It’s always been a dream of mine to be able to make a living from home. I’ve always enjoyed the ability to make my own schedule and work whenever I wanted. The idea of not going into an office every day and working for someone else has always been appealing to me.
When I first started looking into how to make money online, I was overwhelmed. There’s so much information out there about blogging, freelancing, affiliate marketing, and other ways to make money on the web. Since then I’ve spent a lot of time researching different methods of making money from home and have come up with this list of 15 creative ways to make money online.
In this list, I explore some of the most creative ways you can make money from home, as well as what exactly you’ll need to know about each method to make it work for your lifestyle.
1. Write a Blog
I may be a little biased with this one, but it’s definitely one of the most creative ways to make money online. Blogging is a great way for you to express your thoughts and connect with others who share similar interests.
It doesn’t take anything more than time and dedication to make money from blogging.
What You Need: A Blog (WordPress makes blogging easy)
How It Works: Once you have a blog, the creativity is really up to you. You make money from blogging simply by sharing your thoughts with others. Whether it’s on fashion, makeup, or anything else that you’re passionate about, there are people who share the same interests as you and will be willing to pay for your advice. You make money blogging by working with brands such as Nordstrom, Glamour, or others. Brands will pay you to share your thoughts about their product/event with your readers, in hopes that you’ll make a sale from it.
2. Freelance
Freelancing is one of the best ways to make money online for anyone who is creative or works with their hands. As a freelancer, you are the boss and make your own schedule.
What You Need: The only real “skill” you’ll need to start is knowing how to do something well. Whether it’s writing, graphic design, or web design, there are many people who are willing to pay for someone to make something that looks great. You make money freelancing by working with people who need you and your talents for a specific project.
How It Works: Freelance work is relatively simple. Once you have developed your talent, all it takes is reaching out to those who are in need of it to make money from freelancing. There are many websites dedicated only to connecting people with freelancers, such as Fiverr or Upwork.
Use my referral link and get 10% off your first purchase at Fiverr!
3. Sell Stuff You Don’t Need
Selling stuff you don’t need on Craigslist or Poshmark for some extra cash has become pretty popular these days, and although I’m sure that’s not the original source of the idea, there might be a reason why so many people make good use of it.
What You Need: Just something you don’t need, but that other people would like to make use of. Whether it’s fashion, video games, or anything else, some things make great sellable items. As long as you make a good enough description to make someone else interested in buying it, you’re all set.
How It Works: Since selling your unwanted items online has become quite well-known over the years, there has been an influx of various apps that make this process incredibly simple for you. Facebook Marketplace makes it easy to sell your stuff and make money quickly, and Poshmark makes it super simple and has prepaid shipping labels to ship to anyone in the country!
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4. Affiliate Market
Affiliate marketing allows you to make money online by promoting products from other companies and receive a commission if someone makes a purchase after clicking your link. This is perhaps one of the best ways to make passive income as you make money without having to do anything extra!
What You Need: Depending on what you’re selling, you need an audience that trusts you and will buy whatever it is that you are recommending. For example, if you’re trying to sell fashion items, make sure that your blog has readers who love fashion and are looking for new arrivals or sales in order for them to make money from affiliate marketing.
How It Works: Affiliate marketing works by sharing links with people who visit your blog or website. If they make a purchase from the link you provided to a brand’s company, you make money. You can sign up with various companies that let you make a commission from sales (i.e., Nordstrom, Amazon), or make money as an affiliate marketer by joining affiliate networks such as Rakuten (you would be considered a publisher!) or ShopStyleCollective.
I highly recommend signing up for Rakuten for cashback on online purchases! Sign up with my link here and get $30 cashback on your first $30 purchase! Personally, I’ve earned back over $100 in one year from using this!
5. Freelance Writing
Freelance writing makes money online by writing for different publications about topics within your area of expertise, whether it’s fashion, makeup, or anything else! There are many kinds of freelance writers today ranging from those who work full-time jobs to freelancers who work on their own. Essentially, if writing is something that makes you happy, why not make some extra cash?
What You Need: As long as you make sure to make good use of your writing skills and improve on them, this can be considered one of the easiest ways to make money from home. When starting out, it’s helpful to make a list of publications that you’d like to write for and also find out which topics work best with these publications so you can make extra cash from freelance writing!
How It Works: Freelance writers usually make their own schedules based on when they want to complete the work they’ve been assigned. Once you build up enough clients who trust you and your work quality (which may take some time), making extra cash may be attained rather easily.
6. Video or Voice Overs
If acting is something that comes naturally to you or if you make good use of your voice, make money by doing work as a video or voice-over actor! There are many different ways to make extra cash. Some people make videos and do voiceovers for companies that don’t have official marketing channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Others make videos for various YouTube channels.
What You Need: A good microphone and a webcam and you’re all set! However, if you make sure to invest in an external mic (such as the Yeti) or pop filter, it’s even better since these will make your audio nice and crispy! It’s also helpful to take acting classes so that you can improve on your improvisation skills as well.
How It Works: Voice acting is a fun way to make money online since you can make your own schedule and work whenever you want! Many voices make $20-$100 per hour, so give it a try and see if this is the right fit for you!
When starting out, make sure that you have a well-lit space with little distractions such as pets. You’ll make a better video if you make sure to speak up and make eye contact with the camera. Make sure that your webcam is placed somewhere where it doesn’t make you look too washed out! When recording, make sure you use clear language and speak as clearly as possible!
7. Photography
If taking photos is your thing (and you have an eye for good shots), make some extra cash as a photographer! There are many different types of photographers, from wedding photographers to real estate agents who get paid for making beautiful shots of homes before they go on sale so potential buyers can see what they’re getting into.
What You Need: A camera, or even the ability to make use of any other equipment available such as lenses, tripods, and other photography equipment.
How It Works: Photographers make money online by taking good photos of products or people for brands and companies who need them. You could make extra cash as a wedding photographer, real estate agent’s assistant, or simply make some on the side by being a part-time photographer and selling your photos!
8. Sell Handmade Items Online
Sell handmade items online like jewelry or any DIY crafts for extra cash. If you have an eye for design work, make money as an Etsy seller by creating your own website where you sell goods only from your store! If you make customized items, making extra cash may become easier!
What You Need: All you need is a computer and an internet connection to make money as an Etsy seller. However, make sure that you research various Etsy sellers to make sure your items are well-designed and unique so customers will be more interested in buying your items!
How It Works: Make money online by registering an Etsy account and make sure to bring your creative a-game. Once your Etsy page is set up make sure that you make good use of its SEO features to make your store a part of search results and also make sure to make use of social media to make your store well-known and more popular!
Create your first Etsy shop with my referral link here and list your first 40 items free!
9. Sell Digital Products
Sell digital products make money online by selling eBooks, software, or apps that you make yourself for people who need them! You can also make extra cash as a marketer by promoting affiliate deals and earning a percentage of the sale when someone buys it after clicking on your link.
What You Need: All you need is an idea and some software skills to make any kind of product that you want. If you make apps, programming knowledge might be necessary but everything else should be pretty doable if your idea is focused enough!
How It Works: Digital products make money online by selling eBooks or other items either in bulk to make more money or individually through product websites such as Amazon.com where you only get paid per purchase made by the people who buy what you make.
10. Make Money From Your Art
If you’re an artist, you can make money by selling your work! If you take pictures, paintings, or any other type of art, sell them online and make some extra cash every time someone buys one! One good way to make more money is to make prints using your own photos and make bigger profits that way.
What You Need: All you need as an artist to make money online is a computer with internet access (and maybe a scanner if you want to go old school), and any supplies necessary for making your art or photography.
How It Works: Artist make money by creating your own store on sites like Etsy where you can sell all the items you make for people who need them. Some artists make good use of Facebook and make their work go viral by sharing it with friends to make money quickly!
11. Make Money By Selling Online Courses
Selling online courses can help you make money by teaching people certain skills or showing them how to do something that they could find useful! This can range from simply offering tutorials on YouTube to creating entire classes and selling them through a website where you work. What’s great about this option is that you can make money either way so if your skillset includes filming, make videos for YouTube and try advertising some mini-courses in the description box of each video for more exposure!
What You Need: If you want to make courses make money by selling them online, make sure you know what you’re talking about or have enough experience to make it worth someone’s dollar. If you just want to make tutorials for YouTube, all you need is a computer and internet access which almost anyone can do!
How It Works: You can sell online courses by first creating videos of some sort on a topic you know well. You can make these videos in one of two ways: make them yourself or make tutorials on YouTube and make money from them. From there, make a website where your tutorials can actually be bought and make sure to make the purchase process as easy as possible for customers such as by making a one-click option.
12. Tutor People Online
Provide tutoring to make money by helping students from around the world with whatever subject they need help in! There are many websites that make it possible for you to make money through working as a tutor so make sure to look into this option.
What You Need: All you need is a good vocabulary and the ability to explain things in-depth so make sure to work on your tutoring skills before trying out this make money online option. If you also have some credentials or experience, even better!
How It Works: Tutoring makes money by teaching students from all over the world who require help with their studies for whatever reason. Most of these services provide both physical and digital tutoring options which allow people the flexibility they need when looking for extra cash on the side.
If you’re looking for creative ways to make money online, there are plenty of options available. From blogging and freelancing to affiliate marketing and selling your own products, the internet provides a wealth of opportunities that make it possible for anyone with an idea or skillset to make extra cash from home. There is something for everyone, no matter what skills or interests you have!
What’s great about these options is that you can make as little or as much extra cash by selling your skills and interests! If any of the ideas we explored sound appealing to you, consider giving them a try. At the end of the day, make sure you have fun with whatever way to make money online you choose!
This article may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links (at no extra cost to you). I only recommend resources that I personally use and love, and I always have my readers’ best interest at heart. <3
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