Whenever I hear someone say that I’m lucky to be able to work from wherever I want, I’ll answer – or think – the same: “If you really want it, why don’t you start freelancing, too?” But you know what most of them say? That they “can’t.” That working online is a privilege only reserved for a couple of professions. Say whaaaaat??
You know, if this “you’re so lucky” were some comment made ten years ago, my answer might be different. And I say “might” because I already had this positive and – let’s be honest – stubborn mindset of mine: If the tools exist, you have no excuse, ma’am! But nowadays, in the year 2021, when most of us are still working from home, when we have been forced to do online as many tasks as possible, you’ll have to admit that there exist very few professions that couldn’t get on the online train. So let me just give you a list of online businesses that you could start in a month – or earlier.
>>> First, let’s see what we can do online on a Saturday morning while sipping from our coffee latte:
- Chat with someone.
- Read the news.
- Listen to the radio.
- Watch a YouTube / TikTok video.
- Check / Post / Comment on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat.
- Send pics to your family.
- Check Twitch.
- Shop online.
- Attend a video call / webinar / masterclass / workshop on Zoom.
- Listen to a chat on Clubhouse.
- Listen to a podcast/audiobook – Oh, yes, we’ve come so far that we don’t read anymore. We let other people read for us online!
- Write an article for a blog.
- And when that coffee latte is over, you could even order another one online! Yep. I don’t know why someone would possibly wait so long for another coffee, but it’s still something that you can do from home!
And you know the best thing about this? That you don’t even need a PC anymore. You can do every single task we’ve been through from a tablet or a smartphone, which means that you don’t even need to be at your home office. You don’t need to look for WiFi anymore. You’re carrying the Internet with you, babe!
>>> Second, let’s check out twenty proven ways to start freelancing from wherever you want:
20 Online Business Ideas You Can Start In a Month
- Freelance community manager
- If you love social media, and you’re good at organizing, planning, and scheduling, taking care of other people’s social channels could be a good fit for you.
- Freelance photographer
- Love photography? Why not making it a career?
- Visual designer
- Only because you have an eye for beautiful design and color combinations doesn’t imply that others can do that so easily! They need your help 😉
- Freelance translator
- You’re “talking” to one right now, so hit me with as many questions as you want!
- Travel writer
- Apply to write at travel sites such as Lonely Planet, or open your own travel blog and work with travel-related brands.
- Sell your products on Etsy
- You’re more the hands-on kind of girl? So why not selling online?
- Create your own online shop
- Instead of selling your products on Etsy or another platform, you can also create your own shop with Shopify.
- Online teacher
- Join a teaching platform like Udemy, VIPKid, or BuddySchool and start teaching your native language, for instance.
- Online course creator
- Podcaster / Blogger
- If you wanna know how to make money podcasting or blogging, check out this post.
- Life coach
- Becoming a life coach isn’t something that you can/should do overnight, but it’s one of the careers that are most typically performed on a freelance basis.
- There are many different areas for you to specialize as a coach, such as health, fitness, business, mindset, money, or relationship. So make sure you identify your niche before you start learning how to become a coach.
- Start a subscription box business
- Every month, send to your subscription members a box with the ingredients they need to make a special dinner, put together your favorite aromatherapy blends, or a DIY kit for home decor.
- Whatever you choose, make sure that the presentation looks fantastic!
- Freelance writer
- There are zillions of companies that are looking for freelance writers to take care of their copy. You just have to figure out what it is that you’re offering. Is it copywriting for marketing materials? Blog posts? Newsletters? You choose!
- Web designer
- Offer your web design services to other solopreneurs, bloggers, startups, bigger companies… You name it.
- Graphic designer
- Whether you choose designing logos, business cards, graphics, illustrations, corporate stationery, or whole branding sets, graphic and visual designers are in vogue!
- Ghostwriter
- Check out this blog post to discover some of the tasks that you can perform as a ghostwriter.
- Virtual assistant
- If you’re good at ANY digital task and you like to help others, why not become the digital version of a personal assistant? Check out this blog post to get more ideas about working as a freelance virtual assistant.
- Write a self-published book
- Yep. You can write a book – and self-publish it! Gone are the days when you had to spend months or years waiting for an editorial company to accept your manuscript and publish it!
- Write ebooks
- If you would rather start with digital files, go for it and start helping others with your ebooks!
So there you have it! I just wrote down 20 online business ideas without even talking about becoming an Instagrammer, a YouTuber, or TikToker!
Still don’t know what to do?
If you’re still struggling to figure out what your ideal freelance career is, feel free to read this blog post about ikigai, the Japanese way to discover your passion – and make a business around it! Or simply download this Ikigai Worksheet and start working on it right away!
