Can Anyone Make Money Online Working From Home?
Contents
- Can Anyone Make Money Online Working From Home?
- Internet Business Idea #1
- Internet Home Business Idea #2
- Web-Based Business Idea #3
- Idea #4 for Internet Home Based Businesses
- Internet Home Business Idea #5
- Idea #6 for Working From Home on the Web
- Work At Home Web Business Idea #7
- Internet Business Idea #8
- Web Business Idea #9
- Internet Business Idea #10
- Idea #11
- Idea #12
- Idea #13
- Idea #14
- Idea #15
- Idea #16
- Idea #17
- Idea #18
- Idea #19
- Idea #20
- When Can You Quit Your Day Job to Work Online From Home?
Of course. Many thousands of people do. You might have friends or family members who make a living with a home-based Internet business already. The problem is that not everyone WILL make money online, because making money on the internet takes a long time to learn, and most people give up because it can be extremely frustrating.
With over 300,000 “Internet Home Business” related searches on the internet every month, it’s safe to say that there is a lot of demand for information on how to make money on the internet. Sadly, this also means that there are a lot of shady characters preying on this group of people.
I knew someone who fell for one of these scams once – they taught him how to make money online, and then all he did was sell seminars – on how to make money online. The fact that he had never actually made any money online was beside the point… I guess. Not surprisingly, I’m not a big supporter of his business.
Internet Business Idea #1
Affiliate Marketing
What is it?
Promote other company’s products and services on your website. When a sale is made, you get a commission.
Most important skills needed:
Sales copywriting, web marketing, list building, PPC (Pay Per Click marketing)
Recommended Books
- Make a Fortune Promoting Other People’s Stuff Online by Rosalind Gardner
- Huge Profits with Affiliate Marketing by Connie Ragen Green
Internet Home Business Idea #2
Blogging
What is it?
A chronological based website filled with articles, reviews, or journal-style writing. You can sell advertising or incorporate affiliate marketing on a blog to earn money.
Most important skills needed:
Writing, social networking, affiliate marketing, web marketing
Best learning resources:
- Niche Success Blueprint is a step-by-step course that can get your online businesses up and running from start to finish.
- Social Marketing Results is a social media course where you learn how to market your blog without spending a dime on ads.
Recommended Books
- Expert Briefs: Blogging for Profit: The Stripped-Down Naked Truth from 26 Rockin’ Online Business Owners
- ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
- Mom Blogging For Dummies
Web-Based Business Idea #3
Sell Information Products
What is it?
Selling your expertise in various forms from bite sized reports to full fledged membership sites, people need what know and are willing to pay for it.
Most important skills needed:
Copywriting, area of expertise, web marketing, customer service
Idea #4 for Internet Home Based Businesses
Selling on Amazon
What is it?
This is exciting new ecommerce option that has opened wide over this last year. You can sell products on Amazon and they’ll even house and ship the products for you.
Check out these books for an introduction:
- Amazing Amazon Genie: Exactly how to earn full-time profit starting with $0.
- Selling on Amazon’s FBA Program – Earn $2-5K Per Month Shipping Boxes of Books to Amazon
- Making a GREAT Living with Fulfillment by Amazon: Specific Answers to 30 Questions Every Newbie Asks
Internet Home Business Idea #5
Sell Your Creative Arts, Crafts & Indie Products
What is it?
Creating and manufacturing your own product lines and selling them online. A favorite website for marketing your crafts is Etsy.
Most important skills needed:
Creativity, sales, e-commerce
Recommended Books:
- Etsy-preneurship: Everything You Need to Know to Turn Your Handmade Hobby into a Thriving Business
- How to Sell Your Crafts Online: A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Sales on Etsy and Beyond
Idea #6 for Working From Home on the Web
Freelance Writing
What is it?
Providing your writing skills to others, including ghostwriting.
Most important skills needed:
Writing skills, customer service, time management
Recommended Books
- Freelance Blogging Success: How to Find Clients that Will Pay You 100+ Per Article
- Freelance Writing Success: How to Set and Negotiate Rates Confidently
- Break into the World of Freelance Writing: How I Went from $0 to ,100 in One Month with No Experience (Becoming a Freelance Writer)
Work At Home Web Business Idea #7
WordPress Consulting & Design
What is it?
WordPress is a Content Management System best known as a ‘Blog’ and the need for WordPress management and design is great.
Most important skills needed:
WordPress expertise, graphic design skills, Photoshop, etc.
Internet Business Idea #8
Coaching/Consulting
What is it?
Providing your specialized knowledge to those who need it.
Most important skills needed:
Trade-specific knowledge, sales, customer service
Web Business Idea #9
VA (Virtual Assistant)
What is it?
Providing administrative and business support to other business owners and small businesses.
Most important skills needed:
Customer service, organization, social media
Recommended Book
Internet Business Idea #10
Offline Marketing Consulting
What is it?
Take your online marketing skills out to your local community, serving small business owners by building websites, setting up social media and helping to drive traffic.
Most important skills needed:
Customer service, social media, search engine knowledge
Idea #11
Coaching
What is it?
Helping clients work through healthy life and business obstacles or challenges.
Most important experience needed:
Listening, questioning, compassion, marketing
Authority Resources: International Coach Federation, CoachU, Coachville
Recommended Book
- Coaching Millions: Help More People, Make More Money, Live Your Ultimate Lifestyle by Milana Leshinsky
Idea #12
Podcasting
What is it?
Creating an online radio show supported by advertising
Most important experience needed:
Public speaking/presentation skills, light audio editing, sales
Recommended learning resource: School of Podcasting
Recommended Book
- Podcasting for Dummies or Podcasting Bible by Mitch Ratcliffe and Steve Mack
Idea #13
Membership Sites
What is it?
Creating an e-learning environment open only to paid members
Most important experience needed:
Instructional design, presentation skills, lead generation and the ability to create a series of ebooks, audio programs and/or video tutorials
Recommended Book
- Start A Paid Membership Site by Ansel Gough
Idea #14
E-Product Development
What is it?
Authoring and/or recording ebooks, audio books or video programs
Most important experience needed:
Ecommerce, lead generation, direct marketing
Recommended Books
- From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with books, E-Books and Information Products by Stephanie Chandler
Idea #15
E-zine/Email Marketing
What is it?
Selling a subscription to a Ezine (emailed magazine), or selling products via email
Most important experience needed:
Direct marketing, sales copywriting, list building, light html
Recommended Book
- E-Mail Marketing For Dummies byJohn Arnold
Idea #16
Niche Forums
What is it?
Building a community website supported by either subscriptions or advertisers
Most important experience needed:
Community building, networking and forum setup, administration & moderation
Recommended Book
- Managing Online Forums: Everything You Need to Know to Create and Run Successful Community Discussion Boards by Patrick O’Keefe
Idea #17
Find a Franchise
What is it?
The right or license granted by a company to an individual or group to market its products or services in a specific territory
Most important experience needed:
Various, depending on the franchise
Recommended learning resources: FranchiseGator, Entrepreneur.com’s Franchise Zone
Recommended Book
- The Franchise Handbook: A Complete Guide to All Aspects of Buying, Selling or Investing in a Franchise by by Atlantic Publishing Co
Special Note: Franchises usually require a considerable investment, please research your decisions carefully
Idea #18
Tutoring
What is it?
Tutoring students via the web
Most important experience needed:
Academic knowledge, teaching ability, marketing
Authority Resource: National Tutoring Association
Recommended Book
Special Tip: Tutor.com hires freelance tutors to work out of their home
Idea #19
Bookkeeping/Accounting
What is it?
Helping small businesses manage their financial record keeping
Most important experience needed:
Accounting/CPA skills, attention to detail, customer service
Authority Resource: American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers
Recommended Book
- Start & Run a Bookkeeping Business by Angie Mohr
Idea #20
Workshops & Teleseminars
What is it?
Conducting workshops via conference calls or web-based conference rooms
Most important experience needed:
Public speaking/presentation skills, instructional design, lead generation
Recommended Book
- Training Workshop Essentials: Designing, Developing, and Delivering Learning Events that Get Results by Robert W. Lucas
When Can You Quit Your Day Job to Work Online From Home?
Perhaps the most important piece of advice for starting an internet home business is this: Don’t expect to replace your day job’s income for 365 days (or so!). Although I will add that service-based businesses tend to bring in revenue faster, I would still allow for a full year to replace your outside-the-home salary.
The Good News About the Home Based Business Industry
As long as you are willing to put in the hours (days… weeks…. months….. ) to learn the ropes, you can bootstrap your business with extremely little money, generally speaking. Remember that some businesses take more to start than others. I’ve probably directly invested less than $3000 getting this blog up and running, and now revenue is increasing at about a 125-140% pace every month after being in business for 16 months. So, where do you start from here? Here are some general rules of thumb.
Internet-Based Business: Startup Rules
sed Business: Startup RulesPre-packaged programs only work as much as you can customize it and make it unique and your own. Even then, techniques that work for one niche won’t work in all niches.
- Be wary of any “system” that promises instant results (especially anything that sounds like a get-rich-quick scheme!)
- Knowing the basics of html, SEO (search engine optimization), social media marketing, website marketing and traditional marketing and sales are a must.
- Every business is made stronger by specializing in a tight niche. Know your audience and stick to it.
Unless you have a brilliant tech idea that makes venture capitalists drool (which means you don’t need this list), you need to determine where your strengths are and which business model you plan on following. I have run three home-based businesses in my life, all of which leveraged my current skill set as the foundation for building the business. Look over the following list and single out the ones in which you have at least some experience. You probably won’t have all of the skills necessary, so don’t let that stop you! All you have to do is work hard and be willing to learn.
