Android - Make Money from Home with Android Apps - Guide for Beginners

What is the purpose of this post?
If you have been following my blog so far, you will know there have been a lot of ups and downs in my efforts to make money from home, indeed to make a living with my Android apps.

My intention is to go through a few of the decisions I had to make before I started this blog, and how I got to where I am now in terms of development. I feel the information will be particularly helpful to those who with to earn a living with their own Android apps, and work from home as a developer.


My Android money making plan
The modern world is full of people who want to make money from home. Some people only dream of it, but nowadays it is common to hear of application developers earning a very good living, right from their laptop at home.

When I first discovered Android, I immediately wanted to become one of those people. I wanted to choose my own working hours, create something of my own that others would enjoy and/or find useful, and most of all earn enough money from it to quit my full time job and take up Android development full time.

I did have to ask myself a couple of questions though before I began devoting time and effort to development:

1. Am I capable of developing an Android app that will be popular enough to earn money?
2. Can I make a living with Android apps?
3. How do I make a living with Android apps?

I will answer these questions with the same answers I told myself.

1. Am I capable of developing an Android app that will be popular enough to earn money?

As with many things, you need a good idea, a lot of time and a lot of patience to be successful. Developing an application starts with a good idea, and I do have them from time to time! If you believe you have a good idea, or you know of something that people need and that they don't already have, then build it.

If there is a weaker alternative available, build on it and make a better version, or a version that is cheaper, and you are onto a winner.

This is just common sense, and it is the strategy I have been and will be using in the future in order to ensure my Android application development business/career is a successful one.

2. Can I make a living with Android apps?
Yes is the simple answer to this question. It has been done numerous times by individuals. My intention is not to become rich. In fact, I can stand to earn a little less than I am earning now in my current full time employment due to expenses driving and parking at work (approx £200/$350 a month fuel and £20/$35 for parking), which is money I would save if I worked from home. Not to mention saving on car maintenance costs ( 1000-1400 miles per month means my car needs plenty of attention!).
One particularly interesting story about an individual who has earned a decent living with Android apps, is that of Edward Kim.
After a lot of research, I decided it is quite possible to earn a living with Android apps.

3. How do I make a living with Android apps?
The process of making money with android apps is quite simple:

1. Think of an idea
2. Check if it has been done already
3. If it is not currently available (or you can build a better version), then develop it
4. Publish it
5. Earn money from app sales or in-app advertising

Once you have your idea, spend as much of your time as you can making it as good as possible. A second rate app will not be successful. An app with bugs or a bad interface will not be successful.

If your app is bad, your ratings will be bad, and it's a (cliché alert!) downward spiral to failure.

Build a good app, and people will download it and keep it.

The most important piece of information I can offer to anyone wishing to make a living from Android development.

Patience is a virtue. Don't give up and don't stop improving.

Even if you are only ever making minor improvements to your apps, you are learning new skills, and improving your app even a little, may get you those extra positive ratings.

Thank you for reading.

Mike.