Use your savings wisely.
Invest in a climate-proof job.

Freelancer's keyboardBuild your reputation. Doing so from scratch isn’t easy. Begin by creating your own website showcasing your services (Blogger and WordPress are both free blog-publishing sites and relatively simple for beginners). If you have more to invest, try a professional website builder. Once your site is live, follow and interact with similar websites to attract an audience and make connections, and make sure to upload new content regularly to retain readers.

Market your skills. Using social media to promote your site can go a long way. Ask your family and friends to spread the word! You never know who may be looking for your services, or who can direct you to someone who is. Join your local chamber of commerce, put an ad in the local paper or an online job search engine. Increase your site’s search engine optimization by adding it to Yellow Pages or Google my Business. Over time – and with a little persistence – your site will gain in popularity and lead you to remote-working opportunities.

Reputation building and marketing may sound rather simple, but it took about a year to get my first paid gig. That assignment led to another, which led to another, which led to better opportunities, and eventual full-time employment making a livable wage. Whatever your niche – teaching, translating, graphic design, data entry, tech support – the possibilities for working remotely are steadily widening! Consider that the typical telecommuter is a 49-year-old college graduate who earns about $58,000 a year and belongs to a company with more than 100 employees. And for many, their home is in a far more climate-proof town than their employer.