If you’re an introvert, you may be thinking that working in a cubicle won’t be the best fit for your personality. You might be tempted to look for a low-paying job that allows you to work from home or from a café, but there are other options.
There are plenty of careers that suit introverts and can also help them make money—without having to deal with too much human interaction. Here’s how:
1. Private tutor
Private tutoring is a great way to work from home and make money. You can teach almost any subject, at any age level, in any location and with any degree or experience level. If you have a college degree but don’t want to go into traditional teaching, this could be the perfect job for you.
With private tutoring, you are your own boss and set your own hours. You can do it part-time or full-time depending on what works best for your schedule and needs. It can also provide flexible income that allows you to pursue other goals or passions outside of work if need be!
2. User-experience designer
User experience design is the process of enhancing user satisfaction by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the user and the product. It can be applied to products, services, environments, systems or brand identity.
The job of a user experience designer (UXD) is to create an overall feel for an app or website that makes it easy for people to use. You will need to understand your audience’s needs and preferences as well as their level of technical expertise. If you love technology but also want a job where you don’t have much direct contact with people then user experience design could be just what you’re looking for!
3. Freelance web developer
The internet is a wonderful place. It’s full of websites and apps that can help you build a business as a freelance web developer. From WordPress to Squarespace, there are plenty of options for hosting your site; you don’t even have to host it yourself!
If you have any experience with coding or HTML, this may be an option for you. If not, there are many online courses (like this one) that can teach you everything from basic HTML and CSS all the way up to product management and user experience design.
4. Virtual assistant
As an introvert, you may find it difficult to go out and make connections with other people. But don’t worry; there are plenty of ways to work as a business owner without getting too much face time in the office. One option is working with a virtual assistant (VA).
When you hire a VA, they’ll help you with tasks related to your business that take up most of your time and energy—such as bookkeeping and email management—so that you can focus on growing the business instead. VAs usually specialize in one area or function within your company, so they become familiar with not only how things work but also who needs what information at what times. They’re also great at communicating internally: when someone else needs something from them, they know who’s most qualified for the task (and how quickly it should be done) because they’ve spent so much time working directly with those people already!
5. Bookkeeper
Bookkeeping is a low-cost business idea for introverts because you can do it remotely. It’s also an ideal way for those who prefer to be alone or work at home to earn income without having to interact with people on a daily basis.
Bookkeepers’ responsibilities include recording financial transactions; preparing bank deposits and payrolls; reconciling statements from financial institutions; filing taxes; researching tax issues; and keeping track of company records such as employee benefits, inventory, receivables, payables and other corporate records.
If you enjoy being alone but want the opportunity to interact with others when needed (such as during client meetings), bookkeeping may be right up your alley!
6. Editor/proofreader
The editor/proofreader business is a rewarding and fulfilling career, but it does require a lot of hard work. However, if you’re willing to put in the effort, there are many benefits that come with this line of work. If you’re a writer, offering proofreading, copyediting or academic paper editing services may be for you.
7. Grant writer
Grant writing is a way to get funding for your business. Grants are typically awarded to nonprofits and individuals, but they can also be awarded to small businesses. In general, grants are often awarded based on the impact of the project and need for it.
A grant writer is someone who writes grant proposals – documents that explain why a company or organization should receive money from an agency or foundation.
Conclusion
While this list of low-budget business ideas is by no means exhaustive, it should give you some ideas to start with. Once you’ve found the right one for your skills and interests, it’s time to think about how to make it a success.
One of the best ways to do this is through finding clients who need what you have—and that can be easier said than done, especially if you struggle with social anxiety like many introverts do! However, there are still ways around this problem such as networking events or advertising on social media channels like Facebook or Twitter.
