Develop Apps for Extra Money
With literally hundreds of thousands of smart phone apps out there, it’s difficult to imagine anyone getting rich off creating them. Sure, some companies are making money off apps, but the most popular apps are the free ones, which is part of the new strategy of making money from indirect sources rather than selling specific items. Give away an app, charge a subscription for the content. That means the company has a steady source of income, but the Android app developer only gets paid once.
This doesn’t mean that there isn’t money to be made from developing smart phone apps. Since most developers are freelance workers, hired to do one job at a time, there’s no reason someone with the right skills couldn’t earn a good second income from being a freelance developer. Anyone with a head for coding and an understanding of the basic elements of an app can learn to program for iPhones, Androids, and even iPads. There are numerous companies and websites available to advertise developer services or search for developer projects.
There’s also a market for developing apps for individual use. Private consumers who want to be able to make their phone do this or that but don’t have the knowledge to do it themselves are hiring app developers for one-off projects. That’s another way to turn app development into a solid sideline. Of course, there’s always the chance that a really good idea will hit and a developer will create a killer app that takes off and makes them a mini-fortune. But it’s best not to count on that and simply plan developing to be a second job.