Guest blog post on studying, traveling & earning money Ieva is the author of The Random Passion project and Course Creation guide - both created to inspire location independent lifestyle and help you to establish online income. She’s also a passionate digital nomad, online course creator and graphic designer. How to combine studying abroad with earning income online? Studying abroad is an exciting experience everyone should say YES to. But there always are several fears to consider before taking the leap. Let's see how it's possible to combine studying abroad with earning income online! Benefits of combining studying abroad with earning income online First of all, studying abroad can be once-in-a-lifetime experience to enjoy. Whether you're applying to short-term language courses or signing up for any other experience - it's always worth giving a try! The list of international experiences you'd get from studying abroad is neverending: all the foods you'd taste, culture monuments you'd see, people you'd meet and things you'd learn. ut very often affording this kind of an experience is a challenge. After all, not all of us can quit our jobs for weeks or months, not all of us have savings to survive for longer than a week and leaving the stability is a risky move... That's where earning income online comes in. The option to establish an online income gives you a chance to fully enjoy being abroad, living in a different environment and, after all, really experience all you've planned to, without worrying about your budget or job back home. Very often, it can also give you a chance to do something you never thought you would. How to start earning income online? These days we have way more options to earn income online than ever before. Don't miss the opportunity to use them. Here are just some of the ways to earn income online: #1 Freelancing Freelancing is one of the most bulletproof ways to earn income online but it will also request a decent amount of your time. Freelancing means selling your skills to someone who needs them online on per hour or per project payment rate. Quite likely you already have sellable skills - even if you don't really think so or haven't worked with them before. Whether it's marketing, design, writing or anything alike. For example, if you're learning English with IELS Malta, you can start with translating to your native language. Of course, the very beginning might be a bit tricky but it's also a great way to actually practice your language skills. If you have any other skills you'd like to learn - but have no current experience in - grab an e-book, watch a Youtube tutorial or take an online course and you CAN get into a completely unknown field and start working as a freelancer. That's exactly how I started being a graphic designer. First, choose a skill you want to sell. Then, make sure to upgrade it to a profitable level (perfection is not necessary!). And afterward, use platforms like Upwork to sell your skills online. Pros: Anyone can do it! And there's a huge market for freelancers. Cons: You will need to sell your time for money. #2 Blogging Blogging for money very often seems like something impossible while, in the reality, it is rather easy to actually establish a money making blog. First of all, I suggest choosing a rather narrow niche you want to write about. You can share your experiences while being abroad and create a travel blog. You can write about language tips you're learning and help other starters. Or choose any other niche you're into - fashion, books, movies, business, tech... This list is goes on! Once you've established a blog, you will need to actually create the content and find the best ways to promote it. One of the easiest and fastest ways to promote your content - even if you have just started - is on Pinterest. Make sure to check out some Pinterest marketing tips to get it going for you. After you've started establishing a good ground base with your content and you have some audience, you can look into ways to monetize a blog. Here are a few: Affiliate marketing Sponsored posts Ads My personal favorite is affiliate marketing - promote products you love and get a commission for each sale or signup. You don't need tons of traffic to get additional hundreds of dollars per month! Pros: You can explore any field you want! Cons: It might take a lot of time to take your blog off the ground. #3 Remote work Working remotely is slightly different from freelancing. The only difference between working remotely and office work is the location independence! Most remote workers have contracts establishing their cooperation with a company and they work only for one or two companies at a time. Instead of being in the office, you work online, get tasks sent to you by email. Very often remote workers participate in meetings through Skype, still keep in touch with colleagues, even participate in their events once in a while by visiting. How to get into working remotely? Some people choose to stay with their old companies. For example, if you've worked in the office by the computer for most of your time, it's quite likely that your position CAN be transferred online. It's worth asking! Staying in your existing company as a remote worker might not mean the same position or salary but working remotely is worth giving a sacrifice, if necessary. Other people "upgrade" from freelancing to working remotely and just stick with one company they've already worked with online. And you can always start from ground zero by learning skills you want to sell and finding a company that might need them. Pros: Consistency in the payment and safety. Cons: Working for one company on a contract basis could give you less freedom than other forms of online income. #4 Selling your knowledge The most passive way to earn income online is by selling your knowledge with online courses, e-books, webinars or anything alike. This will request tons of the backend work: creating content, making a product and establishing a functioning marketing funnel. It is a lot to do and learn. BUT it's also totally doable. Usually, this would mean that you already have some skills or experience other people are interested in. You don’t have to look far to find a skill people would want to learn! If you’re a good cook, create a recipe book for travelers (quick and easy!). If you’re into minimalism, share your tips on how to be a minimalist on the road in an online course. If you have the easiest time communicating with people and getting new friends, make a webinar on how to be more outgoing and less socially awkward. Pros: You can sell any experience and skills you already have. Cons: It will take a lot of planning and managing to make it happen. As you can see, there’s a lot you can really do and a lot you can sell to make sure your time abroad is fully funded. Besides that, what might start as an adventure to fund your studies, could just as well continue as a long-term business plan with great revenue! Don’t hesitate to give it a go. Ieva Laicāne Blogger & Online Course Creator Archive