I got my start as an entrepreneur completely by accident. You can read the whole story here, but the short version is that back in 1999, I needed to make some money. The bills were due, my third-shift job wasn’t going so well, and one day I took some photos of random stuff around my apartment and put it up on eBay. I made about $22 an hour right away, so I quit the night job and started building a wholesale business.
I’ve had a lot of different small businesses since those early days, including website design, publishing, and Google Adwords consulting. I’ve also had some crazy experiences along the way, and made a lot of mistakes.
Despite the mistakes and occasional uncertainly of not having a regular paycheck, my ten years of being out of the traditional workplace have made me a passionate believer in working for myself. I don’t have a large business — I work at home, and I don’t employ anyone directly. I have no plans to do that in the future either, because I’m comfortable with the super-small business model I call microbusiness.
Why Microbusiness?
I hear a lot of people say that they do not have the skill set to be entrepreneurs. They don’t like to manage people, they don’t want to borrow money, or they just don’t know how to start.
I completely understand those challenges — and that’s why I think anyone interested in entrepreneurship should start with a microbusiness.
A microbusiness is a very small business, one that you usually run on your own or with a few independent contractors. Some microbusiness owners have the goal of growing the company and employing people, but others of us are just happy to replace the income we could receive from a more traditional job.
What Kind of Business?
When most people set out to build a business, they usually end up building a job instead. With a job, you get paid to exchange your time for other people’s money. If you set up shop as a consultant, for example, you’re essentially doing the same thing. True, it may be better than working for someone else, because you’ll have more freedom — but there’s a flip side to self-employment and freedom. You’re still trading time for money, and with your own business, no one else is responsible if you fail.
While I do know some happy, thriving consultants, in general I think it’s better to create a business with automated products or services that can be sold without you directly trading time for money. Once you create your own products and set up a marketing plan, the products can then be sold 24/7 on your website or other online marketplaces.
Getting up in the morning to discover you have made money while sleeping is a great feeling.
If you have no idea what to sell, I recommend creating high-margin products, especially information products like e-books, multimedia publications, or other teaching materials. The value in these materials has to do with what you help people learn, not from any expensive production costs.
(The books E-Myth Revisited and No B.S. Sales Success are two great resources for thinking more about this.)
If you have a decent job, why should you worry about entrepreneurship and starting a microbusiness? Well, as the next section shows, relying solely on income from a job is the very slow route to wealth. It may work after forty years, but if you’re interested in speeding it up a little, the odds are that you’ll need some kind of business.
Get Rich Somewhere Between Quick and Slowly
I fully understand the motive between Get Rich Slowly as a counterbalance to active stock trading and get-rich-quick schemes, and I know there are millionaires next door who have slowly accumulated wealth through decades of progressive saving, index investing, and compounding interest. I also know that this route is far safer than active stock trading.
However, by working as an employee, only the very slow route will work, because there is really no other way most people can accumulate wealth with average incomes. I believe that anyone who is interested on achieving their own wealth needs to supplement their job income with external business income that they create for themselves.
This is the third way between the decades-long job savings approach as an employee and the risky stock trading approach. Maybe we should create a Get Rich at Faster-than-Average-Speed-but-not-too-Quickly site — but that’s not as catchy as Get Rich Slowly.
The Goal is Financial Independence
Instead of retirement, my ultimate financial goal is to achieve true independence in my finances, to the point where all of the work I do is done out of choice rather than necessity. There are a lot of good resources out there for figuring out what you need for your own financial independence journey—for example, the online forums EarlyRetirement.org and the book Work Less, Live More that J.D. has written about previously.
By choosing to focus on writing and world travel instead of building businesses, I expect that my financial independence goal will be set back at least a couple of years. Although I could certainly enjoy making more money, I’m comfortable with the tradeoff.
One important note about financial independence: Being financially independent doesn’t mean you will stop working.
I enjoy the work I do (most of the time), and I don’t think I could be happy if I sat on the beach all day long. You may also like the work you do, or you may have a desire to help other people by doing a different kind of work. What financial independence means is that you are able to choose what you do with your time. Regardless of any other philosophical differences, I expect that almost everyone would agree that this is truly a goal worth charting a course for.
Making Mistakes
I don’t think this essay would be complete without mentioning a few mistakes I’ve made along the way to creating a financial plan that works for me. If any of the above information sounds self-confident, I assure you that the selection of mistakes I include below is but a brief sample.
In my early business days when it was an enormous sum of money, I once lost $3,000 on eBay in a single weekend due to a minor listing error.
I forgot to renew at least two domain names that were later converted to passive, regular Adsense income…by the new owner.
I regularly gave up hundreds of dollars from 2000-2002 because I didn’t want to return any inbound sales calls.
Six years ago, I decided not to go to Cambodia when I was right on the Thai border. The visa would have cost $20, which I thought was a lot then. Now that I spend $500-1000 to go to most new countries, $20 is a true bargain.
I think I’m doing most things right now — at least right for me — but I am not immune to making stupid mistakes.
Putting It All Together
I haven’t been very traditional with anything, and personal finance is no exception. What I do won’t work for everyone, and I am the first to acknowledge that. But I also hope that some of these principles challenge your own beliefs and practices about money in a positive way.
I welcome feedback, questions, or disagreements in the comments below. Thanks to J.D. for letting me share, and thanks to everyone for reading.
I write a lot about saving money. Like many of you, I’ve found frugality an excellent way to widen the gap between what I earn and what I spend. Frugality helped me get out of debt, increase my monthly cash flow, and ultimately begin to build savings. Thrift is a key component to personal finance.
But to be successful, to build wealth, you must also increase your income. You might do this by changing careers, or by obtaining for a promotion, or by asking for a raise. You might invest in real estate. Or you might start your own business.
I recently interviewed Timothy Ferris, author of The 4-Hour Workweek. I’ve already shared parts of our conversation:
In this final excerpt, Ferriss and I briefly discuss the power of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial skills are valuable whether you own your own business or you have a traditional job. At Soul Shelter, Tim Clark recently provided an overview of entrepreneurship. “I’m a firm believer that our fortunes in life are closely bound to entrepreneurship skills, whether we’re self-employed or choose to work for someone else,” Clark writes. “Studying entrepreneurship means examining the many ways one can earn a living.”
Here then is the final part of my conversation with Tim Ferris:
J.D. My father was a serial entrepreneur. When I was a boy, he was always starting businesses. As a result, I have the entrepreneurship bug, as do both of my brothers. In many ways, Get Rich Slowly is a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit. I view it as a business. It seems to me that you are very much about entrepreneurship. Did entrepreneurship run in your family?
Tim My father has been in various types of construction and development, and also real estate — buying, selling, investing. He’s been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember, in that respect. He’s always owned his own business. My mother, on the other hand, has worked for Suffolk County, which is part of Long Island, in health services doing physical therapy for geriatrics for the last thirty years.
I feel like I’ve seen the best and worst of both of those worlds — the highly institutionalized employment and then self-employment. There’s certainly dangers and benefits to both, and I think I’ve had a pretty good [chance] to see both up close and personal. But entrepreneurship in the sense of starting businesses really wasn’t something that was recommended to me.
Part of what sparked my interest was Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal. I think most of his books are a waste of time, but that book is extremely good. It’s all about the art of the deal and negotiating and so forth. There’s a lot of really good material, especially the dissection of his schedule. He basically walks through a typical day. Very, very interesting stuff.
When I was doing my undergrad and working in the library for $8 an hour — with no air conditioning and no ventilation in the middle of late spring — I really began to question just how scalable that approach was, even if it were $20, $30, $40, $50 an hour.
I was dyslexic at a young age, and developed coping mechanisms. I ended up being able to read extremely quickly, and to prepare for tests in some unique ways. I had friends saying, “Dude, when do you study?” There was a lot of classroom reading, and I did it, but very few people ever saw me spending more than a half hour on any given day, whereas a lot of students are spending three or four hours.
After a few people asked me this, I put together a seminar. I did the first seminar with guarantees and so forth. I had very low expectations for it, but I ended up walking out three hours later with $20 bills and checks spilling out of my pockets. When I ran the numbers, I realized that this was definitely a better model, but it was still not scalable because I had to be there teaching the seminars. I became very bored of it. After that, I started fantasizing about the different formats that a scalable business could take.
There’s a book by Entrepreneur Press called The Young Millionaires. It’s a really good book. Some of the business models are outdated now, but it basically has two to three page profiles of dozens of late twenty-something and thirty-something millionaires. It really inspired me to brainstorm different options.
J.D. So how do you come up with money-making ideas — or “muses” — that can supply supplemental income and be easy to maintain and sustainable in the four-hour workweek lifestyle? It seems to me there’s no one right answer. It depends on the individual. The Young Millionaires book sounds like it might be a sort of cookbook, or an idea factory.
Tim [I recently had the chance to ask Warren Buffet a question about investing.] If I had asked, “How should I invest my money?” I wouldn’t have received [a good answer]. I had to be very specific: “no dependents, thirtysoemthing, I can cover my expenses with other income or savings, etc.” There were a lot of qualifiers. Just like when somebody asks “How should I invest my money?”, there’s no way you can answer that in a meaningful way. The same is true with muses.
But in general, I would say studying case studies that you’ll find like mine, or The Young Millionaires would be another example, and then reading books like eBoys. I see my book as a valuable starting point so that you don’t focus on the wrong types of businesses, but it requires an analysis of your risk tolerance.
J.D. Do you have any recommendations for people who aren’t entrepreneurial, who don’t have the ability or the interest in creating “muses”? These people might prefer to save and invest instead, but are still interested in the four-hour workweek lifestyle. They’re interested in lifestyle design.
Tim I think one of the misconceptions with the book is that you have to use everything in the book. It’s really designed to be more of a menu of options for people to pick and choose from. I may go to a restaurant that I love, but I may hate half of their dishes. The fact of the matter is there’s no requirement to use “muses” whatsoever to apply the principles in the book. They’re principle-based and not tactical.
The rules in the book are really for increasing output and optimizing results regardless of whether you’re in someone else’s office or your own. That also applies to stocks. If you study The Intelligent Investor, you’ll find that the principles and concepts and the rational deconstruction of things that are made complex — because the croupiers and other people can make money by making it complex — it reads very similarly to The 4-Hour Workweek.
By focusing within an organization on using the proper metrics to measure your own performance, improving those metrics, doing 80-20 analysis, then you can increase your value within the company, and document it in such a way that you can then have more leverage to do things like take mini-retirements or work remotely one or two days a week or have a four-day work week (which many people have done) or simply to eliminate work on the evenings and weekends.
Then [one can] apply the same rational framework to investment. They’re completely applicable and adaptable to someone who has no interest whatsoever in starting a business. I’d say that the vast majority of the people who have used the book work within organizations.
Timothy Ferriss, nominated as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People of 2007,” is author of the #1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and BusinessWeek bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek.
Inside: You are wanting to work from home. Here are the best non phone work from home jobs. Exactly what you wanted to find.
Are you looking for a work from home job but don’t want to deal with people? You’re in luck!
There are plenty of non-phone jobs that allow you to work from the comfort of your own home.
This is becoming more and more popular because it allows you autonomous work without the influence of talking to others.
Plus we will cover the best non phone work from home jobs! There are many options available.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the 35 best non-phone jobs for you:
Can you work from home without talking on the phone?
Yes, you can work from home without talking on the phone.
More and more jobs are transitioning away from the use of a phone. So, there is no better time than to transition yourself.
Best non phone work from home jobs
Here is a comprehensive list of the best non phone work from home jobs.
You will find a variety of part-time, full-time, and contract opportunities in a wide range of fields. Also, the opportunity to become your own boss.
1. Stock Trader
Stock traders must have a good understanding of market trends, economic forces, and have the ability to make quick decisions based on their analysis.
The benefits of working as a stock trader include high pay, job security, and the potential to make a lot of money if the stock market is performing well.
Additionally, stock traders are able to work from home and have flexible hours, meaning that they can plan their working day around other commitments.
Personally, this is one way I make money is by trading stocks and options. Join the $1000 in a day club.
2. Video Editor
A video editor is someone who works with audio and visual content to create cohesive and engaging visuals for either commercial or creative purposes.
They use various software programs to manipulate video clips, sounds, and images in order to create a compelling story. The role of a video editor involves careful attention to detail and the ability to utilize a wide range of software and hardware.
The advantages of a job as a video editor include the potential to work from home and create a flexible schedule, as well as the potential to make great money, depending on the level of experience.
Additionally, it can be a great way to express creativity and further develop important skills.
On the other hand, one of the major disadvantages of working as a video editor is the high stress level that comes with the role.
Video editors are often under pressure to deliver projects under tight deadlines, which can lead to increased pressure and stress. Additionally, there is often a steep learning curve, as video editing requires a lot of technical knowledge and experience.
3. Proofreader
Proofreading is a non-phone work from home job that involves reading and carefully reviewing written documents for errors of spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation. It also involves making sure that the text makes sense and is consistent with the document’s purpose.
Proofreaders are expected to identify and correct errors as they appear in the text.
The pay for proofreaders is typically between $44k and $58k per year.
To make the job easier, I would take the Proofreading Anywhere course to understand what is expected of you.
4. Data Entry Jobs
Data entry clerks are often required to sort, organize, and verify the accuracy of data before entering it into the computer system.
Additionally, this type of job does not require any prior experience and can be learned quickly.
Data entry clerks can usually make an hourly wage, which makes it a great option for those looking for a side income. Furthermore, data entry clerks are often hired for short-term or part-time projects, allowing them to pick and choose their hours.
5. Writer
Typically, the role of a writer is to produce content, such as blog posts, articles, product reviews, press releases, and more, for various companies.
Writers must have a good command of the English language and demonstrate great grammar and spelling in order to be successful. Additionally, writers must have the ability to create content that is search engine optimized and persuasive.
Many people have found the Earn More Writing course helpful to bump start your freelance writing potential.
All in all, freelance writing is a great way to make a living and offers flexible hours, the potential for long-term growth, and higher pay rates.
6. Web Search Evaluator
Search engine evaluators have the important job of ensuring that search engine results are relevant and accurate to the user’s intent.
For example, a user might enter the search query ‘chocolate cupcake recipes’, and the search engine should return relevant results such as recipes. If the search results are irrelevant or inaccurate, the search engine evaluator is tasked with rating them accordingly.
Search engine evaluators typically earn around $20 per hour and can make up to $40k a year if they take the job as full-time professional.
7. Virtual Bookkeeper
A virtual bookkeeper is a professional who can provide bookkeeping services to businesses from remote location.
Most people choose to work for themselves as a bookkeeper with a bookkeeping side gig (or full-time business).
One of the main benefits of working as a virtual bookkeeper is that no college degree or qualification is needed to get started. Generally, bookkeepers charge around $80 an hour or more for their services.
Finally, you can learn more about getting started with Bookkeeper Launch to help you become a freelance bookkeeper.
8. Image Reviewer and Photo Editor
Similar to a video editor, a photo editor’s duties include, but are not limited to, ensuring that images display the desired quality, accuracy, and clarity; checking for visual consistency across all images; editing images to make them look more appealing; and providing feedback on the images.
Additionally, they may be responsible for curating collections of images, creating new content, and managing projects.
For those looking to sell on Shutterstock, this is a great side hustle.
9. Create and Sell Printables on Etsy
With a little creativity and the right software, you can create unique printables that customers can purchase and print out themselves.
This can be a great way for you to make passive income with minimal effort.
In fact, my friends Cody and Julie did so well selling printables; they now teach others how to make a living creating and selling printables.
10. Selling on Amazon (FBA program)
This is a way to make money by reselling products you find online or in brick and mortar stores on Amazon for a higher price.
Amazon will ship the products to your customers, handle customer service, and even provide storage for the products.
With the right amount of work and dedication, you can make quite a bit of money with FBA.
11. Blogger
With blogging, you have the ability to work from anywhere in the world with just a computer and an internet connection.
You can write about whatever topics you are passionate about and be your own boss.
You can also make money blogging through various income streams such as affiliate marketing, paid sponsorships, ads, and more.
12. ESL Instructor
The job of an ESL (English as a second language) instructor is to provide English language instruction, usually via webcam, to those who are not native English speakers.
The benefits of this job are numerous: it allows for flexible hours, can be done from anywhere in the world, and offers an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of learners from all over the world. Additionally, being an ESL instructor allows one to learn about other cultures, stay up to date with language trends, and gain valuable professional experience.
To get the job, you need to have a thorough understanding of the English language and pass any certification tests.
This is a great type of job that pays weekly.
13. Virtual Assistant
A virtual assistant (VA) is a professional who provides administrative and technical support to clients remotely. They help with a variety of tasks like answering emails, data entry, blog management, bookkeeping, editing, proofreading, marketing, research, filing documents, and customer service – to name just a few.
The type of services you offer will depend on your skills, experience, and education.
The biggest benefit of working as a VA is that you can work from home and set your own hours.
And the pay can be quite lucrative, with rates ranging from $25 to $100 an hour.
If you’re interested in becoming a VA, Kayla Sloan offers a free workshop that teaches people how to become Virtual Assistants and makes up to $10,000 a month. Download her Virtual Assistant checklist.
14. Accountant
An accountant is a professional who is responsible for tracking financial records and preparing financial statements for a business or individual. They ensure that their clients’ finances are accurate and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
One of the primary benefits of working from home as an accountant is flexibility. You are able to work your own hours and set your own schedule. This allows you to create a better work-life balance and also gives you more time to spend with your family.
15. Freelance Jobs
A freelancer is someone who does work for themselves and not for a company.
This is typically contract-type work.
You can find freelance jobs on sites such as Upwork, Fiverr, or People Per Hour.
The best way to freelance is to know your own skills and how to monetize them.
16. Editor
An editor is a professional who is responsible for reviewing and improving documents, whether that be in print, online, or even on video.
Editing involves ensuring accuracy, flow, grammar, and style. This is a great non phone work from home job because it allows for great flexibility and does not require a college degree.
Most positions are freelance which means that you can work on your own schedule and take on as much work as you can.
17. Social Media Manager
Social Media Managers are in charge of maintaining a client’s presence on a variety of social media sites, such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitter, and Google Plus.
They are expected to respond to comments, manage brand partnerships, create posts, photos, and videos, and track analytics to come up with an effective marketing strategy to promote their client’s accounts.
In addition to creating content, Social Media Managers typically monitor and moderate what is posted on the client’s social media accounts. They are usually responsible for ensuring that the content is appropriate and that the rules and regulations of the platform are followed.
The potential salary range for Social Media Managers can vary, but they can typically make $78000 per year.
18. Transcriber
A transcriber’s role is to convert audio recordings into written documents. They listen to audio files and type out what they hear.
Transcribers have the advantage of being able to work from home and can earn up to $21 per hour or more if they start their own business. They also have the potential to increase their wage upon gaining more experience.
Additionally, transcribers do not need to interact with other people, making it an ideal job for those who are more introverted or prefer working alone.
Finally, there are various resources available to help transcribers get started, including free mini-courses and companies that hire experienced and beginner transcribers.
19. Marketing Associate
As a Marketing Associate, you’ll be responsible for a wide variety of tasks, including developing and executing marketing campaigns, conducting market research, creating content, and managing and optimizing paid search, video creation, and other digital marketing efforts.
Additionally, you may be asked to support customer service via live chat, social media, text, and email.
The ideal candidate for this role will have excellent communication skills, be proficient in typing and have excellent spelling and grammar, and be passionate about social media platforms.
20. House sitter
A house sitter is someone who stays in a home while the homeowners are away and provides care for the premises and any pets that the homeowners may have.
The job of a house sitter includes tasks such as watering plants, taking out trash, and performing general maintenance of the property.
House sitters can benefit from the opportunity to experience different places, save money on rent, and have some extra time to explore their surroundings.
Platforms such as TrustedHousesitter.com make finding house-sitting jobs easier than ever before.
21. Online Tutor
The role of an online tutor is to guide students in their studies and help them understand a particular subject or skill virtually, through video chat or online software. Plus you have the opportunity to work with students from different countries.
Online tutoring jobs vary in requirements, but typically a bachelor’s degree or current college enrollment is needed.
They provide instruction and guidance, assist students with assignments, answer questions, and give feedback on their progress. The tutor also has a responsibility to motivate and encourage their students to stay on task and reach their academic goals.
22. Pet-Sitting Jobs
Pet sitting jobs can be a great way to make some extra money from home while spending time with animals (and not people)!
With Rover, you can earn anywhere between $10 and $20 an hour for dog walking, $20-30 for overnight stays, and some people are even making $1000+ a month in metro city areas. As a pet sitter, you have to stay at home with someone else’s pets and they pay you for taking care of their pets.
Rover.com is a great platform to find pet sitting jobs as they offer a wide range of services such as dog walking, pet sitting, and pet care.
23. Personal Stylist
Personal styling is an exciting and relatively new job that offers the opportunity to work from home. The role of a personal stylist is to help clients express their individual style through the selection of clothes, accessories, and other items.
It involves curating a set number of clothing items and accessories based on the client’s fashion profile. This job requires an eye for detail, an innate sense of style, and creativity.
It’s perfect for creative individuals who are passionate about fashion and have an eye for details.
24. Website Tester
Website testers are typically paid to assess the overall user experience on a website and provide feedback on how to improve it. W
You do not need a phone to complete your tasks; they only require a laptop with a webcam and microphone to record your observations.
Website testing is a non-phone work from home job that pays good money to ensure that websites are user-friendly. It is a flexible and straightforward way to make some extra cash.
25. Closed Captioner
A closed captioner is a person who transcribes audio into text for specific use on video.
This is a great job for those who learn and work better visually, as well as those who can type quickly and accurately. This type of work allows for a very flexible work schedule, meaning you can work when you are most productive and there is no need for any phone interactions.
You get the freedom to work on your own schedule and make a decent amount of money doing something that doesn’t require phone conversations.
26. Online Test Scorer
An online test scorer is responsible for scoring assessments such as tests, exams, and essays from students of high school or college. This job requires a certain level of expertise, as the test scorer must be able to interpret and evaluate the quality of the assessments accurately and fairly.
The test scorer must also be able to maintain the confidentiality of the students’ answers and grades and be able to provide feedback that is relevant and constructive.
This job typically requires a bachelor’s degree, and it is often seasonal with part-time hours.
27. Translator
The role of a translator is to take a language and convert it into another language, be it oral, written, or audio.
Translators not only have to be multi-lingual and have a good command of grammar and spelling, but they also need to be able to convey the meaning of the words they are translating accurately. They can work on a variety of projects, from subtitling to full-length books.
There is a wide range of online platforms on offer, so translators can pick the one that best suits their skill set and desired pay rate.
28. Graphic Designer
A Graphic Designer is someone who is skilled in using platforms like Photoshop, Canva, and other software to create visual and graphical designs.
Typically, these designs are used for things like logos and branding materials, websites, social media content, or clothing.
You must have a creative flair, as well as knowledge of graphic design and the required software. In order to be successful, they must have a computer with a good internet connection and the programs necessary to do the job.
29. Medical Coder and Biller
A medical coder and biller are responsible for translating a patient’s symptoms, diagnosis, and medication prescribed by a doctor into codes.
These codes are then entered into a database for the biller to use, who will turn them into a bill to be submitted to the patient’s insurance company.
The average pay scale for medical coders and billers can range from $45k – $65k per year, and they can find many remote positions on job sites like Indeed.com.
30. Instructional Designer
The role of an Instructional Designer is to research, write, design, and create training courses and manuals for a variety of people, such as educators, students, and employees.
Instructional designers need a degree in the subject being written about, or a degree in education, and should enjoy writing and editing. Working from home as an Instructional Designer has many benefits.
Working from home in an Instructional Designer role gives you the freedom to explore new methods and techniques to create the best possible course or manual.
31. Non-Phone Remote Nursing Jobs
With more and more companies offering remote work opportunities, there are many non-phone remote nursing jobs available.
The type of work ranges from utilization review nurses, clinical research associates, and data abstractors all work with data and compliance, ensuring procedures are being followed correctly and that they are medically necessary.
Companies such as Cigna, CVS, Flatiron, PPD, and UnitedHealth Group are just some of the many hiring companies offering these types of remote nursing positions.
32. Fraud Investigator
Fraud investigators are in demand in many industries, including financial institutions, e-commerce stores, healthcare companies, and insurance companies. As a fraud investigator, you’ll be tasked with looking for fraud, abuse, and irregularities in financial transactions.
If you have an eye for detail and like doing research, this could be a great non-phone job opportunity for you.
Companies usually require customer service experience or a criminal justice degree and/or a CAMS certification (Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist). It’s a great way to make a good income without having to pick up the phone.
33. Community Moderator
A community moderator is a person who oversees online forums, groups, and social media accounts to ensure that rules and regulations are being followed, questions are being answered, and spam and junk content are being removed.
It is an online opportunity where moderators can be employed to manage and moderate comments on various social media sites and chat rooms.
The benefits of working as a community moderator include the opportunity to work from home and a flexible schedule. Additionally, moderators will gain experience in digital engagement, such as moderating forums, chatting with customers, managing communities, and buzzing on social media.
34. Netflix Tagger
The Netflix Tagger is a real job opportunity that allows individuals to work from home watching movies and tagging them with the appropriate keywords, genres, and descriptions.
This job is ideal for those who have a passion for movies and experience or education in radio, television, and film.
Working as a Netflix Tagger (also known as Metadata Analyst) is not only rewarding but it is also beneficial for those who want to work remotely without having to make phone calls or talk to customers.
35. Provider Enrollment Specialist
A provider enrollment specialist is a non-phone work-from-home job that involves researching, reviewing, analyzing, and managing provider enrollment applications to ensure they are in compliance with guidelines.
Provider enrollment specialists usually require prior experience in medical terminology, appeals, claims, or customer service, and may also require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
36. Survey Taker
By completing surveys, survey takers are able to share their opinion and help inform companies and brands on how to provide better products and services that meet customer needs and expectations.
Benefits of working as a survey taker from home include the flexibility of being able to work at your own pace and the ability to earn extra income while working whenever and wherever you choose.
Additionally, survey takers can take advantage of cash, rewards, and sweepstakes entries as compensation for their time.
It is not a way to get rich, but it is a great way to make extra money on the side.
Here are the top legit survey platforms:
37. Chat and Email Support
Chat and email support workers provide customer support and assistance via email and online chat. They are responsible for responding to customer inquiries and resolving customer issues.
This customer service-oriented position does not require the use of a phone.
Chat and email support workers must be able to answer customer questions and respond to their inquiries quickly and accurately. They must also be able to use active listening skills and type quickly.
Companies often provide chat and email support workers with guidelines for providing customer support, and they may also require workers to understand their products in order to provide effective customer service.
Are non phone work from home jobs legitimate?
The answer is yes! In fact, there is a growing number of non-phone work from home jobs for those who don’t want to be on the phone all day.
Whether you’re a mom with kids and pets running around, or if you find customer service work draining, there are good options out there for you to make money from home without being on the phone.
In conclusion, non-phone work from home jobs are legitimate and provide a great opportunity to make money from home without being on the phone.
FAQs
Ultimately, the skills needed to succeed in non phone work from home jobs will depend on the type of job you are pursuing.
More than likely, you’ll need excellent typing skills, excellent spelling and grammar, and the ability to troubleshoot and solve issues, among other skills.
However, many of the jobs mentioned above pay between $15 an hour to $50 an hour.
Some companies may also offer a base salary plus bonuses or incentives.
Fortunately, there are plenty of non-phone jobs available for remote workers that don’t require a diploma.
However, you may have to take some online courses to excel faster in your field.
Many on this list are great low stress jobs that pay well without a degree.
Yes, there are software or tools needed for non-phone work from home jobs, depending on the type of job.
More than likely, you will need a computer and a reliable internet service.
Are you Excited to Work from Home Job No Phone?
Working from home has become increasingly popular over the years, as it offers flexibility, comfort, and the ability to work from anywhere.
All of these jobs that offer the best comfort and increased focus is working from home on the laptop. The advantages of this job include flexibility in schedules, the ability to remain in control of your own workspace, and enhanced focus as there is less noise and distraction.
With the number of remote job leads that are available, you are sure to find the perfect work from home job that suits your needs.
In addition, working from home gives you the freedom to work in a location of your choice. You no longer have to commute to an office or be bound by office hours.
Also, you can take breaks when you need them and work in a comfortable environment.
Which career choice are you going to look into?
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
“You don’t have to be world-class great to make a great living doing what you love,” Jonathan Fields writes in Career Renegade, “if you are willing to step outside the box, approach your passion differently, find innovative ways to mine that passion for money, and work like crazy to make it happen.”
In Career Renegade, Fields draws upon his own experience, as well as that of others, to provide a blueprint for those willing to take that entrepreneurial leap of faith.
Career Renegade is an odd book. Its title and marketing might lead you to believe it’s about careers. As I write this, it’s the number one book in Amazon’s “job hunting” category, which is baffling. Career Renegade isn’t about job hunting or changing careers. It’s about taking your passion and turning it into a business. It’s about entrepreneurship. As long as you expect this going in, it’s a great book.
Profiting from your passion Career Renegade starts by exploring the relationship between what we do and what we love. Fields encourages readers to examine their own lives to discover what it is they’re passionate about. His message is that although it might seem impossible, although it might take some hard work, you can turn your dreams into a career.
“The paths to transforming a moneyless passion into a lucrative future are limited only by your own creativity,” Fields writes. Career Renegade suggests seven possible paths for turning passion into profit:
Redeploying your passion in a hungrier market. Do what you love in an area where there’s high demand.
Refocusing and mining the most lucrative micro-markets. Sometimes the solution is to narrow your market, to focus on doing something valuable for a select group of people.
Exploiting gaps in the information needed to excel at an activity. Fields argues that one way to succeed at doing what you love is to provide information that nobody else offers, or to offer it in a way that others don’t. Get Rich Slowly is an example of following this path.
Exploiting gaps in education. Beyond just providing information, some people can profit by directly teaching others.
Exploiting gaps in gear or merchandise. Using this path, you turn your passion into a product. You “build a better mousetrap”, so to speak.
Exploiting gaps in community. People value networks, and if you’re the first or best to create one devoted to your subject, you can become the leader in the field. Fields mentions Ladies Who Launch as an example of taking a passion for community-building and it into a career.
Exploiting gaps in the way a pursuit is provided. The final path is to make it easier for people to do what you love (and what they love).
Fields writes that it’s possible to “turn your passion loose in unexpected places”. He cites the example of Liv Hansen, a young woman just out of school who couldn’t find a job in the art world. She went to work at her mother’s bakery, and began to create fanciful designs on the wedding cakes and cupcakes. Though this may not have been how she had planned to use her art degree, it turned out to be profitable and fulfilling work.
While the first half of Career Renegade is devoted to helping you find your passion, the second half is all about developing an entrepreneurial mindset and marketing your idea.
What if you’re not an entrepreneur? Many of my friends love their jobs and have no desire to become self-employed. They use hustle, passion, and patience to make the most of working for somebody else. It’s very possible to make a great living doing what you love without striking out on your own.
My wife, for example, just isn’t an entrepreneur. Kris loves her job as much as I love mine. She enjoys her co-workers and the workplace culture. She has no desire to work for herself. What does Career Renegade have to offer folks who don’t want to become entrepreneurs? I asked the author to comment on this. Jonathan Fields responded:
I lean strongly toward taking more control and being an entrepreneur. And, most of the people in my book seem to be wired that way, too. But that’s not necessarily true.
There will still be some people that just want to keep working for someone else. The cool thing is, you can tap many of the market research strategies that I lay out in the early part of the book to not only test your idea, but identify other people and companies to connect with. They’ll reveal companies who are doing something similar, then you can:
approach them for a job, or
build your personal brand online to showcase your abilities in the area of your passion, then tap social media to find key influencers and hiring managers and make them aware of your showcase
That whole process is largely what the second half of the book is about.
All the same, I’d hesitate to recommend Career Renegade to somebody simply hunting for a new job. I don’t think it’s appropriate.
Career Renegade also suffers from one of the same flaws as The Power of Less [my review]: it’s tech-centric. Its examples and suggestions are based on the assumption that you can leverage the web and social media to make your business succeed. This isn’t always true. My father’s passion was to start a small manufacturer of custom boxes. There is nothing that Twitter could offer my family’s box factory. Podcasts and blogs won’t help either. It’s not that sort of business.
The bottom line Career Renegade is not a bad book — not at all! It is, however, a book aimed a narrow target audience, one much narrower than the cover and title might lead you to believe. Entrepreneurs are a subset of the general population. This book is written for a subset of entrepreneurs.
There’s a lot of fine information here for those interested in launching a business in which the internet will play a key role. I love the case histories that Fields uses to flesh out his topics. I never tire of reading how other people have managed to turn their passion into a business. I can learn a lot, for example, from reading how Anita Campbell moved from lawyer to blogger at Small Business Trends.
Career Renegade is a great book — for a certain type of person.If you believe you might enjoy working for yourself — even if you don’t know what it is you’d do — this book is worth reading. If you are looking to start your own business and if that business requires a strong online presence, this book is a tremendous resource. But it’s not the next What Color is Your Parachute?
Last Updated on February 24, 2022 by Mark Ferguson
Making one million dollars in a year seems like an impossible goal for many people. I am a real estate agent and I could not even fathom making that much money five years ago, but now it is one of my goals. One of the great things about being in real estate is there are so many ways to make money and there is no ceiling to how much you can make. As a real estate agent and real estate investor, I run my own business and the amount of money I make depends on how well I plan, the goals I set forth and the work ethic I possess.
The median income for a full-time Realtor is $54,000 a year, but many agents make much more money than that. My real estate team routinely sells over 200 houses, which brings in over $650,000 in real estate commissions from almost 25 million in sales volume. I did not personally make over $600,000, because I had to pay commissions to my team, I had expenses, and had to pay our staff. However, there are many agents all over the United States making at least one million dollars a year as real estate agents. The best part is you do not have to have a college education or even a high school education (depending on the state). You do have to work hard, plan well and be a great networker.
How much money do the best agents make?
Even though I think over $600,000 in gross commissions and 25 million in sales volume was pretty good, it is not even close to what the top agents in the country make. The top agent in the country had over $1,400,000,000 in sales volume in 2016 and the 250th ranked agent had over $60,000,000 in sales volume according to the Wall Street Journal top 1,000 agents. It is important to know the Wall Street Journal does not include all the top agents in their figures. They only count agents that apply to the Wall Street Journal or that they find through their own searches. Many top agents who do not apply or are missed by the publication are left off of the list and some agents ask not to be included as well.
It is not just the top real estate agents in the country that make a lot of money. My office has 45 agents in it and most of them are part-time agents. However, we had four agents who made over $300,000 last year.
How much in sales volume do you need?
Sales volume is the dollar amount of the homes sold by a real estate agent, not the money a real estate agent makes. On my REO listings, I get paid between 1 percent and 3 percent for selling a house and my average commission is about 2.7 percent of the sales price. It is important to remember there is no typical sales commission and all commissions are negotiable. If we use these same numbers as I have for the 250th agent in the country, they would bring in $1.6 million from a sales volume of $60,000,000. There is a good chance a retail agent who is not specializing in REO listings is making more than a 2.7 percent commission on each deal. We will assume they are making 2.7 percent to be on the conservative side.
The top agent in the country may be bringing in over $18 million a year in real estate commissions from 60 million dollars in sales volume. To sell that many homes that agent has to have a large staff and other agents that he is paying out of the 18 million.
Does an agent that sells $60 million worth of homes net over one million dollars?
Even though a real estate agent who sells $60,000,000 worth of homes will most likely make $1.6 million in commissions, they don’t get to keep all that money. A real estate agent has many costs and may have to pay a split to their broker if they do not own their own office.
A real estate agent that sells that many houses will also need help. Unless your average house sale is one million dollars or more, you must have help to complete that many transactions. I have two full-time assistants and I don’t come close to that much sales volume, but I also have a relatively low median price. A real estate agent will have to pay for marketing costs, MLS fees, staff, office fees, licensing fees and more which I discuss here. If you run a real estate team, you will also not earn all the commissions coming in, because you have to pay part of the commissions to agents on your team who are actually selling houses and doing the work.
A general rule of thumb in the real estate world is an agent needs to sell $50 million worth of homes to net one million dollars a year. Net profit is what is left over after all expenses are paid and is what is important to any business owner. Going by that math, there are at least 250 real estate agents in the country making at least one million dollars a year. However, when we consider some other factors, there may be many more agents making over one million dollars a year.
How many real estate agents make one million dollars a year?
It is hard to figure out how many agents net one million dollars a year because the Wall Street Journal does not include every agent on their list. The expenses and team structure for every real estate agent is also going to be very different. Some agents may need $1.5 million in commissions to make one million dollars net and others may only need $1.2 million in commissions to net one million dollars. Another consideration is the Wall Street Journal list I have been discussing only includes individual agents. There is also a Wall Street Journal list that includes real estate teams. There are another 250 teams on that list with over $60 million in sales volume.
Even though the agents on a team split commissions, I would bet 95 percent of the team leaders are still making over one million dollars a year after expenses. That means there are at least 500 real estate agents making over one million dollars a year in the United States. The great part about running a team is you can have others do most of the work and make most of the money for you!
If you are interested in taking online classes, Real Estate Express offers very affordable classes in most states.
How many houses does a real estate agent need to sell?
To make one million dollars a year as a real estate agent you have to sell a lot of houses. However, how many houses you have to sell you depends on how expensive the houses you sell are. If your average sales price is one million dollars, you only have to sell 50 houses a year to make one million dollars a year. Most agents are not in an area that will allow them to sell 50 one million dollar houses a year. In my area, there aren’t that many million-dollar houses selling in an entire year by every agent combined.
In my area, the average sales price is around $200,000, which would mean I would have I sell 250 houses a year to reach $50,000,000 in sales volume and make one million dollars a year. However, since I sell REOs, my sales price is lower than the median sales price. I would have to sell over 300 homes in a year to make one million dollars net. 300 houses is a lot to sell in one year, but it is possible and one of my goals! The top team in the country in 2013 run by John Murray, sold over 1,200 homes!
For a real estate agent with a median house price sale of $400,000, it gets much easier to make one million dollars a year. That agent would only have to sell 125 houses a year to reach one million dollars in net income. Selling over 125 homes a year is tough, but it is not an impossible task either. You would have to sell just over 10 houses a year to reach 125 sales for the year and two to three houses a week. Selling two to three houses a week takes time as an agent. You have to build relationships, generate leads and take care of your clients. If you do all of those things, it is not difficult to sell that many houses.
How likely is it to make this much?
It takes a lot of work, planning, and some luck to make one million dollars a year. Most agents won’t make $100,000 a year, as the median income is $54,000 for a full-time Realtor, but most agents are not good agents. They don’t take care of their clients, follow up with leads or plan their business. If you use systems, train your team and set goals it is definitely possible to make one million dollars or more a year as a real estate agent. Most real estate agents will never come close to making one million dollars a year, but remember most agents are part-time and most agents do not treat being a real estate agent as a business. I can almost guarantee you are not going to make one million dollars a year in the corporate world unless you become a CEO or get lucky with stock options. How long will it take someone to become a CEO and how much of their path is determined by their hard work or politics within a company? Real estate lets you create your own path to success with no one else to answer to.
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How else can you make money?
This article has discussed how to make one million dollars a year from selling houses as a real estate agent, but real estate agents can do much more than sell houses. I fix and flip 10-15 houses a year and I wrote an article about what it takes to make one million dollars a year flipping houses. I also own 11 rental properties and I wrote about how to make one million dollars from rental properties here. I hope to make over one million dollars a year very soon, by using a mix of selling houses, fix and flipping homes, buying rental properties and income from other sources like BPOs and my blog. Even if you never get to a point where you can make one million dollars a year from just selling houses as an agent, simply being an agent opens up doors that will allow you to add income streams and make more money in other businesses.
Why I love the business
One reason I think being a real estate agent is better than working in the corporate world is that there is no ceiling with real estate. There is no limit to the amount of money you can make in real estate as an agent, investor or business owner. In the corporate world, it is going to be tough to ever make one million dollars a year unless you start your own corporation or become a CEO. I learned in college the way to become CEO is to work 80 hours a week for 25 years. I don’t want to work 80 hours one week out of the year, let alone for 25 years. Plus there is no guarantee you will make CEO or even keep your job in the corporate world.
There is no guarantee you will make one million dollars a year as a real estate agent either. I think you have a better chance of becoming wealthy by creating your own business than by working for someone else, and becoming a real estate agent is one of the best ways to start your own business.
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The earlier you begin investing, the better off you’re likely to be in the long term. Here’s how you can get started if you’re still in your 20s. It’s never too early to start investing—as long as you do so wisely. It’s important to make a proper plan so that your investments actually help you reach your goals. Here are six tips you can implement if you want to start investing in your 20s. A financial advisor can help you manage your investment portfolio.
1. Focus on Retirement
Your first investment move should be to use tax-advantaged accounts to save for retirement. Many employers offer 401(k) plans with matching. If you can afford to, max out the match to capture the greatest retirement savings. So if your employer will match 50% of your 401(k) contributions up to 6% of your paycheck, contribute at least 6% to get the full employer match.
If you don’t have retirement savings options through your employer, there are some tax-advantaged options outside of a job. If you’re self-employed, you can set up a solo 401(k) plan. You can also set up a traditional or Roth IRA on your own and contribute up to $6,500 in 2023.
While retirement savings aren’t the sexiest investment option and you won’t normally be able to access the money without a hefty penalty until the age of 59 ½, they are still the best place to start. You can set yourself up for a secure retirement by starting to build your nest egg now. Being able to take advantage of employer matches and saving on your taxes is the icing on the cake.
2. Build Liquid Savings
While investing for the future is important, it’s still wise to have some liquid savings that you can access quickly if needed. Say you lose your job unexpectedly. If your savings are locked up in a CD for another year, you’ll have to pull them out and lose some or all of the interest you had earned.
While this isn’t the end of the world, it does set you back on your investing goals. The same is true if your money is tied up in stocks—you may have to cash out at an inopportune time from an investment perspective, losing earnings.
So after you’ve set up your retirement accounts, start building an emergency fund. A good goal is to save up enough money to cover your expenses for six months. So if you need $3,000 each month for rent, utilities, transportation, food and other necessities, aim to keep $18,000 in liquid savings.
This money should sit in an account where it’s earning interest. Take a look at high-yield savings accounts, money market accounts and money market funds where your funds can generate interest while still remaining instantly accessible.
3. Start Investing With a Brokerage Account
Once you have retirement funds and an emergency savings account, you can start investing in the market. It’s time for you to set up your own brokerage account so you can buy and sell stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds.
Many brokerage accounts can be set up and managed completely online. Shop around and see which one is right for you. Some important things to consider are whether they require a minimum initial investment, what their fees and commissions may be and whether they offer helpful tools for analyzing investments.
You might start by investing in mutual funds and ETFs, which bundle different kinds of stocks and bonds. Make sure the operating expense ratio of a fund is not excessive, such as more than 1%. You can also buy stocks and bonds directly—but first research the companies you’re considering to see if they’re a solid investment. For example, government bonds are generally a safe investment, but some corporate bonds can be quite risky. And it’s possible for a company’s stock to crash, taking your money with it.
4. Understand the Risk/Reward Trade-Off
For any investor, diversification is the name of the game. Even if you think you’ve found the most profitable stock of all time, you shouldn’t put all your eggs in the same basket. By diversifying the things you invest in, you can set yourself up for lower risk overall.
A strong understanding of risk can help you avoid meme stocks and other unwise investment maneuvers. The younger you are the higher the portion of your portfolio should be in equities, which are riskier than fixed-income securities like bonds. For example, if you’re in your 20s an 80/20 (equities/bonds) allocation might be a reasonable option for you. Use an asset allocation calculator to help you create a diversified portfolio that matches your risk tolerance.
5. Work With an Expert
If tax planning and the other complications of investing leave you with a lot of questions, you might consider working with a financial advisor to get expert advice. While there are plenty of resources out there for a beginning investor, sometimes talking to someone with deep financial knowledge can quickly pay for itself.
6. Let Your Investment Plan Grow and Evolve with You
As you age, your financial needs will change too. Generally speaking, younger investors are advised to take more aggressive and riskier financial positions because they have time to ride out the highs and lows before they’ll need to cash out. On the other hand, older investors are nearing retirement and have less time for their investments to recover if there’s a market downturn.
As you get older, you might have different financial goals than you had at 20. You might be thinking about buying a home, starting a family or starting your own business—any of which would likely change your investment strategy. Take a look at your investment portfolio at least once a year to make sure your strategy is still working for you.
The Bottom Line
Young investors can start by building retirement savings, creating an emergency fund and opening a brokerage account. Savvy investors will understand the risk/reward relationship, revise their investment strategies as their financial needs and goals change and work with a financial advisor when they need expert advice.
Tips on Investing
As you build a portfolio, you might benefit from working with a financial advisor, who can offer both investment insights and tax advice. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Success in investing is partly about your portfolio’s asset allocation. SmartAsset has an asset allocation calculator that will assist you in picking the right asset allocation for you.
I have multiple real estate related businesses: I own 22 long-term rentals, complete 20 to 30 house flips a year, own a real estate brokerage, write books about real estate, I have a YouTube channel, and a blog about real estate. I love real estate because it can be a ton of fun and extremely … Read more
Nearly every morning, I get up early to go exercise at the local Crossfit gym. While I wait for it to open at 6:30, I do laps around the cold, dark parking garage with my friend Dan. Sometimes we talk about money and how to make money.
This morning, for example, Dan asked, “Do you ever feel like you’re not going to make it financially?”
“I used to,” I said, “I worried about it all the time, but not anymore. I have things under control now. A lot of that is because I learned how to make more money.”
If you have any inkling of wanting to become an entrepreneur, then you should be doing one simple thing. What’s the simple thing? Reading. Reading is said to be the spark behind creative thinking, and is one of the most predominate traits of individuals said to pertain a level of âhigher intelligenceâ. Is the thought […]
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