How To Make Money Online: 23 Ways To Get Started (2026)

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To start making money online, choose a method that matches your skills and experience.

According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, 92% of US adults say they buy things online. With such a large, potential customer base, there’s no shortage of ways to make money online. Some methods include building a passive income website, selling used clothes on a marketplace, creating merchandise to sell on TikTok Shop, and turning a hobby into an online business.

This list covers 23 ways to make money online, with side hustle ideas and advanced business models, for different skill levels and time commitments.

How to make money online

Each of the 23 methods below falls into one of four categories including selling physical products, selling digital products, offering services, or creating content.

To narrow the list, compare each method against your existing skills, the time you have available, and your startup budget. Print-on-demand and dropshipping businesses don’t hold inventory, because a third-party supplier produces or ships each order. Reselling and handmade products involve buying stock or materials before you make a sale.

Service-based methods, like tutoring and transcription, involve selling your time and expertise to clients. Content-based methods, like blogging and podcasting, earn revenue through advertising and sponsorships:

1. Sell print-on-demand products
2. Monetize a blog
3. Sell digital products
4. Become a reseller
5. Try affiliate marketing
6. Become an influencer
7. Offer transcription services
8. Sell photos online
9. Create and sell handmade or custom products
10. Write and sell books or ebooks
11. Start a dropshipping business
12. Sell services or consultancy
13. Create online courses and workshops
14. Monetize a YouTube channel
15. Livestream on Twitch
16. Become a social media consultant
17. Start a podcast
18. Sell products through online marketplaces
19. Develop and sell unique products
20. Become an online tutor
21. Become a vacation rental host
22. Narrate audiobooks
23. Launch a subscription box

1. Sell print-on-demand products

Print on demand lets you customize white-label products with original designs and sell them without buying or holding inventory.

When a customer buys one of your items, a print-on-demand company prints your design on the product, packages the order, and ships it directly to your customer.

Products include T-shirts, mugs, posters, and books. Product catalogs vary by provider, so compare catalogs before choosing a supplier.

Best for

Use print on demand to test a product idea without buying inventory, or to sell branded merchandise to an existing audience, like a YouTube channel’s subscribers.

Effort level

Your ongoing work is creating designs and marketing your products, and the print-on-demand company handles fulfillment. If you don’t create your own designs, you’ll need to commission them from a freelance designer or use a design tool. You remain your customers’ point of contact for shipping questions, even though the supplier ships each order.

How to start

To start selling print-on-demand products:

1. Launch an online store or set up profiles on marketplaces.
2. Connect a print-on-demand app to your store.
3. Select your products.
4. Upload your original designs to customize each product.
5. Set prices and delivery terms.
6. List your products with images and product descriptions.

Legendary Rootz Founder Raven Gibson connects Printful and other print-on-demand and dropshipping apps to her Shopify store. “With Printful, I’ve also worked with a couple of other dropshipping and print-on-demand companies, and I really appreciate the ability to connect everything together,” Raven says on a Shopify Masters episode.

“I have an idea. I’m able to go in. See if they have a product that serves me or serves that idea that I have, get that sample created. And once it’s approved through me, cause I’m the approver, obviously, I’m able to go in and it’s all connected to Shopify. I love it."

Time to success

Print-on-demand sellers don’t buy products in bulk, so each item costs more per unit than wholesale inventory. Other costs include your online store subscription or marketplace selling fees, plus any paid marketing.

2. Monetize a blog

Bloggers earn money through display ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, or sales of their own products.

Best for

Writers, cultural commentators, and subject-matter experts already have the writing skills or topic knowledge a blog requires.

Effort level

Content marketers spend an average of 3 hours, 20 minutes writing each blog post, according to Orbit Media’s 2026 blogger survey of 1,042 content marketers. Set a publishing schedule you can sustain, and schedule posts in advance from your Shopify admin.

To draft faster, use Sidekick in the Shopify admin to generate sample blog posts, then edit them before publishing.

How to start

To start a blog you can monetize:

1. Choose a blogging platform that supports your monetization method.
2. Select a niche you’re passionate about and can write about consistently.
3. Publish posts on a regular schedule.
4. Apply SEO practices, like keyword research, to each post.
5. Add a monetization method, like display ads through Google AdSense or affiliate links.

Time to success

Bloggers take an average of 21 months to start earning money from a blog, according to Productive Blogging’s 2026 Blogging Income Survey. In the same survey, 26% of bloggers earned their first income within six months.

3. Sell digital products

Digital products include ebooks, templates, music samples, and online courses. Customers receive them as downloadable files or as links to hosted content, like a course on a learning platform.

Digital products are a source of passive income since they’re earnings from a product you create once and sell repeatedly, without producing anything new for each order. Each customer receives a copy automatically after paying, while marketing and customer service remain ongoing tasks.

To add a second income stream, package content you already publish as a digital product, like collecting a food blog’s recipes into an ebook and selling branded merchandise alongside it.

Best for

Musicians and educators already have skills or knowledge to package as downloadable files or courses.

Effort level

Creating the product is upfront work. After launch, every sale delivers a copy of the same file or link. There are no additional fees for selling digital products on a Shopify online store, and there’s no bandwidth limit on downloads.

How to start

To start selling digital products:

1. Create a store where customers can buy and access your digital content.
2. Create your digital product, and confirm you hold the rights or licenses for any music or images it uses.
3. Upload the file, or add a link to hosted content, and set the delivery method.
4. Promote your products on social media and through content marketing.

Time to success

To make your first sale, share product links with followers on social media, in blog posts, and in YouTube video descriptions.

4. Become a reseller

Resellers buy products from other retailers or individual sellers and sell them at a higher price. Resellers flip vintage finds, distribute products for established brands, or curate items from multiple brands in their own ecommerce store.

Because resellers sell existing products, there’s no product development or manufacturing stage before launch.

Best for

Reselling doesn’t require creating products, so you start an ecommerce business with items that already exist.

Effort level

Resellers find products, set prices, manage inventory, and fulfill orders. Some resellers also clean or repair items before selling them.

How to start

To start a reselling business:

1. Pick products in markets you know and love.
2. In the US, apply for a resale permit in each state where you buy and sell goods.
3. Source inventory from wholesale suppliers, thrift stores, estate sales, liquidation companies, or private sellers.
4. Set up shop on marketplaces or create your own store.

Time to success

Launch timing depends on two upfront steps: buying inventory and, in the US, getting resale permits and paying any filing fees. To start with less stock, source individual pieces from thrift stores or estate sales, which avoids the order minimums some manufacturers set. To fund initial stock, research small business loans or grants.

5. Try affiliate marketing

With affiliate marketing, you earn a commission by recommending another company’s products. When someone clicks your unique affiliate link and makes a purchase, you receive a percentage of the sale or a flat fee, without creating or shipping anything yourself.

Some affiliate programs require approval before you add affiliate links to your content. The Shopify Affiliate Program, for example, reviews each application and doesn’t approve every applicant.

Best for

Content creators and social media personalities with an existing audience already have channels where they share affiliate links.

Effort level

Affiliates don’t handle inventory or shipping. The ongoing work is creating content that includes affiliate links and disclosing each affiliate relationship.

How to start

To start with affiliate marketing:

1. Apply to affiliate programs that match your content niche.
2. Once approved, add your affiliate links to relevant content.
3. Recommend only products you’ve used, since endorsements must reflect your honest experience.
4. Disclose your affiliate relationship next to each recommendation.

In the US, the Federal Trade Commission guidance says affiliates should disclose clearly and conspicuously that they earn commissions, and the closer the disclosure is to the recommendation, the better.

The FTC gives the example “I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post,” and notes that the words “affiliate link” alone may not be understood as a disclosure. For videos, the FTC advises disclosing the affiliate relationship both in the video and in the description near the links.

Time to success

Each affiliate program sets its own approval process. The Shopify Affiliate Program processes most applications within 24 hours. Once approved, you add affiliate links to existing content immediately, and Shopify issues commissions once a month, on the 22nd, for the previous month’s referrals.

6. Become an influencer

Influencers earn money through brand partnerships, which include sponsored posts, product endorsements, content creation, and co-branded product lines.

Best for

Creators who already publish content on social media have the audience that brand partnerships require.

Effort level

Ongoing work includes creating content for each platform you use and responding to your community. Each sponsored post also needs a disclosure of your brand relationship.

How to start

To start working as an influencer:

1. Build your following on platforms that match your content style, like YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, or Roblox.
2. Connect with brands through creator platforms like Shopify Collabs, where creators apply to brand programs or accept invitations.
3. Disclose every brand relationship in each sponsored post.

The FTC’s Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers says to disclose any financial, employment, personal, or family relationship with a brand, including free or discounted products. Place the disclosure with the endorsement itself, not only in your profile, at the end of a post, or behind a “More” link, and don’t mix it into a group of hashtags.

The FTC says terms like “ad” or “sponsored” work, as does a plain statement thanking the brand for a free product, and advises against vague terms like “spon” or “collab.” On platforms like Instagram Stories, superimpose the disclosure over the image. In live streams, repeat it periodically so viewers who join partway through see it.

If you post from outside the US, US law applies when it’s reasonably foreseeable that your post will reach US consumers, and local laws might also apply.

Time to success

The timeline depends on how quickly you grow an audience and on each brand program’s requirements. Post on a regular schedule on your main platforms, and apply to brand programs once you’ve published content in your niche.

7. Offer transcription services

Transcribers convert spoken content into written documents, for uses like interviews, legal proceedings, and business meetings.

Speech recognition and natural language processing technology now draft an initial transcript automatically in some fields.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, this technology is reducing demand for human transcriptionists in medical transcription, specifically since employment in that occupation is projected to decline 4% from 2025 to 2035. However, the BLS still projects about 6,200 openings a year as workers leave the field. Where this technology is used, the transcriptionist’s role shifts from typing from scratch to reviewing and correcting an automated draft for accuracy.

Best for

Transcription work fits typing speed and listening accuracy, skills you can apply without upfront training.

Effort level

Transcription accuracy requires practice. A headset and a foot pedal to control playback speed can help build this skill.

How to start

To start offering transcription services:

1. Practice your typing speed and listening accuracy.
2. Create accounts on transcription platforms that connect transcribers with clients.
3. Learn to review and correct AI-generated transcripts, a skill more platforms using automated drafting require.

Time to success

Transcription platforms review applications before approving new transcribers. Once approved, you select assignments and get paid based on your schedule and skills.

8. Sell photos online

Selling photos is one way to earn money from photography. Methods include selling signed, limited-edition prints directly through your website, licensing photos to stock sites, and contributing to paid programs like Unsplash+.

Unsplash+ pays contributors per photo accepted into its library, which differs from Unsplash’s main library, where images are free to use and photographers aren’t paid.

Best for

Photographers with an existing collection of images have a starting portfolio to sell prints or submit to stock sites.

Effort level

Selling existing prints or submitting to stock sites requires less setup than selling to brands or clients directly, which depends on building a following and a reputation.

How to start

To start selling photos online:

1. Curate a portfolio that represents your style and best work.
2. Partner with a local printer, or invest in a home printer, to produce physical prints.
3. Apply to stock photo websites and paid contributor programs that match your subject matter.
4. Grow your following on social media to promote your prints or portfolio.

Time to success

Unsplash+ and approved contributors submit images against specific creative briefs rather than uploading an existing collection. Printing and selling your own prints has no approval step, so you can list prints as soon as you have a portfolio and a printing method in place.

9. Create and sell handmade or custom products

Makers produce products by hand, with full control over quality and product development. Offering customization options is one way to differentiate handmade products from mass-produced alternatives.

Best for

Makers, crafters, and hobbyists, or entrepreneurs who partner with artisans, have a product-making process already in place.

Katie Carson started Royalty Soaps as a teenager, hand-pouring cold process soap in her parents’ house. She documented the process on YouTube, where she now has more than 880,000 subscribers, and switched her store from Etsy to Shopify as the business grew.

Effort level

Running a handmade business includes production time alongside the ongoing work of running a store, like fulfilling orders and managing customer service.

How to start

To start selling handmade or custom products:

1. Research your target market to create products that meet specific needs.
2. Check safety and labeling requirements for your product category before you sell. In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission sets safety rules for handmade products, including a Small Batch Manufacturer program for qualifying makers of children’s products. Separate labeling rules apply to categories like cosmetics and textiles.
3. Develop your brand identity, including your brand story and visual design.
4. Build an online store that reflects your brand identity.

Time to success

Start by sharing your handmade goods with your existing network. Consider selling in person at local markets or craft fairs to make your first sales.

10. Write and sell books or ebooks

Writing and selling books or ebooks is one way to earn money from expertise or storytelling. Formats include fiction, memoirs, how-to guides, and instructional manuals.

Best for

Writers, journalists, and subject matter experts who have knowledge or stories to turn into a book.

Effort level

Writing and editing a book is the main upfront work. After publishing, the focus shifts to marketing the book to readers.

How to start

To start writing and selling a book:

1. Develop a book idea centered on your topic or story.
2. Write, edit, and proofread your work.
3. Choose from partnering with a publishing house, self-publishing as an ebook or print title, or using print-on-demand services to produce physical copies.

Time to success

Writing time varies by book length and the author’s experience. Repurposing content you’ve already written, like blog posts, into a book can shorten the drafting stage before self-publishing.

11. Start a dropshipping business

Dropshipping is a business model where products ship directly from suppliers to customers. As a store owner, you handle marketing and customer service; the supplier handles inventory and shipping.

Best for

Dropshipping allows you to start an online business without developing or holding inventory.

Effort level

Dropshipping requires finding reliable suppliers, building an online store, and marketing to attract customers.

How to start

To start a dropshipping business:

1. Create an online store and connect with dropshipping suppliers through apps or directories.
2. Source products through Shopify Collective, which connects stores with verified Shopify brands, or apps like DropCommerce for North American suppliers and Syncee for suppliers in multiple countries.
3. Drive traffic to your store through SEO, social media, and digital marketing.

Time to success

Selom Agbitor, cofounder of Mad Rabbit, dropshipped swimsuits with a business partner one summer in college, learning the fundamentals of ecommerce. This experience led to launching Mad Rabbit, a tattoo aftercare brand now valued at more than $56 million.

“We taught ourselves Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads because it would be expensive to pay an agency or pay someone a percentage of ad spend to run those ads for you,” Selom says on a Shopify Masters episode.

Legal requirements for dropshipping

Even though a supplier ships the product, dropshipping sellers carry the same legal obligations as other online retailers, since they handle marketing and customer service.

Sellers typically need to register their business and may need to collect sales tax once earnings pass a certain threshold, similar to other online income methods.

Checking regional labeling, consumer protection, and licensing rules before selling helps a dropshipping business operate within local requirements.

12. Sell services or consultancy

Selling services and expertise is another way to earn money online, alongside selling physical products. Virtual service businesses include online personal shopping, home décor consulting, and one-on-one personal training.

Best for

Experts in any field, with specialized skills and knowledge they can offer as a service, can earn a profit through consulting or selling their expertise.

Effort level

Starting a consulting business builds on skills you already have. The remaining work is setting up ways to attract clients, like a booking system or a profile on a freelance marketplace.

How to start

To start selling services or consultancy:

1. Choose how clients will find and book you. This could be a booking app on your own website, or a profile on a freelance marketplace like Upwork or Fiverr.
2. Add a booking app to your website so clients can schedule appointments directly, if you’re not relying solely on a marketplace.
3. Collect testimonials from clients and feature them on your website or marketplace profile.

Time to success

If you have existing industry experience, reach out to your professional network for word-of-mouth referrals. On freelance marketplaces, new profiles typically need to build a review history before appearing prominently in search results.

13. Create online courses and workshops

Online courses and workshops package expertise into a digital product. You can sell courses through dedicated course platforms or your own website.

Once created, a course can be sold multiple times without producing a new version for each sale.

Best for

Educators and experts with specific skills or achievements who have material to teach.

Effort level

Creating course content is the main upfront work. Ongoing management depends on the course format. A self-paced course needs little ongoing work, while a course with live elements, like office hours or Q&A sessions, requires continued time from you.

How to start

To start creating an online course or workshop:

1. Research competing courses on your topic to see what they cover.
2. Build an audience by sharing free content related to your course topic.
3. Decide whether to include live elements, like office hours or Q&A sessions, alongside the core course content.
4. Add a digital course delivery app to your store to manage enrollment and access.

Time to success

Course development takes several weeks, depending on the course’s length and format.

14. Monetize a YouTube channel

Building an audience on YouTube is a way to earn money through ad revenue, brand partnerships, and product sales.

Best for

People who create video content and want to build a community around their interests or expertise can upload on YouTube.

Effort level

The ongoing work is creating content consistently and growing an audience. The channel setup itself takes little time by comparison.

How to start

To start monetizing a YouTube channel:

1. Create and publish video content in your niche on a consistent schedule.
2. Once your channel meets YouTube Partner Program eligibility, apply to join. You must also meet YouTube’s other conditions, like having no active Community Guidelines strikes.
3. Connect the Google & YouTube sales channel to your Shopify store to sell merch directly from your videos and livestreams.
4. Explore additional revenue streams, like brand partnerships and affiliate marketing.

Time to success

Joining YouTube’s monetization program requires 1,000 subscribers, along with either 4,000 public watch hours in the past 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in the past 90 days. Meeting the threshold doesn’t guarantee approval: every channel goes through a review, which YouTube says typically takes about a month.

Focus on a specific niche, repurpose long-form videos into Shorts, and promote your content across platforms to work toward these thresholds. Cross-post Shorts to Instagram Reels and TikTok to point followers back to your YouTube channel.

15. Livestream on Twitch (or other platforms)

Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram all support livestreaming. Streamers broadcast content like gameplay, cooking demonstrations, and outdoor activities.

Best for

Gamers, creative content creators, and anyone interested in real-time interaction with viewers can livestream on Twitch and other social media platforms.

Effort level

Twitch streamers must become an affiliate to monetize their channel. This requires broadcasting for a certain amount of time within a 30-day period, according to Twitch’s eligibility requirements. Building an audience is ongoing work on top of each broadcast.

How to start

To start livestreaming:

1. Choose a platform for your content, like Twitch for gaming or YouTube for a broader range of content.
2. Set up a streaming space with lighting, audio equipment, and a background.
3. Create a regular streaming schedule.

Time to success

To reach Twitch Affiliate status, a channel needs 25 followers, to stream for four hours on four different days, and reach an average of three concurrent viewers on those four different days.

Twitch reviews eligible channels and sends an invitation once the criteria are met.

16. Become a social media consultant

As a social media consultant, you help brands develop content strategies, create posts, and grow their online presence.

Best for

People who have built their own social media following and have experience with what performs well can help other creators build their channels.

Effort level

Beyond client work, social media consulting includes networking, managing client relationships, and staying current with social media platform changes.

How to start

To start working as a social media consultant:

1. Build your own social media following to demonstrate your skills.
2. Create a portfolio website featuring your social media work.
3. Join the Shopify Partner Program and list your services, including social media marketing, in the Shopify Partner Directory, where potential clients search for and hire partners.

Time to success

Reach out to your existing network to find your first clients. If you already have followers, mention your services to small business owners among them.

17. Start a podcast

Fifty-eight percent of Americans aged 12 and older, an estimated 167 million people, consumed a podcast in the past month, according to Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial 2026, an all-time high for the study. Podcasts cover formats like stories, comedy, news, and interviews.

Best for

People who tell stories, lead discussions, or interview others have content formats suited to a podcast.

Effort level

Once you have an audience, publishing episodes on a consistent schedule is the ongoing work.

How to start

To start a podcast:

1. Set up an account with podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
2. Release your first few episodes and use listener feedback to revise future episodes.
3. Monetize your podcast through sponsorships and podcast advertising networks.

Time to success

Podcast monetization programs typically require a minimum audience size or episode count before a podcast qualifies. Publish on a regular schedule, like weekly episodes, and build a catalog of episodes before applying to a monetization program or sponsor.

18. Sell products through online marketplaces

Online marketplaces connect sellers with their existing shopper base. Etsy lists handmade and vintage items; Amazon and eBay list a broader range of product categories.

Marketplaces give sellers built-in access to shoppers already browsing the platform, but sellers pay selling fees and compete with other listings for visibility in search results.

Best for

Entrepreneurs wanting to enter ecommerce without heavy investment in marketing or website development can sell products through online marketplaces.

Effort level

Marketplaces handle site traffic and search functionality, which removes two tasks a standalone store requires. Sellers still pay selling fees and need to optimize listings to stand out among other sellers on the same platform.

How to start

To start selling through online marketplaces:

1. Review each marketplace’s guidelines on acceptable products and platform policies, including its selling fees.
2. Consider a multichannel approach by selling on marketplaces and your own store.
3. Use a Marketplace Connector to sync inventory across different sales channels.

Time to success

Selling through a marketplace doesn’t require building your own website, so you can list products as soon as you have inventory to sell. Source inventory from manufacturers, or find secondhand items to resell from platforms like eBay.

Spend time on product listings, including keywords and images, since marketplace search results reflect how listings compete against each other.

19. Develop and sell unique products

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands often sell original products that improve on familiar items. To develop and manufacture a unique product, design a prototype that solves a specific problem, then partner with a manufacturer to produce it.

Max Kislevitz and Natalie Holloway cofounded Bala in 2018, after a disappointing yoga class during a round-the-world trip led them to ask whether workout equipment could be both functional and beautiful. That question led them to redesign ankle weights.

“People are dressing up to go to thoughtfully designed gyms,” Max says on a Shopify Masters episode, “but the products they’re working out [with] in those environments are hyper-masculine.”

Best for

Aspiring product developers and designers with ideas for solving everyday problems, or improving existing items, can create an income stream around products designed to simplify.

Effort level

Product development includes several stages from design, to prototyping, manufacturing, and finally market launch.

How to start

To develop and sell a unique product:

1. Research manufacturers whose capabilities match your product design.
2. Consider private label manufacturers, who customize existing base products rather than building a product from scratch.
3. Verify labeling laws in all regions where you plan to sell.

Time to success

Product development spans several stages, from design to prototype to manufacturing to market launch, making this a longer-term method compared to selling an existing product. Working with an experienced product designer or manufacturer is one way to manage that process.

20. Become an online tutor

Online tutoring covers subjects like biology, math, and languages. Tutoring platforms connect tutors with students, or you can build your own client base through a website, social media, and referrals.

Best for

Educators and subject matter experts with a skill for teaching can earn income through online tutoring.

Effort level

Teaching skills develop through practice. Students who have a positive learning experience are a source of referrals for future students.

How to start

To start online tutoring:

1. Apply to tutoring platforms like Wyzant, or create a service listing on Fiverr.
2. Set up a website showing your expertise and teaching approach.
3. Ask satisfied students for referrals.
4. Check if your subject area requires specific licenses or credentials.

Time to success

Start by promoting your tutoring services to family and friends, who may know people with school-age children. Create a Facebook page and join local community groups to connect with potential clients.

21. Become a vacation rental host

Hosting travelers in a spare bedroom, in-law suite, or carriage house is one way to earn income from unused space in your home.

Best for

Property owners with existing real estate can use it to generate income.

Effort level

Running a rental involves more than maintaining the physical property. Marketing your rental includes writing listing descriptions, taking photos, and updating the website. It also requires swift communication with guests and timely support.

How to start

To start hosting a vacation rental:

1. Create a free Airbnb account.
2. Visit the Airbnb host page and follow the steps to publish your listing.
3. Research local regulations on short-term rentals, including occupancy taxes and permit requirements.
4. If you recommend products to guests, like through affiliate links on a QR code placed in the rental, disclose the affiliate relationship on the material itself, not only on a separate page.

The FTC’s Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers and its related Endorsement Guides FAQ say disclosures should be placed where they’re hard to miss and use plain language, like stating that a link is an affiliate link or that you earn a commission on purchases made through it.

Disclosure rules vary by country, so confirm the requirements that apply to you, or consult a lawyer.

Time to success

If you already have available space, you could start earning quickly, especially in tourist destinations. Take photos of your space and highlight nearby attractions and amenities in your listing to attract your first booking.

22. Narrate audiobooks

Audiobook narration is a way to earn money online for people who read aloud well. Find narration opportunities through platforms like Audible, ACX, Bunny Studio, or Voices.

Best for

People with vocal skills and an interest in storytelling can earn money through audio narration.

Effort level

Audio content requires equipment or studio access, plus time for preparation, recording, and editing.

How to start

To start narrating audiobooks:

1. Develop your narration skills through voice training and regular practice.
2. Set up a home recording space with a microphone and sound treatment.
3. Register on platforms like ACX, Bunny Studio, or Voices to find projects.
4. Create sample recordings to display your style and build a portfolio website.

Time to success

Once you have the necessary equipment, create sample recordings to apply for projects on audiobook marketplaces. Earnings and timeline vary based on a book’s length: a longer book takes more recording and editing time, which also means more compensation.

On ACX, narrators choose between two payment structures. One is a per-finished-hour rate, paid once the rights holder approves the final audio. The other is a royalty share agreement, where the narrator receives no upfront payment and instead splits royalties with the rights holder over the contract term.

23. Launch a subscription box

Subscription businesses deliver products or access to customers on a recurring basis. There are three main models:

• Curation. A business selects and ships a themed assortment of products each period.
• Replenishment. Customers receive restocks of products they use regularly.
• Access. Subscribers pay for ongoing access to content, services, or member pricing, rather than physical products.

Subscription boxes typically use the curation model.

Best for

People who stay current with trends and product releases in specific niches and have a knack for curating collections can use their skills to create an income stream.

Effort level

Running a subscription box business involves ongoing product research, curation, subscription management, and logistics coordination.

How to start

To start a subscription box business:

1. Curate products within a category that appeals to a niche audience.
2. Consider partnering with local businesses to offer unique or artisanal items.
3. Use a platform that supports subscription billing and automatic renewals.
4. Disclose your subscription’s terms, including the price, billing frequency, and how to cancel (before customers provide payment information). Provide a simple way for subscribers to cancel.

In the US, the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA) requires businesses with recurring billing to clearly disclose all material terms before taking a customer’s billing information, get the customer’s express informed consent before charging them, and provide a simple way to stop the charges. Some states have their own automatic-renewal laws with additional requirements.

Time to success

Subscription businesses involve multiple components, such as product sourcing and delivery logistics. Potential subscribers want to understand exactly what they’re committing to before signing up.

With dedication to finding quality products and developing a strong value proposition, you could begin generating income within 90 days using this business model.

AI-powered income opportunities

AI tools can perform specific tasks that support an online business, including drafting content, generating product images, and helping source products. These tools don’t generate income on their own. Income still depends on a product or service, customers, and the other business tasks covered throughout this list.

A commonly searched question is whether a tool like ChatGPT can make someone money. ChatGPT, used alone, doesn’t generate income. It can draft content, answer questions, or help plan a business, but turning that output into income requires the other steps in this guide: choosing a method, building a store or listing, and acquiring customers.

Tools used for AI-assisted income streams include:

• Sidekick. Shopify’s AI assistant, built into the Shopify admin, can help with tasks like writing product descriptions and answering store setup questions.
• The Shopify plug-in for ChatGPT and the Shopify connector for Claude. These integrations can build a store from a storefront preview, manage an existing store, source products from Shopify Collective suppliers, and turn a file or link into a sellable product.
• Canva. Canva’s AI tools can help design digital products, like workbooks, templates, and downloadable resources, to sell online.
• Jasper. This AI writing tool can generate social media captions and blog content.

How to avoid online money-making scams

Legitimate online money-making methods, like selling print-on-demand products or launching a subscription box business, involve a clear business model: You provide a product or service in exchange for payment.

The FTC lists warning signs for business coaching and investment training scams: promises of guaranteed income or large returns for little work or risk, a claimed “proven system to make money,” pressure to act immediately, and success stories or online reviews that can’t be verified.

For work-from-home job offers, the FTC warns against paying for a job, a starter kit, training, or a certification, since honest employers don’t charge people to work for them. It also warns against jobs that involve depositing a check and forwarding part of the money or buying gift cards with it, which is a fake check scam. Claims of making thousands of dollars a month from home with little time or effort are also a warning sign.

Before investing in a business course, research the creator’s background and look for reviews outside the course’s own marketing materials.

Also check an ecommerce platform’s customer support and user feedback systems before relying on it, as platforms like Shopify and Etsy provide customer support and community forums.