Convert your skills into cash

Make money fast by hawking your expertise on the Web

Earn more, fast

When your budget is tight, you need every extra dollar. If you've been looking for a way to make additional dough, think about what you're good at, whether it's taking photos or surfing the Internet. Post an ad online, and start contributing more bucks to your household's coffers.

Put your talent to work

Do you consider yourself an expert at something, such as cooking, teaching or Web design? Answer people's questions on liveperson.com, a site that offers everything from style tips to homework help. You create a profile listing your qualifications when you apply. Once you're approved, you set your own fee (for example, $10 for e-mail consultations or $1 per minute for online chats). The more questions you tackle, the more you earn.

Take on odd jobs

At domystuff.com, people post tasks they want done, such as housecleaning, and you bid on the projects you want to tackle. Once your bid's accepted, you complete the job and get paid.

Explore the Internet

If you enjoy researching information on the Web, you might consider becoming a chacha.com guide and finding answers to questions that the site's users post, such as "How old is Mickey Mouse?" or "How long can you keep meat in the freezer before it goes bad?" Log in and work anytime you want―all you need is a fast Internet connection. The site pays you for each question you answer; most guides make $3 to $9 per hour.

Sell your snapshots

Companies need images of everyday objects and concepts for Web sites, blogs, brochures and other projects. Go out with your camera, shoot some pictures and upload them to a stock photo site. You earn money when a company buys them. Here's how some stock photo Web sites work:

• Zymmetrical: You decide the price of your photo (from $3 to $500) and receive 70 percent of that amount when it sells.
• Crestock: You'll receive a commission of up to 20 percent on sales of your photos. After you reach 100 sales, your take rises to as much as 30 percent. 
• BigStockPhoto: You can earn anywhere from 50 cents to $3 (depending on the size of the file) for each image you sell. 
• Photrade: The site sets a base price for each photo (for example, $1), then you name a price for your picture (for instance, $5―a $4 markup). Photrade lets you keep 80 percent of the markup. So, in this example, you would make $3.20 if the $5 photo sells. 

Avoid getting scammed

Some "make money at home" schemes don't pay off. Stay safe with these tips.

• Contact the Federal Trade Commission (877-382-4357 or ftc.gov) to find out about any class-action lawsuits involving the company.
• Check with the Better Business Bureau to see if anyone has filed a complaint against the company.
• Search for the company's name, its owners and the word "fraud" or "scam" at google.com. If there have been negative reports or reviews about the company, you're likely to find them via a Web search.
• Get in touch with your state's attorney general office and inquire about any complaints or lawsuits involving the company. Find your AG on the National Association of Attorneys General Web site.  

From: Allyou.com/ Posted by Mags