[gogoleanylinkfo]

I'm a student in college and due to my major (Music Performance), it's hard to have a "normal job". Mostly, I do wedding gigs and play in a local orchestra for money. Unfortunately, it's really difficult to get practicing done with all of the rehearsals and other things going on and I really want to try cutting back. Unlike other degrees, music is based on your own personal performance and not a piece of paper with a degree on it. For this reason, it's really important to spend time for my personal practice.

What I want to do is use my computer skills and somehow find a way to do work on my own schedule. Someone I know does website design with Microsoft Frontpage which I can get the software free from school. Yet, I have no idea how you get started with actually making money with it. Are there any other alternatives that are worth my time? I'm willing to do a lot of research and training over the summer to be able to achieve something like this.

[Karinochka]

online jobs are definately possible, but good luck culling through all the s hit and scams that are online. I've heard some good things about medical transcription, and customer service reps for corporations like Eddie Bauer, Restoration Hardware, ect..

here is a bump. Hopefully someone will have a good angle for you.

[clapsoewmred]

I actually run and operate two successful online businesses and am currently starting a third, so it is certainly possible. The only problem that I can see are the startup costs. If you're going to be selling any items, it's going to need to be an E-Commerce website that is capable of handling transactions via credit card. You could simply use paypal if you wanted to avoid having to set up a Merchant account, but it limits you since there are those that do not wish to use paypal to pay.

The easiest way to start up a business is simply to sell an item(s) that have a market, and people currently need. Simply think of a cheap, marketable item (lets say, Zippo lighters just as an example), and contact the manufacturer to see the minimum order needed to purchase at wholesale. If you do not want to set up a website (which can be pretty expensive if you want it fully customizable), you could simply use eBay or amazon as your primary vehicle or selling. In your case, this might actually be the easiest method since it won't involve any heavy up-front costs. Be wary, however, because the competition on eBay is pretty fierce.

If you do decide to build a website, learn the in's and out's of Google and Yahoo keyword pay-per click advertising. It takes a bit of trial and error, but there's no greater way to make your website visible than these avenues. I pay about $80 a day in advertising on average, but the sales that it provides me with far outweigh the costs involved. Most of all, try to have fun, since you'll be learning a great deal along the way!

[PekHyvac]

but it limits you since there are those that do not wish to use paypal to pay. you dont need a paypal account to pay by credit card on a site that only accepts paypal though? atleast ive done it a few times years ago without signing up for paypal.

maybe they force you to register an account now?

[clapsoewmred]

you dont need a paypal account to pay by credit card on a site that only accepts paypal though? atleast ive done it a few times years ago without signing up for paypal.

maybe they force you to register an account now?

I think it depends on the gateway service they provide, but you might be correct. Paypal Direct Payment takes you off of your website for payment then back on, whereas Paypal Express Checkout is all done via your website. I actually provide both for my websites. When a payment is received and done via the checkout process on my website, it's actually using Paypal in the background (although it is invisible to the customer).

[Caliwany]

You could always make websites and then put in Google Advertising in there so that you can get money that way.
I am thinking for a computer game, you could build a website and host servers for a Clan or something, and then make money through Google Advertising.



Whenever we get our new internet in the area, I am going to be building a high speed, high capacity server, and basically get it rented out to the gaming community.
Game room servers private and public, chat servers, forums, HDD space, ect. ect.
Doing this is actually very easy.

With our current internet capabilities, I hosted a private room CS1.6 server, and a Team Speak server for a clan once. When that was shut down, I then hosted a server for a new forming Halo clan.

It is ridiculously easy to get things setup and to get things sold. All I did was just gamed around online, found some clans, did a little chit-chat with them, visit their site if they have one, and see what kind of needs they have and offer it to them.
If you actually can find one where they are half-way serious it is pretty awesome. The CS clan that I had servers going for were in some kind of CS tournament thing and were ranked pretty decently. Were winning prizes and what not.

Though granted, I never got the kind of money that you are looking for, but if you have the connection already, you can make a pretty nice penny off of it.

Right now we are only 384Kb upstream, so I was limited when I did it. Though in the next 3 years, a minimum of 10Mb is going to be the normal, so I am going to be able to do a lot of things with that amount of bandwidth and going to get a server computer hooked online.

[gogoleanylinkfo]

You could always make websites and then put in Google Advertising in there so that you can get money that way.
I am thinking for a computer game, you could build a website and host servers for a Clan or something, and then make money through Google Advertising.



Whenever we get our new internet in the area, I am going to be building a high speed, high capacity server, and basically get it rented out to the gaming community.
Game room servers private and public, chat servers, forums, HDD space, ect. ect.
Doing this is actually very easy.

With our current internet capabilities, I hosted a private room CS1.6 server, and a Team Speak server for a clan once. When that was shut down, I then hosted a server for a new forming Halo clan.

It is ridiculously easy to get things setup and to get things sold. All I did was just gamed around online, found some clans, did a little chit-chat with them, visit their site if they have one, and see what kind of needs they have and offer it to them.
If you actually can find one where they are half-way serious it is pretty awesome. The CS clan that I had servers going for were in some kind of CS tournament thing and were ranked pretty decently. Were winning prizes and what not.

Though granted, I never got the kind of money that you are looking for, but if you have the connection already, you can make a pretty nice penny off of it.

Right now we are only 384Kb upstream, so I was limited when I did it. Though in the next 3 years, a minimum of 10Mb is going to be the normal, so I am going to be able to do a lot of things with that amount of bandwidth and going to get a server computer hooked online.

how do you have a server setup? Is the innitial cost 1,000's of dollars? I live in an apartment complex and am on a network so I don't think that'd work lol.

As far as the website design, Should I first learn how to use front page really well, and then advertise in the yellow pages and some things locally or should I try and join a company to get more business?

Any other ideas would be much appreciated

[LClan439]

You can have another company host it for you like the Yahoo Business, GoDaddy, or 1and1. You pay them and they make it "easy" to start a website business, although you are limited to what they offer you. If you want more features, you pay more for it.

I like having full control of my servers so I use a company called slicehost.com. For only $20/month, they give you a fully virtualized Linux servers which you can customize to your liking with 100GB/month of bandwidth. You can install and do anything you want with it as if it was your own machine and network. The only downside is that you have to do everything yourself - install the apps and code everything.

I currently do work "part-time" (technically employed full-time) at home as I am a systems and network administrator. I don't need to go into the office unless something physically breaks or when there are meetings. Most of the time I can just sit at home.

Just curious, but what instrument do you play? I'm a violinist/violist, and still play chamber music. No more orchestras for me, though! My ambition for a professional music career is over, although if money wasn't a factor, I would totally do music.