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We know it can be hard to find work. Even though the economy is improving and things are looking better, lots of things have changed since the Great Recession and the collapse of Wall Street, again.

Lots of the old type jobs are gone. Manufacturing is moving overseas. Technology is out-pacing most people’s ability to learn on the job. Employers are nervous that this is all too fragile to hire people.

There is something you can do to make a bit of money, without an employer and without a lot of money.

Try freelancing.

Most people think of freelancers as being just artists or writers who work for a little while, usually after a long and annoying process of hiring and vetting. Well, the Internet has changed that. You can become a freelancer in about 15 minutes and start making a little bit of money, right away.

What can you do?

Are you an administrative assistant? A writer? Maybe you can write, but never thought of doing it for a job. Are you an experienced manager? Can you write great reports or resumes, but never did it for a living?

Well, online freelancing is not necessarily going to get you a new car, but it might take a bit of the sting out of being unemployed. In fact, we know a guy who quit his job to start his own freelancing business and he ended up making about $20,000 his first year and he’s on track to make about $40,000 this year.

All you really need to do right now is to sit down and think about what you can do that you might be able to sell to someone. Maybe you are great with data entry, or you are an auto mechanic, or you are a marketing professional. There are ways to turn any of these into online businesses.

Where to start?

First, you need to be able to tell people what you do and how you are going to do it.

Let’s take the auto mechanic. You obviously aren’t going to go to everyone’s house so how can you be an auto mechanic from a distance?

You post on People per Hour: “I will guide you to repair your car for one hour for $50.” I know, you’re thinking that you usually get $100 an hour. Well, you aren’t leaving your house and you aren’t getting your hands dirty. All you have to do is answer questions. You can have people send you videos of their cars, etc.

There are lots of places to make money, like Fiverr. You only make $4 a shot, but, if you find the right gig to do, you can make quite a bit of money.

Here are some of the websites that you can look at to do a little freelancing while you are looking for work:

Fiverr.com

Peopleperhour.com

Origondo.com

Guru.com

Freelancing might not be the right thing for you for the long run, but sometimes making a little bit of money can be the thing that breaks a dry spell.

By| Bob Peryea