Online and Remote Work Can Pay Well if You Follow These 10 Tips
Between the years 2005 and 2017, the number of remote workers in the US increased by 159 percent. Nowadays, 70 percent of workers work remotely at least one day per week.
Clearly, online and remote working is taking over, and it’s time for you to get a piece of the pie.
However, it’s important to know that working remotely isn’t always a bed of roses. Remote and online workers face their own unique set of challenges. For many remote workers, the biggest challenge is ensuring they make enough money.
If you’re looking to make more money as a remote worker, you’ve come to the right place. Check out this guide to discover the top 10 tips to make decent money as a remote worker.
1. Market Yourself Professionally
Because remote working allows you to work from home in your pajamas, it can be tempting to approach it with a lackadaisical attitude. However, in order to make a decent income as a remote worker, you need to approach each job you apply for and each assignment you take on just as you would an in-office job.
In other words, you need to handle everything with a professional demeanor. For example, if you find a remote contract job, don’t just send the hiring company a quick email. Instead, take the time to create a professional-looking resume with ResumeBuild.com, as well as a polished cover letter.
When scheduling remote calls or meetings, make sure you dress up in professional attire just as you would in an office job. You should also make sure you have a professional email and social media profiles. It also doesn’t hurt to create professional business cards for the services you provide.
2. Choose the Right Remote Gig
Just like in-office jobs, some remote gigs pay very well, while others pay the bare bones. So, before you dive into the world of remote working, it’s important to be aware of the gigs that will have you earning top dollar.
Here are some of the best-paying remote jobs:
- Digital Marketing Analyst
- Qualitative User Experience Researcher
- Senior Systems Engineer
- Senior Business Analyst
- Affiliate Marketer
- Freelance Writer
- Animator
- Bookkeeper
- Consultant
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Graphic Designer
- Grant Writer
- Online Teacher
- Peer to Peer Lender
- Programmer
- Social Media Manager
- Telephone Nurse
- Translator
- Travel Agent
- Web Developer
- Virtual Assistant
- Virtual Recruiter
- Internet Security Specialist
As you can see, there’s a wide range of remote jobs out there that pay a decent salary.
3. Don’t Undersell Yourself
When you’re first starting out as a remote worker, it can be tempting to work for pennies just so you can gain some experience. However, this won’t serve you in the long run.
One of the toughest things about being a remote worker is that, unlike an office job, where an employer is in charge of setting your salary, you’re in charge of setting your own rates. If you’re new to the world of remote working, this can feel like a very daunting task.
One of the easiest ways to figure out a ballpark figure for your rate is to look at the current salaries in your industry. For example, let’s say you’re working remotely as a graphic designer. Look up how much a graphic designer makes in your area with your level of experience. Let’s say that number is $40,000 annually. When you divide this by 52 weeks at 40 hours per week, you get about $19 per hour.
However, keep in mind that full-time jobs include other forms of compensation that remote work doesn’t, such as health insurance, sick days, and vacation time. Because you don’t receive these same benefits as a remote worker, you may want to bump your hourly rate up a bit.
While you may think charging high rates will hurt you, it will actually help you attract clients who are serious about improving their business and willing to spend the money on professional work. Plus, most companies know that paying for contract work is always less expensive than hiring a full-time employee, so they’ll usually be more than happy to pay you a little extra per hour.
4. Market Yourself as a Business Owner
Marketing yourself as a business owner is another important way to make sure you get paid well.
Think about it – if you’re a business owner, who are you going to take more seriously – someone who markets themself as a freelance writer, or someone who markets themself as an owner of a freelance writing business?
By presenting yourself as a business owner rather than just another freelancer, you’ll be able to rake in the big bucks.
5. Be Wise With Your Time
Distraction is one of the biggest hurdles that remote workers face. When you’re working on your couch at home, it can be all to easy to take a “quick break” that turns into a 3-hour Netflix binge.
To make sure you’re staying productive and using your time wisely, follow these tips:
- Work from a place in which you won’t be distracted to take long breaks, such as a coffee shop, co-working space, or home office;
- Set regular hours and stick to a schedule;
- Make your workspace separate from your living space;
- Start your morning right with a shower, breakfast, and professional clothes (even if you don’t leave the house);
- Keep your work area tidy;
- Schedule breaks so your mind can reboot;
- Be careful with distractions like music, TV, and podcasts;
- Invest in noise-canceling headphones;
- Create a to-do list at the beginning of each day.
6. Search for Jobs in the Right Places
In order to make a decent income as a remote worker, you need to make sure you’re searching for work in the right places. While sites like Upwork and Fiverr are popular amongst remote workers, these sites tend to be overrun by workers who are willing to work for pennies as well as companies who are only willing to pay pennies.
Don’t waste your time on websites like these. Instead, look on job boards that are directly related to your niche. For example, if you’re a freelance writer, you can use a site like ProBlogger to find work. Or, if you’re a remote English teacher, you could use a site like Dave’s ESL Cafe.
7. Consider Outsourcing Some of Your Work
Remember, when working remotely, the number one motto to keep in mind is that “time is money”.
In other words, you need to make sure you’re spending the majority of time on work that actually brings in money. For example, let’s again say you’re working as a freelance writer. If you’re writing multiple articles a day, this means you have multiple articles that need to be edited each day.
To free up more time to write, you may want to consider outsourcing your editing work to someone else. Yes, this will cost you money. But, if you can make a lot more money pumping out an extra article or two, this investment is definitely worth it.
8. Niche Down
One of the best ways to make more money as a remote worker is to present yourself as an expert in your field. If you present yourself as a jack of all trades, a lot of clients will likely see you as a master of none.
So, how do you make sure you come across as an expert?
One of the best ways to do this is to niche down. The more specific your line of work is, the more likely clients will see you as a coveted asset. For example, let’s say you own a skincare company and you’re looking to hire a freelance writer.
Who are you more likely to hire – someone who presents themself as a generalized, freelance writer? Or, someone who presents themself as a skincare blogger? Obviously, you’re going to go for the second writer.
No matter what field you’re in, it’s important that you find some way to niche down.
9. Stay Organized
As a remote worker, staying organized is key if you want to make big money. Remember, you’re the only one in charge, and if you’re not organized it will be easy to let a deadline slip or miss a crucial order.
One of the best ways to stay organized as a remote worker is to invest in the right apps and software programs. You should use a calendar app to keep your due dates, client meetings, and other important appointments organized. Additionally, you should use some type of bookkeeping app to keep all of your invoices and payments organized.
From there, you should download apps and tools according to your specific line of work. For example, if you do a lot of work via email, download an app that can help keep your inbox organized.
10. Set Goals
Last but not least, it’s very important to set goals when working remotely. Not only will this help keep you motivated, but it’ll also help you grow your business and your income.
For example, if you make it your goal to make $2000 in a month as a freelancer, then you can make it your goal for the following month to make $3000. By setting achievable yet challenging goals, you’re more likely to stay motivated and on track.
As you can see, there’s a lot that you can do to ensure you’re paid well as a remote worker. Comment below if you have any questions!
