How to make money online as a student in the UK
Whether you are a student looking for an easy way to earn money during summer or a recent graduate who wants to find that perfect side hustle job – this article is written for you! Learn how to bring value to the market and start selling your skills. And don’t forget to leave a comment below!
What is your value to the market?
Gaining financial security, earning more than one needs to spend, and enjoying the ability to use the money for the pleasantries of daily life requires work. Since we cannot get paid for nothing, the question of how to make money needs to be considered. With the digitalization of almost every industry, the potential for earning through the online-based marketplace has grown exponentially. With a little idea, good marketing strategy, and reasonable preparation each of us can bring value to the marketplace, and the more valuable our work becomes, the more gains we can anticipate.
The majority of jobs in any area of the marketplace require a certain amount of time spent ‘on the job’ with a set threshold of gains applicable for the position one holds. This model of ‘giving up time for money’ is so popular, that we often do not even stop to consider just how good is it for us, as employees. The idea of bringing value to the marketplace enables us to look beyond the ‘9 to 5’ model and consider the opportunities of setting our own employment rules. That is why more and more people decide to go freelance.
How to bring more value?
First of all, we need to become more valuable to the marketplace, which means we have to ‘step up our game’. Finding what you’re good at is essential and to monetize on this skill, product, or service you have to provide a solution to one of the many, many ‘problems’ human life entails. It is possible to be paid twice as much for the same hour of work, it is possible to be paid three times as much… All you have to do is become more valuable. So, let us see what options there are…?
Where, who, and how?
Once you’ve decided what you’re going to ‘sell’, you need to find out what it’s worth and where you’re going to offer it out. With many platforms (such as Revolancer) designed for freelancers, you can easily showcase your abilities and seek contracts online. If your work provides a product, rather than a service you can also consider sales through Etsy, personal website, or even Instagram. Maybe what you have is knowledge and by sharing it through workshops or videos you can also create passive income. Regardless of which means you are going to use, you have to understand who your potential client is, and market your work accordingly. Marketing is by far the most important and the most powerful aspect of your business strategy, as, without sales, there won’t be much to earn.
Here, the question of how arises. How do you want to earn? How do you want to get paid? The options are endless. Whether it is ‘pay per click’ advertising, which your blog or a social media account would include; product sales, which can be easily set up through your PayPal account; or contracts and commissions gained through the platforms for self-employed (such as Revolancer) – you can decide and adjust the means to make them your own.
But remember to research and understand the legalities of your earnings first. Do not neglect this part, as with (hopefully) more money coming in, you will have to ensure your work is fully legal. To confirm any uncertainties go to gov.uk or chacc.co.uk and understand the potential status of your self-employment and your tax rates. You can always get in touch with the HMRC and ask any further questions. Remember this rule – better safe than sorry.
Where to start?
Bringing more value to the marketplace and seeking out opportunities to the freelance will certainly provide you with a chance to earn money on your terms. Not one person in the history of the world managed to achieve their financial freedom and massive career success without raising their value and addressing the needs of the market. Whether it’s a service, a product, or a piece of information – you are able to monetize it. Solve the problems of others, provide help, share your knowledge, deliver a perfect product, and you will inevitably start earning at your own pace. For a student, this magnitude of opportunities is a great chance to make money on the side, kickstart their career, and gain experience while still studying and preparing for their industry of choice.
They say the first step is the most difficult one. That is why I would like to ask you a few questions, which will hopefully prompt you to take action and take advantage of the opportunities all around you. You have a skill, a product, service, and the only way to gain experience is to start delivering it… If not now, when? You have the platforms with access to all kinds of industries available to you by a click of a button… If not here, where? You have a unique perspective, a unique ability, a unique idea that can help others and enrich the world around you… If not you, who?
To make money in this day and age, you got to know what you’re going for, and you have to get out there to get it. Whatever career you choose, the effort will pay off. You are creating tomorrow with what you do today. Abraham Lincoln used to say, ‘the best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.’
If you liked the content…
Please check out Wojtek’s other article on pros and cons of freelancing as a student, or read a ‘Spotlight on’ interview with him.
And what is a better way to start your freelancing career than signing up to Revolancer?
> Sign up to Revolancer
Freelance marketplace: Revolancer