Webupon

So you want to drop your regular job and work online. You’re lured in by the thought of working in your pajamas or never having to converse with the outside world? Recession hit you hard and you’re unemployed, looking to find some form of income? Well it isn’t one of your best ideas so before you plunge headfirst in shark infested waters, you’ll want to know a few things before you get started.

Money is Not “Easy”

Whoever said making money online was easy should have their head removed from their shoulders and the sooner you get that idea out of your head, the better. Not to say it is impossible. You can in fact make money online, but the whole system is rigged to stick you in the rear, i.e. you don’t get paid nearly enough. If you expect to get half of what you would get out of a regular job, you have to treat it like a regular job. Set yourself up 8 hours to work throughout the day. During that time, you must work tirelessly. If you don’t have something to do, see the next section down.

There’s More than One Source of Money

eBay is a good start but there are factors to consider. Are you sure your item will sell? Will it sell for enough to pay the bills? Shouldn’t you be making money while you wait for your item to sell? eBay is but one of many sources of income. Consider writing. There’s a wide variety of topics. Chances are you can find something to write about. How about taking surveys? For a small amount of your time you can make a few dollars. Do you have a camera? Take some pictures and sell them to various online stock photo companies. Are you the creative type? Can you draw, paint or sculpt? There are various places to sell artwork online. You get the point. There is always something you can do to make some money.

Double Dip for Extra Cash

If your main source of income is made though writing articles or taking pictures, consider submitting your materials to several different companies to maximize your profit. Just make sure that there is nothing in the terms of service that give one company exclusive access or rights to your content over another. If you use social networking sites like “Stumbleupon” or Digg to promote your work, don’t submit the same article too many time.

Consider Your Expenses

You’ve got a lot of things to consider. If you’ve ever sold anything on eBay, then you know the fees involved. Placing the item up for auction, Selling the item, shipping, receiving money though Paypal, Paypal and eBay monthly fee, withdrawing money from Paypal. Before you know it, you’re nickel and dimed to death. But that’s just one issue. You’ve got your internet bill, living expenses, and many other things to worry about. Tight budgeting of your expenses becomes a necessary part of your life if you want to keep an online job.

Make it Fun

Set a goal! Try to make it or break it. Buy yourself something if you make that nigh impossible goal you set. Make sure that you like the work you do. But more importantly, keep it fresh. You can’t make money if you’re bored out of your mind. When you’re bored, you’ll procrastinate. Procrastination is the death of productivity, and ultimately your income.

Get a Safety Net to Fall Back on

Unless you live in a foreign country where the American currency you are trying to get is worth much more than your own, working online will not yield you enough to cover you all the time. Sooner or later bad decision will catch up to you and your little business will be hit hard. Maybe you bought something large that you expected to turn a profit on eBay, only to find out no one wants it. You’ll have to have something to fall back on. If you’re serious about working online, start a savings. An insurance if you will, so you don’t end up flat broke and back at the bottom after one mistake.