There are plenty of legitimate and fun ways to make money online. Some of them include beginning your own small business, while others include working for someone else using your home as an office. Here are five real ways to work from home and make extra cash through the internet.

1. Freelance writing

You can become a freelance writer, and can get writing assignments that very same day. The better your writing skills are, the better your freelance writing project rates will be. A freelance writer can choose the niche market. You can start writing for magazines, online blogs or newspapers. You can even blog by building your own site, or by writing for other websites. The market for freelance writing on the internet is massive, and there’s plenty of work to go around. If you are interested in freelance writing, consider these factors before you get started:

Samples. You need to build your own profile before you can really begin marketing yourself. Choose the market you want to approach in writing, and then find or create some related writing samples. For instance, write a few posts of your own to use as samples. Tools. As a home-based freelance writer, you need a computer and fast internet access. Some clients might want to reach you by email or Skype, so have both set up and accessible. Job Boards. You have to look for work, and places like Freelancer, Guru, Upwork, and oDesk are a freelancer’s best friends. These platforms allow individuals and businesses to post assignments or projects, and freelancers can bid on them.

2. Using your skills

Everyone has skills in different things! Perhaps you can teach the principles of a foreign language with ease, or are a master mechanic. Perhaps you are just a sports-obsessed fan who is really into fantasy sports. Regardless of skill, the internet is so far reaching that any and all skills are welcome and can be used to make a profit.

Teaching Classes. There are many online platforms that allow people to teach or learn online. With your expertise, you could wind up teaching classes online. Say you are fluent in English, French, and Spanish. Creating your own language class online can help you master the language through teaching, help interested people learn, and create an online side job for yourself at the same time! Develop apps. Today, organizations and associations create applications for their business advancement. Numerous organizations, particularly gaming software companies, hold bimonthly competitions in which individuals can not only win a monetary prize, but can also be part of the product group. You can even take app development projects from freelance job boards if you are a masterful developer without a good idea. Competing at online games. If you’re interested in any type of sport then you’re probably familiar with fantasy sports. Numerous websites offer the chance to build your own sports team for massive cash prizes. Fantasy sports have taken off into a billion dollar industry so get your cut! By finding and using deals and coupons, like a draftKings promo code, will allow you to get incentives when signing up to help you get ahead of the competition.

3. Sell your creativity

If you are an artist or have a talent for creating beautiful things, then you can make some serious income from home. There is a growing trend of selling antique and homemade products online. Etsy,for instance, is a platform for artists where they can sell items at a fair price. The site claims over 40 different categories, from clothes to gifts to edibles, with thousands of listings. Here are some recommendations to getting started:

Investigate. Do your research and investigate other sellers on Etsy and see what they’re offering, and then decide how you can do it differently. Show Commitment. Blog about your site, spend time trying to think of new ways to promote your business. To be a successful seller, you have to treat it like a full-time job. Give Evidence. To gain the trust of your customers, give them visual evidence for the products through photographs. These pictures have to be good and make the item look fantastic. Options. One of the keys to success on Etsy is giving options and vast selection. Most serious shop owners on Etsy have at least 200 items for sale. The more options your customers have, the higher the chances that you’ll make a sale.

4. Call centers: Sell your time and voice

If you have command over foreign languages with a great telephone voice, and the ability to organize information quickly, you can make money working for a call center. These call centers provide services to businesses that outsource services to answer their phones 24 hours a day. These calls are directed to a call center where they are routed to individuals who work from their homes. The average compensation for these call center jobs is about $9 per hour, and some companies even offer health benefits. Here are a few tools you should have to be successful:

Persistence. In the call center industry, the line between scams and honest businesses is very thin, so you should do your homework before accepting a position. Alpine Access is one of the well-known companies in this field, and Call Center Careers is a great place to search for legitimate call centers jobs. Call Center Tools. You have to own equipment before starting work with as a call center agent. You will need a computer, earphones, a fast internet connection, and a landline telephone to apply. Multi-tasking. In this industry, call center agents receive a lot of calls, and one must have the capability to handle them all efficiently.

5. Sell your knowledge: Use social media

There are lots of consultants available online who offer their services or advice for a fee. For instance, if you’re a publicist like me you may help a new organization develop a communication plan, or you may help them get media attention by writing articles or press releases and then distributing them to the proper media channels. If you have great computer skills or are a social media expert, you might be able to work from home by opening up your own website or creating your social media pages to make money from some of these avenues:

AdSense. This is a Google product that puts advertisements on your website. It further gives the alternative of pay-per-click or pays each time somebody sees the promotion. This is a great way to generate cash for FREE! Youtube video/Facebook feature. If you have a bubbly and fun identity, then kick back and feature the craziest minutes of your life and transfer them on YouTube or Facebook account. The higher the quantity of followers you have, the more the possibility you have to gain income in the contending business sector. Blogging. Fashion web journals are everywhere throughout the internet, and fashionistas have transformed their websites into a full-time work. This is only one example of how you can turn your hobby or passion into a blogging career. The more quality content you have, the more organizations will reach out to place their advertisements on your site.

Featured photo credit: Internet/Ministerio TIC Colombia via flickr.com