Everyone has skills and these skills can help you make a living online. The problem is that a lot of people assume that the skills they have are not worthwhile when it comes to online work. This is completely incorrect as most skills can be transferred to online work or could make you money online in some way. The key is determining what your skills are and how they can be used in the digital world.
- The Work You Do Now
- Hobbies You Have
- Online Job, Freelance Or Own Business?
- Setting Up Your Workplace
- Finding Online Jobs
- Finding Clients
The Work You Do Now
The best way to start determining your skills is to consider what you do for a living right now. The job you have now can often be transferred to the internet, particularly if you have an office job. Outdoor jobs and more hands-on work might not be as easy.
If you have an office job, you could get a similar job where you work online. You can also get the same job on a freelance basis which gives you a bit more flexibility to your schedule. This does not mean that you have to keep the same job because you might be tired of it or never liked it to start with.
A lot of the skills that you gain in your job can be transferred to a different one. Microsoft Office skills can be used in a range of different jobs, but it is often the soft skills that make the greatest impact. Have you been working in a call centr and hated every second of it? When you look for work online, you don’t have to consider virtual customer service online. The communication skills you gain as a service rep can be used for sales positions or help you start a career in coaching.
If you have a job that takes you outside, you might think that you cannot transfer any of your skills. This is not the case, you simply need to repurpose them. If you have worked in a nursery or as a landscaper, you can easily take your business online. You could start a website that offers advice to people wanting to garden or you could start your own landscaping business.
If you were in charge of a team of people in your past job, you could make a transition into an online management role. Of course, you might have to study up on some aspects of the jobs, but you will have the skills. Remember that your technical skills are important, but soft skills like management and communication are just as important and should be emphasised.
Hobbies You Have
The skills that you use to make money online do not have to be related to your job. If you are looking to make some money on the side and not quit your day job, you might not want more of the same. In these cases, you might wonder if you have any skills that you could use and the answer is probably.
The best place to look for these other skills will be any hobbies that you have. Do you like to knit or do you make jewellery in your spare time? If the answer is yes, then you have the other skills that you can use.
All hobbies will provide you with skills and knowledge that you can use to make some extra cash or make a full-time salary. The hard part will be applying these skills and staying consistent with them.
Online Job, Freelance Or Own Business?
Now that you have an idea about the skills you possess, you need to think about how you are going to be using them. There are 3 primary ways that your skills can be used to make money via the internet. The first is to get a job where you work virtually, the second is to offer your skills to others on a freelance basis and the last is to open your own business. Each of these approaches will have their benefits and you need to consider which appeals to you.
Online Job
Getting a virtual or remote job might seem like the best solution for a lot of people. You will be employed by a company, get a set salary each month as well as the benefit that comes from full-time employment. These benefits can be great, particularly if you are just starting out with online work.
That does not mean that there is no downside. The darker side of online jobs is the fact that you are working normal office hours. Depending on where the company is located, you might have to work some rather anti-social hours such as 2 am your time. If you are looking for flexiblity, this will usually not be the best option unless the company specifically states that they offer flexible hours.
Going Freelance
Going freelance can be a bit more daunting as you have to establish yourself and find your own clients. If this is something that does not bother you, freelance is a great option. The primary benefit of being a freelancer is the fact that you can our own hours. If there is a sudden emergency or you just feel like staying in bed for longer, you do not have to worry about telling your boss.
Now, the downside of freelancing is that it can be very unpredictable. Regardless of the work you do, you are going to have good months and bad months. If you need to have a high and steady income, this might not be the best solution. Being your own boss also comes with other issues that you need to consider like time-management issues and did I mention getting your own clients?
Opening Your Own Business
A lot of people are more intimidated by opening their own business than going freelance. This is mostly due to the paperwork that you have to complete and the fact that your business will be a legal entity. Having your own business is not the best solution for everyone and there are some skills where having your own business makes no sense.
If you are able to offer your skills on a freelance basis, you might want to consider this before going to the business route. However, if you are planning on selling products, then having a business is a much better option. There are also times when opening a business can provide you with tax benefits that you would otherwise miss out on. Of course, it is best to talk to a professional about this before you make any decisions. I am not a professional and will not be able to provide you with the advice you need to make this choice.
Setting Up Your Workplace
Knowing that you want to use your skills online and being prepared to are two completely different things. You do not want to quit your job to start your own website building business only to find that your computer can’t handle running the software. This is why you need to set up your workspace before you do anything else.
This is not only important for those who want to freelance, but virtual workers as well. A lot of companies want you to have a workplace already set up and will often ask to see this during the interview process. Of course, the setup that you need will vary depending on the work you want to do.
If you want to offer virtual assistant services to your clients, you need to have a workplace that is quiet. The same is important when you want to apply for customer service jobs where you need to answer phone calls. These jobs will also require you to have a good headset and fast, stable internet. Some companies will want you to be hard wired to your internet instead of using the Wi-Fi.
If you are going to be selling physical products that you have made, you need to have space for stock and for actually making the items. Working at the kitchen table might be fine for now, but repurposing your garage might be a better solution.
If you have an extra room in your home, you should look at turning this into a home office. Maybe, you are not lucky enough to have this extra space, you could get a small computer desk for a corner of your bedroom or living room. If you are really pushed for space, you might want to consider co-working spaces. This is great if you get a virtual job because you get internet and a place to separate work from home. However, if you are just starting with freelancing or your own business, this could be an expense that you want to wait with.
Finding Online Jobs
If you have decided to get a virtual or remote job, you might be stumped about where to find them. Doing a quick Google search for remote jobs will give you millions of hits and you have no way of knowing which ones are good. There are also a lot of scary stories out there about people who have been scammed by online job providers.
The first thing when it comes to finding an online job is that you should never have to pay for it. If you have to pay for a job lead, it is generally going to be a poor lead or an outright scam. Legit companies will post their job listings on freely accessible databases. All you may need to do is open a free account with the platform.
That Google search that you did will often provide you with some good leads. Websites like Remote.co and Weworkremotely have legit jobs on them from real companies. One issue with these websites is that they are kind of general. They will have design jobs, content writing job and programming jobs. If you know the kind of work you want to do, it might be better to look for niche job boards. If you are a developer, you should consider Github Jobs, but if you are looking for a job as a designer you should head to Dribbble.
Finding Clients
If you have taken the route of freelancing or starting your own business, you need to start looking for clients. This can be tough and the methods you use will depend on your industry. There are a lot of people who start off on Upwork to get experience and some testimonials.
Upwork is a job marketplace where you could be hired for a one-off project or for long-term work. To get the work, you need to apply to the job posting. While this might seem like getting an online job, most of the posters on Upwork are individuals or small businesses. You will also not get any of the employment benefits you would with other jobs when you work through Upwork.
If you do not want to go this route, you could try your hand at networking. This will help you get to know people in the industry you want to work in and find some potential clients. You could also post about what you have to offer online in groups, forms and on websites related to your industry.
Now that you know the basics of using your skills to make some money online, you can try it for yourself. If you have a day job, I would recommend keeping it while you build up your online portfolio or while you apply for online jobs.