In recent years, companies have had to fill certain jobs that have become essential to survive in a market, which changes very quickly. At the same time, people, being in confinement, have sought alternatives to work from home. Freelance jobs go hand in hand with the information age, since you can offer your services to any person or company, regardless of the distance between one and another (1).
Nowadays, there are multiple options to start an online business from wherever you are. Selling third-party products, writing, taking pictures, and teaching are some of the activities that can be transformed into a very profitable and low-cost employment opportunity.
Summary
- You can make money developing online business and the niche you focus on will depend on your skills, passions or studies.
- You will be your own boss. This implies being responsible, organized and effective with the work you do to achieve the goals agreed with your clients.
- There are certain businesses on the Internet where the costs to start working are low. In most of them, you will only need a computer, cell phone or tablet and an Internet connection.
The best low-cost business ideas to get started: The definitive list
The worldwide community on the Internet is huge and growing day by day, so there are thousands of potential customers for the niche in which you undertake. If you are looking to start a digital business and do not have much capital to invest, do not worry, in this world, there are possibilities for everyone.
8. Monetize your personal blog
In this way of generating money online, there are two main groups: those who have been developing a personal blog for a long time without monetizing it and those who are going to create a blog to start developing it. Keep in mind that to generate profits through a blog, it is important to generate traffic to it (2).
Some ideas to monetize it are adding product advertising with Google AdSense, banners, placing your affiliate link in the different posts you make, selling physical or digital products, offering your services, accepting donations or the famous “cafecitos”.
Advantages:
- Automatic income
- You can create a loyal audience
- You can write about whatever you like
Disadvantages:
- You must pay for hosting
- You must find strategies to attract traffic
- It costs to generate income at the beginning
7. Provide support on different platforms
There are different platforms where you can offer your services to provide support or customer service by answering questions, queries or complaints. Some companies that delegate this activity are Airbnb, LinkedIn and Microsoft.
One platform where you can apply for customer service is Directly. There you can become an expert in different companies. Once you apply, you must take a multiple choice test on questions that are in the Help Center of each company. You should read it before you start, so you can answer them well.
6. Offering Social Media Marketing
Services
According to Weinberg (2009), social media marketing is the process that allows individuals to promote their websites, products or services through various online channels(3). According to a study by IAB, in 2021 in Spain, 85% of Internet users will use social networks, which in terms of the Spanish population, are more than 26.6 million people between 16 and 70 years old (4).
So, in this market sector, you can offer yourself as a Community Manager, as a creator of audiovisual content, SEO expert or in advertising campaigns. There are different platforms where you can offer your services as a freelancer. Some of them are Fiverr, Freelancer, PeoplePerHour, Workana, Upwork, among others.
5. Text translation
If you are fluent in any language, you can offer your service as an online text or audio translator. Some platforms require a test to prove your language level, but others do not. In most of the platforms, you must take a test to determine whether you meet the required level. You can register on Lionbridge, Gengo or Workana and make your profile as complete as possible.
4. Virtual Assistant
This is one of the jobs with the most supply, but also demand, nowadays. The job of a virtual assistant is very similar to that of a secretary or executive assistant, but the difference is that you communicate with clients through different digital channels. Some jobs you will have to perform are invoicing, agenda and task management, and even social media management. It will depend on each job offer.
Some platforms where you can find work as a virtual assistant are FlexJobs, Workana, Freelancer, Torre and even on LinkedIn.
3. Affiliate marketing
Clide Rodríguez Vázquez, the writer of El Marketing de Afiliación, defines it as a way of promoting, marketing and distributing products and businesses over the Internet. Through this, an affiliate receives a commission for each visitor, registration, customer, or sale that results from their efforts (5).
- Enter the various sites that offer an affiliate program.
- Research how much commission they pay and what is the action for which you will receive that commission.
- Affiliate to the products that you think are in the niche you want to work in. You will get an affiliate link specially designed for you.
- Spread that link through different channels, such as social networks, blogs, or pay for advertising to generate traffic to that website.
2. Online Teaching
This online business is truly gigantic. Whether you teach in your daily life or just master some area, you can offer yourself as an online teacher or create your course to sell it. If, for example, you are a yoga instructor, you can offer online classes or produce a course on how to learn yoga from 0 to 100.
1. Content writer
Content writer is a profile with the most offers in the area of content creation and management. Knowledge of digital advertising and English is a plus (6). If you have writing skills, are passionate about researching different topics and have knowledge of SEO or creative writing, this job is perfect for you. Your main tasks will be to write texts for blogs, newsletters, or social media publications. You will also be required to proofread or edit texts that have already been written.
Advantages:
- Flexibility
- Geographical freedom
- You learn from the topics you write about
Disadvantages:
- You may find few reliable sources on some topics
- You may have to write about something difficult and unfamiliar
Conclusion
The job market has changed a lot over the last few years. Online businesses are here to stay, and every day they generate more and more money at a low cost. If you are good at any of the options we have given you in our list, or even others that we have not named, it is time for you to put those skills to work and be able to work on your passions.
Starting an online business and working from home does not mean a more relaxed job. What’s more, many times you will have to perform tasks out of what we know as office hours. But the reality is that if you adapt to work alone and from wherever you want, this becomes what many are looking for: a job with freedom of time and space.
