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What is the FASTEST way to Make Money Online? 8 Options to Consider.

What is the FASTEST way to Make Money Online? 8 Options to Consider.
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If you’ve ever asked “What is the fastest way to make money online?”, this article is for you. I’ve been asked this question many times, and today, I want to give you my best answers.

It’s likely if you’re concerned about the fastest way to make money online, you may be in financial distress. You might have alot of responsibilities and deadlines that are piling up, and you don’t have time to wait around on experiments and “possibilities”.

Some of us don’t have the luxury of starting a business while we’re doing a job we love, or having a loved one take responsibility of our bills while we grow our businesses. In fact, over the last 20 months since I started coaching affiliates, I’ve seen several people who want to start a business while they’re in financial distress. They might be:

  • Fired from a job
  • Have inconsistent pay
  • Living on government assistance
  • Have a spouse that hoards all the money
  • Have lots of debt
  • Disabled
  • Or, for some other reason, they’re just getting by – or – not making enough income to make ends meet

It’s sad to say that a week doesn’t go by where I don’t meet a person who wants to speed the process of making money online because they’re experiencing hardship of some sort.

The Unfortunate Tragedy

The unfortunate thing is many people misuse the desperation of others. They’re either so money hungry or so inconsiderate that rather than being honest and turning them away, they present them with an offer that is unlikely to solve their problem, then they leave them worse off financially than they were. You might be able to relate.

Maybe you’ve experienced financial distress. I know I have. What I don’t want to happen to you is for you to watch Youtube videos, search in Google, and land on a page that tells you “You can make quick money, but you have to buy…” and you extend hope and trust to someone only to be disappointed.

I’ve been there. I’ve been the person who was trusting course creators and people online who would say something, and speak to my desperate situation, then disappoint. It hurts when you invest your time and your last few dollars only to realize, it’s hogwash (for lack of a better term–hahaha).

The “I Hope This Works” Mentality

Like I said, I’ve been in your shoes. I remember thinking “I hope this works” and going for it. I guess you can say I was either gullible or hard-headed  in that way. I wanted what I wanted very bad, so I can’t knock you if you decide to experiment a little. I just want you to be careful and possibly hold off on too much experimentation until you’re able to expect some consistent income.

Experimental spending is almost like gambling and there’s so much risk involved! The chances of it not working are far more than the chances it will (especially if you don’t follow a proven program or mentor) because there are so many scams vying for your last few dollars! Plus, if you’re desperate, you’re less likely to do your due diligence because you’re tired, vulnerable, and in need of a quick turn-around, (or at least you think you are).

The Reality of Starting a Business (Whether Online or Offline)

While starting an online business has it’s perks that set it apart from offline business, it’s still business. There are still tools you’ll need. The overhead may be lower for some business models, but there will be overhead. In business, you have to start by investing before you can get anything back. Even for the cheapest business startups, you have to buy some supplies and equipment (whether you’re talking about online or offline).

A Low-Cost Offline Business Example

For example, a lawn care service can be a fairly low-cost startup if you start with the bare bones, but at the least, you need lawn care tools, a notepad or business cards to give people, and transportation. Do you see what I mean? That very basic business startup is likely to cost $300.

The $300 isn’t considering how you’ll have to have transportation ongoing and gas to fill up your machines, and it’s also not considering how much it will cost you to acquire a customer. If you hand out 50 business cards before one person decides to hire you, then it’s cost you something for that one customer. Most people don’t consider that.

Let’s go even cheaper and say, you wrote down your information on a notepad 50 times before someone decided to hire you. In that case, you spent lots more time, but your “expenses” may have went down a bit, but still 50 sheets of paper cost something. With that said, even the cheapest offline business startups will have some marketing or customer acquisition costs, supplies and equipment, and possibly transportation (even if you take the bus). Many people would argue that more expenses would be needed, and I’d agree, but I’m trying to keep things simple.

Some other costs that usually are unplanned for a business of this sort are food and drinks while on-the-go, incorporation, maintenance, taxes, etc, but to keep things simple, let’s stop there.

A Free Online Business Startup Example

The same situation happens online. The very basic business startup can start with a free website, free theme, lots of work ethic, and some patience to get the rankings and traffic rolling in. You can start for free, but if you do, it takes a bit more time to get things working because you won’t have many people to consult with (because consulting costs), you won’t have much tech support (because tech support costs), and you may bump your head quite a bit.

My Recommended Low-Cost Business Startup

A better option is to at least invest in education and basic premium tools like hosting, market research tools, and consulting. Wealthy Affiliate is truly the lowest cost and highest value method of starting an online business in my opinion, which is why I refer mostly everyone there. You can start an online business for $359 and have your tools for one full year! That’s cheaper than a landscaping business!

Still, some people don’t have $359 to spare. This may be you.  Maybe your financial situation doesn’t allow you to wait 6 months or more for returns from your business. Maybe you need an income as fast as possible, and this article is written for you.

Let Me Talk to You Like Family for a Second…

I have very close relationships with my family. I want the best for them, and I sincerely want the best for you. No, I may not know who you are, but it doesn’t change my passion for your success as an entrepreneur. I truly believe you can help improve our world, so I don’t want you wasting any unnecessary time or money that could take away from that.

With that said, I’m going to offer you the same advice I’d want my kids to read. Okay?

I have two kids that I love with all of my heart, and this advice in this post is exactly what I’d say to them if they were in your shoes. This advice isn’t about what pays best or what pays at all. Instead, this is about how to help you get out of distress into a better scenario.

The Online Business Model Myths You Want to Avoid

It’s very common to see some myths from various sellers online. These myths can send you down lots of rabbit holes in search for a “shiny object” or loophole.

I talked about 5 common myths you should avoid like the plague in my article here. Please check it out to make sure you don’t get stuck in any of these while you’re desperate for money. Many people are targeting people who are desperate, and you can end up being more distraught than you are now if you’re not careful, so please take a look at these 5 things and avoid them!

My List of the 8 FASTEST Ways to Make Money Online

With all this said, these are some of the FASTEST ways I’ve either made money myself or seen others make money online.

1. Online Jobs

When I was homeschooling my son, I would interact with quite a few parents who had online jobs. They weren’t starting their own business or anything. Instead, they were being paid hourly or a salary. Their job didn’t require upfront investment (aside from maybe buying a computer), but the process to get the job was very similar to getting an offline job.

Lots of companies are moving into the model where they want to hire virtual workers because:

  • It saves them from needing office space
  • It saves them from buying more desks and equipment
  • They can benefit people in different living situations
  • And, They can still get the job done

Options for Finding Virtual Jobs

The virtual jobs can be difficult to find on regular job boards (from my experience), but if you network around people who are likely to have work like that, you can make connections and find opportunities. Cool online jobs I’ve seen before include:

  • Affiliate marketing manager positions
  • Brand ambassadors
  • Social media managers
  • Customer service reps
  • And, others

Virtual Jobs and High-Income Skills

If you have some high-income skills as I mention in this article, then it’s much more likely that you’ll be able to find online jobs. If you’re in financial distress, but you want to work online, I’d recommend first looking for an online job because this will give you an exact pay date, exact pay amount, and the predictability you’ll need to stabilize your situation.

If I were you, I’d go to well-known software providers and look on their websites for job applications. You can add a Google alert for “online jobs” and start reading what’s being posted online. You can also look for meetups in your area or live networking events where people are likely to have virtual jobs.

2. Freelancing

Freelancing isn’t 100% free to get started. It’s a business. You’ll need tools and equipment before you can offer services, but if you have a small budget to invest, you can get started with freelancing.

I did freelancing for awhile. It was something I really enjoyed until I had to shift my focus to take care of a sick loved one. Freelancing can make for a lucrative income and stability, but typically, you have to start with high-income skills of some sort (customer service, graphic design, lead generation, paid advertising, or others).

I made good money offering social media management, graphic design, keyword research, and ghostwriting, but there are lots of other opportunities on sites like Upwork.com or Fiverr.com. You can go to a freelance site (like Upwork or Fiverr), create a profile, and create a listing or begin looking thru the listings that businesses have posted.

When you find something that sticks out, you can submit a proposal. You can also do live networking and offer your services that way. In our live training at Wealthy Affiliate, they’ve been doing a series on starting a marketing agency from the groud up. If you’re interested in that, you can check out part one of the series here. It’s only available to premium members, but you can check it out for $19. You can also get more of my freelancing tips in my article How to Start a Freelance business here.

3. Affiliate Marketing

I started affiliate marketing 20 months ago. I was able to make over $100 in my first month, but that’s not what’s normal for most people. For most people, it takes more than 6 months to start making money with affiliate marketing, and it takes about two years before they’re able to predict next month’s income pretty good.

It’s pretty common that startup affiliate marketers take 2 years or more to earn a full-time income. There are anomalies who achieve it much faster than that, but I’m stating what’s common. Even with that, affiliate marketing is very low-cost to start, it can be done as a side hustle while working one of these other alternatives, and it can give unlimited income opportunities that far outpace an online job, freelancing, or other alternatives in the long haul. Learn how to start an affiliate marketing business here or how to go from $0 to $1000/mo with affiliate marketing here.

4. Uber and Driver Jobs

My husband drove Uber and Lyft for awhile. He’d do his construction work during the day and drive for Uber and Lyft in the evenings. Sometimes, it takes dedication and the willingness to go the extra mile to get where you want to go, but you have to make the necessary sacrifices. Hard work pays.

In addition to Uber and Lyft, there are grocery delivery services, Bird repair people, and other opportunities to be a 1099 contractor, make money predictably (in comparison with a job), and have a flexible schedule.

5. User Testing

There are several sites that offer website owners to test websites for user experience. A test that might take you 20-30 minutes might pay $10 or more. If you calculate that, you could make $30 or more per hour!

The problem is, the tests are sent out to a list of people, they’re snatched up pretty quickly, and depending on your demographics, you might not get the opportunities consistently. For me, I signed up to several website testing sites, and I was excited thinking this could be a consistent stream of income, and it wasn’t.

Some people say it works well for them, but that’s wasn’t my experience. I still suggest you sign up and see how it works for you.

6. Teaching English Online

I also interviewed as an English teacher with VIPKid. They want people who can be somewhat animated and patient with kids from countries like China. You’ll be helping to teach the curriculum, so kids can learn English.

It required a Bachelor’s degree when I went thru the process, and I was offered something like $20 per class, which would be about $20/hr. The class times would have been an overnight and very early morning for me.

The last class would be something like 9 AM in my time, which was the biggest problem for me. Considering I had a newborn without childcare (at the time I was considering this), I couldn’t promise she wouldn’t wake up crying and interrupt my class! Hahaha.

As a result, I never followed thru with this opportunity, but it’s still a great option for those looking for online work that pays well. I’ve met people who have worked for VIP Kid for a long time and they love it! Check it out.

7. Mystery Shopping

Another thing I tried is mystery shopping. They want you to be “undercover”, so some don’t mind if your kids tag along. I was able to get my eyebrows waxed for free. Hahaha.

I found that it wasn’t very lucrative though. The biggest benefit is getting the free services. You can get a couple dollars here and there to pocket, but the opportunities are inconsistent, so it’s not something to rely on like a job. It can be an extra side hustle though. Some mystery shoppers say they make $100 or more over the weekend or so. It wasn’t my experience, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. You can check out Bestmark and see what mystery shopping opportunities they have in your area.

8. Survey Sites

This is my last option and I would advise you try every other means to make money before surveys because they pay horribly for the most part. Unless you’re an affiliate, survey sites pay pennies. I’ve read reviews and checked out survey sites before, but they pay less than minimum wage in most instances so I wouldn’t recommend these unless you really don’t have any other option. Swagbucks is the best option for surveys, but they still don’t replace a job or primary income.

Final Words Answering “What is the Fastest Way to Make Money Online?”

Most businesses start out quite unpredictable. If you’re in distress, the unpredictability of a business startup may not be the best option for right now–that decision would be 100% up to you. To relieve some of the pressure of your finances, it might be best to consider a traditional job, or one of the options I’ve mentioned bere.

My Questions for You

  • Have you been able to build something quickly and honestly that others can duplicate?
  • What advice would you give someone whose looking to make money online while they’re in financial distress?

Leave your questions and comments below.

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