A lot of us have been hit by the 2020 crisis. The pandemic made many lose their jobs and thousands of employees are still on furlough, not knowing when they can go back. As a freelance content writer I too lost big clients this year and suddenly my income was cut in half. I had to think hard and really up my game online, or else it would hardly be worth continuing. I have now started increasing my income, just by using some of the tips below – and I am exploring others too. As I know many of you are in the same boat right now, I am sharing some ideas to maybe inspire you to start your own online business and become your own boss. Being your own boss is ace, I fully recommend it!
Do you believe earning money online is not for you? You can do this too, I promise. Here is how you can start your own online side hustle or business, even if you have never done this before. You could take your job everywhere, if you work online. Imagine the freedom!
What skills or expertise could you start monetising?
You may have done a boring office job for the past ten years, but everyone has skills that they could pass on in an e-course, an e-book or a blog. Think outside the box. Be creative. You may know exactly how to organise your week, house, and plan meals. Do you know how many women feel overwhelmed by clutter? Perhaps you are an absolute star at sewing, DIY or money management.
And don’t think that just because you’ve been a school teacher, you could only ever stand in front of a classroom. You will have built up valuable expertise, and perhaps have developed your own unique way of teaching kids to read or do maths. Don’t keep this to yourself. We want to hear about it!
There is space for everyone online
If you could share your insider knowledge or are very passionate about something, there sure will be a captive audience out there. “Oh, but there are so many others already doing this“, I hear you say, “Why on earth would anyone want to buy my course, e-book or read my website?” Don’t worry, there is space for all of us. The world is your oyster. And your knowledge is worth sharing.
Try and make a list of all the things you care about, know about or are very interested in. Business coaching, healthcare, party planning, cake decorating, hiking routes, mindfulness, fitness regimes, vegan living, upcycling. Anything. You will quickly discover topics that may be suitable to turn into a way of earning money online.
Sell beautiful e-books with Designrr
I always thought you had to be a ‘proper’ author to publish a book, any book, also an e-book. Turns out it is easier than ever to make a professional looking e-book. And you can earn money online by selling them. Designrr is one of those online software programmes that lets you create professional looking e-books from your existing blog posts, or you can design a book from scratch.
Making an e-book is a great way to pass on your specific knowledge to a worldwide audience. The more ‘niche’ the better. If people are searching for something online, your e-book will come up, if you use the right keywords. Do you know lots about fermenting vegetables and making kombucha? There is bound to be an international audience out there, searching for this on Google. Am I giving you ideas yet?
With Designrr you can simply pick a template, insert stock photos from their editor, or upload your own, and start writing. Check out their special offer of $27 for lifetime access to the standard system. Pay a bit more for the $97 pro package and you’ll get additional features, including publishing straight onto Amazon Kindle and other book selling platforms.
Offer your freelance skills on Fiverr
A natural result of the pandemic lockdown has been that many people worldwide are spending a lot more time online. New online stores and businesses are popping up all the time. This also means that entrepreneurs need blog content, help with IT stuff, accounting, videos, social media and marketing advice, graphic design, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), sound engineering, you name it.
If you happen to have those skills, or are willing to learn, you can easily start finding clients on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork. Just register, create a good-looking profile, show off your experience or portfolio, and start attracting clients. I have recently got new long-term paying clients just by promoting myself on these sites. You can also find freelancers to help you build your own business of course.
Record audio courses on Listenable
Online courses are a big winner this year and not likely to leave the stage soon. What better way than learning about something new from the comfort of your own home? Got a skill? Start teaching online! If you get nervous about videos, like me, then creating educational podcasts may be a more comfortable idea. Just voice, no face! I discovered Listenable recently, and they offer bite-size audio lessons of about 5 minutes each, in a series of up to 10 lessons in total. You could do that! Record 10 lessons (you could even record them on your mobile phone!) about something you are passionate about, and start getting paid for it. Browse their audio courses to get an idea of topics.
If you are interested in a Listenable subscription to benefit from the hundreds of audio courses yourself, I am able to offer you an exclusive 30% readers discount code on the annual Listenable membership. 30% DISCOUNT CODE: ninaeggens
Create an online course with Teachable
If you are comfortable creating videos and tutorials yourself, you may want to look at Teachable as a way to earn money online. Many artists and makers now offer online courses to earn additional income. On Teachable, like with the audio courses, courses range from business and marketing techniques to making sourdough bread and everything in between. People search for lots of weird and wonderful topics and you can offer them just what they need. Prices start at $29 for the Basic plan, so you can start creating your course.
Affiliate marketing
You could also start a blog, and fill it with informative, useful articles about a certain topic, and include affiliate links to relevant products or services. A bit like what I am doing right now in this blog post: I tell you about the different platforms you could explore to make money online, and if you decide to click on one of the links and pay for those services on the partner’s website, I receive a commission.
Earn money while you sleep
Yeah, right, earning money while you sleep sounds way too good to be true. Well, it’s not a complete lie! Affiliate marketing can be very lucrative, but only if you choose a partner company that offers a high commission rate and you make sure you use the right keywords in your copy so you get found online. It takes time to put it all together and to fill your website with quality content. You may also need to pay for a domain name, a website and payment features. But once your site is attracting plenty of traffic, you can literally take a step back and receive your passive income while you are spending time on the beach. Sounds good, right?
Blogs about beard oil and baby clothes
Other than promoting professional online services, like I am doing in this blog post, you could promote physical products to your niche audience too. Perhaps you have a blog about crafts. Then you can choose to be an affiliate for craft products. Or cooking equipment. Travel items. Beard oil. Baby clothes. Etc. Etc. Etsy, Amazon and Ebay are big platforms you could become an affiliate for and you can pick and choose products you love. If you have a blog with enough quality content, you can also apply to become an affiliate through Awin, which allows you to join hundreds of specific well-known brands. That way you can fully tailor-make what you want to promote, what you like promoting and what suits your niche business. Try it! What have you got to lose?
Need help with a website or content?
If you are taking the plunge to build your own online business, don’t hesitate to contact me if you need well written SEO content, blog articles or product descriptions. You can contact me here on the Nina’s Apartment blog with questions or have a look at my Fiverr profile.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links that I receive a small commission for at no cost to you. I only ever recommend products that I love and would use myself also. You can read my full affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy.
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