There is no question that online marketplaces have changed the way we sell and buy used items. Thanks to the likes of Amazon, eBay and a host of other platforms, getting goods from A to B has never been easier. However, just because something is easy to do does not necessarily mean that it is easy to make money from. In fact, with the growth in popularity of marketplaces, there has been a rise in online entrepreneurs looking for ways to make money from home. Fortunately, there are a number of viable options, and if you follow the right strategy, you may be able to make a comfortable living from the comfort of your laptop.
Start An Online Store
If you are the creative type, then you may want to consider creating and selling your own designs on products such as T-shirts, hoodies and more. To start, you will need a wholesaler that can provide you with the products in large quantities at affordable prices. When you have stocked your shelves, you can take on individual customers who may want a one-off item or perhaps something more elaborate created for them. This is where the fun begins. Since you have a creative outlet, why not use it to create unique designs for all manners of products? The possibilities are endless.
Fulfillment By Amazon
Although Amazon is the king when it comes to online marketplaces, they are not the only ones in town. eBay has been around for many years and has grown to be one of the biggest players in the industry. For those who sell their own designs, it can be a challenge to get them printed and shipped to the right person. In some cases, the shop owner has to take on the role of courier since they do not have the capacity to store and ship large quantities of items themselves.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service offered by a company called Amazon that allows online businesses to sell their goods on Amazon and have them packed and shipped by Amazon employees. For a small fee (which can range anywhere from $0 to $20 per month), Amazon will store your goods in their warehouse and handle the shipping. This is an appealing option for online retailers who want to cut out the middleman (in this case, Amazon) and have their orders fulfilled directly by the manufacturer or wholesaler. For those who want to try it, Amazon provides a variety of products to choose from including clothing, accessories, home decor and more. You can read more about the service here. When you utilize FBA, your order fulfillment costs decrease substantially as you no longer have to hire staff to take care of the heavy lifting yourself.
Create and Sell Your Own Products
Apart from selling your designs on existing products, you can also create and sell your own products. To start, you will need a product to sell. This can be anything from a T-shirt to a piece of clothing, a bag or even a mug. The options are endless. Next, you will need to secure the supplies you need to make your product, in this case, textiles. To secure the necessary equipment (motor, feed stock, presses, etc.), you will need to consider how much you are willing to spend. This is the crucial step as you will have to make sure that your equipment is within your budget. When you do have the equipment, you can begin the process of creating your product and attracting potential customers to your store. Finally, you will need to figure out how you are going to make money from your product. In many cases, online retailers make their money from the sale of affiliate products. For example, let’s say you create a mug that retails for $20. You will then need to consider setting up an affiliate program with a company like SkimLinks. Once you have done this, whenever someone buys a mug from your affiliate program, you will earn a small commission. So, in this case, you would earn $5 for each mug sold through your affiliate program. Not bad mama!
Sell Your Photos
Another way to make money online is to sell your photos. In recent years, the rise of the influencer has led to a massive increase in the demand for stock photography. If you are looking for an easy and profitable way to make money from home, consider becoming a stock photographer and creating unique images for brands and businesses to use on their websites, social media platforms and more.
In some cases, you may be able to get paid per piece based on the quantity of downloads or views of an image. For instance, Getty Images currently pays $750 for a high-quality image with an audience of 10,000 or more. Similarly, Pixabay currently pays $30 per month for a basic account, $60 for a standard account and $80 for a premium account. Since stock photography is such an easy and profitable way to make money online, many established photographers now do freelancing work online and build their business solely from online work.
Sell Your Skills
If you are the creative type, then you can also get paid to paint, draw or design something. There is a burgeoning market for unique wedding invitations, signage and more. If you can design something unique and elegant, you can consider charging anywhere from $25 to $300 per item. The sky is the limit!
If none of the above seem like a viable option, then why not become an online tutor and earn money teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), Mathematics or Science to adult learners or kids who are struggling with the subject? There are plenty of opportunities out there, and with the right mindset, you can certainly make a successful living teaching online.