Has it always been your dream to start your own business? I know it was always mine. Luckily, with the internet being so available in this day and age, starting your own business online is super easy.
The benefits of an online business
One the main benefits of having an online business is that a lot of the time, there are very low start up costs. Another obvious perk is that you can work in your bed if you wanted to!
Caught the travel bug?
Another benefit is, you can work from anywhere in the world that has wifi access. This is a great option if you have that wanderlust spirit in you.
Stay at home parents
One reason I wanted an online business was so that I didn’t have to leave my house, unless I really wanted to! I know a lot of parents wish to be able to stay at home with their kids, and this enables them to do so, while making some money too!
Escape your 9-5
I know this is a dream for most people. And we all have our own reasons as to why we want to leave a 9-5 job
- you hate the commute
- you don’t want to deal with answering to a boss everyday
- you want to work on your own terms
- you want to be able to travel the world more
- you don’t want to have to send your kids to daycare
Whatever the case may be, starting an online business is one of the best things I’ve ever done!
My online business
I will touch base more on my online business journey some other time, but I will tell you this.
Blogging is currently my favourite source of income right now, and what I’m focusing the most on currently. You can see how I make money with a blog and some starter information here.
But I get it, blogging may not be for everyone.
Luckily, there are plenty other ways to make money online!
Transcriber
Finally! Something to put your typing skills to use. As a teen, I used to hit up the chat rooms and forums quite a bit. It’s actually kinda scary now that I think about it.
Well, if you’re quick at typing, transcription work may be for you.
There are general transcribers, which transcribe audio or video files in all sorts of industries.
There are also legal transcribers, which require all the skills of a general one, but with the added knowledge of legal terminology and documentation.
Not only are transcribers in high demand, but they make great income also.
The average transcriber makes $45,000 USD. Legal transcribers make about $60,000 USD.
If you prefer to work part time, see this story from a new mom who only transcribes part time during her son’s nap. She is making an extra $2400 a month, just from working a few hours a day during the weekdays!
To see if transcribing is for you, Transcribe Anywhere offers a free mini course that you can sign up to to try it out.
You may also like: Make money by doing surveys!
Proofreading
Are you a grammar Nazi? Irked by terrible punctuation?
Here’s an in-demand job that allows you to work from anywhere in the world, that also allows you to make some decent coin.
Proofreaders are making $40,000 USD a year, and are paid to use their eagle eye abilities to find spelling, punctuation and grammar errors.
If you’re curious if this is a career for you, sign up for a free webinar here to learn more about the life of a proofreader.
Scoping (editing transcripts for court reporters)
A scopist is someone who takes the audio AND transcripts from a court reporter, and edits the transcript to make sure it’s all cleaned up.
Excellent punctuation, word use, and vocabulary skills are essential.
Scopists can work anywhere in the world, and make anywhere between $30,000-$50,000 per year on average.
Scopeschool has been around since 1999 and is consistently recommended by the National Court Reporters Association and has a proven track record for producing successful, competent scopists.
Their school offers a monthly payment plan of as little as $233. WAAAAY cheaper than any college tuition.
Not sure if you’re ready? They offer a FREE mini course that you can take to see if this is something for you.
Virtual Bookkeeper
Bookkeeping isn’t new or out of the ordinary, but with so many businesses operating online now, bookkeeping is a job that is pretty location independent.
As the business owner, you choose who you want to work with, and where!
People often mix up bookkeepers with accountants. Though they are both very important for your finances, they are completely different.
A bookkeeper keeps tracks of all a business’ earnings and expenses. They keep a record of your receipts, invoices, payroll, etc.
An accountant can help give you taxation advice and planning, auditing, and managing your finances, and they can help with filing your taxes.
Bookkeeper Business Launch is the only online course that I’ve found of its kind. My brother has taken it and has nothing but praise for the instructor and the community.
They offer a 3-part video series for you to learn more about bookkeeping and if it’s the way to go for you. Sign up here for free.
Start Your Own E-commerce Store
Before blogging, I thought that the only way to make money online was to create or source products and sell them in an online shop, like on eBay, Etsy or creating your own store.
I’ve used Profitable Online Store to help me create 2 online stores several years ago. I learned SO much in this course. How to build a website, how to get people to find your store, how to research if your idea is viable, and the different types of e-commerce businesses. Seriously, there is SO much info!
I have since moved away from this online business model, but I do credit this course as a great beginning to my online biz journey.
If you’ve always wanted to create your own store online, I highly suggest this course!
Great article, Mary. Thanks for including those free course suggestions!