A growing number of people are leaving their office jobs to make a living from the comfort of their own home. Whether they make the change to fit around childcare, to earn a little extra in retirement, to enable them to travel or to simply get away from the hustle and bustle of 9-5 office life, remote working provides a sense of freedom and enables many people who may otherwise have been unable to work to get back into employment. You really don’t need a lot of equipment to get you started when working from home, and to prove that, here are 6 jobs you can do with just a laptop or desktop computer.
- Become a transcriptionist
Transcriptionists earn an income by typing up audio such as interviews, conference calls, sales calls or the legal proceedings for a legal transcription service. The easiest way to find transcription work is by working with a transcription service provider but you can also offer your services as a freelancer through the internet. To get started as a transcriptionist you will need to have good hearing and be able to type quickly. Transcription jobs are usually paid per minute of audio though some may pay by the number of words. You can easily get started as a transcriptionist with just your computer speakers, however, you may want to use headphones if you have a lot of background noise. - Write a blog
Blogs account for a pretty large chunk of the internet and many people earn a decent income through simply writing and publishing their thoughts online. Although blogging may not become a full-time career for everyone, it is a great way to earn a little extra cash on the side. If you are passionate about something, literally anything, then consider setting up a blog about it. As your traffic grows and more people visit your site you start to own a valuable piece of the internet, you can then earn money through display advertising, sponsored content and affiliate links. It’s important to note that most blogs don’t become big moneymakers overnight and so your blog may need to be your side hustle for a few years before it makes you any significant return. - Offer copywriting services
If you can write consistently with the correct spelling, punctuation and grammar then a job as a copywriter could be the one for you. Copywriters often work freelance and write blog posts, articles, reviews and press releases for a number of different clients. There are a number of websites out there dedicated to pairing freelancers with clients or allowing freelancers to submit their work for sale. Copywriting is a very varied job and you will find yourself writing on a number of different topics for all manner of audiences. - Deliver online tutorage
If you have a particular skill or qualification then you could earn very decent money as an online tutor. Online tutors deliver lessons to people from all over the world, from students looking to brush up on their maths to adults looking to learn a new language before they travel. Whatever your skill, there will be someone looking to learn it. There are dedicated online tutorage websites out there that can help pair you with pupils, however, they do take a small portion of your fee. You can also set up as freelance and advertise your services elsewhere such as through your own website. You’ll deliver your lesson through communication software such as Skype, Zoom or Google Hangouts so all you’ll need is a computer that supports a webcam and a working microphone. - Complete online surveys and tasks
Did you know that you can get paid for simply filling out surveys or conducting specific tasks of the internet? That’s right, get paid for your opinion. Most survey and task jobs aren’t highly paid but they require little skill and can help to subsidise your income in your free time. Some sites pay cash, others in coupons and vouchers, so be sure to look into their payment terms before signing up. - Test Websites
To make sure that their websites are user-friendly many companies enlist the help of website testers. You’ll be sent to a website, asked to perform a task or have a look around and then deliver you feedback. Sites may be new or have existed for a while and with your comments, they will be able to fine-tune their design to help them generate more leads and more hits. The average pay for website testing is about $10 per test but this does rise depending on the length of the test. You will require a computer and a working microphone as many sites ask that you read aloud your thoughts whilst conducting the test.
