The Possibilities Are Endless

Before you can legitimately start writing off computer equipment, software and internet access, you have to be certain that your business will stand up to the scrutiny of a tax audit. I am not a tax expert, so please heed my advice and contact a professional before attempting to write off any of your own business expenses. First and foremost, you'll need to make sure that your business is making money. Having said that, when it comes to making money with your computer, the possibilities are truly endless. I'm going to throw out just a few ideas and hopefully it will get your own creative juices flowing on how you might be able to start earning extra income with your computer from home.

Are you good at writing? The internet has sparked a revolution with respect to people who provide content for the countless websites and blogs out there. Many of which require writers to provide them with content. Becoming a freelance writer is now more in demand than it has ever been. You might want to check out the following link if you have any interest whatsoever in a career in writing:

     http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Freelance-Writer

There isn't really a business model in existence that couldn't benefit from having a website. So if you're good with computers and you know a little HTML, you might consider building wesbites for the small businesses in you area. Websites vary from the tiny mom & pop types of businesses all the way up to the flashiest of the mega-billion dollar corporations. Your skill set will dictate where you might fit in, but no matter what your current skill level, there is a market for your talents. In addition to writing the code behind a great website, there is a demand for graphical artists who can create the business logos and other graphical images that adorn a business's website. So even if you don't have the ability to create a website, you could still take advantage of the internet boom if you have artistic abilities and know how to create great layouts using photoshop or pagemaker or any of a large number of graphical art packages on the market today. And once again, when it comes to websites, content is king, so I'll say it again here, freelance writers are in huge demand.

When it comes to building websites, I personally have created a great deal of them; from the very simple, to fairly complex database driven sites requiring eCommerce solutions and real time connections to other systems. One of the things that I'm finding out is that developing the website is only a small part of doing business in the online arena. Having a website doesn't necessarily mean that a business is going to be a huge success online. You still have to market, so there is also a huge demand for Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing professionals. This is an area in which copy writing and target market analysis have become fairly competitive, but with a little marketing know-how, you can master the skills required to drive internet traffic. This area is extremely lucrative and provides for a great creative outlet if you're so inclined.

These are but a handful of ways that you can have a business that allows you to create additional income. It also provides a wealth of tax write-offs for the tools that you use in doing business for yourself. Once again, I need to reiterate that I am not a tax expert and that you want to contact a tax professional before attempting to write off any type of business expense. I haven't done my own taxes in years, so I'm not 100% certain of what goes on in my accountant's office, but I do know that a lot of the things I buy, are legitimately written off as part of my business and this is something you'll want to consider, if not for this current tax season, get started now in making the hit next year a little less painful when it comes to paying taxes.