Three Strategic Ways to Earn Extra Money Online

A depressed economy can strain household budgets, prompting many to consider cutbacks in order to make ends meet. Finding ways to bring in a secondary income can be stressful, and the thought of taking a second job can be less than exciting for many adults who already covet the time they spend with family and friends.

Virtual Assistant

If you have an existing career – or previous experience – in business, administrative support, or mid-management, you may be able to take on jobs from home as a virtual assistant. From general admin tasks to copy editing, or handling email or fielding business calls, virtual assistants are able to leverage their talents and put them to good use without ever leaving the house.  Starting as a virtual assistant can be accomplished either by starting up on your own, or getting your feet wet by taking on assignments through a number of online platforms. oDesk, Elance and People Per Hour are three of a growing number of web sites which match virtual assistants and independent contractors with businesses who need help. The benefits for the VA are obvious: exit the rat race and work in your pajamas, from the comfort of your home. The benefits for businesses who hire freelancers, VA’s or contractors are plentiful as well: in many instances the payments made for these services are tax deductible!

Freelancing

Working from home as a freelance writer is one money-making option for those who want to earn some extra cash – or go so far as to create a full time salary.  I’m a full-time freelance writer who works from a home office, generating a salary comparable to what I earned annually working in corporate America.  While I rely on my background in marketing, social media strategy and public relations to base my business articles around, anyone with a keen sense of newsworthy topics, good grammar and spelling technique, and the aptitude to stick to a deadline may be able to draw from their own industry experiences to write for a blog or web publisher.   Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a parent, a chef, gardener or mechanic, you can share your knowledge with others and earn money by doing so.  If you’re a hobbyist, you  may have a skill to share, while a small business owner may be able to touch upon industry topics and publish content on a blog site or through a paid content outlet.

Paid content is a hot commodity these days. with interesting, informative articles bringing anywhere from $15 to $50 for short pieces running 400 to 900 words in length.  Demand Media, Yahoo! Contributor Network, Text Broker, and a wide variety of other media outlets pay writers to create specialized content for their sites… or for clients they contract with to provide articles.  Payment comes quickly from the sites who commission articles for their blogs or web ‘zines, with PayPal being the most common route  in the U.S.  To find paid writing gigs, search for ‘freelance writing’ or ‘write for money’ and several options will show up in the results.

Blogger

Different from a side job as a freelancer, bloggers generally find a niche market in creating content on their own web sites, then selling ad space or placing affiliate ads in order to generate extra income. Once you find your way into a specialized niche market, tailoring your website to suit your needs is an important part of becoming a paid blogger. The  Business of Blogging is easy enough to break into, if you define who your audience is, and make the effort to help them find your blog. Gaining rank in the search engines will help your blog stand out, and that visibility could well net a decent part-time or full time wage for someone who wants to make money blogging.

In all, I can definitely think of worse ways to earn extra money. Working from home not only saves on expenses to commute back and forth to work, but you may also be able to save on child care, work  wear, and those daily lunches out with the office crew.

Have you taken on a second job in order to make ends meet? Do you work from home? Share your thoughts below – leave a comment!