Is it possible to make money online in Kenya? Are there real people making money in the online industry? How can I get started? How can I avoid conmen and scams?
I have been receiving these and more questions through my email…and so I thought, why not share a few good facts about the online industry in Kenya.
First of all, let me say “Yes, you can make money online.” But the methods through which you can do this require a bit of hard work and strategy.
I have been working online and I am living proof that you can make money on the net if you have the right mind-set. To keep matters simple, I am going to discuss 5 practical ways that you can easily pursue.
1. Article Writing
Myself I worked as an article writer for 2 good years. I worked on iwriter.com and freelancer.com. All I did was create an account, set-up a Paypal account and within three days I had already started making money.
The good thing with sites like iwriter is that you can join within 5 minutes and start writing immediately.
Your job as an article writer is to accept projects from clients who would like particular tasks done. For instance, a client may request you to write a 500 word article on the topic of “How to make money online”.
All you have to do is Google around this topic and use whatever resources you get to write this article.
This is a very simple job, because sometimes all you have to do is curate what others have already written meaning that you don’t have to struggle too much to come up with a good article.
Where to find work
- Iwriter.com
- Freelance.com
- Fiverr.com
- Odesk.com
2. Blogging
Blogging is quite a lengthy topic and I may not be able to cover it in this article…and yes you can make money blogging in Kenya. It’s extremely easy to start a blog, all you need to do is go to blogger.com or wordpress.com, and fill in your details in pretty much the same way you open an email account.
To succeed as a blogger, you need to be willing to work hard – most importantly you need a good strategy. I have seen many bloggers come and go. Some came started gossip blogs, made some money but within a short time they ran out of ideas and closed shop.
All I am trying to say here is that a nice strategy is necessary if you want to make money blogging. I have written a free eBook on this topic which is available when you subscribe to my blog.
Practical ways to make money blogging
Affiliate Marketing
You can earn a commission by referring people to sign-up for various services through an affiliate link. Like for example, if you were to sign-up to this service, I would be given a free $25 for referring you. Simply beause I have referred you to that site.
Google Adsense
When you have written lots of articles for your blog, you can apply for a Google adsense account. Google will start displaying adverts on your blog and you will be paid for clicks delivered.
Consultations
If you establish yourself as an authority in your field you can be hired for consultations. For instance, if you are an excellent fashion blogger you can be hired to offer advice about blogging. If you are good in internet marketing, you can be consulted for such services if you establish yourself as a brand. In my case, I’m often hired to provide advice on topics like “How to start blogging” etc.
Sell a product
You can create an eBook or some form of art-work and start recommending it to your blog’s visitors. Like in my example, I can create an eBook, then display it on my side-bar and request anybody who visits my blog to support me by buying it.
Offer a service
You can provide an online service. For instance, you can help people withdraw cash from PayPal. Or you can even start teaching Kenyan languages to foreigners who come into our country.
In short, there are unlimited ways to make money blogging. But the only problem is that we have a shortage of people who have the right knowledge on how to go about it. I hope my blog training course and eBook will help you get started soon.
3. Video Transcription
As a video transcriber, you will be required to listen to audio or audio-visual files of people making speeches and then type-out every word your hear. In short, you will be required to convert video files into written format.
This is a nice job but then again you need the right kind of training if you want to get started without hustling too much. My friends Sheeroh Kiarie and Virginia Nakitare are experts in this field.
They have been working been working as transcriptionists for the last 3 to 5 years…apparently, they are paid up to $30 per audio-hour translated.
How to get started as a transcriber
You can find work as a transcriber in the following sites:
Freelancer.com
Odesk.Com
Elance.com
Once again, I would like to emphasize that it is important to get some training before you venture out to work in this industry.
Most trainers I know of, including Virginia and Sheeroh are willing to mentor you until you start making some money as a video transcriber.
Sheeroh can be found on her blog www.workonlinekenya.com
4. Academic Writing
Yes, academic writing works…and it actually pays better than article writing. You can either choose to own an account and be taking orders directly from clients or work under somebody as you learn the trade.
If you are an experienced researcher, I would recommend you buy an academic writing account. If you are still new to this industry I would recommend you first work under a Kenyan employer as you get exposed to the tricks of the game.
Where to buy an academic writing account
Go to a Facebook Page called ACADEMIA RESEARCH WRITING, once you request to join is approved, you can then write a post requesting someone to sell you an account. An average account costs Ksh15,000 – Ksh50,000.
Where to find work (as a junior writer)
Go to a Facebook Page called ACADEMIA RESEARCH WRITING, once you request to join is approved, you can then write a post requesting someone to hire you. Payment for writers may vary, but normally it ranges at Ksh200 to Ksh300 per page written. You can comfortably make Ksh50,000 per month as a junior writer.
5. Forex Trading
Online Forex is a lucrative yet rarely explored money making opportunity. The few who have tried it have quit their office jobs to trade Forex full-time.
To join this industry, you need to first go through training. Some trainers offer their services in city hotels charging as little as Ksh10,000 and as much as Ksh40,000.
It’s always advisable to start off with a dummy account. In a dummy account you can play around with the Forex market without the fear of losing your hard-earned cash. Once you are comfortable (and trading profitably) with a dummy account, you can proceed to create a live account and invest real money in it.
From this point, you will be playing around with different market curves and statistics, and if you are smart enough you can make lots of money.
One disadvantage of Forex trading is that you need to take a lot of time before you rush to invest, else you might lose your hard earned-money due to market volatility.
Well, I won’t lie to you that I have traded Forex. In fact, the best I have done is trade with a dummy account. All I can tell you is that soon, I will be joining this industry – you can look forward to my first hand experience because I will share it in this blog.
Where to get a Dummy Account
Baby Pips
Where to get trained
Just go to a Facebook page called Forex Traders Nairobi, request to join (it is a closed group), once there ask for a trainer. One reputable trainer I know of is Ken Analyst but the problem with him is that he is quite busy most of the time.
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Finally;
Many ways of making money online in Kenya are being discovered every day. The good thing, I am always aware when a new opportunity arises and I can always alert you in good time…kindly join my mailing list and let's do this together.
