With the continuing technological advancement of telecommunications, more people are exploring the option of telecommuting -- working from home or elsewhere without having to give attendance at the office.
The reasons for telecommuting or taking up a non-office based job could be numerous. Stay-at-home moms prefer it so they can look after their children, the unemployed make the most of such offers till they find a steady job, others with health concerns may be unable to work from the office and so on.
Here's a few ideas on how to make money while remaining within the confines of your own home. All you need is an Internet connection and a computer. Most of the jobs described here do not require you to be a computer whiz, either -- you just need to have working knowledge of the Internet and programmes like MS Office, Word etc.
~ Set up an online store
This is like owning a retail shop online. You can design your own online store and sell products -- anything from apparel to books, bouquets, accessories, electronics etc. Starting up such a business will not require much of an investment. You will, however, have to be careful about monetary transactions and dispatches, as payments are all made online. If you think, you can't handle the money and logistics part, a better way is to register with an Internet marketplace like eBay.
~ Translation
If you have a good command over two languages, translation could be a very interesting option. If you want to take up some assignments within India, knowing English, Hindi and one regional language is a winning bet. A lot of companies outsource their translation jobs. You can approach them and ask for a contract. Government offices also outsource such assignments; you can try for opportunities with them.
If you know a foreign language and English, it is again a very interesting combination. You can approach a lot of publishers wanting to republish their content in a foreign language. These can be the publishers of books, magazine, software etc. This career can offer you an earning potential of approximately Rs 600 per page!
~ Day-trading
Day-trading in the stock market is a good way of making money from home. All you need is an Internet connection and a demat account. You can make money by operating in the stock market. It is up to you to decide how aggressively you want to operate. While you start speculating, be careful how you are investing your money.
~ Authoring
If you have a good knowledge of any subject, you can get in touch with some publishers to find out if any of them wants to publish a book on the proposed subject. This will give you an opportunity to put your knowledge to good use and utilise your time in a better way while earning money. When you are approaching a publisher for the first time, make sure that you submit a well-drafted proposal, so that you can discuss it in detail. The earning potential in this field depends upon your subject.
~ Proof-reading
Again if you have a good command over a language, you can approach some publishers for a proof-reading job. Any written material, be it a book or online content, needs to be proof-read before actual publication. This presents a good opportunity to those who have a good command over language. You can earn anything from Rs 7000-10,000 to start with.
~ Blogging
If you know your subject well, you can start blogging it. Good content will attract a lot of traffic and hence advertising. You can gain monetary benefits through Google Adsense and other advertisements.
~ Moderating a forum
You can apply to work as a moderator for a forum. There are various forums on the Internet which need moderators. If the job interests you, it presents a good work-from-home opportunity. Usually a forum moderator is paid based on the revenue the forum generates. This should be able to earn you something around Rs 10,000-15,000 per month.
~ Graphic designing
This is a creative field which needs an interest in creativity and a knowledge of working on software. Anything starting from a visiting card to an advertisement needs graphic designing. So, if you have a flair for creativity and knowledge of creating graphics, this could be another interesting field. The earning potential in this field depends on the size of assignment. Designing an A4 size ad for a medium level company should be able to fetch you somewhere around Rs 3,000-Rs 5,000.
~ Typing
Every organisation needs documents to be typed. You can approach some organisations to see if some of them are ready to outsource it to you. Also, you can find some opportunities on Internet. The payments here are made on page basis. This job can get you anywhere from Rs 100-500 per page, depending upon the company and the language you need to type in.
~ Content writing
Many online and print magazines actually pay freelancers to write for them. If this interests you, this field offers some really worthwhile opportunities. You will see many websites advertising for content from freelancers. Approach them and see if there's an opportunity for you. The earning potential this job offers also varies with the company and subject. You can earn anything from Rs 500-4000 per article.
You may ask, how do I get a work-from-home opportunity? The best option is to explore if there's an opportunity with your current employer to work from home, or look up online vacancies. If that is not possible or you are not interested in doing it, you will have to graduate from the university of hard knocks and make your own way freelancing.
The personal qualities you will need to ensure that you are successful in your working from home assignment are:
~ Self-discipline
~ Commitment
~ Maturity
~ Productivity
~ Self-motivation
So, if you think you have the qualities that a home-based job needs, start working on your options now.
Kshipra Singh is a contributor to www.CareerRide.com, a website that addresses technical and personal aspects of an IT interview. CareerRide also porvides sample CVs and interview questionnaires.