Editor’s note: This article was first published in November 2011, before remote work became widespread; the community manager is described as a still little-known profession. BBVA’s Econta online accounting and tax service is presented as the first of its kind in Spain, as of 2011.
Remote work, or telecommuting, is said to be the future for certain jobs within companies. Even so, the Latin mindset about work still can’t get used to the idea of having an employee on the payroll who doesn’t clock in at the company every day. Below are some jobs that can be done perfectly well from home, whether on a company’s payroll, as a freelancer or self-employed, or as the start of a small business.
The point is that these are professions where going to an office every day could be considered a choice rather than the only option. The added advantage is that, besides being jobs, you can turn them into businesses. And it’s not only an advantage for the worker: sometimes it saves the company money too.
1. Community manager
We’re mentioning this (for now little-known) professional again. We’ve already explained the tasks a community manager should carry out in a company, and it’s clear that they would have no need to physically go to the company except in exceptional cases. For those looking for great profitable business ideas: in the not-too-distant future, the services a community manager offers today will be provided by companies for companies. So one day a company won’t hire a person, but will outsource the work of that person to another company, and in that way avoid having someone on the payroll. Of course, there will always be business owners who prefer to delegate these tasks to someone they trust.
2. Financial advisers
We do it every day. We advise people on where to invest their money, the best options, the lowest-risk investments, and so on. The internet has become a great information platform for small and medium-sized investors through countless blogs and websites. Financial advisers have an excellent job opportunity online, either with their own business or working for a company, because their work doesn’t require being in the office every day either.
3. Tax advisers and accounting firms
More and more online portals are appearing that mean your company no longer needs to send someone to the gestoría (the accounting and paperwork firm Spanish businesses use) at the start of every month. The first to offer this kind of online service were the banks. Specifically, BBVA was the first in Spain to offer a full accounting and advisory service through Econta. Without doubt, a great opportunity both for work and for opening your own online business.
4. Graphic design
Thanks to the internet, demand for this professional has soared. Start-ups constantly need new banner designs, logos and, above all, creativity of every kind. At home, this professional can be much more creative than in an office. Clearly the work of a graphic designer covers many more sectors than “just” the internet, but those other sectors can also benefit from the convenience the internet offers.
5. SEO
Who would have thought SEO would be responsible for hundreds of companies being set up in Spain alone? But that’s how it is: today your company has to be on the internet, so it needs a website. And it’s not enough to have one; people have to see it. That’s why search engine optimisation is currently among the most in-demand professions, along with the community manager. Obviously the work is done from a computer, and there’s no need to go into an office.
See also: This new year, don’t do what you love; love what you do
6. Private lessons
Teaching professionals who manage to be the first to develop a business idea based entirely on online teaching will sooner or later reap the rewards. Today we have enough technology to bring a class of students together without anyone needing to go to a school. That way, private lessons could be given to more students, at a lower price, with both students and teacher… in their own homes. Of course, this idea also works one-to-one.
There are countless jobs that can earn you money as a freelancer or self-employed worker. Most are related to the internet, while others would simply be a matter of applying conventional work to new technology. We could equally mention professions such as web editors, writers, copywriters, systems programmers, tax advisers, lawyers, sports advisers, dietitians and so on.
Featured image: Raffaele Diomede, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
