hi all

Interesting question -

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head would be to build web-sites for local companies in your area. If of course you know how to do that sort of thing.

Other than that maybe offer your skills to the community in teaching others about and how to use Linux. Maybe they'll pay you.. .:-)

contract yourself to local businesses and see if they need some IT work done.

david93 wrote:

hallo
my name is david and i am 16 years old. i started linux ubuntu about a year ago. i spend quite a lots of time on it, researching and learning different things about linux and unix. can you tell me please is there any way i could earn some pocket money with linux from home while i am spending time on it.
i am in school as well and i dont want to work part time on something else because after i cant spend time on linux. can you suggest me what to do please.
thank you very much appreciate it.

Good for you, David. Nice to see some initiative and personal motivation from our younger members.
I agree with the "learning about the Ubuntu server," however, you said that you wanted to do the work
from home so marketing is going to be an issue.

As a consultant, I would suggest the following:
1) Check out "remote pay for service sites" one that I like is crossloop.com. You can use it for free, deploying your services to those that need it while getting your expertise out.

2) Contact the local Chamber of Commerce, Business club, or associations (real estate, legal, medical, etc) and talk to them about offering to provide services to their members at first for internship/knowledge, and then later as your presence grows, begin to charge by the incident: $20/per, then $25/per then $30, etc.

3) Write some "letters to the editor" or offer to answer technical questions for your local paper. Nothing smells like expertise than having potential clients see your name in writing: instant authority bestowal.

4) Finally, begin a technical blog and then start to give out the URL to local people, businesses, and associations. Use the blog to answer "local" questions and issues of technology like using Linux to reduce TCO (total cost of ownership), use of LInux servers instead of for fee-servers, and the like.

A couple of weeks/months of this type of exposure, and you will begin to see potential clients start to nibble. A good successful project can then be shoe-horned into more exposure and "authoritative presence" and you are on your way. Just remember, don't run before you walk. Don't try to take on too much while you are still having educational demands on your time. The last thing you want is the word to get out that one does not complete projects. I would suggest while still in school, take on only 1 project at a time. Give it your allowed attention apart from school, complete it, and then ask for a note of reference or satisfaction that you can use to "pad your consulting" portfolio.

Sorry if I rambled on longer than necessary, but I am very pleased to see young people take an interest in helping others with their IT issues while making money on their own. Let me know how it goes, David.

Nanouk
1981-1984 UC Berkeley CS adjunct instructor, BSD team
Yes, I'm a old guy ;-) :cheer: