Over the past several years, interest in quick ways to make money online, from the comfort of our homes, is on the rise.
The magic of the web is that it’s a powerful sales channel, marketing network, and community hub all in one—plus so much more. There are many creative ways to make money fast online beyond filling out surveys and selling used goods on marketplaces.
That said, some side hustles are better suited to the laptop lifestyle than others. In this idea guide, we’ll break down the pros and cons of 30 of the top online money making ideas.
To make choosing the best ways to make money online easier, we’ll look at several key factors:
Business type: whether the idea is product based, service based or driven by an audience.
Effort: how much time, skill, or experience you’ll need to put into the idea.
Leverage: how well positioned you are to turn the idea into a money-making one that increases in value without needing your direct attention. A high-leverage idea isn’t a 1:1 trade of time for money.
Startup costs: the upfront budget you’ll need to launch the idea.
Profit potential: how much profit you can expect to make from your idea per year.
1. Sell stuff online
One of the best money-making ideas for quick cash is selling stuff online. For example, you can sell clothes, furniture, and handbags from your own home, or you can buy and resell higher-value items like laptops, TVs, or phones. You can buy these products online through sites like AliExpress or from local garage sale and thrift stores—a great way to make money fast and earn extra cash.
Try to sell your products on multiple platforms and marketplaces instead of just one. The more places your products live, the more likely people will be to find them. There are hundreds of online selling sites, all with their own niches and commission fees. A few examples include:
eBay
Facebook Marketplace
VarageSale
Mercado Libre
Your own online store
If you enjoy this process, you can start a legitimate reseller business and sell anything from vintage clothing to refurbished electronics.
Startup time: A few hours.
Effort to start: Medium.
Time to first payment: Varies, depending on the marketplace in which you’re selling your products.
What to know:
The more places your products are available to buy, the more likely people are to find them.
There are hundreds of online selling sites with their own special niches.
Each marketplace has its own rules and fees. Make sure to understand them before you sign up for a marketplace.
Requirements:
Products to sell.
You may need to create an account and get verified to sell in a marketplace.
2. Print on demand
Print on demand allows sellers to customize white label products with their own designs and sell them only after a customer buys, eliminating the need to hold inventory (which is what makes it a subset of dropshipping). When a customer places an order, a print-on-demand company will add your design to the product, fulfill the order, and ship it to the customer.
The most significant advantage print on demand offers over dropshipping is that you control the aesthetic of your products—a key differentiator for product categories where the design is the distinguisher, like t-shirts or fan merch.
When it comes to making money online, you can also use print-on-demand services to:
Test online business ideas or new products lines without the risk of buying inventory.
Monetize an audience you’ve already built, whether it’s on YouTube, social media, or a personal blog.
Offer diverse products by selling t-shirts, books, shoes, bags, mugs, phone cases, laptop skins, wall art, and more.
Sell photos online by placing your images on physical products to sell to your fans.