I woke up this morning, showered, dressed and arrived to work 10 minutes late; it was just another day. Once at work I became annoyed, walked out and did not look back. It felt good at the time, but by now my stomach is feeling a little bit queasy.

Please Note: I watched Office Space this weekend in case you are looking for a reason I abruptly left.

For people who are having issues at the workplace, alternative income solutions can be found where you can "be your own boss." This is especially true for writers, graphics designers and programmers.

There are many options for someone who has a college degree and/or is web savvy. I'm web savvy, have a college degree and like to write. This is my perspective after working with 2 different web companies for 2 years. By now I’ve realized there are positions I could get and positions I would like. What I like usually does not involve driving 40 minutes to work everyday.

Options = Skills

If you don't like your options you probably need to develop skills.
This means that you have to devote time away from work, like on weekends or at night. Side projects build self-confidence and can shed light on what you like to do and what you do best.

Options 4 Skills Blogs

Blogging is great for people like me. I have minimal coding skills but can work with code and customize it...sometimes. With blogs, you don't have to worry about any of that if you don't want to.

With AdSense, PayPerPost, affiliate programs and much more; if you devote yourself full-time to strategic blogging and learn the "game" you will make money with just a little patience.

Freelance Writing Everywhere on the web I see people asking for writers who will contribute for free. I've done it before and have been happy to do it. If you know your options, writing for free does not need to happen. Associated Content, Suite101, Helium.com are a couple of the more popular writing for pay sites. These sites all vary in payment, but generally speaking you are lucky to make $5 an hour with those sites. Suite101 does offer alternatives for advertising retribution, which is a good idea but they don’t utilize it the best way possible.

Your best bet may be to post your resume and send articles upon request. There are more freelance writing jobs than you may realize. Web companies are starving for quality writers. I’m thinking about asking my (ex) boss if I can still freelance. I know he still needs quality, consistent writing.

Show me the Money

$30 for a quality 1 ½ page article is not unreasonable. When I write these types of things, it would take me an hour to research and 2 hours to write. This is with subjects that I have some base knowledge of. The amount of money that can be leveraged depends heavily on experience and talent- those two areas have a lot in common. Once you prove yourself, though, a company can depend on you in a hurry.

---

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

Add Comment

Tag this article!

?