Could entrepreneurs really be taking over the economy? This was one question Amy Cosper, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, posted in the December 2009 issue of the publication. Do we now live in an age where entrepreneurs rule the economy?
Entrepreneurs most certainly rule the Internet. Today, millions of people are establishing themselves and their businesses online. They don’t have a choice. Lots of people were hit hard with lay offs in 2008, as companies had to downsize just to stay afloat. So, people began becoming more independent and sought out ways to make a living online, after it was clear that companies wouldn’t be hiring them. Many people chose an entrepreneur lifestyle; it’s easy to see why. After all, why wouldn’t they? They were their own bosses now. They controlled how much money they made and how many hours they worked. They controlled their future.
Now you can too.
This guide is meant to be a resource to help you make a living online. A simple list of ideas or suggestions to help you achieve your online goals, if you will, that will point you on to the right path. Test them, practice them or devote your time to them. You can control your own future. And what better way to do that than online?
There are thousands of entrepreneurs earning online income through copywriting. Copywriting is just any form of copy (Ex: an article, brochure, ad) written by a professional freelance writer at a set fee. Writing copy is a very lucrative profession and requires incredible amounts of work. However, with enough experience, you can easily make over $100,000 a year.
Copywriters can literally write about anything, though they usually specialize in a certain market or service. This is because companies like to hire copywriters who are experienced in their type of field. Tons of books have been dedicated to the subject of copywriting and you can easily find some on Amazon. Popular, well-known, books include Start & Run a Copywriting Business by Steve Slaunwhite, The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman, Secrets of a Freelance Writer by Robert Bly and The Copywriter’s Handbook by Robert Bly. For further information about copywriting, visit Copyblogger.
Almost everyone has blogged at one point in their lives. Many people are making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year blogging. Look at Darren Rowse of ProBlogger for example. He’s able to make a living online with just the money he’s making from blogging. Of course, blogging takes hard work in order to be successful.
You can make money in a variety of ways with your blog, ranging from selling ad space to selling eBooks. You also don’t even have to be a professional freelance writer. You just have to know the subject you’re writing about. For more information about blogging and advice to get you started, browse the ever popular blog ProBlogger.
Do you like dabbling with Inkscape or Photoshop and making intriguing designs? Graphic design may be your next big money-maker. Simply set up an online portfolio displaying your samples and offer your graphic design services. You can also make money selling WordPress or forum themes if you’re familiar with those platforms.
Graphic designing can even be used as a fun hobby to supplement other sources of income. If you didn’t want to make graphic designing a business, you can also just sell your work on a variety of websites that accept creative logos and themes. Visit How to Earn Money As A Graphic Designer for additional ideas on where to sell your designs.
There are many websites on the Internet that pay freelance writers to write content for them. Popular websites include Associated Content, Demand Studios, Constant Content and Helium. There are tons of others as well.
Many content websites pay writers residual income or continuous payments over a long period of time, so that writers can get the most out of their articles. However, there are some websites that pay writers upfront or one time payments. Find out more about web content in the article Exploring Web Content and Web Content Sites. Tons of freelance writers are making a living online with their web content.
Do you like to solve problems? Are you an incredible thinker? Invent something useful and sell it online for a decent profit. You don’t even have to manufacture the product. In fact, you don’t even have to be within 20 miles of the product in order to make a living online. Simply give someone else your product idea (the manufacturer, for example), have them do all the work and then reap a percentage of the profits!
You will need to research competition and trends, however, before you start forming ideas. Tamara Monosoff wrote a terrific article on how to position and sell your invention. I also suggest reading The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss for a more detailed guide.
Anyone with the motivation can become a programmer. However, the journey may be rough, and it will require hours of study in order to familiarize yourself with the different languages and code. Those who know how to program have endless money-making opportunities ahead of them, ranging from selling applications to checking the security of websites. You should consider investing in programming books, as there will be many languages you should be familiar with (C++, Java, Visual Basic and so on). You can also specialize in one or two languages.
To get started, browse the W3Schools.com website.
Affiliate marketing refers to when someone, usually a business owner or webmaster, recruits referrals to specific sites or networks in return for a reward. The reward can be money or a gift, though money is rewarded most often.
When people talk about affiliate marketing, they generally refer to affiliate networks like Commission Junction or ClickBank. Commission Junction and ClickBank may be popular affiliate networks, but they aren’t the only affiliate networks around. Not many people know that affiliate marketing encompasses a wide variety of networks, like freebie websites.
Affiliate marketing is a broad term and can refer to any website that you refer others to for profit. Because the term is so broad, many people can use affiliate marketing and make a living online. Tons of websites have an affiliate program. Take a look around. Have you ever hosted a website? Your hosting company probably has an affiliate program. Have you ever bought anything online? That site almost definitely has an affiliate program. There’s dozens of sites you can use for affiliate marketing. Darren Rowse describes affiliate marketing nicely on his What is Affiliate Marketing? article.
Do you like to optimize websites for search engines? There are tons of webmasters that will buy websites that are already getting traffic. For some people, starting a website from scratch is hard work. They don’t want to deal with that hassle. There are even auction sites that attract visitors interested in buying niche websites and will allow you to list your niche site for sale. Flippa is a popular website where people can auction off their niche websites to the highest bidder. Some people even earn over $13,000 for one niche website with Flippa!
Before listing your niche website for sale, you’ll need to know the basics of switching domain names and hosting servers so that you can transfer the website on to the buyer. Read the domain name transfer tutorial and the WordPress server switch tutorial before you get started.
Investing is a risky business, but it can also be a profitable one if you know what you’re doing. There are different forms of investing, ranging from real estate to Forex investing. Whichever form of investing you choose to take part in, you’ll need to do some heavy research in the area to reduce any risks.
Though investing is risky, there are many people who are able to live a comfortable life solely from the money earned from investing. The Investing 101 course will teach you a great deal of what you need to know about investing before you get started. You should also do additional research to increase your earning potential.
You can make a living online just by hosting online courses and sharing your expertise, especially if you already have a Web presence. Many online users are eager to spend money to learn new skills. If you’re a professional in your area of expertise, people will want to learn from you. You can also charge as much as $300 or more per course (per person, mind you) if you are exceptionally well known.
Bloggers especially find online courses to have great money potential if used alongside their blogs. Their blogs also help build their brand and authority, so more people want to learn from them. Best Universities offers a wealth of online course materials geared to help you get started to make a living online.
Tags: Money methods
I've been making money with my writing since 2008. With this income, I'm able to travel the world, indulge in my hobbies, and govern my own life. And the best thing is, I love every second of it!
Hillary Bost (1)
Wow Christina – thanks for the list! Good info and nice presentation. Glad to see what you’re up to these days – hope you’re having tons of success with your endeavors.
Crystal´s last [type] ..The Best Resource for Budding Freelance Writers – and its FREE!
Thanks Crystal,
I’m glad you enjoy the list!
I checked out your blog and I think it’s very nicely put together as well. It’s always a pleasure to meet fellow freelance writers who also work for Demand Studios.
Good luck with your blog and I hope your financial success continues to grow in the years to come.
Christina
This is a fantastic post! These are all amazing suggestions…I now have to bookmark this page!
I’m glad you’ve found this post useful, Mary. Good luck putting these ideas to use. Let me know how they work out for you!
Christina
Hi Christina!
Thank you for this no-fluff, useful list!
Adena Atkins´s last [type] ..While Sleeping
No problem, Adena!
Glad it was useful to you.
Very useful list — wide range and good resource links. I’m intrigued by #10:
“Bloggers especially find online courses to have great money potential if used alongside their blogs”.
I like the idea of teaching and online instruction has advanced so much! I’m trying my microphone at video posts, so who knows I might look into this aspect of something that’s enjoyable and profitable. lol
SBA´s last [type] ..Should You Upgrade to WP 301 and Twenty Ten 11
Hi Shirley,
Thanks for stopping by! That would be fantastic if you created an online course about blogging. I think that you and Ishan would do very well. Blogging with Success provides such a useful array of information. It would be interesting to watch your course develop. I’d also help with promotion if need be.
If you do decide to start an online course, I wish you the best of luck!
Christina
Very interesting article you have here… all brilliant points. I’ve been trying out a few that you have mentioned here, still have a long way to go… Articles such as this keeps me on my goal. Thanks for posting.
rod rodriguez´s last [type] ..Inspiration- Fish House by Guz Architects- Singapore
Hi Rod,
I’m glad you’re setting goals for yourself. Goal planning is one of the most crucial steps to success. Having your goals outlined will keep you focused and direct you to the next steps that you have to take in order to achieve your goals.
Though the journey may be long, everyone has to start somewhere. You can try going for small milestones in the beginning to make the process easier. For example, if you wanted to create an affiliate marketing business, you could first set a goal to make 5 sales a week. Once you’ve accomplished 5 sales, aim for 10 sales. Then, maybe 5 sales a day. Try doing something special for yourself every time you’ve reached a new milestone. This way, you won’t easily get discouraged and you’ll also be rewarded for what you’ve achieved.. making the process even more exciting.
Best of luck!
Christina
Thanks for this list for the practical ways to make a living online. Copy writing has become popular in recent years.
Hi Alicia,
Glad you appreciate the list. Copywriting has indeed become a popular business to get into, especially for freelance writers. It also has an amazing earning potential.
Hope you are doing well,
Christina
Thanks for information, I just knew. For indeed I am a new blogger from Indonesia. Thanks! Hopefully I can take a valuable lesson from this blog.
Welcome to the blogosphere! I’ll be writing more about blogging during the upcoming months ahead. If you have any specific questions about the subject that you want answered on this blog, don’t hesitate to comment or contact me.
Good luck with your new blog!
Christina
Nice article Christina. You mentioned lots of ways you can make money online. Ultimately you are just limited by your creativity. I mean now there are different websites sprouting up all over the place. Websites like Fiverr.com is a marketplace where people can place their mini jobs and other people can buy these services.
Really if you have a good idea you could be making money in no time.
Julius´s last [type] ..The Perfect WordPress Theme for Affiliates
Thanks for sharing, Julius.
That is quite true. You can make a living online in a variety of ways, and how you do so really depends on how creative you are and the ideas you come up with. This list is just meant to be a starting point for readers to show them that there are endless possibilities out there. By no means are these methods engraved in stone. I encourage everyone to put their thinking caps on and come up with their own money-making ideas. You can even add ideas of your own to the methods mentioned in this article or experiment with these ideas as is. Be creative and see where your mind leads you!
Christina
Some great ways to make money here, very informative–I shall tweet this
Karl Hadwen´s last [type] ..How To Setup Permalinks In WordPress
Thanks for the support, Karl. I’m glad this guide was of use to you!
Christina
This is a great list. I hadn’t really thought of copywriting or graphic design but it makes sense.
You make a great point that this is just a starting point. Getting creative can allow for all sorts of new ways of making money online.
Kidgas´s last [type] ..Hoping for a Strong End of August Plus Free Golf
Thanks for sharing, Kidgas.
Indeed, your own creativity determines your earning potential. I’m glad this list was able to enlighten you.
Best of luck with your own income goals.
Christina
Great website. I like your style of writing too, it’s very long and informative. I’m also trying to find my place on the internet and make an income. Good luck to you
Nice site btw.
Paul Morales´s last [type] ..Day 91- Going to finish my 11 left- Adsense sites
Hi Paul,
I hope your search goes well. There are many opportunities available, so I’m sure you’ll find one to your liking. Good luck!
Christina
What a great article. You have some great ideas for online businesses. it is important to know that setting up any business is hard work. In the case of online business it is hard to get traffic flowing into your website and even harder to get them to buy your product or services.
It is important to remain motivated and work hard. That is the only way of achieving your objectives.
Thank you for a great article.
http://www.ditchtheboss.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing.
Creating an online business does require a lot of work, and motivation is a necessity if you ever plan to go far with your online business. There is no easy way to make money, despite what many people may think.
Christina
Great post, Christina. I’m in the process of trying to freelance writing to a full-time level, and I’m seeing you really need to have three or four income streams to make it work. This is a good list.
AllAboutEreading.com´s last [type] ..Kindle vs iPad- It’s Not a Real Fight!
Thanks for the comment! It is easier (and safer) to earn money by diversifying your income streams. However, if you provide your own services (like copywriting, for example), you don’t really need to diversify, though it can help. For example, you can make a blog for your copywriting business to further promote the business, then create an eBook on copywriting or the topics you cover on your blog.
Diversifying is definitely something you should look into and something I recommend.
Best of luck on your writing!
Nice write up. Currently I am working on blogging and just started with Affiliate Marketing. Affiliate marketing really is such a HUGE field, it’s going to take me quite some time to really master it.
Blogging has been going well however, the offers are started to pour in for advertising…
myfinancialobjectives´s last [type] ..Making the Most of your Lunch Hour
Affiliate marketing is huge. There are so many things you can do in the affiliate marketing field, ranging from selling items and earning half the price to recruiting referrals to a specific program. Not only that, but thousands and thousands of companies are offering incentives for joining their affiliate program. Sometimes it can be too much to handle.
I’m glad blogging is doing well. I remember being so excited when I first got my advertising offer. That just shows you that people are starting to truly value your blog.
Best of luck with all your online endeavors!
Christina
Hi Christina!
Fellow DS writer here! I’ve seen you over on Pat’s website and you always add lots of great information and ask excellent questions–many questions I often wonder myself.
This is a great list, especially the niche site bit. I’m really getting into Pat’s Niche Site Duel and paying close attention.
I look forward to checking out your blog more often!
Cheers!
Hi Kimberly!
Thanks for dropping by! It’s always nice to talk to a fellow freelance writer. I’m glad you find my comments insightful.
Pat’s Niche Site Duel is getting exciting. I’m interested to see how his niche site turns out. I was thinking about joining the duel myself, though haven’t yet made up my mind. I have a few topics that I could use for a site that interest me. I’ll see though.
Christina
For all those options you are showing there the one that attracts me more is programming, and do it pretty well. However, what really worth is affiliate marketing and investing. Why? Because they are more likely to be passive incoming, and that type of income is the one that make this business worth.
Great blog by the way.
Daniel´s last [type] ..Toe Socks
Hi Daniel,
Thanks for sharing! My boyfriend is a programmer and he loves what he does.
Hope you’re enjoying the new year so far,
Christina
I have been working hourly jobs on the internet for a couple years now. First for Leapforce and now for Lionbridge. I still need something to supplement my income, not making enough money. I am nervous about trying the writing jobs because I’m not very confident in my writing skills. Is it difficult to find programming jobs without having a degree or training?? Also, is there a site to help with my writing skills but quick??
Thanks, Gennifer
Hi Gennifer,
I’ve never heard of Leapforce or Lionbridge. What kinds of jobs do both companies offer? Also, what are the rates per hour? I’m going to definitely look into them for more information.
If you like to write and like sharing information, you can definitely try earning money off of your writing even though you may not be that experienced yet. Many new writers are nervous about getting their foot in the door, so don’t let that stop you from pursuing a great career if that’s what you’re interested in.
There are many books out there to help improve your writing. Some that I’ve read and recommend (aff links) are The Everything Guide to Writing Copy, Woe Is I, and The Copywriter’s Handbook. But it really depends on what style of writing you want to do. For example, there’s copywriting, blogging, creative writing, technical writing, and the list goes on. Good sites that I recommend are Copyblogger, Problogger, Men with Pens, No Job for Mom, Get Paid to Write Online, Write to Done, and many, many more.
As for programming, you’ll need to know how to form series of code before getting started as a programmer. Some top notch companies (like Google) will probably require a professional degree, but there are many smaller companies out there just looking for skilled programmers. Of course, you’ll have to know what you’re doing before going this route. Just knowing HTML and CSS isn’t enough.
I hope I helped!
Christina
Hi Christina, Leapforce and Lionbridge both offer jobs where you judge websites relevance. Theres is more to it but it is hard to explain and I had to sign a dislcosure statement with both companies. Check out thier websites, leapforceathome.com and lionbridge.com. I have heard of similar jobs such as “google ads quality rater” (through workforcelogic) and the company “Butler Hill” but have never gotten any feedback from anyone who has worked for either one. Thank you for the information on programming. I applied at demand studios yesterday so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Gennifer´s last [type] ..Article Writing
Hi Gennifer,
Interesting! I’ll check them out. Thanks for the links!
I hope you get accepted to Demand Studios! And if not, you can always re-apply again in the future with a different email address. Let me know if you need me for anything!
Christina
Thanks for this information Christina. It gives me some hope and some direction on things I can do.
I have been trying to get things going on the internet for some time and have made some money, but not I’m really successful yet.
I have recently started a blog and have put up a few posts. I would like to make this my avenue of income. I enjoy writing, and all the posts I have put up (except the first one) are my own creations. Could you take a look at it and let me know what you think? Do I have a prayer of making this successful? Be honest now, as I want your real opinion.
Thanks for your help in advance,
Mark Hamilton