Seven weeks into the Movement Control Order (MCO) have brought several businesses grinding to a halt. But now, you can earn extra income while staying safe at home.

The fourth phase of the movement control order (MCO) has brought up concerns surrounding people’s livelihoods. Some are losing their jobs, companies are losing money, and many businesses are on the brink of shuttering their doors.

Although government assistance has been granted to some, many Malaysians must still strive to gain alternative income sources. Most of them are having difficulty surviving day to day, and for those with families the effort of having to meet the needs of extra people makes the whole situation harder and stressful.

According to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), Malaysia’s unemployment rate is expected to rise up to 4% this year compared to 3.3% from last year.

“In comparison, during the global financial crisis, our unemployment rate was at 3.7% in 2009, while during the Asian financial crisis in 1998, the unemployment rate was at 3.2%,” said BNM assistant governor, Marzunisham Omar.

With this in mind, we want to provide with you some ways to earn extra income with a side hustle, utilizing your internet connection to increase your cash flow.

 #1. Sell home-cooked meals

Now, here’s a job that’s a little bit offline while relying on being online for success. If your cooking receives so many compliments and people around you love it, why not venture into selling homemade meals from home?

With technology, it is easy to market your product. You can utilize social media to promote your baked goods or scrumptious meals. Just by using your phone’s camera and simple copywriting, you can provide a good advertisement for your business.

Get acquainted with an app like Lazada (Google Play/App Store) that allows you to sell your home-cooked meals on their platform. Several Facebook groups (just search online bazaar) also provide platforms for sellers to promote their products especially during this Ramadan’s month, when more people looking for a variety of food to break their fast.

Be aware that per our Ministry of Health’s guidelines, even food handlers for online platforms are subject to requirements and regulations. For the safety of your customers and for your legal safety, do follow these requirements and regulations.

#2. Online Tutoring

The Internet is the key during this MCO and with all schools closed, parents will need all the help they can get. If you are already a teacher then online tutoring or teaching is not new to you, but for all of you walking encyclopedias who love guiding others, this should be an opportunity to hop on. 

With the help of technology, there are no longer physical boundaries to where you can teach and learn. Tutoring is different than an online course because it is one-on-one teaching and there is an interaction between the tutor and the student.

Check out Champion Tutor, My private tutor, and Part-Time Tutor Malaysia, or if you have friends who are already in the industry don’t be afraid to reach out. The rates start at RM10 to RM150 per hour depending on qualifications and experience.

There is usually a high demand for language learning. While we are all asked to stay at home, online tutoring for language learning is becoming ever more popular. Being an online tutor allows you to make money from home easily. Put your bilingual or multilingual skills to use.

#3. Embrace Online Selling

With people more and more willing to shop online – there’s no reason you can’t make some healthy side money from selling items online too.

It also works great as a side business as you don’t need to physically be at a store and have better chances of engagement from consumers almost 24/7. You don’t even need to have a supply of brand new merchandised freshly manufactured, instead you can also go into selling used items. Chances are that there are always people interested to buy your preloved books or embroidery products.

With selling sites like Mudah.my, Lelong, Carousell, and Shopee – you don’t even need any website know-how to get started. Just upload a photo of your goods and handle customer queries on the go. Don’t forget to include your contact information to make it easier for your potential customers to reach you.

#4. Freelance Translator or Proofreader

We’re Malaysians, right? So, that means we’re either bilingual or multilingual. As the world continues to integrate, there will always be a demand for translators. 

Although there are many different automatic translation programs nowadays, there is still a market for translators. Many translating companies online are looking for freelancers to help with the translation tasks. If you are fluent in another language, you can make money from home by picking up these tasks.

Keep a lookout for work on Favser or Upwork. The hourly rate for translators starts around RM30 to RM40. 

#5. Freelance Writing

If you like writing, you may consider making some extra money from home by creating online content. Content writing especially makes up about 40% of marketing, so this line of work is high in demand and we don’t see it decreasing anytime soon. 

Find opportunities at Content Writer or Favser. The market price at the moment for writers is RM0.60 to RM0.70 per word or RM150 to RM400 or more depending on the content that you’ll have to write.

The writing tasks can be for websites, blogs, magazines, etc. And you can be writing product descriptions, press releases, blog posts, and more. It is a good way to make some money while practicing your writing skills. You may even start a freelance writing career in the future with the help of these writing experiences.

Conclusion

Earning extra income can be a good way for you to increase your cash flow and allowed you to save more. It might not be easy to prevail especially when you are forced to take unpaid leave or being sacked from the previous job, but when there is a will, there is a way. You can come out of this stronger and earn new experiences along the way.

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What other ways do you think will be good to earn extra income? Share with us in the comments section below.