16 Free Online Courses To Help You Work From Home
Looking for free work from home courses to kickstart your career? You’re not alone.
Working from home can give you the perfect mix of freedom and flexibility while still allowing you to earn enough money to pay the bills.
Plus, if your kids are sick or you want to take a last-minute holiday, you don’t have to worry about asking your boss for time off.
The trouble is knowing how to start working at home. If you’re dreaming of making money online or working from home but don’t know where to start, taking free online courses is a smart way to get up to speed.
They can help you answer questions like:
- Do I have the right skills?
- What’s the best way to manage my tasks?
- What services should I offer?
- How much money can I make?
There’s no one-size-fits-all way to work at home, so these free courses cover many paths to help get your virtual career off to a good start.
And while these free classes offer an amazing amount of information, they’re often used as a teaser to get you to buy the paid course.
But don’t worry – there’s no pressure, and you’re not obligated to spend any money upgrading to the paid course.
Just keep in mind you’ll probably get an email asking you to buy a paid course after you take the free one.
16 Free Work From Home Courses That’ll Change Your Life
Personally, I’ve gotten a lot of value out of free online courses without upgrading to the paid version. But I’ve invested some money in a few bloggi
ng classes and online courses to help build my writing and blogging career, too.
The trick is only to buy the ones that offer extreme value. And I’ve found the best way to know if a class is worth the money is to try out the free version first.
This way, you’ll get a taste of what the paid course is about, and you’ll know whether it’s worth your cash.
Without further ado, let’s crack on with these free work from home training courses to launch your journey to working at home.
1. Start a Virtual Assistant Business with This Webinar
Being a virtual assistant (VA) is one of the easiest businesses to get off the ground, and you can schedule your work to fit your life. Plus, it’s profitable since the earning potential is from $15 to $50 an hour.
If you have a computer or laptop and know-how to manage email, schedule appointments, fact-check, or do customer service, you’re off to a great start.
To carry your VA business even further, providing a more comprehensive range of services can help.
To figure out what skills to offer as a VA and how you can grow your virtual assistant business from nothing, watch this free webinar by Abbey Ashley of The Virtual Savvy – Become Booked Out Virtual Assistant Training Webinar
The webinar covers a lot of information you need to know as a beginner virtual assistant. It also acts as the introduction to Abbey’s paid course, which we rate as one of the best virtual assistant training options on the market today.
One tip I would recommend from experience is to choose a specialty, as specialized VAs can earn more than those offering general services. (I know this as I was a marketing virtual assistant for home based travel agents – super niche!)
Think of the the skills, experience and contacts you already have. So if you have a background in real estate or healthcare, branding yourself as a “real estate VA” or “VA for healthcare professionals” can set you apart from the others.
And for even more help to launch your VA career, including where to find clients and how to structure your business, check out our in-depth guide on how to become a virtual assistant.
2. Master a Foreign Language
With the world getting smaller every day, the need for quality translators is growing. Whether you want to work for yourself or find a remote job translating for another company, Duolingo will help you master a foreign language for free.
Yes, you read that right – free language learning tools!
Even if you didn’t want to work as a freelance translator, learning a second (or third!) language can open the door to new work-at-home opportunities in real estate, healthcare, sales, teaching, and customer service.
The free online language courses from Duolingo are available on your laptop or tablet, and they have a user-friendly smartphone app if you want to learn on the go, too.
The program personalizes each lesson to your learning style, which makes learning more comfortable. You’ll also get instant feedback to see how well you’re doing, so you can make adjustments as you go.
Duolingo has a social component to help you retain the language you’re learning and offers several online clubs to join to practice your skills.
Since you tend to forget what you don’t practice the online interaction can keep your skills sharp.
3. Work at Home as a Freelance Writer
In fact, most companies hire freelance writers because they skip the technical jargon and write in plain language that anyone can understand.
If writing is something you enjoy, this free course covers the 6 Keys to Online Freelance Success.
You’ll learn tips for time management and how to find clients that pay well from Holly Johnson, who makes over $225,000 a year writing online from home.
As a freelance writer, you’ll have the option to work for bloggers and businesses in any industry. No matter what your passion is – travel, finance, parenting, cooking, psychology, teaching, or something else – there are plenty of companies that will pay you to write for them.
If finding your area of expertise is a struggle, Gina Horkey from Horkey Handbook put together this massive list of over 200 niches to pick from. It’s a free download and can help you decide what to write about to launch your writing career.
4. Become an Online English Teacher
Teaching English online to students across China and the rest of the world has exploded in recent years. Companies like VIPKid, Cambly and Dada have revolutionised the way teachers earn and students learn.
Nicola Rae from Seenic Wander kindly wrote all about how she makes her living as an online English teacher in this article.
She’s since released a course showing others how to become online English teachers.
The main course is paid, but Nicola also offers a free video taster course which should give you a really good overview of what’s involved in teaching online and how much you can stand to earn.
You can check out the free video course here
5. Work at Home as a Copywriter
If you enjoy writing, are a curious thinker, and good at grammar, you may want to consider a career in copywriting.
While being a copywriter is technically “freelance writing,” it requires a very different skill set. Instead of writing articles for magazines or blogs, your work as a copywriter will include advertisements, product descriptions, brochures, emails, and websites.
Setting up a business at home as a copywriter is a piece of cake, and AWAI, which stands for American Writers and Artists Inc., has a free online copywriting course to help you begin.
The course narrows down a niche to focus on and guides you toward finding high paying clients. Plus, the nine-step program includes tips for building your writing skills and access to AWAI’s job board.
6. Free Classes for Computer Programming
With technology on the rise, the need for computer programmers has gone up over the last decade. And cashing in on your love for tech can pay off since computer programmers make a median salary of $82,240 according to US News and World Report.
Since coding and computer programming are online tasks, this job is commonly done remotely and is an excellent choice if you’re looking to work from home.
The best part? Codecademy has free classes that teach you to code in 12 different programming languages. And if you think about it, earning up to $40 an hour or more from skills you learned online for free sounds like a sweet deal.
The skills you learn from Codecademy transfer across several roles and are useful whether you want to build websites or analyze data.
And being a self-employed computer programmer from home is the perfect opportunity to grow a full-time income or to bring in extra cash on the side.
7. Become a Pinterest Pro
Pinterest is hot for business right now with over 1.5 million companies trying to cash in on it as a marketing tool. The trouble is that most companies are clueless as to how to get the traction they need to market their brand best.
That’s because Pinterest differs from other social media profiles and requires a unique skill set to turn it into a marketing machine for businesses.
If taking a deep dive into creating Pinterest profiles for companies sounds like something you’d like to learn, this free course will help you master Pinterest.
Then, you can work with big brands and offer insider tips and tricks to help them get the most out of the platform.
In this course, you’ll learn how to set up a profile that’s optimized for business, and get a walkthrough of how to create Pins so popular, they go viral.
Not only are those the skills businesses will pay you for, but they’re also in high demand for bloggers, too. And bloggers hire virtual assistants to help with Pinterest all the time.
With help from this course, you’ll be on the right path to making money from home as a Pinterest marketer or a Pinterest VA.
8. Make Money Proofreading at Home
Some people have an eye for detail and can spot a spelling or grammar mistake a mile away. If that sounds like you, being an online proofreader might be right up your alley.
Finding work as a proofreader can be profitable since everyone can benefit from having a fresh eye to scan their work.
And this free course from Proofread Anywhere will teach you what you need to know to build a business as a freelance proofreader.
This is an excellent opportunity to work from home and gives you the chance to set your own hours around your other responsibilities. And it’s perfect for doing on the side if you’re working another job or taking care of your kids, your family, or elderly parents.
But being a proofreader can be your primary source of income, too.
If you’re curious about how much money you could make and want to know if you have what it takes to be a successful proofreader, this free course is full of videos, printable content, freebies, and templates to answer your questions.
Related: How to Become a Proofreader: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
9. Start a Bookkeeper Business
Having an accounting degree or CPA certification isn’t a requirement to run a successful bookkeeping business. All you need is a love for numbers, to be detail-oriented, and enjoy working with spreadsheets to be a bookkeeper.
Some tasks you could do include:
- Entering invoices
- Managing accounts payable
- Tracking expenses
- Maintaining the general ledger
- Tracking inventory counts
- Entering employee payroll
- Overseeing project budgets
- Following up on purchase orders
If this opportunity interests you, check out this Bookkeeper Business Blueprint to learn how to work from home as a bookkeeper.
Although you’re free to work at your own pace, most people take only take a few days to complete this training. And if you have what it takes, earning up to $58,000 or more a year is possible.
Getting paid to drive around town doesn’t sound like a bad gig, and that’s precisely what you can do as a driver for Uber or Lyft.
To get the basics of how to run a rideshare business that turns a profit, Ridester has free training for new Uber and Lyft drivers.
A rideshare business is easily done from home, and you can schedule your driving shifts to fit your life.
If you’re in a city where rideshare services are popular, jumping in with your own car to pick up clients is a piece of cake.
Although living outside of the big city or in a rural area can complicate the process since residents might not be familiar with the service, it means there’s no competition.
And when there’s no competition, you have a fantastic opportunity to dominate the market and pick up extra cash.
Even if you’re on the fence about doing rideshare, Ridester’s free course will give you an inside peek at what doing rideshare might be like.
When you create a free account, you’ll get help to decide which rideshare service is right for you, how to make the most money, and tips for earning a full-time wage.
11. Learn Visual Marketing
If you love beautiful pictures or enjoy the time you spend on Pinterest or Instagram, visual marketing might be just the thing to jumpstart your work from home career.
This free visual marketing course from Tailwind has everything you need to get started as a blogger or social media manager. The course is also perfect if you want to add work from home certifications on Instagram or Pinterest to your repertoire.
Tailwind is an official partner of Instagram and Pinterest, and they have access to strategies that work. They base this course on data they gathered from over 60,000 brands, making the value of this course unmatched.
Plus, a lot of companies use Tailwind to manage their Instagram and Pinterest accounts, and this course gives you the inside scoop on visual marketing from the experts so you can hit the ground running.
12. Be a General Transcriptionist
If your typing speed is decent, turning your skill into a money-making venture is possible. While medical transcription requires training to master medical terms, anyone can be a general transcriptionist.
General transcriptionists are in high demand from businesses big and small who are looking for people just like you to transcribe their meetings or staff training sessions into a written document.
YouTubers and podcasters hire general transcriptionists to turn their audio and video episodes into blog posts or newsletters to share with their audience, and that’s a great way to make money, too.
Earning extra cash or making this your full-time gig is easy with the right tools and Transcribe Anywhere has a free general transcription course to teach you what you need to know.
The online course from Transcribe Anywhere will help you decide if transcription is right for you. You’ll find out how much you could earn and learn the most valuable skills you’ll need to make big bucks while working from home.
13. Specialize in Legal Transcription
While general transcription is a great place to start, developing a specialized business that provides legal transcription can boost your earning potential.
From attorneys to insurance companies to court reporting companies, there’s no shortage of jobs for legal transcriptionists.
If you’ve never done transcription, starting with a general transcription course is best. But if you’re ready to jump into making money at home with legal transcription, the legal transcription course from Transcribe Anywhere is perfect for you.
This course will show you what it takes to get started and help you find high paying clients by guiding you through the types of businesses that hire legal transcriptionists.
Lessons will arrive one at a time over four days, but you’re free to pick up where you left off if something comes up and you miss a day.
14. Start a Blog
When it comes to working at home, nothing compares to making money with a blog. If you’re passionate about a topic and want to help people, or want to set up your own online store, starting a blog can put money in your pocket.
The amount of cash you could earn will knock your socks off, and growing your website into a six-figure income isn’t as tough as you might think.
(Editors note – I made over $10,000USD blogging last month – blogging for profit is worth serious thought. )
All it takes is a little creativity to get your blog up and running, and this free start a blog course will show you how it’s done.
Setting up your at-home blogging business with this course is straightforward even if you don’t have a technical background. You’ll learn everything from how to create your site and build traffic to tips and tricks to make money.
The course also includes guides on using Pinterest and Google SEO to increase your exposure and get more views to boost your earnings.
No matter what topic you write about on your blog, making money from anywhere in the world is a real possibility. As long as you have an internet connection, you aren’t tied to a specific location.
Remember: when and how often you work on your blog is entirely up to you. And that makes starting a blog a fantastic option for people who want to build their dream life while on the go.
Related: Best Blogging Courses: The Courses That Took Me From Zero to $5K/Month
15. Become a Graphic Designer
By learning the basics of becoming a graphic designer, you could develop valuable skills. Every industry needs graphic designers for logos, website branding, social media marketing, magazine layouts, consulting, and more.
As a graphic designer, you have the freedom to set your own hours and pick who you work with. If working on the weekends or at night after the kids go to bed is your only option, you can still make money at home.
To start your work at home career as a graphic designer, these intro to graphic design courses will teach you the basics without having to invest in fancy software or expensive equipment.
By taking these courses, you’ll get an advantage over others in the field by understanding what makes a good design. And you’re given a certificate of completion when you’re done to build credibility with your clients.
Whether you have a chunk of free time and want to dive in right away, or if spreading the course out over a few days or weeks is more your style, this class is for you because it includes full lifetime access.
That means going back to review key concepts can be done at any time if you want to refresh your memory.
16. Make Money Selling on Amazon
Amazon is the go-to marketplace for almost every type of product imaginable, and it only makes sense that you’d want to get in on the action.
The trick to cashing in with this work at home gig is to buy low and sell high. And that makes selling on Amazon a slam dunk for bargain shoppers.
It’s called Amazon FBA, or “Fulfillment by Amazon,” and doesn’t require you to keep an inventory on-hand.
All the profit without the hassle of storing inventory in your garage sounds too good to be true, but tons of people are making money selling items on Amazon in their spare time at home.
To understand how Amazon FBA works and how to pick products that sell, this 7-day email course from The Selling Family will cover everything you need to know to start selling on Amazon.
Which Free Course is Right for You?
The great advantage of working at home is the flexibility. Not only can you set your own work hours, but you have the freedom to change course if you don’t like what you’re doing.
If you start out as a virtual assistant but find out you hate doing the work, you’re not stuck doing it forever.
Since you’re the boss of your time and your business, you’ll have no trouble transitioning into selling on Amazon, starting a blog, or working as a proofreader.
And you don’t have to pick just one – launching multiple businesses side by side can open the door to even more money-making opportunities, and these free courses make getting started a breeze.
If you’ve been putting off your dream of working at home, it’s time to take the leap and grab some of the best certifications to work from home to your list of achievements. What are you waiting for?
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