Hey there sea changers – and of course, anybody else interested in making money in an online world. Welcome to today's post where we will discuss 5 ways that you can earn an income online from home, or the beach, or the country, or pretty much where ever the mood takes you. There are actually 100s of ways that you can make money online. Some legit, some not so much and some that might make you money in the short term, but are not sustainable as a long term income – something that we are definitely looking for as a part of a sea or career change.
The five that I have included in this post are here because they are ways that will allow you to slowly build a means of generating ongoing, evergreen income. They will take work, and, unless you have a product or service that you can sell immediately, you will probably not see any income at least for the first few months. Sorry, but it is best to be honest here however I am very confident in the fact that if you work at them with consistency, you will create yourself an online business that will make you a solid income and that sea change all the more enjoyable.
- Sell your own products
- Affiliate Marketing/blogging
- Freelance Writing
- Podcasting
- Online Coaching
Ways to Earn an Income Online from Home
So, let's get stuck in and see how to earn money online from home…
1. Sell your own products
There really is no limit to the type of things that you can sell online. Don't believe me? I just asked my wife to call out something that she wants me to buy online that is strange… half an hour later once I explained to her why I wanted this information, she said, “I want a space shuttle in the back yard”. BOOM – a simple search of “space shuttle for sale” and here it is — a space shuttle available for purchase! Now I just need to find $28.8 million…
Anyway, you get the drift… Do you paint? Have you written a book? Do you make candles? Whatever it is there is a way you can sell it online via any number of methods including:
Your own website
Create your own website to showcase your products and sell them to others. This option will take the longest to get up and running as you build your site, seek traffic and attract customers but you also get all of the profits.
Amazon
Amazon is one of the most popular ways to sell a product online. Listing your product with Amazon gives you access to a worldwide customer base in the hundreds of millions with websites in 15 countries. Products are sold via categories and for a little extra, you can even get them handle your shipping and customer service processes for you. You can sell on amazon with or without your own website.
The advantage of its size here however is also its downside. Unless you have a specific niche product, you may potentially be in competition with 1000s of others selling the same or similar products. You will also be paying a fee to Amazon for the privilege so you will need to make sure your price point is high enough to make a profit after fees but low enough to compete.
For more information in regards to selling on Amazon, click here.
eBay
What started as a simple auction site has grown into a multi-billion dollar a year empire with sites domiciled on over 26 countries worldwide. The inception of the “buy it now” option allow you to sell your product for a fixed price rather than having people bid for it. If you have more than one product you are also able to set up your own ‘store' where you can display them all in the one place.
As with Amazon, it is easy to get lost in the crowd with eBay so you might need to do a little more fancy work to stand out from the crowd but again, you don't need your own website. Check out their fee structure carefully however as there are tiers based on the amount of listings you have, the cost of the product and whether you use any of their ‘extra' services such as your own online store or promotion of your products. For more information on selling on eBay, click here.
ETSY
Is your product more on the creative side? Then ETSY might be more up your alley. In fact, the easiest way for me to describe it is to take simple copy and paste the lead line on the ETSY page : “If it’s handcrafted, vintage, custom or unique, it’s on Etsy”
As with the others, there are plenty of tools and processes to allow you to set up your own shop and promote on social media as well as 24/7 support. Also as with the others however there are fees which can add up to about 10% of the sale price. For more information on selling on ETSY, click here.
Shopify
If you are looking at taking your online selling processes to the next level or creating your own marketplace then shopify is a good place to start. It is a complete online commerce platform allowing you to handle all aspects of online sales including product management, inventory, payments and shipping. It can also be set up to sell in multiple places including social media, amazon and eBay etc., physical shop fronts or through your own website.
You can start shopify with a 14-day free trial. For more information, click here.
Other marketplaces
As with anything online there are a number of other marketplaces online that you can utilise to sell your products. These include:
- Zazzle – aimed at designers and artists.
- Alibaba – Asian based marketplace
- Newegg – tech-centric online marketplace – computer hardware etc.
- Bonanza – Good comparison site to Amazon or eBay
And that is only a small list, if you want to try your hand at a smaller niche specific marketplace then do some searching. There is more than likely one for you!
Social Media
The world of social media has exploded over the past decade and with it, a spawn of internet superstars known only for the fact that they are an ‘influencer' on their chosen platform. If your target market fits into the social media world, then this could be the way to go. Post page after page of your product on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Reddit and so on and so on until you start to gain traction. And it helps if the ‘right' people start to follow you too… and don't forget those hashags!
Need some inspiration? Click here and start reading about a lady by the name of Sophia Amoruso – She started out with a social media account and ETSY.
2. Affiliate Marketing/blogging
What if you want to sell stuff online but you don't have any products to sell. That is where affiliate marketing comes in… In the last section we talked about ways of selling your own products on marketplace sites such as Amazon, eBay and ETSY. What we didn't discuss however was the fact that all of these sites (and almost all others) also contain affiliate programs that allow you to make commissions by selling any of the products that they list.
How does it work?
Affiliate marketing works via the earning of commissions for referrals you make to another sales site – usually to solve a problem that a customer has via your blog posts. In most cases, you are going to use your knowledge of, or interest in, a certain subject to outline possible solutions on your site. For example.
A fisherman wants to go fishing for a certain type of fish but doesn't know what type of lure to use (his problem). He goes online and searches for “lures for catching bass” and finds your site where you have outlined the 5 best lures to catch bass with referral links to each lure on the post. Once he reads the page and decides to purchase one of the lures by clicking on the link he is taken to another site (see below) that takes the sale, processes the payment and delivers the lure. The link he clicked on has a code in it that references back to you – the company that sold the lure then sends you a commission based on that sale.
Want to know more about how this all works? Want to start your own site? Click here for free access to the best affiliate marketing training on the planet – bar none!
That's right! Wealthy Affiliate provided me with all of the tools and training I needed to get this post in front of my audience - a.k.a YOU!
You too can start your very own online business here that can make you money from anywhere in the world!!
What are the main programs?
There are so many fishing affiliate programs out there that it is almost impossible not to find one for any niche. If I take the example above and do a search in google for “fishing lure affiliate”, I get the following results:
This means that you can join any of these programs, write about their products and refer customers to their sales pages. The main programs however are:
- Amazon/eBay etc. – Almost all marketplace platforms have affiliate programs that allow you to link to products in their sites.
- Affiliate Networks – Affiliate network sites such as Share a Sale, AWIN and Commission Junction allow you to join a number of programs all in the one spot with the ease of centralised management and payment. Depending on the program you are automatically given access to all affiliates or you my need to apply to each one individually. Some, such as AWIN will also charge you a small joining fee.
- Individual programs – In many cases, if a company has an online sales presence they will have an affiliate program. This makes sense to them as essentially you are doing all of the work for them and paying a commission is cheaper than advertising. In most cases, if you want to see if a company has an affiliate program, search for the company name or product and then the word affiliate in your favourite search engine.
How do you join affiliate programs?
In most cases, you will need to apply to become an affiliate for that program. Individual companies will usually want to know what your site is about and how you plan to promote their products. Some are quite picky and will reject you if you do not take the time to explain who you are and what you plan to do. Others, such as Amazon, will let you join without any real issues however will reject your application at a later time if you have not driven at least three sales to them in the first three months (you can reapply without any problems though).
3. Freelance Writing
Are you a writer, or think you would like to be a writer. Well there are a number of sites that you can visit that allow you to apply for freelance writing positions in areas such as:
- Blogging
- Instructional design
- Technical writing
- Academic writing
- Advertising copy
- Company documents (business plans etc.)
- Editing
- Speech writing
- Book writing
- Illustrating
- Language translation
In fact, if it is something that can be written, there is usually someone looking for someone else to write it for them.
How do I apply for freelance writing work?
As with everything, there are a number of sites that you can look at:
Upworks
Upworks is probably the biggest and most widely used freelance writing platform there is. There are 1000s of writers on there looking for work which is good if you are looking to get a post written, but a bit competitive if you are looking for writing posts. Potential writers need to apply before they are allowed to tender for jobs and Upworks are fairly brutal on who they let in so if you are applying, make sure your application is comprehensive outlining your experience and examples of work.
It can take a while to get your name out there and to prove yourself but once you do, good freelance writers make very good 6 figure incomes annually. For more information in regards to Upworks, click here.
Fiverr
Fiverr works in a similar vein to Upworks however freelancers offer ‘gigs' at $5 per pop (hence the name). You have the option to post a number of ‘gigs' in the site ( I think 7 to start with). Some people make extremely good money from it if they are offering quick, pre done work for $5 – i.e. such as 5 recipes for a healthy cook book or 3 social media posts. Others use it to get work that allows them to earn a small income whilst building a solid portfolio to use on other sites such as Upworks. As you get more gigs you can also up your starting price allowing you to make better money. Alternatively, if you do a good gig for someone they are allowed to re-hire you at a better rate via the payment of tips.
For more information in regards to Fiverr, click here.
Others
There are numerous others that you can use also from traditional job to niche writing sites. Here are some other options you can try – these are a little smaller than the likes of Upworks as well so you may do better here as a beginner:
- Craigslist – search freelance writers – in most cases you need to search a particular city however if you look around there are sites that do this work for you and list jobs from multiple areas/countries.
- Seek.com – or any other job search site
- Bloggingpro.com – similar to Upworks
- Mediabistro – TV, PR/marketing, magazine and book publishing and social media
- flexjobs – concentrates more on remote working, part-time contracts and freelance work.
This is a very small list – a simple search for freelance writing jobs on any search engine will open you up to a world of work from home opportunities.
4. Podcasting
Are you more of a talker than a writer? if so then maybe you can try your hand at podcasting. Podcasting is where you record an audio file that users are able to download or stream at their leisure and listen to what you have to say. You can obviously podcast on any subject as long as you have a base of people that have an interest in, or a problem around that subject.
How do I monetise a podcast?
Podcasting is similar to blogging in that it can take quite a bit of time to develop and maintain a following but once that happens, you can make money from a podcast by:
- Promoting products or services on your podcast (like a paid talking ad)
- Promoting your own products or services whilst providing value in the podcast
- Syndicating your podcast on YouTube, Apple etc.
- Allowing ‘guest' speakers to promote their own products
- Sell products as an affiliate by sending listeners to a website or adding links to your download pages
- Asking for donations for listening
YouTube
I was also about to add a whole other section on YouTube but you know what? Just re-read the Podcasting section but think about YouTube and video instead of podcasting and audio. I will add here however that YouTube is currently the second most used search engine online after Google – yep, even higher than FaceBook – and it did make Justin Bieber famous!
Check out these: Best Podcast Hosting Services
5. Online Coaching
Online coaching is probably one of the fastest growing businesses on the worldwide web at the moment (along with weight loss/fitness and making money online). It is also one that is full of scams and get-rich-quick proponents who really only get rich quick by ripping off those who pay money and get little in return. However, if you are an expert in any sort of area that people need help in then online coaching may be the way to go. The most effective method of setting up online coaching is usually via some sort of sales funnel but they can also be done via a blog site. Most commonly, the process would run as follows (in VERY basic terms):
- Develop your product – online coaches need to be able to provide good value and have tangible
materials in order to fully service their clients. - Develop a webinar – in the webinar, you will provide free assistance and coaching at the basic level to allow those interested to see what you can do and others to get some value without having to purchase.
- Push webinar participants to a sales funnel – This is where they can purchase your online coaching at different levels and price points – say for example they can purchase the bronze level which is some documents and email support right up to platinum where they get hands on coaching from you with accountable outcomes.
- Do the coaching – well, yes, you need to coach them – or in time pay someone else to coach them.
Online coaching also works well in conjunction with affiliate marketing sites as well as podcasts and YouTube. There are some absolute superstars in this field like Tony Robbins, Dean Graziosi, Russell Brunson and Brooke Castillo. If online coaching is something that you are interested in – even at a small level – I recommend taking a look at how these guys structure their online coaching businesses.
Need help?
Do you know what you want to do but not sure how to do it?
I have mentioned a number of times in this post that to be successful in some of these areas such as online selling, affiliate marketing or gaining traction with podcasts or YouTube videos that you will need a good traffic driving website/YouTube or podcast channel. Click here to open up a whole new world of online training and support including:
- Website development
- SEO
- Keyword identification
- Blog writing skills
- Website hosting
- 24/7 support
- Access to some of the best affiliate marketing and SEO minds on the planet.
Conclusion
So there you have it, 5 ways you can fund your sea change by making money online. Please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions or need any information or advice on how to start any of these endeavours. I look forward to chatting with you.
Until then.
Have fun planning your sea change
Paul
Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price.
Introducing Wealthy Affiliate, My #1 Recommendation for Setting Up Your Own Online Business
When I started, I knew I wanted to work online, but had absolutely no idea where to begin! You see I had watched friends of mine run a sales party to sell essential oils and someone asked if they could just sell them online?
Then, as I sat on the bus heading into my office job, I started to wonder if I could do just that, sell essential oils online.
Anything to stop having to catch this bus to and from work every day right!
The trouble was, as I mentioned above, I had no idea how to even start.
So of course I started to look around online and found all these courses! They all promised me riches then took my money but left me with no riches!
Then I stumbled across the program that didn’t promise me riches, but told me it could help me get started even with no experience!
So I did that, joined Wealthy Affiliate that was it, and the rest as they say, is history!
But it doesn’t come without work!
That is the key here! I began on their starter membership and did the training! I then joined as a member and did some more training!
Each night after work, I would do a little more, then a little more.
And to cut a long story short, after 10 months I realized I didn’t really like writing about essential oils, so I sold the site for about $2000. But I had learned so much that I started another – about fishing and camping!
Then, after 18 months (by which time it had earned me close to $10k), I was offered $17k for the site, so I sold it too.
Now, through my travel blog, I’ve been able to fund my passion for travel and explore different places around the world.
In the past few months, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing destinations, including Bali, Los Angeles, Dallas, Vancouver and Las Vegas.
The success of my travel blog has allowed me to fully fund my travels and explore new destinations with my family.
Try the Wealthy Affiliate as a Starter Member and Build your First Hub!
As you start your journey, Wealthy Affiliate is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And as I have mentioned, I have used a few in my professional career trust me.
To get you started, Wealthy Affiliate has recently introduced the Hub.
The Hub
The hub is an AI based niche and website creation tool that will get you up and running with the foundation of your OWN business in just a few minutes. This includes:
- Your website – hosted and inclusive of a WordPress editor
- Your brand
- Your ‘done-for-you’ research
- Your blueprint
- A task list that is going to help you drive the creation and growth of your business moving forward.
The hub makes the website creation process simple which allows you to get started on the training with a solid base and understanding of the processes.
All you need to do is choose your subject – which is known as your ‘niche’ – and follow the steps on the screen.
Oh, and as you run through the training below you may realize that what you created above is not exactly what you want. That’s ok, you can just create a new hub!
Wealthy Affiliate Training
Then as you continue your journey, the Wealthy Affiliate Hub is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And I have used a few in my professional career trust me.
Above we discussed the use of the Hub to set up a website. Once you have done this, you will be able to access the “Step-by-Step Core Training”.
This is available to all members including starter members and will give you everything you need to know to continue to create your online business.
Member Training
There are also Live weekly classes taught by REAL industry experts on a range of topics like artificial intelligence (AI), SEO, YouTube, WordPress, PPC marketing and more.
Great, What Else Does Wealthy Affiliate Have To Help You?
So, let’s keep this short, Wealthy Affiliate is a one-stop-shop platform that provides:
- The Hub – this is the starting point and uses AI processes to assist you in determining your niche and creating your brand.
- Complete training programs to assist with the development of your own affiliate marketing website in your own niche.
- Website creation and publishing tools including access to WordPress editors and themes.
- AI Content article design and content creation
- Domain name purchasing (you get a free domain when you upgrade to the Premium membership).
- Website hosting, security and backup.
- Online help and chat forums.
- Weekly live training events.
- 24/7 support.
- Keyword access tools.
- SEO assistance.
The platform has been active for over 15 years with the original developers and owners, Kyle and Carson, still extremely active in its day to day operations – especially as they rollout their AI capabilities.
You Can Try it Yourself For Free
Now of course I can tell you all about how Wealthy Affiliate works (because it does) until I am blue in the face. But every other program out there – including the shams and scams – will tell you the same thing!
So how about you just try it for free yourself. The Wealthy Affiliate Starter membership is free to join and gives you access to everything you need to get started – all without the need to spend a cent!
With the starter membership, you get:
- 1 Limited Business Hub
- 1,500 AI Word Credits
- Try the AI Author Platform (BETA)
- 1 Practice Website
- Jaaxy Starter
- Limited Help & Support
- Core Niche Training (8 Classes)
And of course I will be there to help you every step of the way as well!
Look, in the interest of transparency, whilst Wealthy Affiliate does offer a free starter membership, this is designed to give you a look around, have a practice and see if it is worthwhile for you – which is a really great option.
However, as with all new businesses, you will need to make some investment so if you are serious about making money online , you will need to upgrade to a premium membership as this will give you access to all the tools you need in the one spot to succeed!
Afterall, every business needs tools to grow!
So How Much Does This Really Cost?
Wealthy Affiliate does not use upsells once you join – but as I mentioned in the video, to succeed here you will need to invest in a membership. There are a couple of options that provide access to all the tools, training and assistance that you could need – and a free domain as well.
Wealthy Affiliate offers a trio of membership tiers, as detailed on their pricing page.
You can opt for the Starter membership at no cost, the Premium membership for $49 per month or the Premium Plus+ membership for $99 per month. That’s the full extent of it – and you can absolutely build your website without having to spend another cent.
You won’t encounter any unexpected additional charges or covert fees and as a Premium member, you’re equipped with all the essentials to initiate, develop and expand a thriving online enterprise.
Those who opt for the Premium membership are provided with
- Hosting for their websites
- A complimentary domain name
- Access to hundreds of hours of current expert tutorials
- Various marketing and research tools
- Personal guidance from seasoned professionals in the field
- And much much more
And for those of you who want to make a serious investment into your future, there are some yearly options as well below to give you peace of mind that you have a whole year ahead of you to get stuff done!
And Don’t Forget the Personal Coaching
Once you join, not only do you get plenty of assistance from me, but you also have access to expert coaching, support and mentorship from real industry experts.
I mean, you can have access to all of the top-tier affiliate marketing training in the world, but inevitably, questions arise, particularly during the initial stages.
With an exceptionally dynamic and engaged community that boasts over 2.7 million members, Wealthy Affiliate offers an environment where you, as a member, can fully immerse and leverage this network.
You’re never alone; you have the collective wisdom of an entire community at your fingertips, ready to assist at any moment.
Plus, there’s always-on, rapid-response website support to handle any technical queries you may encounter.
Wealthy Affiliate Works: Real Results From Real People
As I have mentioned a number of times, Wealthy Affiliate has helped me make real money online though its training and tools.
I have made money each month as well as a sale for $17,000.
But again, those promoting other programs will tell you the same thing!
So let’s get away from me and see what others are saying:
To start with, Wealthy Affiliate has a 4.9 out of 5 Star TrustPilot rating, which is a remarkable accomplishment in any industry, let alone the online business industry.
And here are some of those reviews:
And this is what people are saying within Wealthy Affiliate as well:
So, Let’s Make a Decision!
Let’s be frank, you have read this far so why not go all in, click on the button below to get started on the way to your very online business.
And once you are in and have had a play around with the hub, look for the little envelope on the top right and there will be a message from me. It is of course automated so respond to let me know you are there and we can start this journey together.
(oh, and the profile is mine so you can find me that way as well)
See you there
Paul
Dear Paul,
Thanks a lot for the helpful insights and being a full-time blogger your post means a lot to me.
Two things I found common among all the successful internet markets while trying to model them.
1. They have a huge list. 2. They have their own product.
Selling my own products is on my list for a while and need to bring it into action.
I am doing Blogging and Affiliate Marketing. Based on my experience those are the best ways to make money online.
Affiliate Marketing has made Businesses Millions and Ordinary People Millionaires. – Bo Bennett
Starting my YouTube channel is also on my list for a while. Your helpful post insisted on the necessity of creating my own product and starting my YouTube channel.
Much Success!
Paul
Hi Paul
Couldn’t agree more about nurturing an email list for success – a must indeed!
Thanks for stopping by
Paul
Thanks for your post. I started online business this year and would like to earn an income online from home. I focus on affiliate marketing and am an associate of Amazon, but I don’t know that I could also list items at Aamzon. Right now I don’t have product line or niche products as you mentioned. Can I sell used items such as iPhone, watch, and books etc? I just want to practice first. Meanwhile, I am trying to have my own products.
It is a nice idea to sell own product. I have been working as an affiliate for a while now. Seems to me the profit margin is too low. I wish selling own products will improve profit margin.
It is kind of you sharing making money online tips.
Hi Anthony
With affiliate marketing you can pretty much sell whatever you want – you just need to find the right programs to do it.
Check out this post – it might help you with that.
Paul
All of these options are very good for online business. I found freelance writing very interesting when I was in school. It used to be a great option to earn passive income whenever am less busy, though you must learn how to create good contents and work with deadline. Fiverr still retain it best. Creating my own products is what am looking up to now. Am interested in selling on Amazon and I am currently on their FDA training. Money can be a challenge but I have seen many people that are doing great selling their products on the platform. Thanks for taking your time to list out these amazing online business that yield positive results. It will be of great help for many online business amateur.
Hi Stella,
Thanks for your comments
I wish you the best of luck with the release of your own products. What do you create?
Paul
Hi Paul!
The name you have choosen the sea changer is amazing. By the way, this is really surprising to know that there is no limit of selling. I did not believe that first but after reading all your article now I am sure about that. You have described all the possible ways to earn mone online only by selling. Yes having own website will help it much. But the platforms like amazon, ebay on others you shared would do the work. Thanks for the great article. Hope to see more like this soon.
My pleasure akborm
glad you enjoyed it.
Paul