Many of the guests we have staying with us in Villa Roquette use the Internet as part of their lifstyle and making a living.

They are able to travel and stay away from their main home for weeks, or months, at a time and work online. This is because their work uses their talents with their spoken and writing skills and does not need them permanently on-site to do a specific job.  It is not the Internet which has created the work, but that the Internet has simplified the method of delivery.

In the last fifteen years the Internet has created many jobs and opportunities, but I do not see many areas where the Internet has created new ways of making money, just variation on the old scams, multi-level schemes and gimmicks for delivering gratification.

Some people have made money from the websites themselves, design, hosting, optimising, applications etc etc – but these people would have sold a different snake-oil or written advertising for newspapers in other times. Most of us are no richer due to the Internet.

I had this email exchange today about coming to live in France and making a living from the Internet – in essence my reply says, if you are making a living in the USA from the Internet then, perhaps, you can maintain this in France.

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Tony,

……..I wondered if you knew what sort of businesses those  people have on the Internet. Would you mind sharing,  I’ve often thought that would be a perfect job, because you could llive anywhere.

Thanks again and all my best to your life style and family!!

Elizabeth

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Hello Elizabeth,

The only people I know who make use of the Internet to earn their living, and thus be able to live almost anywhere, are those people who are self employed, (most always have been self employed) and supply a service which rarely needs direct meetings. Most Internet “businesses” are services sold to other Internet users, design, software, site development etc – the market is flooded with people doing this – the good ones make a living and have many years of experience – most dabble and fail in a few months.

Other work using the Internet is usually Internet related work or types of journalism – people translating technical manuals, software code writers (although only specific types of projects) – selling your own life services or tuition, the Internet makes this more convenient but is no more than a delivery and communications tool – people worked from home this way before computers..

It is easier to say what it is not – definitely it is not possible to make a living through the Internet from the offers the Internet announces through Facebook etc – these are either multi-level marketing scams or ‘affiliate’ deals – the only people making money from this are the organisers of these frauds.

If you can make money sitting writing at your kitchen table, then the Internet will make it more convenient for you, but there are no magic money making schemes that are unique to the Internet.

If you have a passion which you can see a market for – then this may make it possible for independence.

What is your normal work, can you do this on the Internet already? If so then it may also work for you in France

Hope this helps

Tony