The 10 Best-Paying Jobs You Can Do At Home BY NABIN PAUDYAL

The trend of working from home has grown tremendously in the recent years. Long gone are the days when employment was thought of as a strict 9-5 day, travelling to the office in the morning and returning back home in the evening. With advanced technologies and changing trends in the economy, freelancing has become more common than ever before.

Don’t get home-based employment wrong as a mere part-time job that pays only in scanty sums. You can earn as much as you’d earn working at an office if you possess certain skills and capabilities.

Below, we have listed 10 of the best-paying jobs you can do at home. No more are jackpots and lotteries the only ways of getting rich sitting back at home, enjoying the comfort of the couch and closeness with your family.

1. Translator

Average Salary: $132,000

As a freelance translator, you translate texts from one language to another. It’s a perfect job for telecommuting. Translation is a pretty straightforward job and you can do it all by yourself at home.

You might need to revise your work at times but if you possess enough talent, you’ll be able to translate the words and also include the feel of the original work.

This job comes with its fair share of challenges. The work can seem quite monotonous at times, and time management is a skill you must have to succeed in this job.

2. Voice Actor

Average Salary: $75,000

All voice actors provide voiceovers, but the purposes for voice acting vary a lot. You can do freelance voice acting for audiobooks, animation works, games, websites, videos, and more.

Voice acting is fun work to do and pays plenty. However, you may need to condition and train your voice.

Voice acting is just like acting. You might have difficulty finding work as different businesses tend to search for a specific kind of voice only. And altering your voice is a pretty difficult thing to do.

3. Statistical Analyst

Average Salary: $69,000

As a statistical analyst, you have to interpret the quantitative data and also design statistical models for research problems. Maintaining databases and ensuring validity of data is also required in most of the cases.

Statistical analysis is a very broad field and you should work towards specializing in particular types of data. It will add great value if you specialize in marketing, health, economics, or engineering data.

This kind of work requires proper training, and in many cases, the employers require you to have formal college training as well. Certification of statistical training is asked for in almost all cases.

4. Infographic Designer

Average Salary: $76,000

Infographics are becoming more and more of a powerful tool to visualize detailed information. These days, no one really seems to have time to go through web articles thoroughly, scanning through each and every detail.

So as the demand for infographics is increasing, infographic designing has become a very rewarding vocation. However, you need to be good with data visualization tools and should be very careful to only use the correct data.

If you have a knack for designing visually appealing infographics, you can earn as much just sitting back at home as you’d earn if you worked at an office.

5. Software Engineer

Average Salary: $94,000

The demand for software engineers has been ever increasing. And freelance software engineering opportunities are aplenty in the market.

Virtually all businesses want to have a website and app of their own. Add to that the ever present demand for desktop applications, and the future of software engineers looks very bright.

If you have sufficient skills and experience under your belt, you do not even need to have a college degree to succeed in this field.

6. Travel Agent

Average Salary: $56,000

Working as a home-based travel agent can be very exciting. You don’t actually need to have traveled to lots of places if you want to succeed in this field. However, you do need to understand travel well.

The internet has brought lots of changes to the traditional travel agent business. Even the most complicated trips can be arranged successfully at the click of a button.

As a freelance travel agent, you are involved in things like providing information to prospective visitors, driving traffic to a client’s website, and making arrangements for visitors.

7. Financial Manager

Average Salary: $103,000

Financial management is a highly paying job that you can do from home. In this vocation, you are responsible for providing proper financial support to the clients, helping them to make suitable business choices.

Common clients are financial corporations, retailers, charities, universities, and general businesses. Freelance financial managers are preferred by many clients for whom it is not suitable to hire a financial manager on a permanent basis.

However, to land this job, it’s necessary for you to have formal training and college education to establish your credentials.

8. Writer

Average Salary: $52,000

There are plenty of freelance writing opportunities available out there. You can write both for printed as well as online publishing media. With the growth of internet, online writing opportunities have always been on the rise.

Writing opportunities spread over multiple disciplines, from health, education, and career counselling to sports, music, and politics. If you can write, you’ll always find something that interests you.

This job pays significantly and you don’t even need to have formal education and college training. If you can show your adroitness with sample works and draft a solid cover letter, you are likely to land the job.

9. Graphic Designer

Average Salary: $52,000

The demand for freelance graphic designers is also increasing day by day. It’s a perfect home-based job opportunity as you’d like to be on your own while doing something creative.

Graphic designers are constantly wanted by corporations, advertisement agencies, newspapers, retailers, and websites. You can soon turn one client into many.

This is also a great opportunity that doesn’t require official training. Your creations speak for themselves, and if your clients fancy your work, you’ll land the job. Pretty simple!

10. Animator

Average Salary: $69,000

Freelance animator is a quite pleasing job to have, at least for those who really dig animation and don’t see it as work.

You need expensive resources in animation software, as well as computer hardware to be able to create swift animation. However, once you start getting clients, your initial investments will make far greater returns.

Animation is a quite challenging job, and often you’ll be working with a team of fellow animators rather than alone. You may find teamwork challenging or rather uplifting.

All the above average salaries have been taken from Indeed.com.

Featured photo credit: Work from home/Flickr.com via farm9.staticflickr.com

The Best Facebook Groups to Hangout in for Entrepreneurs by Allyn Lewis

Is it just me, or does it keep getting harder and harder to get your message across on social media? Like all I’m asking is that you let the people who CHOSE to follow me see the stuff I have to say. Likewise, if you want to blow up my feed with ads and sponsored posts, fine, I can handle it, but what I can’t take is hiding the stuff from brands and other business owners that I actually want to see. For awhile, all we had to worry about was Facebook’s ever-changing algorithm and having to pay to get our content seen. But, unfortunately, other platforms have decided to join the bandwagon and apply similar approaches. Ugh. Rant over (for now).

I’m not a fan of paying for advertising on social media. Can it be successful? Yes, absolutely. But that success takes strategy, experimenting, and a hell of a lot of monitoring to keep up with and analyze. Guess what? That quick and easy “boost this post” option on Facebook doesn’t typically give you much ROI unless you’ve got a whole lot of thought behind it. You have to either get creative or commit to social media advertising. Don’t just half-ass it or you’re just going to waste your money.

So what’s a business owner to do? Shortly after I pretty much wrote off Facebook for growing my blog and business (reach is sad enough, let alone the click through rate), I discovered the power of Facebook Groups. While creating your own Facebook group can be a great rescue for your business (that’s a topic for another day), today we’re going to chat about networking and connecting in other groups to find like minded, passionate individuals to build mutually beneficial relationships with!

RELATED: How to Secure Clients Through Facebook Groups

Here are a few groups worth joining:

1.) Gem Nation

A network of passionate business owners helping each other through the adventures of entrepreneurship. This is a free extension of my Gem Nationmembership program open to any business owner! #GemNation is not for people who want to take the easy way out and fudge their way to temporary success. It’s for passionate go-getters who are creating something unique for the world. This is also for dreamers and do-ers who are not only ready to take control of their own success, but also are excited to help others along the way to their dreams by playing an active role in an incredible tribe. We share valuable resources, participate in helpful discussions, support each other, and have a ton of fun!

For access to the group, sign up for the FREE Gem Nation Membership Level and then request to join the group here!

2.) Savvy Business Owners

A private group for women who are or want to be Savvy Business Owners. To join, visit http://www.heathercrabtree.com/join. You will be sent a link to the group as well as signed up to get weekly FUNmail and “7 Keys to Streamline Your Business.” Join here.

3.) Creative Biz Owners

Not to brag, but this group is filled with the most amazing creative business owners you will ever meet in your whole entire life. I think that description truly says all you need to know. If you are a creative business owner and like to have FUN, then get in this group! Join here.

4.) Female Entrepreneurs Collaborate

This community was built by the Millionista Mentor Stephanie Nickolich to inspire, empower, educate, and unite women worldwide through collaboration and community! Join the rapidly growing online community for female entrepreneurs and women in business at StyleYourSuccess.com. You’ll find elite access to authentic success stories, badass business building tools, online mentoring, best-in-class accountability tools, and affordable eduction to help YOU grow your empire overnight! Join here.

5.) Being Boss

Being Boss is a group for all you bosses out there who are listening to the“Being Boss” podcast (which I absolutely recommend) and want to a place to connect with each other. It’s a creative pack where you can ask questions, share your victories, voice your struggles, and support other bosses as you show up and do the work!

6.) Blog + Biz BFFs

A supportive group of bloggers and entrepreneurs joined by non-other than the mastermind behind The Nectar Collective, Melyssa Griffin. It was created so that the community would have a place to hang out together, get support, and offer advice. The goal? To cultivate friendships and collaborations among members. It’s a great place to be! In order to be approved for the group, you’ll need to sign up here first.

7.) The Rising Tide Society

A very mindful group of creative entrepreneurs educating and empowering each other to thrive in the spirit of community over competition. The purpose of this group is to give all creatives a daily place to check in with their colleagues, participate in group discussion, ask questions, and seek positive support. Join here!

8.) Babes in Business

This group, hosted by Cassie Howard, is for women entrepreneurs with online businesses that want to get advice around growing their business to six-figures (and beyond). If you’re ready to get out of your shell and start turning your business into the amazing beast you know it can be, this is the group for you.Join here!

If you’re going to starting making use of Facebook Groups, be sure that you are exhibiting the proper etiquette. Caitlin Bacher of Little Farm Media has a great guide for you on this! I also suggest perusing The Uncaged Life’s post on How to Not be a Dick in Facebook Groups. If you read these and are like, “oh crap, I’m doing this all wrong” don’t worry, I thought the same thing. But, since I’ve been correcting my mistakes and adjusting my Facebook group approach, I’ve made so many more genuine connections that will sustainably help grow my brand!

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9 Free Programs That’ll Help You Build a Side Business 9 Free Programs That'll Help You Build a Side Business

The traditional view of a small business is changing.

There was a time when building a business involved joint ventures and angel investors. It involved asking the bank for a big business loan to cover overhead costs until you turn a profit. If you had the dream to start a business, you needed to invest a lot of money.

No more – today’s business, particularly a web-based business, has very little overhead.

Here are 9 different software alternatives to “brand name” software that can get your business up and running quickly, with no financial investment:Want to start writing for a living? Have a service that you wish to offer? You can build a business presence with free software that has all the features you need to get started.

• LibreOffice/Google Docs (replaces Microsoft Word/Powerpoint/Excel)
  First, if you need to work with documents, you need software that can handle them. Unfortunately, while Word is the standard, Microsoft has priced it out so that any business looking for the latest software with no money is left in the dust. LibreOffice (formerly OpenOffice) is a powerful, free desktop office suite that can handle virtually all types of documents. With LibreOffice, you won’t miss Microsoft Office for a second.

If you want to go even lighter on your desktop, you can use Google Docs, which lives entirely within your Web browser. Again, you can use these tools to replace Microsoft Office pretty easily, and if you don’t need to do any ultra-fancy formatting, they are more than adequate.

• Gmail (replaces Microsoft Outlook)
  If you have separate business and personal email addresses, the last thing you want is to have to switch back and forth between them. Many people use Microsoft Outlook to handle all of their email addresses, so that they only have one place that they have to look. Instead, try using Gmail. Gmail makes it easy to handle multiple email addresses, and it runs light and quick. So if you need to search through your vast backlog of email, you have the speed and power of Google behind it. Gmail offers a number of other great little tools, but the ability to easily handle multiple email addresses is at the top of the list.

• Evernote (replaces OneNote)
  Brainstorming is a valuable practice in a business. Whether you are keeping track of your latest ideas or just fleshing out your latest campaign, having a centralized place to store your thoughts is valuable. Microsoft OneNote is a handy piece of software, but it is expensive. Instead, sign up for Evernote, and store your thoughts online. There, you can access them from anywhere so if you are out and about and have that great business idea, you can pull out your phone and get it into Evernote (via an Evernote app or by texting through Twitter) so that you will not forget it. Their excellent notebook/tagging organizing scheme makes finding any of your thoughts as efficient as possible.

• Spreadsheet/ClearCheckbook (replaces Microsoft Money/Quicken)
  Tracking all of your expenses and income is a hassle, especially if you have separate business expenses. While many choose to use Mint for their finances, I much prefer handling the transaction record keeping myself. Set up a spreadsheet in LibreOffice or Google Docs (Google Docs even has a great template for it), and you can keep track of your finances on your own. Or, you can use a service like ClearCheckbook, which gives you a few more reporting options. Either way, the bloated price of dedicated financial software just isn’t worth it.

• MailChimp (replaces Aweber)
  The power of your business is in your email list. You need subscribers that are interested in hearing from you on a regular basis, so put a sign-up box on your home page and encourage people to sign up to receive updates, free reports, etc. The industry standard seems to be Aweber, which is a very powerful tool, but it comes at a cost. Instead, MailChimp offers free emailing for a large number of subscribers, so you can keep your overhead low while you build your list (their interface is a little more pleasant, too, in my book).

• Google Voice (replaces a separate phone line)
  If you are dealing with clients, you don’t want to be passing out your home phone number or your personal cell number, either. Who has the money to afford a separate business line? Instead, sign up for a free phone number from Google Voice and have it routed to your cell phone or your home phone. Then, you can block numbers, set up special voice mail messages, and do a ton more without having to pay for a separate line or service.

• Gimp (replaces Adobe Photoshop)
  One of the “necessary evils” of graphic design has been Photoshop. A powerful and useful tool, Photoshop is also incredibly expensive. If you are looking to save money, Gimp is a free tool that works very similarly to Photoshop. The interface is slightly different, but once you use it (and search around for a few tutorials), you can use it for plenty of graphic design and desktop publishing purposes.

• Scribus (replaces Adobe InDesign)
  Creating a publication, whether it is a magazine or a newsletter, can be a pain without the right software. Again, Adobe claims the standard with InDesign, but Scribus is a free tool that offers much of the same functionality, allowing you to create elegant and beautiful PDFs and printed documents with little hassle (and no cost).

• Ubuntu (replaces a new computer)
  Finally, if you want to run a business but worry that your old computer can’t handle it, you may be looking at getting a new computer. But instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on a new PC or Mac, try installing Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a version of Linux that feels and acts a bit like Windows or Mac OS X, but without the bloat. You may be able to give that old computer new life and save yourself an expensive purchase.

There are plenty of ways you can build a business online, and you do not need to spend an arm and a leg to do it. Use some of these free software alternatives, and you’d be surprised how quickly and easily you can get moving. Now, if you want to build a business on the side, you have nothing standing in your way!

9 Free Programs That'll Help You Build a Side Business 

Best 18 Companies That Pays Cash For Taking Online Surveys Lashay

Who does not want to earn some extra money online with minimum effort these days? Taking paid surveys online is the easiest way to make money on the Internet. There are many legitimate survey companies online that will give you access to a wide range of paid online surveys.

You do not need any special skills to do surveys. All you need to do is give your honest opinion and get paid for it. Most importantly, it is a fun way to pick up some extra cash from the comfort of your desktop or laptop.

You can earn cash rewards, gift vouchers, free products and other prizes for each completed survey, depending on the type of survey you do. However, there are a lot of people who are interested in surveys that offer cash rewards. If you want to take surveys for cash rewards, there are a few reputable cash-paying survey companies online you can sign up with.

Best Cash-Paying  Survey Companies You Must Join!

Many survey companies will pay you cash to take paid surveys on the Internet, however, some will offer other forms of compensation, including (but not limited to) gift vouchers, free products, and prizes. If you are looking for legitimate survey sites that pay cash for taking online surveys, here are a few to check out:

1. Pinecone Research

This company is by far the best survey panel out today. Members are rewarded for taking online surveys, testing products, participating in focus groups and more. Pinecone Research typically pays around $3.00 per survey. Pays cash via check.

2. Opinion Outpost 

Opinion Outpost is one of the best survey sites among all. All members earn points which can be redeem for cash (check/Paypal) and gift cards. In addition, you will be entered into a monthly drawing for a chance to win a prize drawing . You will have a better chance to win by completing a large number of surveys. Open to members from the US and UK.

3. Global Test Market

This is a global survey panel open to members worldwide. I have heard many great reviews about this company. Members earn points for taking online surveys which are redeemable for cash, amazon  giftcards, and free merchandise.

4. Survey Savvy

This company is one of my personal favorites. I have received two checks for taking only surveys – see payment proof. Survey Savvy has been around since 1999. They are owned and operated by Luth Research, based out of California. Each survey pays a different amount based on the length of the survey. They only pay cash via check with only a$1 minimum balance.

5. Ipsos I-Say

Ipsos I-Say is one of the largest survey panels around. This company works with some of the best brands and leading companies. At Ipsos i-Say, members earn points for taking online surveys. You can trade in those points for cash ( via check or Paypal), gift cards, and free prizes.

6. Survey Spot 

Surveyspot is a legitimate survey site where members earn points for taking online surveys and testing products. You will earn points for each survey completed. Points are redeemable for cash via (Paypal) and Amazon gift cards.  Open to 18 and up years old.

7. My Survey 

MySurvey is a popular survey community always looking for new members to take online surveys. Members earn points for each survey successfully completed. Points can be redeemed for cash via Paypal, giftcards, and store certificates. Open to ages 16 years and up.

8. Toluna 

Toluna is a trusted survey panel that pays members to take online surveys and test products. Typically members earn around 3,000-6,000 points per survey. For your time, you are rewarded with cash, free merchandise, amazon gift vouchers, and more. Open to ages 13 and up.

9. Paid Viewpoint

Paid Viewpoint has become on of the most trusted survey panels among many. Members will earn money for taking short, simple surveys. You will even earn money for the screener survey, which are rare among most companies. The trick to earning more is increasing your trait score. Once it reach over 7,000, you are able to earn more per survey. Members are paid cash via Paypal. Open to everyone!

10. MintVine

Another legitimate survey site where members are paid for voicing their opinion. Mintvine pays cash via Paypal.

11. iPoll 

iPoll give members a chance to give their feedback about various products or services. This is another great survey site that gives you a chance to tell a little about yourself and matches you with the best survey opportunities. Best of all, you receive $5 just for signing up so what do you really have to lose. Completely free to participate.

12. MindSwarms

Mindswarms pays top dollar for participating in research studies. Members will participate in a webcam study for about 15-20 minutes. Each study pays $50 via Paypal. Mindswarms also has a mobile app for taking surveys on the go. Watch my video tutorial.

13. Vindale Research  

This company looks for people who can share their honest feedback and get paid for it. Vindale Research is one of the few survey panels that pays directly with cash, so no points are needed to redeem your funds.

14. American Consumer Opinion (ACOP)

American Consumer Opinions is another legitimate survey panel that works with many leading brands. All members earn points for surveys and even screeners. Points can be redeemed for cash (check or Paypal).  This site is open to everyone worldwide.

15. Cash Crate

Cash Crate offers a variety of ways to make money, and surveys are one of them. Signing up is quick, simple, and free. Once you sign up, you must receive an email invite in order to participate in surveys. Most surveys pay around $1-$5 each. This site pays in cash via check once you have accumulated at least $20.

16. Swagbucks 

Swagbucks has been one of the best sites that pays you for taking surveys, watching movies, playing games, & more. Each task pays in points which can be redeemed for cash and gift cards for your favorite stores. In addition you can earn rewards for searching things on the web.

17. Darwins Data 

This site has been around for a long time. They are definitely one of the best paid survey sites where members take surveys by watching videos about legal disputes. Rewards are cash and amazon giftcards worth $5 for each survey completed. Open to members in the US, 18 or older.

18. YouGov

This company is a little different from the others. Most survey topics are social issues and general interest topics. Members are compensated with cash and prizes for taking online surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Will I Be Paid?

Cash-paying survey companies pay via a number of ways, including PayPal, wire transfer, i.e. direct bank deposit, check, and virtual prepaid Visa card. Check will usually be sent by postal mail. However, most cash-paying survey sites pay via PayPal. PayPal allows you to receive cash easily and quickly. If you do not have a PayPal account yet, it is free to set up. A PayPal account allows you to easily and safely receive money electronically faster from the survey companies that payout via PayPal among other methods.

How Will I Get Surveys?

Normally, you will be sent email notification when a survey matches your interests and becomes available for you to do online from your computer. However, you may also be able to take surveys online by picking them directly from some survey companies online. All the surveys you will be asked to complete will be on topics of interest to you, and done on the Internet. You will be given a specific time frame to do a survey. Day or night, it does not matter when you complete the survey as long as remains valid.

How To Maximize My Earnings?

If you want to maximize your earnings, it is recommended that you join as many legitimate survey companies as possible. If you wish to take more surveys, then make sure to fill out your demographic profile completely. How much you will earn depends on how many surveys you take. With a complete demographic profile, you will become more qualified for a wider variety of surveys.  Also, to get more surveys and maximize your income, sign up with as many reputable survey companies as possible. If you complete surveys often your earnings potential will be more.

In Conclusion

Taking paid surveys on the internet can be a great way to earn extra money from home. You will not earn a lot of money with online surveys, but if you join the right companies that pay cash for taking paid surveys online, and take as many paid surveys as possible, you can earn a good side income.

This page may include some affiliate and referral links. Please be aware that I only promote companies that I feel I can legitimately recommend to my readers. Please see my disclosure policy for further information.

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