108 ways to make money online in 2026, with what each pays

What is making money online?

Making money online is earning income through the internet instead of a workplace. The work, the customers and the payments all happen online.

People get paid online in four ways:

1. You sell your time and skills: freelancing, consulting, tutoring.
2. You sell attention: content that earns from ads, sponsors and affiliate links.
3. You sell products: digital products, physical products and software.
4. You sell access: memberships, communities and coaching.

Every way below is one of those four, and the best online businesses combine them. My summits are an example. They sold access with an all-access pass, grew my email list, and led to course sales.

How I've made money online since 2013

Here are my own results, from my entrepreneurial timeline. The screenshots are my own sales and payouts.

• Virtual summits: The Branding Summit made over $20,000 in 2014. List Building School added over 26,000 subscribers and made well over $1 million over time. My AI Creator Summit has reached 100,000+ creators since 2024.
• Online courses: Virtual Summit Mastery made $60,000+ on its first launch, from a list of 1,500, then almost $200,000, then over $200,000 with no affiliates. It made well over $1 million before I sold it to Jan Koch.
• Affiliate marketing: I was Ramit Sethi's #1 affiliate for Zero to Launch and made around $40,000 in one month. My biggest promotion, Ryan Levesque's ASK Method, was high five figures.
• Consulting: I helped Chandler Bolt run The Self-Publishing Success Summit, which made 30,000 opt-ins and $370,000+.
• Software: my own upsell product, Funnel Wizard, did solid five figures in its first Black Friday promotion. Today I build my own tools with AI.

The ways I've used myself are marked with my own story below.

Find your way in two minutes

Not sure where to start? Answer six questions about your skills, time and budget, and get your top three ways with a plan for your first week.

Quick ways to start making money online

These need little or no money, no audience and often no experience. They won't make you rich, but they can pay this month while you build something bigger.

1. Make UGC videos for brands

UGC means user-generated content: short videos of you using a product, which brands run as their own ads. You don't need followers, because the brand posts the video, not you.

It fits you if you're comfortable on camera and can film a clean, honest 30-second video with your phone.

What it pays: a fee per video, paid by the brand, at a rate you set. Brands also hire this work as video ads: searches for AI UGC video ads grew 265% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026, and searches for video editing grew 36% (Fiverr).

Watch: Samantha Dixon's step-by-step guide to becoming a UGC creator.

Tools: I'd edit in CapCut and add captions with Captions. Write hooks and scripts with ChatGPT, and test them with the video script generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Filming ads that sound like ads. Brands pay for videos that feel like a real recommendation.
• Pitching everyone. Pick one niche, like skincare or apps, so your samples match what you pitch.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: yes · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: when the brand pays your invoice

2. Test websites as a user

Companies pay you to use their website or app while you think out loud, so they can see where people get stuck.

It fits you if you have a computer, a quiet room and a few spare half hours a week.

What it pays: a fee per test. UserTesting sends each payment to PayPal 14 days after you upload the test (UserTesting).

Watch: PaidFromSurveys on getting paid to test websites with UserTesting.

Tools: the work comes through testing platforms like UserTesting and Respondent, which also runs paid research studies. Record your screen with Loom when a client asks for a video.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Rushing through the screener questions. Answer honestly, or you'll fail the test and lose the rating.
• Staying silent. The thinking out loud is what they pay for.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: by PayPal, 14 days after each test · Age: 18+ for PayPal in the US

3. Transcribe and caption

You turn audio and video into text and captions. AI makes the first draft now, so the work is correcting it until it's right.

It fits you if you type fast, have good ears and like detail work.

What it pays: a fee per audio minute. Rev pays $0.40 to $1.10 per audio minute for transcripts and $0.54 to $1.10 for captions, weekly through PayPal (Rev). On Upwork, transcriptionists typically charge $12 to $22 an hour, and the median is $15 (Upwork). Employed court reporters and live captioners in the US earn a median of $72,420 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Justin Bryant tests whether Rev's transcription jobs are worth it.

Tools: Descript drafts transcripts you can fix fast. Platforms like Rev and TranscribeMe are where most people start. Clean up a messy transcript with the transcript cleaner.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Trusting the AI draft. Names, numbers and accents are where it goes wrong, and where clients notice.
• Staying on platform rates forever. Move regular clients to your own rates.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly by PayPal on Rev · Age: 18+ for PayPal in the US

4. Help train AI

AI companies pay people to rate, write and check answers that train their models. The better you know a subject, like coding, law or a language, the better the tasks pay.

It fits you if you write clearly and know one subject well.

What it pays: pay per hour. DataAnnotation lists $25 to $50 an hour for generalists and $40 to $150+ an hour for coders and other experts (DataAnnotation). Demand is real: freelancer earnings from AI data annotation and labeling grew 154% on Upwork in 2025 (Upwork).

Watch: Justin Bryant checks whether DataAnnotation's AI jobs are legit.

Tools: the work runs on platforms like DataAnnotation and Outlier. Read each platform's pay and terms on its own site before you start.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Paying to join. Legit AI training platforms don't charge you to join.
• Treating it as a career. Projects come and go, so keep it as extra income.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps

5. Clip videos for creators

Clippers cut the best moments of long videos, like podcasts and streams, into short clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Creators pay because clips bring them new viewers.

It fits you if you watch a lot of one kind of content and know a good moment when you hear it.

What it pays: a fee per clip, or pay per view on clipping programs. Clips are short-form video editing, and searches for short-form video editing grew 27% and Reels editing 57% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr). On Upwork, video editors typically charge $6 to $25 an hour (Upwork).

Watch: Daniel Bitton on how clipping pays.

Tools: OpusClip finds the moments, and Submagic or CapCut add captions and cuts. Add captions with the video caption generator, and see what views pay in the YouTube Shorts money calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Clipping without permission. Work with creators or their official clipping programs.
• Posting clips with no hook in the first second.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: per clip or per view, by the creator

6. Resell online

Resellers buy things below their value, at thrift stores, garage sales or clearance racks, and sell them online for more.

It fits you if you know the prices in one category, like sneakers, books or vintage clothes.

What it pays: the margin on each item. On eBay, the money is usually available 1 to 2 days after the buyer pays, and daily payouts start about 2 days after that (eBay).

Watch: Chris Koerner on how to start reselling with no money.

Tools: sell where buyers already search: eBay for almost anything, Poshmark for clothes and Whatnot for live selling. Write listings with ChatGPT and clean product photos with the product photo background remover.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Buying what you like instead of what sells. Check sold listings before you buy.
• Forgetting fees and shipping. Your profit is what's left after both.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: no · Experience: none needed · Paid: daily or weekly on eBay · Age: 18+ on eBay

7. Print on demand

You upload designs, and a supplier prints them on shirts, mugs or posters and ships each order. You never hold stock.

It fits you if you can design, or come up with ideas a niche will love.

What it pays: the margin on each item sold: your price minus the print cost and the marketplace's fees. On Etsy, that's $0.20 to list an item, 6.5% of each sale and a payment processing fee that depends on your country (Etsy).

Watch: Jensen Tung on the easiest way to start print on demand from $0.

Tools: draft designs with Ideogram, Midjourney or ChatGPT's image model, and finish them in Canva. Sell on Etsy or your own Shopify store, with a print supplier like Printful.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Using brands, characters or song lyrics you don't own. Stores take those listings down.
• Making designs for everyone. Niche jokes sell, generic ones don't.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Etsy by default · Age: 18+ on Etsy, or 13 to 17 through a parent's account

8. Sell on Etsy

Etsy is where people shop for digital downloads, handmade goods and print on demand. Etsy had 5.6 million active sellers at the end of 2025 (Etsy), so you win by picking a niche, not by being everywhere.

It fits you if you make things, or can design printables people search for.

What it pays: sales, minus Etsy's fees: $0.20 to list an item, 6.5% of each sale, and a payment processing fee that depends on your country (Etsy). New sellers get paid weekly, every Monday, and can switch to daily, every two weeks or monthly (Etsy).

Watch: Kate Hayes on starting an Etsy shop, step by step.

Tools: Etsy itself, Canva for printables and mockups, and ChatGPT for titles and tags.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Copying the bestsellers exactly. Make your own version for a narrower buyer.
• Pricing without counting Etsy's listing, transaction and payment fees.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: every Monday by default · Age: 18+ on Etsy, or 13 to 17 through a parent's account

9. Sell stock photos and videos

Stock sites sell your photos and clips to people who need them for websites, ads and videos. Each file can sell again and again.

It fits you if you already shoot photos or video and like building a library over time.

What it pays: a share of each license sold. Shutterstock pays 15% to 40% of each license, by six earnings levels that reset every January 1 (Shutterstock), and pays monthly, by the 15th (Shutterstock).

Watch: Wollertz Photography on making $202,067 selling stock photos.

Tools: edit in Adobe Lightroom, upscale with Topaz Labs, and upload to Adobe Stock and Shutterstock. Write titles and tags with ChatGPT.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Shooting pretty photos nobody searches for. Shoot real people, work and places.
• Uploading 20 files and stopping. Sales grow with the size of your library.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: monthly, by the 15th on Shutterstock

10. Publish low-content books

Low-content books are journals, planners, logbooks and workbooks, mostly made of pages to fill in. You publish them on Amazon, and Amazon prints and ships each copy.

It fits you if you can design clean pages and find a specific buyer, like a pickleball score log or a gratitude journal for nurses.

What it pays: royalties on each copy. Amazon KDP pays 60% of a paperback's list price at $9.99 or more, minus the printing cost: a $15 book that costs $5 to print earns $4 (Amazon KDP). Royalties arrive about 60 days after the end of the month of the sale (Amazon KDP).

Watch: Rachel Harrison-Sund on five bestselling low-content books on Amazon KDP.

Tools: design in Canva and publish on Amazon KDP. Work out what you'll earn per copy in the KDP royalty calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Publishing blank notebooks in crowded niches. The more specific the buyer, the better.
• Ignoring the cover. On Amazon, the cover is your ad.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: monthly, about 60 days after each month on KDP

11. Flip domains

You buy good domain names and sell them to businesses that want them. Most names never sell, so the few that do pay for the rest.

It fits you if you like names, brands and patience.

What it pays: the difference between what you pay and what you sell for, minus the marketplace's commission.

Tools: brainstorm names with Namelix and the business name generator, and register them on Namecheap.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Buying dozens of names before you've sold one. Start with a few.
• Buying names with a trademark in them. That can cost you the domain.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: when a buyer pays through the marketplace's escrow

12. Get a remote job

A remote job is a regular job you do from home or from anywhere. It's the steadiest way to earn online, and many people use one to fund the business they build on the side.

It fits you if you want steady pay more than freedom, at least for now.

What it pays: a salary, usually the same as the office version of the job. Browse open roles in the remote jobs finder.

Watch: Mark Tilbury on 7 remote jobs that pay well and keep hiring.

Tools: search the remote jobs and digital nomad jobs finders, and freelance marketplaces like Upwork for contract roles. Get paid in any currency with Wise.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Applying to jobs that pay to "train" you first. Legit employers don't charge you to apply.
• Ignoring time zones. Check the hours a job expects before you apply.

Start: free · Time: more than 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: on payday, like any job

Make money online with freelancing and online services

Freelancing is the fastest way to real money online, because businesses already pay for these skills. More than 20 million Americans freelance, and full-time freelancers earn a median of $85,000 a year, more than the $80,000 full-time employees earn (Upwork, 2025).

Here's how the two biggest platforms pay you. Upwork pays hourly work 10 days after each weekly billing period, and fixed-price work after the client approves it, plus a five-day security hold (Upwork). Fiverr says your earnings are ready to withdraw once an order is complete, and a PayPal withdrawal takes 24 hours (Fiverr). You must be 18 to work on Upwork (Upwork), and on Fiverr, 13 to 17 year olds can sell only through a parent's account (Fiverr).

Every way below shows what freelancers charge for it on Upwork, from Upwork's own rate pages. Work out what you keep after fees with the Upwork fee calculator and the Fiverr fee calculator, price every service with the freelance rate calculator, and send your first invoice with the invoice generator.

13. Freelance

Freelancing is selling a skill, like writing, design, video or code, to clients one project at a time. It's how most people make their first real money online.

What it pays: hourly, day or project fees. Upwork pays hourly work 10 days after each weekly billing period, and fixed-price work after the client approves it, plus a five-day security hold (Upwork).

Watch: Aasil Khan's step-by-step roadmap to start freelancing.

Tools: find clients on Upwork and Fiverr, where I hire freelancers myself. Get paid across currencies with Wise, and write proposals with Claude or ChatGPT.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Offering everything to everyone. One skill for one kind of client gets hired faster.
• Competing on price. Win on examples and speed, then raise your rate.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

14. Manage social media for businesses

Many small businesses know they should post but rarely have the time. You plan, write and schedule their posts every month.

It fits you if you already run your own accounts well, because those are your portfolio.

What it pays: monthly retainers. On Upwork, social media managers typically charge $14 to $35 an hour, and the median is $20 (Upwork). Demand for Instagram services grew 147% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr), and social media strategy was among Upwork's fastest-growing marketing skills in 2025, up 36% (Upwork).

Watch: Jade Beason's full guide to starting a social media marketing agency.

Tools: schedule and report with Metricool, write for X and LinkedIn in Typefully, and design in Canva. Joel Gascoigne built Buffer for exactly this job. Show clients their results with the engagement rate calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Promising followers. Promise posts, consistency and reports you can deliver.
• Taking every platform at once. Start with the one the business's customers use.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

15. Work as a virtual assistant

A virtual assistant handles email, calendars, research and admin for busy founders and creators, all online. I've hired assistants myself, and the good ones become hard to replace.

It fits you if you're organized and reliable.

What it pays: an hourly rate or a monthly package. On Upwork, virtual assistants typically charge $10 to $20 an hour, and the median is $13 (Upwork). Specialists earn more: medical virtual assistance grew 44% on Upwork in 2025 (Upwork). Employed administrative assistants in the US earn a median of $48,310 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Life and Numbers on becoming a virtual assistant with no experience.

Tools: find clients on OnlineJobs.ph and Upwork, where I find mine. Keep every process in Notion, and draft emails with ChatGPT.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Saying yes to every task. List what you do well and get great at it.
• Keeping processes in your head. Write each one down so you can take on more clients.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

16. Manage online stores for brands

You run a brand's store day to day: listings, product photos, prices, orders, returns and the emails that bring buyers back, on Shopify, Amazon or Etsy.

It fits you if you're organized and you like working out what makes people buy.

What it pays: a monthly retainer, sometimes plus a share of sales. Ecommerce management was the fastest-growing skill in Upwork's admin and support category in 2025, up 130% in freelancer earnings (Upwork). On Upwork, ecommerce experts typically charge $25 to $48 an hour, and the median is $30 (Upwork).

Watch: Steve Chou shows how he used ChatGPT to improve his Shopify store.

Tools: most stores run on Shopify or Etsy. Write listings and answer customers faster with Claude or ChatGPT, make product images in Canva, and connect the store to your email and sheets with Zapier. Check what a sale nets with the Etsy fee calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Changing prices or listings without the owner's okay. Agree on what you can change on your own.
• Reporting tasks instead of sales. Show the owner what your work did to revenue each month.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

17. Tutor online

You teach a subject, a skill or a language on video calls. Languages, math, test prep and music are some of the most searched.

It fits you if you know a subject well and like explaining it.

What it pays: a fee per lesson, at a rate you set. Preply keeps the first trial lesson with each new student, then 18% to 33% of each lesson, falling as your teaching hours grow (Preply). Employed tutors in the US earn a median of $20.84 an hour (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Ms. Bee on getting her first five students as an online tutor.

Tools: start on a marketplace like Preply to get reviews. Make lesson plans and quizzes with Gemini and turn your notes into study guides with NotebookLM.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Staying on the marketplace forever. Move regular students to your own packages.
• Teaching every level. Pick one level and get known for it.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: yes · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps

18. Translate

AI translates the first draft now, so clients pay for a person who makes it right: the tone, the terms and the culture.

It fits you if you know two languages well, plus a subject like law, medicine or marketing.

What it pays: a fee per word or per project. On Upwork, translators typically charge $15 to $25 an hour, and the median is $20 (Upwork). Employed interpreters and translators in the US earn a median of $60,170 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Tools: draft with Gemini, ChatGPT or Claude, then check every line yourself. Find clients on Upwork and Fiverr.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Sending AI output unchecked. One wrong term can cost a client money.
• Translating every topic. Specialists earn more per word.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

19. Manage online communities

Brands and creators pay community managers to welcome members, answer questions, run events and keep the conversation going.

It fits you if you like people and are already active in communities.

What it pays: an hourly rate or a monthly retainer, usually from a creator or a software company.

Tools: most communities run on Skool, Circle or, on WordPress, FluentCommunity, which I used myself. Draft replies and weekly summaries with Claude.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Counting members instead of activity. Report replies, posts and events.
• Moderating with no written rules. Agree the rules with the owner first.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

20. Do voiceovers

You record voiceovers for ads, explainer videos, courses and audiobooks from a quiet corner at home.

It fits you if you have a clear voice and can take direction.

What it pays: a fee per project or per finished minute. On Upwork, voice actors typically charge $40 to $85 an hour, and the median is $55 (Upwork). On Upwork, audiobook narrators typically charge $25 to $55 an hour, and the median is $40 (Upwork).

Watch: Tawny Platis on becoming a voice actor in 2026.

Tools: clean your audio with Adobe Podcast or the background noise remover, and edit in Descript. Find jobs on Fiverr and Upwork.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Recording in an echoey room. Soft furnishings fix more than a new microphone.
• A long demo. Clients listen to the first 20 seconds.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

21. Edit podcasts

Most podcasters hate editing. You cut the mistakes, level the sound, write the show notes and make clips.

It fits you if you have a good ear and like steady weekly work.

What it pays: a fee per episode or a monthly package. On Upwork, podcast producers typically charge $20 to $31 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork). Employed broadcast, sound and video technicians in the US earn a median of $60,150 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: FastEditor edits viral podcast reels in Premiere Pro.

Tools: Riverside records it and Descript edits it, both of which I use. John Lee Dumas edits in Adobe Audition. Remove filler words with the filler word remover.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Selling editing alone. Package it with show notes and clips and charge more.
• Changing the host's voice so much it sounds fake.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

22. Design YouTube thumbnails

The thumbnail decides if people click, so serious creators pay well for good ones.

It fits you if you have an eye for design and watch a lot of YouTube.

What it pays: a fee per thumbnail or a monthly package. Searches for YouTube thumbnails grew 52% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr). On Upwork, graphic designers typically charge $15 to $35 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork).

Watch: Wes McDowell's new way to make YouTube thumbnails in minutes.

Tools: I make thumbnails with ChatGPT's GPT Image 2, Higgsfield and Magnific, and fal.ai runs the newest image models. Test the title next to it with the YouTube title checker.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Too much text. Three words or fewer, readable on a phone.
• Designing without knowing the video. The thumbnail and the title tell one story.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

23. Ghostwrite for founders

Founders want to post on LinkedIn and X but have no time to write. You interview them and write in their voice.

What it pays: a monthly retainer or a fee per book. On Upwork, ghostwriters typically charge $20 to $45 an hour, and the median is $32 (Upwork).

Watch: Nicolas Cole on the most profitable ghostwriting opportunity of 2026.

Tools: Taplio and Typefully schedule posts for clients. Record client calls with Granola and turn them into drafts with Claude.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Writing in your voice instead of theirs. Every post should sound like the client.
• Posting without approval. Let the client approve every post.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

24. Book podcast guests

You get founders and experts booked on the right podcasts. Hosts need good guests every week, and experts want the exposure.

It fits you if you're organized and good at short, specific pitches.

What it pays: a monthly fee or a fee per booking, paid by the guest you place on shows.

Tools: find shows with the podcast finder, find host emails with Hunter, and track every pitch in Streak. Write pitches with the media pitch generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Pitching the same guest to every show. Match each guest to shows their story fits.
• Long pitches. A good pitch is five lines.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: monthly, by your clients

25. Run influencer campaigns

You find the right creators for a brand, agree the deal and manage the posts. I've worked with influencers since 2013, from my first summit's speakers to my AI Creator Summit, and the relationship is most of the work.

It fits you if you know the creators in a niche.

What it pays: a fee per campaign or a monthly retainer. On Upwork, influencer marketing managers typically charge $40 to $90 an hour, and the median is $60 (Upwork).

Watch: Latasha James on running a successful influencer marketing campaign.

Tools: check creators with the engagement rate calculator, price deals with the sponsorship rate calculator, and reach out with the influencer outreach email generator. My guide to influencer marketing covers the rest.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Picking creators by follower count. Engagement and fit matter more.
• No written brief. Agree on what's posted, when, and what it may say.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

26. Offer SEO

You help businesses rank higher on Google with research, better pages and links.

What it pays: a monthly retainer or a fee per audit. On Upwork, SEO experts typically charge $15 to $35 an hour, and the median is $21 (Upwork).

Watch: Surfer's complete SEO and AI SEO course for beginners.

Tools: research with Ahrefs, which Ryan Robinson calls a daily tool, or Semrush. Check pages with the SEO checker and the title and meta checker.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Promising rankings by a date. Nobody controls Google.
• Selling SEO before you've ranked anything yourself.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

27. Build links for websites

Links from other sites still help pages rank. You pitch useful content to site owners and win links for your clients.

It fits you if you write good outreach emails and don't mind hearing no.

What it pays: a fee per link or a monthly package. On Upwork, SEO experts typically charge $15 to $35 an hour, and the median is $21 (Upwork).

Watch: Rank Math on what Google counts beyond backlinks.

Tools: find sites with Ahrefs or Semrush, and find editors' emails with Hunter.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Buying links. Paid links can get a client's site penalized.
• Sending the same email to everyone. Personal pitches win.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

28. Run email marketing for businesses

Email is a channel a business owns, with no algorithm in between. You write the emails and build the automations that turn their list into sales. My summits taught me this: the email list was the most valuable thing they built.

It fits you if you write well and like seeing numbers move.

What it pays: a monthly retainer. On Upwork, email marketers typically charge $15 to $40 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork).

Watch: Kevin Stratvert's Mailchimp tutorial for beginners.

Tools: most clients use Kit, beehiiv, MailerLite or Flodesk. Test subject lines with the subject line tester, and check deliverability with the email deliverability checker.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Sending only promotions. Most emails should be worth opening on their own.
• Reporting opens only. Report clicks and sales.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

29. Run paid ads for businesses

You run a business's ads on Google, Meta or TikTok and report what each sale costs.

It fits you if you like testing and numbers, and you've run ads for your own offer first.

What it pays: a monthly fee, often plus a share of the ad spend. On Upwork, PPC specialists typically charge $20 to $45 an hour, and the median is $30 (Upwork). Display advertising was among Upwork's fastest-growing marketing skills in 2025, up 26% (Upwork).

Watch: Neil Patel runs through Facebook ads from the start.

Tools: study winning ads in Foreplay, make ad images in Canva, and check a test's result with the A/B test calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Spending a client's money before you've spent your own.
• Judging an ad after one day. Give it enough data first.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

30. Write copy for businesses

Copywriters write the sales pages, ads and emails that sell. AI writes first drafts now, so clients pay for the strategy and the words that convert.

It fits you if you understand why people buy.

What it pays: a fee per page or a monthly retainer. On Upwork, copywriters typically charge $19 to $45 an hour, and the median is $30 (Upwork). Employed writers and authors in the US earn a median of $76,910 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Joanna Wiebe on becoming a top 1% copywriter.

Tools: draft with Claude or ChatGPT, polish with Grammarly, and test headlines with the headline analyzer. Grade a page with the landing page grader.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Writing about the product instead of the buyer's problem.
• Never asking for results. Results are what let you raise your price.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

31. Write grant applications

Charities, schools and small companies win money through grants, and each application takes careful writing. You learn the funders in one field and write applications that fit them.

It fits you if you write clearly and like research.

What it pays: a fee per application or an hourly rate. On Upwork, grant writers typically charge $35 to $60 an hour, and the median is $50 (Upwork). Employed fundraisers in the US earn a median of $72,550 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: The Grant Writers Collective's guide to grant writing for beginners.

Tools: research funders with Perplexity or Gemini, draft with Claude, and check your writing with the readability checker.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Charging a share of the grant won. Most grant writers' groups advise a flat fee instead.
• Sending one application to every funder. Each funder asks different questions.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

32. Write technical docs

Software companies need guides, docs and help pages that explain their product. Good technical writers are rare, so they're well paid.

It fits you if you can explain tech in plain words.

What it pays: an hourly rate or a fee per project. On Upwork, technical writers typically charge $20 to $45 an hour, and the median is $30 (Upwork). Employed technical writers in the US earn a median of $90,390 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Tools: draft with Claude, organize in Notion, and take clean screenshots with CleanShot X. Check your reading level with the reading level checker.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Writing from the docs instead of the product. Use the product yourself.
• Long paragraphs. Docs are scanned, not read.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

33. Write resumes and LinkedIn profiles

People pay to get interviews. You rewrite their resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile so their real results stand out.

It fits you if you write well and like helping people move up.

What it pays: a fee per resume or per package. On Upwork, resume writers typically charge $25 to $65 an hour, and the median is $42 (Upwork).

Watch: Teal on making a resume that stands out in 2026.

Tools: draft with Claude, polish with Grammarly, and design in Canva. The LinkedIn headline generator gives a fast first draft.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Writing claims you haven't checked. Every number has to be true.
• One resume for every job. Tailor it to the role.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

34. Proofread and edit

You check and polish writing before it's published: books, blog posts and business writing.

It fits you if you spot typos everyone else misses.

What it pays: a fee per word or per project. On Upwork, proofreaders typically charge $18 to $35 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork). Employed editors in the US earn a median of $77,920 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Tools: Grammarly catches the obvious, your judgment does the rest. Check flow with the Flesch-Kincaid calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Rewriting the author's voice. Fix errors, keep their style.
• Editing for free forever. One free sample, then paid.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

35. Build websites and web apps

Most businesses need a website, and many need small web apps. AI coding tools now write much of the code with you.

It fits you if you like building things that work.

What it pays: a fee per project and monthly upkeep. On Upwork, web developers typically charge $15 to $50 an hour, and the median is $30 (Upwork). Employed web developers in the US earn a median of $92,650 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Ali Hossain's roadmap for freelance web development.

Tools: I build my own sites and apps with Claude Code and Codex, and I'm not a developer. Host on Cloudflare or Hostinger. Grade a client's current site with the SEO checker.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Building without a scope. Agree the pages and features in writing first.
• Launching and leaving. Sell upkeep every month.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

36. Test software for bugs

Companies pay testers to find bugs before their users do. Clear bug reports are the job.

It fits you if you're patient and notice when something feels off.

What it pays: an hourly rate or a fee per test cycle. On Upwork, software QA testers typically charge $12 to $20 an hour, and the median is $15 (Upwork). Employed software QA analysts and testers in the US earn a median of $104,300 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Tools: testing platforms like uTest bring paid projects. Record bugs with Loom, and learn test automation with Claude Code.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Vague reports. Write the steps, what happened and what should have happened.
• Testing only the happy path. Bugs live in the edge cases.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

37. Give tech support

People and small businesses pay someone they trust to fix their computers, accounts and software.

It fits you if you're the person your friends already call.

What it pays: an hourly rate or a monthly plan. Employed computer user support specialists in the US earn a median of $61,860 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Shane Hummus on how anyone can learn IT support.

Tools: find fixes faster with ChatGPT or Claude, and send short how-to videos with Loom.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Fixing without explaining. A short guide keeps clients coming back.
• Unlimited support for a flat fee. Set what the plan covers.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: monthly, by your clients

38. Audit websites for accessibility

Many businesses must make their sites usable for people with disabilities. You check sites against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and help fix what fails.

It fits you if you like detail and standards.

What it pays: a fee per audit and per fix, paid by the site's owner.

Tools: learn the standards from the W3C's own guidelines, write reports with Claude, and fix sites with Claude Code.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Relying on automated scans alone. They miss many real problems.
• Promising legal protection. You're an auditor, not a lawyer.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per project, by your clients

39. Design apps and websites

UX and UI designers decide how apps and websites look and work. Startups pay well for screens that are easy to use.

It fits you if you notice what makes an app easy or annoying.

What it pays: a fee per project or a day rate. On Upwork, UX designers typically charge $25 to $39 an hour, and the median is $27 (Upwork). Employed web and digital interface designers in the US earn a median of $104,000 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Shivangi Tiwari on becoming a UI/UX designer in 2026.

Tools: design in Figma, build live pages in Framer, and turn ideas into screens with Magic Patterns.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Showing only final screens. Show your thinking.
• Designing for yourself. Test with real users.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

40. Analyze data for businesses

Many businesses sit on numbers they rarely read. You turn them into dashboards and clear answers.

It fits you if you like spreadsheets and finding the story in numbers.

What it pays: an hourly rate or a fee per project. On Upwork, data analysts typically charge $20 to $50 an hour, and the median is $30 (Upwork). Employed data scientists in the US earn a median of $120,230 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Jeff Su analyzes data with ChatGPT in 12 minutes.

Tools: analyze with ChatGPT, Claude or Julius AI, and build simple systems in Airtable.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Charts nobody acts on. End every report with what to do.
• Trusting AI's math blindly. Check the numbers.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

41. Set up no-code systems

You build a team's workspace and workflows in tools like Notion, Airtable and Zapier, so their work runs without chaos.

It fits you if you love organizing and automating your own life.

What it pays: a fee per setup and monthly support. Searches for n8n AI automation grew 125% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr).

Watch: Kevin Stratvert sets up AI automations in Zapier.

Tools: Notion, Airtable, Zapier and Make, with Claude Code for anything they can't do.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Building the perfect system nobody uses. Train the team.
• Connecting everything. Automate the steps that repeat most.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per project, then monthly

42. Design for clients

Businesses need logos, social posts, ads and brand materials all the time. A monthly design plan keeps clients for years.

It fits you if you can design and take feedback well.

What it pays: a fee per project or a monthly package. On Upwork, graphic designers typically charge $15 to $35 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork). Employed graphic designers in the US earn a median of $62,960 a year (BLS, May 2025). Logo design grew 44% on Upwork in 2025 (Upwork).

Watch: Edgy Katrina's realistic week as a freelance graphic designer.

Tools: Canva and Figma for design, Adobe Photoshop for the final touches, and Recraft for vector graphics.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Unlimited revisions. Set the number in your package.
• Using AI images without checking the license for commercial use.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

43. Design presentations

Founders, speakers and sales teams pay for slide decks that look good and tell a clear story.

It fits you if you can turn messy notes into a clear story.

What it pays: a fee per deck. On Upwork, presentation designers typically charge $35 to $60 an hour, and the median is $45 (Upwork).

Watch: Analyst Academy tests every AI presentation tool.

Tools: Gamma turns an outline into slides, then Canva or Google Slides for edits. The presentation generator makes a first draft in seconds.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Too much text on each slide. One idea per slide.
• Designing before the story is clear.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

44. Do customer support remotely

Companies hire remote support agents to answer customers by chat and email.

It fits you if you're patient and write clearly.

What it pays: an hourly rate. On Upwork, customer service representatives typically charge $10 to $19 an hour, and the median is $14 (Upwork). Employed customer service representatives in the US earn a median of $21.53 an hour (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Omowunmi on companies hiring remote customer support with no experience.

Tools: most teams use help desks with AI built in, like Tidio. Find roles in the remote jobs finder.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Copy-paste answers. Customers can tell.
• Staying general. Specialists in one kind of product earn more.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

45. Recruit for companies

Companies pay recruiters to find and screen candidates for roles they can't fill.

It fits you if you know people in one field and enjoy connecting them.

What it pays: a fee per hire. On Upwork, recruiters typically charge $25 to $70 an hour, and the median is $50 (Upwork). Employed human resources specialists in the US earn a median of $75,940 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Tools: find people with RocketReach and Hunter, and write job posts with Claude.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Sending every resume you find. Send three great ones.
• Working without a signed agreement on the fee.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

46. Sell for companies remotely

Remote setters book sales calls and remote closers close them, for companies selling coaching, software and services.

It fits you if you're good on the phone and motivated by results.

What it pays: a commission per deal, sometimes with a base. On Upwork, sales representatives typically charge $13 to $40 an hour, and the median is $19 (Upwork). Employed sales representatives in the US earn a median of $72,080 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Colby Lyman on landing a high-ticket remote sales job.

Tools: track leads in Streak or HubSpot, and send personal follow-ups with GMass.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Selling something you don't believe in. Buyers can tell.
• Joining offers that pay commission only with no leads. Ask where the calls come from.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

47. Find leads for businesses

You build lists of likely buyers for a business and reach out for them.

It fits you if you like research and short, direct emails.

What it pays: a fee per list, per meeting booked or a retainer. On Upwork, lead generation specialists typically charge $13 to $45 an hour, and the median is $20 (Upwork).

Watch: Instantly on the new way of cold emailing in 2026.

Tools: scrape lists with Apify, find emails with Hunter and RocketReach, and check them with the bulk email verifier.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Buying lists. They're old and hurt deliverability.
• Mass emails. Short, personal emails get replies.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

48. Plan events for clients

You plan and run events, in person or online. Online events can be run from anywhere, which is how I've run all my summits.

It fits you if you love details and deadlines.

What it pays: a planning fee or a share of the budget. Employed meeting and event planners in the US earn a median of $61,160 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Tools: stream online events with StreamYard, send calendar invites with AddEvent, and keep the plan in Notion. Brainstorm formats with the virtual event idea generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• No run of show. Write every minute of the event down.
• No backup for tech. Test everything the day before.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per event

49. Keep the books for small businesses

Small businesses pay bookkeepers to track income, spending and invoices every month, so tax time isn't a panic.

It fits you if you're organized and good with numbers.

What it pays: a monthly fee. On Upwork, bookkeepers typically charge $11 to $25 an hour, and the median is $15 (Upwork). Employed bookkeeping clerks in the US earn a median of $50,670 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Bookkeepers on the first step when you start a bookkeeping business.

Tools: most clients bank with Mercury, get paid through Stripe and pay abroad with Wise. Sort transactions faster with ChatGPT.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Doing taxes without a license. Bookkeeping isn't tax advice.
• Charging hourly. A fixed monthly price by transactions is clearer.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

How creators make money online

Content pays in three ways at once: platforms share their ad revenue, brands pay to reach your audience, and you sell your own offers to the people who trust you. YouTube alone says it paid creators, artists and media companies over $100 billion in the four years to 2025 (CNBC).

It takes the longest to start, and it can pay the most. Only about 4% of the world's roughly 50 million creators earn over $100,000 a year (Goldman Sachs), so pick a format you can keep up for a year.

50. Start a YouTube channel

YouTube is the biggest search engine for video. A video people search for can earn for years.

What it pays: YouTube's ad revenue share, sponsors, memberships and your own offers. YouTube pays you 55% of the ad revenue on your long videos and 45% of your share of Shorts ads (YouTube), once you have 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in a year, or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days (YouTube).

Example: Pat Flynn has made $27,732 from one podcasting tutorial with a million views.

Watch: Think Media's step-by-step guide to creating a YouTube channel in 2026.

Tools: I find ideas with vidIQ, edit in Descript, and make thumbnails with ChatGPT's GPT Image 2, Higgsfield and Magnific. Find videos that beat their channel's usual views with the YouTube outlier finder, pick a topic with the YouTube niche finder, and see what views pay in the YouTube money calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Quitting after 10 videos. Most channels take a year of weekly videos.
• Counting on ads alone. Add sponsors and your own offers early.

Start: a little money · Time: more than 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: monthly, between the 21st and 26th · Age: 18+, or a parent or guardian through AdSense

51. Run a faceless channel

Faceless channels use voiceovers, stock footage or animation instead of a face on camera. History, finance and explainers work well.

What it pays: ad revenue share, sponsors and affiliate links, on the same YouTube terms as any channel (YouTube). Businesses pay for this work too: searches for YouTube automation faceless channels grew 239% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr).

Example: Adavia Davis runs faceless AI channels that make roughly $40,000 to $60,000 a month, which Fortune checked against his AdSense records.

Watch: Sambucha on secretly voicing faceless YouTube channels.

Tools: write scripts with ChatGPT, voice them with ElevenLabs, make visuals with Higgsfield, and edit in CapCut. Write scripts faster with the video script generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Mass-producing the same video. YouTube's rules on repetitive content can cut you off from monetization.
• Copying another channel's scripts. Add research and a point of view.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: monthly, between the 21st and 26th · Age: 18+, or a parent or guardian through AdSense

52. Post short videos

Short videos on TikTok, Reels and Shorts can reach people fast, even with no followers.

What it pays: creator programs where you qualify, brand deals and affiliate links. TikTok's Creator Rewards Program pays for videos of at least 1 minute once you have 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in 30 days (TikTok), and YouTube pays 45% of your share of Shorts ads (YouTube).

Example: Jeff Rose made $42,035 from Facebook and Instagram payouts for his posts and reels in June 2026.

Watch: Buzz on monetizing a faceless TikTok in seven days.

Tools: edit in CapCut, add animated captions with Submagic, and cut shorts from long videos with OpusClip. See what your views pay in the TikTok money calculator and the YouTube Shorts money calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Chasing views with no next step. Send viewers to a newsletter or an offer.
• Posting for a week and stopping. Give a format a month.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: monthly on the 15th on TikTok, once you pass $50 · Age: 18+ for TikTok's rewards

53. Start a blog

A blog answers what people search for on Google. It's slow to start, then it can pay for years. Mine started in 2013, and my first round-up post brought my first real traffic.

What it pays: display ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts and your own products.

Example:

Watch: She Dreams All Day on starting a blog in 2026, and whether it's too late.

Tools: Ryan Robinson writes with RightBlogger, which he co-founded, and researches with Ahrefs. Tim Denning grew on Medium and Substack. Check every post with the title and meta checker. My guides are how to start a blog and how to make money blogging.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Writing what you want instead of what people search for.
• No email list. Start one from your first post.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: monthly, by each ad network and affiliate program

54. Start a podcast

A podcast builds trust in a way few formats do, because people spend hours with your voice. I hosted my own show, The Lifestyle Architects, in 2014, and being a guest on John Lee Dumas's Entrepreneurs on Fire was a big goal of mine.

What it pays: sponsors, listener support, premium episodes and your own offers. Spotify's Partner Program pays 50% of the ad revenue from its ads in your episodes, once your show reaches 2,000 hours listened and 1,000 listeners in 30 days (Spotify).

Example: John Lee Dumas made $126,550 from podcast sponsorships in January 2024.

Watch: Think Media on what they'd do if they started a podcast in 2026.

Tools: I record in Riverside and edit in Descript. John Lee Dumas hosts on Libsyn. Price your ads with the podcast sponsorship calculator. My guide is how to make money podcasting.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Waiting for sponsors to come to you. Pitch them once you know your numbers.
• Bad audio. Listeners forgive a lot, but not that.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: when sponsors pay

55. Start a newsletter

A newsletter is the audience you own: no algorithm decides who sees it. Every summit I ran grew my email list, and that list paid for most of what came after.

What it pays: sponsors, paid subscriptions, affiliate links and your own products. On Substack, writers keep 90% of paid subscriptions, minus card fees (Substack).

Example: Justin Welsh made $795,000 from sponsors in his weekly newsletter since 2019 (his breakdown).

Watch: Chris Koerner on the easiest way to build a local newsletter.

Tools: most writers in my research use Kit, including Justin Welsh, Pat Flynn and Dickie Bush. Matt Wolfe and Dan Koe use beehiiv, and Tim Denning uses Substack. Pick one with the email marketing software finder, and see what a list can earn with the beehiiv money calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Sending when you feel like it. Send on the same day every week.
• Writing to everyone. Write to one reader.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: through Stripe for paid subscriptions · Age: 13+ on Stripe, with an adult on the account under 18

56. Stream live

Streamers go live on Twitch or YouTube with games, making things or talks, and earn from the people who watch.

It fits you if you can talk for hours and keep a schedule.

What it pays: subscriptions, tips, ads and sponsors. Twitch makes you an Affiliate, and able to get paid, once you stream 4 hours on 4 different days with at least 3 viewers on average and have 25 followers, and it pays out once you pass $50 (Twitch).

Watch: Cpaws Music's complete beginner's guide to streaming on Twitch.

Tools: stream with StreamYard in the browser or Ecamm on a Mac, and cut clips from each stream with OpusClip. See what streams pay in the Twitch money calculator. I compare more tools in best streaming software.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Changing your schedule every week. Viewers come back to a habit.
• Streaming without clips. Clips bring new viewers to the next stream.

Start: a little money · Time: more than 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: once you pass $50 on Twitch

57. Grow an Instagram account

Instagram rewards Reels and carousels that people save and share.

What it pays: brand deals, subscriptions, gifts and your own offers. Businesses are paying for Instagram work: searches for Instagram services grew 147% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr).

Watch: Pat Flynn talks to an Instagram expert about growing from zero followers.

Tools: I use ManyChat to answer DMs automatically, and Canva and CapCut make posts and Reels. Plan with Metricool. Make carousels with the Instagram carousel generator, and see your earning range in the Instagram money calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Posting everything you like. Post the kind of thing your niche saves.
• No link in your bio. Send people somewhere you own.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: when brands pay

58. Build an audience on LinkedIn

On LinkedIn, the money rarely comes from the platform. It comes from the clients and offers your posts bring in.

What it pays: clients, jobs, speaking and your own offers.

Example: Justin Welsh built his business on LinkedIn and X: $10 million in total, 5 years and 9 months after launching (his breakdown).

Tools: Justin Welsh and Lara Acosta write with Taplio. Draft posts with Claude and check them with the LinkedIn post analyzer. Fix your profile with the LinkedIn headline generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Posting and leaving. Reply to every comment in the first hour.
• Selling in every post. Teach first.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: when your clients pay

59. Grow an audience on X

X rewards daily posting about one topic, and the replies are how you meet bigger accounts.

What it pays: creator rewards where you qualify, clients and your own offers.

Example: Justin Welsh grew to 480,000 followers on X in under two and a half years, and his business passed $10 million in total, all from organic posts on LinkedIn, X and Instagram, his newsletter and SEO (his essay).

Tools: Dan Koe schedules in Typefully, and Justin Welsh uses Hypefury. Grok shows what's being talked about on X. See what posts pay in the X money calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Posting about everything. One topic grows faster.
• Only posting, never replying. Replies grow small accounts.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: when your clients pay

60. Affiliate marketing

You recommend products and earn when people buy through your link. My first dollar online was a $65 commission. After my first summit, I became Ramit Sethi's #1 affiliate for Zero to Launch and made around $40,000 in one month, and the ASK Method launch put me #6 on the leaderboard.

What it pays: a commission per sale or sign-up. Amazon Associates pays up to 10% of each sale, depending on the category (Amazon), about 60 days after the end of the month (Amazon). My biggest affiliate month came from a course, not Amazon: around $40,000 as Ramit Sethi's #1 affiliate for Zero to Launch.

Example: Maria Wendt makes $11,000 a month from affiliate links, in 2026.

Watch: Greg Gottfried's beginner tutorial for Amazon affiliate marketing.

Tools: find programs with the affiliate program finder, and work out what a promotion pays in the affiliate commission calculator. Big networks like Impact run thousands of programs.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Promoting things you haven't used. I only promote what I use.
• Hiding the commission. Say clearly that you earn one.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: monthly, about 60 days after each month on Amazon

61. Sell sponsorships

Brands pay to reach the people who trust you. Once you know your numbers, you can pitch them yourself.

What it pays: a fee per post, video, episode or email. Price yours with the sponsorship rate calculator.

Example: John Lee Dumas made $126,550 from podcast sponsorships in January 2024.

Watch: Modern Millie's seven lessons from $500,000 in brand deals.

Tools: price each slot with the sponsorship rate calculator, find brand contacts with Hunter, and make your media kit in Canva.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Pricing by guesswork. Price from your views, opens or downloads.
• Saying yes to every sponsor. A bad fit costs you trust.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: when the brand pays your invoice

62. Get paid by fans

Fans who like your work will support it every month for something extra, like bonus episodes or early access.

It fits you if you already have people who wait for what you make.

What it pays: monthly memberships and tips. Patreon keeps 10% of what you earn, plus payment processing (Patreon), and pays out when you ask or automatically on the 5th of each month (Patreon).

Watch: Patreon on how to start a Patreon, with Becca Farsace.

Tools: run memberships on Patreon, Whop or a simple store like Stan. See what members could pay you in the Patreon money calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Too many tiers. Two or three is enough.
• Promising more than you can keep up every month.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: on the 5th of each month on Patreon, or when you ask · Age: 13+ on Patreon

The fastest-growing AI skills businesses pay for

Businesses are hiring people to use AI for them, and the fastest growth is in video. Upwork and Fiverr both publish what their clients pay for: Upwork measures what freelancers earn for each skill, and Fiverr measures what businesses search for.

Fastest-growing skills on Upwork (%)

1AI video generation and editing

+329%

2AI integration

+178%

3AI data annotation and labeling

+154%

4Ecommerce management

+130%

5AI image generation and editing

+95%

6AI chatbot development

+71%

Upwork · Growth in freelancer earnings, 2025 vs 2024

Skills that name AI grew 109% in all on Upwork, while the skills hired most, like full stack development, virtual assistance, data analytics and graphic design, held steady (Upwork, February 2026).

Fastest-growing searches on Fiverr (%)

1Claude Code specialists

+938%

2AI services in video and animation

+278%

3AI UGC video ads

+265%

4YouTube faceless channel services

+239%

5Instagram services

+147%

6n8n AI automation

+125%

7AI services in programming and tech

+94%

8Vibe coding

+61%

9AI voice agents

+49%

Fiverr · November 2025 to April 2026, against the six months before

On Fiverr, AI services grew fastest in video and animation, far ahead of programming (94%) and data (3%). The AI work businesses buy first is the content their customers see (Fiverr, June 2026).

LinkedIn and the World Economic Forum point the same way. LinkedIn's 2026 list of the fastest-growing skills in the US starts with AI engineering skills like prompt engineering and data annotation (LinkedIn, February 2026), and employers in the World Economic Forum's survey expect AI and big data to be the fastest-growing skills through 2030 (WEF, January 2025).

Here's where each of these skills is in this guide, and what it pays:

Make money online with AI

AI changed how a lot of these ways work, and these are the ways that run on it. I build my sites, apps and over 700 free tools with AI, and help businesses do the same. For every AI way in depth, read how to make money with AI.

63. Build AI automations for businesses

You set up AI that answers emails, qualifies leads or writes reports for a business, and keep it running.

It fits you if you like connecting tools and making work disappear.

What it pays: a setup fee and a monthly fee. AI integration grew 178% on Upwork in 2025, by freelancer earnings (Upwork), and searches for n8n AI automation grew 125% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr). On Upwork, AI developers typically charge $30 to $150 an hour, and the median is $90 (Upwork).

Watch: n8n's own quick start for building your first AI agent.

Tools: I build with Claude Code and Codex, and connect apps with Zapier, Make or n8n. Host n8n for clients on Hostinger.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Automating a process nobody has written down. Map it first.
• Setting it up and leaving. Charge monthly to watch and improve it.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per project, then monthly

64. AI OS consulting

An AI OS is a business's setup for working with AI: its context, its tools and its workflows in one place. This is what I do for clients now, and I teach it in my Certified AI OS Consultant program. My guide on how to build an AI operating system shows the setup step by step.

It fits you if you already run your own work on AI.

What it pays: projects and monthly retainers. On Upwork, business consultants typically charge $28 to $98 an hour, and the median is $55 (Upwork). 77% of business leaders say AI increases their need for specialized, fractional talent (Upwork).

Tools: I build AI OS setups with Claude Code, Codex and Claude, and use ChatGPT and Gemini beside them.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Selling AI before you use it daily yourself. Your own setup is your proof.
• Building for one tool. A good AI OS works with any AI.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: real expertise · Paid: up front, or monthly

65. Build AI chatbots

You build assistants that answer a business's customers on its site, in DMs or by email.

It fits you if you like writing clear answers and testing them.

What it pays: a setup fee and a monthly fee. On Upwork, chatbot developers typically charge $30 to $61 an hour, and the median is $45 (Upwork). AI chatbot development grew 71% on Upwork in 2025 (Upwork).

Watch: Botpress builds a customer support chatbot without code.

Tools: I use ManyChat for Instagram DMs. Chatbot Builder AI and Pickaxe build chatbots without code, and Tidio puts one on a website.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Launching without test questions. Write 50 questions it must answer and test them.
• No handoff to a human. Every chatbot needs one.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per project, then monthly

66. Build AI voice agents for businesses

A voice agent answers the phone like a person: it books appointments, answers questions and takes messages, day and night. You build one for a business that misses calls, like a clinic, a salon or a plumber.

It fits you if you like setting things up and can write a script that sounds like a real receptionist.

What it pays: a setup fee and a monthly fee per agent. Searches for AI voice agents grew 49% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr). Upwork doesn't price voice agents yet, and chatbot developers, the closest skill it prices, typically charge $30 to $61 an hour, with a median of $45 (Upwork).

Example: I've built two voice agents myself: one on ElevenLabs in my cloned voice, and an open-source one trained on 142 minutes of my own recordings. My guide on how to build an AI voice agent walks through both, with the recordings to compare.

Watch: Thanh-y David Nguyen builds an AI voice agent with LiveKit, for free.

Tools: ElevenLabs and Synthflow build voice agents without code, and n8n or Make connect them to calendars and CRMs. Write the agent's script with Claude or ChatGPT, and try voices with the AI voice generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Letting the agent guess. Give it the real prices, hours and answers, and a way to pass a caller to a person.
• Skipping the rules on recorded calls. Check the consent laws where your client and their callers are.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: a setup fee, then monthly

67. Run an AI influencer

An AI influencer is a made-up persona with AI images and videos, which grows a following and takes brand deals.

It fits you if you can design a character and post every day.

What it pays: brand deals, platform creator programs and subscriptions.

Tools: make the character with Higgsfield or fal.ai. Pykaso keeps the face the same in every photo, and ElevenLabs gives it a voice.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Hiding that it's AI. Label it, as the platforms ask.
• Changing the look. A consistent face is what people follow.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: monthly from platforms, and when brands pay

68. Make videos with an AI avatar of you

You clone your face and voice once, then make videos from a script. It's useful for course updates, lessons and ads.

It fits you if you have more ideas than time to film.

What it pays: whatever the videos sell: courses, clients or ads. AI services in video and animation grew 278% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026, faster than any other category (Fiverr).

Tools: HeyGen makes the avatar and ElevenLabs makes the voice.

Mistakes to avoid:

• A bad training video. Good light and sound make a good avatar.
• Not telling viewers it's AI.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: when what the videos sell pays

69. Sell AI art and designs

You make art and designs with image models and sell them as prints, products or packs.

It fits you if you have taste and a style.

What it pays: sales of prints, products and design packs. AI image generation and editing grew 95% on Upwork in 2025 (Upwork). On Upwork, illustrators typically charge $15 to $30 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork).

Watch: Roboverse on how to start selling AI art.

Tools: make art with Midjourney, ChatGPT's GPT Image 2 or Ideogram, and upscale with Magnific. Read each tool's terms before you sell what it makes. The US Copyright Office says purely AI-generated work can't be copyrighted, so add your own work to it.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Selling raw outputs. Finish every piece by hand.
• Copying living artists' styles by name.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: weekly on Etsy by default · Age: 18+ on Etsy, or 13 to 17 through a parent's account

70. Make AI images for brands

You make product photos, ad images and social posts for brands with AI, often from one photo of the product. A shop that can't pay for a studio gets fresh images every month.

It fits you if you have an eye for what looks good and you'll fix the details the AI gets wrong.

What it pays: a fee per image set or a monthly package. AI image generation and editing grew 95% on Upwork in 2025, by freelancer earnings (Upwork). On Upwork, graphic designers typically charge $15 to $35 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork).

Watch: Kevin Stratvert on making images with Google's Nano Banana.

Tools: I make images with ChatGPT's GPT Image 2, Higgsfield, Magnific and fal.ai. Midjourney and Recraft are strong for styles and brand graphics. Remove backgrounds with the product photo background remover, and write prompts with the AI image prompt generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Changing the product. Labels, logos and colors must match the real thing, or the brand can't use the image.
• Ignoring the license. Check that the tool's terms allow commercial use before you sell the images.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: per set, or monthly

71. Write for businesses with AI

You write posts, emails and pages for businesses, faster with AI. The value is your editing, fact checks and voice.

It fits you if you write well and can work fast.

What it pays: fees per piece or a monthly retainer. On Upwork, content writers typically charge $15 to $40 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork).

Watch: Sandeep Swadia on fixing writing that reads like AI.

Tools: draft with Claude or ChatGPT, polish with Grammarly, and check readability with the readability checker. Check drafts for robotic phrasing with the AI slop checker.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Sending AI drafts unedited. Clients notice.
• Charging by the hour. AI makes you faster, so charge per piece.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

72. Edit videos with AI

Creators and businesses post more video than ever, and most don't edit it themselves. AI makes captions, cuts and clips much faster.

It fits you if you have an eye for pacing.

What it pays: a fee per video or a monthly package. AI video generation and editing was the fastest-growing skill on Upwork in 2025, up 329% (Upwork). Most video editors on Upwork charge $6 to $25 an hour, and the most experienced earn a median of $100 an hour (Upwork). Employed film and video editors in the US earn a median of $75,420 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Watch: Lerin Nic's full CapCut course for beginners.

Tools: I edit in Descript. CapCut, Submagic, OpusClip and VEED handle captions and clips.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Over-editing. Effects don't fix a weak video.
• No monthly plan. One-off edits keep you hunting for clients.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

73. Make AI video ads for brands

You make short ads for brands with AI video tools instead of a camera crew: product shots, scenes and AI presenters, cut to 15 or 30 seconds for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

It fits you if you know what makes people stop scrolling and you like making video without a camera.

What it pays: a fee per ad or a monthly package. AI video generation and editing was the fastest-growing skill on Upwork in 2025, up 329% in freelancer earnings (Upwork), and searches for AI UGC video ads grew 265% on Fiverr in the six months to April 2026 (Fiverr). On Upwork, motion graphics designers typically charge $18 to $35 an hour, and the median is $25 (Upwork).

Watch: Higgsfield's three-step workflow for realistic AI ads.

Tools: Higgsfield, which I use for my thumbnails, makes AI video too, and Kling and Google Flow turn a prompt or an image into a scene. Add an AI presenter with HeyGen, and cut the ad in CapCut. Write the hooks with the viral hook generator and the prompts with the AI video prompt generator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Sending an ad with AI mistakes in it. Check every label, logo, hand and word on screen first.
• Skipping the AI label when a platform asks for one. Follow each platform's rules for AI-made ads.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per ad, or monthly

74. Design websites with AI

AI builders make the first version of a site in minutes, so you can sell sites faster and at a fixed price.

It fits you if you have taste and like quick projects.

What it pays: a fee per site and a monthly fee to keep it up. On Upwork, web designers typically charge $15 to $30 an hour, and the median is $21 (Upwork).

Watch: Create a Pro Website builds a website with Claude Code.

Tools: I build with Claude Code and Codex. Framer and Lovable build sites from a prompt. Grade the result with the landing page grader.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Shipping the AI's first draft. Clients pay for your design eye.
• No monthly plan for updates and hosting.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

75. Write prompts and AI workflows

Teams pay for prompts and workflows that make AI useful for their real work, like proposals, reports or support.

It fits you if you write clearly and test patiently.

What it pays: a fee per project or a retainer. Prompt engineering is on LinkedIn's 2026 list of the fastest-growing skills in the US (LinkedIn).

Tools: test prompts in Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok, and compare many models in one place with OpenRouter. Start from my AI prompts library.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Selling a prompt list. Sell a workflow that saves hours.
• Not training the team. A workflow nobody uses doesn't pay.

Start: free · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per project, or monthly

76. Teach AI to teams

Most companies know AI matters, and most teams don't know where to start. You run workshops that teach them with their own work.

It fits you if you use AI daily and like teaching.

What it pays: workshop fees and coaching packages. Employed training and development specialists in the US earn a median of $69,280 a year (BLS, May 2025).

Tools: make slides with Gamma, and teach with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and NotebookLM. The presentation generator drafts your first deck.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Teaching tools instead of tasks. Teach the team's real work.
• One workshop and done. Sell follow-up coaching.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: yes · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: up front, before each workshop

77. Build AI agents

An AI agent does a job end to end, like research, outreach or reporting, with tools and checks. My business runs on an AI OS I built with Claude Code.

It fits you if you can think in steps and test until it works.

What it pays: a setup fee and a monthly fee. On Upwork, AI engineers typically charge $35 to $60 an hour, and the median is $50 (Upwork). Searches for Claude Code specialists grew 938% on Fiverr in six months (Fiverr).

Watch: Teacher's Tech builds a first AI agent with Claude Code.

Tools: I build agents with Claude Code and Codex. n8n, Lindy and Pickaxe build them with less code.

Mistakes to avoid:

• No checks. An agent needs tests, like any employee needs reviews.
• Selling it before it runs without you.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per project, then monthly

78. Build apps and tools for clients with Claude Code

Claude Code and Codex write, test and run code from plain-English instructions. Businesses hire people who use them to build the internal tools, dashboards, automations and small apps many of them never had a developer for.

It fits you if you can turn what a business needs into clear steps, and you'll test every result before a client sees it. You don't need to be a coder to start.

What it pays: a fee per project and a monthly fee to keep it running. Searches for Claude Code specialists grew 938% on Fiverr in six months, and searches for vibe coding grew 61% (Fiverr). On Upwork, AI developers typically charge $30 to $150 an hour, and the median is $90 (Upwork).

Example: I build this way myself. The 700+ free tools on this site are my own builds, made with Claude Code and Codex.

Watch: Kevin Stratvert's Claude Code tutorial for beginners.

Tools: I build with Claude Code and Codex, even for work I'd once have hired a developer for. Cursor and Replit are other ways in, and Lovable builds an app from a chat. Write clearer instructions with the Claude Code prompt generator, and price your work with the freelance rate calculator.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Shipping code you haven't tested. Click through every screen before the client does.
• Selling the method instead of the result. Clients pay for the hours the tool saves them.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: per project, then monthly

79. Dub videos with AI

Creators reach new countries by dubbing their videos into other languages. AI does the voice, and you make the translation right.

It fits you if you speak two languages well.

What it pays: a fee per video or per minute. On Upwork, translators typically charge $15 to $25 an hour, and the median is $20 (Upwork).

Tools: ElevenLabs and HeyGen dub with the creator's own voice. Try the audio translator for a first pass.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Trusting the AI translation. Listen to every line.
• Dubbing into a language you don't speak.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: weekly on Upwork, 10 days after each work week · Age: 18+ on Upwork

80. Make music with AI

AI music tools make full songs from a prompt. People pay for custom songs for birthdays and weddings, and for background music.

It fits you if you write lyrics and have an ear.

What it pays: licensing, streaming and custom songs. On Upwork, music producers typically charge $30 to $65 an hour, and the median is $35 (Upwork).

Watch: MoneOnDaBeat's beginner tutorial for Suno.

Tools: Suno makes the songs. Read its terms for selling what it makes before you start.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Uploading raw AI songs to streaming. Shape and finish each one.
• Ignoring each tool's commercial terms.

Start: a little money · Time: under 5 hours a week · On camera: no · From anywhere: yes · Experience: none needed · Paid: per song for custom work

Build an online business

These take the most work up front, and they're how most people get to real income and freedom. Almost every one starts with a skill or an audience from the ways above.

81. Host a virtual summit

A virtual summit is a free online event where you interview experts in your niche. People sign up with their email to watch, and you sell an all-access pass to keep the recordings. It's my favorite way, because it grows your email list, your income and your network at once.

What it pays: all-access passes, sponsors, and commissions on the speakers' offers.

My results: The Branding Summit made over $20,000 in 2014, when I had only a few hundred email subscribers. List Building School added over 26,000 subscribers and made well over $1 million over time, with a six-figure profit from premium pass sales alone. I also helped Chandler Bolt run The Self-Publishing Success Summit, which made 30,000 opt-ins and $370,000+.

Watch: my step-by-step blueprint for hosting a virtual summit.

Tools: I record every interview in Riverside and edit in Descript. I sold my passes through ThriveCart for years, and today I sell through Creator Store, an AI-powered store I built myself with the help of AI. Brainstorm your topic with the virtual event idea generator, and follow my guide to how to host a virtual summit.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Inviting speakers before you know what you'll sell. Plan the all-access pass first.
• Starting promotion a week before. Start weeks ahead, with your speakers sharing.

Start: a little money · Time: more than 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: every business day through Stripe · Age: 13+ on Stripe, with an adult on the account under 18

82. Run webinars

You teach one useful thing live for an hour, then invite people to buy. Partner webinars with Chandler Bolt and Regina Anaejionu grew my email list by close to 2,000 subscribers in a few days.

What it pays: sales of your course, coaching or product at the end.

Watch: Ryan Robinson on hosting a webinar that grows your email list.

Tools: host with StreamYard, make slides with Gamma, and add a real deadline to the offer with Deadline Funnel. The presentation generator drafts the slides.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Teaching everything. Teach one thing well, then make one offer.
• No replay deadline. A real deadline is when most people buy.

Start: free · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: yes · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: every business day through Stripe · Age: 13+ on Stripe, with an adult on the account under 18

83. Create an online course

A course packages what you know into lessons people buy once. My course, Virtual Summit Mastery, made $60,000+ on its first launch, from a list of only 1,500 people. The next launch made almost $200,000, and an internal launch made over $200,000 with no affiliates. Over the years it made well over $1 million, and then I sold it to Jan Koch.

What it pays: course sales, bundles and payment plans.

Example: Justin Welsh made $1.6 million from The Creator MBA in its first six days in January 2024 (his breakdown).youtube.com/watch?v=gplmVGbXcgg&t=994s)).

Watch: Danie Jay on creating an online course that sells.

Tools: I processed millions of dollars through ThriveCart, which also hosts courses in ThriveCart Learn. Pat Flynn and Gillian Perkins use Teachable, and Justin Welsh has used Kajabi. I record lessons with Descript. Run your numbers in the online course revenue calculator, and compare platforms in my best online course platforms guide.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Recording before anyone has paid. Pre-sell a pilot first.
• A low price. A course that changes something is worth a real price.

Start: a little money · Time: more than 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: real expertise · Paid: every business day through Stripe · Age: 13+ on Stripe, with an adult on the account under 18

84. Run a paid membership

A membership charges a monthly fee for a community, new lessons and live calls. It turns one-time buyers into steady income.

What it pays: monthly or yearly memberships.

Example: Justin Welsh made $630,000 from his community since 2019, and John Lee Dumas made $8,369 from Podcasters' Paradise in January 2024.

Watch: my interview with Stu McLaren on building a successful membership site.

Tools: communities run on Skool, Circle or, on WordPress, FluentCommunity, which I've used. ThriveCart handles the payments. My guide is how to create a membership site.

Mistakes to avoid:

• Launching to strangers. Start with people who already follow you.
• No welcome path. New members who get a quick win stay.

Start: a little money · Time: 5 to 15 hours a week · On camera: optional · From anywhere: yes · Experience: some helps · Paid: every business day through Stripe · Age: 13+ on Stripe, with an adult on the account under 18

85. Coach one to one

You help people reach a result on calls. I got my first coaching clients in 2014, and later ran a coaching program beside my course.

What it pays: coaching packages, paid up front or monthly. On Upwork, business coaches typically charge $75 to $150 an hour, and the median is $100 (Upwork). On Upwork, life coaches typically charge $50 to $250 an hour, and the median is $100 (Upwork).

Watch: Iman Gadzhi on building an online coaching business.