by Kim Shiver, M.Ed, Speaker, Communications Strategist
If you look online for remote work opportunities, you may see ads promising you big money working from home with little or no work. As you probably realize, big money with no work is usually nonsense.
In reality, there are many opportunities for building remote businesses full-time, part-time or even as side hustles that can make you anywhere from $30,000 to $40,000 per year or more depending on your skills and the hours worked.
To make this work, you’ll need some equipment, some technical skills, and a lot of self-direction.
Equipment You Need
The nice thing with remote work is that many people already have the equipment needed to start a new business. You just need a few things to get started.
- Computer
- High-speed Internet
- A phone
Skills Required
Of course, you will need the skills to complete the work you advertise for example knowing how to post to social media.
You’ll also need organization and communication skills. The hardest part for many people is not the actual job skills, it is the ability to work alone without supervision and meet deadlines.
Two Hot Opportunities
There are two hot business opportunities right now in 2020 that can be started quickly depending on your skills.
Virtual Assistant
Possibly one of the fastest remote businesses to build is that of a virtual assistant because so many people need this type of work in an ongoing basis. Virtual assistants handle many types of tasks including email and calendar management, online research, blog post uploads, social media posting, and basic graphic creation services. As a virtual assistant, you can opt to niche your services to meet your greatest interests.
Many of the skills required for VA tasks are ones you probably already have like posting to social media and managing email. Others are easily learned, like uploading videos to YouTube and uploading articles and images to websites for blog posts.
Most virtual assistants make between $15.00 and $30.00 per hour depending on their skills and the tasks they are completing.
Podcast Producer
Podcasting continues to grow as a medium to share information, stories, and ideas. While this option takes more technical skills including audio and video editing and learning the ins and outs of posting a podcast to the hosting companies and making sure it shows in the players, it is a great opportunity for someone who has or can quickly learn these types of skills.
Depending on where you live and your skill level, you can expect to make $20 – $45 per hour as a podcast producer.
For more business ideas, a survey to see if remote work is a good fit for you, and a checklist to get started visit SimpleSolutionstoBuildYourBusiness.com/GoRemote
Kim Shivler is a Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach, Communications Strategist and Consultant. She helps individuals, businesses, and teams, achieve their goals, improve communication, increase sales, and deliver stellar customer service.