Boost your Income: 10 Great Online Business Opportunities

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Thinking of ditching your nine to five? Looking for a possible entrepreneurial adventure? Or how about, just want to make a few extra bucks?

Whichever one it is, there are many opportunities for those wishing to experiment with online work. So put your skills up for the test, or acquire new ones. And who knows where it can end? Many ventures start out small.  Here’s a  list of 10 great online business opportunities to start your engines with.

Blog for Pay

The blogosphere has been showing a steady growth for quite some years. Great news for bloggers. It means content contributors are on demand. If you’re into writing or even have your own blog, why not offer your skills? Cover stories, talk to the world and earn some cash in the process. Job boards like Problogger, or Blogging pro are updated daily with new opportunities for talented post writers. If you are particularly knowledgeable or interested in exploring a particular field, look for sites that require bloggers related to that topic.  It’s a great way to earn an extra income as you get paid per post and you can accomplish it in your free time.

Get your Skills to Work in an Online Marketplace.

Web 2.0 brought with it a new breed of freelancing that lets any online professional  offer their services. Sites like Elance and Vworker  allow companies to advertise for a helping hand. Freelancers and small businesses then bid for the project. These sites are built wisely and efficiently to assure smooth communication and trusted transfer of money. This makes outsourcing easy and enables many people to work independently and manage their own projects. Services offered on these marketplaces can be anything from web research to statistical analysis to design and coding. Depending on your field, you may run into large competition.  But if you build a name for yourself by getting good reviews from your buyers, chances are you’ll get fairly consistent work.

Do some “GigWalk’ing”

Gigwalk is a “labor marketplace” that connects businesses with an immediate, mobile workforce. The idea is that if a businesses needs something simple done at a shop or other physical location,  they can put a job up on Gigwalk for people carrying smartphones who happen to be in that immediate vicinity. Most jobs are things almost anyone can do, for example, taking high quality photographs of houses. To become a Gigwalker you have to download the app which connects you through GPS to available gigs near your physical location.

Earn Money Taking Online Surveys

Consumer data is a valuable resource for any company and the internet has made it far easier to get that data. There are plenty of companies that are willing to pay you to participate in online surveys, focus groups, and even product tests.  You may not be able to quit your day job but it’s a good way to get a few extra dollars in your pocket or to receive some nice usable rewards, gift cards and e-certificates. Some services ask you to pay money to join their database, ignore those! Many good, reliable services will let you join for free and get you working right away. Check out SurveyHead and  MySurvey to get started.

Start an eBay Business

True, eBay’s been around for over 15 years but it’s still a fantastic platform for people looking for an easy side gig. You can start out very small on eBay by looking around your house and finding unused items that are just lying out there. Some of this stuff is actually really good so why not sell it on eBay and make a little extra money?
If you’re thinking of plunging into eBay more seriously and selling wholesale goods, there are plenty of guides to start with. Learn how to start an eBay business step by step.

Make Money Writing SEO Articles

SEO articles are easy to write. Yes, you need some writing skills, but most of all, you need to master SEO guidelines. It’s an easy to acquire skill that will come in handy. If you find you’re able to produce a keyword rich article in about 25 minutes you can offer this craft through  freelancer.com or by searching job boards.

Ever Tried Podcasting?

Think of it as video blogging. Create a guide or a series of tutorials relating to your hobby or even your profession. A well played series of how-to’s on a trending topic can go a long way. It may seem like a bit of a stretch, but some people made quite astounding enterprises out of podcasting. For inspiration, check out Don McAllister of ScreenCastsOnline, he started out with video tutorials on Mac and today his networks offers a huge range of excellent tech videos.  When beginning your podcasting venture, you can start with just one series of poscasts.  You can always earn a few dollars  by advertising on YouTube.

Sell Goods/Services on Social Marketplaces

Social networks have merged with online marketplaces to create a new breed of money making opportunities. Sites like Fiverr, or Fivebiz are places where you can offer your skills and get paid per gig . The awesome thing about these networks is that you can put some of your less ordinary skills up on the board. People make money singing birthday songs, creating reviews, or giving coaching advice.  If you have a talent or skill that you think you can bring to the game, go ahead and advertise it. The more positive reviews you receive, the higher amount of gigs you will certainly sell.

Sell Photos on Stock Photography Sites

If people are often impressed by your photographic genius on Facebook, maybe you’re destined for greatness. Or maybe you’re destined for earning a few additional dollars on stock photo sites. In any case, getting your photos up for public eyes has never been easier.  You can instantly build up your secondary income by joining a few stock photo sites and collect your earnings.  Where can you upload and sell your photos? Check out our list of stock photo sites.

Virtually Assist other Web Workers

Small businesses desperately need help running their businesses and to many of them outsourcing assistants has become routine.  As a virtual assistant, you might do anything from typing to bookkeeping, to e- marketing, depending on your set of skills. This can be a good source of income for people looking to work from home but also need spare time for family time or for developing their own business idea. You can make $20 and up an hour doing this sort of work (depending on your expertise). Try this online board  to get started.