What if you could review software you use at work every day and receive a $10 Starbucks gift card? A for REAL gift card, not “entered into a drawing” nonsense?
Well, you can! We were contacted by both Capterra and G2, two companies that let the real experts – namely you and I, who actually use products everyday – review various software programs. They use this information to give credible advice on what software to use, and in return, they’ll pay you in an electronic Starbucks gift card.
Make Money Reviewing Software
Capterra Review
January 2019 Update: My original review of Capterra here has been removed as I’ve heard from more and more of you that they tend to shut down your accounts for faulty reasons and give you no chance at an appeal. I reached out to them for clarification and not only did it take them TWO WEEKS to respond (?!!) but they sent a form response that addressed none of the questions I’d sent them.
I personally made $70 from Capterra and had no issues, in fact they offered me $100 to send ya’ll their way, but know this – I will ALWAYS choose honesty over money.
Unfortunately due to their poor customer services skills and the fact that they randomly close legitimate accounts, I cannot and will not recommend them.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Why one blogger changed her honest review of @Capterra – #software #badbusiness #customerservicefail” quote=”Honesty is the best policy – choosing truth over payment.”]
G2 Review
G2 is more IT and HR oriented, so it’s conceivable that not everything you’ve got experience with will be something they need a review on, but it’s absolutely worth your time to check. Though you can only write 5 total reviews for G2, if they’re for under-reviewed software or something that is particularly important, they’ll pay you $10 for each one.
Like Capterra, G2 pays out in electronic gift cards to Amazon or Starbucks. It’s a nice way to get that coffee fix while you gear up for Black Friday shopping or sitting at home in your pajamas for Cyber Monday (which really depends on your personality, doesn’t it?)
The other benefit to G2 over Capterra is the turnaround on payout; G2 gets you your card in at most 48 hours. They process the reviews fairly but quickly and I love it!
Every day more and more people begin the adventure that is working from home. While I’d never say it’s “easy money” getting started doesn’t have to be a huge investment (of time or money!) When I first got started as a blogger, I found all sorts of different ways to make money online so that I could eventually invest in the tools needed tolaunch an e-course and today we’ve got Alexe Chasanov to share with us a few of her favorite ways to work online and make extra income from home.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an easy job and a source of easy money. It said to be the art of promoting or advertising a companies’ product with the main goal of having a percent share in every product sold.
It is a stress-free job that you can look for online. Amazon is a site where you can find a job as an affiliate marketer. There are some guides on the internet how to sell products on Amazon. In selling a product on a network, remember that you have to be sure and settled about your choice of brand and after that join the affiliate network in order for you to sell more. Promote your ID and stay online, the affiliate gives you a link alongside your ID once you join the network. When they are checking through your link, then click and buy the product, and that’s it, you will automatically get a commission and earn.
Blogging
One of the coolest ways to earn money online is by starting a blog. Be sure to keep on updating your blog site with interesting topics and latest happenings. If you are able to do it right, your blog will surely generate hundreds of viewers, and that will be the time you’ll start earning money out of it. If you are able to generate enough number of people, you can also incorporate affiliate marketing by using your own website instead of using Amazon or any other related sites.
In doing this, you will earn money easily plus you do not have to work under pressure with someone who bosses you around. But remember, it is not that easy as it sounds as problems may arise due to competitors and the customer’s method of payment. And there are so many things you have to learn if you just started as a blogger, you have to familiarize yourself with the systems and the things you can and you can’t. Blogging is indeed a cool way of making money online while being comfortable in your home.
Work From Home Ideas You Can Start Today
Content Writing
Content writing can be an easy task if you do it with passion and if it is a product of your pure fancy. You can write an article related to any topic as long as you clearly know how to present ideas and efficiently use your experiences in writing as a freelancer. This job is highly in demand especially for businesses around the web, and you are lucky because there are a lot of different clients who need your service for their business and brands.
Writing articles related to random topics can help you in making money online. Here, you will be paid based on the number of words you used or based on the level of your writing skills. Content writing only needs your focused attention, a good reading habit, and hard work. But another challenging part of this kind job is balancing your time, trying to ignore distractions, and meeting the deadlines. If you have a strong passion for writing and you are simply good at expressing ideas, content writing is the best cool way for you to make money online from the comfort of your home.
Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant must be good in managing time, making a schedule, preparing online meetings, and planning. One must have strong communication skills that can be used in customer service duties, answering calls, and responding to emails. A virtual assistant should help the business owner since he or she has many tasks to do and must be responsible for keeping the owner on track and updated of what is happening in the business. So as a virtual assistant, prepare yourself on doing calendar management, telephone inquiries, booking of appointments or tickets, client follow up, emails of your boss and clients, and lastly is the database and file management.
A virtual assistant earns an average of $10 up to $30 on an hourly basis but this may vary depending on your expert level. And if you are looking for a job as a secretary while enjoying your home, the virtual assistant job will be the coolest way for you to earn money online.
Freelance
Freelance jobs are the best job for people who wish to enjoy home while earning money. Due to advancement and high technology, it is not possible to have an online job offered by the virtual world. Freelance jobs involve providing a different kind of services asked by random people online. This kind of jobs let you work either full time or part time and it depends on your decision.
Another privileged of being a freelancer is that you will be the one to set the terms of your work and you have the freedom to arrange it in a way that it can let you work on different projects at a time. There are so many services offered by freelancers and it includes web developer, web designer, search engine optimization, article writer, and social media marketing.
Making money while home-based cannot be easier than this that is why you need to get started as a freelancer immediately. And in choosing what service to offer, think of any skills you have that may fit the jobs mentioned above, you can also try looking on the freelance marketplace and apply there or jobs. Remember that in looking for the best freelance job, align it to your passion and interests so that you don’t have to worry procrastinating in finishing your project and meet the deadlines.
Author Bio:
Alexe Chasanov is an e-commerce community manager in California. She also works as a consultant for a start-up company to help them in their marketing and growth hacking efforts. She loves writing about fashion trends here and there, and on her free time, she loves outdoor sports and martial arts.
Being a stay-at-home-mom is a rewarding job, but the pay is garbage!
So what do you do when you want to remain at home with your children, but…
the money is tight…
the budget is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d to the limit…
couponing is getting you nowhere fast…
and you just don’t have enough to go around…?
You start a business.
Today’s post is brought to you by Tiffany A. Ingle of Taingled Web –
I know what you’re thinking: “Me, start a business? I don’t have a degree! My kids need too much attention! I’ve been out of the workforce too long. I don’t have time!”
Listen, Mama – I understand how you feel. I’ve been there! But excuses don’t pay the bills. And I can assure you that, yes, even you can start a business.
To be clear – when I say business, I’m definitely not talking about joining some slimy MLM and selling to your warm market (a.k.a. harassing your family and close friends to spend their hard earned cash on overpriced makeup, oils, wraps, and shakes). Those businesses are founded upon an unsustainable model that is designed to enrich a tiny percentage of folks at the top while everyone else loses money more often than not.
What if I were to tell you there’s a skill you already possess that could earn your family an additional 4 or 5 figures every single month? Not only that, you already do it every day…for free.
If you guessed writing, you deserve a gold star.
The time you currently spend keeping boredom at bay at social media watering holes could be used to begin a satisfying and profitable business as a freelance writer.
Best of all, this is a business you can start with very little money. All it requires is the ability to string a decent sentence together, perseverance, the ability to research, and creativity.
The following is a basic guide to getting your freelance writing business up and running. If you put these steps into practice, you will be headed on the right path toward a brighter financial future.
1) Set your mind to it
Attitude is everything. Treat your business seriously from the get-go. You’ve got to make some mental adjustments in order to step into your new reality as a work from home mom.
First, audit your schedule! Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. While it is true there are some who can afford to buy more time in the form of hired help, even a mompreneur (that’s you!) can carve out time by trading non-essential activities for business building habits.
That reality show you use to escape the realities of never-ending housework? Out the window. Your favorite, addictive social media game? Kiss it goodbye.
Remember why you’re doing this. How would it change your life if you had an extra $1,000-5,000 or more each month? With hard work, this is how much you could be making with freelance writing.
2) Pick a specialty (niche)
Writers who are very knowledgeable about certain topics or writing styles make more money and find more work than general writers. The best specialties are those which pay high rates, draw upon skills you have, that you would be interested in learning about.
Were you a programmer before leaving the workforce? You could make a killing as a tech writer. Spent 5 years as a financial advisor? Ka-ching! That’s the sound of you cashing in as a freelance finance writer.
There are various writing niches you could explore, but I am focusing on business blogging in this post. Learn how to write in more technical styles and you can really cash in!
3) Develop your craft
You do not have to have a degree in English or Communications (or a degree at all) to be a successful freelance writer, but you do need to know how to write reasonably well.
Brush up on your grammar with The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation (available 100% FREE online) and hunt down a copy of The Elements of Style by Strunk & White.
Select a few top blogs in your niche to read daily so you will become familiar with the type of style you should use. Studying good copy will make you a stronger writer.
4) Re-purpose social media
Social media can be very powerful tools for business. Make sure you have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and anywhere else your potential customers are likely to hang out.
Most importantly, set up a Linkedin profile. A Linkedin account is a must-have for freelance writers to connect with bloggers and business owners who will pay for your services. You could even find a mentor in the form of a more experienced writer who has been in your shoes.
5) Create samples
Once you have picked your specialty (or niche), it’s time to brainstorm various topics that relate to your field. Try to come up with at least 30 ideas for possible posts.
If you get stuck, try doing a Google search for blogs in the same field. Pay attention to the types of posts and other content being shared most frequently.
Whatever you do, don’t plagiarize! Take notes about what appears to work and try to incorporate those elements into your own writing.
Produce three samples that are 750-1000 words in length (the longer, the better). Does that number make you pause? I’m willing to bet you write more than that on social media or via text on a daily basis.
A word on how to format your samples:
Research how to write for the web. Make your pieces easy to scan. Use lots of white space, bullet points, section headers, and ellipses. Stick with simpler language and short paragraphs with no more than 2-4 sentences each.
Use tools like Grammarly and Hemingway to check the spelling, grammar, and readability of your pieces.
After you’ve written your sample, take a break from it for 24 hours. Re-read it out loud and listen to how the words flow. If anything sounds awkward while you’re saying it, it’ll be awkward for others to read it.
Get a second pair of eyes on your copy to catch anything you may have missed (your spouse is a good candidate).
6) Create your website
You’ve got to market your services in order to begin making money. Your own website is the best way to introduce the world to your amazing skills.
This is where you will end up having to spend some cash on your business. You can get away with a free option in the beginning but plan to save some money to have a proper website built for you or to purchase the tools you need to do it yourself (no coding required, unless you like that sort of thing). A professional website is not that expensive and it can go a long way towards getting you high paying writing jobs.
To start, a free portfolio on Contently or on WordPress.com will work. If you have a little money to spend each month, you may want to look into Squarespace.
7) Guest Post
Remember that list you made of blogs in your industry (see step 3)? Get it out again and check to see whether they are accepting guest posters. You are going to use your samples to showcase your abilities and land the writing opportunities you need to beef up your portfolio.
Aim for 3-5 solid guest posts on established blogs. When the posts are live, be sure to share your work on social media.
Warning: Artists provide their work for free on these sites, but some do require to be credited if their work is used. Don’t get into legal trouble here.
Now that you’ve got a nice portfolio with live, bylined posts, it’s time to pitch for paid opportunities. Set a goal to send 5-10 cold pitches daily during nap time. Make sure to include links to your best pieces and propose a piece you think would be great for the blog for which you’d like to write.
Important-make sure you’ve researched whether someone has already written about your proposed topic. Do a search on google for “[proposed topic]” site:[website.com]to find out. If someone has covered your topic, think of something else to write.
Keep track of where you are pitching and remember to follow up. Editors and business owners are busy people. Remember, today’s “no” could be tomorrow’s “yes”. Check in periodically with blogs that have turned you down in the past to see if there are current opportunities that are a better fit.
9) Improve Continuously
Good writers keep improving their abilities. You don’t need a degree, but you do need to develop yourself with ongoing training.
Get a library card and check out books on writing.Use that same library card to get a free account on lynda.com to learn skills you need to run a business.
Udemy has regular sales of courses for as low as $10. Subscribe to their mailing list so you can catch the next one. Try to pick up some (or all) of Shani Raja’s courses when they are discounted. Thank me later.
Some of the best writing courses for first-time freelancers also have pretty affordable payment plan options:
Take a deep breath. The journey to build a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time and do it the right way.
Every business requires hard work and investment to grow. Ultimately, you will get out of this experience what you put into it.
The ball’s in your court! What changes are you going to make in your schedule to make financial freedom a reality? I want to hear from you in the comments!
Tiffany A Ingle is a content marketing strategist and B2B blogger for hire running the one woman show known as Taingled Web. She’s also a wife and homeschooling mother of two. She’d love it if you would say hi on Twitter@taingledweb.
eBay is the most searched platform for buyers looking to buy items be it new, old or vintage. It’s easier to shop on, you get what you want delivered to your door step and you don’t have to dress up, go out to multiple stores to find what you are looking for. You must be wondering why I’m giving you all this information? That’s because, you too can make money with eBay by selling to other consumers if you really try.
(Today’s post is brought to you by Garima Talreja, the hearts and brains behind Curious Babe)
One of the easiest ways to make money on eBay is to sell items you don’t use anymore, your old clothes, that corner table gathering dust or your old shoes. Why let old stuff lay around the house, occupy more space when you can sell them on eBay, make money and buy new things?
On my trip to India a few months back, I saw a television ad which was promoting a “6 month break up” challenge. They were encouraging people to get rid of anything they haven’t used in last 6 months because statistically if you haven’t used them for 6 months, it’s likely that you won’t use them in future as well. So why not declutter your house and wardrobe and make some money?
Let’s talk about selling clothes on eBay —
More than anything, what keeps accumulating in our closet are clothes. Some are impulse purchases, others don’t fit us any more or may be out of season now. The best way to decide what to throw and what to keep is to ask yourself – if you had to shop right now, and saw this item on shelf would you buy it? If the answer is no, the item goes out!
Start small, pick one drawer and find out clothes to discard, once you have them, follow the following steps –
Step 1 – Research on eBay to evaluate the market for your garment. You can do so by checking on completed or sold listings to see what keywords are being used in association to it and how much are sellers selling them for.
Step 2 – Dry clean / wash and iron your garments. You can replace the missing buttons if you have extras lying around in the house, get any stains off it and ensure that it is in the best possible condition. This would help you get the price you’ll demand for.
Step 3 – Take clear and quality pictures of your garments. This is one of the most important steps to make a sale online. Since your customer can’t feel or touch your clothes, your pictures are going to attract them to open your listing and check it out.
When taking pictures, laying them down on a table or a floor with a white background. If you don’t have one, you can use a white sheet or board as base. Then, take pics from all angles – front, back, neck and prints / patches or anything you feel is worth highlighting. Also take pictures of any defects in the item. This way you don’t have anything to hide and the buyer would not return the item or do a case on you for false or misleading information.
Always take pictures in daylight, this will enhance the natural colors of your clothing. If you still feel there’s not enough light and your pictures have come out dark, clean them by using editing software. I always prefer to use Picasa, it’s a free editing software and you can download it online.
*Note – When editing, make sure that the image size is 500 x 500 px or more as required by eBay.
Step 4 – Once you’ve taken the pictures, your next task is to write down the measurements and other details like color, cloth material, size, pockets etc. Include anything and everything you feel is relevant to your clothes and the buyer should know about. Remember, buyers don’t necessarily like surprises therefore, it’s better to provide them with all the information to avoid returns and refunds.
Step 5 – Now that you have the pictures and the details of your garment, it’s time to list your item on eBay.
Make sure your title is clear and contains all the necessary keywords like brand name, size, color etc. E.g. – Blue Cotton On Jeans For Women Size 30 High Waist
Add the item specifics and describe the condition of your garment. You can also add the reason for sale in the condition description, thereby making an emotional connection with your buyer. In the description box, write all the information you jotted down in step 4.
Use the information from research in step 1 to figure out if you want to sell your item at Buy It Now or Auction it. Looking at similar items will also help you decide how much you can / should sell it for. Don’t forget to add eBay (10%) and PayPal fees (2.9% + $0.3) to your final price to avoid paying for it from your pocket.
For shipping with used products, it’s best to keep it domestic. My advice would be to add the cost of shipping to your selling price and offer Free Shipping. Statistics has shown that 46% of customers cancel their orders if there is no free shipping, whereas, 75% of the customers will purchase more when there is free shipping included. Select the standard shipping option and handling time for up to 2 days.
Voila! You’ve made your eBay first listing and ready to make some money!
Answer any queries that come your way from consumers and when the item is sold, secure it in nicely, add a “Thank You” note to your buyer, put it in a box and ship it. Once you do so, add the tracking number in your listing and leave a feedback.
Repeat the steps to sell out old items lying around in the house and make more space for new ones while making more money.
Have you ever sold anything on eBay before? Comment below and let me know!
My name is Garima Talreja and I’m the hearts and brains behind Curious Babe. It’s an online community for emerging women entrepreneurs who want to start their own online business. I got started selling on eBay when I moved to Melbourne in summer of 2014. It’s been a long and interesting journey from selling old items to now dropshipping new products from multiple suppliers online. My mission is to help other women who want to start their own e-commerce business and make money whilst spending time with their family. Find me on Facebook, follow me on Instagram, and let’s connect on Pinterest!
Ultimate Bundles is one that more and more bloggers are becoming familiar with – and for good reason! If you’ve read my post on affiliate marketing, you’re well aware that there are a number of options and routes to take when it comes to making money with affiliate marketing; that said, let me stop you right now and let you in on the one affiliate program you should join TODAY —
Ultimate Bundles Review
Now obviously I do want to throw a disclaimer in there that I am in fact an affiliate for them so should you sign up, I’ll earn commission, but this post was meant to be either way. They’re just that good.
Ultimate Bundles is a company that puts together HUGE bundles of e-books, courses, product discounts, and more – and they put them together in such a way that saves their customers literally THOUSANDS of dollars.
Now I first heard of Ultimate Bundles when the Genius Bloggers’ Toolkit was launched last year. This toolkit was a game changer for me and I absolutely fell in love with Ultimate Bundles. I knew I had to become an affiliate! And by the end of this post, I’m confident you’ll know you need to do the same. Why? Well…
Ultimate Bundles Payout
Affiliates for Ultimate Bundles typically earn 40% of each sale they make, with contributors earning 70%. That means that if you contribute one of your products to a bundle selling for $97, you stand to earn nearly $700 for every 10 people who purchase the bundle through your link! And that’s just ONE bundle! And even if you don’t have anything to contribute, you still stand to earn an average of about $40 per bundle you sell.
This is only an example of potential earnings and should not be taken as typical results.
Ultimate Bundles Discounts
One of the downsides to most affiliate programs is that you can’t earn a commission on your own purchases (lookin’ at you, Amazon…) Well, I’m happy to announce this is NOT the case with Ultimate Bundles. Not only do you get an automatic 40% discount on a bundle because you’re an affiliate, but if you sell 5 of those bundles, they will refund your purchase and you get the bundle FOR FREE. Pretty nifty, eh?
The Quality
Since learning of Ultimate Bundles, I’ve purchased three bundles: Genius Blogger’s Toolkit, The Ultimate Work at Home Bundle, and A Very Merry Gift Certificate Bundle. And I can promise you that each one of them was worth WELL beyond what I actually paid for them. The Genius Blogger’s Toolkit contained programs and courses I’d been wanting to buy for months – programs and courses worth well over $3,000!! – and I got it all for $97. Then there was the Holiday Bundle – $180 worth of gift certificates for only $15 – which led to my buying all sorts of gifts (for both myself and friends/family) while only having to spend a few extra dollars on shipping. It was AMAZING.
The Variety
No matter who your target market is, chances are Ultimate Bundles has a bundle for them. And if they haven’t yet, they probably will. They’re even open to suggestions!
Ultimate Bundles doesn’t just toss an affiliate link at you and send you on your merry way, oooh no. Instead they offer up HOURS of free education for all of their affiliates.
Don’t know what sort of blog post to write to promote a bundle? They’ll walk you through it.
Don’t know how to go about e-mail marketing? They’ll walk you through it.
Don’t even know where to start with it all? Yep, that’s right…they’ll walk you through it!
And this information they give to you isn’t just applicable to Ultimate Bundle sales, but to your blog strategies overall! And again – it’s FREE!!
The Catch
Look at you, readin’ all the way through and still not sold. 😉 Okay, okay so there is a catch…sorta. The bundles are only available at certain times throughout the year – meaning if you don’t take the time to plan out an action plan for these sales, you’ll be left scrambling and won’t make nearly as many sales as you’re capable of during the sale window. That said – see above. Ultimate Bundles is always there to help and they even have a Facebook community available should you have questions or need additional support!
So what are you waiting for?
Sign up for be an Ultimate Bundles Affiliate today! Save
