To truly be a minimalist, having the ability to work from home goes a long way. Even if you work for a company, you can work remotely, and still work from home. This simple move reduces your transportation needs, your carbon footprint, and other impacts a typical job has on the environment.
The good news is that you can work in a relatively small space that is relatively inexpensive with a minimal amount of equipment. Of course, for most jobs you can do from home, you will need a good internet connection, a decent computer, and some other basic technology.
You can have an office if you so desire ad a more traditional desk setup but really you can work from any place in your home even if your space there is limited. The key is what you will do for work. Here are a few examples of the ultimate minimalist jobs you can do from home.
Blogger
You can make money working from home as a blogger. Even though there are literally hundreds of thousands of blogs out there, many sit dormant, are never monetized properly and sit idle for months at a time. Of course, you will need to set up a website by choosing a domain name, selecting a host, and selecting a theme or design of some sort.
To make money blogging, you will need to grow an audience of your own through proper search engine optimization, keywords, marketing, and advertising. This means you must have content on your site that other people will find valuable.
You’ll then need to add ads to your site. There are several types:
- Native Ads: These are ads from Google, Amazon, or another advertiser that can be seen in part of your site and your posts. You get paid every time a user clicks on these ads.
- Affiliate Links: These are unique to you links that allow you to get paid every time someone makes a purchase through that link. Sites like HustleLife.net are a great destination to learn about starting your own successful side hustle.
- Sponsored Posts: You can let others write a post for you blog that speaks to a specific brand or company that wants to be seen or to get links on your site.
There are other ways you can allow people to place ads on your site for a fee, including graphic ads which appear in various parts of your site. If you can get a site sponsor, one who puts ads on your site on a regular basis and wants to be featured there, that can be a great source of long-term revenue.
Using these methods well, and with the right content and traffic, you can make a living as a blogger.
Freelance Writer
As the internet continues to grow, there is more and more demand for content. Every piece of content you read on the internet was written by someone, and often they were paid to write it. Besides business and other blogs, there are many online magazines, and writing articles for those and print publications can earn you a pretty good living.
There are a number of ways to get started, including working for SEO agencies, writing for a particular business or niche where you have an expertise or passion, and creating content for newsletters or email campaigns. As you develop your skills, you can expand the things you write about and get more jobs.
Just avoid places like Fiverr and Demand Studios, knowns as content mills. They pay very little per article, hardly making it worth your time to create them, and generally are not reliable clients. For more information on how to become a freelance writer and make a living at it, visit the Freelance Writer’s Den or the Freelancers’ Union.
A freelance writer can make a great living, have their own clients, and rarely have to leave the house for work. The equipment needed is minimal, similar to that needed to be a blogger, and can be done in a relatively small space.
Photographer
Just like being a freelance writer, think about all of the photos you see on the internet every single day. Some go with a specific niche and article, and others are sold for royalties on various photo sites like Pixabay, Shutterstock, and more. There are also a number of other ways to make money as a freelance photographer other than online. You can shoot family portraits, pet photography, or do travel photography and sell your prints on places like art.com.
Just like any other home business, photography can be hard to break into, and you should probably have a website where you have a portfolio and show off your skills. It will be much easier to gain clients that way. A solid knowledge of SEO and web design, along with some photo editing skills, will go a long way.
Graphic Design
Along with the words and photos you see online, you also see ads, banners, and logos. All of these are created and designed by someone, and this can be an excellent way to make money. Of course, you will need to have to develop a certain skill set. Besides the ability to draw and create things on your own, you will need to know about the use of fonts and colors, and where to place certain design elements.
Still, if you have the skills needed to be a graphic designer, you can work for all kinds of clients from home. You can do everything from the logos and banners mentioned above to eBook covers, posters and signs, and even business cards and other marketing and promotional materials.
You can have a minimal impact on the environment, use resources wisely, and still make a decent living at home. There are other careers you might consider as well, but these are the ultimate minimalist jobs you can do from home.
