Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we need to start making our own money fast. Maybe you have an unexpected bill or suddenly lose your job like so many have with this coronavirus pandemic. Or maybe, like me, you realize you don’t want to continue working at 9-5 anymore and want to be home with your kids and be your own boss.
But then what? How do you start making money quickly with kids at home?
There are lots of ways to make money online like working remotely at a job or blogging. While they will all generate an income, it may not be a very substantial income and some definitely take longer than others to actually gain traction.
So, here are 3 different online businesses you can start today and make money quickly even with kids at home.
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Reselling business
Buying items at a discount that are selling for more online is the foundation for a reselling business. There are multiple different approaches you can take to a reselling business. You can buy used items and sell them on places like eBay and Poshmark or you can buy new items that are on clearance and sell them on sites like Amazon either through their merchant or you can literally take items from your house and either sell them online or sell them through local marketplaces like Facebook.
The biggest perk of a reselling business is that you have the potential to make money today. Anyone can take some of their gently used shoes and put them online for sale and if the right buyer comes along then you’re in business.
If you’re interested in getting started, then you’ll definitely want to check out this list of supplies you’ll need to get started.
Freelance services
Offering your skills and services to other businesses online is termed as freelancing. Depending on the type of task, a lot of people also call this being a virtual assistant. This is a great way for you to use any skills you have from your career and transfer it to the online space. For example, if you are an expert in creating social media graphics then a blogger may hire you to create their graphics for them.
A broad distinction is that freelancers often are paid by the project while a virtual assistant is typically paid per hour or type of task. For instance, a freelancer may create a logo for someone’s new website and charge a flat fee, while a virtual assistant may monitor an email inbox for an online business for up to 5 hours a week and charge per hour.
In my case, I have used my background in science (PhD in cancer biology) and education (science outreach with a focus on curriculum development for 9-12th grade) to earn thousands of dollars on the freelance site Upwork, and I recently started offering virtual assistant services to bloggers needing help with the technical side of blogging.
Basically, companies have reached out to me when they need someone to write scientific content for their websites, help to develop a scientific curriculum for a program they’re offering, or simply edit a large document like grant proposals.
Using a site like Upwork is a quick way to get your services noticed and potentially gain clients. The downside to using Upwork is that you’re often going to get paid less than if you have your own website where you offer your services directly to a potential client. In the case of having your own website, the big downside is that you have to actually find the clients in the first place.
I just recently added a Services page to my own site to offer my freelance/virtual assistant services, but Elna Cain is a very successful freelancer and blogger that’s a great example. She makes a living through her freelance work and is able to stay home and work. Her course is one that I highly recommend if you’re considering the freelance route. She helps get you set up and on your way to making money ASAP.
Nevertheless, freelancing is a way to make money quickly online because once you find a client you can get to work on the job and start getting paid.
Online Coaching
If you love helping people through a specific transformation then an online coaching business is a great way to start earning money quickly. The appeal to a coaching business is that you’re essentially using your brain and your time to help others and make money in the process.
Basically, as an online coach, you help clients get from point A to point B in an area that you’re familiar with (I didn’t say expert for a reason there). For instance, I know a coach that helps women lose their last 15 lbs. She doesn’t just give them a diet plan though. Online coaching is more like support sessions where you’re helping the client undergo a mental shift around their hurdle (in this case their last 15 lbs) combined with tactical tips they can actually use (i.e. eating and exercise plan).
For a coaching business, it helps for you to start with the thing people know you for. Have you lost a ton of weight after you had your baby? Then maybe you coach other moms on how they can do the same. Are you amazing at time management and getting a bazillion things done even though you’ve got a toddler at home? Then you can help other moms figure out the perfect time management strategy for their life.
You don’t have to be an expert but you need to know more than your client to be able to help them.
Technically, all you need is to offer your services and have a way for people to pay you and you can get started. If you don’t have an online presence then this can make it harder to actually get clients mainly because if somebody is going to pay you to help them with something they typically need a reason to know, like, and trust you.
Another way I have seen people get clients is to simply talk to people that are already in their network either family and friends or via social media like LinkedIn.
Typically, coaches will offer their services, and once the payment is accepted you’re both signed a contract and then you meet via zoom to hold your coaching sessions.
There are also a lot of coaching certification programs out there and while you technically don’t need to be certified to offer coaching services, it depends on your state laws. So just check your local laws about the ability to offer coaching services with or without certifications.
As with any other business, finding the clients is the hardest part here but it is totally possible for you to gain a client relatively quickly to start earning money online.
Wrap up
Making money online is often not a get rich quick scheme despite the ads you might see floating around. But there are ways to make money online quicker with some businesses than others. The three I highlighted here are a great place to start:
- Reselling business
- Freelance services
- Online coaching
All three have the potential to earn money quickly compared to some other online businesses like building a YouTube channel or growing a blogging business. Online coaching demands the highest price, but getting those first clients can be a challenge. Reselling is the fastest way to make money, but you may have to sell lots of items to get the income you’re desiring.
In my experience, reselling is still the fastest way I make money online. Anytime I’m in a financial jam and need money quickly, I turn to reselling and it rarely disappoints.
All of this news about jobs shutting down due to pandemic issues has so many of my coworkers upset because they are concerned with how they’ll get paid. But since I know how to make money online, I’m not as concerned about where my money will come from. It’s empowering to know how to make your own money instead of being at the whim of someone else. So I hope these online business ideas empower you and give you the guidance to get started making money quickly online.
If you have any questions about which business is right for you or how to get started, comment below, message me on Instagram @liberatedmommy or send me an email at alexia@theliberatedmommy.com.
Small businesses should go for digital marketing to run their business in this pandemic. great content thanks for sharing
So nice article, Thanks for Sharing, kep it up.