Smart Cents Mom

creative ways to save & earn . . . from side hustles to mompreneur

Side Hustles

How to Find the Right Side Hustle for YOU

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Side hustles are a really great way to earn extra cash in today’s economy! If you want to make more money or you are looking for a way to gain experience in a new field, then side hustling is the perfect option to help you reach your goals.

Starting a side hustle has so many opportunities.

You can earn extra money while learning a new skill, turn your hobby into extra cash, start your own business, or even turn your side hustle into your full time job.

My side hustle has turned into my part-time job while I’m a stay at home mom. I started working online by doing data entry and a few other jobs that helped me earn $1000 per month. Now my blog is the main focus for my side hustle and I LOVE it!

There are so many benefits to having a side hustle. Obvious benefits like making money to put towards paying off debt or saving money, but you gain so much more when you choose to start a side hustle. For me, working a side hustle gives me the chance to actually use my brain and take on a new challenge while being a stay at home mom. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids, but I also love learning new things and taking action in my business.

Side Hustle Quiz

You may be wondering what is a side hustle and how do you choose the best side hustle for you.

Basically, it’s a way to make money on the side of your regular job or responsibilities. Side hustle jobs can be anything ranging from a part time job at the mall to walking dogs to online work at home jobs.

There are so many options when it comes to choosing a side hustle. Everyone who wants a side hustle doesn’t have the same goals, time investment, or flexibility.

So we created the Side Hustle Quiz to help you narrow down your options for a side hustle!

Choosing a Side Hustle

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There are a few things that you should consider when choosing a side hustle. Think back to when you were choosing the perfect career. There were a few things you considered like your dreams for what your future holds. So many people make the mistake of working any old side hustle they can find without thinking through what they actually want from their side hustle. These steps below will help you find the right side hustle!

Create a List of Your Skills and Interests

Start out by making a list of your skills and things that you love to do.

This is the time to really explore your strengths and the things that you enjoy. There are endless opportunities to start a side hustle, and the good news is that you don’t have to start a business to begin working a side hustle doing something you love.

Do you love to teach? Are you good at writing or proofreading? Do you love social media? Do you love to DIY and craft? Do you enjoy talking to people? Do you love helping people solve their problems? Are you a storyteller?

When you start with a list of things that you love and skills that are your strengths, you are in control of the type of side hustle you can start. And it makes working your side hustle easier because it will be something that you are excited about doing.

Consider Your Availability

We all want to make a lot of money while not investing too much of our time, right? Making money while you sleep would be amazing! Unfortunately, when you are beginning a side job it requires a lot of your time.

It’s important to set your goals in alignment with how much time you can actually invest into your side hustle. If you are overwhelmed with work, being a mom, and other life circumstances you may not be able to put in as many hours as you want to.

When we are dreaming and setting big goals for our side hustle, we can forget about the details like our schedules and when the work will get done.

It’s important that you know it’s ok to work towards a job or income goal on your own timeline. It may take you longer to start earning the money you hope to bring in from your side hustle.

Speaking from my experience, I think the best stay at home jobs for moms are the ones that have flexibility and are project based. When I first started working these jobs gave me the freedom to work when it was convenient for me.

Explore Income Potential

Do you need to know how to make money fast? Or are you comfortable with working a side job that has the potential to make unlimited income over time.

There are 2 ways to make money with your side hustle.

You can work for an employer as an independent contractor or employee.

The second way to make money is by starting your own business. You create products or services to sell and make money when someone purchases those.

Typically working in a position for a company as either an independent contractor or employee, your income doesn’t grow exponentially. There are limits to how much money you can make because it is based on the pay of the employer.

If you start your own business, then your earning potential is unlimited. You have the opportunity to make more products or provide additional services, you can raise prices, and as the business owner you receive all the profits. It sounds great! However, running a small business definitely is more involved than being an employee. Earning income in the beginning may take longer as you work to establish your business and find clients or customers.

I chose to start side hustling by working for a few different online companies that paid between $10 – $15 per hour. It was a great way for me to start making money and be able to eventually invest in starting my own business with Smart Cents Mom.

Ultimate Side Hustles Online

The ultimate side hustle really depends on YOU…your flexibility and schedule. This list has some of the most popular side hustles in 2019.

Proofreading

Pinterest Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistant

Freelance Writing

Teaching Online

Social Media Manager

Graphic Design

Web Design

Think About When to Start Making Money

If you are anything like me, then you are excited about having a side hustle and you want to get started on it as fast as possible.

When we start dreaming about our goals and ways to make them a reality, we can get ahead of ourselves. Depending on the type of side hustle you start, it could take awhile before you start making money. My first side hustle in data entry paid 30 days after the end of each month. Essentially the company holds your pay for one month. So if you work the month of April 1 – 30, you wouldn’t get that pay check until June 1st.

I will say that I was paid on time each month for the work that I did with that company. And I still recommend data entry as a flexible way to make money at home.

Read more about my first data entry job here!

If you need to make money fast, then you might want to consider working for a company like UberEats or Instacart. These companies pay weekly and you can still have a flexible schedule.

Starting a business can also take longer to start bringing in any real income. Whether you are selling crafts on Etsy, flipping flea market treasures on Ebay, or starting a Pinterest Virtual assistant business, it takes time to develop customers and clients.

As a new blogger, I remember the first time I made $0.20 from online ads on my blog. I think that first month I earned $3.00 total, while I had invested hundreds of hours building my website. Now my side hustle is helping my husband and I reach our goal of paying off our mortgage early so that we can live totally debt free!

Focus on a Side Hustle Niche

Now that you have thought out your strengths, interests, time commitment, and how much you want to make; it’s time to narrow down your list of side hustles.

I recommend writing down your top 5  side job options. If you’re still not sure what types of jobs are out there make sure to read through this list of side hustles.

Make Money Online with No Investment

11 Side Hustle to Start from Home

Work at Home Jobs for Introverts

Now it’s time to compare your 5 options. I like to make a list of the pros and cons for each side job, and then rate them from most excited to start to least excited. Put a star by your dream side hustle.

Every person is going to have a different list. There’s really no wrong way to choose a side hustle. The most important thing for you to do is to think about what you actually want to do. For some, it may not be the right timing for you to start your dream side hustle right now.

You can still create a plan to help you begin working towards your dream side hustle. Maybe you need more skills, maybe you want to start a business but don’t have the investment to open, or maybe you don’t have the time to do it right now.

That doesn’t mean you give up! Now is the time to create a plan. Choose a side hustle that will help you work towards your dream side hustle. That may mean finding a way to make money fast until you can save up enough to start your business. You could find virtual assistant position through a company that would allow you to gain experience, before starting your own business.

Get Started!

Now that you have a side hustle idea, it’s time to get started!
Learn everything you can about the side hustle job you’ve chosen. Take action by investing in yourself with free courses, training, and even paid courses.

Did you know that research shows that people who invest money into their goals are more likely to succeed? I know that if I am willing to invest money into something, then I am ALL in. When I started my blog, I didn’t know anything about how to drive traffic, write a blog post, or make money. I know that the paid courses and in-person trainings I have taken are the reason I’m making money today. I’ve invested in my business so that I can continue to grow, because it’s important to me.

You don’t have to jump in and take every course you see. It’s really important to be discerning when it comes to choosing the right courses to take and that those courses are aligning with your goals for your side hustle.

Find a mentor. Reach out to people online or in real life to ask questions and find out tips from someone already doing what you want to do. People who are a few steps ahead can help guide you as you start your side hustle.

Surround yourself with a tribe of like minded friends. Having people you can talk to about your experience in your side hustle is really important. So whether you find friends in real life or you join an online group, make sure it’s people who get what you’re doing and can be supportive. Working a side hustle can be hard and you need people are you who can cheer you on!

Are you ready to start a side hustle? 

Smart Cents Mom is here to help you create the financial freedom you crave while doing something you love. Life is too short to spend hours working on something that you don’t care about. When you do something you aren’t excited about, you quickly lose interest and it just becomes another thing you have to do.

And trust me, I get it. There are things that we have to do in life. We have to do the laundry, wash the dishes, feed our kids… But starting a side hustle is a chance to break through the fog of the mundane and do something for yourself. Find your confidence, be creative, solve problems, set goals, and achieve those goals.

That’s why I’ve put together the Make Money at Home Workbook to walk you through questions that guide you towards finding a side hustle you love. We will cover mindset, goals, time commitment, and finances.

Best Online English Teaching Jobs for 2019

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The internet is an amazing place that connects us with people all around the world. Being able to connect to people any time in any place has created new online teaching jobs to make money from home! The newest work from home jobs that are popping up everywhere are online English teaching jobs. You can get paid to teach English online!

These jobs are flexible, high paying, and FUN ways to work from home which makes them a great stay at home mom jobs. Today I’m sharing best online teaching jobs from home and the companies who are hiring!

Online Teaching Jobs

~ This article may contain affiliate links. I only suggest product or services I believe will benefit my readers. All opinions are 100% mine! ~

What exactly does a virtual online English teacher do? 

Online English teachers work with students in a 1 to 1 setting or small group setting teach basic/conversational English to students ages 5 – 12.

Teachers work in an online classroom (each company has their own Skype-like platform) with planned curriculum for each student.

Classes typically last 25 – 30 minutes.

How is a virtual classroom different from a regular classroom?

The virtual classroom is pretty cool! You can talk and see your student/s. You both can interact with the screen by drawing on the screen using a mouse or finger (if your own an iPad, etc).

Since you are teaching English as a brand new language there is obviously a language barrier so it’s important to use Total Physical Response. That just means that you use your voice, hands, and facial expressions as you talk. This helps students understand what you are trying to say!

You will also use basic props…mostly things you have around your house.

Is teaching the same lesson over and over boring?

NO! Every kid is different so the flow of each class is very different. You can make the lesson your own, too.

It’s your job to keep the kids interested in the lesson…so that may mean wearing a silly hat, talking with a puppet, or using a reward system to help keep them engaged.

Top 3 Best Online Teaching Jobs

~ This article may contain affiliate links. I only suggest product or services I believe will benefit my readers. All opinions are 100% mine! Read the full privacy policy here ~

#1 – Teach Online from Home with VIP Kid 

VIP Kid was ranked #1 on Forbes 2017 Top 100 Work from Home Companies!

VIP Kid is based out of Beijing, China offering 1 to 1 English language classes to kids ages 5 – 12. Students are tested through VIP Kid and placed in the program. The lessons are fully prepared and online in a Skype-like platform. The teacher and student can see each other and talk to each other.

Lessons last for 25 minutes and teachers are expected to write a  review of the class. Parents and students can leave a review about their class, which can really help you get more students and fill your time slots.

VIP Kid pays $18 – $22 per hour based on teacher experience and bonuses that can be earned throughout the month.

VIP Kid is hiring native English speakers in the US and Canada.

The interview process can be intense, but you can get the best tips for acing the VIP Kid interview here and check out the best YouTube videos to help you get started working with VIP Kid!

Apply for VIP Kid

#2 – HAWO 

HAWO American Academy is the newest online teaching jobs platform from 51Talk, a leader in the online teaching English education industry. Teachers will teach group classes that are 45-minutes long to students in China.

Who Qualifies?
– BA Degree
– At least 1 year of teaching experience
– Experience in the U.S. or Canadian education systems
– Teaching license and certificates preferred (CELTA, CertTESOL, DELTA, DipTESOL, state – ESL endorsement, MA TESOL)
– 51Talk has further defined 6 key characteristics that make HAWO teachers truly exceptional: Personal credibility, Customer orientation, Flexibility, Effective communication, Technical expertise, Patience)

Apply for HAWO

#3 – Education First EF

Education First/EF Teach English online to kids in China ages 6 to 10 with EF Education First, the world’s largest private education organization.

PRO TIP: During the registration process, candidates are asked for their teaching preference (adults or kids.) Users MUST clarify they are interested in teaching KIDS.

Class blocks are  25-minutes on early weekday mornings and late weekend nights. This rewarding role can be the perfect fit for an already busy life. Teachers can connect from home — or anywhere in the U.S. – and teach the same students week after week.

Who Qualifies?

  • Native English speaker with a Bachelor’s degree in any field
  • 40 Hour TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification (or willingness to obtain one)
  • Experience in early childhood development, teaching, coaching or mentoring is preferred, but not required. Life experiences count
  • Excellent cultural awareness, communication and motivational skills
  • Access to a headset, personal computer, and wired Ethernet connection
  • Willing to submit an online background check, at no cost to candidate
Apply for Education First

#4 – Qkids

Qkids connects 100,000+ Chinese learners between 5 – 12 years old with you and thousands of other online teachers, tutors, educators, stay at home parents, college students, and all those who have a passion for teaching. If you like starting your day with smiling faces of curious kids, join the Qkids family today!

Who Qualifies?

  • Any “formal” or “informal” teaching experience such as mentoring, tutoring, coaching, or alternative education.
  • Eligibility to work in the US or Canada with native accent.
  • Bachelor’s degree in any field.
Apply for Qkids

Important Online Teaching English Hiring Tip

Remember to immediately schedule your video interview after completing your application. This is the single most important component of the application process. You will be asked to confirm a time for a live video interview with a VIPKID teaching team member. Live interviews must be scheduled and typically will happen within a couple days (sometimes up to a week) from the time a candidate applied.
 
A majority of the teacher hiring & support teams are based in China. Sometimes during the interview process candidates may receive emails early in the morning or late at night due to the time difference. These teams are amazing/overly-friendly people who put a tremendous value treating prospective teachers with respect. Some will communicate with nonstandard English (ie: no American or Canadian slang) but are able to answer all questions during the process.

Do you think working from home as an online English teacher is something you could do?

 

20 Etsy Tips for Beginners

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20 Etsy Tips for Beginners

You’re ready to turn your hobby into some extra cash, but you’re wondering “how do you start an Etsy shop?”

There are so many things to think about from naming your Etsy store to items to sell in an Etsy shop and logistical things like how to mail your products, keep inventory, and buy supplies. You can easily get distracted from all the work that needs to get done in order to start your Etsy shop.

I’ve compiled a list of the most helpful Etsy tips for beginners that will help you focus on the steps you need to take to rock your Etsy store’s grand opening!

1. Etsy Seller Handbook

The Etsy Seller Handbook is the first place to get the information you need to start a successful Etsy shop. Take time to read through the free material that Etsy provides on their site. They give you tons of basic information that teaches you how to start an Etsy shop.

Before you purchase a course on how to set up and build an amazing Etsy shop, take the time to read and learn using the free resources from the Etsy platform.

2. What to Sell in an Etsy Store

Before starting a business on Etsy, you need to do some research into what to sell in your Etsy shop.

Think about what you want to make, your talents, and crafts that you enjoy.

You can set yourself up for success by There are some popular categories that do well year after year…

  • Baby
  • Clothing & Accessories
  • Craft Supplies
  • Home Decor
  • Jewelry
  • Printables
  • Vintage
  • Wedding

This post gives you more details about the items in each category that are popular.

3. How to Research Popular Items on Etsy

This post from Melinda Wood Designs shows you exactly how to find out what you should sell on Etsy. I think that doing your own research and learning how to find popular niches on Etsy will help you start your business and grow over time.

In the video, Justin talks about how your business should evolve over time. Any business not making new products or upgrading current products will lose business. It’s a good idea to learn how to do research as a beginner Etsy seller because it’s a skill you will use over and over again.

4. Trending Etsy Crafts

I put together this list of trending Etsy crafts for 2019. I’m always looking for quick ways to make money, and these categories listed in the post below have been very successful. Printables stand out as one of the best ways to start a business with virtually no start-up cost.

Check out the rest of the most popular niches from 2019!

5. Market Research on Etsy

This post from Paperly People gives a very detailed guide on how to create best selling digital downloads, but you can absolutely use the steps in this post to research any niche.

I think a big take away from this post is that you should focus on niches and trending products that are actually bringing in cash. You can use tools like CraftCount.com and a research tool Marmalead to help you find the best marketing information.

6. Etsy SEO + Keyword Research

Before you can make any money, you need people to see your products. SEO is how you get your Etsy shop noticed in the Etsy feed.

Search Engine Optimization is one of the most important factors to get eyes on your products. You have to use keywords, words that people actually type into the search bar, in all the right places so that Etsy knows what your store is all about.

Etsy SEO can be overwhelming, but this post has 10 actionable steps that will help you from the very beginning as an Etsy seller.

7. Photography on Etsy

Selling products online means that you have to use really good photography. But what elements make up great photography on Etsy? This post gives you great tips and photography hacks for product and art photos on Etsy with real examples.

Photography is very important and worth your time to learn how to take high quality pictures that showcase your handmade products.

8. Choosing a Target Audience

Finding the right audience for your crafts is important to making sales and growing your business. After you find your niche decide who you want to target within that niche. Start by thinking about who wants to buy your product. 

Building a shop around your audience will make it easier to solve problems with products that they actually want.

9. Create a Business Plan

Creating a business plan is a great way to clarify your vision for your business. The simplicity of this one page business plan is perfect for a creative small scale business.

Elements of a one page business plan:

  • Problem
  • Solution
  • Money
  • Competition
  • Customers
  • Marketing
  • Action Plan

10. Branding Your Etsy Shop

Branding your Etsy shop helps people to recognize your items when they are searching on Etsy. Choosing a color theme and style for your business can be used for your logo and your banner. Branding can also be used in your style of photography and for your packaging.

11. Packaging Your Products

Why is packaging important for your business? Of course, you want your package to protect the product. One of the fun aspects of purchasing a handmade item on Etsy is knowing that the item was created by a real person. Adding personal notes and fun personalized details to your product creates a relationship with your customer that you can build on through email, social media, etc.

12. Marketing as an Etsy Seller

Marketing sometimes sounds like a bad word. You don’t want to be salesy, but marketing is more about getting your product in front of people who will actually want to buy what you’re selling.

There are so many incredible ways to get in front of your audience and this 16 tips from this post are the best marketing strategies I have seen.

13. Shipping Costs

There are some great tips in this post from a beginner Etsy seller about shipping your items. I think the best tip is to learn how to print shipping labels from Etsy and ship from your mailbox. That saves you time and a trip to the post office!

14. Pricing Your Products for an Etsy Shop

Setting your prices can be a struggle especially if you’ve never had to decide how much your handmade items are worth. This post gives you a formula to guide you through creating a fair price that includes your hourly income, expenses, payment fees, and other aspects to consider.

Often times people think they will be able to earn more money if they drop their prices lower than their competitors. This rarely helps with your sales and can ultimately hurt your bottom line.

Don’t forget to consider offering a wholesale price and a retail price.

15. Inventory

16. Organizing your Etsy Store

Organizing your Etsy store from the beginning will help you especially when you get busy. A shipping station, systems to create your handmade items, and inventory bins will all make your business flow smoothly.

16. Buying Supplies

Where should you buy your craft supplies? This list gives you great places to shop online to save money on crafts. If you are shopping online with Amazon make sure you use Ebates. You can also save money by shopping at Joann’s with the Ibotta app.

17. Taxes & Your Etsy Store

Turning your hobby into extra income seems like a simple idea. But if you’re like me, then you never even thought about keeping track of earnings and how much to pay in taxes. This post breaks down taxes and helps you plan for paying taxes from the beginning.

18. Your Shop Won’t Be Perfect from the Beginning…

I love this advice! Whether you are creating a blog or an Etsy shop, you can put pressure on yourself to make your shop perfect before you officially launch. You have to reach a point where you officially launch and then adjust your strategy to meet your target audience.

One of the most important keys to success is being able to learn as you go!

19. Etsy Seller Policy

Start your business the right way by reading through the Etsy Seller Policy. You want to make sure you are following the rules of the platform, before you start setting up your shop.

Also, make a plan for your shop policy.

20. Provide the BEST Customer Service

Customer service is everything! Your customer service is directly related to your reviews that customers will leave for your shop. Help yourself by going above and beyond on customer service. Just be honest and up front with your customers about shipping, turnaround, and returns. Customer service can set you apart in your niche!

How to Run a Successful Etsy Business

This is just the beginning to running a successful Etsy business online. Make sure you research and learn as much as you can about starting and growing an online craft business. Be patient when it comes to growing your business and making money. Posting new items consistently over a period of time will help your rankings in search on Etsy.

Check out these inspiring craft ideas for your Etsy shop! 

Learn How to Become a Virtual Assistant TODAY!

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How to Become a Virtual Assistant

Looking for a job that is flexible and allows you to work from anywhere, seems too good to be true.

Working as a virtual assistant is a great way to earn extra income or even start a full-time business while living the *location independent lifestyle.*

Virtual Assistant Description

~ This article may contain affiliate links. I only suggest product or services I believe will benefit my readers. All opinions are 100% mine! ~

A virtual assistant (VA) may bring to mind someone who works as a secretary or administrative assistant…

…which isn’t too far off. A virtual assistant is someone who provides a wide variety of services to individuals, companies, or organizations. The best part…a VA doesn’t go into the office!

What can a virtual assistant do for me?

A VA can provide support for any business, person, or organization.

Running a business is overwhelming, especially if you are a small business owner doing everything on your own.

Business owners need to focus on what they are really good at. It will help them grow their business or organization if they aren’t spending all their energy working on tasks that take up time, creative energy, and skills that they may not possess.

As a VA think about the skills and experience you have gained through your career:

Consider how you could use those skills to support a business, person, or organization.

What can services can you offer to free up the owner to use their talent and energy effectively?

So who would actually hire a virtual assistant?

There are over 10 million small businesses in the US today! Not to mention bloggers who are making a profitable income online. Small business owners, bloggers, non-profit organizations, start-ups, etc could all use some support to manage their businesses and organizations.

 

How to become a virtual assistant with no experience?

Get a website

You need an online presence. If you don’t know anything about the technical side of websites, that’s ok! You can follow my step-by-step guide to set up your website. I am NOT a technical computer nerd and I set up my website. You can totally do it!

Helpful Professional Development Resources

  • The Bootstrap VA is an amazing book that gives you actionable steps on how to get started being a VA. The author has worked as a VA for many years and she delivers a comprehensive course that feels like a college class!
  •  How to Become a VA in 30 Days or Less is a FREE ecourse that teaches you all about how to start a VA business with Gina Horkey of the Horkey Handbook. She has made a full time income as a freelance writer and virtual assistant. Now she is teaching others how she has been so successful as a VA. This is an excellent FREE resource!
  • Pinterest VA Course is another course created by Gina Horkey and Kristen Larsen of Believe in a Budget. Bloggers and business owners are loving Pinterest because it is driving TONS of traffic! Everybody wants in on Pinterest, but not everybody knows how to setup Pinterest and make it successful for their business. This course will teach you how to get started as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant.

What do I need to become a Virtual Assistant?

*RELATIONSHIP BUILDING SKILLS*

Finding clients and building a solid reputation will be a big challenge to starting your VA business. But you can totally win your clients over by focusing on building relationships.

You need to create relationships in order to become a successful VA:  relationships with businesses, bloggers, owners, and other VAs.

Relationship building 101:

  • be helpful by giving useful information online or in person
  • get involved with social media: Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
  • *hang out* virtually where your future clients are so you can find out their needs/pain points
  •  hustle businesses need to know that you are offering your VA services. Start writing emails to let them know you are available to assist them with their business.

Business Strategy

One thing I’ve learned since starting a work from home business, is that you need a strategy to succeed. Neil Patel is a guru in online marketing. He has developed several multi-million dollar businesses. The way he got started was by emailing companies he want to work with. In his email, he told them what they were doing wrong with their marketing AND he told them exactly what to do to fix it.

The best strategy to build your business, no matter the service you offer, is to provide VALUE! Show your potential clients what you can do for them and how you can benefit their business.

Check out this interview with Neil Patel from Side Hustle Nation: Interview with Neil Patel

Best virtual assistant services to offer… 

  • Social Media Assistant
  • Website Design
  • Graphic Design
  • Editor
  • Market Research
  • Writer
  • Personal Assistant
  • Data Entry
  • Project Management
  • Find more of the Best Virtual Assistant Services

Virtual Assistant with No Experience: Work for a VA Company

If you’re worried about the time you would have to put into building a business as a virtual assistant, then you may want to consider working as a VA for companies that hire virtual assistants with no experience. Typically these companies do not pay as well as running your own business, but there can be less stress. These companies connect business owners and virtual assistants so you don’t have to search for your next client.

In the long run, this could be valuable experience if you decide to start your own virtual assistant business.

Fancy Hands

Priority VA

Are you ready to start a Virtual Assistant business?

Related Posts:

How much money can you make as a Virtual Assistant?

How to be a Search Engine Evaluator

Make Money as a Freelance Proofreader

 

Best 5 Ways to Earn a Free Amazon Gift Card (That Actually Work)

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Best 5 Ways to Earn a Free Amazon Gift Card

Do you love shopping on Amazon as much as I do?

✅ shop in your jammies

✅ shop from your phone

✅ FREE shipping right to your door with Amazon Prime

✅ shop with a free amazon gift card?!

Yes! You really can earn Amazon gift cards for free.

You can use Amazon gift cards to buy everything from groceries to your favorite skin care products on Amazon. Or you can save your gift cards all year long to pay for Christmas, Birthdays, other holidays, and more!

Maybe you don’t want to spend your gifts cards on Amazon, you can always sell your gift cards online for extra cash!

Either way you decide to use your gift cards these tips for earning Amazon gift cards for free can turn into a great side hustle!

Earn Amazon Gift Cards Instantly

~ This article may contain affiliate links. I only suggest product or services I believe will benefit my readers. All opinions are 100% mine! Read the full privacy policy here ~

#1 – Swagbucks

This is one of my very favorite ways to earn Amazon gift cards because there are several different ways to earn. You earn swagbucks (points) and can exchange those swagbucks for FREE Amazon gift cards! The best part is that you can exchange points for gift cards as low as $3 (which is kind of a big deal!).

  • Online Surveys
  • Watching Videos
  • Playing Games Online
  • Using FREE trials
  • Web searches

My personal favorite way to earn is to watch videos. I can set up my phone to run videos while I wash dishes, cook dinner, or fold laundry. I don’t have to pay attention to what’s going on AND I’m still earning! Love when multi-tasking works out for me.

PRO TIP: You can also follow along on Swagbucks Facebook page for tips on special codes to earn even more swagbucks each day!

If you are new to Swagbucks, then you can sign up and receive a $5 credit to your account!

Sign up with Swagbucks

#2 – Ibotta

Ibotta is one of the easiest ways to earn Amazon gift cards! You gotta eat…so you probably grocery shop…right?

All you do is download the Ibotta app to your phone. Search for your grocery store, pharmacy, etc. and find out what deals they have going on. Simply click on the deal and it may ask you to watch a 20 second video or answer a short survey (1 question). Then you are able to earn cashback on that item!

After you purchase your items scan the items on your Ibotta list and then scan your receipt.

You can exchange your earnings for an Amazon gift card or have cash sent to your Paypal account!

Ibotta is one of the only ways I’ve found to save money on things that NEVER have coupons like fruits, veggies, meats, and dairy products (think Eggs, milk, etc.). Make sure you always check their “Any Brand” section for deals.

We usually earn $0.50 – a few dollars each week with the Ibotta app!

PRO TIP: You can earn even more by sharing your referral code with family and friends! Why wouldn’t you want to tell your friends about an awesome app that earns them money?! They get $10 for joining Ibotta and you get $5 for referring them. It’s a win-win situation!

You can earn $10 just for signing up with my referral code.

Sign up with Ibotta

#3 – Survey Junkie

If you want to focus on taking online surveys for gift cards, then Survey Junkie is a great place to earn Amazon gift cards.

Sign up with Survey Junkie

#4 – Shopkick

Shopkick is another simple way to earn Amazon gift cards.

Similar to Ibotta, with Shopkick you earn “kicks” for literally walking into stores…

You can earn even more kicks by scanning items as you are in the store. You can also earn kicks for purchasing items and scanning your receipt.

This is one of the laziest ways to earn free Amazon gift cards!

PRO TIP: If your bluetooth is on then your phone will alert you when you get to the store and remind you to get your kicks. AND if you’re too busy to hit up all the store in the shopping center like me…then you may just want to drive by the store and earn your kicks without even walking in!

You can earn 50 kicks just for walking into a Carter’s Clothing Store (kids clothing store), 25 kicks for walking into Target, Kroger, Walmart, CVS, and more!

Sign up for Shopkick 

#5 – Inbox Dollars

Inbox Dollars is similar to Swagbucks. You can earn points by…

  • Taking Surveys
  • Watching Videos
  • Playing Games
  • Internet Searches
  • Trial offers
  • Shopping Online
  • Opening Paid Email

One of my favorite parts of earning gift cards with Inbox Dollars is that you can earn points for referring friends. You also can earn when your referred friends earn points for taking surveys, watching videos, etc.

You can cash out for an Amazon gift card when you reach $30.

Get a $5 Bonus just for signing up with Inbox Dollars!

Sign up for Inbox Dollars

How to Get Free Amazon Gift Cards

You’re probably wondering “How do I get free Amazon gift cards?”

It’s pretty easy to earn Amazon gift cards online!

Now, these tips for earning Amazon gift cards are not going to make you rich, but they can make a difference in your budget!

Use the same tips for making money with survey sites that pay with Paypal.

#1 – Create a separate email account for signing up with surveys and other apps. (That way your inbox isn’t overwhelmed with promotional emails).

#2 – Sign up for all the sites that you can use to earn Amazon gift cards. You may only get a few opportunities to earn from each site, so you can make more money by signing up for several sites!

Here’s the thing about earning Amazon gift cards…it’s TOTALLY easy. I mean you can literally sit and binge on Netflix while you rake up the points to earn Amazon gift cards!

BUT you have to be consistent. And isn’t consistency the hardest part of life? No matter what we are talking about…whether it’s losing weight or cleaning our house. We have to be consistent!

That means you need to take surveys every day (or create a schedule that works for you!) and remember to scan your receipts every time you go shopping. It’s that simple!

You can get started earning gift cards online TODAY with these super easy apps and sites!

What are your favorite ways to earn free Amazon gift cards? Let us know in the comments! 

Are you new to Smart Cents Mom?

I am passionate about helping you find legitimate ways to make extra money from home and save money. Here are some of my favorite ways to help you start a side hustle and save money each month!

How to Make Money Online (NO Surveys!)

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How to Make Money Online (No Surveys!)

You KNOW you need to make extra money to pay off debt, save money each week,  pay for vacation, among many other reasons to make money…

You’re probably thinking “How can I make money online without paying anything?” You’re sure you need a stay at home mom jobs online with no surveys, no scams, no selling. Today we’ve got you covered with the best ideas for how to make money online…no surveys!

Why not surveys?

~ This article may contain affiliate links. I only suggest product or services I believe will benefit my readers. All opinions are 100% mine! Read the full privacy policy here ~ 

Who should be taking surveys? People that want to make extra cash, but don’t want to tied down to schedule. I like to think of taking surveys as a way to make money while I’m sitting in the car line at school pick-up, watching TV, or during the kids’ soccer practice.

A lot of people feel burned by taking surveys online…you spend time answering questions and then you DON’T qualify for the points to earn cash. It can be a total bummer.

That’s why I only do surveys in my spare time with survey companies that give you points that even if you don’t qualify for a survey AND they pay with Paypal (not just giftcards or discounts).

My favorite survey sites to make extra money are Survey Junkie and Branded Research! These are the best paid survey sites that don’t waste my time.

Check out this Survey Junkie Review & Mintvine (Branded Research) Review to learn more about why I LOVE both of these companies!

Making Money Online without Surveys

Just to give you a heads up we are going to cover 3 different ways to get paid online without surveys ranging from the least time investment to starting a small business.

  • Free Paypal Money (No Surveys!)
  • How to Earn Quick Paypal Money with Short Tasks
  • Small Business Ideas to Get Paid Online (no surveys!)

Free Paypal Money, No Surveys

Get paid to sites and apps are some of the best ways to make money online without scams! Basically, a get paid to site/app pays you for doing something online like shopping, walking into a store, scanning your receipts, watching a video, etc.

You can earn free paypal money without surveys by doing things YOU ALREADY DO! That’s what makes these ways to make free Paypal money so amazing.

Ibotta

Ibotta is a free app that lets you earn cashback on shopping at over 300 retail stores including your favorite grocery stores! It’s pretty simple…just download the app, scan your items, and take a picture of the receipt.

You can earn a free $100 Paypal per month by earning with Ibotta’s cash back bonuses and sharing your referral code to earn even more.

Sign up for Ibotta and get your first $10 cash bonus to get free Paypal money! Find out more about the best ways to earn with Ibotta.

Ebates

Ebates is another amazing site to earn cashback when you are shopping online. All you need to do is sign up for ebates, find the store you want to shop at on their website, click the store, and then shop as normal. You can earn anywhere from 1 – 10% back on online shopping!

Sign up for Ebates and get your first $10 cash bonus!

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is another way to earn money online without surveys, even though they do offer surveys on their site. You can make free Paypal money just by searching online, watching videos, taking daily polls, and using Swag Codes found by joining the Swagbucks Facebook page.

Sign up for Swagbucks and get your first $10 paypal bonus!

Qmee

Qmee is an extension that you can add to your browser to earn Paypal cash just for shopping. It works kind of like Ebates, but you don’t actually have to buy anything to make cash! Qmee shows related products that you might be interested in as your shopping.

SlideJoy

SlideJoy pays you with free Paypal cash to put ads on your locked screen on your Smartphone. You get paid whether you click on the ads or not!

FreeEats

FreeEats is another app that you can download to your phone and earn free Paypal cash with ads. You receive text ads to your phone and can cash out after you reach $1.

Perk

Perk is another get paid to site that pays you Paypal cash without taking surveys. You can get paid to watch videos with Perk.

Make Money with a Degree

Online Teaching Jobs

Online teaching jobs are a very flexible way to start making money online. The most popular online teaching jobs are teaching English as a second language. Companies started in connecting Chinese students with Native English speakers. Now many companies are branching out to other countries including Singapore and Arabic countries.

I have had a great experience teaching with VIP Kid.

VIP Kid needs thousands of part-time remote workers to teach English online to kids in China. This is an amazing work-from-home opportunity – and don’t worry, users do not need to know any foreign language. As an online teacher, users will earn as much as $22.00 per hour.

Who Qualifies?

  • Any “formal” or “informal” teaching experience such as mentoring, tutoring, coaching, or alternative education.
  • Eligibility to work in the US or Canada with native accent
  • Bachelor’s degree in any field

PRO TIP: The secret to getting hired with VIP Kid is to sign up for your LIVE interview immediately after you fill out your application. They are really interested in people who show initiative and eagerness to get started.

Other companies that hire for Online Teaching Jobs 

HAWO/51 Talk

HAWO American Academy is the newest Online Education platform from 51Talk, a leader in the Online Education industry. Teachers will teach group classes that are 45-minutes long to students in China.

Who Qualifies?

  • BA Degree
  • At least 1 year of teaching experience
  • Experience in the U.S. or Canadian education systems
  • Teaching license and certificates preferred (CELTA, CertTESOL, DELTA, DipTESOL, state – ESL endorsement, MA TESOL)
  • 51Talk has further defined 6 key characteristics make teachers truly exceptional: Personal credibility, Customer orientation, Flexibility, Effective communication, Technical expertise, Patience)

READ MORE: Best Online English Teaching Jobs in 2019

How to Earn Quick Paypal Money with Short Tasks

Slice the Pie

Slice the Pie is a way to earn money by reviewing music (and some fashion). Each music review pays between $0.05 – $0.25 and you can cash out when you get $10 with Paypal. If you enjoy music, this is a great way to make money listening to music!

Amazon Mturk

Amazon Mturk is a way to complete short tasks and get paid with Paypal. Short tasks can vary depending on what the job posting is willing to pay, but don’t expect to make more than $8 an hour, averaging $3-$4 per hour. Harder tasks pay more, and can require that you take a qualifying exam before you can start.

You can start making free Paypal money with Amazon here.

Microworkers

Microworkers is another short task site that pays you to complete small tasks like data entry, short transcription, research, and more! You can cash out to Paypal once you have reached $9.

Fiverr

Fiverr is a platform that you can offer gigs (or online jobs) starting at $5. Jobs can be anything from graphic design, voice over work, writing, proofreading, transcription, etc.

You have an expertise in something, so start browsing Fiverr to see what you could offer so you can begin earning Paypal cash online without taking surveys!

Test Websites

User Testing is my favorite way to make money testing websites. You can earn between $3 – $15 per test paid to your Paypal account. User Testing usually has a variety of different websites and apps that you can test on your laptop, computer, tablet, or mobile phone.

Other Testing Websites:

UserBrain

WhatUsersDo

Search Engine Evaluator

Work as a search engine evaluator cleaning up google’s mess! Search engine evaluators review search query pages on search engines (think Google and Bing) as well as social media. You can make money as a  search engine evaluator with these companies. You can expect to make $12 – $15 per hour.

Appen

Leapforce

Lionbridge

Transcription

Transcription is basically typing based on an audio recording. It’s one of the most common online work from home jobs. You will need to be a fast typist in order to be successful as an online transcriptionist.

These companies hire beginner transcriptionists…

Small Business Ideas to Get Paid Online (no surveys!)

These online small business ideas are a way to make more money online without taking surveys. You could make 500 dollars or more per month. Surveys can be seen as extra cash that take up very little time compared to starting a small business. The rewards of starting a small business are much higher and the time commitment is more demanding. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, then these jobs might be perfect for you!

Proofreading

Earn money online with an online proofreading job. This is a great job for people who love to read and have an eagle eye for catching mistakes. New to working as a proofreader? You can find over 20 online proofreading jobs for beginners. 

Get paid to proofread everything from emails to blog posts to eBooks to court reporting. (You would need specialized training to proofread for court reporting.)

Starting your own business as a proofreader is the best way to control your time and money. If you need ideas about how to start a general proofreading business check out this general proofreading video.

Pinterest Virtual Assistant

Pinterest is one of the biggest traffic influencers for bloggers and businesses. There are over 200 million users on Pinterest looking for ideas and tips to live a better life. Small businesses and bloggers need help implementing a Pinterest strategy to grow their traffic and sales.

You can provide Pinterest services that include setting up a Pinterest account, creating pins, cleaning up an old Pinterest account, monthly updates, implementing a Pinterest strategy, and more!

Not sure where to start? Check out this Pinterest VA course that will give you all the details to help you start your own Pinterest VA business.

General Virtual Assistant

A general virtual assistant provides online businesses and bloggers help with completing online tasks. This could be anything from writing emails, responding to emails, managing a Facebook group, research, and more. If you are familiar with online services like WordPress, social media, graphic design, etc. then you could start a business providing support to other small businesses.

Gina Horkey of the Horkey Handbook has great resources to help you set up and grow an online Virtual Assistant business.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is another great way to make free Paypal cash. You can earn between $10 – $500 or more per article depending on your skill level and experience.

Every business needs to be online in today’s market. But not every business has the resources to work on content for their online presence. You can get paid to freelance write blog posts, eBooks, online content, emails, social media campaigns, and more.

Starting a freelance writing business might seem overwhelming, but you can find awesome resources with Elna Cain who will help you write your way to your first $1000.

Blogging

Blogging is my favorite way to make money online! It requires persistence and hard work, but the flexibility and ownership of your own business is totally worth it to me.

Are you wondering…how do you make money blogging? 

Bloggers make money 4 basic ways…

Affiliate Income

Bloggers get paid a certain percent or established amount when a reader purchases a product through their link. It’s similar to a referral that you might share with friends and family for an online product or service that you like.

Advertising Revenue

Advertising revenue comes through ads that are posted onto the website. Some advertising companies pay per click (which means every time a person clicks on an ad) and other companies pay based on impressions (how many people have seen the ad).

Make Money with Paypal by Writing Sponsored Posts

Sponsored posts are another easy way to make money with Paypal. A blogger will write about a specific product and the company will pay money for having content about their product shared on the website. These prices can range from $75 per post to $500 or more! The pay is typically determined on pageviews and social media followers.

Creating Products & Services

Bloggers can also create their own products to sell to their customers. These products range from physical products, online digital products, courses, and services offered to their audience.