In today’s competitive economy, it can be difficult to make ends meet. With falling wages and increased inflation, the good old days of surviving on a single income stream are long gone.
Furthermore, with job security being a joke and outsourcing increasingly commonplace, the common man (and woman) have been forced to turn to alternative sources of income.
With things being the way that they are, financial freedom may seem to be a pipe dream for many of us. Hence, it would appear that most of us are simply doomed to working the same old jobs until the end of our days.
As we’ve seen from the crypto craze, the rise of the gig-based economy and shifting work conditions, it would appear that there is still hope on the horizon. The connectivity offered by the internet and rising globalization means that there is a world ripe for opportunity out there.
In this article, we take a look at how you can develop alternative sources of income.
1. Become a freelance content creator
The internet is the largest marketplace that we’ve ever seen with 3.9 billion people logging visiting every day. With such a huge audience, there’s sure to be no shortage of people looking to get seen or heard.
Thus, if you’re a creative sort with skills in writing, graphic design, photography or even accounting, chances are good that there’ll be a market for your services. Content creators produce engaging materials such as articles or photos for consumption by the masses.
As a result, freelance copywriters and designers are always in demand all over the internet. With sites such as Upwork and Fiverr, you’ll be able to reach out and connect with potential clients all from the comfort of your own home. All you’ll need is an internet connection, a good work ethic and your own personal computer.
The competitive nature of content creation can be pretty tough at first. But if you’re tenacious and have some ability, you’ll find that clinching new jobs becomes fairly easy after a while. If you want, you can even start your own blog or website and start broadcasting your message to the masses. Before long, you’ll be able to start enjoying some of that sweet ad revenue money.
2. Take on a part-time online job
If you’re not that much of a creative sort, you can always sell some of your more mainstream skills online. With organizations looking to streamline their operations, many have turned to the gig-based economy for all their talent sourcing needs.
Contract or freelance employees offer companies a degree of freedom that full-time employees cannot provide. Firstly, contractors do not qualify for a majority of benefits and are able to work on selected projects for a set amount of time.
On the other hand, taking on a full-time employee would require the company to meet dozens of labor regulations which can be costly. Thus, if you have skills in accounting, marketing or even data analysis, you may find yourself in demand for a variety of contract work. The flexible hours offered by such work along with the extra cash make it all very much worth it.
On the long-term, you may even realize that your side hustle rakes in more cash than your actual day job. This is a common situation for many freelancers who quit the corporate life and choose to go full-time.
3. Trade stuff online
As we’ve said before, the internet is the world’s largest marketplace. With so many potential customers, it can be surprisingly easy to carve out a niche for yourself. For example, selling used books online can be a rather lucrative venture.
Sounds surprising doesn’t it?
Well don’t be. Before he became a drug kingpin, Ross Ulbricht was running a successful online used books business which required him to hire several employees to keep up with demand.
In Malaysia where there are plenty of classic car enthusiasts, the business of selling used car parts is alive and well. Sites such as Mudah.my and Carousell.com are teeming with entrepreneurs peddling rare used car parts for a variety of vehicles.
These are just some of the ways in which you can make money from the comfort of your own home. If you also have knowledge on sports, like basketball, you can always try to earn some cash through online betting websites, like BetAmerica. However, remember to wage responsibly, or you will lose more money than what you earn.
With the right business plan and some motivation, you can achieve some pretty interesting results.
