Working online - for beginners

What worked for me - the first few months.

Before I finished my job and we actually make the big move, I wanted to get my online work set up so I know I will meet the requirements for my remote work visa for Barbados. I have read so many blogs about what work can be done, how easy they found it, and how everyone should just work online, only to find dead ends and wonder 'why don't they want me?' But I have found some really good ways to make an income online and wanted to share them with you. It takes some hard work and you will be told you aren't good enough repeatedly, so get a thick skin before you start looking. I have tried all sorts of transcription work only to be told: "No!" There are ways out there though, and I am prepared to work my way through most of them to find what works for me. I'm not going to be a millionaire, but I will have the flexibility to do work when I want to and can make enough to be able to live and enjoy life.

Please note this post includes referral links that may give rewards.

Surveys

So many people suggest this as a way to make money and there are so many sites out there that you can register for. I haven't found this to be the best so far. I seem to fill in so many surveys just to be told I'm not the demographic they are looking for that I don't get to the actual paid survey. With so many sites though there is money to be made, you just have to have patience and determination. If you are just looking for a bit of spare cash you can fill these in while you watch a bit of TV, and some will eventually be successful. I feel my time is better spent doing pretty much anything else. Filling in forms to then be told "No" earns me nothing, it's just a waste of my time when I could be doing something that actually makes me money.

Market Research

This is similar to surveys, but is generally done through paid focus groups, interviews or experience testing. They will have certain terms you have to meet to be able to take part and I find this more useful as you don't waste your time applying for things that aren't aimed at you. Though I haven't done any yet I have more confidence that they will eventually be a good avenue to explore.

Short Task Work

I have had some success in this area, it wouldn't substitute a wage on its own but it can be a good additional income. There are sites where you can answer polls, watch videos or play games for rewards that you can cash in for vouchers. I have had the most success with the below.

Swagbucks - Even if you only answer the daily poll you would earn 365 Swagbucks which you could cash in. The vouchers are from 400SB and are only equivalent to £3 but for something that takes seconds, it is worth it. I have also had some success with the games they have featured. For these, you have to reach a level or achievement in a set number of days. They take some intensive playing but if you were going to be on your phone anyway they are good earners. Just keep track of when you should be getting to the level by and when you should be paid, as I have had to chase them in the past. This site also has surveys and voucher codes which can come in useful for saving money. You can cash out as soon as you have enough Swagbucks to 'buy' a voucher you want.

If you would like to try here is a link https://www.swagbucks.com/p/register?rb=120490191

Clickworker - Another one that I have had some success with. They have a variety of tasks that can be done, from recording videos or sentences to listening to some phrases and saying which is the most natural. I have found that they aren't the most consistent with work, but they are a good one to keep an eye on. The only downside is that they take a month to make the pay-out and they could be only a few cents (paid in Euro) for each task. They also have a second site within their platform that is available to everyone who is signed up which seems to have more constant work available. Here is the link if you want to give it a go https://www.clickworker.com/clickworker?customer=false&utm_source=8694593&utm_campaign=CW4CW&utm_medium=email

Amazon Mechanical Turk - This is associated with an Amazon.com account so you need to have one of these to be able to work the downside is they only pay in Amazon.com vouchers for people without a US bank account, but if you shop on this site regularly and don't mind the international shipping, then it could be a nice earner. They have lots of small tasks from recording videos, reading text, filling out our forms etc so there is something for everyone. If you click on the filter in the top right you can select 'I'm qualified to work on'. This then only shows you the tasks for your region. Some tasks have a short qualification before you can start, just to ensure you know what you need to do. Here is the link if you want to have a go https://worker.mturk.com/

Appen - This is a project-based task platform, so you can read what will be required and then put yourself forward for it. I have had some success with some photograph-based tasks, an example I did recently was as simple as "Go and take 3 individual photos of 3 dogs and submit them." It didn't earn me much, a matter of around 29 US cents for the 3, but I could just do them around my normal daily life as I came across them, and they had a choice of over 120 items to photograph. So the time implication was virtually nil for a small amount of income, but it all adds up in the end. There are other tasks as well in data collection, social media, transcription, web research etc so there is something for everyone. Once you have applied they assess your profile for the task and might need you to take a test before you can start. The plus side is you can apply for all the tasks you want and see where they are in the process from your project screen. If you find the right task you can get a good flow of 10-20h of work each week. Here is a link if you want to investigate https://connect.appen.com/qrp/public/jobs?uref=d84a06db682dc461a4e06dd4c57c0e1a

Website usability testing

This is one of my best earners and it's one of my favourites to do. You are sent a website to test as a user, you don't need to be able to do website logs or know how to fix website bugs, you just have to be able to talk through what you are thinking as you use a site. How could they make things better? Are things where you expect them to be? How about the text? I have lots of experience using different sites for reservations and comparing facilities so I feel very comfortable talking through my thoughts. There are quite a few sites out there and they offer around $8-$10 per review. To register you generally have to do a mock review and possibly download an add-on to screen record but I found them very easy to do and it is a steady one or two per day over all the sites. You have to be in the right place at the right time for some, and others are only looking for a certain demographic but I have found it is a nice earner.

Userbrain - https://tester.userbrain.com/ payment needs to be requested once you have reached their minimum payout. Each test is $5 and takes around 20 minutes to do. The higher you are rated after each test, the more likely you will have tests sent your way.

Intellizoom - https://www.intellizoom.com/ these are either speak-you-mind reviews or card sort (where you group words or phrases into categories) and range from $5-$8 and usually payout automatically in under 21 days.

Usertesting - https://app.usertesting.com/participants/sign_in This site seems to have a lot of tests coming through and you can have the page open while you are working on other things, and you hear a ping so you don't miss out. They pay $10 for a user review test but have higher rates for a live conversation with the customer, some of these are $60 for the session. You just have to answer a few questions to see if you qualify and then you can take the task. Payment is sent automatically 7 days after your test is accepted so it has a nice quick turnaround.

TrymyUI - https://www.trymyui.com/ This site has laptop and phone tests and has had some games that they have wanted feedback on which was fun to take part in. They have a steady flow of tasks but it is on a first come first served basis so you need to be near the device when you get the notification email. I have had quite a few occasions where I am about to start recording and they say it is no longer available so you need to be quick. The reward seems to be $10 each and is paid out every Friday so this is another site where you can end up with the money in your pocket quite quickly.

Selling items

If you have some simple design skills you can always try making items to sell. These take work up front but then they take care of themselves. Find a site that hosts and completes the order for you and you don't have to think about them again.

T-shirts and mugs- I have done a few projects as printables and have some of my photos available on stock sites and some others available on t-shirts, mugs etc. Click here to see some of the items I am selling https://www.spreadshirt.co.uk/shop/user/one+paw+in+the+sand/

Photo Stock Sites- The stock sites have some fairly high standards and you can spend quite a lot of time entering the details only to have them rejected, but it is the way to get your photos in front of the most people. I have sold a few, you don't get lots per photo but if you can build up a portfolio then it is passive income after the initial set-up. Since I am hoping to do more photography once we move this will be an area I will be investing some of my time in. Click here to see the type of photos I have for sale https://www.shutterstock.com/g/oncloud9_k

https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/210914801/Karen

https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/KBullfinch

Printables - If you have a skill that others might need you can design simple printable documents and booklets about those subjects. If you can tap into an area in demand then you can make money from your knowledge, without spending hours doing it each day. It requires you to put the time in upfront, but once you have completed each item they are their for sale for as long as you want, and as the buyer prints their item when they buy it, this can be a passive income stream.

Since I have over 10 years of experience in event planning and travel I have started with printables in this area. There are sites that will host and you have to do the advertisement and then there are others that you have to pay a fee to host but they do simple advertisements for you. This is going to be another area I develop once we get settled after the move. If you didn't see the blog about this, you can read that, https://www.onepawinthesand.com/post/conservation-barbados-getting-children-involved

or you can access my printables to buy here https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OnePawintheSand?ref=profile_header

YouTube - Though not quite a site for selling you can indeed make money through YouTube if you get enough views. If you don't mind being on the screen and have something to talk about that others might want to see this could be one for you. I have a few videos on my site so far from our scouting trip to Barbados in the summer but lots more will follow after the relocation. Here is the link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa88X5Ryut3lSpWpaRRWojw

Teaching

As a native English speaker, I hadn't really thought about how much English is used around the world, and that this is an area that could make me some money. I have a degree which is all some sites ask for, whereas others ask for certification in teaching. The TEFL courses are available online and often have discounts available so if you what to do the course you can apply to more sites with higher rates of pay.

Cambly - I have been working through Cambly for a few weeks and it has been my most consistent work out of any type of work I have tried and written about in this article. It currently makes up the bulk of my income, and because of this, it is the work I spend more of my time on. To apply you complete a form and do a short introduction video so learners can see you and then wait for the approval. In my case, this only took a day or so and then you can go and explore the site. I have found the priority hours the best so far, while you build up a regular base of returning students. In priority hours you are saying you will be available to 'teach' and anyone who signs on to the platform to learn is told that you are there, so it does mean you have to be sat at your computer at these times. The plus side of this is that get more people pointed in your direction, and therefore get more work. The other way you can show people you are available for lessons is to book in scheduled hours, which learners can then book time specifically with you, but if no one has booked you for this you don't have to be at your computer. The lessons are from 5min taster sessions (which you can opt out of) up to 30mins or an hour, it depends on how the learner wants to split their practice time. It takes a bit of trial and error on the above different ways of working to find what works best for you.

The other reason I have continued to use this platform is that they have lots of teaching materials with slides that you share with the learner. This gives you structure for those that want it and you don't have to make all the lesson plans yourself. Other people just want to practice talking with an English speaker and depending on their skill you can talk about anything. I have some small talk questions on my desktop just in case the conversation doesn't flow, but we can all make small talk for up to 30mins if we need to. They also have a Cambly Jr platform to teach children (for a higher rate of pay). You just have to fill in an additional application. This platform is fairly new and you do get the occasional child come through the standard Cambly, but they are usually there to learn, so as long as you change your style it can be good fun. You can save links onto your library page so have some simple books or games and you will be a hit.

I will admit the first time I heard the ring to say I had a student I was really nervous but within a few calls, I was loving it. I have never done any teaching jobs before, however within my previous employment roles I have been responsible for developing my coworkers skills in a variety of subjects, and this feels fairly similar to that. I try to get to know the person, what kind of place they live in and what they like to do, that way you can judge their level of English and pitch your examples at the right level. I have had some amazing conversations and learnt about different ways of life from people who are located right around the world, while getting to help them build their skills. You can add notes about the person and what you discussed, so you can refer back if you have the same person again. I have only been doing this for a few weeks, yet already I have some regular students and I'm confident that I can have work each day if I want it. Cambly pay $5.10 for a 30min session which is $0.17 per minute, and they pay out automatically via Paypal every Tuesday for the work you have done the previous week. If you want to tutor to here is a link https://www.cambly.com/invite/RK63R9DT?st=103022&sc=4

By no means is this an extensive list of what to do to make money online as a beginner, but this is what I have found to work for me so far. I will try new things as I find them and if anyone has anything that they have tried and worked well for them. please feel free to share it, as I am always open to your comments and I will try most things. Plus those reading this can try these ideas as well.

*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.