Are you worried about the economy and how to make ends meet? The good news is there are many ways to make money online in a bleak economy.
So whether you want to start your own business or get some extra cash, this blog post shares six great ideas for making money in an uncertain world.
Starting my online business was one of the best decisions ever made. First, I began to pay for our groceries, and now, five years later, it has turned into a full-time income– while I work part-time hours.
You can learn six ways to make money online today. No scams or pyramid schemes are involved in any of these methods—just straight-up revenue generation and cash flow for you!
Ghostwriting and Graphic Design
Ghostwriting is pretty simple. It means that you write for other people, and your name doesn’t exist as the author of that work. Instead, you’re a ghost working behind the scenes.
An exciting way to make money while still maintaining anonymity is by ghostwriting. The process sounds simple enough: you write for other people, but your name doesn’t show up in the author’s credit line of that work. Instead, a “ghost” does all the hard work behind the scenes…
What if you could be successful on your terms? The idea of being an anonymous writer has appealed to many because they can keep their personal life separate from work while still developing stories for a company.
If someone agrees with what gets written down during writing sessions, there should be no problem, even when done anonymously!
It’s easy to be proud of your work and want credit for it, but you must get paid by someone at the end of the day.
Some people are so obsessed with getting their name on something that they forget how much time goes into a project; meanwhile, others who don’t have any say in what gets published will ensure there is some return from all that hard effort put forth.
And while having a byline might seem like enough reward – even being able to take pride in one’s accomplishments- without ever actually seeing money come back from those words would feel very underwhelming indeed.
If you’re a writer looking to make some extra money on the side, then ghostwriting might be worth exploring. However, if it interests you, there are plenty of tips for making this your full-time career!
Ghostwriters can explore various genres, and they have their choice when deciding how much time is allocated to each project. In addition, freelancing offers a flexible schedule that allows writers to pick and choose their most lucrative jobs, while agency work provides certainty regarding what is expected.
Freelance writing gives some professionals the opportunity for flexibility with time off from day-to-day responsibilities when needed, but this comes at a price. Freelancers typically have less job security than those employed by an established company or organization because freelance gigs can be few and far between.
It all depends on preference and finding out which type suits one best should come first before anything else. If you’re looking for ways to make money, there are a plethora of opportunities available.
One way is through online sites where people pay writers to write content for them. This doesn’t mean that college writing majors don’t have the opportunity or aren’t perfect at it; however, if this idea appeals more than others, then, by all means, pursue your dreams!
Your writing ability will be judged on quality and not how well-rounded someone has been in their studies. However, it does require a good grasp of the mechanics, which you can learn over time.
It also means being pretty good at spelling–but these are all things you could eventually catch up on with enough practice. Become a professional writer and enjoy the freedom to work from anywhere with your laptop: ghostwrite articles, eBooks, reports, blog whatever you prefer.
You’ll need to meet deadlines while juggling multiple projects on tight turnaround times or under strict guidelines; however, having complete creative control of each project can outweigh that aspect for some professionals.
Depending on what type of writing service is needed – such as technical manuals or screenplays – writers may start by advertising their services through an online platform like Upwork (formerly oDesk), where they list rates according to seconds per word to specify how much it will cost clients/employers who hire them at any time when asked about hourly rates.
Joining Fiverr is a great way to get started.
Selling Graphics Online
Graphic designers are in high demand, and now you can join them. These professionals use images or designs to enhance a product or company’s image. You could start your own business by creating graphics for other companies’ products!
Graphic design is an excellent career choice that will always be in high demand as it offers not only work but potential freedom with the right skillset.
You can create a brand by using graphics. Some examples that you may have seen are banners or headers for websites, buttons, company logos, business cards, and more.
Successfully selling graphics online requires a good understanding of color theory. By identifying what colors work well together and then designing the project with appeal in mind, you can be on your way to generating income from an otherwise stagnant market.
You don’t need a degree to know how to do graphics. Tutorials are readily available, and you can teach yourself with their help online. You will, of course, need design software, but you can also find some free ones to get you started.
Finding clients can be challenging. Luckily, there are a few creative ways to find them and make the process easier for you and your client! A popular one would be advertising services in social media communities such as Facebook or LinkedIn groups.
People might post about problems that need solving by business professionals like yourself. This way of finding leads has been found to work very well among our company’s customers, so we highly recommend it if you’re looking to expand your market share even further than before with ease!
Again Fiverr is a great place to sell your graphics too.
Selling Your Info Products
Info products are an excellent way for beginners to start their own business. They have to share information with the reader, which anyone can learn how to do in an hour or less!
A book recommended to check out is “12 Months to $1 Million: How to Pick a Winning Product, Build a Real Business, and Become a Seven-Figure Entrepreneur” by Ryan Daniel Moran. It’s got everything you need when starting to sell your products.
Understanding what kind of info product you’re producing will also help because some types work better depending on your target audience, like video series vs. eBooks, etc.
Info products are simply products that share information with the reader. You don’t have to be an expert or a guru to start your info product. However, you need the correct information and get organized so that it sells itself. One of the keys is sharing what you’ve learned, which lets people know they can count on you for future guidance too!
Creating an info-product doesn’t require any special skills either; all you need are some helpful tips from someone who’s been there before–which I’m happy to provide if needed!-a plan with deadlines, plus dedication and persistence over time for things go well. So you can bet that if it’s something you’ve struggled with, other people have as well.
That’s why you don’t need any special expert training. You are the expert already. For example, some people want to lose weight and seek answers.
If you walked the journey of losing weight because it was hard for them mentally and physically, then you already have expertise in this field from first-hand experience.
You need to learn about info products to have something available to give people looking for a solution. These include weight loss, skin care, and finances in many other areas too!
People who have a need are looking for answers. So you need to know who your target audience is and aim to solve whatever problem they have. There’s a substantial, wide-open market for info products, and they sell well.
You can create an eBook where you give step-by-step directions on losing weight or getting control of your finances. You can even write one on how to get clear skin or any number of things that people can relate to.
If you don’t know what kind of product to create, take stock of your life and write down any way that you solved a problem—detail step by step what you did. Then, create an eBook where you share how you overcame that problem.
You don’t have to be a writer, graphic designer, photographer, or programmer. You can create an ebook with the information that you know best about, such as recipes, if you’re passionate about cooking and want others to learn from the knowledge too.
Or for all those moms who are always busy juggling work life and home life – why not come up with a children’s book!
If you’re drawing a blank on what kind of info products could sell- think outside of the box: would people pay money to hear my opinion?
Maybe I should start recording lectures so students can get their questions answered right away instead of waiting until next week’s lesson is over? Maybe kids would like some DIY tutorials where they follow step-by-step instructions, but there will also be shortcuts along the way?
So once you develop a product idea, create a sales page with a bonus item for people to input their email addresses.
You want to create an email list of potential customers so you can keep in touch and provide them with more information about your product. With a steady flow of new products, you’ll have the ability to sell items from past projects as well continuously!
My favorite affordable email provider is Flodesk. You pay only $19 a month for an unlimited amount of subscribers.
Affiliate Marketing
You don’t have to limit yourself to just one way of making money online. By spreading your efforts out into as many areas as you can successfully keep up, you can make more possible avenues for revenue flow in and not put all eggs in the same basket!
The internet is a fantastic place to make money from your free time. You could do this by utilizing the variety of sites that offer different ways for people with skills or ideas to share them and earn a little bit every month or so from their hard work.
The best part about these websites? Instead, you don’t have to stick with just one website- branch out in as many areas as possible! By doing this, all avenues will bring in revenue, which means you won’t be putting too much stock into any specific site’s success rate because it’ll eventually pay off when they die down over time (which happens at least once per year).
The possibilities on how someone can use and monetize their talents are endless.
Affiliate marketing is one of those business models. When you get into affiliate marketing, you make money by helping promote what other people are selling.
Every time that product sells, you’ll earn money on it. It’s like when a salesperson closes the deal on a car. It’s not his product, but since he sold it, he gets the commission. And you will, too.
This way of making money online is financially risk-free for you. You won’t have to spend time trying to create your product. You won’t be responsible for ensuring it gets to the consumer, and you won’t have to fork over any money to make money.
You will need a place online where you can promote products. You can use a free website, or you can create your own. You can also use a personal blog. There is a lot of money in affiliate marketing, but you will need to know a few things to earn some of it.
If no one knows about your site and you don’t get any traffic, you won’t have people clicking through the link to buy the product. If the people don’t purchase, you don’t get any commission.
You can check out my post here on the 12 best affiliate programs to join as a blogger. If you are thinking about starting your website, I have a completely FREE guide with step-by-step instructions.
The top Three Affiliate Companies I use are:
You can see a list of more affiliates I use here.
So, you have to be able to get traffic to wherever you’re promoting the product. You can do this by offering quality content. But you want to make sure that the content is relevant.
You’ll find a bigger audience for people looking for weight loss tips than you will for topics like how to pack for a trip.
Create a site or blog that resonates with people. Be engaging, funny, or make people think. Promote only products that are helpful for your audience. For that, you need to know what your audience is searching for.
If you have a wedding blog showing people how to make their day special, you don’t want to promote divorce products. Or, if you promote products about overcoming a divorce, you don’t want to encourage wedding items.
Build reader trust. You have to ensure you have a foundation of trust with your audience. If you promote no exceptional items, you’ll lose that trust. You can find which items to promote on places like Amazon, Sivan, or ShopHer.
Sell Homemade Crafts on eBay or Etsy.
Many people make a living by selling homemade crafts on eBay or Etsy. We all know the economy is rough, so this can be a great way to make some extra cash.
It’s also an enjoyable hobby for those who don’t have time to work outside the home full-time! If you’re ready to start your own business and sell your crafts online, read on for more information about what it takes.
You’ll need an eBay/Etsy account to use eBay/Etsy as your marketplace.
The first step in starting your business is to create an eBay/Etsy account. After you have an account, search for products similar to those you want to sell. Then, find the prices from different sellers and use them as a reference point when determining a price for your product.
After creating your account, add pictures of what you’re selling–you can upload them from your computer or take photos using something like a digital camera with a built-in memory card reader.
When setting up your listing, remember these three things:
- Provide good photos of your product.
- Write an accurate description with good spelling and grammar.
- Include all necessary measurements (length, width, height).
Customers need to feel assured that their voice is heard and valued. Listening attentively to your customers’ needs will make them happy with your products, ensuring return customers for you!
Listening carefully to customer feedback after receiving an item can help boost sales on eBay or Etsy by addressing the issue appropriately in future listings.
In addition, this type of responsiveness will show potential buyers how much the company values its clientele, often leading them back as satisfied consumers.
Working for Others Who Work at Home- Virtual Assistant
You can make money from home by working for other people with work-at-home businesses. However, they often don’t have the time or resources to take care of as many tasks themselves, so they need extra help!
The internet is a vast and ever-changing space, but with all of these changes come new opportunities. You don’t have to stick with just one way to make money online, and even if you find that your business is thriving in only one area of the entire internet marketplace, it’s always better not to put all your eggs into a single basket.
By branching out past what may be a practical or lucrative platform for you right now as a well-for example, by working for other people who need help on their websites or maybe managing social media accounts-you can ensure success in at least two areas instead of being restricted solely to whichever ones are doing best. And this gives us another avenue where we’re able to generate revenue without having any restrictions whatsoever!
When it becomes more than they can juggle as one person, they’ll reach out and hire someone such as a virtual assistant (VA). A virtual assistant can do the same thing an in-person assistant can do, but it’s not always a full-time gig, depending on your work.
As a VA, you can work on a project-by-project basis and as needed. For example, one week, you might work for a T-shirt company. Next, you might be working for a public speaker.
Sometimes, you’ll run into cases where they’ll hire you for something long-term. The job of a VA can be interesting, exciting, and lucrative. For example, a business can use a VA to handle social media content.
On top of handling the day-to-day stuff that has to get done, a business must have an online presence in today’s world. Unfortunately, social media can quickly become a huge time drain, and most people who work at home recognize this.
That’s why they hire someone to handle it for them. When you hold the social media side of a business, it means that you’ll be doing things like updating business information on Facebook or interacting with people who leave comments on the page.
You could be hired to handle the Twitter account and interact with customers there. They might call on you to add pins on Pinterest or create content for the person’s blog. You may be used to edit content or to proofread for mistakes.
Some VAs are hired to put together newsletters for clients that announce the release of a new product. Email campaigns are another job that VAs are often hired to do.
They might put you in charge of answering the emails for the company or as a project manager to help keep everything on time for a release day. In addition, businesses can hire a virtual assistant to plan online events such as sales events or Facebook parties.
You might start with setting up a giveaway, handling entries, and ensuring prizes are taken. What you’ll do as a VA will depend on who hires you. You can find clients by advertising online through a blog or creating a Facebook page for your VA business.
An excellent resource for starting as a VA is this Facebook group here. I know many bloggers, including myself, who look for content/VAs in this group.
Writing Fiction for Kindle
It used to be that if you wanted to make money with your writing, you had to sell to a prominent New York publisher, but thankfully, those days are long gone. Now, anyone who has a story to tell can publish a book using Kindle.
The Kindle is revolutionizing the publishing industry. You can now publish a book without having to go through an agent or publisher, and, even better yet, you have complete control over royalties!
By using the Kindle Publishing Direct platform on Amazon, you can upload your book and have it go live. Depending on which royalty set you to choose when you sign up, you can earn 35% or 70% in royalties.
You can also choose whether or not to make your book exclusive on Amazon. Some authors do this thinking it will make a difference in how much money they make. Unfortunately, what this does is prevent you from selling your book on any other platform for the time being.
First, you’ll need to have a book or a novella. A novella can be around 30,000 words in length. Then, after you write it, you must ensure it’s professionally copyedited. If you can’t afford that right now, then find a few people willing to beta read it for you and ask them to catch mistakes and any plot holes.
Once the book is copyedited, you’ll want to find someone to format the text. If you try to upload a book that’s not formatted, the wording will get messed up. On the other hand, an unedited, unformatted book turns readers off, and you want to give your book the best possible chance to shine.
Hire a professional cover artist. You want to do this because an ugly book cover doesn’t attract readers. Also, it’s not as expensive as you think. You can find ready-made covers for as little as $25 and custom-made ones for as little as $50.
If you plan on having print versions of your book, later on, make sure your cover artist creates a back cover so that you’ll have a book that will wrap for print. When you upload your book, you’ll be given a choice to take Digital Rights Management or not.
Enabling it is supposed to help prevent people from sharing your book with others, which is supposed to cut down on piracy. It doesn’t. So whether you choose that are not won’t make much of a difference.
You’ll have to choose your price, and the price you choose will impact your royalty rate. Because Amazon doesn’t push advertising for self-published books on Kindle, you might want to consider setting your book up for an introductory price just for release week.
Many readers are more than willing to try a brand new author’s book at 99 cents than they are for $5.99. You can change the price, and it only takes a few hours for the latest price to go into effect.
Royalties are paid 60 days after your book is published. Before you ever upload your book start creating buzz for it. Set up a blog tour, advertising spots, and develop teasers for your book.
You don’t have to have Photoshop for that; you can use Canva – and use these graphics that include your name, the title of your book, and a quote from the book to build pre-release interest. There are plenty of FREE pictures to do the job in Canva.
After decades of working in traditional work environments, more and more people find themselves without a job. It’s not an optimistic future for those seeking regular employment, but whether or not you stop looking for 9-5 positions, it is still wise to launch your own business; the online opportunities offer everyone that chance to be their boss with flexible hours.
Aside from job stability and knowing you can’t get fired, you’ll get to enjoy other perks, such as being your boss, developing your plan of action, and working during the hours you see fit, not someone else.
The key to making money in any economy is committing to creating value for others. This means you need to know how your business model works and what it takes to earn from it. It also requires patience – sometimes you have dry spells where work see
ms scarce, but then there are periods when opportunities come up all at once.
Here are five ways that I’ve found success with my online businesses during difficult times:
- Get creative by finding new markets or products
- Diversify your income streams so if one dries up, you can turn to another source of revenue
- Give back by providing free content while building relationships
- Be patient
- Never give up