In the wake of the worst economic depression since the 1930’s, countless people are looking for opportunities to make some additional money, or even to help replace income from a job lost to the Great Recession. There are a number of different simple and inexpensive to start up businesses that individuals can pursue with a little effort and enthusiasm. Five of them are outlined below to help get you thinking.

Freelance Writing

There are so many online venues for getting paid to write these days. Two different models of entry level type independent contractor positions are available over the Internet. Websites like eHow welcome independent writers to join, and following the submission of a writing sample that demonstrates some abilities, they will allow the person to start writing and uploading articles to their extensive article site network almost immediately. Their pay structure is not for an individual who needs to make money right away, since they only offer a share of trailing advertising revenues based on article views, as measured by Google AdSense. The upside to this is that the articles receive these trailing residuals forever, meaning that over time and with a successful and engaging writing style the person can gradually build up a nice income from past articles written.

A faster way to make money breaking into freelance writing over the Internet is through companies like TextBroker.com. Once again, a writing sample will have to be submitted to assign the new freelance writer a category grade. Categories range from one to five, with five being optimal and paying the most per word. Article assignments are available to pick out, along with how much they pay once they are accepted. The only downside is that article royalties are only paid one time, so there is no ability to build up an income stream from past work. Participants in this business should be sure to save a body of their work as they build it up for the benefit of possible future clients and other assignments.

Selling Stock Photography

Anyone who enjoys taking pictures will find that this is a potentially very rewarding hobby. Buy a good digital camera and begin taking pictures of any number of different items. Quality pictures of practically anything are in demand nowadays. These can be sold via websites that specialize in stock photography, such as Shutterstock, Fotolia, Featurepics, and Dreamstime. The person should remember to watermark the photos in advance of putting them on the Internet, to discourage dishonest people from stealing them.

Selling Handicrafts or Artwork

If a person is crafty, he or she can make little handmade handicraft goods or artwork to sell. Belts, necklaces, and jewelry are a few examples. There are a variety of venues for selling these types of items, such as Etsy, ranging from the internet to arts and crafts festivals and shows that happen all over the country. Do not forget to price in some value for the labor put into the goods on top of the materials’ cost.

Becoming A Mystery Shopper

Although it may come as a surprise to some individuals, this is a real job. Mystery shoppers are paid per assignment to go and try out a business’ goods or services anonymously. A few of these mystery shopper outfits are National Shopping Service, Corporate Research International, and Service Evaluation Concepts. No one becomes wealthy on one or even several such assignments. Making this business work requires registering with as many of these mystery shopper outfits as possible, and remembering to check the registered email as often as one can. A complete list of all the reputable mystery shopper companies is available at: http://mysteryshop.org/shoppers/membercos.php.

Becoming an Online or Offline Tutor

This is far easier to do consistently in the online tutoring world, which is simply exploding. To have plenty of work, the person should register with as many online tutoring services as possible. Full time work can even be had in this way. The largest online tutoring service is Tutor.com. The more reputable online tutors will require prospective tutors to pass some kind of subject specific online exam, or at least to demonstrate some qualifications.

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5 Businesses that are Cheap And Easy to Start