Raise your hand if you’ve felt personally victimized by the COVID-19 pandemic. I see you all raising your hands, and for the record, mine is far above my head, waving dramatically too.

We’re all feeling the effects of this international crisis in our own way.

Earning cash from home was something I’d never considered as a serious option, until I got introduced to some attractive opportunities by a friend of mine who runs his SEO company in Cincinnati. As it turns out, there are actually plenty of things one could do to bring some extra money on the side. Some don’t even require any special skills! But of course, being willing to learn new things can certainly go a long way.

Here are some options that I’ve found can work very well over the years, both from personal experience and from talking to others. If those don’t seem attractive to you, you can also seek some government opportunities. Various government agencies are regularly looking for freelancers and people who want to work remotely. But the positions are few and in between, and you’ll have to work hard to seek them out.

1) Freelance Writing

By far one of the easiest freelance jobs to get into, writing can be full of attractive opportunities for those with a creative mind and fast fingers. I did this for a while myself, and it’s a very interesting and dynamic field. You’ll have to work hard to get off the ground though, because competition is fierce. It also helps to have some special skills that you can write about, because that will make your work more valuable than the majority of content out there.

The downside to freelance writing is that you can quickly hit your earning ceiling, depending on how fast you type. It can also be exhausting if you do it for prolonged periods, or at least that’s what I’ve found.

2) Software Development

A friend of mine has been doing this for a long time, and it seems like quite the nice field, all things considered. However, I won’t fool anyone by saying that it’s easy to get into – it’s anything but. Sure, most people can pick up basic coding skills in a week or so, but if you want to get to the level where people will actually pay you for your work, this will take a lot of time and effort.

This is also one of the fields that are constantly at the forefront of many developments right now. Artificial intelligence is probably the best example. You could gain a lot from becoming deeply involved in something like this.

3) Tutoring

And if you have more in-depth skills in any particular field, then you should look into tutoring others. This is also something I’ve done for a while, and it can work out very well if you have the right set of skills. However, it can also be a bit demanding. I found that I’m not a patient enough person to cope with the kind of work this typically entails, so I ended up moving to other things.

But if you think that you can carefully and patiently explain things to other people and guide them through different processes properly, then this is something you should definitely consider.

4) Transcribing

Another job for people who love typing, this one is more about fast fingers than creativity. Transcribing can be a very relaxing activity once you get into “the zone”, but you should do your best to concentrate and not let your WPM (words per minute) go down. Because in the end, that’s the main factor that determines your pay.

As you’re probably guessing, transcribing typically pays less than creative writing per word, but for those who love typing for the sake of typing, it can be a great opportunity. I’ve also toyed with ideas like software that transcribes from my voice, but it’s up to you how you’re going to approach this.

5) Affiliate Marketing

Last but not least, something I’ve been doing for a long time with a great degree of success is affiliate marketing. The basic idea is that you advertise products and sell them on commission. The products can vary greatly from one affiliate network to another. Sometimes they’re not actual products but services instead. In any case, if you have a knack for marketing, and any of the skills listed above, you can go a long way in affiliate marketing.

Some say that the market for it is dying, but I’ve found it to be quite the opposite lately. It’s full of opportunities for those who know what they’re doing. And this comes with some experience, which you’ll surely gather over time.