Depending on your age, the average American carries anywhere from $35,000 to nearly $135,000 in debt. The prospect of paying off these levels of debt can seem daunting, even if you're considering taking on a second job.
If you're considering a second career, though, consider the world of online side hustles. These are opportunities to generate some credit that reduces the amount of money you can make from your home.
Most importantly, most of these scams require little or no investment on your part to get started. So, let's dive in and look at 7 of these side songs that you can start today.
#1. Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants take over many of the tasks of an on-site assistant, but handle those tasks remotely. Some work for one person or business full-time, but most VAs work for several clients.
Many VAs manage their work from the home office using a laptop or desktop computer and a smartphone. In other words, they use the technology they already own.
You will need a website. That means you have to buy a domain name from a registrar and get a hosting service. Most of the big registrars also offer hosting services, so you can do everything at once.
You can hire a professional to develop a custom website for you, but a basic WordPress installation and a few plugins will get you up and running.
You will need a list of the services you offer, such as:
- managing schedules and appointments
- writing social media posts
- handling general calls
Stick to what you know how to do well.
#2. Freelance Writer
The explosion of business websites and digital marketing has created an incredible demand for written content. Everyone from large companies to freelancers and marketing agencies outsource to freelancers.
The type of content they provide can vary greatly. Just some of the content they might hire a freelancer to write includes:
You can develop a career by using your personal and professional network. If you have a specialist domain, your best bet is to write content for that niche. Some people build a list of clients in other industries or in a subject area that they pursued as a hobby.
You should also set up a website where you specify your niche, host samples, and set your rates for different types of work.
#3. Blogging
Blogging looks a lot like freelance writing on the surface, because you spend a lot of time writing. The main difference is that you are writing for your own site, rather than renting your services to other businesses.
You can get a free blog hosted on major sites like blogger.com, wordpress.org, or medium.com. Most bloggers end up buying their own domain and hosting to keep full control of their blogs.
You can take advantage of several different ways to monetize your blog, such as:
Blogging doesn't usually generate much profit in the beginning, but there is a lot of room for growth in the long run.
#4. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a very straightforward way to make money.
You select someone else's product or service and send customers to buy it. In exchange, you get a percentage of the profit on each sale.
Bloggers often take advantage of affiliate marketing programs within their niche. For example, someone who blogs about video editing might use links to editing software or editing tutorials.
#5. Online courses
Do you have expertise in something? Can you write or talk about it in a way that makes other people understand the story?
If so, you may have what it takes to create an online course. If it's a complex topic, you can end up making several.
You can write a digital book and create exercises that are hosted on your site. You can record videos where you give lectures and/or demonstrate skills in action. For more subtlety, you can record audio lessons where you discuss things on a conceptual level.
#6. Sell Art
Do you spend your weekends making tea light candle holders in your woodshed? Are you creating abstract art using acrylic cell painting techniques? Are you the master of custom silk screening posters?
Then you can make money by selling your crafts on any number of craft markets. The most popular of these marketplaces is Etsy. Other options include Artfire, eCrater, iCraft, and Made It Myself.
Many sites charge small membership fees or listing fees, but these generally seem manageable for people at almost any income level.
#7. Sell Unwanted Property
As many people get older, they find that they have accumulated a lot of things that they no longer really want.
They have a lot of movies they will never watch again or CDs they will never listen to again. They have moved on to those basic tools. Maybe that bookshelf is on the verge of collapsing with all the novels you picked up during work-related layoffs.
You can sell a lot of those old things.
Sites like eBay and Amazon provide a general marketplace for second-hand items. You can sell a property through sites like Craigslist. You can also look at niche sites like Swappa or Gazelle if you want to download electronic gear.
Other Considerations
There are, of course, ways you can manage your current finances to help pay off debt and reduce additional debt.
Combining profits from side hustles with these strategies can significantly reduce the time it takes to pay off your debt.
Ideas for Divorcing Online Side Hustles You Can Start Today
If you are considering online side hustles to help you pay off your debt, remember that you can do more than one.
Some side hustles will seem more demanding than others. Being a VA or freelance writer will take up a lot of your time, but it doesn't mean you can't sell your old stuff.
You can combine an online course and still sell your art supplies on an online marketplace. Throw enough things at the wall and, sooner or later, you'll find one that makes you a consistent profit.
Thinking of side hustle but worried about the kids? Check out our post on succeeding as a freelancer with kids.
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