With a new and much more contagious strain of COVID-19 on the loose. The U.S. is becoming stricter with lockdown protocols once again. Although the new strain hasn’t shown any evidence of being deadlier, it is said to be 70% more contagious than the original strain. During the first few months of the pandemic, plenty of businesses were forced to close down. While others shifted to a remote work set up. Before the new strain was discovered, lockdown protocols were becoming less strict. It allowed some businesses to open once again. Now that a new and more contagious strain has been discovered. We can expect businesses to start closing down for a second time. But we can also expect more online businesses to show up.
While the traditional brick-and-mortar businesses closed down, ecommerce seems to have grown exponentially amidst the pandemic. Businesses, both big and small, have decided to turn to the internet to find a way to earn money during the lockdown. With a very contagious virus spreading, e-commerce seems to be the most logical and safest solution to make a profit during these times. If you’re looking to do the same, here are four things you can do to make money online and at home:
1. Sell products or services
There are tons of things you can sell online. Both physical and digital products and services. If you had a business before the pandemic, thinking of what to sell may be easier for you. All that is left for you to do is find a platform in which you can sell your product or service. If it’s a physical product you can always rely on social media to be your main platform. You can also create your own website or sell your products on Amazon. Here’s a list of things other people are selling to inspire you:
- Food products
- Jewelry
- Clothing
- Arts and crafts
- Self-care products such as soaps, beauty products, and skincare products
- Custom coins such as custom military coins or commemorative coins
- Print-on demand products such as mugs, t-shirts, and phone cases
- Niche-based gift baskets or subscription boxes
2. Try freelancing
If you know you have a skill that you’re good at and is something in demand. You should try freelancing. Common freelancing jobs include writing, web designing, programming, bookkeeping, editing, or marketing. But almost any job and skill can be freelanced. Freelancing is a great way to earn money because it allows you to work on your own time and with multiple clients. You get to choose how much you work and when. As great as it is, though, freelancing isn’t easy to get into, especially if you don’t know how to market yourself. It’s a good thing there are freelance marketplaces that make it easy for freelancers to find clients. Here’s a list of freelance marketplaces you should check out:
- Upwork
- Freelancer
- Fiverr
- Craigslist
- Guru
- Toptal
- Mechanical Turk
- FlexJobs
- People Per Hour
- Freelancermap.com
3. Find work-from-home job opportunities
If you aren’t used to freelancing and are looking for something more stable. There are plenty of job opportunities on the internet that can be done remotely, such as:
- English teacher
- Transcriptionist
- SEO Writer
- Bookkeeper
- Virtual Assistant
- Sales Agent
- Anything IT related
- Customer Service Representative
- Focus Group Participant
- Contact Tracer
These are only a few examples of remote work that you can look into. These are all good-paying jobs; you will be able to earn anywhere between $9 to $80 an hour.
4. Website monetization
This includes anything related to the internet — from website design to becoming a social media influencer. You can start a blog and earn money from offering ad space on your website. Or you could become a Youtuber and earn money from views. Almost anything is possible with the help of the internet.
Although the pandemic has put us all in an awfully bad place, especially for business owners and those who had to be laid-off, there is a big opportunity in ecommerce these days. If you’re looking to make a profit during the pandemic, ecommerce is your biggest chance of earning. With the new strain of COVID-19 spreading, it might be a while before things can go back to normal. If you try one of the four suggestions mentioned above, you will make a living. It might not be as ideal as your previous situation, but it is still something to be thankful for. Any means to earn a profit during a time like this is something to be thankful for.
