Generating Income During a Recession

The most popular way to earn money in this country is to get a job and exchange 35-50 hours of your week for a paycheck. However, as many Americans continue to receive dreaded pink slips and join the masses on the unemployment lines, paychecks are becoming an increasingly elusive form of income. For those who are fortunate enough to still receive their paychecks, perhaps there is no urgent need to seek additional ways to generate income. But for those who have personally felt the sting of this ugly recession, this information is for you.

One of the easiest ways to generate income is to freelance or pursue contractual work. With the explosion of freelance websites, there are a good number of opportunities available to qualified candidates. The most popular areas of demand for freelancers include writing, web design, graphic arts, and programming. However, there are other opportunities to package your unique skills and offer a service to the right audience. There are also virtual jobs that are often contractual in nature, and offer opportunities for one to do everything from providing answering services, to managing HR functions for another organization.

So who is hiring all of these freelancers and contractors?
Any person or organization that is willing to outsource an activity, project, or long-term assignment. In fact outsourcing work to freelancers and contractors can be a preferred method of doing businesses. It is less expensive to hire a freelancer than a full time employee, and it offers an organization more flexibility in handling projects.

So in between your job search, take some time to identify a skill that you can turn into a profitable service. Research rates and opportunities for freelancing that would be a good fit for you based on your talents and time management skills. Finally look for work. You can find a myriad of opportunities on the following websites:

www.elance.com
www.sologig.com
www.guru.com
www.virtualassistants.com
www.gofreelance.com
www.virtualassistantjobs.com

Good luck and remember to always be as proactive as possible. Freelancing may lead to additional income, and a new passion!

Keri Glover