Are you ready to start your online career, or take one to the next level? If so, free courses are the perfect way to get your feet wet and see if a particular online career is the right one for you.
For me, a free course was the thing that got me started in affiliate marketing. I was interested but unsure and not ready to make an investment. Taking the free course gave me the chance to check affiliate marketing out and see if it would fit into my busy life, and if I even liked it.
Once I got into the course material, I was excited to find out it was a legitimate way to make an income from home, and that it was flexible enough to fit into my busy life. After that, I was ready to invest with confidence.
Take a look at the following free online courses to start your work-at-home career and see if one or two stand out to you.
They are all FREE and have all been verified as legitimate work-from-home careers.
[Disclosure: There are some affiliate links below, but these are all courses I highly recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that I haven’t verified and/or personally used.]
[Updated June 23, 2020]
Free introductory bookkeeping business course
- 3-session video course with transcripts
- Presents what bookkeeping actually is, the characteristics needed, the income potential, the basics of getting clients, the mindset required and more!
Interview with the course creator, Ben Robinson CPA
Free introduction to general proofreading
- 76-minute workshop
- Jam-packed with info on how to start a proofreading business
- Shows what good proofreaders do and don’t do, how to develop the skills you’d need, how to use one of the most popular proofreading tools and more
Interview with the course creator, Caitlin Pyle
Free scoping intro course
- 7-day email course
- It provides a basic idea of what scoping is, the demand for it, the skills and education required, the earning potential, marketing aspects and what you need to get started
Interview with the course creator, Linda Evenson
Free general transcription mini course
- 7-day email course
- Provides information about general transcription as a career – who can do it, who needs it, where you can find clients, how much you can make, the skills you need, whether or not you fit the bill to become a transcriptionist and more…
Interview with the course creator, Janet Shaughnessy
Free legal transcription mini course
- 4-day email course
- An overview of the legal transcription industry along with foundational information to help you in your decision on whether or not it is a career that would suit your interests and needs
Interview with the course creator, Janet Shaughnessy
Free Amazon FBA Starter Course
- 9-part video course
- Helps you understand why Amazon is perfect for building a business, how you can use it to avoid inventory cluttering your own home, how to choose inventory that will make you a profit, how to choose the right items – the ones people want and the tools that help save time and help you run your business efficiently
Free access to introductory affiliate marketing training
- Access to the first 10-lesson course that is part of the Wealthy Affiliate Online Entrepreneur Certification
- 2 free websites
- Access to the first 10-lesson course that is the basis of affiliate marketing
Some FAQs about this affiliate marketing training platform
Review of the full training offered
Free introductory court transcript proofreading course
- 7-day email course
- Provides some basic tips and advice on general proofreading and gives an introduction to court transcript proofreading, a proofreading niche that many of us haven’t even heard of
Review of the free course
Interview with the course creator, Caitlin Pyle
Free Voice Over Mini-Course
- A free multi-lesson introductory overview of voice over work
- Video format
- Covers what voice over work entails, what skills are needed, how voice artists find work, how much money they make, and more!
Interview with Julie Eickhoff, the course creator
Free Training Workshop on Becoming a Pinterest VA and Landing Your First Client
- Learn what you need to get started as a Pinterest VA
- Discover which services to offer and how much to charge
- Insight on what to expect as a new online business owner
- Learn where to look for clients, how to pitch them, and how to land your first paying client
Interview with Kirstin, a co-creator of the course
Access to Work YOUR Way Summit – a free virtual event to help you build you work-from-home career
- The Summit starts with a masterclass
- The Work-from-home Truth Bombs e-book and more
- Access to Work-at-Home Heroes Facebook group – an awesome place to ask all of your questions about working from home
- Continues with informative emails
- Includes the free Work-at-Home-School Summit hosting more than 35 experts offering introductory training enabling you to plan, build and thrive working from home.
Interview with Work-at-Home-School creator, Caitlin Pyle.
Review of Work-at-Home Summit
Additional Free Resources
Free Business Ideas Quiz – Not sure what kind of work-from-home business to start? Take our free quiz to find out which business is likely to work best for you based on your skills, characteristics, and interests!
4 Quick Steps to Jumpstart Your Virtual Assistant Business
This brand new guide is a quick and easy way to help you determine exactly what kind of VA you want to be! Includes tips for turning prospects into clients and a list of 150+ services you can offer as a VA! If you’re interested in finding out more about the world a virtual assistant Gina’s interview might be an interesting read.
A free list of more than 200 niches to give you ideas of what you could write about if you are considering becoming a freelance writer – ideas to inspire and get your imagination flowing! Wondering if freelance writing is a realistic work-from-home career for a mom with limited time? Check out this interview.
Three Free Workbooks If you’re interested in offering Podcast VA services but not sure where to begin, one workbook covers the top podcast skills that small businesses need your help with. You’ll also receive a podcast launch checklist to make sure your new podcast is set up for success. Finally, you’ll receive the exclusive podcast production checklist Podcast VAs use with their own personal clients, starting from the set up all the way through content promotion.
Free ebook, The Truth About Transcription– This info-packed book offers real talk about what it takes to succeed at transcription, why some people may fail, and the reality of what it’s like to work from home. She separates myth from fact and the scams and the legitimate opportunities.
Course Research Checklist – You always want to do your homework before investing your hard-earned money into an online training course. That’s why we’ve put together this free checklist so that you can make an informed decision as to whether the course is right for you!
You probably have a gut feeling right off the bat about which course sounds like a good fit for you, but it doesn’t hurt to sign up for more than one course since they’re completely free.
Now is the time to do some thorough research. You never know – you might be surprised by one. And be sure to check in again if you find the courses you sign up for aren’t the right fit. This page will be updated with more free online courses to start your work-at-home career as new ones become available and are verified as worthwhile courses!