When many people start online businesses they’re usually short on money but they have plenty of time. So often, they want to know how to save money as an online entrepreneur. The other side of that same coin is they always want to know the easiest and fastest ways to make money online.
Everyone wants to make money online these days. There’s a ton of info out there, and sometimes it seems like everyone’s promising a magic formula to get rich quick. But here’s the thing: those “make money in your sleep” schemes are just that – schemes. They target people who are eager to be their own boss and start earning quickly. But building a real online business takes time and dedication.
Then there’s the whole “magic money machine” software thing. You know, the kind they advertise with promises of making bank while you snooze? Yeah, those are usually scams too. Even if they work a little at first, the company behind them often disappears faster than a free ice cream truck. You’re left with a fancy but useless program and a lighter wallet.
There are also folks out there selling sneaky shortcuts to online success. They might even teach methods that work for a little while. But here’s the catch: these shortcuts are often like winning a game by breaking the rules. They might get you a quick win, but eventually, everyone catches on and the whole thing falls apart. The best approach is to build something sustainable, something you can be proud of in the long run.
I’m sure by now you’re curious about the quickest ways to make money online. That’s great! We’ll definitely cover some strategies to get you started fast. But here’s the deal. It’s not just about following some magic formula.
We’ll also be talking about useful tools and the kind of mindset you’ll require to stay on track and avoid getting sidetracked. Think of it like building strong habits that turn you into a steady online income earner. This way, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success.
The Most Popular Business Models
1. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing gets a lot of hype, but it’s not necessarily the fastest route. Here’s the deal. With affiliate marketing, you promote other people’s products and earn a commission on sales. It can be a good option but it takes time to build up an audience who trusts you and clicks on your recommendations. There are other models out there we’ll explore that might be a better fit depending on your goals.
Plus, you may not get paid for up to 60 days in some instances, if you’re promoting products on a platform such as Amazon. If you’re brand new as a niche leader, you have to take time to develop that trust with your audience.
When it comes to being easy, affiliate marketing does rank high because you don’t have to actually create any type of product or offer a service yourself. All you’re doing is give your opinion about products that are already on the market.
2. Offering services
The fastest way to earn money online would probably be to offer services. Freelancers can find clients on third-party platforms, by word-of-mouth, or on social media.
Here are some services you could offer:
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Ghostwrite articles, books, emails, or blog posts
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Create graphics
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Write software apps for others
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Do software contract work (this is something I’ve done and am still doing)
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Provide virtual assistant (VA) services
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Be an affiliate marketing manager
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Be a social media manager
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Video or audio editing
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Image editing
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Website design
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Website building
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Coaching
Freelance work can be a great way to get paid quickly, especially if you’re good at finding clients and hustling for gigs. You can sometimes land jobs where you get an upfront payment, like a retainer or a deposit on the total project cost. Then, once you finish the project, you get the remaining balance. It’s not for everyone, but freelance work offers freedom and flexibility, and it can be a solid option to bring in cash fast if that’s your goal.
3. Digital products
Here are some of the types of products you could offer:
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Ebooks
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Planners
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Journals
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Workbooks
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Courses
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Audiobooks
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Software apps
Tools That Can Help You Make Money Faster and Easier
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year and a half, you’ve no doubt heard or artificial intelligence (AI). Actually, AI isn’t new. It’s been around for quite some time. It’s the latest versions of this tool that are getting all the attention these days. Let me give you a word of caution here. You can’t just tell an AI tool to write a 1,500 word blog post on X topic. If you do that you’ll be disappointed and frustrated. Instead, you have to give it very explicit instructions like this.
“I’m writing a blog post on topic X. Please suggest some sections that I could use for this blog post.”
Then have the tool write each section for you. But you’ll want to give it instructions like this. “I want you to use friendly, colloquial language. I don’t want it to sound like AI wrote it. Do you understand?”
Once the tool responds that it understands, you can have it proceed. You’ll want to take a little time with this. It will take some practice. I’ll be honest with you. It’s been a process for me to learn to learn to work with it.
Here are some AI tools you can take a look at and experiment with.
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Google Gemini https://gemini.google.com/
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Microsoft Copilot (based on ChatGPT) https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot
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ChatGPT (free and paid) https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/
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GPT-4o (this one is still in beta and they may limit your session time with it) https://openai.com/index/gpt-4o-and-more-tools-to-chatgpt-free/
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Claude.ai https://claude.ai/
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Jasper.ai https://app.jasper.ai/
In addition to the AI tools which I just listed, Lorene Troyer wrote a great guest post for me on how to create images with AI.
Another tool that can assist you is private label rights (PLR). You can purchase PLR in many different formats, including text, videos, images, and audios. This content can allow you to promote products as an affiliate or package it up as a product that you put your name on and sell as your own.
All you have to do is find quality PLR in your niche, download it, and decide what tweaks you want to make before using it. You can even pair this content with AI and have your AI tool make the tweaks for you so that your content is unique and better.
The same word of caution that I mentioned before applies here as well. Having an AI tool tweak your PLR (which is something I’ve done several times) is a great idea. However, you still have to take it down the path you want it to go and make sure it doesn’t get too carried away with “AI speak.”
Templates are another tool that can help you make quick work of earning money online. You’ll find templates that are available for different purposes, whether it’s images you can make on Canva, email autoresponders that you don’t have to fully format yourself, or even page builders that provide you with fully functional website page templates that you can use for product launches as your sales copy, or other types of content you want to publish online.
There are also things like plug-ins that can help you with your website content. For example, an SEO plug-in can make sure your content is fully optimized before you hit publish, and it will tell you exactly what needs to be done so that you won’t have to guess or try to remember on your own. Yoast SEO is one of the best. You can find it in the WordPress plugin repository.
Habits that Determine Whether You’ll Make Money Quickly
and Easily
You’ve probably read tons of books about the habits of successful people. But let’s face it, the world of online marketing is a whole different animal compared to a traditional office job. The things that make a lawyer successful might not be the same for a YouTube influencer, for example. So, we’ll be focusing on the specific habits you must develop to thrive as an online entrepreneur.
Traditional work environments often emphasize starting early and keeping a clean workspace to maximize performance. However, online entrepreneurs have the flexibility to structure their workday differently.
This might involve working from a comfortable spot at home and starting at a time that optimizes your productivity. The key is to create a work routine that fuels your focus and fosters success, rather than adhering to a rigid schedule.
Whatever makes you most comfortable and happy is what’s going to help fuel your success. That doesn’t mean getting up at 5 AM and making your bed is the wrong path because that might be what motivates you the most but the difference is you have the freedom to choose.
You don’t want to force yourself to fit in a box that’s not right for you. Once you can get in the habit of making your own choices and feeling good about them, you’re going to be more driven to work.
One habit that makes a difference in your speed of success is consistency. You’re going to see many people who fail and flop in their career because they jump from one thing to another, quit in a huff, and then return to the industry and allow themselves to burn out to the point where they need to take a long break again.
You don’t have to do more than everyone else every single day. What you must do is show up at least five days a week in most cases and deliver advice to your niche audience so that they continue to be loyal and familiar with your brand.
Another habit many entrepreneurs fail to embrace is taking care of themselves. As someone who works from home, it can be easy to sit all day and snack all day – and neither of these is going to make you feel physically well enough to be alert and focused in your business, not to mention productive.
Organization is another habit that’s very important as an online entrepreneur. There are so many different working parts in this business, and if you aren’t highly organized with your files and processes, it can be easy to skip something important.
You’re wearing many different hats in your business and organization can be a determining factor in whether or not you see faster success. It will pay off to spend a day or two optimizing your organizational structure.
Mindset Tips for Faster and Easier Success
Mindset is a huge factor in online success. People with a positive, go-getter attitude tend to do much better than those who get stuck in a negative head space. You know the type – always feeling down on their luck, convinced everyone’s ignoring them. That kind of thinking won’t help you build your online business. My mentor, Connie Ragen Green says you must reframe or suffer. This is something I work on every day.
Then there are those who refuse to accept failure and who forge ahead, regardless of who helps them or what the outcome is with their initial attempt. As long as you’re willing to look at your failures as stepping stones and go at it again, others will want to assist you. Then you’ll attract your niche audience because it shows you care about what you’re doing.
Instead of playing the blame game, online success hinges on cultivating a positive mindset. Get rid of the negativity and self-doubt that holds you back from believing in your ability to succeed.
Watch what you say to yourself and others. Get rid of the self-deprecating humor – your brain might take those jokes a little too seriously. Develop a positive inner voice that becomes your biggest cheerleader, not your worst critic. Remember, you’ve got this!
While having the correct strategies, tools, habits, and a positive mindset are all valuable assets, they can also hinder your ability to make money online quickly and easily if you don’t use them effectively.
For instance, overcoming initial challenges such as avoiding misleading “push button profit” courses and maintaining a positive outlook may take time. However, this initial investment of time and effort can significantly speed up your overall journey to online income generation.
Want to learn to start taking massive action on finding your purpose? My mentor, Connie Ragen Green has a free challenge she calls the Action Habits Challenge. And did I mention it’s FREE???
I’m online entrepreneur Richard Rawlings (Rick) Smith. Who else wants to join me in creating an online business that allows them to enjoy the lifestyle they want and deserve?