Working for yourself from home is a dream many entrepreneurs share. While some entrepreneurs know they’ll eventually need to venture out into the world, the idea of starting and growing their business from the comfort of their couch is appealing.
Most true entrepreneurs have the passion and drive to launch a business, but don’t know what kind of business they want to start. The options are virtually endless, and it’s up to each person to find where their talent and passion intersect.
If you’re considering starting a career you can use to work for yourself, here are some ideas to help you get the ball rolling.
1. Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Do you enjoy working with numbers and finances? If so, becoming a CPA could be a good career for you. Provided you meet the educational requirements, can dedicate between 300-400 hours to studying, and commit to taking a CPA prep course, you could become a CPA in less than two years.
CPAs can be contractors
Although many CPAs work for existing firms, you don’t have to follow that model. You don’t even have to run your own firm. You can work as an independent contractor and find companies that will source clients for you. Going this route will give you more freedom to pursue other sources of income, investments, or just enjoy your free time.
CPA requirements
To become a CPA, you’ll need to refer to your state’s specific requirements. However, all states require a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 150 credit hours of coursework dedicated to becoming a CPA. In some states, you can sit for the exam once you’ve completed 120 credit hours or will have 120 credit hours within 90 days of your exam.
Depending on your state, you might also need a certain number of hours in accounting courses, upper-level accounting, or business courses. Once you sign up for the exam, you’ll have eighteen months to pass all four sections.
2. Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing done right can be a great source of income. The key is to promote products you have experience testing or using rather than trying to find products to hype up in sales letters.
How to become an affiliate marketer
In short, an affiliate marketer is someone who markets an existing product or service for somebody else and earns a commission for each sale. The process can be explained in just seven steps, as outlined in ahref’s guide to Affiliate marketing.
Out of all seven steps, choosing your niche is the most important. While you could become an affiliate marketer in any niche, choosing a niche you enjoy will ensure you’ll stay committed throughout the hard times — and there will be hard times.
No business will ever be a completely smooth ride, and enjoying what you do is the key to resolving the problems you’ll inevitably encounter.
Many entrepreneurs have become successful affiliate marketers, while others have failed miserably. The difference can’t always be pinpointed as one factor. However, the majority of failures are caused by a lack of passion for the products and services being sold. You’ll sell far more products when people can sense the genuine nature of your passion.
3. Developing a unique digital product or service
While affiliate marketers sell other people’s products, usually digital, there is also the option for you to develop your own digital product or service. In this way, you can become the company that contracts with affiliate marketers to sell your products for you.
Digital products have a low production cost and are highly scalable, making them the perfect source of passive income. However, creating your own digital product means you’ll need to come up with your own idea for something that will be beneficial to others.
To get started, brainstorm ideas for what you can create. Find holes in industries you enjoy and see if you can come up with solutions. Some of the best products have been solutions to problems overlooked by other companies.
The only way to know what will work is to start creating and testing your products. You can create eBooks, audios, recorded seminars, webinars, live presentations, courses, and anything else you can think of that will deliver value to an audience.
You have unlimited options as a self-employed entrepreneur
Remember that you can turn anything into a career. The secret to becoming successful begins by finding something you’re passionate about that you won’t mind pursuing long-term. Once you find that, your options are endless.
