Curious about good work from home jobs, and whether there’s a good fit for you? In this technological age, we’re lucky to have countless work from home job opportunities and online money makers for many entrepreneurs, writers and design experts. On the other hand, “old-fashioned” ways of earning extra money, such as tending an orchard and raising poultry for sale, have a timeless appeal and wouldn’t be lost if the grid goes down.
Think about your passions, your interests and your experience, and get creative as you discover ways to work from home. Here are several work from home jobs tried by myself or someone I know:
Freelance Writer
There is a huge market for freelance writers, both for online content and magazine writing. Competition is stiff for the higher-paying circuits, so build up your portfolio and skills as you go. Check out these bidding sites: Elance, Rent-a-Coder and Guru.com. You can also write directly for content site with revenue-sharing writers programs, including eHow, Hub Pages, Xomba, Helium, Associated Content and Squidoo. I have experience with the first three, and recommend those, especially eHow, as a great place to start. (My ebook on maximizing eHow earnings may help!)
Customer Service Representative
Check out LiveOps and West Call Center Management and find out if they’re hiring in your area. I’ve never gone this route (my home is just a little too noisy an environment for taking calls) but have chatted online with people who have and are pleased. You’ll take calls ranging from pizza orders to product complaints, and the better you do, the more calls you’re assigned.
Homework Tutor
Do you enjoy teaching others? You can help students with their homework through online forums and applications. Tutor.com and Just Answer hire educational tutors with teaching or tutoring experience, and pay increases with experience. I managed to pass the screening process at both sites, and while vigorous, your Internet research skills will help you get through it. You can also advertise locally and schedule individual tutoring sessions with nearby students.
Website Design and Support
Experienced web designers, web host companies and graphic designers make a good fit for home-based operations. If you’re skilled in this area, check out Guru.com, GetAFreelancer.com and WebDesigners123.com for possible matches with people needing your work.
Crafter
Many small business models are well suited to the home environment, including that of crafter. Handmade goods are popular at craft shows, boutiques, Christmas Fairs, and Main Street style shops, especially in tourist locations. Soy candles are a popular niche right now, as are jewelry, matching children’s clothes, and natural beauty products.
Fruit Growers, with an orchard of peaches, apples and cherries or a garden plot full of cantaloupes, tomatoes and watermelons, can do very well in any economy. My dad has planted a large orchard with pears, figs, persimmons, apples, peaches and cherries and expects to make a nearly full-time income once the trees mature. My younger brothers run the family garden and fall crops, selling the excess and hundreds of pumpkins a year at the family farm stand.
Small-Scale Poultry farming for sale of eggs, meat, chicks (or all three) is very lucrative for many enterprising families. My sister and her husband produce free range chicken meat, selling whole butchered birds to those who prefer local, natural food.
Do you have a work from home job? What do you do, or where does your passion lie? Share with our readers, below.
