It’s true that nowadays times are tough – jobs are scarce, money is tight and the pressure and tensions of everyday life are getting the better of you. Well, there is a solution for those with minor financial woes : the internet! People use the internet to stay up-to-date, read news, or use social media, but the employment and money-making opportunities that the internet has to offer are amazing! Here is a guide of some of the best ways of making an extra bit of dough thanks to the internet:
Elance & oDesk
These two freelancing websites offer a simple way of earning good ol’ cash. Just sign up for a free account, fill out your profile, and then you’re ready to go! The reason these two websites have been put together is because following a press conference in December 2013, it was announced that Elance and oDesk will merge together, therefore creating an even bigger cloud of people in search of hard-working freelancers.
Elance allows its users to take tests to prove their skills, complete a resumé, or even upload sample documents to a virtual portfolio in order to show off their work. For US citizens, tax forms are at your disposition to facilitate transactions, and all you need is a paypal account to be able to get your hands on your money! Sounds simple to you? Then what are you waiting for?
Fiverr
According to examiner.com, “Fiverr brings together buyers and sellers from all over the globe, showcasing his or her skill in copywriting, copyediting, web design and a myriad of other talents. Talented or not, people make money online with Fiverr, providing an additional income stream for work from home”. Enough said – basically, it’s the same sort of system that Elance offers its users, albeit a tad more limited in regards to payment terms. When you sign up for an account on Fiverr, you create “gigs” that are the services that you will provide – translation, making videos, etc…
First time sellers can only sell their gigs for $5, and that’s before the website’s $1 commission and the 20 cents commission that Paypal deducts (if indeed to withdraw the funds to a paypal account – one of the advantages of Fiverr). After having sold a certain quantity of gigs, you’ll then be able to charge more for your services by adding extras. All in all, Fiverr is a great website for beginners and its simple design and interface are great for those looking to earn an extra dollar.
Internet blogging and ad revenue
Another surprising way of making money is by selling space on your blog. For this to work, you obviously need a blog or website that has enough user traffic (enough page views) to, in the long run, attract “investors”. If your blog boasts thousands of page views per day/week, and if you have space on the blog page, why not sell it? Put a banner on your blog informing people that the designated space is for sale, or “rent”, and then let them contact you via your blog (if there’s a contact section with your e-mail address). You never know – your blog could become a gold nugget selling banners for walking sticks and wine depots.
Advertising on twitter
This solution is similar to the blog revenue one, because you’ll need a lot of followers to pull it off. If you do have a lot of followers, some companies will pay you to retweet their tweets ! It involves giving said companies temporary control and access to your twitter, but if it leads to a few tweets a day and a bit of money on the site, where’s the harm?
Craigslist
This is a great way of getting your ad out there, and in the process, getting out a little bit. Just go the website, click on the corresponding continent, then type in or search for your city. The next page will have hundreds of categories (okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but there is a lot to choose from !), it’s up to you to post your ad in the right one!
Donna Lee Jane is a freelancer capturing an opportunity closing marketing deals online and promoting organizations such as Invinicare, Dear jane and Soho inc.
Originally posted 2017-12-13 13:27:12.
