Explore handy ways you can keep earning from home, in the long and short term.

1 Get paid to write online
If you’ve always wanted to be a writer, what better time to start? While a lot of online writing jobs don’t pay, there are still quite a few websites where you can make money by creating high quality, relevant content. You can get started by looking at:

Listverse: a listicle website that will pay $100 per accepted article.
Longreads: a long-form content site that pays competitive rates. The website doesn’t specify the amount paid but other websites and blogs have stated rates of $500-$1,500.
Back2college: a site aimed at older students will pay $55+ per accepted article. 
All Pet Voices: a pet website that pays $75 per accepted article.
iWorkWell: a website for HR professionals and SMEs that pays $200 per accepted article. 
Loaded Landcapes: a photography website that pays $20-150 per accepted article. 
Income Diary: a website focussed on making money online that pays $200-$500 per accepted article. 
A Fine Parent: a parenting website that pays $75 per accepted article. 

All of these sites only pay for accepted articles, so make sure that you review their criteria and read through the websites for an idea of their existing content and style before you start. Some websites also prefer to receive pitches before the main article. 

While a lot of freelance writers have regular clients, writing for some select websites allows you to build up a portfolio, create a niche, and work up to higher-paying and more reliable income, if that’s something that you want to pursue. 

2 Become a virtual assistant
If you’re a good communicator, have strong digital skills, and excellent organisational skills, you could work as a virtual assistant. You will need to accurately type at a speed of 80-100 wpm, work well remotely, and adjust to the needs of the business or person that you are assisting, but this is one of the more long-term and reliable options to make additional money. 

There are a number of virtual assistant websites like Virtalent and 24/7 Virtual Assistants, offering $10-12ph and 20-120 hours per month. However, these websites typically require extensive experience within the sector before they will take you on. If you’re new to being a VA or PA, you can apply for jobs on jobs websites like Reed, TotalJobs, or Glassdoor. 

If you’d like to brush up on your skills or improve your CV before you apply, you can take some free courses that can help you get hired by improving your communication, growing your digital skills, or just learning how to write a great job application.