Make Money Online

Learn from the Best, How to Create Your New Life Free from the 9-to-5 Rat Race.

Infinite Opportunities

We’ll show you everything you need to mimic our success, and to start making money online as quickly as possible.

There are tons and tons of online money making strategies that can be implemented immediately without needing a website or having to invest any of your money. i.e. freelance writing, proof-reading, transcription, becoming a virtual assistant, etc.

So stick around, I guarantee you there is a strategy on our blog that will interest you and we’ll gladly show how to implement it.

About Us

Before we dive in, let us introduce ourselves and give you a little background on our journey transitioning from our regular jobs to becoming independent, digital entrepreneurs.

Bibi and I met each other in 2011 and started our first blog in 2012. It failed. (It’s a long story, we’ll come back to later)

Then we took the advice from a friend and we changed our focus to eCommerce and opened our leather shop on Etsy.

It also failed. But we didn’t have a backup plan and I didn’t want to go back to my previous career with my tail between my legs.

So we stopped what we were doing and we audited ourselves and our business.

What was wrong? We were working 16-hour days and we fully believed that we could make this work.

We started studying what successful shops were doing right and what changes we needed to make to also find success and to start making sales.

Then our aha moment happened.

We discovered that we were selling the wrong products and that we needed to create products that people actually wanted.

The iPhone was the top trending item at the time and we wanted to catch a little piece of that magic.

Grading Each Opportunity

We graded each online money-making method based are the following criteria:

• Scalability
• Residual Income
• Sustainability
• Best Use of Time
• Highest Success Rate

Always ask these questions when accessing possible money-making opportunities.

1. Scalable – Can the business grow or is there an inherent ceiling? You want to use your time to grow a business that can become a household name.
2. Residual Income – (passive income) Does the business make money while you are sleeping or on holidays?
3. Sustainable – Will the business survive changes to the economic environment or is it based on weak fundamentals?
4. Best Use of Time – There is a ‘time’ opportunity cost in everything action you perform. You want to make sure you are always using your time wisely.
5. Highest Success Rate – Some business ventures require extensive experience and skillsets to be successful. We are targeting money-making opportunities that have the lowest barriers to entry.

Some of these criteria might not be applicable to you. i.e. You might not want to grow a business into a household name.

That’s fine.

One criterion might weigh more heavily in your final decision on which opportunity you want to pursue. i.e. You might only be interested in opportunities that provide residual income.

Lets’s get started with our #1 recommendation.

1. Start a Blog

Most people here the word ‘blog’ and have zero ideas on what is or how the heck it could possibly make money.

A blog is not a diary or an online journal.

Your future blog is simply a website that you own that focuses on a certain subject, aka. your niche.

Your primary goal as a blog owner is to provide the best information possible and to be the number #1 resource readers use to find out information in regards to your niche.

Let’s use an example to explain this concept.

In 2013, Cassidy Tuttle started a blog about succulents. Some would consider this a very, very niche subject. Lots of people don’t even know what a succulent is.

But guess what, for the people that are searching for information on succulents, I 100% guarantee, they will quickly find Cassidy’s website in Google search and most likely, they will never need to find another resource for succulents ever again.

Her website is the #1 online resource for succulents.

I hear what you are thinking, “But how much does she make, it can’t be much!”

She makes huge bucks from this website, well north of 200K USD a year.

I would also bet that she doesn’t need to spend much time on her website these days to maintain it.

Making money online blogging should not be underestimated.

There are lots of factors that go into starting a successful blog and it is very important not to skip crucial steps.

Go here to learn more about starting a money-making kickass blog.

2. eCommerce

eCommerce is more of our 1B recommendation for making money online.

It’s the medium that we’ve had the most success in. (every time we venture away, we get sucked back in!)

There are many ways to sell stuff online, our primary focus will be owning and operating your own website that is self-hosted.

Why is this important?

Many bloggers and eCommerce gurus are going to tell you to set up your online shop on Shopify.

Don’t!

If you set up your primary shop on their platform, you never fully control it. Actually, they control you. Without warning, they can close down your shop.

“But this will never happen to me.”

Yes, it can and the more successful you are, the higher the chance that it might happen.

eCommerce is very competitive. Your competitors can be ruthless.

Let me tell you a story.

Our first eCommerce shop was hosted on the Etsy platform. (and it still is)

Once we figured out what we were doing and figured out what nobody else was doing (personalizing our wallets), our shop started kicking some serious butt.

Our shop and business grew and grew and quicking began to dominate the ‘wallet’ niche on Etsy. We were making lots of money and we were also making Etsy lots of money.

Then one fateful morning, I wake up, and our Etsy shop has disappeared. It’s been permanently suspended with no recourse.

What! How can this happen? This doesn’t make sense.

I’m not going to tell you how it was done, but one of our competitors had figured out a way to get us shut down. They found a weakness in the Etsy platform and exploited it.

And the worst part, Etsy’s support had zero interest in talking to us or helping us.

Luckily, we never quit and we were able to connect with Etsy’s CEO on Linkedin. He re-open the investigation and cleared us of any wrongdoing.

The next day, I started our own website.

I love Etsy and it wasn’t their fault but since that fateful day, the possibility of our shop get closed again paralyzed Bibi and me with fear. (it was closed a 2nd time a few years later…)

This happens every day, on all the platforms; Etsy, Shopify, Amazon, eBay, etc.

The only way you can 100% protect your business is to self-host your business.

Online marketplaces are very powerful tools but don’t make them your primary storefront. You can Google and find many horror stories online of people getting their shops closed down.

What is Self-Hosting?

Self-hosting simply means a 3rd party company, like Bluehost or LiquidWeb will host your website on their servers. This hosting company works for you. You are their customer. They will never shut you down.

Here is my favorite part of the equation.

You now own a digital asset.

Don’t worry, it’s not complicated at all to set up these days.

We will guide through the entire process from picking your store’s name, building your shop, getting customers to your shop and making your first sales.

We will also discuss in depth the following key eCommerce business concepts and how to use them to your advantage.

• Branding
• Barrier to entry
• Dropshipping
• Using Online Marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon, eBay)

eCommerce, just like starting a blog, is a business.

You do need a business plan.

Again, don’t worry. We’ll get you asking the right questions and give you the correct answers if this is the path you decide to go down.

3. Freelancing

#3 was a toss-up between Freelancing and YouTube. We put Freelancing #3 because we felt it had a lower barrier to entry and had the ability to make money quicker.

What is freelancing?

Freelancing is simply the selling of your skills online. The opportunities are almost infinite. Here are just a few off the top of my head:

• Ghostwriting
• Proofreading
• Computer Programming
• Video Editing
• Online Notary
• SEO Consultant
• PPC Consultant
• Virtual Tutor
• Virtual Assistant

How to start freelancing? Where to find gigs? Fiverr, Upwork, Craigslist, job boards, etc. The internet is full of websites that help you find freelance work.

Do a little research to find the best one in your niche. i.e. Writers can find work on websites like Textbroker and ProBlogger.

Again do your research. You want to find the best job board in your niche because you going to have to build up your reputation there. The money you make goes up over time as your skills and reputation grow.

How do you Scale Your Freelance Income?

As your clientele and reputation grow, you will eventually reach a ceiling on how much work you can deliver by yourself. Simple solution: Hire help.

Turn your one-man show into an agency.

4. Youtube Channel

The internet is still in its infancy. Don’t be discouraged to start a YouTube channel just because you think that you are too late to the party. It’s only 8 pm and this party is going to go on all night long.

YouTube channels can be used as a sole method to make money online or as a complementary component in a bigger business plan.

How does a YouTube Channel Make Money?

#1. Ad revenue. Once you qualify, you have the option to monetize your videos. (become a YouTube partner) For newer YouTubers, this doesn’t amount to much. But for those that persevere, YouTube revenue can be very lucrative.

#2. Sponsorships. Once you have a decent following, companies in your niche will want to work with you, paying you to promote their products.

How to Succeed on YouTube

#1. Commit to it. It’s probably going to take 1-year minimum to start seeing serious results, probably 2 years before you’re making decent coin.

#2. Pick a niche that you love and that you want to make content for.

#3. Stay true to your niche and audience. Don’t chase trending topics or make videos on random subjects.

#4. With each new video, work on making your craft a little bit better. Better lighting, better editing, better thumbnails, better whatever. Just work on making your content better.

#5. Make videoes because you love doing it. Don’t make videos solely to make money. Your audience will see right through you and this will stagnate your channel’s growth. Be real. Be authentic. Be you.

6. Affiliate Marketing

When you think of affiliate marketing, for most people, the first thing that comes to mind is Amazon. They used it’s effectiveness to become the retail goliath they are today.

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is essentially the same as commission sales. Affiliate partners promote someone else’s products or services by sending them customers(leads). If the lead buys something, you get paid a commission.

It might be one of the oldest forms of marketing, just with a new name for the digital age.

How to Make Money Using Affiliate Marketing?

Refer back to #1 in the list, blogging. For most bloggers, this is the primary method they use to monetize their blog (including the blog you are reading right now).

If done ethically, this is a win-win situation for both the reader and the blog owner.

Make Money with Affiliate Marketing, No Website Needed!

There are numerous strategies that still allow you to make money online with affiliate marketing without needing to own your website.

• Pinterest allows direct affiliate links.
• YouTube Descriptions
• Facebook Ads with Landing Pages
• Instagram Direct Messages

Pinterest has made a lot of changes in the last few years. As of May 2018, they allow direct affiliate links again.

If you watch a lot of YouTube, then you are probably well aware of the links in the description. “See the link in the description” might be one of the most common call-to-actions you hear on a daily basis from all YouTubers.

The vast majority of the links in YouTube descriptions I’d guess are probably affiliate links going to Amazon.

Facebook Ads with Landing Pages

Many internet millionaires claim they to have made their fortunes using Facebook Ads, combined with affiliate marketing.

Facebook doesn’t allow direct affiliate links, so to make money using Facebook ads, you need to first send the leads to your ‘presell’ page, then try to get the lead to continue to the website of the affiliate.

Facebook ads do work if you know what you are doing. Maybe first start making money online using one of the other strategies before taking on this challenge.

7. Email Marketing

Do not underestimate the power of email marketing!

Email marketing should be utilized by everyone working online, regardless of the business. People who give you permission to email them are potential future customers.

Though email marketing is generally viewed as a complementary tool, it can be used as your sole method of making money online.

Many email marketers gather leads and sell them to other companies or they market directly to those leads with a series of emails with the hopes of selling them a product or service.

We give it the #7 spot because it’s a very powerful way to make money online but not recommended for the novice digital marketer.

8. Instagram Influencer

This is an excellent opportunity to make money online for stay-at-home moms. (could easily be our #1 recommendation)

If you aren’t shy about sharing your life on the internet and have an infectious personality, start building a following and share the products you use on a daily basis.

Give in-depth product reviews. Make sure, to be honest, and transparent with your audience and only promote the products you love.

As your Instagram followers grow, so will your opportunities for brand sponsorships.

Being an Instagram influencer is open to everyone, all walks of life, not just the stay-at-moms; I’m just using them as a prime example of an easy to implement business strategy.

This strategy could also be paired with a ‘mommy’ blog for maximum effectiveness.

The raising of children is a very profitable niche online. New moms are always looking for parenting advice.

Create a Course

These days, people with inquiring minds go online. You can find everything from foreign language instruction to lessons on how to fold a fitted sheet.

Teaching a course online can be lucrative if you’re passionate about your subject and there’s a high demand for it. (An entire course on fitted-sheet folding is probably not your best option.)

Technology, software and finance courses are wildly popular, but you don’t have to be a brainiac to start a side gig or change careers online. You may be an authority on baking, dog training, calligraphy, chess, classic car repair or nutrition. Leverage social media to get a feel for which topics are trending.

The hardest part for most novices is organizing the curriculum and making the content engaging. Make it easy on yourself by checking out sites like Teachable and Thinkific.

These user-friendly platforms guide you through course creation. You can easily import text, images, video and audio. You can design new pages from scratch or improve your existing website.

They even have options for offering coupons or awarding certificates of completion.

Write an eBook

eBooks are great ways to make money.

Much like a blog, you provide value and knowledge on a specific subject, get an excellent book cover made and sell your book on Amazon and Apple iBooks. 

Free eBooks (lead magnets) are also excellent internet marketing resources to entice readers to join your website’s email list.

Consulting

If you have all the answers, there’s a massive market for your services. Even high-level executives need guidance on business strategy, technology, cybersecurity, digital marketing, insurance, taxes and a host of other topics.

Ideal candidates for online consulting are at the top of their game in their field of expertise. That means they continually educate themselves.

They understand where their services fit into specific sectors and markets. They’ve sized up the competition and thought of an angle that will distinguish them. They’re good at networking and building long-term business relationships.

Above all, they’re professional.

On-demand consulting marketplaces are ideal for getting your foot in the door and establishing credibility. If you please your clients, you can potentially make more connections, increase your earning power and land recurring gigs.

On the Clarity platform, for example, you can create a profile and set your own by-the-minute rate. Clarity specializes in startup needs like business development and client acquisition. It charges a 15 percent commission on each e-consultation.

TalMix has been around for a while, and it has some impressive clients like Staples, Pfizer and Unit4. It offers numerous resources, such as proposal writing guides, to make freelancers’ lives easier.

Most premier platforms look for applicants with a good employment record, at least five years’ experience, and lots of glowing client testimonials.

Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting is a lucrative but often thankless task wherein skilled writers are hired to do the work of creating a book, script, or other projects for someone with ideas.

While circumstances vary from job to job, ghostwriters do not always receive credit for their work, though payment is usually reasonably good compared to other means of online work.

One of the easiest ghostwriting jobs is creating blogs and articles for online publications. This overlaps slightly with content mills, as many of the jobs posted there would fit these criteria. For contracted work, though, the best place to look would be specific forums searching for writers.

Our top recommended places to find work as a ghostwriter is TextBroker and Problogger Job Boards.

Online Tutoring

There are a lot of apps nowadays, (just Google it) where you can tutor students, using your iPhone or laptop. The pay is based on your popularity. I had two friends making extra money this way by teaching English to Chinese students.

The friend who was on the app for ~1 year, was able to charge $20USD/hr. The other friend, who was newer to the app, was still getting a clientele together and was only able to charge $12USD/hr.

But again, this is 100% remote work, you just need a decent internet connection and a professional attitude.

Teaching, like any business, if done right, can be super lucrative. There’s a teacher in South Korea that makes $4 million a year. 

Sell Your Photos

If you’ve got a decent camera and travel to some scenic locations, being a freelance photographer might just be the career you’ve been looking for.

For doing what you’ve already been doing with each trip, you can look forward to hundreds or even thousands of dollars of income for your vacation photos. While everyone might not have an eye for detail or staging required for this, selling photos can be an easy way to earn money.

This is the guy to follow on YouTube to learn everything you need, regarding photography and video.

One of the best avenues to pursue as a freelance photographer is stock photos.

Numerous websites buy and sell the rights to pictures specifically to use as stock photography in ads, art, and more. While the pay might not be as good as a major newspaper, it’s a cheap and easy way to make money with little effort.

It’s also a good idea to begin curating an online portfolio of your work. This lets anyone looking to hire a photographer get a good idea of the kind of shots you’re adept at and the kind of editing work you can competently perform, increasing your chance of being hired since clients won’t have to hire you blindly with no indication of your real skills.

Bonus Tip: Pictures for Airbnb

One trick many digital nomads use to make money or discounted rates or free nights at Airbnbs is to offer to take better photos of a listing on Airbnb.

Many hosts on Airbnb have beautiful properties for rent, but bad pictures. This trick can also be used for restaurants on TripAdvisor.

Ride-Sharing Apps

If you happen to have a car (or can rent or borrow one), a simple way to earn some extra cash is by signing up as a driver on a ride-sharing app. (i.e. Uber, Lyft or Grab)

Ferrying people from one place to another in your spare time is a quick way to make money no matter where you’re at since everyone needs a ride from time to time.

Caution is needed here more than virtually anywhere else on this list.

Most ride-sharing apps operate with lax vetting procedures for either drivers or passengers, meaning that even though you might get accepted into the program fairly quickly, there’s little in the way of ensuring your own safety if a dangerous passenger gets in your car one night.

While most of the people you’ll drive for will undoubtedly be normal or somewhat obnoxious at worst, all it takes is one problem. Carefully consider your options before diving headfirst into this money-making plan.

Podcasting

Producing a podcast might be more labor-intensive than blogging, but the competition is infinitely smaller. There are more than 500 million blogs as opposed to around 700,000 podcasts.

The key to building an audience is consistency, and it starts with your format. Listeners should know what to expect.

There are basically six formats to choose from: interview, education, conversation, nonfiction storytelling, fiction storytelling and solo-cast. Each has pros and cons.

The interview format is straightforward — a consistent host and a different guest each episode — but don’t randomly choose guests. Something should link them all together so that you differentiate yourself in this popular category. Whether it’s sports, entrepreneurship, politics or the arts, give your show a unique spin.

The downside to this format is having to work around interviewees’ schedules as well as your own.

People like educational podcasts because they can learn while driving, doing chores or taking a walk. The only challenge is coming up with lessons that can be taught solely through audio.

Conversational podcasts have two or more hosts, ideally with dynamite personalities. All the topics of conversation should be within a unique niche. The hosts of “Reply All,” for example, discuss weird, seemingly inexplicable things that take place on the internet.

This one calls for a lot of creativity to keep listeners engaged. If your co-host lives somewhere else, you’ll have to record separate tracks and edit them together.

Good nonfiction storytelling podcasts, like “This American Life,” “Serial,” and “Criminal,” are addictive. They may tell one long, complex saga over a season or feature an intriguing true story each episode.

These podcasts require extensive planning and research, and listeners expect top-notch production.

Fiction storytelling is sometimes called podcast theatre, and it’s everything the name implies. It’s just like writing, casting, and directing a play or film, but it has to be a story that can be followed by listening only. The psychological thriller “Homecoming” is a good example.

This is an unusual format, so there’s less competition. However, it’s a lot of work, and it calls for extreme talent.

With solo-cast, it’s just you and the microphone. You’ll have to come up with engaging topics and be sure that you have enough material to fill the time slot.

If you have a charismatic personality, audiences will enjoy a deep personal connection. Another advantage to solo-cast is the convenience of working according to your own schedule and time frame.

Mind you, podcasts involve equipment, recording and editing. Music and distinctive art on your website are more important than you might think.

Podcast hosting platforms like Buzzsprout, Podbean and Spreaker do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Their versatile programs help you create and distribute episodes.

Webinars

That’s short for web-based seminar. It’s a lecture, presentation or workshop, but it’s transmitted live over the web using video conferencing software. Interactive capabilities allow for real-time discussions.

This is a flexible way to reach a worldwide audience through audio, slides, documents and downloadable materials.

How-to content performs very well, so it’s an ideal format for product demonstrations. You could hold a panel discussion of recent developments in your industry or interview a popular thought leader.

Whatever approach you take, the webinar should create a community and inspire people to buy whatever you’re selling.

Decide on a topic and a catchy title with great search potential. Direct users to a landing page that has all the relevant information and a registration form.

Be prepared to heavily promote your webinar via email, press releases and social media. Timing is everything; once you identify your target viewers, strategically schedule your presentation for a time when most people can likely attend.

Explore conferencing software on Easywebinar, WebinarJam or ClickMeeting.

Online Surveys

Taking surveys is an easy way to make a few extra bucks here and there.

While it’s probably not a good idea to stake your financial security on a survey website (or even a few), the low amount of effort required and a large number of sites providing surveys to take means it’s usually pretty easy to get some money out of them. 

Beware of sites that don’t pay in real money though, as ones offering “points” that you can redeem for gift cards or prizes might not be what you are looking for.

The only other major downside other than the typically small pay from survey sites is that some can be very particular about the kinds of surveys you can answer.

Before you get to the actual survey, sites or the people who run the study will often ask demographic questions intended to disqualify certain people to avoid too heavily skewing the results in favor of a particular gender, ethnicity or other factors.

This means you might not be able to find as much work as there seems to be available, as many surveys could disqualify you before you even take them, earning you nothing for your time.

Disclaimer: We don’t participate in online surveys ourselves. Nothing against this method of making money online, we just like to use our limited time on other tasks. If you use any of the companies listed below, please do your own due diligence in evaluating their offers. 

  Survey Websites that Pay Real $$$

1. Inbox Dollars
2. Paid Viewpoint
3. American Consumer Opinion
4. Pinecone Research
5. Survey Junkie

  Survey Websites that Pay Rewards

1. Swagbucks
2. Opinion Outpost
3. Tellwut
4. Prize Rebel

MicroTasks

If you can mount a flatscreen TV, transcribe audio content or design a logo, you might be a good candidate for micro-tasking. Just register on various platforms to snag jobs that other people don’t have the skill or time for.

TaskRabbit notifies you of local jobs in categories like cleaning, home repairs, moving, gardening and plumbing. You set your own price and arrange the details with clients.

If you’re a gifted artist or graphic designer, try 99designs. It connects you with people who need a business card, stationery, web page, T-shirt, coffee mug, packaging or book cover designs.

Amazon Mechanical Turk posts human-intelligence tasks, or HITs. These are mostly mundane, repetitive chores that would be automated if they didn’t require a smidgen of human insight.

Examples include identifying objects in satellite imagery, verifying restaurant business hours and removing duplicate content.

Don’t expect to get rich on Amazon Mechanical Turk. You’ll earn a little extra grocery money at most.

Flip Websites

Flipping a website is just like flipping a house. The idea is to buy a niche website, app, online business or domain that isn’t performing well. All you have to do is turn it into a goldmine and sell it for a fortune.

Website flipping is best for people who have a marketing background. It takes skill, persistence and patience, but it’s becoming a more common investment model.

Start by choosing a product or service that appeals to a specific demographic group like expectant mothers or outdoor adventurers.

You needn’t be an expert in the niche you choose, but you should do extensive research to familiarize yourself with it. That will help you shop underperforming websites that are ripe for the flipping.

The Flippa platform lists websites for sale and operates on a bidding system. It handles transaction details and secures payments for a percentage of the selling price. You can register as a buyer or seller.

Freemarket is a newer platform, and its 5 percent commission rate is the lowest in the industry.

Once you’ve bought a site, figure out how to make it generate revenue.

Optimize the content for search engines through strategic keywords, valuable information, user-friendliness and high-quality images and video. Create a buzz on social media to drive traffic and earn links. You’ll probably have to invest in pay-per-click or banner advertising as well.

Growth takes time, careful monitoring and patience.

Write Code

Code writing can be a great way to earn some cash if you’re at least a bit tech-savvy. Many companies are more than happy to hire a remote freelancer to write the code for their new app or website, making it a job market rife with opportunity.

These jobs also pay reasonably well in most cases and can be an excellent opportunity to develop relationships in the tech world and with various startups, building your reputation as a reliable and knowledgeable coder.

The downside is that most of these jobs will be somewhat short-lived.

While you probably won’t be hurting for work at any point, once a job is done, it’s less likely you’ll be hired on in a more permanent position to do any regular maintenance or fixes for the code you helped write.

Additionally, while many jobs are available, not all of them will mean stable employment, as tech startups have a reputation for falling apart without warning, meaning you might end up doing a lot of work for no pay when your employer closes shop. (Make sure to get paid weekly and go through a third party broker like Upwork)

The best place to find employment for writing code remotely is probably Upwork. (develop apps, make websites, make themes for websites, game development, Q&A and testing, the list goes on and on)

Virtual Assistant

You’re still be working for someone else, but you do not have to report to an office. Your office can be the comfy couch at Starbucks in Chiang Mai, Thailand. (it’s really comfy, trust me)

If you thought secretarial work was only an office job, think again. With the workforce shifting further from the cubicle into the digital space, there are now all kinds of remote jobs available, more than you’d ever expect.

One of those virtual assistant jobs is as an executive assistant, even for large companies.

As an administrative assistant, you’d be in charge of taking notes, scheduling, organizing, and various other odds and ends your boss needs from you.

Most of your core duties will be exactly the same as if you were part of the office, only now you have the freedom to do them over the computer.

My favorite task that I get my executive assistant to do is blogger outreach. Finding and sending messages to bloggers that we want to network with.

One of the few downsides to being a VA executive assistant is that it likely won’t provide the same amount of freedom to set your own hours as other online work, as you may need to adapt to the same schedule as your boss regardless of your own timezone for better efficiency and communication.

Good news, as we said earlier, an executive assistant isn’t the only virtual assistant job available.

Use Upwork for Finding Virtual Assistant Jobs

There are tens of thousands of VA jobs online. Go to Upwork and search for any skill you are proficient in. Find a job you like and start building a portfolio of completed assignments. The more jobs you complete with impressive results and reviews, the more you can charge as your online VA career progresses.

Here are all their job categories listed in one place, very impressive.

I hire virtual assistants all the time from Upwork. The more jobs I can assign to someone else to accomplish, the more time I have to work on other tasks.

My general rule of rule, I do all the jobs I enjoy, and hire someone else for all the tasks I’m not good at, or that I don’t enjoy.

If done right, by building an impressive portfolio of completed jobs with great reviews from your past employers, being a VA can be the perfect side job while you are creating your money-making blog.

Once you have a money-making blog, utilizing VAs will be a key to growing and managing your business.

Proofreading

Outside of writing, you can also make money by proofreading and editing other people’s work.

In many of the same places you’d look for freelance writing jobs, you can likely find people looking to have their work looked over for errors before publication. Easier than writing and very decent pay, it’s an excellent alternative to more labor or resource-intensive online employment.

The most significant requirement for proofreading work would obviously be a good grasp of the language you’re editing in. If you make a bunch of glaring mistakes in your proofreading, that might just end your career as an editor right then and there.

Basically, there’s no shame in putting it through a grammar checking program; they exist to spot those tiny errors people look over but usually lack the kind of context-sensitive error spotting of a human, which is the entire reason you’re still needed.

Wink Wink: One might even consider purchasing a service like Grammarly, and outsourcing themselves out as a proofreader.

Social Media Manager

Brands need a cheap and effective way to manage public relations, so they’ve almost unanimously turned to social media for just that. But how are a bunch of old men in suits going to relate to the youth culture of today?

Hire one of those youths to do it.

That’s where you come in. Becoming a social media manager for a major brand can mean lucrative pay for little effort from wherever you want.

About the only requirements are English fluency and a knowledge of how different social media platforms work. Being up to date on social trends, memes, and other internet things is also a definite plus.

Like with any other company position, there’s likely to be some underlying code of conduct you’ll have to follow while posting as a corporation’s social media profile.

What this is can vary from job to job, though a good rule of thumb would be not to curse anyone out. It’s also a good idea to be careful with what you’re posting on your own time, as any hiring manager who wants to keep their job will have looked into your personal profiles. 

Additionally, the highly-coveted nature of this overall low-skill job means it will probably be difficult to find a position like this at any given time, let alone get hired, but there’s always a possibility given the increasing number of platforms and brands that need managing.

Again, Upwork is a perfect resource to find a Social Media Manager job.

Transcriptionist

As more and more people go online to work, transcriptionists are more and more needed (for now).

The only downside to this online job is that new technologies will make the job obsolete soon. Smartphone apps are getting better and better at transcription, so if you use this method to make money, be aware that it might not always be a viable method in the future.

SEO Consultant

SEO is dead! No its not! Yes, it is! I’ve personally have argued my support on both sides of this ongoing argument over the years. SEO will never be dead, it just evolves, just like the rest of the online world.

Those who adapt quickest, always reap the rewards.

As a way to make money, pitching your services as an SEO consultant, and building up a needy clientele, is easily one of the best ways to make money online, even in 2018.

Social Influencer

Wow, what a job!! The social influencer method of making money online still amazes most of us, except those early adopters that are cashing fat checks.

We personally are not social influencers…yet. If you like taking pictures, and have an interesting niche, make sure to incorporate this into your money making method into your arsenal as soon as possible.

Many social influencers have multi-platforms, like Instagram, YouTube and a blog but this is not a must requirement.

Many, many social influencers make money solely with their Instagram account or their YouTube channel. (Facebook page, Snapchat, Tumblr and to some degree, Twitter)

eBay

Good old eBay. Yes even 2018, this is still an excellent resource to make money online. Even as I write this article, I’m contemplating opening another storefront for our wallet business on eBay. (if I can find the time or maybe this is a perfect job for a virtual assistant)

Are you stuck for ideas?

Reselling old things is one of the best ways to go about this. For example, do you have a ton of old toys sitting around somewhere?

Take a look around the internet and see what they’re worth. Not only do you have the chance of hitting the jackpot with an unexpectedly valuable collectible, but it also costs you little more than the price of postage given how long ago you came into its ownership.

There’s not much in the way of downsides here, though it pays to be careful in all aspects of selling online.

Seller fees are a thing, and though they may add up, it’s unlikely to outweigh the positives of making money like this.

More serious would be those who try to scam you or abuse returns, claiming something is wrong with an item in the hopes you’ll let them keep it with the refund to avoid the hassle of a return or lying by claiming the item never arrived when it did.

Use things like tracking numbers and excellent photographs of what you’re selling to stay on top of things like this.

Scams and scammers are going to happen. Grow a thick skin and move past this. We almost used this excuse ourselves to self-doubt ourselves and not open our wallet shop. Don’t make excuses when you encounter problems.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.

Change your mindset, become a problem solver. 

Sponsored Blog Posts

If you run a blog, an easy way to earn some cash is through sponsored posts or brand deals.

In exchange for promoting a product or, in some cases, just talking about one at all, the maker of that product pays you money. It’s probably one of the simplest jobs on this list, especially if your blog incorporates product reviews.

There are a few things you should be aware of with sponsored posts, though, both in how to get offers to make them and when you actually post them.

In general, unless you already have a decent following, most major brands (i.e., the people with the most money) won’t be contacting you to promote their products, meaning you should focus on growing your audience as much as possible if you want to take this route.

Additionally, it’s a good idea to have some kind of standards when choosing whether or not to accept a brand deal. While you can allow whatever you want, even taking every sponsorship deal you come across, you should be aware of the kind of products you’re claiming to support and the message you send to those you influence.

If it’s not something you would actually use or might do harm to the world, think hard about whether you really want to be associated with that kind of product.

Finally, there’s also the matter of transparency. While there’s nothing wrong with sponsored posts in and of themselves, it should always be clear that they are sponsored posts from the beginning.

This is not only the ethical thing to do to ensure people aren’t misled about your intentions, but it can also be straight-up illegal not to divulge any conflicts of interest when promoting products in many places.

To keep yourself on the up and up, make sure to be clear when things are sponsored. If you are sincere and transparent, your audience will fully accept the occasional sponsored post.

Google AdSense

Another easy way to earn money online is through the use of a Google AdSense account.

Basically, if you allow Google to display ads beside your content, you get a small amount of money anytime someone views or clicks those ads. You get money for mostly doing nothing besides running your content as usual.

The adaptability of AdSense is one major plus, as it can be used to run ads on all sorts of different content from blogs to YouTube videos and beyond.

A potential issue for you, though, can come in the form of the minimum payout amount set by Google. This means that, until your account earns US$100 from the various ads displayed on your content, you won’t see a single penny of the money you’ve earned.

While it may not be an issue for those with top-rated channels or blogs, smaller creators can often feel burned by this limitation.

Finally, one pitfall that many users of AdSense feel is the loss of revenue through ad-blocking programs.

We’ve all surely used ad blockers before, but for smaller creators, these can pose a problem regarding the bottom line, as every ad blocked is more money lost.

I’m guilty, I use Ad Block.

Product Reviews

Many sellers on websites like Amazon will offer free samples or money for reviews on their products. Not even positive reviews necessarily, as the attention from having reviews is what they’re most concerned with.

While this is an excellent way to make money without much effort, it can be somewhat dubious in terms of ethics.

Though plenty of people just simply want the reviews, good or bad, others do expect positive reviews in exchange for money, so ask yourself whether you’re willing to do this or not.

Not only that, if the website you’re giving reviews through ever catches on to the fact you’ve been paid, it could mean the closure of your account, causing even more problems if it’s somewhere you frequently visit.

Airbnb

If you happen to have a house or apartment, why not make some money off it while you’re out travelling?

Renting out your space to people through websites or apps is an incredibly simple process that you can do from anywhere in the world and an easy way to make some extra money.

Apparent precautions are in order, though.

For one, make sure you’re not breaking any laws or lease agreements before you do this, as it’s an excellent way to lose your property and end up on the street when you come back home.

Additionally, try to avoid leaving anything too valuable in the house while you’re away, as the temptation for theft is quite high when people are left alone in your home for long stretches of time and likely to never see you again.

Patreon

Crowdfunding is usually for things like games, TV, or products you want to get off the ground, but there’s plenty of ways to make that model work for you as an individual.

The first choice of anyone looking to crowdfund themselves rather than a specific product or venture would be Patreon. It’s a website that lets users pledge money to a particular creator to support the work they do.

“Work” is the keyword here, as it’s unlikely anyone will support you if there’s not something you’re doing that they can enjoy. It’s also helpful to offer perks to the people who pledge, back, or donate to you, as it encourages new people to do so to get those benefits and keeps those who already support you happy.

Art is a common choice for many who choose this way of making money, but many other skills could also be monetized. It all depends on what you can do and what people are willing to back.

The biggest thing to look out for when it comes to crowdfunding is not fulfilling your perks or other obligations.

While it might be tempting to take the money and run, the internet doesn’t forget. It’s doubtful you could make that work more than once and even if you could, why would you want to steal from other people who graciously wish to give you money on a regular schedule?

Just stay on top of your commitments and update your backers if there are any delays and you should be golden.

Using Robo-advisors

These may also be called automated investment advisers or digital advice platforms. They’re algorithm-driven financial technology apps for managing your investments.

Assets managed by robo-advisers are expected to reach $7 trillion globally by 2025.

Most robo-advice starts with an online survey about your circumstances and goals. Based on the data collected, robo-advisers offer guidance and automatically invest your assets. They’re great for educating yourself, making short- and long-term financial plans, and managing your portfolio.

Accounts are easy to open with a deposit as small as $5 in some cases, and many don’t require a minimum balance. Fees are low.

Betterment, Wealthfront and SoFi are among the most popular platforms.

One disadvantage is the lack of human supervision. Investing is never without risk, so you should always have several reliable sources of advice.

Dividend Investing

American companies typically distribute a portion of their earnings, or dividends, to investors every quarter. The best ones increase these set amounts over time. Dividend stocks are usually less risky than growth stocks. They can pay a steady stream of income, especially if you keep reinvesting.

You can purchase dividend stocks individually or through exchange-traded funds. ETFs are made up of dozens of preselected stocks. This is a good way to go for a few reasons.

First, you don’t have to research hundreds of companies as you would if you bought individual dividend stocks. Second, you have a ready-made portfolio that’s highly diverse. Finally, even if some of the stocks cut dividends, the others will offset your losses.

Popular platforms include Dividend.com, DividendInvestor and The Dividend Detective.

Again, no investment is a sure thing, so get good advice.

Bitcoin

How do you make money online with seemingly magical internet currency? There are lots of ways. Some require little effort and pay a minimal return. The really lucrative ones call for no small amount of industry expertise.

Bitcoins are nothing more than lines of computer code. Owners digitally sign them as transactions are made, and they’re stored in virtual wallets similar to bank accounts. Bitcoins can be bought with traditional currency, traded like a commodity or used for internet purchases.

Bitcoin is not regulated by banks or the U.S. Federal Reserve System, but encryption ensures that transactions, which occur instantly, are secure.

However, bitcoins are very volatile. Since 2015, they’ve ranged in worth anywhere from $300 to $20,000 apiece. Transactions are largely anonymous, but investigators can trace them to you if you convert them into regular currency.

Most bitcoin miners team up to buy sophisticated, very expensive computer parts that ordinary people don’t have access to. They do this to pool their processing power. Setup costs might be as high as $10,000.

As Bitcoin transactions take place across the internet, miners try to be the first to verify that no bitcoin is spent twice. When they succeed, they’re rewarded with new bitcoins.

The return on investment can be huge if you’re extremely tech-savvy and you can analyze the cryptocurrency market to predict bitcoin value. Beginners might be better off registering with a mining service like Genesis.

You can earn small amounts by answering surveys, watching ads or videos, or performing other microtasks on sites like Upwork that pay in bitcoins.

Gambling, trading, or buying and holding bitcoins is risky if you haven’t done your homework.

Forex Trading

This stands for foreign exchange. Just as market forces influence stock prices, the demand for a certain currency at any given time affects its value.

Individuals, businesses and entire countries participate in forex, so it’s the busiest market in the world. When you buy cheese imported from Switzerland or convert dollars to euros in Italy, you’re transacting in the forex market.

It’s popular for online day trading because it’s open 24 hours a day on weekdays.

It requires only a small amount of capital, and there’s potential for significant profit with forex brokers offering leverage. Thanks to that leverage, a small opening deposit controls a much larger amount in the market.

Forex is highly volatile, though, and traders must carefully manage their risk. One percent of each trade is ideal. If you have a $2,000 account, you shouldn’t lose more than $20. Even small losses like that add up over a full day.

Paper trading accounts, also known as virtual trading accounts, allow you to learn the game and try your hand without putting real assets at stake. These online platforms or mobile apps work in real-time with real information, but it’s a little like practicing with Monopoly money.

Before you try the real thing, you can put your strategies to the test and create a mock portfolio without losing anything.

Online Poker

How much money can you make playing poker online? That’s hard to say. Some players report earning $100 to $2,000 per month depending on the stakes and how often they play, but many players underreport their winnings to shield them from the IRS. Many overreport their winnings to hide massive losses and save face.

Two things are for sure: You should have a thorough knowledge of the game and lots of experience playing it, and you shouldn’t play when you’re tired, sick or drunk.

Playing online poker is legal at the federal level. However, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia are the only states to legalize it so far. All have launched websites except West Virginia, which should take it live in 2020.

In some states, like Washington, just having online poker software on your computer is a Class C felony. No one’s ever been prosecuted for breaking that law, but it’s on the books. Other players get around state bans by playing on offshore sites.

Sports Betting

If you’re willing to trust the oddsmakers, crunch the numbers and pray that players don’t get injured, you can make significant money online betting on sports.

That having been said, sports betting may not be legal where you live. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to let states make up their own minds. As of January 2020, you’re good to go in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Nevada, Iowa, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Oregon, New Hampshire, Illinois, Tennessee and Michigan.

Each state has its own rules. In Mississippi, for example, you can only place bets within a land- or water-based casino. New Jersey and Pennsylvania quickly launched online platforms or mobile apps for sports betting, but other states haven’t gotten around to taking it online.

To place bets online in another state, you must be physically within that state’s legal borders. A mobile app that’s legal in one state won’t work in a state where it’s not. Smartphones verify the location.

Online fantasy sports betting has been legalized in 40 states that determined it was a game of skill rather than chance.