Top 10 Legitimate Work From Home Jobs
by Fred Roed on 29/06/09 at 2:32 pm
72 comments
At Ideate, we get a lot of request for information on legitimate work from home jobs. While making money from home has become all the rage recently, especially with the rise of the web (and with it, internet home business opportunities), it seems that our audience still need some prompting on where they can make their moolah from home.
So, without further ado, here are our top 10 work from home business ideas:
1. T
ranslation
Here’s where those Spanish lessons you took at school can finally come in handy. So what if you only did them thinking that it would be your ticket through Latin America while you learn how to surf? If you know German, Italian, French, Portuguese, or the biggie, Mandarin, you’re in the money. Place your free ad on Gumtree or Craigslist and you can start raking in the orders.
What you need?
Dictionaries for all the languages you know.
Where to start?
- Advertise online on directory sites
- Contact the relevant embassies and consuls in your area to let them know you’re available.
- Language schools are also a great source of referrals here, so look them up online and give them a ring to let them know you’re around.
2. Teach English
This is a no-brainer. English is the de-facto standard of the web, and hence the new frontier of business – especially in exporting stuff online. Everyone wants to learn the language of our old colonial oppressors… so brush up your grammar and get teaching.
What you need?
A dictionary and an active sense of humour, especially when teaching Eastern bloc, Chinese or Indian visitors to the country. You’ll do well to download Skype, since a lot of folks will contact you via the net.
Where to start?
- Varsity College if you need to get qualified
- Gumtree or Craig’s List to advertise to all the migrant workers visiting the country, as well as the sons, wives and daughters of visiting dignitaries and business people.
3. Website content writer
Every website needs content. Every website owner is too busy to write content. Hey presto: a gap in the market! Fire up your laptop, google “writing for web” and tell your friends that you’re a bonafide copy-writer. Despite your lack of experience, chances are pretty strong that you’ll churn out better content than 99% of the crap out there.
What you need?
Home pc with a good internet connection.
Where to start?
- Freelance directory sites out there (Google it, there are loads)
4. Product photographer
You got a 10mp digicam for Christmas, but the only pics you’ve taken are of your cat and the potplant. Instead of sitting at home checking your non-existent bank balance every five minutes, why not fashion a quick infinity curve in your garage and start snapping? There are many, many product sites being launched every day (E-commerce is on the rise, fast, and products pics will be in demand). Odds are that some of these new sites will need a cheap alternative to updating their stock online.
What you need?
You’ll need a camera, the curve, some lights, a laptop, an internet connection and some photo-editing software.
Where to start?
- Digital Camera sites to get the gear
- Photo directory sites to advertise your wares
5. Home baker
Your mom’s old recipes are not necessarily only to entertain your book club once a month. There are hundreds of corner shops, market stalls, schools and churches who will gladly pay for your cooking goodness. Make sure you do your sums when charging for them, though. It’s easy to short sell yourself in the catering business.
What you need? A decent oven, and some cooking tools. A blog (you can also use your Facebook page) is also a good idea to write about your recipes and publish some pics of your gastronomic greatness.
Where to start?
- Your local printer to design a little knock n’ drop brochure to distribute to your neighbourhood’s homes and businesses.
6. Internet marketing
Web marketing is a fast growing industry and there’s more than enough work out there. Once you figure it out, it’s actually a nice little earner – you can charge a few grand a month for your services and once you hit 10 clients, you’re doing quite nicely thank you very much. The only thing is that this industry is notoriously unstable, and you’ll have to keep your wits about you to stay on top of this fickle game.
What you need? Laptop, internet and subscriptions to SEOmoz, Internet Marketing Centre, Daily blog and the 1000’s of other services out there.
Where to start?
- Find a small business networking group near you, something like BNI, which is cost effective and perfect for getting you in touch with your target market.
7.Music teacher
Who’d a thunk? Your many hours of recorder, piano and violin lessons actually will come in handy. Depending on how good you are there are many adults, adolescents and children out there searching for their inner Tchaikovsky. A good start is to contact some of the schools in your area and sound-proof your walls.
What you need?
A nice quiet room, where you can finally put your piano / guitar / violin, / recorder / triangle to good use.
Where to start?
- Get a little brochure designed by a local designer (again, the printer should have an inhouse graphic designer to knock something up) and get it out there.
- Directory sites like Gumtree and Craig’s List
8. Personal shopper
Believe it or not, there are loads of people out there without a heck of a lot of time on their hands. Hey, you got time right? You can offer it to these poor rich folk in order to bend their credit cards on all the various trinkets that they need on a weekly basis – from food to toys, gifts to underwear.
What you need?
Time. A good eye for what’s in – the Internet will help to keep you on top of the trends.
Where to start?
Again: Gumtree or Craig’s List are great for these kinds of services.
9. Pet chef
You’re one of those weird tree-hugging, liberal animal rights activists. No one EVER took you seriously. Until now. Just wait til those haters see you RAKE in the bucks by preparing meals for rich people’s pets. Yep, you heard me. Rich folk will actually pay you to cook gourmet meals for their imported Saluki’s, their Russian Blue’s or their pure-bred Shitzu’s. Call it a guilt thing. They don’t have time to love them. However, they DO have money to pay YOU to feed them. Make it happen.
What you need?
Pet ingredients. Thick skin.
Where to start?
- Get to your post office and get them to distribute your business card to the rich suburbs in your area. If you can, make your business card interesting, like having alitte bite cut out of it, or designed in the shape of a bone… something like that, y’know?
10.Book keeper
If you’re male, you’ve spent the last few years in a cubicle. If you’re female, you’ve spent the last few years popping out your 2 kids. Your head is about to explode. You need an outlet. You’ve got dreams. You want to make real money. It just so happens you’re good at maths. What can you do? Ok… so there’s not much else than becoming a book keeper. (Sorry.) But, you know what? It’s not that bad. You can make a good living, and your expenses are low. Give it a go, and save up for that Mauritius getaway (if you can find babysitters for 2 weeks!)
What you need?
QuickBooks. A laptop.
Where to start?
- Correspondence school to get qualified
- Gumtree, Craig’s List to advertise
Post your suggestions and links in the comments. We’d love to hear feedback and thoughts on working from home ideas.
Fred Roed is the marketing guy in the Ideate crew. Fred is the CEO of web marketing company World Wide Creative and the co-founder of online learning portal Heavy Chef. Fred loves writing about people out there doing marketing right. Follow Fred on Twitter here. View more articles by Fred Roed.
Tags: job offer, work from home
Fred Roed
Mar 22nd, 2011
You’re welcome Star.
vdmerwe
Mar 23rd, 2011
hi
seen your list and i joined these guys, so far thy kept to their promises
http://www.smartjob.co.za
vendgalaxy
Mar 23rd, 2011
Hi Hendrick,
have you actually BEEN PAID by Paytel yet? If so, i’d be interested! You know i only advertise programmes from which i’ve received payment! It is no guarentee that anyone else will be paid though.
I’ve recently received payment from a South African PTC (Paid To Click) site. This i immediately re-invested! Mosey on over to my blog if you’re interested.
I try as much as possible to support LOCAL , but I’ve had my share of dissapointments though. Some long stories and some short…i’ll keep to the latter for now!
savvas
Apr 2nd, 2011
Godd day all, i am enquiring about this opportunity and how one gets started as i have no idea. This is for my parents who live in Hermanus South Africa. Any advise would be greately appreciate.
regards
Savvas Augusti
vendgalaxy
Apr 3rd, 2011
Hi Sawas,
i’d like to help, but i need you to be a bit more specific regarding the opportunity you’re interested in!
If you refer to the programmes i’m talking about, you can visit my site at http://www.vendgalaxy.blogspot.com for more info. Should you still be uncertain or need more information, do leave a comment on the blog or email me. I’ll be glad to assist.
vendgalaxy
Apr 8th, 2011
Hi alursuave,
you should see this forum as a place where you can make a valuable contribution to the discussion, whether to give advice, ask a question or at the very least make a comment…..not just post a link…and a link without a description of what’s it’s for or where it’ll take us!! What cheek..!! You’ll not get any fans that way! You’re preying on people who don’t know better and want to find some honest means to fill a gap or two in their pockets.
I’d strongly suggest to the admin. to have your ‘link’ removed.
Fred Roed
Apr 8th, 2011
That comment has been removed and the contributor marked as spam.
vendgalaxy
Apr 14th, 2011
Hi mybeatfuzz,
the fact that you’re posting these links is evidence that you didn’t read the comments on the forum and you’re just interested in spamming your links. Don’t you guys ever learn…..
Do yourself a favour and apologise or as a minimum read the previous posts….maybe you’ll pick up a hint or two regarding netiquette!!!
Thabo
Sep 13th, 2011
Hi I’m going to study next year and my parents cant afford to pay for accommodation and school fees at the same time so i have been looking for a home job that i can do that is promising , but i find nothing please help at least if i can pay for my accommodation and help my parents please help i have INTERNET access and a computer.
Gail
Sep 17th, 2011
I’m a disabled lady desperately looking for work to do from home. I have lots of admin, telesales & typing experience.
Most of the “Work from home” jobs require and upfront fee – I’ve already paid out close on R1′000 and received no work. Any idea where I can try where NO fees are required??
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Natasha Steyn
Oct 24th, 2011
Can any one help with a suggestion as to how I can make some serious money and which option to take to get started on a work from home project that will make money and not just cost money. I am a serious candidate and burnt my fingers with this work from home scams more then once. I trust you understand my sceptisism. PLEASE HELP.
sardon
Oct 29th, 2011
Well, Ive been looking for an online work from home since i have access to full time internet connection,my concern is,is there really an online work from home or is this just a dog eats dog field which captures victims taking advantage their last bit of hope to pay large amount of money before work can be “awarded” to a person.Please help, we really need a straight,simple and forward solution
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Natalie
Nov 21st, 2011
To everyone looking to work from home – its all a bunch of nonsense!! Every one advertising job opportunities from home is an absolute criminal! If anyone can PROVE me wrong, I DARE you to leave a legitimate link bleow my comment
Fred Roed
Nov 21st, 2011
Hiya Natalie – sounds like you have been burned. There are tonnes of good businesses that are operating from home, but I agree that there are also a lot of scams out there that ask for your money with not much in return.
Personally I think that people should avoid things that promise get rich quick schemes and rather try one of the items listed above.
Natalie
Nov 22nd, 2011
Hi, Sorry about the outburst, I had a really bad day. All I am looking for is good honest work. I am prepared to work hard, I don’t expect to get rich quick.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll check them out.
Fred Roed
Nov 22nd, 2011
No worries – it happens to all of us : ) Let us know how it goes.
Jacqueline
Nov 28th, 2011
Hi,
I am looking for something for my dad. He had a stroke in 2009 and finds it very hard to talk to people face to face now. Nothing wrong with his mind though, still sharp as a tack! Please let me know if there is anything/anywhere I can find something for him. He is really struggling although us kids send money every month to help him out. He needs to feel that he is earning his way in life again. Thanks so much!!
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Tess
Nov 28th, 2011
Thanks Fred for writing this article.
To Natalie, and everybody else thinking that working from home is “all a bunch of nonsense”: it’s not. It definitely works! …or all of us digital nomads wouldn’t do what we do.
I’ve been working from home for many years now, and can’t imagine going into an office anymore (which is one of the downsides of being an online entrepreneur…office life become scary)
Yes, initially it might require you to work harder than you did when working in an office, and you will probably have to change many of your ways, but it’s worth it…or we wouldn’t keep doing it.
If you’re into online work, then register on the many freelance networks out there – especially focusing on the freelance job sites specializing in your field.
Get involved, be social, ask questions, do your research.
I warmly recommend to start off with free work (if you’re in a position to do so), for example with translations, content writing, catering friends’ events etc. The experience and references you gain will help you get the paid work, so make sure you get those LinkedIn recommendations, testimonials etc to show your potential paying clients.
Also, remember that you can look outside South Africa for online work – there are many freelance networks around the world that pays out via Paypal, Payoneer, or bank transfer.
Best of luck to all of you – if you put your mind to it, you can do anything!
Cheers,
Tess
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