With the advent of technology and shifting economic demands, working from home has become a viable alternative to earning an income, and is obtaining wider adoption across businesses to private individuals, regardless of background. If you are a senior citizen, you’d be glad to know there are multiple ways to supplement your income and to put your time and skills to good use, without leaving the comfort of your home. Here are four ways to do that – all you need is a stable internet connection, a computer and possibly some additional equipment depending on the work.
Freelancing
Freelancing is a term that refers to self-employment and usually, working on multiple assignments, without being bound by standard employment contracts. Typically, seniors are viewed as having more experience, skills and maturity, often bringing great value to companies. The type of freelance work available is very broad and spans from general admin work to specialized demands such as accountancy and marketing. These can include menial tasks like data entry, proofreading, and transcription, or more value-based work such as financial planning and video editing. Here are some great websites to help you find some freelance opportunities: Retired Brains, Upwork and Fiverr.
Customer Service Representative
With the rise of online shopping and improved after-sales services, customer service representatives are needed on every front, online and offline. The tasks involved can include answering online chat messages, replying emails and in certain cases answering calls, offering technical support or tracking orders. Unlike freelancing, these roles may have stricter hiring processes in place and may offer less freedom to choose your working hours. However, employers often provide paid training sessions and a competitive compensation package. To find out more about the role and where you can enlist, take a look at the following websites: LiveOps, Working Solutions and Arise.
Virtual tutoring
With the rise of online peer to peer tutoring, education has become accessible to a much larger audience. That said, your educational background and experience can help students, across different age groups, to learn better, in addition to their formal schooling. Websites, such as Tutor.com and Kaplan, are a great way to find out about the qualifications required and the subject matters in demand. Alternatively, you may choose to tutor on your own without passing through third party websites, giving you more freedom to choose your clients, schedule and rates.
Selling your hobby online
Turning hobbies into a viable business is certainly a dream. If you have the time and a hobby that you could possibly monetize, selling online is the perfect way to earn extra income and reward your hard-earned skills. Be it handmade jewellery, photography or simply clearing out a decade’s worth of personal collections, there is a platform for every need. A great example is Etsy, which focuses on empowering the creativity of individuals who are passionate about what they do, allowing them to share their stories and creations with the world. Other than that, there are plenty of e-commerce platforms such as eBay and Craigslist, which are suitable for selling nearly everything. Your customers could be just a few clicks away!
Having said all this, one of the greatest benefits of the internet era is the ability to exchange and connect with people around the world, without leaving the comfort of your sofa. While we’ve highlighted four ways to work from home through the internet, there are plenty of other opportunities that have yet to be covered. A final world of advice, be cautious when navigating the worldwide web and beware of scams. But above all, enjoy your retirement and don’t let anything stand in the way of what you want to achieve!
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