Working from home, for many people in the UK, is a dream come true. Plenty of us have dreamed about breaking free from the office or factory floor every once in a while. However, some work from home job opportunities can be too good to be true. So how do you separate legitimate work from home jobs from the pyramid schemes? You may be thinking, “what work can I do from home?” Thanks to the power of the internet, there are more home work opportunities opening up than ever before.
As anyone who does work from home will tell you, getting started will take plenty of patience, and a fair amount of effort. However, if you’re already looking for ways to get set up with a supplemental income at home, you may already be on the right path. Sometimes, you just need to know where to look – and to find opportunities which suit your skillset as well as your schedule and interests.
How Can I Earn Money From Home?
Setting up your own enterprise from home is going to take time. However, I’ve provided details of 15 genuine work from home jobs where people all over the UK are already making good money. Don’t worry – I’ve gone to the effort of avoiding snake oil merchants!
Is it possible to work from home? Absolutely – and here are 15 fantastic ways for you to get started. The following jobs are ideal for UK home entrepreneurs – but some will translate well overseas also.
In many cases, you’ll be able to find some of these opportunities through freelancing directories and sites such as Upwork and Fiverr. Take a look and see what’s out there!
Genuine Work From Home Jobs in the UK
Online Surveys
Let’s start with the easiest work from home job around. You can get started as survey taker within minutes at one of scores of different sites and opinion databases. If you love to share your opinion, and if the thought of getting paid for it sounds perfect for you, then you have a lot of choice available.
Survey takers can help to transform the way certain products are designed and produced. You may even be able to get a few extra freebies in the bargain. Some survey sites and platforms will send you free samples so that they get a genuine opinion from you. It’s a great way to make regular cash with very little effort.
Is It Right for Me? If you have free time at home to browse the web, you’ll have free time to share your opinions. If you’re happy to share a few details about yourself and to let your voice be heard, then it’s a fantastic avenue to take.
Things to Keep in Mind: You’re going to need an internet connection – obviously – as well as a device that can stay connected for long periods. Some surveys may ask you to spend specific amounts of time completing questions. Yes – they can and will measure you! Great sites to start at include Panelbase and Toluna.
Do also make sure to get started with multiple survey sites. Some will only pay you or let you complete surveys if you fit their demographic for study. There can be some waiting around for new surveys, too.
How Much Could I Earn? That depends on how many surveys you do and how many sites you sign up for. In some cases, you’re making pocket money. In others, you could potentially be pulling in more than £250 per month. Sign up for multiple sites to maximise your returns.
Virtual Assistant
Thanks to the internet helping to break down all kinds of walls, personal assistants can now work completely remotely. Whether it’s setting up a calendar, posting on Twitter, or answering emails, the work of a virtual assistant is one which is very lucrative to the right kind of person. You can set yourself package rates, where people can ‘buy you’ for a few hours at a time, for example. From simple data entry to answering calls, providing you’re happy to undertake menial tasks occasionally, you’re set.
Is It Right for Me? Are you meticulously organised? If you already have experience as a PA or secretary, you are already halfway there. You should also be willing to work with various programs and tools at short notice, and for the whole of your working period, you are going to be at the beck and call of your client
Things to Keep in Mind: Virtual assistant roles require intensive organisation skills. If you have trouble managing your own diary and workload, this role is perhaps going to be a little difficult for you to get into. You can either set up shop on your own or through freelancing websites – providing you have a fast computer and a reliable internet connection, you are good to go.
How Much Could I Earn? This can really vary – if you set your own rates, you could command £30 per hour, and people will be willing to pay you! However, this will be per project – and if you are working freelance, work can fluctuate. Salaried, you may be looking at £30,000 per year.
ESL Tutoring
Many people have leapt into teaching English as a Second Language. While some ESL tutors travel the world to teach people directly, you can actually set up as a tutor right here at home. You can offer tutoring and guidance to children and adults who want to know more about English and speaking the language fluently. It often won’t need you to be fluent in any other language, and there are plenty of ESL directories and resources available to help you get started. Most of the time, working remotely and freelance means you will probably just be practising conversations with pupils who are already well on their way to learning the language!
Is It Right for Me? If you love helping people and are a fantastic, sociable communicator, ESL tutoring is perfect. It’s very easy to get into if you have the right personality and patience level, so if this sounds like you, you should definitely explore options.
Things to Keep in Mind: To get really good at this job, you should think about taking on training or education yourself. You can actually train in TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) remotely, or at a variety of different colleges and universities. Check out online TEFL courses and see how you get on.
How Much Could I Earn? This can vary depending on what you offer, but you may be able to command somewhere in the region of £25 – £30 an hour if you offer comprehensive tutoring, and if you get to a point where you are in high demand!
Graphic Designing
Do you have a keen flair for the creative arts? This work from home job may require a certain set of skills and maybe even training, however, there are no doubt plenty of you out there who can easily create great-looking graphics and designs for corporate customers.
Home-based graphics designers work on commissions such as web design elements, logos, banners and more. You may even be asked to help with some social media content. Essentially, you are drawing and designing for a living – which is a dream come true for a lot of people! However, it can and will take time for you to get established and up to speed.
Is It Right for Me? If you already have a passion for graphic design and art, then absolutely. However, you must be willing to listen to clients and to stick to their briefs and demands. Sadly, there’s no room for creative interpretation here!
Things to Keep in Mind: Make sure you have a good setup for your design work. Choose a PC or Mac that’s efficient, or even a tablet. Use a graphics tablet and any premium software which will help you to create the best designs.
How Much Could I Earn? This can really vary – your earnings are going to depend on experience, and how you charge. If you’re good enough and are in demand, you could command annual earnings of £30,000. It’s not unheard of for graphic designers to ask for between £30 and £40 per hour, though this can escalate if you are at the top of your game.
Narration / Voice Over Work
Do you possess a clear speaking voice? Do you have dulcet tones which would be perfect for audiobook narration? Good news – you can get into this from home! Voiceover work is great fun and providing you are willing to stick to the requirements of your clients, you’ll have no problem getting into the industry.
However, as any voice over artist or actor will tell you, persistence is key. A great place to set up shop will be freelance directories, where people can pay you ‘per gig’. You could be narrating books, movies or even doing impressions.
Is It Right for Me? If you’re a real chatterbox, or if you have a voice that people want to listen to, then you are perfect for this type of work. You should also be a confident reader, and be willing to stick to scripts. This kind of work does also require a lot of confidence!
Things to Keep in Mind: You’re going to need an efficient computer, tablet or other types of system. You will also need to make sure that you have a stable, working internet connection, and that you have a reliable microphone. Make sure that you invest in a microphone which cancels noise and preserves crispness and clarity in voice recording.
How Much Could I Earn? As with most freelance endeavours, project fees can differ. Therefore, you could be looking at £50 per job, though you will need to set rates based on the time you spend, and what other people command.
Start A YouTube Channel
Yes – we’re getting into the realms of dream jobs here, but bear with me. Some YouTubers can pull in millions of pounds thanks to affiliations with advertisers. However, only the few very lucky video creators get to rise to the upper echelons.
That isn’t to say you can’t try and make a go of creating and posting your own videos online. If you are invested in a particular hobby, or if you know a lot about DIY, for example, you could create instruction videos to help people master a tricky technique that they are finding hard to follow.
Is It Right for Me? YouTube can be a lucrative money-maker if you have the patience. It takes time and persistence to really make money from video creation, but if you keep at it and have a professional approach, you may turn it into a valuable career turn. You’re also going to need to be very creative, very confident, and have a good camera and microphone set up.
Things to Keep in Mind: Making money on YouTube is going to take time, and sadly, there’s never any guarantee that you will be able to make serious money from these endeavours. Therefore, do be ready with an open mind if you are considering trying video making out for the first time. Not everyone can make millions from goofy videos, but who knows – you could be next.
How Much Could I Earn? How long is a piece of string? Your earnings with YouTube are naturally going to vary depending on how many advertisers you have on board your videos, and how many views you rack up. It’s possible to make hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
Blogging
Blogging can be very rewarding. If there is a topic you know a lot about, or if you have a hobby that you’re passionate discussing at length, blogging may be right for you. Writing blogs means setting up regular guides and discussions for people to read and dissect online. You could write about pets, countryside walks, even personal finance!
Blogging is easier than ever to take on nowadays thanks to there being so many great platforms and software options. You only really need a computer, a tablet or even just a phone to get started.
Is It Right for Me? Are you able to write regularly, and fluently, about topics you love? Then blogging could be a great opportunity for you. Do bear in mind that you will need to post to blogs on a regular basis to inspire readership, and you’ll also need to have a way with words. Try a few posts and see how you get on.
Things to Keep in Mind: Making money from blogging is possible through various means. You may be able to link your blog to an online store, or you may suggest affiliate products. Blogging could even tie into affiliate marketing, which I’ll mention below.
How Much Could I Earn? Earnings will depend on how many visitors you get, but regular bloggers could make £100 – £250 a month – rising to much, much more. Who knows how far you’ll go?
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing can tie in with blogging, but you can also make a mint from it via social media. This type of work revolves around you promoting certain products or services to site or page visitors. One of the most popular affiliate networks in the UK is Affiliate Window, which you can sign up to free.
Is It Right for Me? It’s a great way to earn passive income, and it is ideal if you are already blogging, or if you run a site which is based in a specific industry.
Things to Keep in Mind: Affiliate marketing is another work from home situation where you are sadly not guaranteed any take-away pay. Some casino schemes, for example, will only give you a cut of their profits once you’ve referred a set number of people, or if your clickers have invested a specific amount of money. Affiliate marketing is otherwise very easy – and as a passive income generator, you will only need to do minimal work to bring in regular cash – potentially!
How Much Could I Earn? This depends on the affiliate schemes you sign up for. Some casino schemes will give you a 25% revenue cut, for example, on anything up to £20,000. That means £5,000 for you! However, you are going to need to recommend a lot of people to claim that kind of return! Patience and dedication are key.
Content Writing
Falling a little outside blogging, general content writers will accept money for writing tasks of all shapes and sizes. If you have a way with the word, you could be accepting projects in the shape of press releases, corporate blogs, social media posts and more besides. You could even get creative and start writing poetry or fiction for people who have specific commissions. In many cases, you will find that there are lots of people out there willing to pay you for content.
Is It Right for Me? If you are good with words, and have the time and effort to put into regular writing, this is a job which you could develop into a full career. You need to have a stable internet connection as well as a computer or tablet that you can work with on the go. Your spelling and grammar skills should be impeccable.
Things to Keep in Mind: Content writing can be tricky to get into at first. However, providing the people you work for are happy for work to be shared, each commission could build towards a bigger portfolio. However, you must ask permission from anyone you work for to be able to reuse their work. The bigger and better your portfolio is, the more progress you’ll make.
How Much Could I Earn? It’s common for content writers to accept payment per word, though with enough experience, you may be able to start requesting payment by the hour. High level copywriters and content writers can easily request £50 per hour depending on the work they do. It’s worth holding out!
Music on Demand
This is another creative pursuit which is well worth looking into if you are a dab hand at music production. Producing music isn’t easy, but for those of us with an ear for tunes, there is a lucrative market for creating ditties and music for online videos and more. Providing you are willing to waive rights to ownership in some cases, you could make a nice bit of money from this endeavour.
Like content writing and graphic designing, you will need to establish yourself a little before you can make big money. However, if you already have a portfolio of musical jingles and other work, set up on a freelance site and see how you get on.
Is It Right for Me? Do you have a natural ear for music? Do you make tunes for fun? There’s no reason why you can’t make money out of it.
Things to Keep in Mind: You’re going to need some top-notch equipment if you’re going to ask for money for your music. Invest in instruments, good creation software and more besides. You should also ask for opinions on your craft before you start asking for money, too. Research your craft!
How Much Could I Earn? Once again, this type of work really relies on specific project pricing. You could charge £10-£20 for short ditties through freelancing sites, for example, however, more established musicians will likely be able to ask for hourly rates. Research your market, and start slowly!
Household Helper
Yes! There are people out there willing to pay good money for you to do some of their housework for them. For example, washing and ironing is a great money-spinner. It’s a solid way to make supplemental cash if people aren’t able to attend to household chores on their own. You can either set up at home, or you can sign up with a local agency to represent you. Cleaning and chore-taking have never been more lucrative!
Is It Right for Me? Are you happy to take on menial tasks for several hours at a time? Are you the type of person who isn’t fazed by a little housework? If you have the time to get through other people’s laundry as well as your own, then you can leap right in!
Things to Keep in Mind: Signing up with an agency is a great way to put yourself out there and to get regular work. However, you will obviously be able to set your own rates if you run a business on your own. You could use a platform as simple as Facebook to get started!
How Much Could I Earn? Agency work will vary, though online chores will generally price up per item or task. For example, you could easily charge £1-£2 per item of clothing you choose to iron. People will be happy to pay these prices.
Customer Care
Customer service is a job which will always be available, but only the best customer service operators can really make a lucrative career out of it. Are you happy to help people, and to learn about a wide range of products and services? You can set up as a customer service advisor right from the comfort of your own home. This job will revolve around you handling queries and resolving questions, on the whole.
Is It Right for Me? If you like helping people, or if you have experience in customer care, there is nothing to stop you from setting up as a home advisor. However, you will need to be able to think on your feet, as well as be able to handle difficult situations in a calm manner.
Things to Keep in Mind: Make sure you have a fast, capable computer as well as requisite chat programs and a working microphone. In some cases, you’ll need to chat through typing. You’ll also need to be fairly flexible with when you can work, too. Keep an open mind and diary.
How Much Could I Earn? Earnings here can vary, again, but you’ll expect to make an hourly wage of up to £10. It’s not a bad living at all from a few hours in your spare time!
Data Entry
Data entry work is something that will likely always need a human touch. After all, there are going to be some things machines just aren’t ready to take from us just yet! Data entry work could be as simple as inputting information into a spreadsheet, filling out video descriptions, or general proofreading. It can be repetitive work, which means it is best suited to people who don’t mind working similar tasks for long periods of time.
Is It Right for Me? Data entry is great for anyone who has an eye for detail. What’s more, you should only apply for this type of work if you aren’t the type to get easily bored – as you will likely need to fill out lots of data in very tight spaces of time. It’s great that so many of these jobs are remote, meaning you can work from anywhere.
Things to Keep in Mind: Some data entry jobs will need to you be able to type at a specific pace and to offer up a few hours of your time during unsociable hours. It’s a job which will pay well for your flexibility, however. Take a look at freelance job boards as well as general job repositories, as these may offer up roles where you can work from home.
How Much Could I Earn? Data entry is skilled work, and the more skilled you are, the more you’ll get paid! You could expect to pull in £10-£15 per hour, but depending on the nature of the task as well as sensitivity, this could well change.
Photography
If you love taking photos, then you’ll be glad to hear that you could make money from selling your snaps as stock photos. Stock photos are those which, of course, are used in blog articles and on websites to add a little personality to a piece. You’ll even find them in magazines, too. Stock photos are very helpful for people who otherwise have no other means of jazzing up their articles.
Is It Right for Me? Do you take photos a lot? Do you have a professional camera and an eye for a great photo? Then there’s no reason why you can’t get set up selling photos online. Make sure to check out stock photo websites which are requesting submissions.
Things to Keep in Mind: Stock photos will pull in very little money if you only offer a few. The more photos you take and submit, the more chance you will have of making money. Do bear in mind that most stock photo sites will have their own guidelines for submission, too. It can be tricky to get started, but hang in there – keep taking great shots and you could turn a nice income around.
How Much Could I Earn? Industry experts suggest that you could make around 30p-50p per month per photo, but that depends on if they actually get downloaded. As stated, the more you take, the more you make. Simple!
Pet Sitting and Walking
Finally, let’s get away from technology and talk about our four-legged friends. Looking after a cat or a dog takes time and effort! While we love our pets, we don’t always have time to offer them 24/7. That’s where pet sitters and dog walkers come in! For an hourly or daily fee, sitters will look after and fuss pets quite happily.
Is It Right for Me? It’s an ideal job for an animal lover, but do be prepared that you will likely come across all manner of animal temperaments and breeds. An open mind and a calm temperament is a must!
Things to Keep in Mind: You’ll need to pay attention to owners’ wishes at all times. The pets you sit for may have strict diets or regimes. You’re being paid to look after their precious pets – which means you have a duty of care to make sure you take proper care of them. Consider listing yourself through a local jobs board to get started, or set up a Facebook page.
How Much Could I Earn? Dog walkers could earn £10 or more per hour (remember you can of course walk more than one dog at the same time!), while pet sitters will generally expect to command a little less. It all depends on what you’re asked to do!
A Few Tips and Things to Consider
- Avoid pyramid schemes and multi-level marketing at all costs. I’ve listed affiliate marketing here as it can bring in genuine money. MLMs and other schemes, however, will involve you recruiting someone, who recruits someone else, and so on. These schemes rarely bring in much money unless you let them consume you – and in some cases, the products you’re selling may not even be that good!
- You’ll need to get in touch with HM Revenue and Customs if you set up a home business. You will legally need to declare any income to the tax office you make outside of your day job, too. You’ll need to register as self-employed, legally, even if you are paying tax through PAYE elsewhere.
- Invest in equipment and do the research! Most work from home jobs will need plenty of time and effort putting in on your part. Show passion and willing, and there’s nothing to say you can’t make it work.
- Be ready to manage your own time like a pro. You will need to set your own timetables and to set expectations for your clients as and when they request work from you. This can seem daunting, but if you practice timekeeping and download scheduling, this will come as a breeze to you.
Is it possible to work from home? Of course it is – but it can take time, money and effort to make a real career out of it. Who knows – if you put your mind to it you could be making money on the side in no time.
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