When it comes to making money from home, you can look for flexible work from home jobs or start your own business. It’s really up to you.
Over the years, I had at least 13 (yes, thirteen) different side hustles that I’ve used to make money from home.
Now, of course, not all of them have been profitable or sustainable; however, with each one, I learned a new skill that I have been able to leverage to build other revenue sources and increase my income.
The ideas that I’ll share in this post will be more centered around starting your own business and making money online. But, if you’re looking for remote jobs, I suggest checking out FlexJobs.
This site specifically lists remote, work-from-home, and flexible job opportunities. It really great for moms who want to financially be able to stay at home with their kids, but don’t necessarily want to start a business.
10+ Legitimate Ways to Earn Money from Home Online
Here are 10+ online business ideas that you can start to make money from home. For each suggestion, I’ll provide additional resources for you to learn more about how to launch this kind of business.
Let’s dive in…
1. Become virtual assistant
A virtual assistant is someone who provides administrative support to a person or business remotely.
Many moms have built five and six-figure businesses from their homes as virtual assistants. In fact, I share how Abbey Ashley of Virtual Savvy turned her VA business into a multi-seven figure business. (Yes, she makes MILLIONS)!
She is pretty much the go-to person for all things virtual assistance and starting a VA business. She helps other moms learn how to start their own VA business so that they can also have time and financial freedom.
I suggest grabbing her FREE virtual assistant checklist & starter kit to learn how you can start your own VA business. She also has a Become Booked Out Webinar that you can enroll in if you’re really ready to get started.
2. Become a proofreader
Do you enjoy reading? Then proofreading can be the work from home job for you.
A proofreader is someone who ensures that written content is free of grammatical, punctuation, spelling, and other types of errors. They can also correct for proper formatting and word use.
You don’t have to have formal training to do this, but there are courses that you can take to become proficient at it.
Proofreading and freelance associations offer an opportunity to network, find jobs, and have access to continuous education. You can also leverage Fiverr to market your services to potential clients.
My post on how to become a proofreader has a lot more details on how you can get started with this online business. You can also check out both the Art of Proofreading and Proofread Anywhere to learn more about starting a proofreading business.
3. Flip items for profit
If you’re a couponer, you may love this idea.
My friend Cierra, occasionally hosts yard sales to sell items that she’s acquired for ridiculously low prices from couponing. As Cierra puts it, she “flips” her stockpile!
Flipping is nothing more than reselling items for a higher price than you purchased them for. The difference is what you can pocket as profits. You’d actually be surprised by how much you can actually make doing this.
Rob and Melissa Stephenson of Flea Market Flippers actually built a six-figure business by simply reselling items that they purchased from (you guessed it) the flea market…and thrift stores.
They actually have a free training where they help you figure out if flipping items is right for you and teach their strategy for making it a profitable venture. They also have another training on how to make $100/week flipping that you can check out as well.
Read these articles for tips on reselling and flipping items:
4. Become a freelance writer
Writing is another great way that you can make money from home.
I recently picked up freelance writing as a side hustle and have been able to make over $600/mo. This is just doing a few articles here and there for other blogs.
There are tons of people who have made careers out of freelance writing.
In fact, a fellow personal finance blogger, Holly Johnson, now makes over $200,000 a year writing. She talks about it in her free workshop on becoming a freelance writer.
Not only can you leverage writing to write for publications, but you can also write books to sell online. I talk about this and all the ways the I leverage writing to make money online in my post on how to make money from writing.
5. Sell digital products online
Selling digital products is one of the top ways that I generate passive income in my business.
I’ve literally made thousands of dollars in extra income in a month from selling things like printables, courses, and digital downloads.
Selling digital products is a flexible option as a side hustle or full time business. Because this is a virtual business, it gives you the option to be able to work from home or literally anywhere! The best part is you can start with $0.
I go into a LOT more detail in my post on post on how to start selling digital products.
6. Start an Etsy Shop
Another great way to make money from home online is with an Etsy shop.
I absolutely love selling on Etsy. It’s another way that I’m able to make passive income and not even think about it.
I recommend Etsy specifically to moms who don’t necessarily want to create their own website just to make money online. Etsy has a built-in audience and systems that allow you to sell products with ease.
There are so many things that you can sell on Etsy! My favorite things to sell on Etsy are digital products and I’ve also dropshipped t-shirts.
I have a video that you can check out where I talk about how to make money on Etsy. I also have several Etsy-related blog posts that will give you a ton more information.
7. Start a blog
You’ve probably seen a lot of articles citing blogging as a legitimate way to make money from home as a stay-at-home mom. I agree with this statement WITH a caveat…
Blogging can be a full-time income source. In fact, I make thousands of dollars from this blog each month.
However, it does take work and it does take time. Like most of the things that I mentioned, it’ll take time to build into something that will bring in a full-time income.
Nonetheless, you can make money from home through blogging.
Check out these blog posts to learn more about becoming a blogger:
- How to Start a Blog for Beginners
- How to make money blogging (for beginners)
- 25 Blog Tools & Resources to Run a Profitable Blog
Pretty soon I’ll be doing a series on how I grew my blog to become a significant passive income source for me.
8. Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube is almost akin to starting a blog. Instead of writing blog posts, you’re making videos instead.
I’ve had a YouTube channel since 2011 and have been able to make consistent income from it in recent years.
Of course, there are influencers whose YouTube channel is their full-time job and they make significant money from it.
Not too long ago, I interviewed Shana from the Wealth Vibe who made $17,000 from YouTube PART TIME! I share here story in my post on how to make money on Youtube.
If you’re not camera-shy and have some valuable content to share, it’s worth giving a try. You can check out my YouTube channel to see the kind of videos that I post for inspiration.
I also have an article on how to start a YouTube channel from scratch.
9. Edit podcasts
With the boom of podcasting, there is a huge need for podcast audio editors. So if you have experience in audio production or can learn quickly, there is tons of money to be made.
As a podcaster, I’ve gotten quotes from editors ranging from $35 all the way up to around $200 per episode.
You can literally learn to do this by watching videos online and practicing. (That’s how I learned!)
Once you’ve built up your skills and are confident in your ability to edit, promote your services on websites like Fiverr.
Fiverr is a freelancer marketplace that you can use to promote your services to potential customers. I also recommend joining Facebook groups where you can interact with podcasters and potential clients.
10. Become a social media manager
Everyone is on social media, including business. These businesses, in particular, need help managing their accounts.
They need someone who can post for them on Instagram, who can reply to comments and someone who can post things on YouTube or Facebook.
If you’re good at social media, creating content, scheduling, and engaging with people, this is definitely an option for you.
To start, just set up a profile as a freelancer on websites like Fiverr, or Upwork.
This is definitely something that you want to jump into as businesses are continuing to move online. Social media is a huge part of online businesses and businesses in general so it’s a side hustle that will be here to stay.
11. Become a notary
A notary public is a person who serves as an impartial witness and performs notarial acts. They are appointed by the state and their duty is to help prevent fraud.
Most people are familiar with notaries signing and stamping important documents or conducting wedding ceremonies.
Valencia Morton, a work-from-home mom, has served as a notary for three years now. As one of her many side hustles, she has made anywhere from $20 for a notarial act to several thousand dollars.
Now that most people are working from home, you can now do notary acts online–which makes it a viable option as a work-from-home business.
You can learn more about becoming a notary public in this post.
Other ways to make money from home with no investment
Work for Amazon
If you’re looking for remote jobs where you can work for a company, consider Amazon.
Amazon offers several ways that you can earn money. From actually being a remote employee to leverage the platform to build your own eCommerce business, it’s great for those who want to work from home.
Check out my 7 Legitimate Ways to Make Money Online with Amazon post to learn some ways that you can earn money from home.
Earn money from apps
You may as well put your expensive phone to good use and start earning money from apps. Here are some apps that I currently use to rack up cash. Collectively, I’m made close to $1,000 using these apps.
- Rakuten: Best for cashback and referrals
- Ibotta: Best for regional grocery stores
- Swagbucks: Best for surveys
- Dosh: Best for everyday spending
- Fetch Rewards: Best for gift cards
- Sweatcoin: Best for experiences
You can check out my article on top apps to earn money to get a full list of apps that I use and recommend.
Sell stock images
You can sell your high-quality images online to websites that sell stock photos. Just sign up to be a Shutterstock or Adobe Stock contributor for free! You’ll earn royalties from your photos each time someone purchases them.
Final Thoughts on Making Money from Home
There you have it! Over 10 unique ways that you can make money from home. I’ll be adding more to this list as I come across more unique businesses so be sure to check back!
Also, don’t forget to grab my ultimate guide to making money online!
As Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), she has been teaching personal finances to women & youth for over a decade.
Fo is an established writer and expert contributor on the topics of personal finance, budgeting, debt payoff, money mindset, saving, entrepreneurship, investing, motherhood, personal development, and more.