How to make money online (even if you're starting from scratch)

]If you want to make money on the internet, you’re definitely not alone. Thing is, actually getting started can be tricky. Plenty of tried and tested methods are saturated now, and it can feel hard to find anything that’ll even pay out.

Luckily, there’s still tons of money to be made online and the internet isn’t about to dry up anytime soon.

That’s why I’m going to give you a whole bunch of ways to make some extra cash today, starting with $0 budget methods, and moving onto big moves for those of you with cash to spend.

These are done and tested by numerous side hustlers, and I’ve also done my fair share of them over the last 8+ years.

So, let’s get straight to it.

Top 5 ways to make money online

Make money online: From quick-cash to full-time hustles

No-cost creative hustles

Perfect if you're interested in creating content, producing videos, and working with social media.

1. Clipping content for cash

Clipping is one of the best ways to make money online without having to spend anything upfront. All you’re really doing is repurposing existing content into short clips to be posted across social media.

Tons of clippers are earning up to thousands of bucks per clip and generating billions of views for creators and brands. Take Chris Girbu, for example.

Chris is only 16, has no significant social media following, but has generated billions of views for creators.

And the best part? With an average payout of $2-$3 per 1k views, we’re talking about millions of dollars here.

And, it’s quite simple to see how anyone can make money clipping:

1. You don’t need to have a following
2. You don’t need to create any content yourself
3. You can learn and do this through just one platform (Whop)

Above all else, getting started with clipping is super straightforward. So, where do you start?

Just join the Whop Clips whop, take the Clipping course, and start clipping with Content Rewards.

Best for: Anyone looking to learn about content creation and wanting to make money immediately
Requirements: A device and an internet connection. That’s it.
How to get started: Join this whop and take the Whop Clips course to find out all you need to know about clipping and Content Rewards.

2. Creating UGC for brands

Clipping is good, but UGC can make you even more money. Emyl (in the video above) has been creating UGC for Whop for the past 90 days now and has made over $25,000. He says:

Be consistent, keep pushing, and keep on improving. Once you have a formula that works double down on that formula and the snowball effect will come into play.

UGC is basically all those reviews and 'GRWM' vids that you see on TikTok and Instagram. They kinda look like ads, but aren’t really.

It's your favorite influencer sharing what they use in their beauty regimen, or a fitness creator showing you their gym fits. Brands love UGC as it creates trust and authenticity for their products.

Thing is, UGC isn’t just for influencers. You can do it with just a phone and social media.

UGC can literally make you enough money to buy a Tesla in 40 days – like AJ Banks. In just 40 days, he made $21.7k. Without being an influencer. And, most importantly, without spending anything upfront.

It wasn’t luck either. AJ had two things going for him that helped him (and will help you) make some serious cash with UGC: 

1. He dedicated his time to perfecting his content
2. He posted more than one post a day for 40 days straight

Of course, you could be the next success story. And, all you need is AJ’s mentality and Whop’s Content Rewards.

Whop's Content Rewards has plenty of UGC opportunities for big brands, some paying as much as $30 per 1k views!

Just go to Content Rewards, filter by UGC, find a reward you want to submit content for, and join the whop. It doesn’t get simpler than that.

Best for: Anyone willing to leverage social media to make money
Requirements: Vary depending on the content reward campaign
How to get started: Check 'Content Rewards' on whop, find a campaign, join the whop, and follow the instructions

3. Monetizing a YouTube channel

YouTube is used by billions every day, and if you’re willing to put the work in, you absolutely can use this amazing platform to make serious money in a hurry.

Best of all, you really don’t need to spend anything at all. You’ve already got a phone, which means that you’ve got a camera, a microphone, and basic software that’s all you need to start creating content. 

Making money with a YouTube channel works in two ways. Firstly, you’ll want to develop a couple of revenue streams, like a premium community for your most engaged followers or an online course if you’re more of an educational creator. You’ll then host these on your own whop.

Then, there’s the revenue you’ll earn from YouTube itself. By serving ads to viewers, the YouTube Partner Program will give creators who are monetized (you’ll need more than 1k subscribers) a certain amount of cash per 1000 views.

Best for: Anyone
Requirements: Consistency, both in terms of content as well as upload frequency
How to get started: Just create a YouTube account and get creating, and check out this post on how to get monetized ASAP without waiting for the Partner Program

4. Making YouTube thumbnails

We’ve already mentioned just how big and important of a platform YouTube is, but that means there’s also millions of videos out there for people to choose from.

So, how does one video stand out from the rest?

Simple — the thumbnail it uses.

Think about it for a sec. If you look at your own feed and see a video from a channel you don’t recognize or just watch now and then, why on earth would you click on it? 

Two reasons:

• Either of the title or thumbnail grabs your eye, and
• The other one of the pair confirms that this is content you might be keen on

What that means is, YT thumbnails are very, very important for any creator who wants to grow their reach.

So, designing YouTube thumbnails can be a solid side hustle. Many creators don’t have the graphic design skills or know what’s trending, so if you’re creative, this could be an easy way to make money.

You might even score a full-time position on a really big YouTuber’s team.

Best for: Anyone creatively inclined
Requirements: Some skill with graphic design
How to get started: Offer your services on freelancing sites or even create your own YouTube channel about making YouTube thumbnails to gain quick exposure

5. Monetizing TikTok

TikTok is probably even bigger than YouTube these days, and it’s got even more potential for views given the scrolling nature of the platform compared to YouTube’s thumbnail dependence.

You can make money on TikTok natively with the TikTok Creativity Program.

Just like with YouTube, there are a few minimums you need to hit in terms of follower count and video views, but once you’re there the cash will start streaming in.

The current minimum follow count for monetization sits at 10k compared to YouTube’s 1k. You’ll also need to maintain a certain number of views every month, but that shouldn’t be too bad once you get some traction.

Regardless of what sort of TikTok channel you’re rocking, growth is key — and smart creators and brands are letting their audiences grow their channels for them.

Take Druski, for example. He used Whop’s Content Rewards to promote his dating reality show Coulda Been Love, pulling in well over 10 million views on a spend of just $5000.

If you want to get more views on TikTok, strategies like clipping via Content Rewards  offer a whole new frontier in going viral.

Pro tip: There’s lots more money to be made via TikTok Shop than through native ads, and that’s a whole thing in itself.

Best for: Short-form video creators
Requirements: None
How to get started: Just download the app and start uploading videos, but make sure to check out Whop’s TikTok communities to up your understanding of the platform’s algorithms

6. Livestreaming

Streaming is one of the fastest-growing ways to make money online, and streaming platforms are evolving to give creators more control — and more income.

Unlike ad-heavy platforms, some newer streaming tools (like Whop) let you play whatever music you like, skip the interruptions, and even invite others on screen to co-host in real time.

You can choose to keep your stream free and monetize through tips or donations, or put it behind a paywall for exclusive content and steady revenue.

Whether you’re gaming, teaching, or just chatting, streaming now offers more ways than ever to turn your audience into income.

Whop is a great place for streamers, charging only a 3% fee on payments you take from your viewers, or 0% if any sales come through the Discover page.

In contrast, YouTube takes a whopping 30% of your superchats. That’s ten times more than what Whop does.

Best for: Anyone willing to be on camera for longer periods
Requirements: You might need a PC if you want to stream elaborate stuff like games, although a phone works in a pinch
How to get started: Create your own whop and start bringing people in to watch you stream

7. Making money with podcasts

If livestreams and on-demand video are starting to leave TV in the dust, then you could make the same comparison between podcasts and radio.

Good podcasts concentrate on a certain niche or area of focus, and the best ones give listeners with both the quality and the consistency that they deserve.

What does that mean? Here’s the sauce:

• Regular uploads 
• Structured agenda
• Decent recording hardware 
• Well mixed audio

Above, we’ve pictured Brett Malinowski from the WGMI podcast. Here’s what the top of the pod playlist looks like:

You can see how consistent things are there, not just in terms of uploads but also thumbnails, content, and how the branding works throughout.

If you subscribe to a top-notch, professionally produced podcast like this, you know exactly what you’re going to get and can really look forward to the next scheduled drop.

Monetizing your podcast effectively is the next step, and it’s something you’ll want to give some thought to as you plan out your content. 

Most podcasters go down the same sort of route, with a premium community (like a whop) tending to be the first stop alongside sponsorships.

Best for: Audio content creators and anyone with a message to spread
Requirements: Basic recording equipment is something you may want to spend on, all else can be done for free
How to get started: Read this guide on how to start a podcast for free and just follow the steps outlined within!

Beginner-friendly ways to make money: no experience required

These next hustles great if you're an absolute beginner or looking to earn without upfront investment.

8. Watching videos for cash

Okay, I understand that many of you are looking to make a little bit of extra cash with money-making apps.

Watching videos is one way to do this. Tons of platforms out there, like InboxDollars, have offers where you’re paid a few cents to watch short 15-30 second vids and clips (read: ads, probably).

Now, I’m a seasoned side hustler. Watching videos was definitely up there as one of my most lucrative side hustles back in the day.

Was I making a lot? Not at all:

• Most survey sites were paying $0.01-$0.05 per video. On a good day, I’d be able to watch enough vids to make $2-$3 in, like, a couple of hours.
• There were sites like Feedbackity where I was watching short films and answering a questionnaire afterwards. The pay was usually around $4/hr.

That was basically it. Not a big moneymaker, but a few bucks for watching videos passively wasn’t too bad.

Nowadays, the way to go about it is mostly through survey sites. There’s also this one platform, WeAre8, where you watch ads and get around $0.10-$0.25 per ad, which is higher than most survey platforms.

Best for: Anyone who wants to make a little cash fast
Requirements: None outside of a working internet connection
How to get started: Sign up with a platform like InboxDollars (review link above) and you’re good to go

9. Completing paid microtasks

Microtasks are, as the name implies, small online tasks that you can do to make money. These can range from data processing and translation to tagging and image processing.

These were a big one for me back in the late 2010s, right before I started writing. I used plenty of platforms, like Amazon MTurk, Appen, Clickworker, Telus, and Lionbridge, where I’d do all these little tasks.

Thing is, there was a limited number of tasks per project. 

So, one project might have paid a set amount per task, equalling around $20/hr, but the tasks were only available for 20 minutes, as they were on a first-come, first-served basis.

Still, I’ll say that there were months when I was working 30-40 hours on microtasks and earning close to $1k. The usual range, in general, was around $15-$25/hour.

Many of these platforms are still active. Outlier and DataAnnotation are also pretty big in the microtask community and are paying close to the $15-$25/hour range, with plenty of tasks available. 

And, you can also do microtasks on review sites, like SwagBucks and InboxDollars.

Best for: Earning a few bucks when you have a little time to spare
Requirements: None
How to get started: Look at platforms like Amazon MTurk and Swagbucks to find microtasks

10. Using cashback apps

Ok, you got us — to make money with cashback apps you do have to spend money first, but it's cash that you're already spending.

So, if all you want to do is make a little money fast, your regular expenses are the first stop. 

Ask yourself:

• Which stores are you buying from, and 
• could you turn that spending habit into an opportunity to actually earn money?

Cashback apps help you to make money with your spending, and rather than the small rewards offered by most brand loyalty programs, a lot of cashback apps offer great rewards.

We’re talking 5, 10, and even 15 percent cashback on various stores and items.

If you aren’t familiar with how cashback apps work, check out our review of Ibotta, one of the top cashback apps on the market. 

Do it right, and cashbacks apps like Ibotta can really work for you - just check out how Kay a.k.a. “Saving With Kay” was able to net back over $22 on a total bill of around $100. 

Best for: Anyone who spends a fair bit of money online at certain stores
Requirements: Make sure the cashback app you choose takes customers wherever you live
How to get started: Just find a reputable cashback app that serves your location and partners with retailers you shop at, and sign up

11. Selling your phone usage data

Just a heads up — sharing your phone usage means giving away your privacy. Sometimes, though, that just can’t be helped when you really, really need that little bit of extra cash.

Apps like Caden and MobileXpression connect to different apps you use, such as Walmart or Uber.

They then collect anonymous data about your browsing behavior or the usage of these different apps. So, as you might imagine, a lot of companies are really keen on buying this data.

Again, the data that gets sent is anonymous, but if you’re an extremely privacy-conscious person this method for making money may not be for you.

This is personal finance expert Tom Blake, and he used MobileXpression while in college to make a little extra bread.

A little pro tip from him: if you’re phone farming to max out your earnings from stuff like watching videos or microtasks, phone usage apps are very nice to have alongside. 

More phones equals more cash!

Best for: Anyone willing to compromise slightly on privacy
Requirements: Depends on the app you choose
How to get started: Sign up for a phone data sharing app and just use your device as normal

12. Taking paid online surveys

This one’s a classic, so we need to mention it. There are dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of websites out there that’ll connect you to consumer surveys and pay you for your time.

Companies simply want data on people in markets that might be valuable to them. 

They want info on the people who make the decision to spend money on something, and location matters — a U.S. or Canadian consumer is right at the top of the list since it’s a big market for most companies.

So, the information you fill out when you sign up for a survey site will dictate how much you might stand to earn, and how often you’ll be picked for surveys.

It’s also worth knowing that there are plenty of scams in the space, so stick with tried and tested survey sites to begin with. Here’s a review of SurveyMonkey, as well as a review of Branded Surveys to get you started with the market leaders.

Best for: Residents of powerful consumer economies like the U.S.
Requirements: None
How to get started: Pick a survey app and start filling out questionnaires!

Monetize your thoughts and expertise

Ideal if you enjoy writing, storytelling, or sharing your expertise with others.

13. Freelance writing

Writing is one of the best ways to turn your skill into cold hard cash without spending anything other than a little bit of time and effort.

The best way to get started immediately is by just getting some words out there. Consider starting your own blog on a site like Whop.

A blog will:

• Give you the chance to not only practice your writing skills 
• Let you develop a body of work 

The second is critical as a starting writer because it gives potential clients some examples of what you can do.

Way back when, I started off by writing three (yes, just three) 500-ish word blog posts on a free blogging platform. Whop would work great, but it wasn’t around back then.

So, spend an evening or two and put a couple of posts up. Maybe even ask a friend to read them over, since it’s hard to edit your own stuff.

Then look at freelancing sites for paid writing work, usually starting at a few cents a word. It’s not much, but it adds up.

Once you build out your portfolio and your skills, you might even be able to snowball this into a full-time writing position.

Best for: Anyone who has the time and skill to write
Requirements: None
How to get started: Read our guide on how to make money writing and then start a whop of your own so you can publish posts directly to your community

14. Paid newsletters

Newsletters are extremely common these days, and they offer you many ways to make money. First, and most simple of all, you could write newsletter copy for local businesses.

Most business owners don’t have enough time on their hands, and a newsletter can be a step too far for them. However, they do realize the value of having a newsletter, so there’s no reason you can’t do it on their behalf as a side gig.

Beyond that, you could also release your own newsletter. 

If you’ve got some sort of content and a way to collect email addresses, such as a blog or a digital download, you’re in business.

You can keep folks informed about whatever else you’ve got going, like a premium community or other digital products to sell. You can also make money by sharing affiliate links in your newsletter.

Whop contributor Lizzie Davey has her own newsletter too, and confirms that digital products and ad spots can be good ways for making money with a newsletter.

How good, you ask? 

At around 5k subs, she could pull in $100-$500 per newsletter from these alone. 

Just imagine, two or three dollars per week with just a hundred subscribers? That’s a cool $1k extra cash in your pocket every month.

Best for: Anyone who can provide regular value
Requirements: A way to collect email addresses
How to get started: Here’s the perfect guide on how to create and launch your newsletter, which has everything you need to know

15. Selling ebooks

If you ask any author, they’ll tell you that ebooks are an absolute gamechanger. Why? Publishers aren’t the only option anymore. If they say no to a book, you can just go online and publish it yourself.

So, if you think you’ve got a book in you, there’s no longer anything stopping you from getting it out there. And it doesn't have to be a novel — you can write a self-help book, a recipe ebook, or a motivational memoir.

You can even get AI to help out a bit, whether that’s for a little bit of editing assistance or to help you brainstorm.

Here’s an example of an ebook called Write Better Right Now by Whop contributor Kaleigh Moore.

As the ebook’s description suggests, Kaleigh has packed simple, useful content into this format that readers can access and digest super easily.

When it comes to selling your ebook and putting it onto your readers’ devices, there’s one great play to get you ahead of the game: Whop. 

Whop lets you sell ebooks for a far smaller fee than most other platforms, and it’s a great choice if you plan on marketing your ebook directly.

Plus, on Whop, you can sell your ebook alongside a premium community, online course, or newsletter. No other platform makes it quite as easy to present your entire range of digital products to your audience.

Best for: Aspiring long-form authors
Requirements: Time
How to get started: Here’s our comprehensive guide to writing and selling ebooks online, covering the entire process from outlining all the way to self-publishing

16. Creating a paid online community

Whop is easily the best online platform to make money quickly — and the smartest way to use it is by building a strong, engaged community.

Take Jasen, for example. Jasen Hunt is a professional CAD instructor and runs the only land survey drafting community in the world.

Speaking on making money with online communities, Jasen says:

It's much easier to sell to somebody that you've sold to before than someone new. This is why having a community is such a great thing, because these people will buy again and again. They know who you are, they trust you, and they trust the vision that you have.

Watch this video for more of Jasen's advice and insights.

Creating your own whop and bringing your people is much better than keeping them on platforms like Twitter/X, Telegram, or Discord: here's why.

Firstly, if you want to sell digital products to your audience, then Whop lets you sell all of your products in one place: courses, memberships, ebooks, software, and whatever else you want to sell.

Plus, Whop also allows you to put paywalls in place for your community itself, meaning you can separate your free area from your paid section really easily too. 

And hey, a paid group means that every member’s paying you to be there, and that’s a great way to make money online.

Best for: Content creators or anyone looking to build a following
Requirements: None
How to get started: Just create a whop and start bringing your RL and social media friends over to it

17. Selling online courses

If you have a skill worth sharing, selling an online course is one of the most effective ways to make money online.

Courses are in high demand across nearly every niche — from fitness and design to coding, finance, and beyond. And thanks to modern tools like Whop, Gumroad, and Kajabi, creating and selling a course has never been easier.

To create your course, first create your own whop and then add the Courses app. 

You can then follow the onscreen prompts to engage with Whop’s drag-and-drop course builder.

There’s really no restrictions on what your course can include, and you can upload as much video as you like to go with text elements or even sync-ups with any apps you’d like to feature. 

Now, Whop’s not the only fish in the pond, but we’ll let creators speak for themselves as to how it compares to other top online course platforms:

If you’ve got a skill you’d like to teach or knowledge you’d like to share, Whop goes above and beyond the competition when it comes to features, customer service, and pricing.

Best of all, you can just put your course out there and see how it lands. Whop won’t charge you a cent until you start making sales.

Best for: Online educators and entrepreneurs
Requirements: None
How to get started: Read this detailed guide to selling online courses, then just sign up for your own whop and play with the courses app

Creating freelance income

These next ideas involve selling your skills and creative work online.

18. Video editing

YouTube and TikTok are great platforms for showcasing creativity, but there’s actually quite a lot of work that goes into producing video content.

There’s the actual stuff that you capture and narrate, for one thing, but all of that raw video (99% of the time) needs to be edited.

In fact, editing might actually take the bulk of a creator’s time and effort.

It definitely takes skill, and while there’s plenty of video editing software out there to help, these tools need to be learned, and it takes a good editor to realize the vision of a creator or producer.

If it sounds like getting really good at video editing might be an easily monetized skill, you’d be absolutely right. 

Take Mustafa Musa who runs Whop group Media Metas. He started learning about videography as well as video editing at just 13 years old, then linked up with Sneako at 14. 

Sneako was able to go viral across all platforms thanks to Musa’s help, and Musa’s knowledge of editing and social media algorithms led him to make his first million while still in his teens. 

And working with creators is also just the tip of the iceberg. After all, TikTokers and YouTubers are hardly the only people out there needing their videos edited. 

Best for: Anyone who has a decent PC
Requirements: Willingness to spend the time to learn how to edit, and a machine with enough graphical processing power to render video
How to get started: Check out some online tutorials or visit Whop’s social media communities for tips and best practices on producing and editing video

19. Building websites and landing pages

Ecommerce has been a growing industry for a long time, and it shows no signs of slowing down - quite the opposite in fact, as ecommerce accounts for a quarter of total global sales activity.

As a result, services related to ecommerce are in popular demand, and this includes web design. 

Basic web design isn't rocket science, but guess what? The average person can't do it. 

By investing no more than a few hours into some free tutorials and a little bit of trial and error, you can build up enough skill to be marketable.

And let's be honest - today, there are tons of AI tools that can also help. AI isn't ever going to give you anything original, but it can whip up a decent template or layout based on what you tell it. 

Then, you can adjust and iterate to end up with some really cool designs and page layouts that businesses will pay good money for.

Using this strategy, you can get lots of jobs done in a short amount of time and put energy into scaling and client acquisition. Do it all right, and before you know it, you could have a thriving small business on your hands.

Best for: Anyone with a little bit of creativity and the willingness to learn how to build clean, simple, but attractive webpages
Requirements: Web design skills, which of course can be acquired for free online through courses and tutorials
How to get started: Once you're skilled up, just create your own whop advertising your web design services

20. Selling AI prompts

Much like the previous entry, this is another one that's in high demand and can be learned pretty quickly even if you don't currently have any expertise in it.

There are quite a few ways to make money with AI, but the best place to start is with prompt engineering. 

Once you develop a solid understanding of how to make different AIs give you the results you want, it's all about finding untapped niches or areas where AI might be able to help people out.

How about an AI to help accountants automate their monthly reports, or for overworked corporate underlings to generate presentations in moments rather than hours?

A little bit of outside the box thinking (which AI can't do) and you might be onto a winner.

All you then need to do is sell your AI prompt via a prompt marketplace, your own whop or even directly on your social media.

Best for: Anyone willing to put a little time and effort into learning how AI prompts work
Requirements: None bar a little time and research into what tasks people need help with in different industries
How to get started: Play around and learn how to prompt the AI of your choice, then find the best venue to sell your prompts to your chosen target market

Resell, refer, and earn

For side hustlers interested in flipping, affiliate earnings, or product sourcing.

21. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the oldest side hustles and best online business ideas around. It doesn’t cost you anything upfront and can bring in a lot of recurring revenue in the long-run.

It’s kinda like UGC in a sense:

1. You’re recommending a product/service
2. Someone buys it using your link 
3. You get a commission

“Yeah, but does it actually work?” 

Well, there are tons of people who are doing affiliate marketing through platforms like Amazon, with Amazon Affiliates. 

But, to make the most money, you’ll have to check out Whop. The screenshot below says it all. 

Affiliates on Whop are making thousands every single day. 

That is, thousands in recurring revenue. 

You see, when you refer someone to Whop or a whop, you get a percentage of Whop’s revenue for life. As long as they pay for whops or make money with their whops, you’ll get paid!

Just join the Whop Affiliates whop to learn exactly how the whole process goes, from finding the best affiliate offers to actually executing an affiliate marketing strategy.

Best for: Anyone with contacts or a community 
Requirements: None
How to get started: Start visiting Whops and signing up for their referral bonuses to get the ball rolling, and make sure to check out the Whop Affiliates whop to learn more about how things work, including a free affiliate marketing course

22. Reselling freebies (and low-cost goods)

Reselling in general can be really profitable, and one really easy way to make money is by finding free stuff or items that have been mistakenly labelled far too cheaply.

That’s when you swoop in, picking those items up and selling them closer to market price, meaning heaps of profit for you!

Price errors or glitches happen far more frequently than you might think on sites like Amazon, and if you’re able to find them and snap up the items before the retailer can correct their mistakes, you’re in for a quick win.

The best to find Amazon glitch deals is to join a whop dedicated to them. These groups track almost all major retailers for price errors, so the net is cast as wide as possible.

You might also be able to find free stuff online on different websites that you can then sell for profit.

This is Jimit, and he runs the Astro Alerts reselling community on Whop. He started reselling at just 16, and with the help of membership in various reselling communities called “gook groups” got to where he is now.

So, uh, where exactly is he now?

Well, he was able to put his own reselling community together and ramped up his earnings to well over $35k a month even before he got out of his teens! 

Best for: Anyone, although it’ll help to have a little cash to take full advantage of glitches on expensive items
Requirements: You may need a shed to store some of the bigger items you nab
How to get started: Check out our top reselling Discord servers and join the ones that work for you. Many if not most of them have automated ways of scanning for price glitches and picking those items up

23. Reselling goods for profit

We touched on price errors and glitches earlier, but reselling deserves a closer look. 

It’s a model you can scale into a full-blown business just by reinvesting your profits, so you can grow it to big numbers if you keep at it.

That’s kinda cool, because you can start from close to zero and grow it first into a source of pocket cash, then into a side hustle, and you could be sitting atop a profitable company of your own before you know it.

And that’s not an exaggeration.

Millionaire reseller Tiana Porter started with sneakers, and used her understanding of the botting scene to make it big.

She says that diversifying and focusing on multiple niches lessens risk and gives her more room for growth.

As you scale up, you’ll need to put plenty of cash towards picking up the sort of inventory you’ll need to multiply your money.

Some space to store all of the stuff you buy for resale is good to have, too.

Best for: Entrepreneurs and anyone with a nose for a deal
Requirements: Capital to acquire storage and purchase products at scale
How to get started: We’ve got you covered with this beginner guide to making money as a reseller

High-earning potential (if you've got money to spend upfront)

24. Online trading

Trading can make you a lot of money fast — but it’s risky.

To start meaningfully, you’ll likely need at least a few hundred dollars. The higher the earning potential, the greater the risk, and that’s especially true with things like options and derivatives. You can lose everything… or even end up owing more than you invested.

Here’s a quick example:
A short sale is when you borrow a stock, sell it now, and hope the price drops so you can buy it back cheaper later.

But if the price goes up instead? You’re stuck buying it back at a loss.

That’s exactly what happened to Gabe Plotkin, who shorted companies like GameStop — and watched his hedge fund collapse. (He’s fine, though. It wasn’t his own money on the line — unlike retail traders like us.)

So, what’s the lesson? Get educated before diving in.

Plenty of trading communities and courses online can help you understand how to manage risk and develop a strategy. Whether you're into day trading forex (which has more predictable risk) or exploring high-upside options plays, the key is learning before you leap.

Best for: Anyone with knowledge of the financial markets and higher risk tolerance
Requirements: Some starting capital and a trading app or broker
How to get started: Sign up for a stock trading app that meets your needs and either transfer your starting funds in or begin with some paper trading to see how things work

25. Real estate flipping

Real estate is something that you’d normally get into if you can actually visit properties and check them out yourself, but today it’s possible to use online listings as a starting point and go from there.

There are generally two ways to make money with real estate:

• You could bank on appreciation, such as when a neighbourhood as a whole sees development and prices go up as a whole, or 
• You could be a fixer-upper, buying properties in need of work and renovating them completely before selling them on

It’s possible to be a fixer-upper from a distance too, hiring the tradespeople you need online or linking up with someone local to be your eyes on the ground. 

You need some money to do this - but you don’t need hundreds of thousands of dollars ready to go.

Take Richard Taylor, for example. The brains behind Hold My Hand Wholesale, Taylor wasn’t always a multimillionaire creator and real estate investor.

He put the work in, studying real estate as much as he could, then started to get involved in real estate wholesaling with (then) limited funds.

This is a great strategy to start with, since you’re not buying the property yourself - you’re getting a property that’s for sale under contract, then selling the contract to another buyer for a higher price.

Best for: Building significant wealth
Requirements: Capital, and quite a lot of it!
How to get started: Join a real estate whop to network a little and bounce your ideas off others like you before you commit your capital

26. Dropshipping business

If you haven’t heard of dropshipping before, the concept is super simple — it’s all about selling products without actually holding inventory.

Dropshipping is all about partnering with wholesalers or manufacturers who handle storage, packaging, and shipping products directly to customers.

While technically you can start dropshipping for free, you will be more successful if you invest some cash upfront. Use this money to take care of marketing and customer service, along with your online storefront and paid social media ads.

To stand out, you’ll need:

• Branding that catches the eye
• Attractive product photos
• Good marketing copy
• Accurate product descriptions 
• Product descriptions that answer your target market’s questions
• An ad budget to get yourself placed at the top of the page

Dropshipping can be a very good side hustle, but it’s no longer an easy win since you may find yourself up against plenty of competition.

To help you stand out in a crowded market, Whop has a selection of different dropshipping communities you can join to maximize your dropshipping potential.

Best for: Anyone with a talent for logistics and making contacts
Requirements: Enough starting capital and supplier relationships
How to get started: Educate yourself by taking a good dropshipping course before figuring out what product is best for dropshipping

27. Online ecommerce store

Ecommerce plays a huge role in how value moves online, and getting started is easier than you might think. With platforms like Whop, you can set up a professional storefront and start selling digital products in just a few minutes.

Whether you're selling physical or digital products, an online store is a fantastic way to reach the widest possible market.

Getting started is extremely easy, and there are two main steps:

• Firstly, you need to decide what products you want to sell 
• Then, make sure your products are within the legal framework wherever it is you live 

If you run an online store selling physical goods, remember that you’ll need to think about managing inventory and figuring out delivery - known as ecommerce fulfilment.

Logistics is also extremely important, so make sure not to neglect it if you don’t want to run into trouble. It’s one reason that many successful entrepreneurs prefer digital products - thanks to platforms like Whop, all you really need to focus on is the product itself.

Best for: Budding entrepreneurs who have both time and money to put into their venture
Requirements: Starting capital and a passion for business
How to get started: Learn from the best by visiting a top ecommerce Discord community and speak to other entrepreneurs for the most up to date industry information

28. Selling SaaS

You might not know the term “SaaS” (Software-as-a-Service), but you’ve definitely used it.

Netflix? SaaS. Tinder? Also SaaS. Most apps you use regularly fall into this category.

What makes SaaS different from traditional software is the payment model. Instead of a one-time purchase, users pay a monthly or yearly fee to access the service.

For consumers, it’s affordable and flexible. For creators, it means recurring revenue — which is gold if you’re trying to build a business.

If you’ve got a great idea and some startup cash (or funding), you can bring it to life. Hiring devs is easier than ever, and platforms exist to help you market and monetize your product from day one.

Of course, not every SaaS project takes off. But even small wins can add up.
Take MediaFast, for example — a super simple SaaS tool built by a solo founder. He got little encouragement early on, but within 110 days, he’d made over $4,000.

Not a fortune, but a solid start — and proof you don’t need a huge team or VC funding to make something that earns.

Best for: Entrepreneurs with vision or a problem to solve, and who can either code themselves or secure investment to hire coders
Requirements: Funding in order to establish your nascent firm and take your SaaS to market
How to get started: Put a business plan together and create a team to complement your skillset to get the ball rolling

How multiple income streams give you freedom and flexibility

You’ve probably noticed that many of the best ways to make money with your skills are creative. 

Most of them fall under content creation, and chances are, you’re already following creators who do exactly that.

Top creators don’t rely on a single income stream. YouTubers often branch into streaming, ebook authors launch courses, and nearly everyone builds a paid community.

Take Nonat1s, for example — a YouTuber known for Pathfinder RPG content. He earns from YouTube, sells custom campaigns and artwork, runs a premium community, and even used to offer paid game sessions.

What’s the lesson for you here?

Mix it up. Create multiple revenue streams by doing things that complement your primary hustle.

This not only boosts revenue but also reduces risk — if one stream slows, the others keep you going.

That’s why many creators now use platforms like Whop, that let them centralize all their income sources in one place.

Make money online with Whop

Since its introduction in 2021, Whop has been making waves as one of the internet’s best platforms for online entrepreneurs to make money - and by creating your own whop, you too can bring in thousands of dollars a month.

You can start small with something like clipping, and scale up into affiliate marketing and the production of your own content, or even branch out into ecommerce - and you’ll find both the guidance to get started and the perfect platform on Whop.

Whop is absolutely free to use - it costs nothing but a few minutes to sign up for your own whop and start making money today.

Make money online FAQs

Is clipping actually profitable?

Yes, clipping can be very profitable, especially when paired with platforms that pay per view. Some creators earn $2–$3 per 1,000 views, and with viral potential, that can scale fast.

What’s the fastest way to make money online in 2025?

If you want to make money today, the fastest options are clipping, creating short-form UGC for brands, doing paid surveys, or reselling price glitches. These methods require little to no upfront investment and can bring in real cash quickly.

How can beginners make money online?

Start simple. Beginners can earn through microtasks, paid surveys, watching videos, or using cashback apps. As you build confidence, you can move into clipping, affiliate marketing, or launching a small digital product or service.

How do I make money online without spending anything?

There are many free ways to get started. Try clipping, surveys, UGC creation, or affiliate marketing — all require no upfront cash. Platforms like Whop even offer free tools and communities to help you get going.

What’s the best way to make extra money online on the side?

If you're looking for a side hustle, consider freelance writing, selling digital downloads, running a small community, or flipping freebies. These can fit into a busy schedule and grow into something bigger over time.

Can I make money online if I’m not creative or tech-savvy?

No worries. You can still make money by watching videos, sharing phone usage data, doing surveys, or reselling products. These don’t require creative skills or tech know-how — just consistency and a bit of time.

What are the most passive ways to make money online?

Selling online courses, ebooks, templates, or affiliate links can generate ongoing income with little day-to-day effort after setup. Even clipping or content creation can become passive once your backlog of content keeps earning views.

How much can I really make online?

That depends on your method and consistency. Some people make $100/month in spare time, while others turn content creation, affiliate marketing, or digital products into six-figure businesses. Start small, stay consistent, and scale as you go.

Read next:

• How to make money fast
• How to make your first million