Stay home! Make money!

At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, there are a myriad of ways to generate an income from your own home.  Flexible scheduling, cost-savings for your commute, and the ability to have Casual Friday every day (I will not disclose the proportion of my work time actually spent in pajamas) are all reasons enough to consider work from home options. Whether you’re looking to earn a little extra cash, or make this your full-time gig, there are viable ways to generate income.

No get rich quick scheme

Rest assured; setting yourself up with a home-based business takes time. Like a lot of time. To make sure you’re successful, you need a plan in place.

You need an area in your home that you can dedicate (preferably one with a door that closes- if need be).  Determine how many hours a day that you can dedicate as well- and be realistic- especially if you’ve got kids at home with you.

Treat working at home like working at the office. That means focus. No TV, no procrastinating in the kitchen making a snack, no saying “I’ll do this later,” and going to hang out with friends.  Set a schedule and stick to it.

Blogging

If you have something to say, and are reasonably effective in saying it, then blogging could be a viable work option for you. Do some preliminary research on what currently exists. What do you like to read? Is there a need that isn’t currently being filled? How will you build your readership (and potential advertising dollars)? If you’re an expert (self-proclaimed or officially) on a subject, even better. You can provide content with substance.

Virtual work environment

Many companies are now outsourcing their customer service call centres into Virtual Work environments. In most cases, all you need is a secure, reliable internet connection, a computer and a printer.  This is usually shift work, so you have to commit to regular hours (whatever they may be).

Consultant

If you’ve got a skill or designation, you may very well be able to gain steady employment as a consultant, taking on projects to work from home. This is common in IT, communications, interior design and event planning and many other sectors.