In 2013, one out of every ten Americans who worked full-time also worked part-time. This figure is expected to rise in the coming years. Individuals can and should take advantage of additional revenue streams in the same way that businesses do. Unfortunately, learning how to do so is often a long and difficult process. If you want to earn more money but don’t have the time or resources to invest in additional training, there are numerous ways to make money using the skills you already have.
Digital content must be marketed, sold, and delivered.
Everyone has that one odd skill that they use as a party trick or to impress their children. It’s sometimes a useless skill, but it’s usually something you learned while working to pay for college. Bottom line: Don’t let that skill, along with the knowledge you’ve gained, go to waste.
Kajabi is a platform that allows you to sell your knowledge online. The platform enables businesses and individuals to create online courses to share knowledge and even monetize content. You can use the platform to market, sell, and deliver information products online, as well as create a website to expand your audience. According to the company, its users have sold content worth more than $350 million, ranging from marketing tips for home business owners to DIY plumbing.
Earn money by answering simple questions.
It’s simple to make extra money with sites like JustAnswer. Simply provide evidence of your expertise in one of several areas, answer questions, and get paid on JustAnswer. Maven and CreatePool are similar platforms, but they also allow you to do small jobs in your field. With Maven and CreatePool, you set your own rate, giving you the opportunity to earn significantly more. However, the finder’s fees can be expensive. Be prepared to pay a hefty commission of up to 20% to both companies.
However, computers cannot replace human intelligence.
Mechanical Turk (MTurk) by Amazon gives users access to on-demand jobs, surveys, and tasks that require human intelligence to complete. MTurk’s slogan emphasizes the platform’s vision – “Artificial Artificial Intelligence.” There’s something here for everyone, designed to assist professionals, academics, businesses, and IT experts in completing tasks that require human intelligence. Most jobs don’t pay much, but the small amount you earn from each short task can quickly add up to a decent side income.
Use Skype and Google Hangouts to your advantage.
Do you have a one-of-a-kind skill set or hobby? Services like Skype and Google Hangouts can provide a path to a lucrative side income if you’re willing to invest in marketing yourself. Offer lessons via Skype or Hangouts to save on travel time, expand your customer base, and profit from skills that others value (like playing an instrument or tutoring). If you work in medicine (human or animal), you can perform a ‘house call’ from anywhere in the world using Livestream, or you can expand the services you already provide to your clients.
Online advice or consulting services are available.
PrestoExperts and SmallBizAdvice operate on a similar model to Maven and CreatePool, offering you the opportunity to earn money online by giving advice or providing consulting services. There are numerous sites like these, and many (like SmallBizAdvice) are niche-specific, allowing you to target your services to an audience that is already interested in working with you.
Use your expertise to host webinars.
While Skype and Google Hangouts allow users to work one-on-one with clients, ClickMeeting and other webinar hosting services offer a different way to make extra money with live video. Rather than targeting an individual, provide webinars and live classes that teach your audience how to do something – from using essential oils to building furniture or investing in the stock market – to an audience ranging in size from a small group to tens of thousands. With a little marketing effort, you can sell a webinar or class on it if you can teach it.
Offer eBooks and whitepapers for sale.
Your company may be missing out on a simple and quick source of profit. You can turn eBooks and whitepapers into lucrative income streams by repurposing existing content, adding a little more information, and marketing wisely. Because of your intelligent reuse of content and knowledge of your industry, you require very little time commitment. Amazon.com has long been the dominant eBook platform, but you can also sell whitepapers and eBooks on your own website or through other channels. iBooks, for example, is a popular alternative to Amazon that provides more interactive and high-tech options than traditional eBooks.
The list above is only a small sample of the numerous opportunities available to supplement your income by utilizing your existing skills. To be successful in any of the above, you must be able to present yourself in writing. Remember that aside job is something you do in addition to your regular job. Don’t let it take your attention away from your current responsibilities. That being said, if you’re ready to make your side job your full-time job and you’re making enough money on the side, go for it. Just make sure you keep your boss updated and don’t burn any bridges in the process.