How are you holding up? The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a war on our health but for many, it has been attacking their pockets. Unfortunately, many people from a variety of industries have been left jobless due to government restrictions that have shut down all businesses that are deemed non-essential in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In fact, according to the Department of Labor, the week ending in March 14, more than 250,000 people were left jobless. Many market analysts believe that the soaring unemployment rates will end up launching the country into another Great Depression.
People are finding creative ways to bring in an extra income source during this trying time. Most states have a “lockdown” status which means that most people have been legally ordered to stay at home. Check out some of the unique ways people are bringing in extra cash.
Get A Job at An Amazon Fulfillment Center
Never worked in a warehouse before? That’s ok because Amazon is hiring millions of inexperienced workers during this pandemic. Amazon is considered to be essential because they supply homes and other essential businesses like hospitals, medical supply companies and the general public with the basic supplies they need to stay afloat. If you don’t mind getting your hands a little dirty, why not fill out an application. In most areas, the pay rate starts at $16 an hour and employees will have health benefits as soon as they begin.
Start Your Own Blog
Creating a blog is a great way to get started making passive income. Pretty much anyone can tackle this project, even if they have literally no money to spend. You can learn how to create a website in seconds here. There are a lot of different sites out there that will let you start a blog for free, like Wealthy Affiliate. Here’s a promo. And this is my full review of WA.
The first step to setting up your blog is deciding what your content is going to be. There are millions of topics out there, and some are going to be able to generate more money than others. I chose topics that make myself money and are easily teachable. It’s important that you don’t pick a topic just because of the potential money-making aspect; you should write about something you’re passionate about. This will lure more people into reading your posts and increase your traffic.
Once your blog is going great, sign up for an affiliate program, like Amazon’s affiliate program or Builderall. If you’re wondering when you’ll start making money off your blog, it’s going to depend on how much work you put into it. If you’re only posting occasionally, it’s not going to take off very fast. Be serious about it and create fresh content on a regular basis. This will accomplish two goals: getting new readers and keeping your current ones coming back for more.
If you’re serious about making money off your blog, it would help if you took the time to learn about SEO. It can make the difference between your blog becoming successful and never seeing any profits at all.
Start Your Own Online Store
Starting your own online store is one of the better options for making passive income. It’s similar to starting your own blog, as far as setting up a website. However, you’re going to want to take the time to make a shopping system that works well. If it’s difficult to purchase something, people are just going to turn elsewhere.
You might be wondering what you can sell on your online store. After all, no money means no products, right? That’s not necessarily true. There are a lot of drop shipping companies that will let you sign up and sell their products at an increased rate. This is great because you don’t have to worry about stocking up inventory. You just send the order information out and then the items will be delivered to the location that you specify. Just remember that your profits may be slim, so creativity in what you’re selling is a must if you want to beat out competition.
Virtual Photo Shoots
Are you a photographer? No doubt, this pandemic has brought your business to a halt. Many businesses have found creative ways to stay afloat. One Florida based photographer has found creative ways to acquire new customers and earn money by offering virtual photoshoots that involve taking their client’s pictures through FaceTime. According to the photographers at Reem Photography, a session includes professionally posing the client, instructing them how to use their backgrounds for the best outcome and then editing the pictures for them. The company started off by offering free sessions on Instagram. As a result, they have over 400 bookings.
Write an eBook for Kindle
If you’re great at creating stories, you can write an eBook to help start making you passive income. You can sell it on Amazon using their KDP program.
Amazon’s program for self-publishing is called Kindle Direct Publishing and it allows for you to upload your book for no charge. Don’t forget that you need to learn about the Kindle formatting process as well as come up with a catchy cover design! Having someone edit your book wouldn’t hurt either.
eBook Sales on the Rise!
You can earn a 70 percent royalty for each book sold if it’s priced at $2.99 or higher. If your book is priced any lower than that, you’ll only receive a 35 percent royalty for each copy sold.
If you’re unsure how to get started, there are plenty of resources available that will teach you about the writing process, different strategies for marketing, and how to create something entirely unique.
Selling Masks
Do you know how to sew? As you may know, protective masks are scarce. Many people have found a way to generate some extra money by bulk producing fashion masks that not only aid in protecting people while they are out in public but allows them to look good while doing it. If you know your way around a needle and thread, try making a few of your own custom masks and putting them up on eBay or Amazon. I have yet to see masks with my favorite sporting teams on them.
Sign Up For A Food Delivery Company
Companies like Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates have experienced a major influx in business. More people than ever are home and they want their favorite foods delivered right to their door. Contactless delivery is an option that many food delivery companies are implementing so that the workers are protected. Typically, the average hourly wage is approximately $12 an hour. However, bonus pay during specific times can increase those earning. Weekends are a great time to deliver on apps like DoorDash and Postmates. Depending on how many deliveries you can complete in a six-hour shift you can come home with about seventy bucks in your pocket. If you do at least five shifts a week you can come home with $300 a week before taxes.
Look For Job Opportunities In Your Neighborhood
Why not try and look for ways to make an extra bit of cash in your own community? For instance, you can make money doing grocery runs for families in your neighborhood. Perhaps you can do daily runs to the supermarket for elderly people or families who would prefer to have someone else brave the long lines and hunt for toiletry and goods for them.
Another good way to make some extra money is to offer babysitting services for parents who have essential jobs and still have to go to work during this pandemic. Most of these parents are finding it difficult to find childcare and providing these services could be a huge help.
Become A Virtual Assistant
There are some businesses that require some remote help during this time. You can turn your typing and organization skills into a great part-time hustle or full-time if you are lucky. You can start by reaching out to people in your network to see if they could use your help transcribing interviews, answering emails and sending invoices. You can also check popular freelance marketplaces like; Upwork, Freelancer.com, and PeoplePerHour.
Work At A Grocery Store
While stocking shelves may not be your dream job, it will certainly pay the bills in the meantime. Nowadays grocery stores are in need of extra workers after all stock shipments have increased and they need to keep the shelves full for their customers. See if your local Vons, Smart & Final or Krogers could use some help during this busy season.
Earn Money While You’re Spending
Earn some extra cash while shopping for essentials. Apps like Drop, Rakuten, and iBotta allow consumers to earn rewards while they shop at major retailers and grocers. Once you get enough points you can trade them in for cash or a gift card to your favorite retailer.
Are you ready to earn some extra money?
