Many people often wonder how they can make money online, and although there are many ways to do so, some are easier than others. What we do know, is that there are no get rich quick schemes, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. If you want to make money online, be prepared to put in the time and a fair amount of money in some cases. Treat your online endeavor like you’re running your own business. It’s that simple. The good news is that if you’re not afraid of working hard, you can earn a decent amount of money.
Become a Freelance Writer
If you love to write, there are many websites out there that will pay you to create content. While you don’t need a master’s degree, it helps if you know a specific area: personal finance, travel, parenting, etc. The more you write in a particular niche, the more you can establish yourself as a trusted voice. A great way to get noticed is to start a blog, which can function as a resume of sorts.
Sell Homemade Goods on Etsy
If you’re into arts and crafts, there’s money to be made by selling your creations on Etsy, one of the best websites for selling homemade goods. Millions of people browse Etsy, giving you a huge audience that you can sell your products.
Rent Your Home on Airbnb
Millions worldwide are making money by renting out their homes, or even a room in their home, via Airbnb. In fact, some have managed to make Airbnb their full-time business. The beauty of Airbnb is that you choose when to make your home available and the price you’ll charge.
Sell Your Stuff
This is a great way to make money immediately. If you find yourself in a cash crunch or financial emergency of sorts, get rid of stuff you don’t need by selling it online through sites like Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Amazon. Most of these websites offer free listings for sellers.
Start a Blog
Earning income from your own blog can take a long time to grow, so you have to have something else driving you. Write for enjoyment, and eventually, the money might follow. Money-making bloggers earn income from various sources: ad revenue through Google Adsense, Mediavine (for higher traffic blogs), and affiliate marketing. Amazon Associates Program, or by selling products such as eBooks and online courses.
Start a YouTube Channel
Making money on YouTube can take a while, but it is definitely possible. The most common way is to earn revenue on ads displayed in and around your video content. The more views your videos receive, the more money you can make. You do need to hit a minimum threshold to qualify for YouTube’s Partner Program.
Web Design
Web design is a skill that can be entirely self-taught. The first step is to build a few websites of your own. Once you get the hang of it, you can offer your services to others. Depending on how developed your skills are, you can charge a decent sum of money. While it is a competitive field, experienced web designers can command thousands of dollars to build a site.
Manage Facebook Ads for Local Businesses
Ever notice the posts marked ‘sponsored’ that show up on your Facebook feed? Those are ads paid for by the endless number of companies vying for your attention. Businesses pay good money to place ads on Facebook, but they need someone to help them build the ads and run the campaigns. You can make good money by providing this service to small businesses in your area. Fitness clubs, coffee shops, even vet clinics, or chiropractic offices make for great potential clients. While you can teach yourself how to run Facebook Ads, I recommend taking an online course, which will not only help you create effective ad campaigns but show you how to land clients.
Work for a Company Remotely
There are a large number of companies that hire work from home employees. The types of jobs can vary, but they often involve customer service roles, data analysis, and market research. The best way to locate work from jobs is to visit the careers page on the company’s website, refine your search using keyword filters, like ‘remote’ and ‘work from home. Well-known brands, such as American Express, Staples, and Google, have all been known to hire work from home employees.
Become a Website Tester
If you spend a lot of time surfing the web, there’s a good chance you know what makes a great website. Some companies will pay you up to $30/hour to browse through website content and document your experience.
Online Travel Agent
This is a great way for travel buffs to make money online. Earn a commission income by helping travelers with their flight and hotel arrangements and other aspects of the vacation planning, like cruises, excursions.
Professional Organizers
If you are one of those ultra-organized people who have a place for everything, some people will pay you to go through their home and help them develop a plan to declutter. You can choose to do this as a coach or consultant or roll up your sleeves and help your clients do the heavy lifting, so to speak.
Personal Shopper
Believe it or not, this is a thing. Some people will pay someone else to do their shopping for them. If you love to shop and have a discerning eye, this could be a great way to make extra money. One nice thing about this job is that you can shop online and do most of your research there also, although you might prefer to head to the mall. It all depends on the kinds of items your client is looking for.
eBay Reseller
The business model is simple. Buy items at a steep discount, and then sell products online for a profit, as an eBay reseller. You can learn tricks to be able to spot bargains, but you also need to figure out the types of items that are in demand and will be easy to sell. The last thing you want is to be left holding onto a bunch of useless products.
Home Staging
When a house goes up for sale, it needs to stand out to get noticed. To draw in prospective buyers, realtors will often pay to have the home staged or, in other words, looking its best for the camera. Usually, this involves decluttering or adding accessories to spruce up the look and feel of a room. The changes are temporary, but the job requires a similar skill to interior decorating. To get started, you could provide the service to friends and family to create a portfolio of your work. Then, reach out to a few realtors in the area to let them know about your service and your rates.
Graphic Designer
If you know your way around programs like Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, there’s a good chance you have the skills necessary to create or edit images for websites, advertising campaigns, or social media posts. Many businesses need these services but don’t have the budget to hire a dedicated graphic designer.
Social Media Manager
Do you spend hours on Snapchat and Instagram? If so, why not get paid for it. These days, every business needs to have a social media presence, but many entrepreneurs don’t have the time to stay on top. Some companies will outsource social media tasks to someone who can build an audience and create engaging content. Try reaching out to businesses in your area and offer to create and manage social media content for a monthly fee. You might be surprised by their willingness to pay for this service.
Publish & Sell Stock Photos
Perhaps you love taking pictures but have no interest in dealing with customer service demands with wedding or family photography. Instead, you could publish photos you’ve taken out of your own enjoyment and sell them online through stock photo sites.
Become an Online Tutor
If you love to teach and have skills in math or English, you can find work as an online tutor.
Teach Music Online
Turn your love for singing, or playing a musical instrument into extra income, by offering music lessons online. Lessons can be done over video via Skype, making it almost as though you’re in the room with your student. As for payment, it’s easier than ever with e-transfer or PayPal.
Offer Bookkeeping Services
If you know your way around booking software, such as QuickBooks, you can pick up work doing bookkeeping for small businesses. This is often very part-time work, a few hours per week, so depending on how much time you have, you could choose to take on several clients. Start by advertising your services through your local Facebook Community Group or by reaching out to small businesses in your area.
Online Coaching
If you have a well-developed skill set, along with some real-life experience in any number of fields, chances are some people will hire you as an online coach. Fitness & nutrition, sales, leadership, human resource management, you name it. The beauty of this online job is that you set the price and decide how much you want to work. Depending on the subject, this can be a very lucrative online business.
Proof-Reader
Closely related to freelance writing, another way to make money is by reading articles written by others. What I love about editing or proofreading is that it’s completely location-independent. You can work from anywhere; all you need is a laptop. If you have the skill, it’s a fairly easy job. There is no shortage of places where you can find work as a proof-reader, in addition to listing your services on sites like Upwork.
House or Pet Sitting
Many people prefer not to leave their house empty when they go away for vacation. Or, if they have pets, they’d much rather leave them at home where they’re comfortable, instead of dropping them off at a kennel. If you don’t mind staying in someone else’s home, you can make good money, with some added perks, by offering to house or pet sit for families in your neighbourhood.
Audio or Video Editor
Many content creators, such as recording musicians or videographers, don’t have the time to edit their own audio or video recordings. If you have the talent to do the job, you can make good money by helping them with the audio or video editing process. Any newer personal computer, equipped with the necessary editing software, should be sufficient, and files can be transferred online, making this a job you can do from anywhere.
Final Thoughts: Making money online isn’t for the faint of heart. Although it takes time, there is something gratifying about working online from the comfort of your own home or anywhere you can get a Wi-Fi connection, for that matter. It’s also nice to have the flexibility to take breaks whenever you need them and be your own boss. The main thing to remember is that if you want to make anything more than pocket change online, you need to treat it like a business rather than a hobby.
