The internet has changed everything about how we work and play -- it's made our lives easier but also more challenging. It's not uncommon for people who are interested in starting their own small side hustle or working at home full-time to wonder if they have any hope of success. There was a time when launching your first online business could be as simple as creating a website with a few articles on it and hoping that customers would find you. That strategy doesn't always pay off anymore. If you've been considering making some extra cash through a new side gig, here are a few ways you might be able to do just that.
You don't need millions of dollars (or even hundreds) to become wealthy. You can make enough money to live comfortably without having to worry too much about bills if you follow this path:
1. Create a blog and write content regularly. This will take a lot of work initially, but once you build your audience, you'll see steady income coming in each month.
2. Start a YouTube channel and create videos related to your niche. Once you gain traction with your followers, you can monetize those channels to earn additional revenue.
3. Sign up for services like Amazon Associates so that whenever someone buys something using one of your affiliate links, you receive a commission.
4. Sell handmade goods on Etsy. The site offers many opportunities for sellers to reach out to buyers directly or via other third parties.
5. Make use of social media marketing platforms like Facebook Ads and Instagram ads to promote yourself and your products. For example, you may want to offer free ebooks in exchange for sharing them on Twitter.
6. Use ClickBank to sell digital products such as courses, guides, software, etc., which you can then market across all major social networks.
7. Offer paid surveys where you provide valuable insights into topics covered within your niche. To stay competitive, you should aim to complete around 100 surveys per week.
8. Join up with freelance sites like Upwork, Freelancer, People Per Hour, TaskRabbit, and others. These websites allow freelancers to connect with clients seeking help with specific skillsets. As long as you have relevant experience, you can easily get hired and generate income immediately.
9. Become a virtual assistant. This involves helping companies set up email accounts, manage projects, organize client files, schedule appointments, and perform similar administrative tasks. Depending on the size of the company, you may only have to handle several tasks every day. A VA salary range typically starts between $10-$20/hour.
10. Teach English overseas. Many countries require foreign teachers to obtain a visa before being allowed to teach there. In order to qualify, you must pass ESL certification exams and prove proficiency in conversational English. Once you apply for admission to a school, you can begin teaching students after passing a background check. Some schools also accept applications year round.
11. Write books. Writing fiction novels or nonfiction self-help guides takes significant amounts of research and writing time. However, if you plan carefully, you can turn your passion project into a lucrative endeavor.
12. Build apps. With the right app development team, you can design, develop, test, release, and market mobile apps on both Apple and Google Play stores. Apps are easy to create because programmers simply need to copy and paste code onto a page. They cost less than traditional web hosting plans, often costing under $50/month.
13. Perform data entry jobs. Data entry refers to entering information into various forms and databases. Although this job sounds tedious, it actually makes sense given the amount of technology available today. Even though it requires minimal effort, it pays well since employees rarely complain about repetitive tasks.
14. Work as a customer service agent. Customer service positions are plentiful and offer flexible hours compared to other types of employment. Companies hire call center agents to answer incoming calls and respond to emails sent by customers. While answering questions, agents learn more details about the problem presented so that they can better assist the caller.
15. Do product reviews. Reviewing items sold online helps potential buyers decide whether or not to purchase them. Sites like Yelp, Angie’s List, and Epinions have numerous opportunities for writers. Simply search “product review" + keyword(s).
16. Run your own classified ad. Craigslist allows anyone to post a listing for sale or trade. Most listings sell for little or no fee.
17. Get involved with crowdfunding campaigns. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are two popular crowdfunding platforms used by entrepreneurs and inventors alike. You can either host a campaign yourself or join another entrepreneur’s campaign. Both options usually require minimal funding.
18. Take part in survey panels. Survey panelists fill out questionnaires provided by online advertising firms and email listservs. Each answer provides feedback regarding consumer preferences. Since respondents aren't paying for anything, they are willing to share personal opinions.
19. Participate in telemarketing. Telemarketers are called upon to speak with prospective customers over the phone. During the conversation, they ask qualifying questions pertaining to the individual’s needs and desires. When qualified leads come in, sales representatives convert them into actual purchases.
20. Be a professional translator. Translating documents, websites, and other written materials isn’t difficult to accomplish. Professional translators charge according to the number of words translated rather than hourly rates. Translation agencies provide clients with quality translations while taking care of the paperwork associated with translation.
21. Sell crafts on eBay. Selling arts and crafts on eBay is a great way to generate passive income. Crafty individuals often list their creations on the platform in hopes of attracting buyers.
22. Host seminars. Organizing seminars can be very rewarding financially. You can choose to advertise your events online, hold them offline, or combine the two strategies. Regardless of which approach you select, you shouldn't expect to make tons of money during the early stages. Instead, focus on building relationships with attendees and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. Eventually, word of mouth will spread and you'll attract more participants.
While your best bet is to figure out a method that works for you, here are a couple quick ways to earn $100 fast:
1. Sell stuff on Facebook Marketplace. You can buy and sell physical items or digital downloads on Facebook Marketplace. Before selling anything, however, make sure you register with the site.
2. Post coupons on Kijiji. Similar to eBay, Kijiji connects local businesses with consumers. After posting a coupon, you must wait 24 hours before receiving payment.
3. Answer mystery shopping requests on Amazon.com. Customers send you detailed messages about their experiences with certain merchants. You then evaluate the merchant based on criteria outlined in the message. Your earnings depend on how accurately you assess customer satisfaction.
4. Rent out your car. Rental cars are expensive. But renting out your vehicle to strangers instead of letting it sit idle saves you money. Plus, you won’t have to deal with parking issues or getting stuck with damage repairs.
5. Sell things on eBay. One of the easiest ways to earn $100 is by selling random objects you already own or buying cheap collectibles.
There are countless methods you can employ to make $100 an hour online. Here are five proven strategies:
1. Sell stuff on eBay. Like mentioned above, you can sell pretty much anything on eBay. Just remember to keep prices low. Also, avoid listing items that are heavily discounted due to a large volume of returns.
2. Answer mystery shopper requests on Amazon.com. Customers request your opinion about merchandise purchased from different vendors. You can choose to rate the item on a scale of 1 - 5 stars depending on its overall performance.
3. Buy and resell domain names. By purchasing expired domains, you can acquire highly sought-after keywords and backlinks for pennies on the dollar. Domain names are worth considerably more than they were originally priced.
4. Sell subscriptions. Subscribing to premium services like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and HBO Go costs anywhere from $10 to $40 monthly. You can take advantage of this opportunity by offering memberships to friends or family.
5. Sell clothes on Poshmark. This peer-to-peer marketplace for fashion lovers sells designer clothing and accessories at deeply reduced prices. Members bid against each other to win auctions, meaning you never know exactly what you're going to end up wearing until you place a winning bid.
In 2022, there will still be plenty of room for growth among the highest earners. Below are three suggestions you can implement now to ensure financial stability later down the road:
1. Invest in real estate. Buying property outright can be quite costly. Fortunately, investing in rental properties can yield consistent profits.
In this day & age, it’s more important than ever to find a way to turn your passion into something that generates income in some form or another. The good news is there are plenty of ways on which you can monetize your skills and passions. If you have any sort of skill set at all, whether it’s writing, photography or coding, there will always be someone willing to pay you for your work.
But how do you go about making money? This article lists out several options for people who want to generate passive income through their online ventures.
The first thing we need to consider when starting an online venture is how you intend to utilize the Internet. There’re two main types of activities one can engage in using the web: selling products or services, and marketing them via digital means (such as social media). In both cases, you’ll usually sell directly to customers through websites, apps, etc., but either way you’ll need to market them effectively enough to attract buyers.
There’s a whole spectrum of methods available for doing so, ranging from traditional sales pages like Amazon, Etsy, and eBay to content-based platforms such as Medium and YouTube. You could also try affiliate programs where you promote other people's products, if they agree to give you commission based on sales made by users clicking on links placed in your website. And finally, there’s drop shipping where you don't actually own anything yourself, just act as a middleman between sellers and buyers.
This last option might seem counterintuitive because the seller doesn’t even know who he’s dealing with, but it has its advantages. For one, you won’t be responsible for handling customer complaints since you’re not taking delivery of goods. Second, you can offer better prices due to economies of scale. Third, you only have to deal with one vendor instead of many vendors. Finally, you can easily switch suppliers whenever necessary without having to worry about losing customers.
But before getting started, remember that you’ll probably need to invest quite a bit of time learning how to operate a website, setting up shop on various markets, figuring out how to advertise effectively, and much more. But once you've done those things successfully, here are a few additional tips to help improve your chances of success.
Now that you understand how to create value and sell it online, let me show you why you should think twice before investing too heavily in your startup. It may sound harsh but it’s true—you really shouldn’t expect to become rich overnight after launching your new company.
It takes time to build trust among potential clients, especially if you’ve never sold anything online before. So unless you already have a strong following, you’d be wise to keep your investment low initially. That being said, if you choose wisely, your initial expenses can end up paying off very well over time. Here are five strategies to ensure your online business becomes profitable within six months:
1. Find a product niche with high demand
2. Offer a free trial period to convert leads into customers
3. Don't spend too much on advertising
4. Focus on building a loyal client base
5. Use automation tools to increase conversion rates
One popular method for earning extra cash is to share your knowledge for free in exchange for compensation. Think blogging, podcasting, and vlogging. These days, anyone with access to a computer can produce audio and video files and publish them online. While you’re limited to whatever devices you happen to own, you can still reach millions of listeners worldwide thanks to the power of the Internet.
So long as you stay focused on producing quality material, you should be able to sustain a decent level of income simply by sharing your expertise. And while you can certainly make money this way, it’s best not to rely solely on this source of revenue. Instead, look for alternative sources of income wherever possible.
As mentioned above, you don’t necessarily need to focus exclusively on generating income through your online endeavors. Even if you decide to stick to selling physical items, you can still benefit greatly from diversifying your portfolio.
For instance, you could sell stuff you buy cheaply elsewhere (like clothes) and then resell them at higher prices once you arrive back home. Or you could take advantage of opportunities offered by travel bloggers who post photos and reviews of hotels around the world.
Another strategy worth considering is turning your hobby into a side hustle. By combining your love of cooking with your interest in nutrition, for example, you could teach others how to cook healthy meals from scratch, and charge for each lesson. Similarly, if you develop a knack for creative writing, you could write eBooks on topics related to your area of expertise and sell them online.
Finally, if none of these suggestions appeal to you, perhaps you should consider becoming a freelancer. Freelance jobs aren’t easy to come across nowadays, but if you possess special talents or experience in certain fields, employers often hire you to solve specific problems rather than employ full-time staff.
If you’re completely clueless about how to approach the freelance game, check out our guide to finding remote work positions today.
Top 10 Online Businesses of 2022
When thinking about creating your next business idea, it helps to know exactly what kinds of online companies are currently thriving. According to Statista, the global market for online retail was valued at $734 billion in 2019 alone. As a result, there are now hundreds of thousands of online stores operating around the globe.
While it would be impossible to list every single store here, we compiled a shortlist of the top 100 most valuable brands (in terms of revenues), along with their corresponding countries. Check out the infographic below for more details!
Drop Shipping
Fiverr
Amazon
Etsy
Airbnb
Uber
Spotify
Instacart
TikTok
Snapchat
YouTube
1. Sell digital products
There are two main types of digital product sales: physical goods (e-books, music CDs, etc.) and digital downloads (software). Selling e-books has become particularly popular over the past few years as readership shifts from paper books to electronic reading devices.
You don’t necessarily need to have a degree in computer science to sell software. You just need to know how to write simple HTML code. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling Photoshop templates or WordPress themes – anyone who wants to create web pages or blogs can make their own website with very little effort.
If you want to start earning money right away then selling digital downloads may be best suited for you. You can build a list of subscribers through social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Google+ and send them monthly newsletters or emails containing downloadable content. You could even use email marketing services such as MailChimp to automate this process for you so that you don’t have to spend time doing it each month.
Another option would be to offer one-time access codes for freebies. This allows people to download files without having to subscribe themselves. They often come packaged together with other “freebie” items and include promotional messages about the company behind the file.
Online marketing has been around since the late 90s but it's only recently that we've seen a real explosion in opportunities available to the average person on the internet. If you want to become financially independent through your own online efforts, then there are several ways to go about doing this.
One way would be to follow others who have already done so successfully, as well as using proven methods to create income streams that will allow you to work at your own pace without having to worry too much about making ends meet. But if you don't know where to begin or how to take action right now, then here are some quick tips that will help you find your niche and get you started with a few different options for creating passive income streams for yourself.
The first step in starting any new venture is usually finding something you enjoy doing. You could try writing articles (which is one option for many people), selling products online, hosting webinars or even becoming a freelancer. There are plenty of other possibilities out there but whatever you choose, always keep in mind that you should love what you're doing because it'll come across during your interactions with potential clients and customers.
Once you've found your passion, you need to learn everything you can about it before jumping into the deep end. This means researching your industry thoroughly and learning all the best practices within it. Once you understand why someone might buy a product or service, you'll be able to better position yourself as a leader within your field. Then, once you feel ready, you can move forward with launching your brand.
You may already have a great website or blog set up, which makes things easier, but no matter what type of content you write, publishing quality posts consistently will pay dividends over time. When you look back after a year and reflect on what you wrote versus what you didn't, you'll see that you've improved quite a bit just by practicing more often. So instead of waiting until you have enough material written to publish, simply commit to posting every day or two -- whether it's 500 words or five thousand.
When you start building trust among readers, they'll return to read what you post again and again. That's when you'll really start seeing results, as opposed to those who never put anything out there. The key is consistency, not quantity. It takes time to build relationships with your audience, especially when you're just getting off the ground.
But remember, it doesn't necessarily mean spending hours each day perfecting your craft. In fact, you shouldn't spend too long thinking about exactly what you're going to say next. Instead, focus on sharing valuable information that your reader wants to hear. People like to read about topics relevant to them, so share insights that resonate with their interests.
Successful entrepreneurs tend to use digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest to promote themselves. They also leverage social media sites to network with influencers, bloggers and marketers. These days, if you're serious about growing your business, you won't survive unless you invest in digital tools that can connect you directly with prospects and customers.
So what types of platforms should you consider investing in? Well, let me tell you the truth...
Drop shipping.
Fiverr.
E-commerce websites.
A drop shipper is basically anyone who offers goods to sell on Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc. They ship the items directly to consumers' homes via USPS/UPS. And while it sounds complicated, it isn't difficult at all. All you need to do is sign up with a reputable company and fill out a simple form explaining what you offer. From there, you can start dropping boxes full of merchandise anywhere between $10-$100 per order.
And although drop shipping is still relatively easy to do, it does require research to ensure you're choosing the correct supplier(s). As a general rule, stick with companies that specialize in dropshipping. Also, avoid joining affiliate programs with low commissions or high fees. Finally, you must always check references and feedback left by previous customers to determine if you're dealing with a reliable vendor.
Fiverr.
Another fantastic platform to market your services or products is Fiverr. With Fiverr, you can design custom t-shirts, flyers, banners, signs, logos, videos, audio recordings, ebooks, software apps, etc., pretty much anything you'd ever imagine. To get started, register with a free account, upload your creative masterpiece and wait for orders to roll in.
While it's true that Fiverr pays a small percentage of sales, it's worth noting that the site gets thousands upon thousands of requests daily. So if you're willing to work hard and play fast, you can easily earn hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month.
E-commerce websites.
Most people think that setting up an e-commerce store requires a lot of technical knowledge and expertise. However, thanks to WordPress, WooCommerce and Magento, you can actually turn your computer into an e-commerce storefront. Plus, both Wordpress and Magento stores feature built-in payment processing systems, so it's very easy to accept credit cards and PayPal payments.
WordPress allows you to host multiple domains under one main domain. For instance, you could run shop1.com and shop2.com, and direct visitors to whichever site you prefer based on keywords or traffic analysis. Once you install a theme on either of these wordpress shops, you'll be good to go!
There are dozens of themes to choose from, including Genesis, Avada, Kaleidoscope and Thrive Architect. Many of these themes are responsive, meaning they display properly on mobile devices.
Finally, if you decide to go down the WordPress road, don't forget to purchase a premium version of either WP Engine or SiteGround Hosting. Both providers provide 24x7 support and include SSL certificates, plus they both give you unlimited bandwidth allocation and disk space.
It doesn't matter whether you're trying to grow your business offline or online. Either way, your goal is to establish credibility and value in your target marketplace. After all, the purpose of branding yourself is to separate yourself from competitors and persuade prospective buyers to view you as trustworthy.
In addition to developing a strong reputation, you should also strive to develop personal connections with followers and fans. By offering helpful advice and feedback in response to comments posted on your pages, you demonstrate empathy and compassion toward your peers.
On the flip side, you should also avoid giving unsolicited opinions or advice in public forums. Instead, focus on being positive by offering constructive criticism, encouraging questions and providing solutions rather than problems. Remember, if you want your audience to stay engaged, they must believe that you care about helping them reach their goals.
Lastly, whenever possible, incorporate video testimonials from satisfied customers into your content. Not only will it show your viewers that you genuinely care about their satisfaction, but it will encourage them to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, etc.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.