This is called “analysis to paralysis“. Perhaps you might have heard this saying before.
Believe me, I’ve been guilty of doing this myself many times in the past. We tend to find excuses for all sorts of reasons. Don’t worry though, it is human and we all do it at some stages in life. Once you know where you tend to be more hesitant and why, it will be easier for you to overcome those hurdles. Often procrastination is based on fear alone. Fear of the unknown.
If you are in the market for some extra income, you will enjoy the following resources. They are all a good start as individual income earners. You can pick your favorite or try them all.
- Get Paid To Write Articles
MPAM is a great website to become cash flow positive pretty much from the moment you go with article writing. The first month is free and if you write only 4 articles, you will be in the plus. When I left them late last year they were paying $10 per 400 word article, which is a good place to start. They do offer way more than just payment for articles, but I suggest until you earn some decent money, skip their extra opportunities. They will only confuse you.
Also, whatever you do, don’t bother with their hosting. It’s crap, because the space you get is very limited and once you upgrade from the basic plan it becomes very expensive. From memory, their membership is around $30/month.
Job sites like Guru, ScriptLance and Elance allow you to sign up for free and create an account to bid for job listings. While some of them (mainly ScriptLance) don’t often offer high paying article writing jobs, you should still be able to find some good starting deals to get you going.
These are only a start as there are many more job sites available to get you up and running fast. Most newcomers are a little unsure on how to proceed with these platforms. My advice would be to sign up, then create an profile that looks decent enough by listing your abilities. After that, spend some time (ten minutes) watching the current going bids to get familiar with the site. Then start bidding. At this stage only use the free options. You can always upgrade later on once you earn money to score even better paying jobs.
- Offer Your Coaching Services
Many people underestimate their abilities to teach others. Regardless of what you know and where your experience lies, there is somebody out there who wants to learn what you know. Even better, some people want you to have their money because they are desperate for knowledge.
Coaching can become a wonderful income stream for you. The only way to find out is by doing it. There are no rules and guidelines in what you need to or have to do.
In fact, you can just wing it and see what becomes of it. The one thing you do need for better chances of success if your own website, preferably designed for this purpose alone.
Naturally, you would have to promote this site. What most people often forget is their own circle of friends to get them started. Just listen to what people say around you. What do they wish they knew? If you are good at cooking for example and your friends suck at boiling eggs, you could offer private tuition.
If you struggle to think of some ideas to get your started, here are a few. Music, sports, languages, cooking, personal development, health & wellness, etc.
- Become a Pro-blogger
Pro-bloggers are bloggers who get paid for doing so by a vast range of clients. Think real estate, Internet marketing, lawyers, entrepreneurs, health, etc. These are all potential clients for you. You might even find a local company willing to offer you a go.
Pro-blogging is big part of my own freelance writing business and responsible for at least 50% of my monthly income. I fell into this by accident, but have loved every minute of it because the work is so versatile. I never get bored writing for all my various clients.
Not only that. As a pro-blogger you learn so much, you become an expert on many topics because of the research you have to put into your work. It’s great fun and allows you to connect with the world.
Isn’t really that hard to find pro-blogging jobs. There are many job sites, such as Problogger’s very own Job Board to get you started. Initially, the pay might be on the lower end until you are established, but who is to complain with cash flow? It won’t cost you a cent upfront to become a pro-blogger and you could be up and running today with your first job. Other great sites to find a paid blogging job are Freelance Writing Gigs and CraigsList.
These three methods will pay you, if you are serious about earning extra cash flow. It is also important to note that you can’t expect wonders overnight and certainly not riches either. But in all honesty, if you get started and stick with it you should be seeing a nice income after 3-6 months.
If you have questions, or would like to share your own experience with these sites, please use the comment section below.
Monika