These 7 Work-At-Home Ideas Are Perfect For The Newly Self-Employed

So, you’re setting out on your own — freshly arrived among the ranks of the self-employed.

You have just one question: what the heck am I going to do now?

Join the club. Plenty of newly liberated workers choose self-employment as part of a broader career change strategy — often stepping away from the office before they have a clear sense of what they plan to do next.

That’s perfectly fine. The market for work-at-home jobs is booming, meaning it’s a seller’s market for self-employed talent.

These seven at-home opportunities are tailor-made for those seeking a foot in the door of self-employment. As time goes on, you might choose to dive headfirst into one or two of these specialties, keep a few as part of a diversified side income strategy, or change focus and choose a self-employed path that aligns more closely with your previous career.

The sky’s the limit, and the choice is yours.

1. Tutoring

Think you know more than a high school student? About one or two subjects, you probably do — or, at least, you can call up that knowledge from the depths. With a reliable Internet connection and high-res laptop camera, you can impart your wisdom from just about anywhere, including the comfort of your own home.

According to remote tutoring provider Chegg, top tutors can earn $1,000 or more per month, assuming a starting rate of $20 per hour. That’s a solid wage in anyone’s book, and doubly so for tutors with limited experience.

2. Fundraising Distribution

Want to raise funds for the causes you care about most and earn reliable income for your trouble? Consider working as a fundraising distributor, selling high-profit fundraising products that, in turn, raise proceeds for school groups, community organizations, and charities. According to the experts from ABC Fundraising, organized fundraising distributors working full-time can earn $5,000 per month or more — an impressive take for doing what you love.

3. Writing and Editing

You don’t have to be capable of turning out the next great American novel to make a living in work-at-home writing and editing. Chances are good that you’ve done your share of writing in previous roles; chances are even better that there’s a viable freelance market for writers in your specialty. Technical writing is particularly lucrative if you’ve got the chops.

4. Property Management

This isn’t technically “at home” work — unless you’re managing your mother-in-law suite on the side, you’ll need to leave home from time to time. But you can do quite a bit from your home office too, from collecting rent to dispatching handymen.

5. Website and App Testing

Yes, website and app testing is indeed a paying job. According to UserTesting, a prominent website testing company, testers earn $10 for a typical project — more if the job requires extra time or effort.

6. Customer or Tech Support

All you need to work as an at-home customer contact or tech support professional is a headset, a videochat interface, a fast Internet connection, and deep reserves of patience. You’ll need specialized training too, of course, but that literally comes with the job. Expect to earn $15 per hour or more — and say goodbye to the long, lonely commute to the call center on the edge of town.

7. Medical Transcription

It’s no secret that the American healthcare system is complicated as all get-out. That’s a drag for patients, to be sure, but it’s great news for work-at-home medical transcriptionists, whose work ensures accurate billing and ordering.

What’s Your Work-at-Home Angle?

Don’t see a work-at-home opportunity that strikes your fancy here? Don’t worry: this is the very tip of the iceberg. In this brave new economy, more jobs than ever can be done remotely, without ever setting foot in an office or meeting colleagues face to face.

We no longer have to imagine the possibilities of decentralized work. We’re living them every day. Won’t you join us?

Samantha Acuna is a writer based in San Francisco, CA. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, and Yahoo Small Business.