Working from Home for 50+

Start a Virtual Assistant Business

You can have the freedom, financial security and flexibility you dream about every day as a virtual assistant (VA).

Work from home or anywhere in the world as the owner of your very own virtual assistant business. You likely already have many of the skills needed to get started and it’s easy to learn the rest in no time.

How would it feel to really enjoy the work you do as a VA and then take a break whenever it feels right?

You can even take your laptop on the road when health conditions in the world are right. There will be times when you need it, but the ocean, mountain or lake will be there when you set it down.

You might be wondering: What is a virtual assistant?

As a virtual assistant, you provide services to businesses while working from home or anywhere you find an internet connection.

The internet has made it possible for the explosive growth of virtual assistant opportunities in the world.

While there are different niches a virtual assistant can specialize in, the job is like what an office manager or admin assistant provides in an office setting.

For example, you can be hired for email monitoring, project management, blog writing or supervision, managing appointments or sales calls, handling social media content, and more.

After a lot of research, we believe the best course for a newbie VA is the:

30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success Course

The course creator, Gina Horkey, became a VA in 2014. She was able to start making $4,000/month working part-time within 6 months. And this was before most people had even heard about the concept of virtual assistants.

>> READ MORE: You can find more information about starting a blog here.

Freelance writer/editor

Companies are always looking for people to write for them. Writing can provide opportunities for seniors to make money part-time or even full-time.

You need to have strong English and grammar skills. In addition to being able to write well, you also need to be organized and self-motivated to work at home.

If you enjoy writing and want to work from home, this could be ideal for you. There are many website platforms that promote writing and proofreading jobs:

• Flexjobs
• Upwork
• Freelance Writing
• Pro Blogger

As a writer, you may be hired to develop blog posts, magazine articles, academic reports, advertisements, books, press releases and even video scripts.

An experienced freelance writer can easily make $25 - 50 per hour or more, which makes this a great way to make money if you enjoy writing and creating content.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the process of reading a document or manuscript to identify grammar and punctuation errors.

There aren’t any official requirements for this job. You don’t need a license or degree to become a proofreader. You are officially a proofreader once you find someone willing to pay you to proofread.

That’s about it!

You need to undertsand basic grammar and sentence srtucture.

Are you quick to pick up errors and misspellings in things you read? Do you know where to insert commas and where to leave them out? Did you spot the two spelling mistakes in previous paragraph?

That’s basically the job description.

While most grammar and business skills can be taught, there are some things you need naturally in order to become a proofreader. The most important proofreading skills are:

• Strong knowledge of the English language
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Good attention to detail
• Ability to consistently meet deadlines
• Familiar with Microsoft Word

If you are confident about these skills, becoming a freelance proofreader might be a great way for seniors to earn money.

There are several proofreader courses that will help you gain confidence and learn how to be successful. They also teach you how beginning proofreaders can find paying customers.

We recommend Caitlyn Pyle’s Proofread Anywhere course.

She offers the best and most complete course available about proofreading for beginners.

Click here to go to the Proofread Anywhere course.

Caitlin is a savvy businesswoman and her course teaches all the technical and important business skills. You’ll learn how much to charge, how to write contracts, how to market yourself and where to find paying clients.

Check out free webinar to see if you proofreading is for you.

It might be the best hour you’ve ever invested in yourself.

Website design business

Web designers create and design websites for personal or commercial use and are responsible for how they look and function. Web designers use skills developed in publishing, advertising, management consulting and other fields to succeed here. 

You don’t have to know coding these days, but you do need to be comfortable with internet technology and how it works. Driven by a boom in mobile devices and e-commerce, opportunities in this field are expected to grow through 2028.

A good friend of ours, an Englishman named Rob Cubbon living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, offers a very good and inexpensive course.  He shows you how to run a successful web design business from home and get recurring revenue from great clients.

The step-by-step course is only $99 and is a great way to see if this could be right for you. Click here to check out his course.

Interpreter/translator

If you have a native-level proficiency in English and at least one other language, you can find work-at-home job opportunities at schools, hospitals, courts, corporations and other public and private sector entities. Interpreters work in a spoken language or sign language; translators work with written or audio documents.

According to Flexjobs, companies are on the lookout for home-based translators with hard-to-find language skills. FlexJobs is a site that caters to telecommuters, freelancers and part-timers.

Online Business Coach

Many online business coaches usually work when and where they want and many have private practices. Online video conferencing apps such as Skype, Zoom and FaceTime make it possible to talk to clients without having to commute.

If you have a management background where you made a positive difference, then this could ideal for you.

This is also what Nina does, you can see her coaching website here.

Virtual Bookkeeper

One of the BEST part-time online jobs for anyone with an office manager or general financial background is a Virtual Bookkeeper.

We recently heard about a stay-at-home mom with nine children and home-schools six of them. She is working online part-time as a Virtual Bookkeeper and earning over $2,000 per month.

How much can you earn? $25-50 per hour is a good average income level.

How to get started: Udemy.com has many high quality accounting courses at an affordable rate.

Data Entry

Data entry requires very little specific training, so it’s easy to get started. There’s no ramp-up time and no need for prolonged training. In most cases you can just get up and get going.

Becoming a freelance data entry professional doesn’t require special education or professional background. This makes it available to nearly everyone who’s interested in working online.

A data entry clerk may be asked to transfer information from an offline book to a Word document. This content could then be used to create an online eBook or part of a blog post… or vice versa.

Many of these jobs get paid by the word or the page, so seniors can make more money if your typing speed is good. Here are the key skills and attitudes that will help you be successful and profitable:

Typing Skills: You also need to be able to type quickly and efficiently while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.

Computer Skills: As a data entry worker, you need to understand how to use a laptop or computer and keep it updated and safe.

Organization: It helps to be good at keeping things you are working on in good order. You should be good with organization and always pay attention to detail. This is a job where focus and keeping your mind on the job at hand helps you to earn more money.

Here are three well-known online platforms who offer business operations for companies. These services include data entry. 

• Birch Creek Communications
• Clickworker
• Lionbridge

Travel agent

People no longer routinely call a travel agent to buy their plane tickets and book hotels for them. The internet has revolutionized that. But if you specialize in niche travel, such as exotic destinations for wealthy clients, you have the potential to make a good living working from home.

The common belief is that the internet is killing travel agents. The truth is a growing number of them are making more money now than ever before. A solid business concept can take you a long way to achieving your monetary goals.

What better way to feed your travel addiction than working as a remote travel agent or consultant? You can work part- or full-time and spend your working time dreaming up itineraries, flight plans, hotels, and activities for clients looking to travel far and wide.

Apply to VIPKID here.

VIPKID was established in 2013 and you will teach Chinese children from Kindergarten to the ninth grade level.

Every class or lesson lasts about 25-30 minutes and the pay ranges from $15 to $25 per hour depending on your experience level. .

QKIDS

Qkids connects Chinese young learners (age 5-12) with instructors with a passion for education. You have to reside in the U.S. or Canada (due to internet restrictions) and have a bachelor’s degree.

They make it easy for you by booking the classes and the hiring process is typically quick. This company received a 4.4/5 star rating and generally pay between $15-$21 per hour.

Your income depends on how many hours you’re applying to it and the type of classes you’re teaching.

Social media specialist

It’s becoming increasingly important for businesses to have a presence on social media. If you have a knack for using social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, you could stay home and make a living helping businesses reach out, engage and promote their products through social media marketing.

Once you become skilled in this profession, you can also start to earn money through training other people and do consulting with businesses.

There are numerous training courses where you can learn the ins and outs of being a social media specialist. Prices for the best of these courses run anywhere from $497 to $1995. However, a cost-effective way to get a first-class education in social media is via Digital Marketer.

They have courses for a wide range of online marketing, and they have one just right for you. The entire program covering multiple courses costs $95 per month. You can easily go through the social media training module in less than a month and then discontinue if you wish.  

Licensed insurance representative

It looks easy to shop for insurance online, but it’s only smart to talk to a licensed insurance rep to help choose the right policy for you.

Insurance companies are increasingly outsourcing their incoming phone calls to contact centers, which then have to hire or contract with licensed insurance reps because state laws mandate only licensed agents can ‘sell’ policies.

So, if you see an ad on TV for a life insurance company and call the number on your screen, there’s a good chance you’re talking to someone who is working from home.

It can be hard for the contact centers to find people with the proper credentials, so there is opportunity if you are interested in this area of working from home. There are many teaching centers who will be prepare you for your national and state tests. You can learn more here:  

Kaplan Financial Education

America’s Professor

Medical transcription

A medical transcriptionist listens to voice recordings from doctors and other healthcare workers and transcribes them into written reports. A transcriptionist can work for a hospital, doctor’s office, a third-party service or be self-employed.

While there’s not a license required to be a medical transcriptionist; individuals need to be familiar with medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and medical reporting; plus transcription companies prefer hiring professionals who are certified in the field.

CareerStep has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and their program can be completed in under four months. They also offer tuition assistance, special funding for military families, and they offer graduate support to help you land a job. 

Graphic designer

If you have experience designing logos and T-shirts or using computer software to create brochures and advertisements, you could make good money working from home.

Websites like Fiverr.com and 99designs.com can help you meet potential clients who need your services. How much you earn will depend on the scope of the project and your experience.

There are many graphic design courses available if this is mostly a new field for you. A good place to search for free or low-cost training is through Coursera and Udemy.

Customer service representative

When you call to order something from a catalog or infomercial, the person on the other end of the line might be sitting in a home office. Hiring independent contractors to handle complaints, process orders and answer questions is a huge and growing industry.

This is perfect for people who are good at talking on the phone while on the computer. Your pay can run from $10 to $20 per hour according to industry stats.

Companies are looking for workers with excellent speaking abilities and solid computer skills to help customers place an order or deal with an issue.

Full- and part-time positions are available, and you are generally required to work a minimum of a four-hour block of time.

Customer service is the biggest work-at-home field, with companies including Spiegel, Hilton, Best Western, HSN, 1-800-FLOWERS and many others using at-home or virtual reps.

Fill out an application with staffing companies such as Arise, Alpine Access, VIPdesk, LiveOps, and Convergys, all of which vet the companies who are hiring through them.

If you are searching for a job with benefits, do so through a staffing company that will hire you as an employee (Alpine Access, VIPdesk and Convergys do this) rather than as an independent contractor.

Short-term rental host

If you have an extra bedroom in your home or apartment, consider renting it out through sites such as Airbnb or HomeAway. Some enterprising individuals have even rented or purchased other properties in order to expand their offers to the traveling public.

You decide how often you want to rent out your space and how much to charge. The only caveat is that you need to stay competitive with similar short-term rentals in your area. Do your research to attract renters and make a decent profit from each stay.

Website tester

Sites like UserTesting.com and Userlytics.com pay people to test different websites and mobile apps, then share their feedback. UserTesting.com pays testers $10 per test, with each test expected to take no more than 20 minutes. Testers then share their feedback in a video.

Companies want to make sure that the user experience is a good one and the boardroom is not always the best place to get unbiased feedback. So, they use services like this to get insights from people in their target markets.

Meeting, convention and event planner

Whether it’s a convention, a fundraiser or a birthday party that needs to be organized, event planners have ample opportunity to do a lot of the work from home via phone and computer.

The job may require you to visit potential meeting sites. Candidates with experience in the hospitality business and a college degree in hospitality or related field such as tourism management will have the best opportunities.

For those who don’t have time to drop everything and follow a traditional path of study to become an event planner, it’s possible to find numerous event planning courses online — making this process flexible, accessible, and affordable.