Gigpreneur

Earn money online with the following tried and true online gigs…

I remember looking at the Sunday job classifieds a few weeks ago and it was so limited. I was searching because I was curious about how many job opportunities were available for job hunters these days. The only jobs available that offered decent pay were jobs in the medical field. Even medical jobs were limited.

At one time, the classifieds offered hundreds of jobs. This particular job classifieds wasn’t a small town newspaper. This was a popular newspaper located in a metro area. If there are no jobs available in this paper, you won’t find a good paying job anywhere else – at least not for a large number of job hunters.

One of the most stable opportunities available today are online careers. If you’re not able to find a good paying career opportunity in your local paper, you basically have no other choice than to create your own opportunity.

The following are the easiest online careers to start in 2011. These online careers do not require a lot of start up capital. If you have a reliable computer, Internet connection and a phone, you have access to what you need to get started.

These top three online careers are also one of the fastest ways of earning profit – unlike some online opportunities that may take weeks and even months before you see a dime. With the following online career opportunities, you can start earning money in a matter of days.

Website Freelance Writer

A website freelance writer creates web content for website owners. They may also create press releases, newsletters and articles for business owners. As a website freelance writer, you should have basic knowledge of writing for the web. Depending on the rates that you charge your clients, you can earn $50 – $100 or more per hour. There are several ebooks available about starting a successful online freelance writing career that can help steer you in the right direction.

Virtual Assistant (VA)

There are several small business owners out there who are looking for reliable virtual assistants to work from home. In today’s tough economy, there are many business owners who cannot afford to hire a full-time staff of employees to handle daily business tasks such as answering phone calls, answering emails, writing business letters, etc. As a virtual assistant, you can earn good money helping out business owners with those tasks. There are several executives out there that are willing to pay good money for a virtual assistant. Some virtual assistants earn between $50-$100 per hour.

Business Website Promoter

A website promoter simply promotes websites for business owners. This may include promoting a website through Social Media Marketing or writing marketing articles and promoting them through article distribution sites. As a website promoter, you can set your own rates and charge each client on a per project basis or an hourly rate. Some website promoters charge their clients $75 per hour to promote a website.

Starting a successful online career is a great way to earn a steady income. Best of all, you are in complete control of the amount of money you earn …unlike a j.o.b. that pays you what they think you’re worth. Working for yourself gives you an opportunity to earn what you’re worth.

Where is the best place to hold client meetings? You have three choices: invite the client to your home office, the local Starbucks or rent a shared office space. Personally, I would go with the latter, inviting the client to Starbucks or invest in a shared office space. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of all three options:

Invite a Client to Your Home Office

The major advantage of inviting a client to your home office is that you don’t have to leave your office. If your client decides not to show up, it’s not a waste of time. Another advantage is that a client gets a chance to see that you’re a legitimate business. I found one entrepreneur on a work from home blog who believes inviting a client to your home gives one a chance to connect with the client and makes your business relationship more personable. I don’t necessarily agree with that. The disadvantage of bringing your client to your home is mainly for security reasons. If you’re client turns out to be a lunatic, they can just show up at any time. Now, if you have been to your client’s place of business and you’ve known the person for a while, that’s a different story. Inviting a client to your home can be a little too close for comfort, especially in today’s crazy society.

Invite a Client to Starbucks or Local Café

This is perfect if you’re business is computer based because you can bring your laptop and catch up on work while you wait for your client to arrive. I have made my local Starbucks my official office space. Alternative places: Panera Bread or a local Bookstore Café. The only downside to inviting a client to a local café is that it can get very crowded at times and extremely noisy. Plus, you’re not always guaranteed to find a good seat, especially if you’re meeting a client during lunch time. If you’re going to choose this option, try to schedule your meeting during off peak hours (before 10:00 am and after 2:00 pm). I have found from personal experience that these are the best times to meet with a client with very little interruption. This all depends on which café you choose of course.

Invite a Client to your Shared Office Space

This is by far one of the best options, if you can afford it. In most cases, you can rent a monthly shared office space with a receptionist. This will really impress your client. You can lease a 6 to 12 month office space and it doesn’t require all the hoopla that’s normally involved in renting a traditional office from a realtor. The only disadvantage is that it can become a bit pricey if you’re just starting out. However, it is a lot less expensive than traditional office rental.

When choosing a place to meet with your client always remember, the key to having a successful client meeting is to invite him/her to a professional yet comfortable environment.