Some overseas Filipino workers have plenty of time to spare online during their days off.
While a significant amount of time off is probably spent on rest, communicating with loved ones, or a well-deserved outing with friends, making extra money should prove an attractive option for ones gifted with skill and creativity.
Making extra money may often be challenging but it can be more fun and cost-effective when you decide to try a home-based business. With no overheads such as office space, and the main expense is electricity, Internet connection (if not offered for free), and time, your laptop or desktop computer suddenly becomes a money-making machine.
There are several ways to earn money without having to leave home, depending on your resources, areas of expertise, and particular interests. You don’t have to be a graduate of business school, to begin with, and you can immediately launch with little or even zero capital.
All you need is a computer, an Internet connection and enough time.
1. Do online tutorials.
You can offer to tutor elementary or high school students using social media sites, online messaging, and other internet devices. You can teach mathematics, sciences, or guitar lessons online with someone via the Internet.
2. Offer Website design or Facebook apps.
Offer to improve or maintain the website of businesses through web design. You can start with basic HTML, but with more advanced skills (shopping cart, Facebook apps, etc.), you’d be attracting more clients in no time. The catch is that with a growing number of customers, your regular workload may get compromised or your quality of work both full-time and on the side could suffer.
3. Write blogs.
Write blogs for other websites or create your blog account to earn off ads or referral money. You can also accept writing jobs about specific products clients wish to promote and make money for every article you write. This skill could even get you noticed, and more opportunities (journalism, influential blogger, and more) could be a matter of time.
4. Write articles for websites, press releases, or marketing companies
Write content-rich and informative articles for websites and online companies. It can be content for an advertising campaign, an essay assignment for high school or college students, or craft a press release for an online product launch.
5. Online consultancy, SEO, or social media
If you’re an expert in a particular field, offer advice and modules for others. This can be on search engine optimization (SEO), paid advertising (PPC), or information on strategy for social media campaigns — advertising, content to post, and so on.
6. Be a graphics designer.
You can create ads and presentations for websites and businesses. This can be a cartoon illustration, Photoshop enhancement of photographs, or work with a web developer by offering your talent to create creative designs.
7. Be a video editor.
Create movies and short video presentations for companies. You can partner with a videographer or wedding photography company.
8. Be an encoder.
Store and transfer information for communication companies. This can be more of mundane, repetitive work companies are willing to hand over to others so they can concentrate on their primary work (web design agencies, research companies, etc.) that requires an adequate amount of time to do the job.
9. Language education online.
Teach English or other languages that you’re fluent in. This is big with foreign language students, especially Koreans or Japanese, who look for English tutors online.
10. Online research.
Provide information and help in research activities for projects and campaigns. There are plenty of jobs related to this at freelancer.com or elance.com, where you can bid on the amount of work and your rates.
11. Get involved in the baking business.
Bake cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and other pastries for parties. You can partner with wedding coordinators, videographers, or preschool teachers for potential business opportunities.
12. Start a catering business.
Cook and serve for birthday parties, meetings, and other special events. While this work doesn’t exclusively confine you to the home — you need to visit the venue, and arrange food and utensils — work is mostly done in kitchens where you can focus your work.
13. Do buy and sell online.
You can purchase items online and resell these at a profit. Â This can be done on websites like AyosDito, Sulit.com.ph, and promotion can be done via Facebook.
14. Do trading online.
You can search for potentially valuable items such as clothing and accessories and then sell them to the highest bidder. This can be done on eBay.
15. Do some artwork.
You can make your art by painting, cross-stitching, or drawing then selling your works through the Internet.
16. Do carving and other woodwork jobs.
Got skills in wood carving? Make furniture, toys, and other products from wood,
17. Candle-making.
Create candles of various shapes, designs, and colors. Suitable for candle collectors, homemakers, or shops like spas and hotels.
18. T-shirt designing.
Use your prowess in graphics and printing to sell quality t-shirts. You may partner with a printer and distributor to translate your ideas into products and sales.
Service-Based Businesses
If you are restless and wish to work outdoors but without the pressures of a 9-to-5 workload, here are some of the things you may want to do to make money.
19. Landscape.
Offer to beautify gardens, facades, and even parks. While many people might associate this work as complementary to street sweeping or beautification, payment could be more generous when you use your imagination to transform gardens or parks into a beautiful work of art.
20. Photography.
Offer photography services for special events and holidays. Birthdays, weddings, and local events like beauty pageants, and sports events can be your targets. All you need to have is an artistic mindset and a decent camera. You may partner with other vendors such as florists, cake, and pastry makers for a wedding event, for example.
21. Event planning.
Get paid to prepare for parties and meetings. It can also be wedding planning, reunion parties, or local events in the city. You will have more opportunities to meet people and partner with other vendors, just like photographers do.
22. Videography.
Records videos of birthdays, weddings, and other special events. The better the quality of your work, the more people will look for you to capture once-in-a-lifetime events and celebrations. And this can only mean raising rates at your discretion.
23. Accounting.
Provide accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing services for companies. This is good, especially if you live near the city, and companies require private accountants or even people wishing to hand over the computation of personal and property tax payments to someone who has the necessary skills.
24. Dressmaking.
Make or alter clothing and other types of fabric, such as those intended for bags, stuffed toys, or school uniforms.
25. Appliance repair.
Fix gadgets and other electronic items. You may do it on home service, which you can charge higher, or at the convenience of your home. Getting televisions, air-conditioning units, or hi-fi players fixed always brings a smile to your customers’ faces.
26. Employee training.
Offer your expertise in training personnel for various businesses. It may be on management strategies, handling staff, enhancing productivity, or helping in formulating a killer sales presentation.
27. Dance and music tutor.
Teach children particular forms of dance, such as ballet, Â jazz, or modern dance. Or teach musical instruments like the piano, guitars, or drums where rates are often quoted on an hourly basis.
Other Business Ideas
Just because you are on your own doesn’t mean you can’t do what regular employers do for a living.
28. Gift wrapping.
Wrap presents for significant corporate events and parties. This particular task may be in demand only on certain occasions such as corporate gifts to employees, so it can be altered with other types of work such as dressmaking, carpooling, or other skills you have.
29. Sales and telemarketing.
Offer communication services and help sell products and services to prospects. This is common for the insurance and finance industries. You can do it on the phone, or you can commute to meet your clients.
30. Direct selling.
Deal for popular multilevel marketing businesses. Conventional products sold are shoes, cosmetics, and home accessories. If you are good at sales talk, the sky is the limit when it comes to your potential income.
31. Sell insurance policies.
You don’t need to be employed at an insurance company. You can partner with various non-competing insurance companies and offer clients a variety of products such as life, medical, property, or car insurance plans.
32. Sell real estate.
Become a licensed real estate agent or broker and have the right to sell attractive real estate properties. This is big money when you have established your presence and gained multiple connections that allow you to earn referral fees for transactions and become a trusted partner in the real estate business.
33. Create accessories.
You can make different jewelry and accessories. It can be bracelets and jewelry, home, or school accessories.
34. Create decorations.
Work with your imagination to make attractive pieces. Wall curtains, artificial plants, placemats, and more. You can visit Pinterest.com for design inspirations.
35. Create pots.
Gardens and parks need vast volumes of pots for plants. This is good for parks, office buildings or residential owners who incline for artistic yet affordable pots.
36. Music instructor.
Teach students different types of musical instruments.
37. Voice instructor.
Teach students how to sing. Roughly equivalent to a music teacher in the school, but you have better focus since you only handle specific types of work.
38. Speech instructor.
Teach people how to speak well and talk in front of an audience. This is good for students and even graduates who wish to ace their interviews or salespeople on how to make a convincing presentation.
39. Dog training.
Teach pets how to become house-trained plus other tricks.
40. Dry cleaning and laundry services.
Offer to keep people’s clothes clean and neat. Since this is a recurring business, taking care of your first clients and offering value-added services are the keys to a successful business.
41. Self-defense coach.
If you know karate or kickboxing, offer lessons.
42. Life coach.
Help people establish their goals in life and help them make crucial decisions.
43. Card making.
Make cards for various special occasions. Personalized birthday, Valentines or Mothers Day cards are often better than printed matter we buy on bookstores and stationery shops.
44. Gardening.
Grow and sell young and adult plants for gardens and parks. Many orchid garden businesses started as a hobby, and the sight of growing plants and beautiful flowers only motivated them to devote more time to expanding their craft.
45. Garage sale.
Sell your old items and other valuable things at a profit. Not only do you free up space at home, but you also make money and help people get something new without paying a premium.
Many of these works can be done concurrently depending on your passion, Â talent, and availability of time and resources. These ideas will quickly provide you with an advantage and extra income. Take note that payments will likely be made via online channels, as well, like PayPal or Xoom. Some clients do direct bank transfers, cheque payments, and bank deposits.