Monetize Your Skills

Our nation is under an emergency, as businesses, local and state government, schools, and other establishments have closed to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The business owners, teachers, and others, who are not able to work remotely, had to close their doors until further notice, which eliminates the income they would normally have coming into the house.

Unfortunately, we do not know when doors to establishments will reopen, as we are required to be in a state of social distancing. This may cause anxiety and uncertainty for tomorrow, but God reminds us that He has not given us the spirit of Fear (2 Timothy 1:7). So even though there is much uncertainty in this world, and you do not know when you will return to work and/or open the doors to your business, you can monetize the skills you do have to gain the income you and your family needs.

Here are some ideas to turn your God given skills and talents into other revenue streams:

Teach a Course/Be Available to Teach: Utilize the skills that you have to teach others. You can use platforms like youtube or teachable.com to upload your training videos and have people purchase them. Teachable will allow you to set up a website (sales page) to host and sell your training. You will have to set up the site, but once it is up, all you need to do is generate traffic to it. When you use YouTube, you can set a private setting, so only those who you share the link with can receive your video. If you have cash app or paypal, you can have clients purchase your course by sending you the money instantly, and you will need to send them the video within 24 hours. It is tedious, but you will receive an instant payout. Disclaimer: It will take up to 30 or more days to receive your first payout from Teachable.
Create a Cooking Show on Youtube: If you like cooking and/or showing people how to eat healthy meals using the ingredients they have in their pantry, then this could be a great opportunity. It may take a few months for you to receive a payout from youtube from various sponsors, but it may be something that you enjoy and will continue to do after you return to work.
Host a Podcast: If you like public speaking and/or have a topic that you believe would be beneficial to a particular audience, host a podcast. Conduct research on sponsors that will give you a payment for advertising their products and/or services on your podcast. Disclaimer: It may take up to 30 days to receive payment from those companies. You can get started for free at Anchor.fm. All you need is your phone, download the app, and have a good speaker or microphone and start recording your first episode. You can edit your podcast right on your phone. Don't forget to generate quality episodes so people can continue to listen and share your podcast with others.
Sell Online: If you have clothes, artwork, etc that you no longer use, you can sell these items on various websites (e.g. poshmark, ebay). Certain websites allow you to sell your items through them (except LetGo) and they receive a portion of your proceeds.
Become an Author: Have you always wanted to write a book? Use this time off to write your first book. Use a trusted editor or a professional editor on Fiverr to edit your book; and you can self publish your book on Amazon. You will need to advertise/market your book yourself. You can order books in bulk and sell them directly to friends, family, and clients; or you can send potential clients the amazon link to purchase your book. Payout will take up to 30 days, but you finally published the book that has been sitting in your head for years.
Tutor: If you are a teacher, utilize your skills to tutor children online (via video chat, etc). Many parents are balancing teleworking (working remotely) and teaching their children, and may not have the patience or time to do so. They may appreciate giving you one hour with their child to tutor them/teach them a lesson on a subject for one hour. Let's say you charge parents $25/hour for 1 child. You can work 4 hours a day and gain $100. Something to think about!
Prepare Taxes: If you typically prepare taxes for friends every year, at no charge, it may be time to start charging them. You may also think about preparing taxes for others and getting paid for your expertise. How many friends rely on you to prepare their taxes each year and you save them money? Something to think about!
Become a Freelance Writer or Artist: Are you an artist and/or writer? Fiverr has a business section, where you can set up your profile and receive freelance gigs. It's real simple to set up an account and begin to receive work. People will look you up when they type in a service they need under specific categories; so be sure to explain exactly what you can do for someone. And, if you have some previous work of what you can do, it makes the decision of the buyer easier. Check out the artists and writers on Fiverr and view the countless options you can provide; then get started. Be sure to read their rules and regulations for getting paid.
Create a Digital Product: Use your skills to write or design a product, such as an e-book (use a free account in canva to create an e-book), pdf, and/or templates. Conduct research to see what is trending and needed in the industry you are a subject matter expert in. Be sure to cite your references and begin creating. You can create as many digital products as you like. Once you have identified what you will create, create a platform that will allow to sell your product.
Create a Blog: A blog is the easiest thing you can set up and there are a few sites that will allow you to set up your blog for free. You must research sponsors that will pay you to advertise on your blog/website. Websites that offer blogs for free include: wix.com; worpress.com; weebly.com; just to name a few.

Use the internet to research the various ways you can leverage your skills to generate revenue/income. And, be sure to keep all of your receipts; just in case you might have to report this additional revenue on your taxes next year.

I am confident that you can monetize your skills to generate revenue, as you protect yourself from the coronavirus.

About the Author:

Latika S. Vines is the Founder of Visionary Initiatives, a Career Development & Coaching Organization helping working moms and organizations master work and life balance, so they can thrive in their life, stop feeling overwhelmed, and reach their potential of being a Boss Mom. Latika specializes in empowering women in finding their vision [what they want out of life] and turning it into an initiative (ACTION)! To connect with Latika directly, visit www.visionary-initiatives.com/latika-s-vines or connect via LinkedIn or Facebook.

Report thi

Join Our Mailing List to Learn More