Legit online work

1. 61

   cherihutposted 11 years ago

   Hi, all. I'm [sort of] new on HubPages, in the sense that this is my first foray into the freelance world, and I don't have any experience with online jobs. However, I would really, really like to be able to work at home for various reasons. I have browsed around the internet looking for home-based work (which is one reason I ended up here).
   
   HP is nice for gaining experience, getting your foot in the door of the freelance writing world, for building a portfolio, and even for making new acquaintances/friends. But, from what I can see, it's not exactly going to pay my bills - at least not right away. I plan to try to stay on here, but at the same time, I need some income, like... pronto!
   
   I really don't want to go into my personal finances, so without going into a lot of detail, let's just say that at the moment, I'm pretty strapped. Not looking for a "get-rich-quick" scheme. However, I would like a "get-a-paycheck-soon" kind of a plan. Does anyone know of any kind of home-based work that might bring about a relatively steady income for a person who is sort of a "jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none" type? I'm really in need of something legitimate. Seems like there are so many scams out there... Are there ANY LEGITIMATE online companies that will hire for data entry, for example? Or some kind of general writing skills? Or anything that's relatively simple? (excluding a lot of phone work, numbers, or medical stuff... I love words and graphics, though...). I imagine probably not, or everyone would be doing it, but just on the off chance that there is... Just wondering if any of you know of anything... I'm willing to work, but working at home would be best for me, if at all possible.
   
   Thanks for any suggestions!

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   1. 78

      Barbara Kayposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      There are a lot of things that you could try, but there isn't a thing that I know of where you can actually earn a living. Selling on eBay can be profitable if you sell the right things.
      
      At one time, if you worked hard enough you could earn a good part of your living here. With all of Google's changes, that is difficult now.
      
      I'm awaiting the answers from everyone else. I'd like to know too.

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      1. 82

         HollieTposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         There are quite a few writing sites that pay out fairly quickly, however, I can't vouch for them as I've not worked for them myself. I believe Clickworker, Cloudcrowd and Textbroker pay relatively quickly if you're in need of cash urgently. I have worked for Wisegeek in the past and they paid out within 24 hours (I think) of articles being approved. Having said that, the testing required for acceptance is quite a protracted process, but you do get paid for the articles you write during testing.
         
         Making a living from the internet is a long game, imho. Getting your name out there and acquiring well paying clients is certainly not easy, but possible if you're determined enough. Good luck!

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   2. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It's good to see you've got your eyes wide open!  You've hit the nail on the head - writing on any revenue-sharing site (HubPages, Wizzley, etc etc) is a long-term investment.  So is writing on a blog.  Unless you're very lucky, or very good at SEO, you need to write with the mindset that what you write today will earn you money in a year's time.
      
      The only way to make money quickly with writing is to be a freelance writer, as Hollie suggested.  There are sites which offer like $2 for 500 words - work that out at an hourly rate and you'd be better of cleaning toilets!   It is possible to earn a living on sites like oDesk - but unless you have a speciality, it takes time to build up a reputation (during which time you'll have to accept some jobs for silly money).   If you're a good writer who can dash off quality work quickly, then it could be worth trying. 
      
      The quickest money I ever made online was selling on eBay.   I made around $3,000 just selling surplus stuff I had around the house!   The secret is to split things up:  if you have a collection of teaspoons, sell them individually.  If you have an old dinner set, sell the pieces individually (people are always looking to replace broken pieces).  You'd be surprised what people will pay for.  I also went to a few house clearances and lost property sales and picked up cheap collectibles (which is what generally sells best).   
      
      eBay isn't as easy as it used to be, because the fees have gone up.  You have to be prepared to risk starting at a $1 bid, otherwise you'll find yourself paying a lot of listing fees for stuff that didn't sell - which is why the ideal is to sell stuff you already own, and to stick with low-value items.  You could try looking around to see if there are any alternative sites popular in your area.

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   3. 69

      simpleromaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Hi cherihut,
      
      I really love to give you an idea how you can make money online through Fiverr. I am an online transcriptionist and I normally get most of my clients, steady clients from that site. I am pretty sure that you as a native English speaker can offer transcription, proofreading, video testimonials, blog posting and basically there’s a lot more. You just have to offer what you think you can do best or you think you are good at.
      
      Explore the site and you will see that there are many unique, unbelievable services that online, Internet users are paying for. It might sound silly as it is but that site is very highly recommended from me because that’s the site is where I get a steady flow of income monthly.
      
      Of course, I’ve been there for less than two years that’s why I already have steady clients or on and off clients and still counting. Try that site and you might be surprised what you can do and how much you can earn from that site, depends on how creative you can be--your imagination is the limit.

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2. 80

   Greekgeekposted 11 years ago

   It's another longterm thing rather than the Income Right Now that you're hoping for, but if you like words and graphics, one tip is to create cute t-shirt / mug / etc designs and post them on Zazzle. I keep meaning to commit myself to posting one new product each time I watch a game on TV. It dosn't take that long to cobble together something during commercial breaks. Use good photos, or just use your graphic design skills to make entertaining quips or interesting abstract designs for ipad /iphone cases and the like.
   
   This is totally not useful for a steady dependable income right now, but longterm, I've known people pulling several hundred dollars regularly through zazzle or cafepress sales.

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3. 73

   Reality Bytesposted 11 years ago

   A thought:
   
   I am getting $10.00 for a Craigslist ad, keep it renewed.  Either take the pics or have them e-mailed.  People have stuff to sell with no knowledge of the Internet.  If you can make their phone ring, word will spread.  I do 5-10 a week.  I have only been doing it a few months.

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4. 67

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   If you want money in a reasonably quick time and have good general knowledge, i recommend paid forum posting.  Seriously.  10-15c a post can add up pretty quick.

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5. 67

   Sue Adamsposted 11 years ago

   Despite Panda slaps,  I still earn most with HubPages via Pinterest. Bubblews is the next site I am exploring as I've heard it's easy to make money there too.

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   1. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, but you have been here for a while.   As you know, it takes time to start earning - the OP needs immediate income.

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