work from home careers and side business ideas
The past two years saw a massive exodus of the working population from their office spaces and into their homes, pajamas, and Zoom meetings. Now that world is getting (mostly) back to normal; many people are being asked to leave their ideal home-work spaces and head back into sterile cubicles over a twenty-minute frustration-filled commute. But what if you don’t want to do that? What if you’ve figured out that you actually prefer working from home? Well, we’ve got good news. There are millions of people globally that feel the same way. Forbes estimates that “as we look ahead, the expected growth rate of full-time remote work over the next five years has more than doubled from 30% to 65%, which could give job seekers plenty of opportunities to work remotely.” Working from home is within your reach! We’ve compiled 22 jobs where you can work from home, full-time, or as an online side hustle that could make that dream a reality!
Full-time online business ideas
Maybe you’ve spent your whole life working in an office or facility, and you’ve suddenly realized that you were born for the work-from-home life? Maybe you’ve been wanting to change careers for a while, and this is the sign you needed to make the move? Maybe you just REALLY never want to wear pants again? No matter the reasoning, these are our top picks for a full-time career refreshment as an online entrepreneur!
1. IF YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE AND SPEAK GREAT ENGLISH…
… become an online English teacher to thousands of eager students across the world! Depending on the agency you use, you’ll likely need to complete a TEFL or TESOL qualification, which can take as little as two weeks. Then, you can spend your days teaching conversational English and communicating with interesting people across the world. Take a look at TeachAway to get started!
2. IF YOU’RE A REALLY ORGANIZED PERSON WHO LOVES MAKING PEOPLE’S LIVES EASIER…
… you could become a virtual assistant! You could advertise your services to business owners as a schedule organizer, an email drafter, a digital-errand-doer, and an all-around lifesaver! You can take on the busy work that people from all around the world just don’t have time for and help people get on top of their to-do lists every day. You can even work for multiple clients. To find out how to get started, just look at this FlexJobs guide and join an agency OR create your own VA brand!
3. IF YOU KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND GRAPHIC DESIGN AND SOCIAL MEDIA…
… try your hand at being a digital creator! Creative Market is an online marketplace used by people worldwide to buy and sell creative assets for digital imagery and real-life products. Design everything from fonts, to poster templates, to website templates to wedding invites, and sell them! One of our favorite creators on Creative Market is Fallon Gerst. She creates and updates Canva templates for various professions and leads a digital nomad life where she can dictate her lifestyle and hours, as funded by her digital products. Follow her on @fallon.travels to see her lifestyle!
4. IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING YOU’VE JUST BEEN DYING TO SHOW THE WORLD…
… try starting up your own eCommerce store. With the digital marketplace becoming one of the most explosive trends in consumer behaviors, the best place to start selling your products is online. There are countless options available to sell your wares, and only one of them is a physical storefront. If you’re a crafter, a great place to start selling your art is on Etsy, a site that includes integrated payment options and shipping solutions. If you’d like to kick it up a notch and eliminate any third-party deductions, we recommend starting up your own eCommerce store with WooCommerce.
5. IF YOU’RE A FITNESS FANATIC WITH YOUR TECHNIQUES FINESSED TO EXPERT LEVELS…
… try starting an online fitness coaching business! You can offer one-on-one coaching sessions to international clients and run a subscription service with group classes weekly. Your programs can include nutritional advice and tailored fitness assessments. One brand we love that’s doing the same thing is Freedom Physio, located in Amsterdam. Follow them on @freedomphysio to see how they market their offerings.
6. IF YOU’VE GOT A KEEN EAR AND A WAY WITH WORDS…
… try getting freelance jobs doing online transcription. This job consists of sourcing audio recordings and transcribing them accurately for clients. You’ll get paid hourly, and because there’s so much work available, you’ll get to choose your own hours. All you need for this job is an internet connection and a computer! Take a look at Rev to get started. Once you’ve got a good idea of what you’re doing, you could branch out from an agency and seek out transcription jobs on your own with the right marketing strategy.
7. IF YOU’RE THE BEST COOK YOU KNOW…
… try starting a Dark Kitchen on a delivery service like UberEats. A dark kitchen is like a restaurant but without a front-of-house section. You can make delicious snacks and advertise them on your local food delivery platform without the hassle of having any in-house customers. You’ll need to check the regional requirements in your area, but the bonus of joining this type of service is that you don’t have to execute any deliveries yourself.
8. IF YOU ARE AN EXPERT AT THRIFTING…
… try starting an online thrift store! Fast fashion is slowly giving way to responsible consumption, and it’s a good idea to jump on that trend before it explodes. If you’re the eagle-eyed thrifter of your friend group, try combining all the excitement of second-hand shopping with the convenience of online buying. How? Well, take your thrift finds and repackage them in exciting ways for resale online. You can start up your own curated aesthetic that attracts buyers who share your tastes. One example of this that we love is CryBaby Thrift. They’re a body-positive, inclusive IG thrift store that’s killing the resale game.
9. IF YOU’RE EFFORTLESSLY STYLISH…
… try becoming a personal shopper. Money can’t buy taste, but it can buy your immaculate eye for all things elegant. Start a business where you engage with clients and shop online for them for a small fee to get them dressed best and feeling great. You can market yourself by posting your personal fashion, as well as tips and tricks for dressing immaculately. If you want to figure out how to get started, take a look at these helpful tips from WiseGeek.
10. IF YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL HOME…
… try becoming an AirBnB host! There are loads of options available on the platform for single-room hosts, and you get to kick your house-proud-energy into overdrive. Some expenses are involved, such as cleaning and room maintenance, but you get to show off your favorite space and meet interesting new people. Find out how to become a host here.
11. IF YOU’RE HONESTLY JUST KILLING IT IN AN ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE AND YOU THINK OTHER PEOPLE WOULD BENEFIT FROM HEARING HOW YOU GOT THERE…
… try becoming a coach! Many people want to learn new skills, especially if you market yours as really desirable. By choosing to teach others, you will become a positive influence on the lives of others while talking about something you genuinely care about. As an example, take a look at Dovile Sinke. She’s a business expert who has turned her attention to helping female entrepreneurs thrive. She hosts one-on-one coaching sessions, as well as group-based programs structured around assisting people to branch out on their own. You can take a look at how she markets her programs and masterclasses on her Instagram feed.
Side hustle online business ideas
If you’re not quite ready to stop your nine-to-five just yet, but you’ve realized just how many opportunities there are to make some extra cash online doing something you love, you’re looking for a side hustle! There’s nothing more satisfying than that extra little bit of fun money, we know. We’ve put together some ideas for generating secondary income in your own time, from the comfort of your couch.
1. IF YOU’VE GOT A GOLDEN VOICE…
… try becoming a freelance voice-over artist. This requires the initial investment of an at-home audio setup but could yield an incredible financial return for minimal time. Once you’re all set up, create a demo tape showcasing your accents, characters, voices, and inflections, and start sending off your portfolio to agencies in your area. When jobs that are suited to your range come up, apply to them! A great place to find them is on local Facebook advertising groups or job boards. Here’s a great guide from Voices to show you how to create your demo!
13. IF YOU’RE GREAT AT IMPROVISING…
… try streaming on Twitch. The platform was made famous by videogame streamers but has diversified massively since then. Now, people use it for commentary, comedy, react videos, cooking, conversation, and much more. If you’re charismatic enough, you can build a community in your downtime by doing what you love and filming it. One of the coolest features of Twitch is that there’s a tipping function, AND you can generate income from ads on your successful content. Here’s a fantastic guide to getting started as a Twitch streamer.
14. IF YOU WANT TO GET PAID FOR HAVING AN OPINION…
… try participating in paid online surveys. There are tons of businesses who want to hear what people think of their products honestly. You can spend your free time filling out market research surveys and get paid for them. To get started, take a look at sites like Branded Surveys or Swagbucks and fill out your interests.
15. IF YOU’RE REALLY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL SIDE…
… try offering spiritual guidance online. Pinterest trends indicate a movement towards paying for services like tarot reading, Akashic record sessions, and spiritual guidance. You can use what you believe in to provide advice to clients online, on a freelance basis. One of our favorite examples of this hustle is Marie Groover of The Corporate Psychic. She is a corporate professional who uses her free time to advise other career-focused individuals on living their most authentic lives. You can take a look at the way she markets her services at @thecorppsychic.
15. IF YOU HAVE A REALLY SPECIFIC TALENT…
… try getting on Fiverr. This site is truly the town square marketplace of the internet. Sure, a lot of the home page is dominated by many freelance favorites, like graphic design and SEO writing, but it’s in the niche interest that Fiverr shines. Do you bake hilarious customized cakes? Maybe you do great celebrity impressions? Perhaps you’ll write someone’s name on your face for $5? Set up a portfolio on the site, and SOMEONE will take what you’re giving. Take a look at the platform’s “weird” category to see just how wild you can get.
16. IF YOU’RE AN ONLINE DATING EXPERT…
… try being a virtual dating consultant! You can help people set up their profiles for maximum matches, coach them through text interactions, and teach them how to interact in person. This side hustle relies on success stories, so make sure to document your process, with client permission, of course. You can start by offering your advice on platforms like r/Tinder, then start charging when you have proof of your advice working. When you’re ready, level up your hustle using this guide.
17. IF YOU’RE A GREAT WRITER WITH NO EXPERIENCE…
… try starting up a portfolio on Medium! A blog is a great way to start up your portfolio if you want to start submitting some work for paid content writer positions, and you can even make some cash through Medium’s Partner Program. According to the platform, “your earnings depend on the proportion of their total read time that Medium members spend reading your article.” Write your heart out, and get paid!
18. IF YOU JUST, LIKE, REALLY KNOW HOW TO DO SOME STUFF…
… try making YouTube tutorials! YouTube earns money by hosting advertisers. To compensate creators, they pay creators by views. Some of the most viewed videos on the platform are step-by-step tutorials. They can be as simple as “How to tie a tie,” or as complex as “how to make a desk from wood.” What matters here are clear visuals and precise instructions. Here’s a great guide by Hongkiat on how to produce your first YouTube tutorial!
19. IF YOU’VE GOT SOME REALLY USEFUL STUFF LYING AROUND THAT YOU DON’T USE THAT OFTEN…
… try renting some stuff out on Fat Llama. This site is the place to make money from your assets that you don’t want to get rid of just yet. The site’s premise is to “access items without owning them by renting them from people in your neighborhood in a few easy steps.” Rent out everything from DJ equipment, to cameras, to power tools, and earn passive income while helping other people finish their projects. Find out how to list your tools here.
20. IF YOU CORRECT EVERY GRAMMAR MISTAKE YOU SEE IN THE COMMENTS…
… try freelance paid proofreading. It’s a common misconception that you need an English degree to get paid to proofread. If you’re already a writer, a well-curated portfolio can get you jobs almost immediately. If you’re not a writer, consider offering a few jobs for free in exchange for reviews. Earnest testimonials and word-of-mouth will get you jobs starting out, as well as super competitive rates. A great place to start looking for jobs is on Freelance Writing Gigs.
21. IF YOU’VE GOT IT…
… flaunt it, with Only Fans. Though the platform is now synonymous with sex work content (which is awesome!), it also boasts a fast-growing, invested user-base that is willing to spend their money on monthly subscription content. If you’re creating valuable content that you want to put behind a paywall, online trends indicate this is the place to do it. You can even create “member exclusive” content to supplement your social media posts that paying subscribers can access through a monthly fee.
... and what else?
22. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA…
… Dawning Digital can help you turn it into a business. We’ve taken people who’ve approached us with ideas outside of their regular nine to five’s and turned their dreams into functional, profitable companies. Our services start at start-up coaching and then expand from there. We can help you develop your branding, your web design, your eCommerce structure, your sales funnel, your marketing strategy, and your day-to-day engagement in a way that honors your initial concept. We can’t wait to shine a light on what you love.
