Work From Home Online Career Ideas

Thanks to the rapid growth of online platforms for freelancers and other professionals who choose to be their own bosses, working from home and taking control of your career is now easier than ever.

If you have previously considered becoming a self-employed professional and calling the shots in terms of work hours and assignments, here are some work from home online career ideas that you can actually get started with today.

‘1 – Brand Influencer on Social Media 

If you are already active and proficient on social networks and have a knack for marketing, you could actually earn a living from your daily social media engagement. The idea is to leverage your Internet expertise for the purpose of promoting brands, products and services. In essence, you would work as an influencer, making sure that the brands you manage have an online presence that resonates across their social media channels.

2 – Web Designer

Freelance platforms tend to be very busy with projects that require the expertise of Web designers and developers. This career is perfect for those who have a background in graphic design and programming. One of the advantages of being a freelance Web designer is that you get to choose the projects you’d like to work on, and you can set your own fees or adjust them as necessary.

3 – Business Consultant

Most business professionals with full-time jobs are paid to perform certain functions. When those same professionals become freelancers, they can either get paid for providing services or giving advice. If you choose to become a consultant, you will be compensated for your advisory capacity. Success as a consultant will depend on your ability to add value to your clients.

4 – Corporate Trainer or Business Coach

Quite a few Fortune 500 companies have cut down on the number of corporate trainers they used to keep on a full-time basis. Many of these companies realize that their corporate training requirements are of a cyclical nature, and thus they prefer to contract the services of business coaches or instructors according to their needs. Thanks to advances in videoconferencing technology, you can offer business coaching and corporate training services from the comfort of your own home. You should keep in mind that the service provided by a business coach is not the same as that of a business consultant; this difference should be taken into account when you set your fees.

5 – eBay Shop Owner

Before bidding goodbye to their office cubicles and leaving the 9 to 5 world, many freelancers turn to eBay for the purpose of raising funds for their future self-employment expenses. Opening an eBay shop is a good way to test the waters of the entrepreneurial world, and this is something that you can do from home after work and on the weekends. A good way to get started is to sell your own items before visiting local garage sales and looking for bargains that you can sell at profit. If you feel comfortable managing an eBay store, your next step could be the more lucrative field of dropshipping.

6 – Vlogger or YouTube Personality

We live in an era when we like our entertainment delivered quickly, cleverly and on the go. You have probably learned about YouTube personalities whose millions of loyal followers not only pay their bills but also net them handsome profits through advertising dollars. Major brands are now seeking their own YouTube personalities, which is something you can do as professional vlogger. In essence, your video content will be created to promote a brand, similar to a social media influencer.

7 – Affiliate Marketer

If you are familiar with search engine optimization and Web design, you can certainly make a living as an affiliate marketer, but you will have to do more than just sign up for a program and paste code into a website you manage. Top affiliate marketers can make hundreds of dollars per day, but they also have to invest in Web development, paid advertising, A/B testing, marketing, etc.

8 – Content Creation Expert

Freelance content creators are experts who produce a major portion of the media we consume on a daily basis. If you are a proficient copywriter, video producer, graphic designer, or multimedia specialist, your services are sorely needed by major brands. You can get started as a freelancer in your time off work; the idea is to develop a nice book of clients that will keep you busy and well-compensated.

9 – Virtual Assistant

If you have previously worked from home as a telecommuter, chances are that you did not get paid enough for your work. Virtual assistants are in high demand these days, and they are usually highly compensated if they bring some level of expertise to the table. Clerical duties and customer service are not enough these days; successful freelance virtual assistants are usually knowledgeable in a few fields. For example, virtual assistants who have worked as paralegals tend to command higher fees.

10 – T-Shirt Designer / Store Owner

As much as fashion changes these days, there is still one garment that never goes out of style. If you are a creative professional, you should look into the print-on-demand options available these days; you no longer have to open a shop and purchase lots of t-shirts to get started. Branding, marketing, fulfillment, and customer service are more important in the business of t-shirts these days.

For a further read on how selling clothing online is still one of the most profitable ecommerce niches to sell online, please have a read of : Can You Make Money With Clothing Dropshippers

Before taking the leap of becoming a freelancer, you may want to spend some time in the online freelance platforms to get a feel for what is driving the market in terms of client demand.