Is it really that easy to earn money in Second Life?

There is a general rumbling in the internet world about Second Life, the so called Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMPORG). Let me give you the skinny right here and now: it is possible to earn a very good living by earning Linden Dollars ($L) in Second Life and turning them into real money. However, it is far from easy because as of this writing, the average ration of $L to US dollars is about 270 to 1 (that means that for every L$270 you earn in Second Life, you only earn $1 USD). Assuming that this has not dissuaded you from attempting to earn a real life living in a virtual world, there are four good ways to earn $L and ultimately real dollars:

•     Buy them directly on the LindeX,
•     Get a job in Second Life,
•     Start your own business in Second Life or...
•     Become a Real Estate Baron.

We'll explore each of these methods one by one.

Buying Linden Dollars on the LindeX
The LindeX is a Linden Dollar exchange offering residents of Second Life the ability to either buy or sell $L. This is by far the best way to get your $L, though it's not technically "earning" them. However, buy obtaining them this way, you have more resources to buy the things you want on Second Life. Besides, as the old saying goes, "you gotta spend money to make money," and this applies in Second Life as well as in real life. This definitely applies if you decide that you want to earn $L by getting a job in Second Life.

Getting a job in Second Life
One thing to understand about earning money in Second Life is that you will not earn much money ($L or otherwise) by working for someone else. Jobs in Second Life are just as hard to come by as in real life, and when you do secure a position, rarely do you earn more than a few hundred $L an hour. Also, for some jobs, you must have your own equipment. DJ's need their own music and software to stream music online, Security guards often need their own protective gear and armament to protect their employers interests. On the other hand, it can be useful for experience to have a Job in SL should you decide that you want to start your own business.

Starting a business in Second Life
Online experience isn't the only necessity for starting a business in Second Life. Sometimes, in fact a lot of the time your own real world experience can help you earn $L. For example, if you write in the real world, why not take that experience and apply it to a publishing house in Second Life? It's also easy to turn your dreams into reality on Second Life: say you've always wanted to be a Private Detective or an Exotic Dancer. In Second Life these are much easier dreams to obtain than in real life but one of the best dreams is to become a Real Estate Mogul.

Real Estate in Second Life
At the time of this writing, the riches person in Second Life is a virtual Real Estate Mogul. Buying and selling real estate in Second Life is fairly simple and straightforward, but it is far from easy. For example, Second Life used to have a program where the first 512 square meters of virtual land you bought was only $L1 per meter. Second Life has since dropped this program, making it harder to buy land at a reasonable price. However, by continually searching for land that you can either sell at a higher price than what you bought it for or using that land to set up a store, you can definitely earn a good amount of $L.

Conclusion
Well now, you've learned about four of the most popular ways of getting $L on Second Life. But these are just general topics and there are a myriad of ways within these four that you can use with a little creativity. I hope I haven't disappointed you from trying to earn $L, however it's best to realize that like any money making endeavor, it takes skill, luck and patience to succeed in SL or anywhere else. The purpose of this article was not to turn you away from earning money in SL and therefore in the real world, but to let you know what it takes to be a success in it.

Posted in: Free Lindens,The Basics,Virtual Economy