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For most of us it goes without saying that times are though. Everyday life is becoming more and more difficult as the cost of living continues to rise. Add to that the looming recession and it’s no wonder that were all feeling like we’re losing control.
If you’re lucky enough to be part of the 1% who have everything they need, life will more than likely carry on as normal. For the rest of us, it’s already hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Read on to find out how you can thrive when the chips are down….
What’s Your Most Valuable Asset?
It’s something nobody can take away from you, cost you nothing and could earn you enough to get through the hard times. If you’ve not already guessed, it’s your knowledge, experience, and ability. Starting a business that uses one or all of these will pave the way to a brighter future for you and your loved ones.
With numerous online platforms, it’s easier than ever to earn money from your expertise. You don’t need to sell physical products or hold an inventory in storage. You’re not manufacturing or making things. As a result, the margins are very high.
People are looking for ways to make everyday life easier, now more than ever. If you have the knowledge or skills that they might need to achieve their goals, then you could become a really valuable resource.
Change Your Mindset
Try to see the current situation as a golden opportunity to make a positive change rather than being fearful of whats to come. Confidence is the key to success. Do something remarkable and it will pay dividends. It’s a great time to be proactive and start something new.
“Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear”
Norman Vincent Peale
What If You Don’t Have Any Skills?
First of all, don’t be so hard on yourself. We’ve all got skills, experience or knowledge in some form or another. Think about the things you’ve been through in your life that were tough. How did you get through them, and can you offer others in the same position help and advice? Parenting is a great example of this.
If you’re employed, what do you do at work that somebody might need to learn. Do you have a good eye for design or fashion? Even being good at gaming is a skill you can use to earn money. You’ve just got to think outside the box, and I guarantee you’ll find something.
How Do You Get Started?
Once you’ve decided which of your amazing skills is going to earn you money, you’ll need to find the platform that best suits your needs. Here are a few different options.
Fiverr.com
Fiverr is an online marketplace where freelancers can advertise their skills and offer services or “gigs” to buyers all over the world. Depending on your skills and level of experience you can make a decent income, either from home or anywhere in the world.
To get started all you need to do is register an account and set up your profile. Once you’re all set up, create a seller profile to showcase your skills and impress potential buyers.
Finally create a “gig” which describes the services you’re offering and decide what you’d like to charge. Fiverr has a pricing package system which allows you to tailor the price to suit your specific gig. Once you’ve completed everything and you’re happy just click publish and your gig will go live. Here are some examples.
There are a number of ways to promote your gigs to increase your chances of a sale. These include social media, referrals, and use of the correct keywords to get more eyes on your profile. Whichever you choose, Fiverr can be a really great way to earn some extra cash with no outlay upfront.
Check out our Beginners Guide to Making Money on Fiverr
Etsy.com
If you’re the creative type, then Etsy might be the place for you to shine. In particular digital products are a big hit on this platform. If you’ve been to a wedding recently then there’s a good chance the placeholders, seating plan and invites were created by someone just like you and sold as a digital download through an Etsy store.
The beauty of digital products is that they are designed and created once but can be sold over and over again. If you’re looking for passive income or even a store you can build over time, then Etsy really is the bees’ knees.
Here are just a few of the most popular digital products you could design and sell on Etsy right now.
- Planners
- Wedding Invites
- Seating Plans
- Greetings Cards
- Spreadsheets & Worksheets
- Budget Planners
- Diaries
- Colouring Books
- Logo Designs
- eBooks
- Social Media Templates
The list really is endless, all you need to do is get started and you could be earning before you know it. We’ll briefly show you how below.
Setting up your Etsy store is really simple. If you already have an Etsy account, login. If not sign up to get started. Once you’re in go to your profile and click “sell on Etsy” then follow the instructions to get your store up and running.
To get started with your designs, try Canva which is free to use. Once you’ve created your digital products all you really need to do is upload them. Etsy has ready-made customer base with millions of visitors each year. To gain traction a little faster you can also promote your designs on social media.
Creative Market
Creative Market is another great place to sell your digital products. The main difference is that the end user of your products is more than likely going to be a web designer, developer or creative individual rather than the general public.
Don’t let this put you off though, there is still some serious money to be made if you choose to open a Creative Market Shop.
Start A Blog
If writing is your thing, then starting a blog can be a really rewarding way to earn money from the things you’re passionate about or have a good understanding of. Setting up a blog is not only cheap but also very simple and can be scaled up over time as your following grows.
The key to blogging is not to expect too much too soon as it will take time to gain traction. Concentrate on making your articles valuable and detailed to ensure readers return for more. Once visitor numbers start to grow, you’re then able to monetise through affiliate products, sponsored posts, products and courses.
To get started all you need to do is buy a domain name e.g. www.beamoneypro.com and choose a hosting plan. Hosting services such as Bluehost store the pages of your website on their servers so they’re accessible to people browsing the internet. The amount of space needed to store your site and any related features make up your hosting plan. Basic hosting plans can be purchased for less than £5 per month.
I’d advise using a hosting plan which includes WordPress. This will allow you to quickly choose a theme and starter site to get you going and is very easy to customise as your Blog progresses over time.
Start A YouTube Channel
You tube has been around for years now but that doesn’t mean you can’t still make decent money from starting your own channel. I personally use YouTube for educational purposes and how to videos if I want to fix or build something myself (including this website).
If you have expertise, you could be selling that to people like me who want to learn how to do things for themselves. The list of videos is almost endless and if yours takes off or goes viral then you’re in the money.
Starting your channel couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is sign in, click on your profile picture, and select “create a channel”. Follow the instructions and that’s it you’re done.
As with blogging, this is another slow burner so it will take time to record, edit and upload enough content to generate a decent audience. However, once you’ve built your channel, the income it generates is completely passive and will continue for as long as your videos are viewable.
Photography
You don’t need to be a professional photographer to make money taking snaps. There are a number of places you can upload your pictures and get paid when people use them. Even if all you have to start with is a mobile phone, don’t worry just get snapping and see the cash roll in.
Photographic artwork can be sold through Etsy.com as we mentioned earlier. Alternatively you could build an online store of your own and promote your work on social media channels. The easiest way by far would be to upload to one of the existing platforms and get paid when they’re downloaded.
There are a number of platforms for you to choose from and their suitability will depend to some extent on the quality of your equipment. As we said above, you can get started with just a mobile phone and if that’s where you’re at then Foap.com or Dreamstime.com are both great places to look.
Foap.com does everything through it’s app and pays 50/50 on any profits from selling your snaps. Dreamstime.com allows you to upload either via its website or through the app if you’re taking photos with your phone and pays out up to 60% of the sale price depending on the number of times your photo is downloaded.
If you have access to more professional equipment such as a DSLR Camera, then you’ll be able to sell photos for stock images or for print on demand sites. This is due to the increased quality and higher resolution of the images. Sites like Shutterstock.com are the way to go here.
For a great place to save all your photos without clogging up your hard-drive try photobucket…
Conclusion
You already have the skills you need to make life a little easier, you just need to take the first step. Be confident and start something amazing today….You Got This
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