How to Make Money Working From Home

1. Freelance

You could pick up freelance gigs within your industry, assuming there’s no conflict of interest with your full-time employer. Alternatively, you could turn your hobbies or passions into freelance work—think of someone who’s an accountant by day, Etsy crafter by night.

Time commitment: Building a steady client list could take time, so patience and diligence may be required.

Requirements: Whether you’re designing websites or doing people’s taxes, clients will want to make sure you have the necessary skills and training.

Difficulty level: Freelancing can be pretty beginner-friendly if you’re leveraging skills you already have.

Tips for success:

• Ask yourself what you’re good at, what you enjoy doing and if there are any freelance opportunities available.
• Don’t be afraid to tap your professional network for leads.
• Marketing yourself is key. Consider creating a website to showcase your skills and offerings.

2. Take Surveys

Many websites are willing to pay consumers to take online surveys. You probably won’t rake in a ton of cash, but finding your survey groove could unlock relatively easy money that you can put toward your financial goals, whether that’s building up your emergency fund or paying down debt.

Time commitment: Making money with online surveys is usually a long game. To maximize your earning potential, you might need to put in about 30 minutes per day. You’ll likely earn points that you can redeem for gift cards or a PayPal cashout. Swagbucks is a popular site that offers anywhere from 40 to 200 points per survey (100 points is equal to $1).

Requirements: There are no formal requirements, but not all surveys pay well. You’ll need to sift through offers and decide which ones are worth completing.

Difficulty level: Taking surveys online is pretty easy. All you need to do is provide your honest opinion.

Tips for success:

• Get in the habit of checking for new surveys each day. Sites like MyPoints, Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are good places to start.
• Weed out surveys that require a lot of time for little pay.
• Take advantage of sign-up bonuses. MyPoints, for example, offers a $5 reward just for signing up.

3. Tutor Online

Interested side hustlers can help students with regular school work, test prep, college applications and more. The average hourly pay for an online tutor is $19, according to ZipRecruiter. Sites like Tutor.com and TutorMe can connect you directly to interested students. Alternatively, you can market yourself and tutor directly over a video conferencing platform.

Time commitment: You’ll likely need to prepare for each session, which can take time and energy. But creating materials that you can reuse with other students can save you time. From there, the amount you work is up to you.

Requirements: You don’t necessarily have to be a teacher to make money as an online tutor. Depending on your state, a high school diploma or bachelor’s or master’s degree might be all you need.

Difficulty level: It depends on your skill set and the subjects you’re tutoring. If you’ve got a knack for math, for example, pre-calculus might feel easy.

Tips for success:

• Sign up with a few major tutoring platforms.
• Use social media to spread the word that you’re tutoring.
• Find ways to streamline your efforts. For example, you might create a master lesson plan for a subject, then modify it as needed for specific student needs.

4. Sell Things Online

Selling stuff online is one of the easiest ways to make money from home. We’ve all got household clutter—why not swap yours for some extra cash? Just be prepared to pack up your items and ship them to the highest bidder.

Time commitment: It depends on how much stuff you’re looking to offload. Cleaning out your garage, for example, might be a weekend project. You’ll also want to get some high-quality photos, write a snappy description and set a compelling price.

Requirements: You’ll need to find a platform to list your items. Sites like Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark and Decluttr might be worth exploring. Just be aware that you might pay a fee for selling things online.

Difficulty level: Listing your items is relatively easy, but shipping them might be a pain.

Tips for success:

• Take inventory of your unwanted stuff and flag items that are in relatively good condition.
• Decide which online platforms make the most sense for what you have. Then research the average going price for each item.
• List your items and see what happens. Some platforms allow you to “boost” your listing to get in front of more potential buyers.

5. Create an Online Shop

If you’re the crafty type, you can sell your creations online—whether that’s handmade jewelry or original artwork. You’ll just need to create an online shop first. Platforms like Shopify and Etsy can make that part a little easier. You can also sell items direct-to-consumer through your own website.

Read Also: How to Make Money Online from Home without Investment

Time commitment: It depends on what you’re creating. Perhaps you can make items in bulk or use printing on demand (when you only create an item after a customer orders it) to save time.

Requirements: You’ll need to gather your inventory and cover any upfront costs. You’ll also need to find a site to list and sell your items.

Difficulty level: It depends on what you’re selling. Creating an online store could be an easy way to satisfy your creativity and make some extra money at home.

Tips for success:

• Consider dropshipping, which is when your items are shipped directly from a wholesaler. This way you don’t have to stock and ship items.
• Market your items. That might include building out your social media presence or promoting your website.
• Play to your strengths and sell things that you enjoy making or purchasing. If you love shopping, for example, you might like the process of finding inventory for your online store.

6. Consider Babysitting

The national average hourly pay for a babysitter is just over $21, according to Indeed. That could make for a good work-from-home gig, especially if you love kids. Start by registering with a trusted site like Care.com or Sittercity.

Time commitment: The amount you work is up to you and the families you babysit for.

Requirements: Most babysitting websites (and parents) will require a background check. CPR certification and first aid training can also help you stand out from the competition.

Difficulty level: It depends on the children you’re babysitting and what their needs are.

Tips for success:

• Consider additional child care certifications, which could help you command higher pay.
• List yourself on major babysitting websites. You may be charged an annual screening fee, but some sites will boost your profile if you pay for a premium membership.
• Look for families with multiple children, which should pay more.

7. Create Sponsored Content

This could create a nice income stream if you have a decent social media following. It involves partnering with brands and creating sponsored content for your followers. You might review their products or simply share your experience using specific items.

Time commitment: Trying out items and creating original content takes time, but it may be worth it. The average national pay for this type of content creator is $116,615 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.

Requirements: You don’t need to be a mega social media influencer, but having a loyal following can help you appeal to more brands.

Difficulty level: You’ll need to be comfortable producing and editing content (or outsourcing the heavy lifting).

Tips for success:

• Build trust by creating quality content that will appeal to existing and potential followers.
• Partner with high-quality brands that have good reputations.
• Get proactive and reach out to brands that might be a good fit.

8. Explore Dividend Investing

Some companies make regular dividend payments to their shareholders as a way of distributing their profits—and that can provide a nice drip of passive income. That’s on top of regular appreciation. Dividends are typically issued by large, well-established companies.

Time commitment: You’ll need to research which dividend-paying stocks to include in your portfolio. A financial advisor or stockbroker can help.

Requirements: If you don’t already have a brokerage account, you’ll need to open one to purchase dividend stocks.

Difficulty level: Stock-picking can be tricky if you’re doing it on your own. You’ll want an approach that’s in line with your financial goals and risk tolerance.

Tips for success:

• Work with a financial professional who can offer personalized guidance.
• Stay diversified to reduce investment risk.
• Rebalance your portfolio at least annually.

9. Become an Airbnb Host

If you have a spare room in your home, you could rent it out for some extra money—or list your entire home whenever you’re away. Sites like Airbnb and Vrbo can help you find guests. The amount you earn will depend on your location, rate and property type.

Time commitment: Becoming an in-demand host requires some effort. You’ll need to prepare the property for each guest, be responsive to any issues, maintain the home and keep up with your listings.

Requirements: Positive reviews can go a long way. It also helps to be located in an area that attracts tourists.

Difficulty level: Maintaining a rental property and keeping your guests happy can be a lot of work, especially if you’re doing it all yourself.

Tips for success:

• Take high-quality photos and optimize your listings to attract guests.
• Consider working with a property manager and cleaning company to help lighten your load.
• Be responsive to your guests’ needs and encourage them to leave reviews.

10. Create an Online Course

You might have a unique skill that you want to teach to others, whether that’s making pottery or launching a business. Creating an online course can allow you to share that knowledge and make some extra money from home. Platforms like Kajabi and Teachable can help you create and launch your course.

Time commitment: You can expect some work on the front end. You’ll need to come up with a course idea, then create it and market it.

Requirements: You’ll need to feel comfortable speaking in front of the camera and creating visuals for your course.

Difficulty level: From start to finish, creating an online course might feel overwhelming, but you can outsource tasks that are too demanding.

Tips for success:

• Be sure to market your course to appeal to potential students.
• Students will want to feel like you know what you’re talking about, so choose a subject you’re well-versed in.
• Research similar online courses to get a feel for what to charge.