How to make money online and from home: For beginners, students and more (PH)

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Looking for some extra income to cover bills, set aside for a future trip or treat, or build a nest egg? This guide on how to make money online in the Philippines is for you. As more and more jobs can be done remotely, working online and from home is more common than ever, offering options for part and full time income using your personal interests, professional background or unique business ideas.

Let’s walk through some top ideas of how to make money online whether you're new to online work, still studying, looking for a professional outlet, or ready to launch a full scale business. We'll also introduce the Wise account, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees.

Table of contents
How to make money online as a beginner How to make money online as a student How to make money online using your professional skills How to make money online by building a business Making money from home: Final tips and ideas Managing payments in different currencies? Get a free Wise account to send, spend, and hold multiple currencies

How to make money online as a beginner

When considering how to make money online for beginners the trickiest thing is usually narrowing down the skills, experience or interests you already have that you can use to earn cash. Here we explore a few popular options of how to make money online in the Philippines, which could appeal to beginners developing their niche.

Make and sell on Etsy

Making money online works best when you can monetize something you already do and enjoy, like a creative hobby. If you love to make things which others may buy - knitting, crochet, woodwork, photography, art, graphic design or other niche interests - Etsy¹ could be for you. Etsy has quite strict rules about what you can sell on its site, so do read up on the rules before you choose this as your way to make money online.

Become a VA (virtual assistant)

If you have a background in admin, or if you’re a naturally organised person who communicates well with others, becoming a VA could be a good remote opportunity for you. Filipino VAs are in demand in particular as global employers look for qualified candidates with great language skills. Look for dedicated agencies which work with overseas businesses, like Virtual Staff², or choose freelance gigs through intermediary platforms like Fiverr³ and Upwork⁴.

Work as a transcriptionist

Another job which may appeal if you’re looking for a good entry into the world of remote work is transcribing⁶. A transcriptionist produces written transcriptions of audio or video files which may cover different types of content. This is a job you can do as long as you have good typing speed and accuracy, with extra opportunities for people with varied language abilities.

Look for freelance gigs using a platform

Finally, don’t discount the option of finding freelance or project work on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, even as a beginner. These freelance intermediaries take a cut of your earnings but can be an excellent way to connect with employers. Gigs available vary enormously and while many require specific business skills there are also jobs which you may not consider, covering things like meal planning, teaching crafts, skincare advice, styling, cosplay ideas and pretty much anything you can think of!

How to make money online as a student

If you’re a student at the moment and need a little extra cash you might be wondering how to make money using a phone with little or no outlay. Here are some smart ideas to consider.

Monetize Tiktok

If you use the service already for leisure, you’re probably wondering how to make money on Tiktok as a student. While top earners on sites like this produce huge amounts of top quality content, there’s still the opportunity to build your niche and following, and use this to get brand linkups and other income streams. Check out the rules⁶ on promotion and monetization before you dive in so there are no issues with the platform later.

Earn ad revenue on YouTube

If your preferred media is video you might also be wondering how to make money on YouTube. Again here there are several different routes, with ad revenue proving popular, particular if you can get accepted onto the YouTube Partner Program⁷. Having a unique voice and niche here is everything, so think about what you can cover that an audience will engage with - and read the YouTube monetization policies⁸ carefully before starting.

Design on Canva

The options of how to make money in Canva⁹ are relatively varied, if you have an eye for graphic design and know the platform already. Consider making usable items with a design element such as journal pages, calendars or worksheets. As you’re creating a digital item you can create once and then sell many times, allowing you to build a sustainable side hustle with little ongoing effort.

Tutor school students

Finally, if you’re in education yourself you may be ideally suited to tutoring other younger students who are still passing through school. Platforms like My Private Tutor¹⁰ help you to connect with potential clients, or you could advertise through word of mouth in your local area. Tuition is in demand and can pay pretty well, with most students preferring online options using video conferencing for convenience.

👀 Receiving money from international clients? The Wise account let's you receive directly in 8+ currencies with a dedicated account number for each currency

How to make money online using your professional skills

If you’re already an established professional you’ll still be able to look at all the options covered so far - but you might also find there are a few other avenues which speak to your experience and skill set. Here are a few ideas.

Start consulting in your niche

Depending on the type of work you do and the skills and experience you’ve accumulated, you may be able to set yourself up as a consultant to support other entrepreneurs or business owners. Creating a website and building your digital network and footprint is key here, so consider posting opinion pieces and thought leadership articles on professional journals and networking sites to attract attention and cultivate likely clients.

Coach professionals

An adjacent option to consulting is coaching which can be done working with individuals rather than businesses as a whole. If you have a background in HR, leadership, organisational development or a similar field this may be a particularly attractive option. Think about how you want to market yourself - C-suite coaching is quite different to working with fresh graduates in their first job for example. You can then create an online presence and start to look for clients digitally.

Take on skilled freelance project work

If you're more interested in looking for project work you can manage from home you may find that freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork have some good options for you. While these sites have opportunities for many individuals at an early stage in their career, they also work with established professionals offering more complex - and costly - services. Browse the sites to see if there are recruiters in your niche looking for skilled work, to see if this may be a good option for your unique situation.

Write an ebook

Self publishing a development, career or niche professional book is another smart digital option available to people with valuable professional skills to sell. Whether you’re an expert in customer service, accounting, tax or another specific area, creating and then selling educational resources online can help you make money and connect with others at the same time.

💰 The Wise account supports over 40+ currencies which allows you to convert, send, and spend in over 150+ countries

How to make money online by building a business

Our final segment looks at ideas which could translate into full time businesses for dedicated individuals - but you could also manage any of these as a side hustle alongside other economic activity if you’d prefer.

Start an ecommerce store

Platforms like Shopify¹¹ make establishing an ecommerce store something you can do with no technical knowledge of coding or payment processing. You do need product knowledge, and a great idea, but the huge growth in ecommerce sales globally makes this a very popular choice. Running an online store isn’t simple - you’ll need to engage with suppliers, manage customer contacts, mail products and build brand loyalty, but it can be a very rewarding option if you’ve got a brain for business.

Try dropshipping

If you are interested in selling online but don’t want to physically hold inventory, dropshipping can be an excellent alternative. While many ecommerce stores require you to physically hold and send out stock to customers, dropshipping allows you to work with suppliers directly who can manage the logistics side of things. Providers like Ali Express¹² have dedicated dropshipping options which can be a good place to start with this idea.

Sell print on demand items

Another option if you would rather not have piles of inventory to store at home is to offer print on demand products. Custom design items like t-shirts, hoodies, sneakers and phone cases, using digital tools, which are often powered by AI to help you come up with saleable designs. Then use a provider like Shopify Print on Demand¹³ to create and ship the items when customers buy them.

Create digital courses

A final idea is to create a suite of digital resources including some paid for courses or workshops which you can then sell online. If you’ve got a speciality such as social media marketing for example, you could create a course to teach others how to market their own business, and offer paid packages for training, coaching and other value added services.

Making money from home: Final tips and ideas

Making money online and from home is a very appealing option, but you do need to be cautious about a few things to make the most of the idea. Here are a few final tips:

• Be wary of employment scams - if someone asks you to pay them to give you a job, run! There are many scams which play on people’s interest in remote working, marketing fake jobs and extracting money from victims.
• Look out for platform rules and costs - lots of remote work comes through platforms such as freelance marketplaces or ecommerce platforms. These services have fees to pay, and strict rules you’ll need to follow to continue using them.
• Remember the tax implications - online work can make your tax affairs complicated, particularly if you’re earning from multiple different countries. Get advice if you’re not sure how to manage your local or global tax affairs.
• Use a multi-currency account to get paid - connecting with global clients is a big advantage of remote work, but if you’re paid from overseas to a PHP account you might find you lose out on currency exchange costs. Use a multi-currency account from a provider like Wise to get paid in USD, GBP, EUR and other currencies with low or no fees instead.

The options for working remotely and from home are extremely diverse and with some persistence you’re likely to find a great option to suit your specific skills and preferences. Use this guide for some inspiration, and check out Wise to help you keep more of your money when you earn internationally too.

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Whether you're receiving or sending international payments, you'll need a Wise account. The Wise account is an easy way to hold and exchange 40+ currencies, including PHP, USD, CNY, and more. All you need to do is create a free account to get started.

With Wise, you can exchange currencies at the mid-market rate each time, with low, transparent conversion fees from 0.57% and absolutely no markups. Plus, you can order a Wise card for convenient spending at the same great rate, without any foreign transaction fees. At times you need cash, you can also make up to 2 free ATM withdrawals to the value of 12,000 PHP when you're overseas. You'll even get 8+ local account details to get paid conveniently to your Wise account in PHP and a selection of other major global currencies.

Sending money or making payments abroad? Wise also offers fast, low cost transfers to 140+ countries - you can track your transfer in your account and your recipient will also be notified when a transfer reaches them.

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Sources:

1. Etsy
2. Virtual Staff - Filipino VA jobs
3. Fiverr
4. Upwork
5. Transcriptionist jobs Philippines
6. Tiktok creators
7. YouTube Partner Program
8. YouTube monetization policies
9. Canva - how to make money on Canva
10. My Private Tutor
11. Shopify
12. Alidrop
13. Shopify Print on Demand