Digital products & licensing / Remote
Software plug-in development
Build a narrowly scoped extension for a platform whose development terms permit it.
What to price before starting
Price development access, testing, distribution and ongoing security maintenance.
Use your own written quotes, including recurring costs and the cash you could lose. Owning equipment does not establish customer demand.
Skills you must be able to demonstrate
Programming, compatibility testing and support planning.
Before the first payment
Resolve platform terms, safe release testing and a real purchase or license arrangement.
Keep the deliverable, exclusions, approvals and payment responsibility in writing. Do not treat a lead, an invoice or a promised reimbursement as money received.
Where this can go wrong
Platform changes, defects and security problems create continuing obligations.
Requirements and refusal boundaries
Respect platform and component licenses, privacy duties and actual permissions.
Confirm the exact activity with the relevant authority and insurer. The references below explain general issues; they do not approve this individual service in your jurisdiction.
A lower-risk validation step
Prototype in a test environment and document uninstall and failure behavior.
Set a stop condition before spending: what evidence would make you decline, change scope or stop? A practice sample should never expose another person's confidential material.
Primary checks
- SBA: licenses and permits
Activity and location determine permits; contact the issuing authority.
- IRS: self-employed tax center
US self-employment tax, return and recordkeeping guidance; no tax calculation is supplied here.
- US Copyright Office: copyright basics
Original works and ownership rights. Access to a file is not a license to sell it.
References reviewed for this publication in November 2026. Rules can change. This entry contains no earnings estimate and makes no assurance of demand.