Many people have had their incomes take a knock over the last year, so this is a list of side hustles one can easily do to earn a few extra rands.
South Africa (14 May 2021) – The Coronavirus outbreak is shaking up the global economy on a massive scale, and low-cost business ideas are the new trend. The world is scrambling hard to combat the current and upcoming economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, but this could be an exciting opportunity to look into alternative ways to make some extra money, especially if you’re stuck working from home.
Calvin Fisher, owner of Pandabomb, a digital production house specialising in photography, videography and social media marketing, put together a list of online business ideas that you can start from home using mainly your laptop and a stable internet connection.
Become a virtual assistant
Virtual assistant services were gaining in popularity even before the pandemic hit but have now really become ever more popular during the last few months. In a nutshell, a virtual assistant will do everything a regular in-person assistant does, but, well, virtually. It’s for everyone who needs the services of an assistant, but not necessarily full-time. If you’re an organised person who can schedule appointments, set up meetings, run errands and more, then this would be one to consider.
Start online workshops or teaching.
If you have teaching or workshop experience, then this one’s for you. There are many people – children and adults alike – in need of some additional help. Perhaps it helps with Afrikaans or history, or it could be a young adult needing to know more about entering the working world – whichever one it is, online workshops and tutoring would be an excellent way for them to gain the help that they need. If you have experience in this or you think it’s something you can pull off, then jump straight in and offer your services. Be clear about your experience, though, especially if what you are offering is tutoring or extra lessons for children. Parents will want to know about your qualifications.
Offer writing services
There is always something to be written – whether it’s one line for an ad, a paragraph for a description or transcribing. If you have a knack for typing and writing, then consider becoming a freelance writer with an online “storefront” to sell your services. This could be via Facebook or a website but, whichever you choose, be sure to have examples of your work easily available online. To up your skills set, do a few courses or tutorials on SEO writing as that has become more in demand over the years and more so now that many businesses are moving online.
Do some stock photography.
If you’re a photographer, you’re in luck. Stock photography is something that will always be in demand and, now that the world operates a bit differently, different stock images are needed. For instance, pics of crowds of people standing close together just can’t be used anymore. Use your family and close friends to recreate scenes you would see these days – perhaps it’s two people in a restaurant wearing masks, or it could be someone sanitizing their hands or perhaps getting their temperature checked – there’s a huge need for new images, so tap into it now.
Overall, the Internet itself is overflowing with one money making opportunity after another. All of the online businesses mentioned above can help you earn a decent income even with a low startup. It all just depends on how much work you’re willing to put in.
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