Kazi Hassan June 17, 2020 
Tumisu / Pixabay
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a public health crisis, but it is also an economic one. In the three months since lockdown measures have been put in place, over 14 million Americans have lost their jobs and even more have had their hours reduced.
If you’re one of those people affected by the Pandemic and have either lost your job or seen hours reduced to the point where you are finding it hard to make ends meet, continue reading and find out how you can earn money from the safety of your home.
Earning online is not new but has been limited to skilled professionals such as coders, UI/UX designers, accountants, and similar jobs that require extensive training to perform. It is difficult, and as I’m saying this, I understand what an understatement this is, to earn online without any prior skills or training to build a steady stream of income through online sources.
But there is hope. As more companies opt to hire temporary workers and outsource small jobs, online hires are more common than before. I have compiled a list of such jobs that require no special skill sets and zero to little training to perform.
Here are 7 ways to earn money online
Become a Data Entry Operator
Data entry jobs are simple and easy for beginners to start a career in. As a data entry operator, you might be expected to do a number of tasks which might include typing a set of data into a spreadsheet, transcribing pdf or image files into Microsoft Word. The scope of work for data operators are endless.
Based on the relative ease of the job, data entry jobs start at a low rate of $ 3-$ 4 on Freelancing websites. However, as your experience and reputation grow, you will find better opportunities that can pay anywhere from $ 10 and more.
Work as a Customer Service Assistant
In 2020, two big trends are about to collide: E-commerce and Social Media. In a report named “Why Conversation Is the Future of Commerce” Facebook has revealed that over 35% of Americans have messaged a business regarding a purchase.
As E-commerce grows at an unprecedented rate, especially during this lockdown, buyers are eager to learn more about the businesses they deal with before making a purchase.
This means that there is more room for customer query managers who can answer questions timely and generate sales with excellent customer service.
Get hired as a virtual assistant
Are you personable, tech-savvy, and a great communicator?
Then get hired as a virtual assistant. You can try any number of websites that hire virtual assistants such as Virtalent,24/7 Virtual Assistant or Freelancer.
A virtual assistant’s job description could entail a wide range of jobs, including data entry, scheduling your client’s calendar, flight & hotel tickets, and any other task that your client needs help finishing.
The important thing here is to understand that you will be working closely with your client, and you need to ensure that you can work around his or her calendar. This does take out a lot of flexibility from your work schedule, but on the bright side, VAs earn a more stable paycheck.
Work as a translator
I know I promised to list jobs that require no additional skills, but if you’re one of the 20% of Americans who know a second language, then translation jobs are too good an opportunity for me to not include in this list.
Bilinguals can take advantage of the millions of working opportunities as English teachers for non-native speakers, transcribers, or even a stay-at-home call center operator.
Fill Up Online Surveys
Businesses, researchers, and government agencies use surveys to understand their customers and constituents better. This often requires acquiring real-time survey results very fast. That’s where survey sites come in.
You can register yourself as a survey taker and earn anywhere from$ 1-$ 3 per form from these websites. However, be warned taking online surveys might be a quick way to earn money; it will not make you rich. Treat this opportunity as more of a side hustle in addition to your current job or one of many side hustles you could be doing online.
Try Copy Trading
Trading currencies, stocks, and options can be scary and rightfully so. It takes a lot of training, reading up on the mechanics of free markets, and keeping up to date with the latest news to understand the ups and downs of the market.
But there is a way to trade safely without becoming a stock market savant — Copy Trading.
So what is Copy Trading?
The idea behind copy trading is simple. Instead of picking your own stocks and assets to place your investments in, use social trader tools to find expert traders whose trade you can copy. So if an expert you chose allocates 1% of his investment in an Apple stock, you’d also have 1% of your investment directed towards the same stock.
Get paid to test websites
Web designers often use focus groups to test the functionality of their websites. If you can follow simple instructions and navigate through a website, then website testing can be for you.
But before you begin, here is what to expect:
Web designers design websites for general people like you and me and want to ensure that everyone is comfortable with the website. Also, thanks to advanced testing tools, designers can also study your behavior to find out how they can maximize clicks (and sales) by changing certain elements with in the website. So it is only natural that companies and designers pay their target audience to test out their website.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on everyone. But if there ever was a time to pull us by the proverbial bootstraps, this is it. I would implore everyone to apply their best skills at earning online. Ideally, try working on two to three online streams until one of them prove to be a steady source of income. In today’s remote economy, not only is it possible to get back your livelihood by earning online, it’s possible to earn more than you would in your regular job.
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