With the economy seemingly heading towards what appears to be a sequel of the Depression of the 1930's, these are very testing times for many people who are merely trying to live a normal day-to-day life. There are so many negative changes in the economy. While the price of everything is going up and earnings remain the same, there is a great urge to find other sources of income. The cost of living is not what is used to be, to say the least. With the increasing cost of gas, groceries, mortgages, insurance and almost any necessity imaginable it seems almost impossible to manage without multiple sources of income.
With that being said, here are seven ways to earn extra income that are practical and may work for you:
Find Part-Time Jobs.
It is not hard as you think! Check out your local newspaper, employment websites, Craig's list or even ask around. Try to find something that you will enjoy doing that will not be too stressful. Here are a few part-time jobs with high annual events and great pay:
1. Teacher's Assistant
2. Receptionist / Information Clerk
3. Personal and Home Care Aides
4. Health Care Aides
5. Landscaping & Grounds Keeping Workers
6. Hotel or Motel and Resort Desk Clerks
7. Producers
8. Talent Directors
9. Singers
10. Graphic Designers
There are many more out there.
Get Paid To Write.
If you enjoy writing articles, there has never been a better time to get paid for your writing skills. Most people who visit a website are searching for some kind of information. The main challenge most website owners face is to provide accurate, accurate, and direct content or information to web users. This is where you come in, to fill this need. You can earn a decent part- time income from Google ad sense for your blogs, paid forums, or websites such as about.com which pay you directly for your articles. You can also write for Academia-Research. As a freelance writer you can also assist customers by developing essays, term papers, thesis, and dissertations that meet customers' unique needs. There are other companies that need your writing skills as well, such as AdAgency1, Associated Content, Auction Bytes' just to name a few. You may also want to consider entering writing contest.
Sell Stuff On EBay.
It's like selling in the world's largest yard sale when you sell stuff on eBay. To be successful you must pay attention to little details in order to separate yourself from the masses. In the game of EBay, it is all about supply and demand. A helpful hint is to research and find what items are in high demand. You can start by selling stuff lying around your house that you do not need, DVDs, CDs etc. Make sure your items stand out, add a picture, and include listing it in the proper categories.
Get Paid For Your Photos.
Do you enjoy photography? Well it's time to get paid for your excellent photographs. There is a demand for images and pictures of just about anything and people just like you are earning an income every month. Many companies will sell your photographs and share the proceeds with you. All you have to do is take the pictures and upload them and wait for them to be downloaded. The good news is that one great photo can be sold / downloaded over and over again. Here is a list of places to start selling your images:
a. 123RF.com
b. Alamy.com
c. associatedcontent.com
d. bigstockphoto.com
e. canstockphoto.com
f. citizenimage.com
g. crestock.com
Get Paid For Your Expertise.
You can offer your services as a freelancer, working from the comfort of your own home. You can have the convenience of setting your own hours and working without supervision. The key to success as a freelancer is to effectively market your self; be disciplined; be persistent; be professional; find focus; and to set and meet deadlines. You can work for people on-or off line. Here is a list of companies who attract thousands of buyers looking for your services:
Elance
Freelance.com
GetAFreelancer
Guru.com
HotGigs
Programmer Meet Designer
Recycled Paper Greetings
Be a Virtual Office Assistant.
As the internet and its effect on the business community evolves the role of the virtual office assistant is becoming more important. What you would normally do in a traditional corporate office can now be done in one's home, in satellite offices, or while traveling. Here is a list of resources to get you connected with clients:
office88.com
officedetails.com
teamdoubleclick.com
voassistant.com
virtualassistantjobs.com
Develop and sell a product.
If you are passionate about a unique idea for a product, go for it! The important thing here is to get started. You would be surprised how things will work in your favor when you start. Allowed your limits to stop you should not even be an option. Like the old saying goes 'where there's a will there's a way'. I have a good friend who designs children's clothing and is currently in the process of producing and marketing a clothing line. He is on his way to great things, and you can be as well.