True Ways to Earn Money Online, and at Your Own Pace
So, you want quick cash, huh? If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent hours searching for the “easy way out,” only to find that nothing comes easy. We’ve all seen those articles and blogs which claim to have the answers to easy money. As we’ve also seen, these headlines tend to run us in circles. Take these “get paid to play” apps for example. You may have also seen these apps advertised with the phrase, “become a paid game tester,” only for the turnout to be another app that pays penny on the dollar in exchange for hours of your gameplay.
Making good money online is very possible. The possibilities will only rise as everything becomes more digitized. However, there’s no easy nor lazy way to accomplish this goal. You will need a good idea, good plan, well-thought-out business model, and a marketing plan. Let’s dive into a list of ways to genuinely grow your pockets online. You just may spark an idea or interest along the way.
Flip Products
Have you ever heard of “flipping products?” In short, this simply means purchasing products (cars, computers, furniture, tools, fish tanks, etc.), fixing them up, and reselling them at a better price. You will need to put in the work of scouting out your products, buying them, restoring or renewing your products, and re-listing them for sale. For example, you could purchase a woodwork item (shelf, table, desk, etc.) and transform it with paint and any other ideas. You could completely transform something and double the value.
Depending on your location, you may need to apply for a permit to flip or sell products. You may also want to consider gaining a sales tax permit, as you may need to report your earnings to your local tax collector. Be sure to look up all your local guidelines. Sales tax permits are usually free or low-cost in the US. For example, when I applied for a sales tax certificate in Florida, in my county, I paid nothing. After gaining my certificate, I had to report my earnings every three months.
Sell a Virtual Service
There are so many virtual services in demand! Some fields may require extra training, such as web development and IT, while others don’t require any extra training at all, such as writing services. Whether you’re leaning toward one side or the other, in any case, it’s best to build a business portfolio. This will showcase anything from your previous work to client reviews to prove your legitimacy. You may be wondering what other virtual services are in demand.
Tutoring
Are you fluent in a certain language or subject? Start a tutoring business and offer tutoring sessions. You don’t need to join a tutoring platform and meet all their qualifications to tutor. You can start a private tutoring business, as a sole proprietor. Remember that you are in competition with other tutors and platforms. Be sure to use good lesson planning, build a good portfolio, and consider gaining a tutoring certification along the way.
Marketing Agency Services
Want to be the connection between a building brand or business and good content creators to represent them? This will take a lot of outreach and self-promotion, but offer your service to small businesses, like online stores. Let them know that you can find them amazing content creators to make ads for them, for a fee. Be sure to charge enough to pay your content creator. If you don’t know where to find content creators that are ready to work, look on freelance platforms where content creators are building portfolios and naming their price.
Content Creation
Are you good at creating content and attracting an audience? There are many ways to earn as a content creator. You can offer affiliate marketing, where you create content that represents a brand or product, usually by showcasing the product. How to find companies that are looking for your skills? Build a portfolio and profile on freelance platforms. You can also earn from your content through ads and sponsors. When it comes to content creation, think outside of the box. It is not always about makeup and clothing ads. You could start a podcast or YouTube channel. Fitness content is always a winner and continues to stay relevant. You could even go the less modest route, if you know what I mean.
Social Media Management
Do you have a fine understanding of social media algorithms, hash tags, trends, and peak posting times? Are you always on top of what’s new and what grabs attention? You may thrive in managing social media accounts for brands and businesses. You will also want to make sure you are able to match the company or brand’s personality, as well as having advanced writing and time-management skills. Along with brands and businesses, you will also find content creators that need help managing their social media accounts. Building a profile on a freelancing platform will help you find more clientele.
Psychic and Tarot Services
Whether you’re for or against this topic, it is here and it exists. Many people turn to astrology and tarot readings for clarity and reflection. Some are completely dependent on it and plan their every move according to their readings. Either way, this is another way to earn decent money from home if you know what you’re doing. There are many platforms that’ll allow you to sign up as a psychic. Upon signing up, you’ll choose your specialties and build your profile. You can also run an independent business and even start your own website.
Coaching
Are you a life, wellness, mental health, sobriety, or another type of coach? If not, consider it and see if coaching is something you’d thrive and succeed in. Coaching can be done in many ways. You can start a YouTube channel to showcase small bits of what you do and offer. Eventually, with enough watch hours, views, and subscribers, you could monetize your video content while offering paid coaching services. Other utilizable tools for your service include Zoom, Microsoft PowerPoint, and your own website.
Writing
As I’ve stated before, writing is an area you don’t necessarily need training for. However, you’ll want to be skilled and tuned, as the competition is vast in number. There are many ways to earn money from writing, such as blogging, pitching news articles to media sites, creating your own site and drawing traffic, freelance writing, and more. You can also sell your creative writings. This can be done privately or through a publishing service, such as Amazon or Kindle. You don’t need to write a 30,000+ word novel to sell e-books. In fact, my favorites on Amazon and Kindle include short stories and short chapter books. Many people with ADHD and short attention spans will agree with my take.
Open an Online Store
Yes, I know you’ve seen this one before! However, as more physical locations shut down, and the more digitized we become, this is still a lucrative option. Typically, you’ll need some startup money. However, with online thrifting and drop shipping, you may not need as much upfront.
Virtual Products
If you are skilled in a certain area, such as a school subject, consider creating and selling study guides! Mostly, you’ll just need an online storefront and a Microsoft office subscription. Think outside of the box! People love puzzles, and you could create personalized puzzle books for them. You could also sell cookbooks and video tutorials. With a keyboard and the right programs or software, the creative possibilities are endless. The best part? You don’t need to keep a live inventory. Everything you sell is created virtually.
Thrifting
If you have a lot of used items in good condition, consider taking donations from others and operating an online thrift store. If you don’t have the funds to start an online store, although there are plenty of affordable platforms, you can always start on marketplace platforms and work your way up.
Depending on your location, you may need a thrifting permit. You may also need to apply for a sales tax certificate or permit. Whether you are selling on a marketplace or storefront platform, be sure to collect the appropriate amount of tax money and report your income to your local tax collector.
Drop Shipping
Drop shipping is hit and miss within the success range. A lot of drop shipping companies will offer free plans but require you to pay for access to their more sellable products. Although you don’t pay for the products upfront, you also receive less than half of all sale profits. You will typically earn 15-20% profit for each product sold.
This can be a setback in a couple of ways. You will need to make sure that you are selling and earning enough to cover all monthly expenses of running your store, plus earning a profit. You will also have little-to-no room to create discounts and sales. Another thing to consider is the fact that your income is taxed. You will need to put money aside to pay your taxes.
Drop shipping can also be a life changer and very lucrative if done correctly. If you are a natural salesman or woman, with skills in marketing, drop shipping may be the right choice for you. Some people just know how to sell anything. If this paragraph describes you, perhaps you should give drop shipping a chance.
Create a Relevant App or Website
With today’s hosting platforms, you need little-to-no experience with coding. Creating a relevant app or site could be the ticket to ad revenue and passive income. With enough website traffic, Google Ads and other ad companies will approve your website for ad placement, where you can earn ad revenue (money!) from the ads placed on your website. A couple ways to get paid are per view and per click.
Popular websites for this earning potential include blogs sites, media sites, job boards, link in bio sites, recipe sites, online stores, and sites that provide a service or download. This type of work will not pay fast or upfront. You will need to put in a lot of footwork. Along with needing a relevant genre, you will need to sharpen your privacy policy and keep a good amount of traffic visiting your site.
Study Cryptocurrency and the Stock Market
Did you know that there are 100% free courses on cryptocurrency the stock market, as well as how to invest? I recently took a free course through edX and learned a lot. Learn how and when to invest. The stock market can be a great way to bring in extra, or a lot of money. Yes, it is a gamble and risk, no matter how much you know, but you may find your niche within this realm.
I have earned both through crypto and stock investments. The key to investing in cryptocurrency and the stock market is within studying the patterns. My personal secret is to start low and play it slow. Watch how your investments grow and learn through trial and error. This is why I only invest when I truly have money to “throw away.”
When All Else Fails…
Get a free or affordable online education or certification that will land you remote positions that pay handsomely. Don’t know where to start? Simply search for free classes and certifications. Most certifications are not free; however, they are affordable. Through certain programs, you can pay less than $60 per month to earn as many certifications as you desire. Most of these certifications are tech-related, such as web design, web development, IT, and more. CLICK HERE to view some free programs and classes.
In a Nutshell
There are many legitimate ways to earn a living online, on your own terms and conditions. Keep an eye out for the most in-demand online niches and services. Don’t skip out on doing your research and ensure that you’re doing the most to gain your desired goal. Be sure to check with your local laws and regulations on the type of online business you want to start. Remember that no matter which business you decide to dabble in, you will need it to earn enough to cover running costs and taxes while returning a livable profit. Your journey may take some trial and error before you make it to your goal. Trust the process and know that with a solid plan and self-discipline, anything is possible! Like the saying goes, “nothing good comes easy, and if it comes easy, question why and reconsider.”