Comfort, convenience and, best of all, no commute. There's nothing like a holiday to make you realise how amazing it is to be at home.

Perhaps you’re on holiday and want to stay on it forever and ever…  Or you’re stuck in the office over the festive season and wishing you could earn money without leaving your front door – then this list is perfect for you.

While there are plenty of legitimate work-from-home opportunities, if you’re considering this option it’d be best to educate yourself to avoid the overwhelming number of scams on the internet. Working from home is common these days. And thanks to technology more work at home options are available. If you’ve got the skills, the motivation, and support structure, then you could try your hand at any one of these legitimate work-from-home opportunities. 

1) Personal Trainer

You can earn a few extra rand by inviting people into your home gym. Offer one-on-one classes or welcome groups to experience a great team building experience. Your client list will grow quickly through referrals.

2) Help out

Another way you can make cash from home, is by offering to help a friend with their chores - at a price. You can do their laundry, look after their kids (or pets) during the day, offer to do their shopping, phone around for the cheapest quotes on their behalf, or anything similar. Since most people are stuck at their workplace the whole day, you can use your free time to complete things for them. If you ask around, you're sure to find a few people that could use an extra hand.

Sell Stuff

3) Buy and resell

The buying, fixing up, and reselling of items is a tale as old as time. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a good deal on something and not even have to spend any money on fixing it up. Start selling to your friends and family and through word of mouth you can create a solid reputation.

You can try a trading site like OLX to get the word out, or Who’s Who SA to promote yourself for free.

4) Make and sell

From biscuits and cakes, to doilies and knitted jerseys, even kid’s toys or Wendy Houses. If you’re good with your hands, it’s probably your calling to share your gift with the world. Unlike wholesalers, you’ll be able to personalise every item you make to suit your client’s specifics. Sentimental gifts are worth so much more than just cash.

Teach

5) Music

You could be the mentor of the next Beethoven. There are so many instruments to choose from and if you're able to teach more than one, your earning potential increases. Piano, banjo, recorder, trumpet, anything. You can even offer dj’ing or singing lessons if you’re multitalented.

6) Academic subjects

You can offer tutoring classes for students at any level. From basic maths for foundation phase, to matric-level accounting, to even English classes. You’d be surprised how many people don’t know their nouns from their verbs.

7) Sports

Do you have cricket, chess, or even tennis skills? Parents are always looking for ways to improve their kid’s performance on the field. Use this to your advantage.

8) Hobbies

Can you sew? Do you have green fingers? Perhaps you’re an excellent stylist? Surely there’s something you like. You can share your knowledge with a price tag.

Techie

9) Blogging

If you have an opinion, and you’re able to articulate it coherently and intelligently, then you owe the world your thoughts and ideas.

You can write about food, celebs, politics, rugby, or all of it. Once you’ve established a following, people will start paying you to write for them, to promote their brands and products, or consider you an expert in your field.

10) Social Media Manager

Every entrepreneur knows that it’s vital to protect and promote their online brand. Lucky for you, not all of them have the time to take care of it themselves. Post pictures, company news, and interact with customers, monitor the stats and get people interested in the product or service.

Your job will be to Facebook, Instagram and Tweet whole day.

11) Virtual Assistant

Think secretary but from the comfort of your own home. Hell, you won’t even need to get out of bed. You schedule appointments, handle emails, do the travel arrangements, etc.

12) Developer

If you’ve got that coding skills, you can offer your services to anybody and charge them. Lots of companies, especially SMEs need a little help getting their websites set up.

13) Research & Surveys

Companies often need people to complete surveys too. You can get paid to complete short, long, in depth, MCQ or opinion questions for a price. Many companies need people who are able to gather information for them regarding particular topics. If you can navigate yourself around the different search engines, you can collect and summarise the required information.

14) Translator

If you know more than one language, you can use your skill set to professionally translate texts for companies and private individuals.

15) Transcriber

Many companies and researchers have recordings that they need someone to write out for them. You will have to familiarise yourself with transcription conventions. 

If all else fails

Put on a brave face, arrange a meeting with your superior and enquire about the possibility of working from home. If, in your current role, you are needed to be present in the office for certain job specific obligations, then you should weigh up the pros and cons of a more flexible schedule, enabling you to work certain days from home, or start later or leave earlier.

Read: How to convince your boss to give you flexible working hours

If you’re an exceptional employee with an excellent track record, your boss should have few qualms with rewarding you with a more flexible work schedule.

Do remember that working from home is not for everyone so you need to ensure that it’s the best move for your lifestyle. Perhaps your company's culture is what’s making you miserable and you’d be better off in a different environment. Rather apply for one of the job vacancies at South Africa’s top companies on Careers24.