Never before have things proved to be so testing for pretty much everyone throughout the world. There is no more ‘normal’ and like many others, we spend much of the time wondering what normal ever was and whether in fact we even want a return!

There has been however, one section of society who have been able to take advantage of this new brave world. They are those people that can work from home using all the incredible technology that is available at our fingertips.

Online work is becoming more and more popular and the ability to make money from the comfort of your own home relatively easy. You don’t even need any special equipment to start with. All you need is a computer or laptop (and in some cases just a smart phone), a webcam and an internet connection and the world is literally your oyster.

So, what does it actually involve?

One of the most important things to realise from the very start is that you don’t need to have a big fan base in the beginning. In fact, many models don’t even use social media. Instead, they rely on creating relationships with fans on the site they are working from.

Assuming that you are going to have to take off your clothes and perform sexual acts in front of your webcam is also a misnomer. It’s the one question I ask all the models I meet and almost all of them state that they spend more than 60% of their time online simply chatting. Without a doubt, it’s how you earn the most money and create long term (online) relationships.

In fact, using your personality is one of the keys to being a successful model and much more important than your looks. You’ll realise very soon that the people using the service are far more interested in getting to know you and creating more of a ‘Virtual Girlfriend’ kind of connection with you.

Creating your online ‘persona’

The more time you spend on putting together your ‘character’ the easier it will be to concentrate on building the kind of career you want. It’s very tempting to jump straight in with the promise of a bulging bank account within days. However, like any business, the more you plan, the better prepared you are. The more prepared you are, the more relaxed you’ll be while you are actually online.

Think about characteristics that you will find easy to enact and that will be believable to those looking on. It’s especially important when it relates to your looks as they are not easy things to disguise. You can easily state that you are outgoing and like the outdoors when you in fact are shy and prefer to stay in and watch TV. However, if you say you love football, be prepared for an in-depth conversation about your favourite team at some point!

If it makes it easier, write down your online qualities and refer to them often whilst you are online. Make sure your profile description refers to these features. Don’t feel tempted to add something which doesn’t really fit in with your overall ‘theme’.

Whatever you do, never miss-sell yourself. It doesn’t look good and can be a real turn off for many people. It can also get you into heaps of trouble. You need to think of it like a transaction of sorts. You have advertised something, which the buyer then expects. If they don’t receive it, in some cases they may have the right to demand a refund!

Do your research

Before you sign up to any site or studio, find out as much as you can first. One of the best routes in is via a recommendation. It’s unlikely for a friend or colleague to give you bad advice in this instance. You can check out a few of the many forums on the web but do be careful. You must sometimes take what others say with a ‘pinch of salt’. People are very quick to write scathing reports when they feel they have been hard done by and on occasion, they are unfair and often untrue. They are far less likely to write when things go well!

See what information the site itself proposes. Do they offer you support and guidance? Will they guide you through all the processes and speak with you one on one when you need help? Does their site contain easy to read and understand information, or is it all hidden in the terms and conditions?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and if you don’t get a response, think carefully before joining their team.

Above all, remain positive and remember, with the right attitude and some hard work, you can have an amazing career online.