The global pandemic Covid-19 has had a drastic effect on the way we all work. As a result, many people now realize the benefits of working from home.
Whether you are about to join the job market, considering starting your first business or are a professional with years of expertise; working at home is an option that you should seriously consider.
Working at home is an alternative career option that can offer the ideal solution for many.
Why Choose A Work At Home Career?
There’s no getting away from the fact that Covid-19 has seen a massive change in our working lives.
Until we know what the ‘new normal’ looks like, the uncertainty regarding jobs and careers will continue. This means looking at other methods of working or generating an income is something many people are thinking about.
Building a work at home career might not be the ‘conventional’ career path, but many people see working from home career as a way to take control of their own destiny.
Rather than continuing in a job they find boring or unfulfilling, they choose to turn a passion into a career.
However, when you are considering working from home, there are some important decisions that must be made.
- Beginning a successful work at home career starts with evaluating your own skills, qualities and experience.
- You must decide whether or not working at home is right for you and consider what type of work at home career you would like.
It is really important to learn all about how to start a business from home and what home business income you can expect; so do your research.
Here are some great ideas of jobs or businesses that you can turn into profitable work at home careers.
Online Work At Home Career Options
If you are the type of person who lives online, the internet offers numerous online job opportunities.
Without doubt online sales is one of the most popular ways of generating an income. Whether you choose to use it as a secondary income (side hustle) or make it your main work at home career is entirely up to you.
Online Sales / e-Commerce
One of the most popular work at home careers is to start an online store selling products that you make yourself.
Most people know that Amazon is one of the biggest global companies and its co-founder Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world.
However most people won’t know that Etsy had sales of almost $5 billion in 2019!
Online platforms such as Amazon, E-bay, Etsy, Alibaba, Gumtree and many others offer huge online marketplaces where you can sell your goods. These are some of the highest ranked sites with over half a billion visitors each month.
If you are considering buying and selling online, you can either build your own e-commerce site or create a store on a specialized e-commerce platform such as Spotify.
Social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Instagram and Tik Tok offer other ways to sell your goods online.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a really great way to create a profitable work at home career without much capital.
If you don’t know what affiliate marketing is, it really isn’t that hard to explain. You promote a company’s product or service and they pay you commission for every sale or subscription you make.
As soon as you have somewhere to recommend products, you can begin making money as an affiliate. You can promote your chosen products on a website, on social media sites such as Facebook, Tik Tok,and Instagram or even on a podcast,
The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you don’t have to spend your time and money creating your own products, because someone else has already done the hard work.
Probably the most successful affiliate programme is Amazon associates where you can make commissions through your sales.
However, there are hundreds of affiliate opportunities on platforms such as Clickbank offering everything from cbd oil, pet products to self improvement courses.
Click on this link for information on the best affiliate programmes.
Start A Successful Work At Home Career Providing Professional Services
There have been so many advances in technology that really have changed the way businesses can be operated.
One of the biggest game changers is the growth of video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams etc.
These tools now make it possible to hold live meetings and easily engage with multiple participants. It means that you can run a class, course or meeting with people from all over the world. In other words you are no longer limited by location.
As a result another option for starting your own work at home career is offering a service not only in your community but globally online.
Of course, offering a professional service means that you’ve had experience in that field. That can be a great advantage for professionals with extensive knowledge; such as a Tutor, Life coach, Career or Interview coach.
Dawn Moss of yourinterviewcoach says:
“As an interview coach, my clients have traditionally preferred to meet face-to-face. Which made sense given most interviews would have been conducted in person. So, with no choice during the lockdown, clients opted for the online approach. That’s when we all saw a dramatic increase in the use of Zoom, MS Teams and Skype technologies.”
“For years I’ve tried to encourage my clients to use Skype because it’s a convenient and safer option. During lockdown the choice was taken away and those fighting technology got online. Although, there was a real benefit to practising interviewing online because most interviews were now being conducting via video.”
Online Life Coaching
If you are thinking of becoming a life coach or are a qualified life coach, you can build a successful career or grow your own life coaching business by taking it online.
Dawn Moss says:
“In my opinion, there will be a lot more people setting up online businesses, moving their existing businesses online, starting a side hustle or working at home. There will be lots of people that are fearful of their prospects in employment, being made redundant or unemployed and will do what they can to protect their future by generating their own income.”
Coaching online or over the phone can be just as effective as coaching locally or face-to-face with your clients. In fact there are many clients who prefer coaching online.
There are numerous benefits of working with a life coach online or over the phone. As long as your client has access to the internet, or a telephone, you can conduct your coaching session.
Advantages:
• Flexible working hours to fit in with a family
• Serve a wider client base
• No restrictions on town or county or even country
• No travel time or costs
• Lower overhead costs
Disadvantages:
• Potentially more competition
• Established businesses pivoting and offering similar services
• Pricing wars
• Startups may need longer hours until established
When you are working from home, you need discipline and a strong motive to handle the inevitable ups and downs of running your own business. As there is likely to be a lot more individuals and businesses offering their services online, you’ll need experience and social proof to give new clients buying confidence.
During lockdown there have been lots of big cash rich businesses offering free training. This isn’t sustainable or even an option for smaller businesses or sole traders, so you’ll have to add lots of value, free bonuses and ensure clients know the benefits of purchasing your services.
There are some great platforms specially designed for your online coaching needs. Or you can build a custom made coaching App that allows you to encourage, motivate and keep your clients on track to help them achieve their goals.
Tutor / Online Tutor
Tutoring has always been a very popular choice for those wanting a self-employed or freelance career.
A traditional tutor has the option of either working for a college, school or private organistion. They can work independently from an office, visit clients at their home or choose to work from home.
Now thanks to new technologies, online tutoring is becoming more and more popular.
Becoming an online tutor has many attractions as a work at home career. You have the freedom to choose how and when you work.
Unlike the ‘traditional’ tutor, you are not confined by distance. If your services are in demand anywhere in the world, you can reach your target market.
Judy E, a tutor based in a London suburb, explained:
“Before Covid 19 and the resulting Lock Down, many tutors and students lacked confidence in online teaching, especially for children.”
“Now so many people of all ages have discovered hoe effective it can be. I have even invigilated a student in Bermuda taking a mock exam using just our smart phones. She either sent photos of handwritten work back, or wrote on her PC and returned her typed answers by email.”
Judy continued:
“Yes, there are learners who find electronic learning and communication stressful, so it’s not for absolutely everyone. Most people enjoy it.”
“Young children can miss the physical support of having someone to help with measuring, correcting handwriting and so on. You soon find out whether a student needs that contact.”
As an online tutor, you can post your profile to any number of specialized online tutoring platforms.
For further information and help, here is a great step-by-step guide to become an online tutor.
Online Personal Trainer / Fitness Coach
The global fitness industry is currently valued at around $100 billion.
Millions of people around the world are passionate about health and fitness. As a result there is always demand for fitness coaches and personal trainers.
As with most coaching disciplines, there has been a huge rise in demand for online fitness. If you have a genuine love for health and fitness and want to turn your passion into a work at home career, then becoming a fitness coach or a Personal Trainer could be the ideal career move for you.
Even though in some countries a degree is not a necessary requirement in order to become a fitness coach or a Personal Trainer, you are well advised to get qualified.
Fitness coaching Apps allow you to create training plans, tailoring them specifically to your clients to ensure they receive the ultimate workouts to match their fitness level and goals.
There are Personal Trainer Apps you can style in your own branding, coach your clients wherever they are and provide exercise and nutrition advice.
Other Work At Home Career Options
As you can see, there are many opportunities for work at home careers out there, both online and offline.
If you want to start a work at home career but are not sure what you want to do, ask those who know you best or who share your interests.
For example if you are a woman in her fifties, join a Facebook group or community for like-minded people. Raising your topic in the group may give you greater insight into your future work at home career. You may also find your first clients!
Sometimes the best place to start your work at home career is in the field that you previously worked in..
You can use your previous work experience as a launching pad for your new work at home career. By doing this you can become an “expert” writer or start a freelance business related to your previous field.
This will allow you to find a company that hires people in your field to work from home.
However, many people see a work at home career as a way to break out free from their old job. There are some small business ideas that can be started without much experience at all.
Child care or baby minding, florists, party or events organisers, hairdressers, photographers and many other professionals all have the option of working at home.
If you want to start your own business working from home, the opportunities are vast.
Create A Personal Development Plan For Your Work At Home Career
Starting your work at home career or online business can change your life so making sure you have a plan is a must. Just as important as a financial plan or business plan is a personal development plan.
Making a personal development plan does not have to be difficult, at The Personal Development Cafe we provide you with a sample personal development plan and you can also download a free personal development plan template to help you complete an effective action plan.
At The Personal Development Cafe we know that one of the best things to do with knowledge is to pass it on.
Do you want to share your experiences of a work at home career to help others? Do you have any tips that have worked successfully for you?
Perhaps you would like to ask a question or think you have the answer to a question posted. Please submit them below and we will review, then add your comments.
