Profitable Online Side Hustles That Have Been Tested And Verified
Affiliate Marketing
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is where you are driving traffic and visitors to a company’s website and they pay you based on the number of leads that you bring in. The amount that you earn is all dependent upon you and your marketing skills and techniques. While considering if you want to do affiliate marketing as part of your business you will want to consider the type of niche you will be in if you have not done so already. Some find affiliate marketing to be tedious and others of course thrive on this type of marketing. Ok, so where do you find these types of companies?
Finding A Company Without Getting Scammed
You are responsible for your research and the results that you get. This is the first key to finding a great product or service to be an affiliate for. Reviews can be so powerful but they can also be faked. I use 4 criteria for determining If I am going to put my reputation on the line.
- Do they have affiliates?
- Is there an active, engaged community?
- Are they on brand with my brand?
- Is the market saturated?
Do They Have An Affiliate Program?
Most companies have an affiliate program but I always double-check. If they have one normally you will find a sign-up link at the bottom of their website. However, even if the link is not there it never hurts to ask. Send the company an email.
Is Their An actively engaged community?
The next move I make is to see if there is an active, engaged community whether that is a forum or through Facebook. This shows me that there is help when I need it and I can learn from others.
Are they on brand with my brand?
I then review to truly see if it’s a brand that meshes with my brand. Will this help my audience? If it’s a no on both of those I move on.
Is the market saturated?
If this is a yes, I then do one final screening and see if I see a ton more people are promoting. Generally, that won’t deter me but If people are being bombarded daily, my rule of thumb is to stay away.
Last but not least I highly recommend investing in Checkmate Affiliate Marketing and Affiliate Equation both of these courses have helped me to level up my own affiliate marketing efforts. Both very detailed with actionable steps you can take to find affiliate products and also even become an Affiliate for their courses which again I recommend becoming.
Sell Blank Notebooks on KDP Amazon
When I was first introduced to selling blank notebooks on KDP Amazon my mind was blown. The person that introduced me to is a man by the name of David Dill who I follow on Twitter. His handle is @cureincome and if you are not following him on Twitter I recommend that you do so.
I made this its own section because selling Blank Books is a complete game changer in the side hustle world. I am not going into all the details just planting a seed in your brain to then go learn the skill from the expert I learned it from. Simply put, you create blank books and sell them through KDP Amazon. KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing.
To give you a real-life example of the potential money to make I will use myself.
I am selling my own blank books at $7.99. For every sale, I would be receiving $2.49.
If I sell 30 books a day every day for 30 days that would put $2,241 into my pockets.
If I sell 50 books a day every day for 30 days that would put another $3,735 into my pockets.
If I sell 100 books a day every day for 30 days that would put another $7,470 into my pockets.
My recommendation is to invest in David Dills Print That Profits: Selling Blank Books on KDP Amazon
Resell Domains
Let’s be real you are probably thinking, can someone create a side hustle by selling domains? In short. The answer is a resounding yes! Yes, you can. I am going to share with you some valuable resources and how to get started selling domains with $100 or less.
First things first where do you buy your domains. Great question! There are multiple places to buy your domains.
GoDaddy
Dynadot
Network Solutions
Name Cheap
These are the 4 major registrars but there are plenty more out there. GoDaddy is the most prominent and is the one that I use when I purchase my domains.
Your cost in acquiring the domains is going to vary based on who you choose and what deals they are running at the time. These places are where you keep your domains but there are multiple places you can search for quality domains to buy. My two best resources have been:
NamePros is an awesome community of domainers like us who help each other out. It’s a forum to ask questions, make requests for certain types of domains, and get educated about being a better domainer. It’s free to join but you can upgrade the membership to get more benefits of being a part of the community.
Expired Domains simply allows you to search through older domains that people have let expire or deleted them from their accounts. It’s a massive directory. Excellent place to get those possible golden nuggets.
Last but not least selling your domains and making profit. Keep in mind that not all domains you buy are going to be winners. Some will be duds and that’s ok.
However, as you do this more and are paying attention to what people are buying you will be able to invest more in the golden nuggets. aka winners!
The biggest key is to find a niche of domains and hone in on it. My niche is brandable. From being on Namepros I learned about a higher-end marketplace called Brandbucket. They have over 30 years of experience selling domains and they utilize domainers to bring them those golden nuggets. I will show you how I spend $100 or less.
Step 1: Search Expireddomains.net
Step 2: Create List of 10-15 possible Brandable domains
Step 3: Submit my top 10 to Brandbucket $10
Step 4: Purchase Domains Brandbucket Accepts for their Marketplace $12 per domain (Generally I get 2-3 accepted)
Step 4: Go through their process to list and publish those domains to their Marketplace
Last but not least domains take time to sell. They can sell fast or they can sell quickly but patience is a virtue when it comes to being in the domaining world. For example, my current domains will put $1K in my pocket for each of them so I am holding on and being patient.
Again this is just some basics. If you want to get heavy and take some time there is a DNacademy that will be extensive. Its an investment but it’s a great investment of your time and money. You can learn more by clicking on their name. I am not an affiliate of this Academy and I make no money from you taking their course.
Blogging
Blogging is a form of writing where someone takes the time each week or every other week or maybe even once a month to write about something they love or a topic they might have an expertise on or they could be promoting different products that they use and giving reviews and or opinions on them. There are those out there who do such a great job that companies will give them free samples and or pay them for their comments or make them an official spokesperson.
Setting up A Blog
There are many free blogging platforms out there and you can build a great following using free platforms but what you want to consider when choosing any platform is the brand that you want to build and if you want to brand a following with your name then check and see if you can buy your name as a domain otherwise set up an account for free. To help you get your Blog Setup I created Bloggers Revolution: Digital Tools For The Beginner, Novice & Seasoned Bloggers
Creating Content
For some, this is going to come easy. For others, this will be very difficult. Do not try and be like everyone else and share other’s content and give your views unless you are also passionate about it and want to keep it going. Be yourself and find your voice and keep it real. People want someone who is sincere and can hear that in their writing. Some just want their voice to be heard and this is an excellent way to do it.
Monetizing Your Blog
There are multiple ways that you can monetize your blog. The key is being able to integrate these methods without it feeling forced or even off-brand. The first way that most people do it is by being an affiliate for their favorite products or services. They share these in a post talking about their own experiences and why they think it would benefit you as their reader. You can learn 7 ways to monetize your blog by clicking here
Dropshipping
What Is Dropshipping?
I had never heard of drop shipping until I began working for I began to get more familiar with it, I found myself becoming more enamored at the idea of being able to use this as a way to make an income from home. The reason for this is because I can find companies within the industry I want to be in and instead of me carrying any of their inventory people can buy from me at retail prices while I buy from them directly at wholesale and have them ship directly to my customers.
Finding Dropshippers
When It comes to finding drop shippers the best way to do this is to search on the internet for companies and or products that you want to sell and contact the company to see if this is something they do. Sometimes the company will already have a link on their website that will allow you to sign up for their drop shipping program, but others you will have to send them an email or make a call to see if it is something they offer. The biggest question that you always need to make sure of is if they require any minimums. The answer you want should always be zero this creates the ability to keep costs low.
The best companies will not charge you anything for their drop shipping programs or charge you an arm and a leg to get access to their catalogs. Especially when you are first starting you want to pinch those pennies and make wise investments and only pay when you sell the products. That way you can keep your prices competitive and keep more profit.
Freelance Design
I have found over the years that I have a very creative imagination, however, I am not a graphic artist and I have no design skills, then I have found there are those who have amazing graphic design skills but are afraid of putting themselves out there. Take for example my brother who has been drawing ever since I can remember he has created great works of art and I wish he would use the different resources to sell his art. I put this section in for both types of people that are like me and those that are hesitant to get out there and sell their products or designs
Selling Your Designs
For those of you that love designing and creating unique designs then I would like to introduce you to three websites that can help you become more well known.
Fiverr
For a good while, I had been avoiding trying this website because I was worried that services that were only $5 would not be of high quality. I was very wrong. The services provided are of very high quality. After you start getting orders and getting good reviews etc. you will be able to add extra’s to your gigs to make even more money. Easy to get started just go to Fiverr
99Designs
I cannot draw for the life of me and even though I have tried using different drawing programs that help people like me I still am not very good. If you love to draw and create then this is another one that I highly recommend. Many companies come here to have new logos created or logo’s in general. You can submit your designs for free and if your design is chosen you get the reward money which varies.
Zazzle
Zazzle you can earn money in two different ways. You can share other people designs and you can sell your own designs. They sell everything from graphic tees to wedding invites.
Sell Digital Products
What Are Digital Products?
Creating and selling your digital assets can be a valuable way to create another stream of income. Digital Products if you are new to the digital world are things like ebooks, guides, resources. This is information people are looking for to solve a problem that they have. You can sell your digital products or you can find other digital products that you believe in have used yourself and be an affiliate for them.
Where Can I Sell My Digital Products?
There are a few places that you can sell your digital products and look for products to be an affiliate for but the top place that I recommend is Gumroad.
It is really easy to create an account. You can get started for free. You do however have an option to go to a paid version which will allow you more branding control.
You can also look at selling on Sellfy Etsy, and SendOwl Also both great places to sell your products. I also recommend to create an Account on LinkTree to list all your digital products and affiliate links
Design Hacking
5 years ago I had a small desire to learn to code. Specifically HTML, javascript. I found great resources and classes but after a few weeks of playing around and trying it, I soon found that I do not have the patience to truly learn what I call an admirable skillset.
I did however want to be able to create visually stunning websites, sales funnels, and landing pages. After years of trying various software and hosting companies that gave me the ability to do it on my own, I was fed up. Each drag and drop program I tried did not live up to their hype. Overall they were good companies but they were not the company that I knew could help me design hack my way to a 7 figure income and gain the financial freedom I was working for. Then it happened folks. I was introduced to this Amazing Course CF Design School It was the gold I had been looking for.
During the course, I learned a simple six-step process. I also got access to a Facebook Group where I got full support not only from Kathryn and her team but also from peer to peer. We bounced ideas off each other and encouraged when needed.
Each module/lesson built upon each other. At the end of each lesson, I had a practice assignment, and once completed I received a sweet looking digital design badge.
Now consider this
Everybody that sells a product or a service needs to have a sales funnel they can guide their customers through. However, most of these funnels fail the credibility test. That’s where we Design Hackers come in. We take their current funnel to find a 7 figure funnel in their industry and recreate it ethically and legally. In other words, we are design hacking our way to financial freedom using 7 figure sales funnels.
You can learn this on your own but don’t put yourself at a disadvantage. Go through CF Design School. Invest quality time now and start design hacking your way to financial freedom using 7 figure sales funnels.
Post may contain affiliate links. This means if you decide to purchase I will receive a commission percentage of the Sale. I only promote what I believe in and have used myself.
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Educational post!
Thanks Harumi! Always to try to pass on what I have learned.
Super helpful tips! I recently started my blog with the goal of one day making some extra money on the side 🙂 I had never heard of dropshipping before but that sounds really lucrative. Thanks for sharing!
Dropshipping can be a very lucrative way to do it. It is on my to do! Thank you for your comments!
Some helpful tips here will definitely look into them!
I have tried affiliate marketing before but I don’t think I’ve fully explored its potential. I should give it a try again with Amazon.
As for blogging, I’m still blogging but so far, in my blogging life, what I have gotten are ex-deals. Not so bad. Though I would love to earn money from it too.
Affiliate marketing is here to stay. I would tell people to not promote things they haven’t tried though. If you promote something as awesome and it’s actually really mediocre then you’ll lose a fan for sure.
Great list! I have been looking into buying a few domains for one of my businesses and all of the sudden I keep seeing posts like yours that mention domain flipping. It is great that you have found success with this and it seems like a more passive income stream. Thanks for providing more information to look into, I think this might become one of my new side hustles!
If you need any help please do not hesitate to reach out to me Kat! Always happy to help in any way that I can.
This is a great list! My blog is my side hustle but I also use affiliate marketing and selling digital products.
Thanks for commenting Nicola! I love that you are doing more than one side hustle!
Oh, this is a nice list, I like it! Thank youuu!
You are so welcome!! Thanks for checking this out!!