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Updated: February 16, 2022

17 Comments Start Earning Online

Working Online For €9/hour – Is This A Joke??

Start Earning Online – Lesson 8

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Watch the video or scroll down to read this lesson instead.

Did you ever hear how Warren Buffett – one of the wealthiest people in the world, worth $76 billion last I checked – got started in business?

Mr. Buffett started out doing a bunch of odd jobs as a young fella back in the 1940’s and 50’s, from selling chewing gum to delivering newspapers to cashing in discarded tickets at the race track.

It was all fairly tedious and low-paying work, but he was consistent with it and saved every penny he made.

By the time he was sixteen years old, he’d already earned the equivalent of about $60,000 in today’s money.

He took that small fortune and started investing.

By the time he was thirty years old, back in 1960, he was a millionaire. He became a billionaire in the 1980’s, and today he’s worth about $76 billion dollars.

Here’s a chart via MarketWatch showing how Buffett’s net worth has grown over the years:

As you can see there, he started out earning very little, and ramped it up greatly over time, to the point where he was able to add $12 BILLION to his fortune in 2016 alone!

On a related note…

Here’s a post I came across recently back in a Facebook group for digital nomads:

Basically, it’s someone looking to hire freelance translators for remote work at €9/hour, and, of course, social media being what it is, people start bickering in the comments.

A lady named Christina especially takes offence:

Yes, Christina is not a happy camper, and in fairness, she has a point.

Because yeah, you can’t really live on €9 an hour.

Not in a developed country anyway, unless you become some kind of frugal hermit and spend your evenings clipping coupons.

And yet, unlike Christina, I had no problem whatsoever with that job posting. I even shared it with a bunch of people online.

Now why would I do such a thing? Why would I go around sharing such a JOKE of a job opportunity with good, honest people?

I’ll tell you why.

It’s because I believe €9/hour is a perfectly reasonable rate for good, honest people just starting out building a business, especially for work you can do from anywhere on a flexible schedule.

Sure, €9/hour is not going to earn you much of a living, but, and here’s the key thing:

It’s a start!

I know folks who began working online for $5-10/hour and now often make $5000 or more per month, like Carlo from Ireland and Justin from the USA

If they’d turned their nose up at those low-paying jobs initially they’d never be where they are today.

Much like Warren Buffett wouldn’t be worth $76 billion today if he’d turned his nose up at selling chewing gum and delivering newspapers.

So listen, I know I write a lot about getting off to a fast start with your online business and how there’s no shortage of money to be made – and that’s all true! – but at the same time be sure to keep your feet on the ground and start small.

Speaking of which, here’s a tweet that I love from one of my favorite online entrepreneurs, Ramit Sethi. Someone asked him how to build an 8-figure business and Ramit responded:

To quote Ramit further…

“The uncomfortable truth is that most people would rather dream about running a $5 million business than actually run a $50,000 business (and grow it from there).”

And actually, if you’re just starting out, you probably shouldn’t even be thinking about a $50,000 business yet.

Focus instead on:

  • Earning your very first $1 online.
  • Then your first $10.
  • Then your first $100.
  • Then aim to earn $100 every week.
  • Then $1000 in a month.

Progress steadily like that, step by step, just like Warren Buffett did, until you’re swimming in your own big pile of money.

And sure, by all means, be skeptical of any €9 job opportunities that come your way, but please DON’T be one of those people who is SO skeptical and SO critical that they never take any action.

Because if you do nothing, nothing is going to change for you.

Don’t wait around for the perfect opportunity. There is no perfect opportunity. If you’re waiting for one, you’re going to be waiting a looooong time.

Take a few $5-10 jobs if it will get your feet wet with online work and build some momentum.

Trust me, doing that, you’ll end up much off than all those critics and naysayers on Facebook.

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About The Author
Niall Doherty – Founder and Lead Editor of eBiz Facts Born and raised in Ireland, Niall has been making a living from his laptop since quitting his office job in 2010. He's fond of basketball, once spent 44 months traveling around the world without flying, and has been featured in such publications as The Irish Times and Huffington Post. Read more...

17 thoughts on “Working Online For €9/hour – Is This A Joke??”

  1. I’ve got to make some decisions. What do I want to “do” online? Then GET ON IT! I just received word that my position is being officially ended this week… it’s Wednesday! I have a few contacts to be able to supplement until I can get my feet under me. Time to get my arse in gear

    Reply
  2. The scary action that I will need to face is extending my visa here in Tel Aviv as my flight to Bulgaria was cancelled, so I had no choice but to run over my 90-day visa, listening to ther travellers stuck here they got a hard time at the Ministry of Interior ( I really thought common sense would prevail ) I am in a kind of limbo, as I need to have an onward flight booked before I can extend my visa. Its Friday, June 12th 2020, and my flight options are limited due to country restrictions of entry. I am from England, and I don’t wish to return yet. So Greece is now looking my best bet. I am not sure if I am using this as a reason to delay starting my online business venture, but I am using a lot of time contacting Embassies, checking which countries make it easy to fly to, as there are some convoluted flight routes. Checking the news in several destinations. My German friend just had her flight cancelled, so she has to extend her visa again. Another lady made it back after having 3 flights cancelled. So in summary, I find most of my mental energies are on my exit strategy

    Reply
  3. Not done the methods from the last video yet, will get started tomorrow.
    Got to start somewhere and starting small means you don’t have far to fall.

    Reply
  4. i sat down to go through your lessons one at a time this Saturday, April 11 because I wanted to hear everything. My first action has to be sign up on a social media. I was a facebooker back in the early days when you could not do businesses on that social media. I have to learn to get on Tweet and maybe one more. I do have a FB name, I think. It takes so much time away from my learning is why I have not done FB.
    Thanks for your wonderful step-by-step method of teaching so I can get going. I have my notes and have the templates.

    Reply
  5. I just took a test for a remote working company that was paying $0.30/s for proofreading. I hope to pass the test, and get to work.

    Reply
  6. I am not ready to start looking for clients yet. I am investigating if working on line will be a viable options for me: My dream is to get free from the rat race but at the moment i am deep into it. between work and commute i have a 13 hrs day, all week. I also have to support my family so I can’t give up this job at the moment. My goal is to learn the skills I need to work on line as a writer (articles, reviews, editing, etc..) and than start chasing work. For what I can understand so far from your lessons, to start with, time investment is essential, but i will not be able to put more than 5 to 10 hrs max per week into this project.I am determined to succed but, seeing the short time i can invest right now, I expect that it will take much longer to get good results, which is not a problem as i am not in a hurry, as long as i eventually get there. My question is do You think that this “slow” approach could work or it is unlikely that i can get and increase any online income in this way? any comments and suggestions welcome, Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Nine euro an hour bad? My first job as a potato peeler in a hotel kitchen was 1 pound 40 and i was delighted to get it !!
    Ive joined upwork and compiled my profile although i may edit it further as ive sold myself short.

    Reply
  8. I approached someone directly (door-to-door method) and got offered a trial to be an SEO writer for them. Low pay initially at $10 per 500 words, but it’s a start! Will see how things develop.

    Reply
  9. It wasn’t easy getting the first client but I think getting the 2nd took the longest time (I don’t know why). What I know is that I do not challenge the client’s budget. As a beginner, my most important thing is to do a perfect job and get a 5 star rating (it is worth more than money, esp on upwork)…give the clients a great service and they end up giving you a bonus.

    Reply
  10. You are right on the money Niall! One of those steps that I recommend to people that want to get started is to start with Fiverr and of course, most people don’t take action and raise hell. Its not about the making a killing, it’s all about learning how to deal with clients and getting your feet wet. Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  11. A really valid article Niall and also something people get caught up in when they are starting out. The $9 per hour rate is just the first stepping stone. Seize the day and the testimonial from that job well done and build upwards!

    Reply

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