In our last article, we discussed ways to save money during coronavirus. Now we’ll focus on ways to make money.
When your income exceeds your expenses, you’re in a much better place. If your 9 to 5 isn’t cutting it due to cut hours or salaries or you’re still unemployed, there are plenty of ways to make money and stay safe.
Here are our top 27 favorite ways to make money during coronavirus.
1. Online tutoring
Do you have a teaching certificate or even a Bachelor’s degree in another subject? Many online tutoring companies, like VIPKid, need your help. They pay tutors to teach kids online. All you need is a computer with a camera, a good internet connection, and the desire to help kids.
If you don’t want to work on China’s hours (middle of the night here), set up your own gig, offering tutoring via Zoom or in-person if you’re comfortable. Millions of kids today need help as e-learning is a struggle for many.
2. Sell stock photos
Do you have an eye for photography? Post your photos online on sites like Shutterstock, Etsy, or Fotomoto. People look for beautiful photos to buy. You set the price and earn money every time someone buys your picture. Because it’s online and digital, you can sell the same photo multiple times.
3. Write for money
If you love writing, get paid for it. You can write for online publications, websites, blogs, or even write your own fiction book. A few popular sites to submit your work to are Listverse, Longreads, and Income Diary. To publish your own book, check out Amazon Self-Publishing.
4. Proofread for money
If you’re always correcting people’s grammar, why not get paid for it? Business owners and even publications are always on the lookout for proofreaders. While there are sites hiring proofreaders, your best bet is to start your own gig on Fiverr, Craigslist, or even advertise on Facebook or LinkedIn.
You can decide how much to charge and keep most (Fiverr charges an administrative fee of 20%) of your earnings this way versus being told what they’ll pay you.
5. Website design
Millions of businesses had to get creative and get online for the first time during the pandemic. Today, millions of businesses still struggle. Some just slapped a website together to get online and others still aren’t there. Either way, they all need a professional website design. If you can offer your services from home, you could make a decent living. If you want a platform to advertise your services, check out Fiverr.
6. Create a course
If you have a passion and a lot of knowledge on a certain topic, create a course. Sites like Udemy and Teachable make it easy to set up your course and get paid for it. You choose the topics, structure, and even price.
You can even further monetize your course by offering additional courses after the initial course or subscription-based content that brings in monthly cash flow.
7. Transcribe audio
Many companies need audio content transcribed to written content. If you can listen for detail, have good grammar, and can type fast, it can be a great way to make money from home. Rev is a good website to start your transcribing business.
8. Sell stuff you no longer want
Your ‘trash’ maybe someone else’s treasure. Go through your closets and look for clothes no one wears any longer. If you have name-brand clothes, sell them on Poshmark. If you have kids’ clothes in good condition, try ThredUp. You could also list them on Facebook Marketplace or eBay and make some money.
Clothes aren’t the only things people buy used. Household items, electronics, and kitchenware are just a few other items people buy second-hand. Check out the market, price your items accordingly and make some money.
9. Take surveys
Companies pay consumers to take surveys and share their opinions often. It’s called market research and it’s how companies learn what consumers want or think. You won’t get rich taking surveys, but if you take them consistently enough, you could make a decent side income.
Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and Pinecone Research are a few of the top market research companies to try.
10. Make videos
It’s no secret YouTube has taken off even more during the pandemic. As we all look for ways to DIY, we turn to YouTube. If you have the expertise or love DIY projects, create how-to videos and monetize them.
You can make money via YouTube Partner Program, affiliate marketing, or setting up a subscription-based service that allows access only with payment.
11. Work as a virtual assistant
With more companies online today, business owners need help. Virtual assistants can do anything from managing social media accounts, writing blog posts, answering phone calls, managing calendars, and more. Think about your skills and then offer them on sites like Fiverr or 24/7 Virtual Assistants.
12. Rent your car
If you aren’t going anywhere or you have any extra car you don’t use, rent it out. Travelers use sites like Get Around to rent cars from car owners rather than car rental companies. They save money renting cars this way and you can make a passive income renting out your car.
13. Test websites
Just as companies need consumer opinion about products and services, they need to know if their systems work too. Many companies pay users to test out websites to check for user-friendliness, errors, and issues they must fix before going live. Check out User Testing or Userfeel to see if it’s right for you.
14. Create podcasts
If you love to talk and have topics you’re passionate about, start a podcast. Millions of people listen to podcasts everyday, and list them on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast.
You can make money on podcasts by securing sponsorships, advertising affiliate products, or advertising your own products if you also own a store or service.
15. Affiliate marketing
If you own a blog, podcast, or video platform, join a few affiliate marketing networks or get with individual companies that resonate with your audience. When you share your affiliate links and a reader or listener buys something from your link, you earn a small commission. ShareaSale and Awin are two great places to start.
Not familiar with affiliate marketing? These are great resources to learn from:
- Affiliate Marketing for Beginners: 7 Steps to Success
- Affiliate Marketing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide
16. Be a dropshipper
If you’ve always wanted to own a store, but don’t have room (or the time) to manage inventory, consider dropshipping. You create the website and market it, but a third party keeps the inventory and ships out the products when ordered. This is great for anyone with web design and/or marketing skills.
Dropshippers use platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. These are two great platforms for dropshipping. To learn more about the best suppliers and how dropshipping works, check this great resource – Finding Dropshipping Companies & Suppliers
17. Take advantage of the rideshare economy
Taxis are so yesterday. Today, everyone calls an Uber or Lyft driver. If you have a reliable car, and meet the age requirements for your state, you can drive for Uber or Lyft. you choose your schedule and even which routes you want to pick up. Uber and Lyft pay specific rates per route and riders often add a tip.
Uber continually updates their policies and makes sure its drivers are safe during the pandemic, but of course, only choose this if you feel safe.
18. Do voice-overs or read audio books
Do you have a voice everyone loves to listen to? Consider voice-overs for ads or company videos or reading audio books. Not everyone can speak eloquently into a microphone and have it translate well online. If you do, it’s a skill many people will pay for. Set up a gig on one of the gig economy sites and watch your gig take off.
Learn about starting a voice-over business in this article – How to Do Voice Over Like a Pro: The Complete Guide
19. Walk dogs
Do you love furry friends? With more people going back to work or slowly traveling again, they need help with their pets. Set up a dog walking service in your area either by advertising in local retail establishments, in your neighborhood’s social media groups, or using a site like Rover.
You set your hours, rates, and the types of dogs/pets you’ll walk or watch and you can make money doing something you love.
20. Invest in the market
You may not think of investing as a way to make money, but when done right, it can. Now is a great time to invest even a little money as the market recovers from the pandemic.
If you’re scared about investing too much money, try a Robo-advisor like Acorns or Stash. You don’t need a large deposit, you can even invest your spare change. Little by little you can contribute money, letting it grow.
21. Use your credit card cashback rewards
If you have a cash-back rewards credit card, use it. If you don’t have one, apply for one. Change the things you’d normally pay for and pay the bill off each month. In exchange, you’ll earn cash back or gift cards to your favorite stores.
You don’t have to do anything different here, except change the way you pay. Only use this option if you can keep your spending under control, only charging what you’d pay for in cash. If you can control yourself, it’s a great way to earn ‘free money.’
Here are a few examples of great rewards:
- AMEX Blue Cash Preferred Card pays 6% back on groceries up to $6,000 per year and 3% back on gas purchases
- Chase Freedom Unlimited pays 1.5% back on all purchases, 5% on travel, and 3% on dining
22. Become an influencer
If you have a large social media following or know how to make viral videos, companies will pay you to be an influencer. As an influencer, you talk about a company’s products, show yourself using them, and show off the benefits to make sales. Influencers make either a flat fee per campaign or a commission from each sale.
Check this article from HubSpot to learn more about how to become an influencer – How to Become an Influencer in Your Industry
23. Create an app
If you have the next best idea that solves pain points that no one else solved yet, create an app. Don’t worry if you don’t have the technical knowledge to create it. Bring your idea to a freelancer with technical knowledge and work together.
Start your app as a free app and monetize it with ads or with paid premium features. You’ll get the most exposure and increase your chances of making money on it.
24. Translate
If you speak another language fluently, consider offering translating services. Sites like Translate.com make it easy to offer your services. It’s a first-come first-serve basis on sites like this, but you’ll build credibility. Once you’re ready, you can start your own business or a side gig on Fiverr.
25. Be a TikTok or Instagram Consultant
With more businesses getting online today, business owners need more help than ever. Most don’t know how TikTok or Instagram work and if they do, they don’t know the best strategies to make the most of their content. You can do most of the work right from your phone. Companies usually pay healthy fees for specialized services like this, especially in today’s economy.
26. Review music
Music companies need your opinion on tracks, apparel, and other related items. Slicethepie is a great website to provide your opinions and get paid for it. The work is fun and you may discover new music you love too.
27. Invest in peer-to-peer lending
People use more than banks to get loans today. Peer-to-peer lending is an online marketplace that brings together investors and borrowers. You can invest as little as $25 in a loan and earn a prorated amount of interest based on your investment. It’s a great way to earn passive income. Prosper and LendingClub are great places to start.
Make Money During Coronavirus at Home
Most of these ideas allow you to stay home and make money safely. A few ideas require you to be out of your house but only do these if you feel safe.
Today there are numerous ways to make money online whether you still work your 9 to 5 job and want to supplement your income or need something to replace your income while you look for a new job.
