The fast development of online businesses has given people many ways to earn money without having to leave the comfort of their home. Furthermore, online businesses can be taken care of from anywhere in the world. It essentially enables people to be completely independent in terms of location.
Even those who do not know how to start an online business can make money from home, either by working for others or by taking advantage of the many webinars that have been created in order to help people get started in the world of online business.
However, not everyone may be interested in starting a company. You may just want to make some money on the side and are looking for a way to monetize the free time that you have. Regardless of the situation, there are many guides on the internet, that ‘help’ people make money online. Unfortunately, finding the ones that really work can be extremely difficult. Most people simply give up after a few tries, concluding that making money online is not work the trouble.
In reality, there are strategies that are extremely efficient, and that have been helping people make money on the side for quite a few years. The ideas and practices presented in this article are as legitimate as they can possibly be, and will work for pretty much anyone, regardless of training, location, or amount of spare time.
This having been said, it is important to also mention the fact that none of these strategies are get-rich-fast schemes. They are business ideas and ways to make money that will require dedication and a bit of effort. The ones that are more profitable will require more of your time and attention.
Furthermore, some of them can be turned into full-time jobs and actually become your main source of income. This offers a lot of flexibility, in the sense that you will be able to start out as doing something in your spare time. And if things work out and suit your needs, you can always scale up and turn your side hustle into a fully-fledged online business.
Before looking at some of the ways in which you can make money from home, you will have to establish a few things. First of all, decide how much time you are willing to spend working on the side hustle. Next, decide how much money you’re interested in making. And finally, look at what your choices are. Depending on what your availability and how much you want to earn, some jobs or strategies may be out of your reach, at least for the moment. Alternatively, if you have a lot of free time, you can do more than one thing.
- Work as a virtual assistant
One of the most intuitive ways to make money from home is by becoming a virtual assistant. This is a simple job and only requires that you have a computer with an internet connection. You will basically have to do the job of a secretary, doing various tasks for your employer, however, you will rarely have to leave home, if ever.
There are all sorts of people who are constantly looking for virtual assistants, from company owners and executives to designers and even other freelancers. Also, depending on the employer, you may be paid per hour, per week, or per month. In essence, you will be a freelancer hired to do a wide variety of tasks such as making appointments, making reservations, administering various accounts, writing emails, and even doing a bit of light bookkeeping.
Being freelance work, you will be able to do it from home, but also from anywhere else. So, if you ever feel like taking a trip, you will be able to do that while still making money.
You can find work as a virtual assistant on freelance websites like Upwork, Freelancer, Remote, and others. Knowing English at a conversational level is a prerequisite, as is having effective communication skills and basic knowledge of popular office applications.
- Make money by selling some of your things on websites like eBay or Craigslist
As we go through life, we tend to gather and keep a lot of things that we either don’t need or don’t like. From poorly chosen presents to old tech, everyone has at least a couple of things that they can part ways with. So why not sell them and turn the things that you no longer need or want into something that is actually useful?
There are a lot of people who are currently making a full-time income by selling various things on these two websites. While you can start by selling your own items, once you get rid of everything that you no longer need, helping others sell their items is a viable option. Find people that are in the same situation as you and take a small commission out of every sell that you make in their name.
Doing business on Craigslist is relatively easy, and you will be able to sell items pretty fast. However, once you move to eBay, things get more complicated. For example, you will need to get quite a few great reviews before being able to sell here. Most users are quite cautious when it comes to buying more expensive things and you will have to prove that your previous buyers are happy with their purchases.
There are also a lot of advantages to selling items on eBay, provided that you get used to the requirements of the platform. First of all, you will have access to one of the biggest online marketplaces in the world. This means that more people will bid for the things that you’re selling, so there is a bigger chance that their prices will go up. Unfortunately, selling your items on eBay also means that you will have to pay a commission on everything that you sell. The exact amount of money varies on the price of the object.
- Become a cryptocurrency trader
The apparition of Bitcoin and Etherium were less than impressive, however, as the world became more accustomed to paying for products and services using cryptocurrency, their value started rising. Recent studies have shown that the number of people paying using cryptocurrency has doubled in the years between 2012 and 2015.
Slowly but surely, people are turning cryptocurrency into a standard type of currency. The value of both Bitcoin and Etherium is increasing with each passing day, up to the point where a lot of people have made a fortune by buying the virtual currencies and selling them after a few years when the value had practically tripled.
While you won’t need a lot of money to get started, it is important that you earn enough about the virtual economy to know when to buy and when to sell. There are a few platforms where you can trade in cryptocurrency, and the most popular are eToro and Kraken.
- Make money from online tutoring
If you’re good at math, science or know a foreign language, then you can monetize your skills by becoming an online tutor. There are a lot of students looking for help with their homework or who need additional preparation for a test, and you can make money by teaching them.
To get started, you can look for jobs on all the major freelancing platforms, like Upwork and Freelancer, but also on websites that have been developed especially for this type of activity, such as Skooli, Tuto Me, and Tutor.com.
The amount of money that you can make from online tutoring depends on how long the tutoring sessions are, and on what you’re teaching people. For example, if you spend 2 hours each day, teaching Spanish, or German, you can make around $600 per month.
This having been said, it is important to mention that some people will want to see proof that you’re proficient in a language, before agreeing to work with you. So if you’ve got some sort of diploma or certification that you can speak a foreign language, it may be time to snap a photo of it and start teaching.
- Sell your services on Fiverr
Fiverr was initially created around the idea of enabling people to sell their services for $5, however, it has changed a lot since then. Users are now able to price their services however they see fit and take advantage of an extremely dynamic online marketplace. The platform is considered to be one of the best places for freelancers to find clients, and its developers are constantly looking for ways to cater to the needs of their users.
People can sell a large variety of services, from writing and translation to design and marketing. The great thing about this platform is the fact that you only need a laptop and an internet connection in order to work. While you can make money from home, the being a freelancer means that you will also be able to sell your services while you’re on the road, or while you are visiting foreign countries. You can essentially make money while you spend it. There are people who have managed to see the world by working as freelancers, working while on the road in order to pay for the travel expenses.
- Make money by building sales funnels
While this occupation is less known than others, it is one of the most important elements of a successful business. Unfortunately, few people know that they can actually earn a lot of money by creating an automated sales funnel for various businesses.
The most successful sales funnels start with a free offer. This is called a lead magnet and is used in order to win the trust of the consumer. However, in order to be effective, the lead magnet must deliver a lot of value to the potential customers. Once this is done, you must find a self-liquidating offer. These offers are extremely attractive deals that are priced up to $50, and that people usually cannot pass up. The last element is the front-end offer that boosts the lifetime value of a customer, as well as his average cart value.
While there is a lot more to creating effective sales funnels, these are the basic components. A lot of companies are prepared to pay substantial amounts of money for expert automated sales funnels. You can start learning by looking at the many guides that can be found online, and once you feel confident enough, start looking for clients.
As more and more online businesses appear, this is a valuable skill to have. You may even decide to start an online store yourself, and knowing how to build a sales funnel can help you get ahead of the competition.
- Make money by renting out your home
If you have one or two spare rooms, then you may want to consider renting them out. Platforms like Airbnb have been built around this idea and can facilitate the process. This business can be especially profitable if you live near a stadium, a tourist attraction or a historical site.
Furthermore, this can be done on a regular basis, or only when you need a bit more money. You will never have to welcome people that you don’t like into your home. Most of the ones who use this service are families or lone travelers who need a place to sleep.
If you don’t like the Airbnb platform, then you have a few other choices. Luxury rentals, InvitedHome, Expedia, and HomeAway are all great places to put a room up for rent. The market is currently growing at an amazing rate and moving fast could enable you to make a lot of money without having to ever leave home.
This having been said, you will need to keep your home in order and to ensure that whoever rents the room or rooms will be getting their money’s worth.
- Start an e-commerce website and make money from it
E-commerce is rising in popularity at an astounding rate. Most of the people that are making money online are actually entrepreneurs who have gotten into e-commerce. Furthermore, this is one of the easiest ways to make large amounts of money with the least amount of effort. Some of the most popular names in e-commerce are Neil Patel, David Sharpe, and Frank Kern. These three individuals have managed to scale up their businesses up to the point where they now earn small fortunes every year.
Starting an e-commerce website is directly tied to the need of an efficient sales funnel, so having this skill as well will help you save money. However, if you do not know how to build one, you can find freelancers who will agree to build a sales funnel for your website. The amount of money that they charge varies, and it is recommended to do a bit of research beforehand in order to find out what the price range is.
- Start a blog and monetize your content
When talking about making money on the side, the best way to go is to create a couple sources of passive income. This way, you will be able to make money even when you’re not actively working for it.
Blogs are as popular as ever, and there are currently a lot of people who have managed to make full-time incomes by monetizing the content that they create for their audiences. This large number of successful individuals is due to the fact that creating a blog is extremely cheap, and once the website is online, a community will start to form around it.
When starting a blog, it is important to keep two things in mind. First of all, your blog must be built around a niche. If you try to create content on multiple unrelated subjects, then there is a big chance that visitors will be confused and look for other websites that contain the information that they are looking for. Basically, being a jack of all trades is not a good idea when it comes to blogs. Find a niche that you’re comfortable with and create content related to it.
Secondly, you will have to decide how you wish to monetize your content. Blogs are great due to the fact that they generate passive income, however, you can also work actively in order to make more money. For example, you can start doing webinars, or sell products on your website.
Regardless of how you choose to monetize it, once you create your blog, it will take a while until people notice it. It usually takes somewhere between six and eight months for a blog to get enough traffic to make money, provided that you constantly create new content.
- Start a business as a side hustle
It is now extremely easy to start a business that can make a lot of money without even having to leave home. Most physical companies are slowly transitioning to the digital world, while more and more online businesses appear with each passing day.
Starting a business on the internet has several advantages over among which is the fact that the owners are rarely required to leave their home in order to conduct actual business. For example, an online store can be started from home, and with programs like Fulfillment by Amazon you won’t even have to worry about inventory.
This having been said, there are many other business models that you can approach just as easily, and that can make just as much money. Dropshipping, selling digital items, selling art (both digital, as well as physical) are just a few of the many things that you can make money from.
You can even start a website and sell products made by other people, through either affiliate programs or by creating a store and including them directly into your offer.
If you don’t know where to start, then just choose a niche that you’re familiar with and then look online at what other people are doing. You can be successful by emulating them, up to a point. However, once you start making money if you should try to do your own thing and show your clients that you like to do things differently.
- Create webinars
If you have a business opportunity that others may be interested in learning about, then you can easily monetize it by creating webinars. There are a lot of things that you can tell people about, from various physical products to marketing strategies. There are even a lot of webinars that revolve around the best practices to having a happy, balanced life, so you can also life coach people. However, while you will have to offer something a value to your audience, through the webinars, you will also need to find or create great products to sell.
If you decide to start creating webinars, then you will have to keep in mind that in order to be successful, you will have to follow a specific format. Look at what other people are doing and figure out how you can do it better, without straying to far from their structure.
- Make money from social media management
Everyone knows that social media is a big thing and being popular on the internet is important. However, only those who actually need this popularity for business purposes know how difficult it is to manage social media accounts. Most of these people will happily pay someone else to take care of social media management.
Another category of people that are constantly looking for help is made up of all those who are starting new businesses and don’t know how to increase their exposure.
As a beginner, the easiest way to find clients is by looking on freelancing websites or by directly asking starting companies if they would be willing to pay you in order to increase their online popularity. If you do your job well, you will be able to make a full-time income with just a couple of clients.
- Trade options
Most people tend to avoid trading options due to the high risk involved. This may be especially true if you have little money to spare. However, the fact that it’s one of the cheaper ways to enter a market is undeniable. By trading options, you can participate in the movement of stocks without having to raise enough money to buy said stocks. There still is some risk involved, though considerably less than if you were to trade stocks.
Etrade and ScottTrade are two of the most popular platforms that you can use to trade options, however, it is important to choose the one that best suits your needs. For example, not all platforms provide users with correct, real-time data that you can effectively use in order to trigger your trades at the right time.
Experts have determined that people can make money trading options by buying at the money calls half a month before earnings are released and selling them 24 hours before they are released.
- Make money by joining an affiliate marketing program
Affiliate marketing is one of the main ways of entering into the world of online product sales. However, it does come with a few prerequisites. For example, you need a platform on which to sell the products. Blogs are the best choice due to the fact that they enable the owner to engage a large number of people very effectively. Furthermore, most platforms such as Amazon will only accept you as part of their affiliate marketing program if your website is getting a certain amount of traffic.
On the other hand, if you choose to work directly with producers and brands, you may be able to come to an agreement and use something like a YouTube channel as a platform, however, the requirements may vary from one company to another (some may put greater value on the number of subscribers that you have, while others will look only at how many views your videos are getting and what niche you’re targeting).
When joining an affiliate program, you will also have to pay attention to what earnings per click various products are offering. If you’re smart and always choose products that your audience will appreciate, then you should be able to make a decent profit from affiliate marketing.
ClickBank and CJ.com are great places to get started, but you should also take a look at Amazon’s program. Keep in mind that when you’re searching for new offers, you should always choose the ones that are relevant to your audience. You won’t be able to sell makeup products if your audience is composed of men who like gadgets. Another important thing that needs to be mentioned is the fact that you should always do your marketing in an ethical manner. Give your audience information about the products, and explain how it could genuinely help them. Otherwise, you will lose your credibility and your audience will abandon you.
- Make money by creating online courses
Creating courses is one of the easiest things that you can do in order to make money. The only thing that you have to invest is time, and once you create a few courses, the cumulated passive income will probably be equivalent to what you would make from a day job.
There are several platforms that you can use in order to market your courses, the most popular being Udemy and Teachable. These websites will not only enable you to sell your courses but also increase their online visibility so that new people will constantly come across them.
Being a form of passive income, this means that you’ll work one and get paid for it repeatedly. The more courses you create, the more money you will make.