It has certainly also impacted how we earn money today. Most organizations allow a work from home policy for at least a few days a week, given how conference and video calling have replaced the need for physical proximity in order to work together. A lot of the backend work is easily and economically outsourced to cheaper labour in the developing part of the world. And with the growth of this phenomenon, there is little room for doubt and second guessing if the basics are clear and in place.
This wave has given rise to many opportunities to make money online on the World Wide Web, doing anything from clerical tasks to projects involving highly honed skills. Sure, there are equal numbers of scams operating in the name of earning money online but there are unscrupulous activities in every industry and sphere. You just have to be careful and use common sense, as in every other matter.
Let's discuss here some seriously lucrative and legitimate ways to earn money online in India and carefully avoiding getting sucked into the get rich quick schemes.
1. Freelancing
Look up websites like odesk.com and elance.com. There are many opportunities for very many professionals to find independent project based freelance work in the fields of writing, web design, technology etc. The key here is to work with a reputed name and look out for your interests. Have a contract drawn up, keep your work ethic high, deliver value on time and build a great reputation. In no time, not only will you be earning money working online from home, you would have great references and will start building a client base for future projects.
2. Buying/Selling domains
Did you know that buying and selling domains, just like any other type of commodity trading is a very lucrative way to turn loose change into big bucks, online? Although it's a little late to get in the game now, given how most decent domain names have been snatched up, there are still many more to be acquired. With the rise of quirky websites, there is also a demand for quirky domain names. Get creative, think of some really wacky domain addresses and grab them and hold on to them until someone contacts you to buy it. You can often sell for many times the purchase price, depending on the buyer's keenness.
3. Day trading
Well strictly speaking it's not just a make money online operation but requires some serious skill and knowledge of the stocks market. However, if you do happen to have the business savvy and a knack for numbers, this is the perfect avenue for you. Study companies and track their stocks. Buy low, sell high. Do it all online and if one of the lucky few, make lots of money doing it.
4. E-tutoring
If you are a master in any subject and have some relevant experience, you can sign up on websites like 2tion.netor, tutorvista.com as an online tutor. The sites require you to create a tutor profile with details such as the subjects in which you are fluent, what classes/courses you want to teach, your experience level, preferred timings for tuitions and the remuneration expected. After verification, the site lists your profile on their portal where interested students can connect with you for tuition. You can opt for virtual workspaces with built in teaching aids like live chat and collaborative whiteboards. Once you get better at tutoring, you can increase your monthly earnings by teaching multiple students simultaneously.
5. Selling your designs
Do you have a flair for designing cool images? You don't need to start from scratch and put in money to build your own brand. As long as your design can be printed on a product, you can make some money. You can upload your designs on Websites like CafePress, and if somebody orders these designs, the company will print them and distribute the products. It could be designs for T-shirts, hats, bags, books, posters, calendars, greeting cards, etc. You will receive a commission for each sale. Other such sites include Lulu and Zazzle. Quite fantastic, isn't it?
6. Sell old stuff online
People have built serious businesses just around ebay.com. The best part about the internet is that it gives you absolutely free access to millions and millions of people around the world, right from the comfort of your home. All interactions and transactions happen real time. With time, there is more transparency and trustworthiness in the process. Now there are a thousand ways in which this can be exploited in to many opportunities to make money but one of the easiest is to buy and sell things online for example on eBay or OLX. You may have something you don't need, sell it. Someone is selling something you see a potential for, buy it and then resell it at a higher price. The options are unlimited.
7. Sell your photos online
Do you happen to moonlight as a photographer? Think you have the skills but no training to go pro? Don't worry, you can still turn your hobby into a money making venture. Numerous stock websites like www.shutterstock.com, shutterpoint.com and istockphoto.com host photographs submitted by members. Depending on the site's policy, you can earn between a 15 to 85% royalty on each sale.
8. Publish your own book
Now if this is not empowering, I don't know what is. Amazon has changed the way game is played by giving you the opportunity to publish and sell your own books by the click of a button! It's a free service called Kindle Direct Publishing. It allows anyone to self-publish books on the Kindle (electronic) bookstore and earn royalties from sales. There are two plans you can choose from — the 35% royalty works across any book sold in any country while the 70% royalty plans works if you sell in a few select countries. Indian authors can choose to set prices specifically for the Indian bookstore and receive royalty payments in Indian currency as well.
