How to Make Money in a Down Economy

The Web Offers Numerous Ways to Earn Money for Everyone

Mar 14, 2009

For employed and unemployed persons alike, numerous websites allow members to make money despite the downturn in the economy. Here's how people can make money on the web.

A languishing economy typically lends itself to mass layoffs and growing unemployment. But thanks to broadband internet, numerous ways to make money on the web are there for the taking for those who suddenly find themselves without work. Those who are gainfully employed can make extra money.

Making Money in a Down Economy: Freelancing on the Web

Professional freelancers can take advantage of websites that pair companies seeking help on their projects with freelancers who would like to make money. Sites such as iFreelance, oDesk, Sologig, and Guru may prove to be a lucrative source of income.

Other websites pay members to submit content in a business model called revenue sharing. With revenue sharing, each member earns a small portion of the advertising revenue generated by the site based on clicks and/or page views.

Sites such as Helium, HubPages, Squidoo, Suite101, and eHow allow members to make money by writing short articles. Associated Content, Triond, and Bukisa allow users to make money by submitting additional forms of content including audio, video, pictures, and slides.

Making Money in a Down Economy: Virtual Jobs

Those having a difficult time finding jobs may want to consider employment on the web as a virtual agent at a virtual call center, a virtual assistant, or a virtual concierge.

LiveOps and Alpine Access offer employment opportunities for virtual agents who work at home through web-based virtual call centers.

Virtual assistants are full-time, salaried workers who perform administrative tasks such as appointment setting, scheduling meetings, e-mail response, transcription, arranging travel, answering phone calls, and customer relationship management.

VIPdesk offers workers full-time at-home employment as a virtual concierge, a virtual job geared toward assisting busy executives with their hospitality-related requests.

Blogs or websites that aren’t monetized are missing out on a potential revenue stream. Make money by registering with Google Adsense and embedding Google advertising into a website or blog.

Making Money in a Down Economy: Become a Mystery Shopper

Mystery shoppers are the covert spies of the retail and food industries, investigating customer service practices and writing detailed reports. Pay for each project varies, but mystery shoppers should not expect a fortune. However, mystery shoppers get freebies for their efforts including free meals and free consumer goods.

Despite the down economy, people can use the power of the web to make money through freelancing, revenue sharing websites, virtual jobs, monetizing a website or blog, or becoming a mystery shopper.

The copyright of the article How to Make Money in a Down Economy in Working Solo is owned by Daniel Gansle. Permission to republish How to Make Money in a Down Economy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.