Do you want to start making money online and working from anywhere? Well, you are not alone. Becoming a digital nomad and living a location independent lifestyle or working remotely from home is not new. Thanks to the pandemic that saw many people having to work remotely from home, many have realised they can work online from anywhere. So becoming a digital nomad or starting your own home-based online business has gained momentum. If you are one of these people and are wondering about ways to make money online from anywhere, then read on.

In the post I have put together the top 18 ways to make money online for beginners that you can be done from anywhere. Yep, working online is a portable career. You can do this type of work from anywhere. From home or while living and working abroad as a digital nomad. As long as you have the right essential tech equipment you are set. So let’s get your digital nomad life or online business started with one of these legit ways to make money online.

 

Some Terms First

 

Firstly, let’s confirm some terms so you can make money with online work. When you start working online you will hear them often.

A digital nomad is someone who works online to make money to fund their travels around the world. A digital nomad is location independent. It is where you have the ability to live and work wherever you want. You aren’t tied to one location, you can move around to different countries while working online.

Another term you will hear is remote work or work remotely. This is where you work for an employer but are not physically working in your employer’s office. You are working remotely in your own home, coffee shop, van or anywhere else you choose. But it can also mean you have started an online business that you do from your home base.

Related: If you want to make money online and travel the world, check out my post on Countries with a Digital Nomad Visa plus the top digital nomad countries. These countries are chosen as they offer cheap living and have great internet. 

 

TIP: Have the right essential equipment gear to work online

 

18 Online Jobs Beginners You Can Do From Anywhere

 

Digital nomads and remote online workers do a variety of jobs to make income to sustain their location independent or home lifestyle. The list of legit ways to make money online which suits digital nomads and remote workers is getting bigger every year. Here are 18 typical best ways to make money online. Let’s get started.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will make a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

 

1.Write and Publish an ebook

 

Topping my list of ways to make money online is writing and publishing an ebook. People are writing and publishing ebooks on a wide variety of topics. Once it is written you will need to design it and then be able to sell it online to make some money. Most people have their own website where they sell it or they use a platform such as Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. Here’s the link to my ebook Live Work and Play in London and the UK on my website and also on Amazon so you can see what I mean. It is best to stick to a topic you know to help people find a solution to their problem.

 

2. Start a Blog and Monetise it to Make Money from Home

 

One of the most popular ways to make money online for beginners is to start a blog and monetise it. A blog can be a great source of passive income. Most who start a blog monetise it in a variety of ways. The most popular include writing an ebook, creating a course and offering their services. But the most popular is joining affiliate programs to make money. Basically when a visitor clicks one of your affiliate program links and purchase a service or product through the link, you receive a commission.

For instance, I have joined the Booking.com affiliate program. If you are looking for accommodation and click on my link on my website and book and pay for accommodation, I will receive a commission. There are plenty of affiliate networks out there. Some are run directly by the organisation like HostelWorld, Skyscanner or Amazon. Or you could join a platform that runs affiliate programs for customers like CJ and Commission Factory.

Related: How to Start a Blog and Make Money Online.

 

3. Create an on-line course

 

If you have specific knowledge or skill on a subject then creating an on-line course to sell is a great way to make money online from anywhere. The course can be on anything like travel writing, professional development, web designing, etc. Pretty much anything really. You will need to create and structure the course and generate sales of it. Plus be around to interact with the students via email. The most popular way to sell an online course is to market and sell your course on your own website. You can use a plugin in like MemberPlus to create your online course.

Or make money online selling your course through an online platform like Udemy or SkillShare.

 

4. Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)

 

One way to earn extra money working from home is to become a Virtual Assistant, or VA. A Virtual Assistant is a self-employed person working online. They assist others, either a person or business, who needs assistance. Assistance you can provide includes accounting, bookkeeping, administrative, customer service, database control, content creating, proofreading and editing, appointment making, social media whiz and website design to name a few. And there is a growing need for VAs. Essentially you perform the role of a personal assistant working in an office, but a VA does it virtually making this a great way to make money with online work. 

Many mums who want to work from home often set up a VA online business as it suits their lifestyle. And there are plenty of digital nomads who are assisting other digital nomads with jobs they need help with. As long as you get the job done within the timeframe required, it doesn’t matter what timezone you may be in. To find jobs there are a number of Facebook groups to join where you can advertise your services.

Related: How to Become a Virtual Assistant (with or without experience)

 

5. Start an On-line Store (Dropshipping, Print-on-Demand, etc.)

 

Selling product in an online store is one of the most interesting ways to make money online. If you aren’t familiar with drop shipping or Amazon you had better get yourself up to speed. Once you decide on your product niche you can set up your own online store and begin selling product. And this is a great way to make money online as there are minimal set up costs. All you need is a domain name, a hosting service and some e-commerce software such as WooCommerce on your site. With a little research you can set your online store up yourself. But the best part is you don’t need to create the products to sell, though you can. There are already places you can get you product from like Amazon and AliExpress. Here’s how you can start a dropshpping store in 7 easy steps.

 

6. Become a Software Programmer / Website /App Developer

 

Another way to make money online is to offer your services as a software programmer and/or website and/or app developer. These are very portable professions where results matter and not where you live or work. As long as you have the right knowledge, skills and equipment you can work anywhere making money online with these jobs. And there are many people and businesses out there who require software, websites and apps developed for them. And once you have developed the website, app or software, often ongoing assistance is required. So if you have skills with WordPress, Shopify, WIX, Squarespace you could find building website gigs on sites such as Upwork and Fiverr. Or post your services on social media.

Related: Work as an online Software Developer – Interview with a Software Developer

 

7. Be an SEO Specialist

 

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. This is the art of optimising content so search engines can find the content. Many individuals who have websites plus organisations often seek an SEO specialist to help them up their game and stand out from the crowd. They do this by ensuring the content is fully optimised with keywords and phrases so when search engines crawl them they will rank on page 1. They do this by tweaking the content to contain certain highly searched for keywords. This ensures people find what they are searching for. So if I was looking to go on a ‘working holiday to Australia‘, I would need these words in my article. When people then search for ‘working holiday to Australia’, hopefully my article on the topic would appear first. That’s why skilled SEO experts are highly valuable in today’s digital environment.

 

8. Become a Social Media Expert or Social Media Influencer

 

If you are looking to make money at home and are active on social media, why not use this social media knowledge or influence to make some money. There are two ways:

Everyone nowadays needs social media marketing and many business seek a social media expert to help them get their brand ‘out there’. You can easily earn a substantial living if you love using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and other social media channels. Even if you aren’t an expert in all fields of social media you can provide businesses with a social media strategy with a specific channel. For instance, if you are great at making pins you could concentrate on Pinterest strategies for businesses. You will need to know what you’re doing if you’re looking to help others with their social media efforts as a client does want results for spending their money. But if you can build, refine, analyse and manage a client’s presence you will be a treasured part of any brand. And be paid for it.

Social media influencers are those who collaborate with brands. All kinds of brands are willing to pay social media influencers, with a substantial following, to discuss their business with their followers. So choose your channel – Facebook, Instagram or YouTube and start creating content. To discover brands to connect with you can approach many yourself or join an influencer network like Influence.

 

9. Become a Freelance Writer / Content Creator / Copyrighter

 

Freelance writing, content creation and copyrighting is one of the fastest and easiest ways to earn good money online. Why? Well, publications, both printed and electronic rely on contributions to fill the pages of their publications. Every website, ebook, email, social media post and video has been touched by some kind of writer. And the people that supply these contributions are freelancers. No matter what genre there would be a market out there. Some people contact publications directly while others register on sites such as Freelancer, Fiverr and UpWork to find writing jobs. And the great thing is you can write from anywhere. While enjoying a coffee in an Internet cafe, on a train, sitting at a table by the beach or your kitchen table at home

Related: How to become a content create – at home or abroad.

 

10. Make money online as a Graphic Designer

 

If you have graphic design skills then offering your services online would be ideal. People who can design logos, newsletters, book covers and websites are in demand. Put together a portfolio of your work and register with platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr for people to find you.

 

11. Transcribe Documents

 

If you are a speedy and accurate typist you might want to consider transcription work. Transcription involves listening to recordings and viewing video footage and typing every word that is said. This can be in an interview setting or someone just talking. It can be tedious work but as long as you have the typing skills and equipment it is a good way of making money online while travelling or at home. You can find such work through transcribing sites such as REV or Transcribeme. Perhaps also advertise yourself on platforms such as Fiverr.

 

12. Teach English Online

 

Teaching English face-to-face in an English Language School classroom abroad has long been a way for travellers to work and make income to further their travels. Thanks to covid lockdowns and now to save students having to go to an English Language School, many students are opting to take English lessons online. So if you have a TESOL teaching qualification there are opportunities for you to teach online. And make a pretty good income online from teaching. There are a number of online agencies that can link you with students.

Related: For more details about teaching English abroad and online, and for an list of schools and recruitment agencies to contact, check out my ebook How to Teach English Abroad or Online

 

13. Do Online Surveys

 

If you have spare time you might want to do surveys to make some money online. Basically, you register with an online survey site then sit back and answer questions on products and services. With the best part being paid for your answers and opinions. Some people make a lot of money, but it can depend on how many surveys you qualify to do. I mostly do surveys in the morning while having my morning coffee. If you want to know more about this read my article Doing Surveys Online.

 

14. Become a Proofreader and Editor

 

There is so much written content being produced and released daily. Before it is released it needs to be proofread and/or edited. Otherwise, people notice mistakes if they haven’t been picked up. You may hear the saying ‘you are only as good as your editor’. If somebody reads something and notices a word spelt incorrect or knows a fact is wrong then the credibility of the person who wrote it goes straight out the door. This is why it is imperative that work needs to be proofread and/or edited. To find such work you can set up your own business and advertise it on a website. Or join websites such as Airtasker and Fiverr where you can offer your services. There are also Facebook groups to join that allow you to advertise your services.

Related: How to Be a Proofreader and Editor and Work from Anywhere

 

15. Provide Professional Services

 

If you are currently a professional such as an accountant, lawyer, marketing whiz you could offer your professional services. Many digital nomads and remote workers need advice on professional matters such as tax, copyright, etc. These services would be offered via the internet on your own website or through sites for freelancers such as Upwork or Fivver.

 

16. Translate Documents and Websites

 

If you know another or even multiple languages really well you could find translating work. With the interaction between people from different countries there are opportunities to translate documents and even websites. Some website owners like to have their website content available in a number of languages. And this is where you could help out if you can read, write and speak another language. Many find work by approaching businesses directly or through agencies such as Gengo or Onehourtranslation. You could even set up a profile on Upwork and Fiverr.

 

17. Do Data Entry

 

If you are a good touch typist, both alpha and numerically you could find online data entry work. It can be pretty simple work and sometimes very manual. It might not be the most fun job in the world, but it Is a good way to start being a digital nomad or a remote worker if you are just starting out. The jobs available are mostly entering data into sheets, databases or websites for a variety of e-commerce, marketing and private customers. I have been doing data entry on and off for years.

 

18. Create Videos

 

Video is dominating the on-line world and video creators have plenty of opportunities to make money online. Businesses and individuals are seeing amazing growth opportunities by using video marketing. This means, there is a high demand for high quality video makers. And videos are required for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other media to help brands build their presence. If you enjoy and have the skills for creating, cutting and adding effects for videos then this could be a digital nomad job or remote work for you.

The most popular software options include Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Premiere Pro and iMovie. You can either approach organisations offering your video services or register with on-line platforms such a Behance Jobs List, ProductionHUB, Stage32 and even Upwork or Fiverr. Perhaps use your skills for yourself to vlog on topics.

 

How to find a Digital Nomad Job or Remote Work

 

Some people think that finding a digital nomad job or remote work is hard. It’s not that hard, in fact, there are a number of ways to find a digital nomad or remote job. Firstly, decide what type of digital nomad job you want to do, refer to the jobs mentioned. Ask yourself:

1. Do I want to work as a remote employee of a company?
2. Should I become a freelancer and offer services? Or
3. Will I start my own business and sell products?

Once you have defined the work method and the type of job you want, it’s time to find it. You could use these methods:

 

• Talk to Your Current Boss

 

Before you begin the leg work of finding a new remote job, ask your current employer whether your job can be done remotely. If you do most of your work tasks online and have meetings and conversations with your team members online or over the phone, then more than likely, this could be an option. If it is, you could take this job ‘on the road’ and do it from anywhere.

 

• Freelancer Platforms

 

If you are planning to work as a freelancer, I suggest you register with a freelancer platform. On registering, you create your own profile listing your skills and experience and sell your services or apply for job positions. Some of the most popular job boards for remote freelancing jobs are:

Fiverr
Upwork
Freelancer

Note: Competition is huge on these platforms. You will need to stand out amongst the crowd and unfortunately, start low with your pricing while you build up your clientele. These platforms also take a cut of your earnings for being the platform that has introduced you to your client.

 

• Online Job Boards and Remote Boards

 

The large job boards such as Indeed, Seek or Monster are a great source for remote jobs. Simply type in keywords such as ‘online job’, ‘work from home’, ‘remote job’ and see what pops up. 

 

• Online Remote Job Boards

 

There are many online remote job boards specifically aimed at digital nomads and those who want to work remotely. Simply look for your desired job on some of the following remote job boards. There are many more than what I have on my list, if you find a really good one, I’d love to hear so I can add it to the list.

• FlexJobs
• Remote OK
• We Work Remotely
• Guru
• ProBloggers – content writing jobs
• ProZ – translation jobs
• 99 Designs – graphic design jobs
• Stack Overflow Careers – programming jobs
• Transcribeme – transcription jobs
• Behance Jobs List – video creators

 

• Social Media Networking

 

Social media can be a wonderful thing. Facebook in particular has many groups like ‘Remote Jobseekers’, ‘Digital Nomads Around the World’ and ‘Virtual Assistant Jobs’ to name a few. You could literally just search for the type of job you want to do and there is sure to be a group where such jobs are advertised. LinkedIn is also good for networking and finding online jobs.

 

• Start Your Own Business

 

Starting your own business online and being able to work from anywhere is a big possibility, and many people do it. You could start a dropshipping business, write and sell ebooks or online courses, start a blog and monetise it, or design and sell merchandise products such as t-shirts, jewellery or coffee.

 

Now What?

 

Once you have found your perfect digital nomad job or remote work it is time to start living your location independent lifestyle. Where will you do this? From home or abroad in another country that offers a digital nomad or remote worker visa? Where ever you decide to go I hope one, or more, of these 18 digital nomad jobs for beginners and remote workers you can do from anywhere will help you on your way to your dreams. I’d love to hear about them in the comments following.