Has Coronavirus Made You Want To Work From Home? Here Are Some Home Hustles You Can Do in 2021

The Coronavirus pandemic that has affected almost every corner of the world has changed the way that many of us work and go about earning money. Lots of us have got the taste for working from home as a way of reducing the spread of the infection, and are now looking at ways to keep doing this as we move forward in the pandemic.

Working from home and running their own business is a dream for many people, especially those with a young family. They work long hours, often paying out a fortune in child care. If they could do something at home that could earn money, most would do it in a heartbeat. No commute, no boss, no awkward colleagues – what is not to love? Even if you can't do these jobs full-time, you can perhaps do them alongside your job to earn some additional cash for treats.

Image via Unsplash CC0

Here, we look at some of the hustles that you can do from home in 2021.

Website tester
Website testers evaluate the functionality and performance of websites and web applications on various platforms, including desktops, laptops and mobile devices. Testers visit a website or use an app, spend some time completing a few tasks and expressing their opinions. They provide objective feedback on usability and clarity, as well as on how well they could engage with the content.

Freelance writing
Websites need content, and companies need high-quality writers to produce the content on their behalf. If you have a way of words, look at completing a course with one of the Best Copywriting Schools to brush up your skills and advertise yourself on freelance market sites such as People Per Hour, Upwork and Fiverr.

Customer care services
Many businesses, especially now in the COVID-19 era, outsource their customer care services to third parties, who usually work from the comfort of their own home. It means no more cramming into packed, noisy call centers, but giving care and advice to customers over the phone or digitally. The one downside of this is that it generally isn't as flexible as other at-home positions. Generally, you are expected to keep to office hours and to be available at all times during these hours, usually 8-5 or 9-5 pm. There are reasonably priced voice-over-IP (see VoIP definition) solutions so you can set up a separate line if desired.

Online tutoring
Alongside the traditional teachers, online tutors offer guidance and tuition on particular topics, prepare lesson plans and track student progress. This position is ideal for someone with a degree in teaching and a particular ability such as fluency in a u foreign language. You will teach a class on an online platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.  Online tutoring positions cover not only kindergarten through to 12th grade, but also college and continuing education in all subject areas. It is a particularly well-paid from home job, especially if you offer 1:1 tuition sessions. 

Virtual assistant
Many businesses, particularly small ones run by one person struggle to keep on top of their admin tasks. In a normal office environment, they would probably have a personal assistant or a secretary to check and respond to emails, update social media, make appointments and keep on top of the diary. Outside of the office, a virtual assistant can do this. If you are pretty good on a computer, don;t mind making phone calls and like to help organise this might be a position for you to consider. The majority of virtual assistants have a number of clients that they work with at the same time.

Audio/visual transcriber
Audio and visual transcribers listen to or watch and turn voice recordings and videos into written documents.Clinical and law firms use transcribers to turn dictated notes from physicians and lawyers into something that they can use. Many organisations insist that you have some understanding of medical terms and procedures or legal jargon to apply for these jobs.  

Captioner
Captioners transcribe pre-recorded video and audio, so fast and precise typing is a crucial attribute for this work. You may also sign up for live news broadcasts, but many people who do this have also served as court reporters, using a phonetic keyboard stenotype system and special software to ensure complete accuracy.

SEO expert
Are you hot on your search engine optimization (SEO)? If so, put those skills to good use working from home. An SEO expert analyzes and puts changes into place to make sure that websites are as visible as possible on search engines such as Google. You will need proven experience in SEO techniques as well as the ability to use tools such as Google Analytics. 

Surveys
In terms of making money, this is one of the harder ones as surveys are generally low paid. However, as something to do on the side, it can be worth having a look at. A number of companies pay you anything from a couple of cents to a couple of dollars to give your honest feedback in surveys and questionnaires. There are plenty of consumer websites available, so do your research into the best paying and most reliable one. 

Proofreading
Even the best writer can make mistakes, and this is where a proofreader comes in. If you have an eye for detail and are particular about spelling and grammar conventions, proofreading can be a great work from home hustle. You can work proofreading for media and advertising organizations, PR companies, authors, websites and technical writers.

Online therapist
For this one, you need the appropriate qualifications and licenses to be able to practise counselling and therapy, but if you have, conduct sessions online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, especially at the moment when there are so many people reaching out for mental health support.

Working from home can be a great way to earn money, whether you do it as a full time job or whether you do it alongside your existing job as a means of supplementing your income . Look at the skills that you have and what jobs that they lend themselves to, and find a hustle that works for you.