wasting any time, let’s get to it.
1. Online Freelancer
If you want to live a freedom filled life while using your skills to help small businesses, this is the perfect career for you.
Working as a freelancer is one of the low-cost ways to work remotely, which requires minimal investment in terms of time and money.
You can do it as a part-time gig during your off-hours, and you don’t have to pay any registration fee to work on a platform. All you have to do is set-up a virtual office on the website and start earning.
While a professional qualification does help, it’s certainly not a requirement to get started. You can offer anything that you’re confident with: from writing, designing, and coding to voice-overs, social media management, admin support and much more.
The following are some of the best platforms I have tested or heard good things about from trusted freelancers I know:
• fiverr – The most popular and easiest platform to get started
Established in 2010, Fiverr is one of the top online freelance platforms for skilled freelancers (known as sellers) who offer their services or expertise through packages called “gigs”, which business owners (known as buyers) can search through and purchase, starting at $5 to $10,000+.
It is a great choice for freelancers to plug into the global market, and get clients from all over the world, instead of being limited to the local market’s demand. It provides a steady flow of opportunities to many freelancers. Even you can get started without any networking.
The major categories on Fiverr include Graphics & Design, Digital Marketing, Writing & Translation, Videos & Animation, Music & Audio, Programming & Tech, Business, and Lifestyle. Popular services on offer range from copywriting, social media marketing, and voiceovers to logo designs, Photoshop editing, and web programming.
Just about anyone with a skill can make money online by signing up on the platform as a freelancer. So, if you are thinking of working remotely because of the limitations you’re facing in a traditional job, Fiverr is a great choice.
You can find endless customers willing to pay for your skills, knowledge, and expertise without anyone judging things outside your control, such as your age, gender, and skin color, unfairly.
Due to the popularity, getting your first buyer can take a while, especially if you are selling something very competitive.
In addition, you need some reviews before Fiverr starts promoting your gigs seriously. Luckily, there are many resources out there to teach you how to Get More Sales & Reviews on Fiverr like Top Sellers.
Want to give it a try? Sign up here to create an account and publish your first gig up within 10 minutes.
Or if you would like to learn more about Fiverr, you can read my in-depth Fiverr 2020 Review here.
• Upwork – Reach clients instead of waiting for them
As you have to apply for jobs on Upwork, you can market your services proactively and start landing clients fast.
However, once you have many reviews and samples, clients will start finding you through Upwork search, thus, saving you time from bidding on jobs and letting you charge what you feel is fair.
To learn more about this platform and create your own account, click here.
• Toptal – Freelance platform for true professionals
If you’re someone with lots of experience in coding, designing, or finance, TopTal can match you with amazing clients who are willing to pay top rates ($60/hour minimum) for your time.
However, they have a very strict vetting process and only the top 1% makes it onto this platform. Still, if you can make it, you definitely won’t regret it.
If you think you have what it takes, you can apply here.
2. Online Educator
Do you have a skill or passion you want to share with the world? If so, you should consider becoming an Online Educator.
Unlike academic teaching that requires a professional certification, the internet has enabled anyone with personal or professional experience to reach students all over the world.
Today, many online educators make a living by teaching from professional to fun things like:
- Editing videos
- Succeeding on social media
- Sewing elegant clothes
- Making paper art
- Capturing drone footage
- And so much more!
And just like being a freelancer, you can start earning money from your online courses while you continue your current full-time job. As time goes by, you will build up reputation and, ultimately, a more stable source of income.
On the other hand, it requires a little more investment in terms of time and money before you can start earning. You will have to pay for a platform to host your online course or develop your virtual online school.
There are many good online course running models and services you can choose from. Here are some recommended platforms to help you get started:
• Skillshare – The Netflix of Online Courses with a Monthly Membership
Students pay a small monthly fee to access all the courses on this platform. As a teacher, you make money based on the time students spend watching your course videos.
I recently asked a friend of mine why she prefers being an instructor on SkillShare. She said she loves this platform because it doesn’t cost students any money to take her courses, as it’s all part of their monthly membership.
However, the platform usually pays around $5+ per 100 minutes watched, so you’ll have to target topics in high demand to make any meaningful income.
• Udemy – Reach millions of potential students with your premium course
On Udemy, students pay for each course individually. So, while it does take more effort to attract clients, you earn more from each enrollment.
According to some estimates, top instructors on Udemy have made millions of US dollars in sales so far. While the most popular topic seems to be coding (web, games, and so on), there’s still a healthy demand for other topics.
• Teachable – Your own self-managed course website
Both of the above platforms take a big cut as a service charge (around 50%) to put your course in front of their audience as a service charge. To avoid such high fees, you can use a platform like Teachable to create your own branded course site.
Their Basic Membership costs USD29 per month with an additional 5% fee on each transaction. To avoid the percentage transaction fee, you also have the option to choose their Professional Plan that costs USD79 per month. It lets you use all the features Teachable offers, without charging any transaction fees.
With more than 68 thousand instructors on this platform so far, Teachable has generated $338+ million in sales for them.
They also organize regular webinars and online workshops. You can also read my full Teachable Review to learn how this platform can help you to create and sell online course or be an online coach before joining it.
You can also simply click here to Teachable official website to learn more their features and and sign up the free account.
3. Affiliate Marketer
An affiliate marketer is someone who makes money by recommending products of other companies to their own audience, and in return, earns a commission.
Affiliate marketing is a great opportunity for someone who wants to work hard today to reap the benefits later, aka passive income. In fact, affiliate marketing is one of the best sources of passive income out there.
With affiliate marketing, you don’t have to quit your job to work on a second source of income. You can do it in your spare time after you get home from work. Eventually, you’ll be able to quit your day job to earn more with affiliate marketing.
However, as there’s a lot of work required upfront, many people struggle to get started and that’s where all the training programs come in.
Still, it is easy to fall for a scam affiliate marketing training program when you’re a beginner. Many of those “training” programs are designed to feed off of people’s insecurities and offer nothing of value in return.
That’s why I recommend sticking to a reputable and proven program.
• Wealthy Affiliate – My #1 Recommendation for Affiliate Marketing Training and Business Development
If you’re serious about becoming an affiliate marketer, I highly recommend you give the Wealthy Affiliate program a shot. It provides online training and business development tools for their members to build affiliate business in one place.
Since I have been working in digital marketing for over 10 years, on the very first day I visited Wealthy Affiliate website in 2016 and figured out what they are offering, I could tell that it is a real platform that is keen on helping anyone who would like to be an affiliate marketer. To learn and succeed.
It’s made by a team of experts who walked the talk before teaching, so all their recommendations are based on experience.
What you will learn from Wealthy Affiliate online business training is how to capitalize and earn money from any idea, interest, or passion that you have. You will gain all the necessary knowledge and practical skills on how to create a successful, long term business within the online space.
They also provide the MOST comprehensive, technically advanced, and well support affiliate website development platform online, such as domain and website hosting, built-in search engine optimization tools, WordPress content management system and many more.
Through the Step-by-Step and task-oriented online training, together with all the necessary affiliate business development tools, you will be building a real and tangible business where you can start earning right away.
You can earn while you learn.
No experience necessary. No technical knowledge necessary. No product required. Just bring your love of something and they will help you turn that into a lucrative business.
Thousands of people are finding success with Wealthy Affiliate daily. So can you. Yes, it will take some effort, but so does anything worth doing.
I’ve done their online training, and through their affiliate marketing development platform, I am able to build my affiliate marketing business with great success. I have written a super in-depth review to show you What Wealthy Affiliate Is Exactly About.
It is a MASSIVE guide with an answer to pretty much any question you could possibly think of.
If you would like to have taste of Wealthy Affiliate membership training content, please sign up with your email now.
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4. Remote/Home Office Employee
Remote jobs range from part-time to full-time, with a proper employment contract and traditional employee benefits (depending on company offer).
This is a fantastic opportunity for people who are location limited due to physical disabilities, local unemployment rates and so on.
Back in 2016, as a remote employee, I was looking for some changes. After countless hours of research, I cleaned up a list of recruitment websites which focused only on remote job listings. Here are some reputable platforms that I’ve tried and trust:
• FlexJobs – A Reliable Job Listing Site That Saves Your Time By Avoiding Spam
FlexJobs is a premium membership-based job search platform dedicated to remote work only.
With a USD14.95/month investment as a member, you get premium support and full access to reliable remote job listings – saving you both time and energy from dealing with scammers.
They have a dedicated team that handpicks and curates every job and company, so you can rest assured that each job listed there is real and scam-free. You don’t even have to worry about your job application being used for marketing purposes on this platform.
As a premium member myself, I’ve used their proven skill testing tools to build some instant credibility with future employers within their platform.
Plus, the 5 star, A+ rating by the BBB and the 4.5-star rating by GlassDoor prove their credible reputation. To learn more about how their service can help you, check out FlexJobs website here.
• LinkedIn Premium Career – Double The Chance Of Getting Your Desired Remote Work
I’m genuinely surprised by the number of people who’ve never tried LinkedIn’s paid services. So let me tell you about my experience.
I joined the LinkedIn premium Career Plan while looking for a new remote working opportunity back in 2016. Right away, I used their competitive job application data to improve my own application. With their helpful insights, I was able to target jobs that were a good fit for my skills and experience. They also promoted me as a recommended candidate to recruiters whose job requirements matched my skills.
With a perfect application and a priority listing to recruiters, something interesting happened. Within a short time, not one but three different companies approached me for remote jobs with interviews and job offer. Just like that.
Below are the LinkedIn Premium Career features which can help you get hired an average 2X faster,
If you want to take your LinkedIn strategy to the next level, check out the LinkedIn Premium Career Plan here.
• Other Recommendations for Online Remote Job Seekers:
While the above two are my favorite platforms, here are some other trustworthy options out there:
Offers pioneer programs to facilitate travel and accommodations for people working or interested in working remotely.
Work and live like a local for 4, 6, or 12 months in some of the world’s most vibrant cities with a group of other professionals from different backgrounds and industries.
The largest remote work community in the world, with over 2.5M monthly visitors.
Curates the best digital jobs for those looking to start their telecommuting career. A dedicated job skills list to make your remote job searching more efficient and precise.
For remote workers to find reliable long-term employment in every industry, from large to small startups.
5. Online Shop Owner
If you want to run a shop but don’t have the budget necessary for a traditional business, starting an online shop is a great opportunity.
There are companies out there that can help you focus on your products only while you leave everything else to them. Payment processing, logistics management, and, to some extent, even marketing — they can handle just about anything for you.
Many successful online shops were started by individuals with small savings and even with zero experience. Yours could be the next success story on that list.
Here are some resources to help you launch your own online shop:
• Amazon – The name that almost equals online shopping
Amazon is a giant that needs no introduction. They have sold $63 billion worth of products within the second quarter of 2019 alone. However, many people don’t realize that they too can get a piece of that revenue.
You just need to register as a merchant and send your products to one of their many warehouses. Then you set a price for your products and, from there, they handle everything else for you.
Click here to learn more about how to launch your first online shop on Amazon.
Or if you’re ready to start selling on Amazon, you can sign up here.
• ebay – An alternative to get started easily with less stress
eBay is a great alternative to Amazon with lower fees, a simpler interface, and an all-around easier platform to get started on.
With a more global customer base, eBay allows you to sell across 36 different countries. The payments are quite simple too, with quick PayPal withdrawals.
If you want to test the waters before diving in, I think you should give eBay a shot by signing up here.
• Your Own Online Shop Website – Take control Over everything to maximize your profit
This could be the toughest option for many beginners as you’ll have to manage all of the following on your own:
- Warehousing
- Delivery
- Marketing
- Earning Customers’ Trust
On the flipside, you can maximize your profit margin by keeping the costs low, as you have control over everything. Many self-managed online shop owners have done that with great success.
To start an online shop on your website, I recommend either of the following reliable software:
– Shopify
An all-in-one e-commerce platform to start, run, and grow your online business.
– WooCommerce
The most customizable eCommerce platform for building your online business.
Time to Take Action
You’ve read this far so you know all about the opportunities within your reach.
That is a great start but this is also a decisive moment. Can you make a different choice from most people? Many people just open a link to one of the above platforms, read a few headlines, admire other people’s success stories, and close their browser — which changes nothing.
However, actions are what turns dreams into reality. While you can’t affect your current circumstances that much, now you know there are opportunities out there that can open up new doors.
So, pick one or two of the platforms above (even free ones) and join them. That’s your goal for today.
Some of you may still struggle to take action because your situation has a powerful hold on you, making it impossible to move forward. In that case, you can discover what is holding you back and what your options are.
Finally, share what limits hold you back in the comments below, sharing your experience may just help another reader realize that they’re not alone.
Perhaps, if we work together, we can overcome those challenges.
Please note this post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a small commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. Please see full privacy policy here.