Know More to Be More

Who's your boss?

For some it could be matter of luxury or ease, for others it could be a curse; we are talking about not being able to work. And guess what, it is a cry more common among women around us than men, even though unemployment is a monster that scares and eats up both genders alike. That’s debatable. Then there are those women who have to make a choice between family and job.
Even those who have jobs can feel trapped. It could be anything; whether you're looking for a respite from your 9 to 5, are unable to commute to work, are a stay-at-home parent, or have some other constraint that prevents you from finding or continuing a full-time job.
There's no need to waste your earning potential. While we are still mentally limited by some conventional career options, if we open ourselves to it, we know there are a lot out there. There are plenty of opportunities available that let you work from home/remote working or be your own boss; whatever you prefer to call it. This write-up is not only for those who are stuck and need a way out but could also help you pick a career for yourself, if you have not done that yet. Here are a few options you can consider, you can thank us later.

HOME BASED BUSINESS
Do you like to cross-stitch? Do you make your own pillows? Or work with clay, or knit? May be you can bake? All those crafts can be sold for a profit and in some cases a pretty high one. Different crafts offer different available profit margins, depending on the skill level involved, the amount of competition and audience factors.
However, almost any craft can be sold reliably if you know how to market yourself. You can use a platform like Facebook, Pintrest, Instagram etc. to get started, or try to build a site and online presence on your own. We have examples of many women around us who are doing this.
BLOGGING
One of the best ways to build and maintain a revenue stream is to create and manage a blog. This could be about almost anything: Maybe you want to review new music, or to show off your homemade co-splays. All that matters is your ability to build an audience over time. If you can attract a few thousand monthly visitors, you can turn that audience into a cash-generating machine in a number of different ways, including getting paid to advertise, using affiliate links. Over the past decade, blog monetisation has gained momentum.
To monetise your blog, you can sign up for Google Adsense, which will allot you ads to place on your blog. After this, it's a waiting game to see if your account is approved. If it is, you can continue to receive ad placements and earn a steady, if not large, income from it. Adsense pays on the basis of clicks and views the ads receive. Alternatively, you can take up affiliate marketing or product sales through your blog to turn it into a money-making venture. If your blog already attracts traffic, you could enlist blog sponsors, which includes selling ad space on your blog.
WRITE EBOOKS
If you like the idea of writing your own content, but blogging eludes you (for one reason or another), consider writing ebooks on the topic of your choice. Ebooks are basically longer versions of articles, usually spanning several thousand words with illustrated examples and practical tips on how to accomplish something. Provided you have an interested audience available, you can charge a few bucks per download and make a substantial, recurring profit.
BE A REVIEWER
Everyone has an opinion, and everyone is a critic. If you like to share your opinions, and are able to do so articulately and in a way that benefits your audience, you may find reviewing a viable way to work from home (for the most part).
The sky's the limit here: If you're into media and pop culture, you could review movies and music albums. If you like board games and video games, you could review new ones emerging. You could even review local businesses, or almost any product you can think of. Again, you just have to build an audience first.
SELL ONLINE
Whether you have a penchant for crafts or making candles, there is probably a market for your products. Once you decide on what you want to sell, create an inventory and set the prices. To sell these items, you can register on the website of any popular online seller, from Amazon and eBay to smaller portals like Indiebazaar (these portals charge a small fee for hosting your products) or you can do it on your own website or social platforms like Instagram, Facebook and so on. Once you receive an order, package your products and keep it ready for the logistics partner to pick it up and deliver it. You will receive the payment in five to seven days.
MAKING VIDEOS
If you're not camera shy or are good with a video camera, this might be the right platform for you. In the same way you can start blog and make money from it, you can create your own channel on YouTube and earn money. The key here is to find a niche that isn't currently occupied, then either inform or entertain a specific target audience (preferably both). An effort like this will require market research, creativity, hard work and a lot of luck. But if you're consistent, you may find it possible to generate an audience in the hundreds of thousands, (maybe more) which can earn you significant recurring revenue.
You don't even need to have professional equipment or a proper set-up to record videos; a mid-range smart phone will suffice. You have to create a YouTube channel, which works on a similar model as a blogs, you make your channel popular and the number of subscribers grows, so will your earning potential.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
If you have design skills, you can produce graphics for individuals and businesses to use in advertising, on websites or for other purposes. There are many ways to do this. You could become a full-time graphic designer or an independent contractor with multiple different clients. It's hard to pick up design skills naturally, so if this is the route you want to go and you don't already have the skills, you'll need to invest in your education first.
WEB DEVELOPMENT
Do you have some understanding of coding and web design? Then you can easily work from home as a web developer. Web development is usually outsourced by companies, and is therefore an area where finding work should be easy. However, keep in mind that there is plenty of competition in this field. It's important to find your niche, build a good reputation and keep your pricing reasonable.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTSHIP
Entrepreneurs, professionals and small teams often need assistance with various administrative tasks. These could include scheduling meetings, getting in touch with clients and investors, following up on orders, creating business documents like PowerPoint presentations and Excel sheets, managing blogs and websites, etc. Virtual assistants (VAs) work remotely with such clients, managing the aspects of their business or practice that they are too busy to handle themselves. Becoming a VA can entail some degree of training or briefing, depending on your qualifications.
TRANSLATING
If you are bilingual or trilingual, this might just be the opportunity for you. While being fluent in English and one or two Indian languages might serve you well enough, taking a language course can add significantly to your earning potential. Plenty of international businesses, scholars and authors would be willing to enlist your services for their translation needs if you can prove your proficiency .To start earning, enlist on a popular freelancing site like Fiverr.com or Upwork.com, listing the languages you are proficient in.
CONTENT WRITING
One of the most popular freelance jobs is content writing. There is always an enormous demand for well-researched and well-written web content, and recruiters are constantly on the lookout for professionals who can create fresh content that attracts traffic. If you have a good grasp of grammar, an engaging writing style and are interested in researching diverse topics this is the job for you. Set up a Paypal account before you start working, since most clients would prefer to pay through it. In India, Paypal is still gaining feet.
DATA ENTRY
Although this line of work is seriously threatened by automation, there are still plenty of data entry jobs available in India. It is one of the simplest jobs you can do online, and requires no special skills. You just have to have a computer, and Internet connection, fast typing skills, and the ability to pay attention to details. Most freelancing websites list these jobs, and you can sign up on any of them to start working. The client provides printed or scanned sheets of data that needs to be entered into a digital format.
PROGRAMING
Next up, you could learn to program. There are dozens of different programming languages available, for applications that range from creating custom websites to making your own video games. This is one of the most versatile options on this list because programming is in such high demand and is valuable for so many things. If you're skilled in a worthwhile language, your potential is virtually limitless. The problem is usually getting started. Thankfully, sites like Codecademy are available to teach you everything you need to know, completely for free.
ONLINE TUTORING
If you already have some tutoring experience or are an expert in a particular subject, you can earn by tutoring people online. Sign up on websites like MyPrivateTutor, BharatTutors, tutorindia.net as an online tutor, create a profile listing the subjects or classes you want to teach, how much experience you have, what your qualifications are, etc. Once approved, you will have to take an online test or give a telephonic interview to be selected. If academic tutoring is not your cup of tea, portals like Udemy let you have your own virtual classroom for anything that can be taught.
ONLINE TRAINER/ COACHING
Now this one is new; lucky for us someone came up with it. It is almost same as tutoring with slightly different because we are not looking at it from academic perspective. Coaching/Training is a kind of informal consulting, usually targeted toward consumers rather than businesses. There are an infinite number of paths here, so use your creativity; if you have experience or an interest in physical fitness, consider becoming a weight-loss or athletic coach. If you have a wealth of personal experience, you could become a "life coach" and help people through hard personal decisions or life events, over the phone or through a personal chat.
If you can dance, or you know how to dance or you are a professional gym, yoga or any sort of trainer, you can do it online. It would not require you to have a huge place of your own or any exaggerated investments, just sheer skill and like on other platforms we mentioned, audience/clients. As happens with consulting/training, you'll need a strong reputation first, so that should be your first priority.
PLAN EVENTS
Event planners have the potential to make big money, depending on their experience and the nature of the event. You could go the professional route, working with nonprofits to throw major fund-raisers, or the personal route, planning things like weddings and birthday parties. Either way, your ability to organize, coordinate and entertain people will come in handy.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND THESE JOBS?
All these options sound nice, but where can you actually find jobs like these? Ask and network. Your first option is to simply ask. Talk to your bosses and supervisors about the possibility of transitioning to a remote position. If that doesn't work, go out and network; try to meet people offering opportunities you can take.
Get new education and training. If you don't currently have the skill set for a position of interest in the list above, you can go back to college or go into training to develop it. When you do, talk to your teachers about future opportunities; they likely have connections.
Use job application sites. You can also go the more conventional route by scouting job application boards. Be smart here; not every "work from home" opportunity is legitimate, so do some research before applying.
Use e-commerce. You could build a business using an existing platform, such as Amazon, Flipkart, eBay etc. to start selling your products, if you are selling physical products.
Look around you. Talk to people who are already doing what you aspire to. Get motivated and educated, all in one.
Start from scratch. Finally, and most importantly, you can build everything yourself from scratch. Become an entrepreneur, launch a website and make your own rules.
KEEP IN MIND
Beyond that, when you get started working from home, there are a few things you'll need to do (or at least keep in mind):
Remember that remote work isn't a paradise. As exciting and perfect as working from home seems on the surface, it isn't always a good thing. It can get lonely, motivation is a challenge, and you might just go stir crazy if you don't take care of yourself.
Develop yourself. No matter what you do, try to develop your skills and abilities along the way. It will come in handy in the future.
Create a dedicated workspace. Don't just sit on the couch with a laptop. Create a home office to earn the psychological benefits of "going to work." Doing so also has tax write-off benefits.
Hedge your bets. If you're becoming an independent contractor, consider learning two new sets of skills or pursuing two types of jobs. It never hurts to hedge your bets.
Set goals for applications (and be relentless). If you're looking for work-from-home opportunities, set goals for yourself, and don't give up until you reach them.
Under-promise and over-deliver. If you want to keep your job, you'll need to under-promise and over-deliver on everything. Competition is fierce and relationships are less personal, so your performance matters a great deal.
By this point, you should have some solid "next steps" for building your work-from-home career. Whether you're following a lifelong passion (be careful here) or merely seizing a notable opportunity, consider this your chance to earn a significant salary without leaving the comfort of your home (unless by choice). Let us know your plans or if you need more information; you can even share with us what you know. Write to us at [email protected]