I get a lot of emails from people who want to know how to work from anywhere. People want to know how to make money online — legit ways, not ways that have you creeping on your friends and family to get them to join your “downline.”
I’ve made money online 3 ways:
- Working remotely as a full-time employee for a company
- Income from my blogs and websites (yes, I have more than this one)
- Freelancing — as a writer, a virtual assistant (VA), proofreader, web designer, etc.
Not everyone’s cut out for all 3. But I bet anyone could make income from at least one of the ways above — even if you don’t think you can! And these ways allow you to work from anywhere, and not be tied down to an office!
For instance, I recently got an email from Mark. He said, “I don’t think I can make money online because I don’t have a blog, I’m not tech savvy, so what would anyone pay me for?”
Slow your roll, Mark! You don’t need to be tech savvy to make a living online any more than you need to be talented to become famous! (I’m looking at you, Kim Kardashian!)
I know I’ve talked a lot about starting a profitable blog, or freelance writing. But I haven’t talked much about the “less sexy” ways to make money online. The ways that aren’t as fun, and sometimes even boring as shit. But they still pay, some of them pretty well, considering!
Ways I’ve made money working online from the boat
Here’s a list of some of the more “unconventional” things I’ve done to make money while traveling on my sailboat. (And how much I got paid to do them!):
- Scrolled through Instagram to find fashion brands and add their website/contact info to a spreadsheet. $25/hr
- Set up 1-page “Domain for Sale” web pages using a template for a guy who flipped domain names. $25/page (a page took me less than an hour to set up)
- Typed up the handwritten pages of a manuscript from an erotic fiction writer who hated the computer. $15 per page
- Proofread recipes for a food blogger. $50/hr (this sounds easy, but was very detailed work!)
- Make a list of writers who might be willing to write about an app designed to reduce the rate of texting and driving. $5 per name
- Screenshot testimonials from a Facebook group and upload them to Dropbox. $20/hr
- Set up an event calendar on an exclusive Scotch enthusiast membership club’s website. $25/hr + a really nice bottle of Scotch
Why virtual work is the way of the future
So you see — a lot of the above “jobs” are things anyone can do, and you can do these jobs from anywhere! If you can perform a Google search, you can make money online, that’s what I say.
I look at it like losing weight. The key to weight loss isn’t some great big secret: Eat healthier + move more = weight loss.
It’s the same with working from home — wherever “home” is for you.
Add to your skillset + find jobs/tasks that require those skills = Make money from home.
If it sounds simple, it’s because at the heart of it, it is!
More companies than ever hire virtual workers now because of the cost savings (no overhead, no office equipment, no office-related insurance, etc.). And more and more entrepreneurs are hiring virtual assistants to help them with tasks they don’t have time to do, or don’t want to do.
The point is, there are so many jobs you can do with just your laptop. This allows you to work from anywhere. And that’s the dream, right?
That’s why I put together this guide of 101 jobs you can do from the beach, the boat, or even a tiny studio apartment on the Sea of Cortez (where I was when I put this guide together!). These are legit ways, btw… nothing sleazy in here.
It’s a great place to get started. Because even if you think you don’t have skills to make money online and work from anywhere, I bet when you read this guide, you’ll realize you actually have several.
