Oh, we've all seen the adverts- “Make money online today with Paypal”, “make money online for free” and, my personal favourite, “make money online INSTANTLY”.
I mean, come on. If that doesn't say ‘too good to be true”, I don't know what does!
But, what if you're looking for genuine ways to make money online, either in the UK or abroad. What if you want or need to work from home, or want to work as you travel or just want more flexibility to your work life.
As I'm writing this, the world has changed immeasurably. We're all in the thick of ‘the crisis'. Many people are now working from home, and many more have sadly found themselves needing to find a new income- and find it fast.
Don't blame yourself. NO-ONE saw this coming. Or at least, they did… but only in a theoretical sense. So drop all the guilt and distress and let's find you some options.Genuine Ways to Make Money Online in UK (and abroad!)
I'm aware that there are MANY schemes and get-rich-quick idea floating around. But let's assume that you're a real person who doesn't want to lose their limited life savings and just wants to work hard and get some income in, preferably asap. Getting a job is one thing, but if you want to make money online as a beginner, how do you start?
So, let's give you some options, which will ACTUALLY work. I'm talking about schemes which are available in the UK (as that's where I'm based) but many of these will work just great from wherever you are in the world.) None of these are instant solutions which will give you money today (or Online Shop maybe even tomorrow), but they WILL all earn you a decent income within 12 months if you work hard at building it up.
Before we get started, if you're working at home with kids, you're DEFINITELY going to need ways to keep them occupied so you can work. Here are 14 easy quiet activities for kids– you NEED these to save your sanity!Start a Blog/ Website
It seems pretty obvious that I would start with this. After all, I'm a blogger and you're reading this… on my blog. Not really sure what a ‘blog' is? It's basically a website- with a more personal feel.Is it REALLY a genuine way to make money online?
Abso-fricking-lutely. My friend, when I quit my job to travel Europe in a motorhome, I started this blog as an online diary. I didn't even know you COULD make money with a blog. Less than two years later, I'm making more than many of the full-time staff my husband employs (admittedly, CV is about to severely damage that, but I'll find ways to adapt, just like everybody else.)
NOTE: Blogging is NOT easy. It's not an idyllic, chilled, only work 10 minutes a day and then go lie in the sunshine and read a book. It is HARD WORK. Like, possibly the hardest thing I've EVER done in my entire adult life- and I'm an ex-Navy helicopter navigator and an air traffic controller…!! (On second thoughts, working with some of my ex-colleagues may have been harder…!) Still, being able to be your own boss and work from home is EPIC and worth all the effort.How much money can you earn blogging in the UK?
Like most online income, how much you can make depends almost entirely on how much time and effort you're willing to put in. Anyone who says you can make good money within a month is lying to you/ trying to sell you something! But you CAN make decent income within 12 months, and most likely a decent full-time income within 2 years.
If you want to learn more, and start your own little corner of the internet, here's a fantastic course on how to get started. Also, once you're started, you NEED traffic to your blog. This is one of the best courses EVER to get that traffic. And it's probably the cheapest course you'll ever buy too! buy.
Are you thinking of starting a blog? I'm not a ‘blogging blogger', but I occasionally share some insights, tips and things which are working for me with interested readers. You are welcome to join that mailing list HERE.
NOTE- this is NOT the same as the normal Wandering Bird Motorhome travel mailing list. You will need to sign up for that separately. You can do that here if you wishStart a Youtube Channel
Yeah, sticking with things which are hard work!! 🙂 But starting a youtube channel is honestly a genuine way to make money online. Admittedly, I have found more success with my blog- but that's because I prefer writing to being on camera. It's not my happy place.
BUT, the world loves video. People watch countless hours of Youtube EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. So if you know anything or can show anything or have any skill at all, start a channel and see what happens! Do you know how to play guitar, to sing, to grow vegetables, to save money, to clean, to do yoga… literally ANYTHING you can teach people.
And no, it's not ‘over-saturated'. How many times how you read an article on the same thing? Heck, how many posts/ articles have you read on how to many money online (like this one!) People are happy to watch something similar said in a different way, so don't let that fact that you're just starting put you off!Is it really a genuine way to earn money online?
Definitely- if you're dedicated. But again, it's a lot of work. I've had my channel for over 2 years and I barely make £100/ month with it. On the flip side, I know others who have had a channel for just over a year and are making several thousand pounds a month regularly! Also, it's free to set-up and start -you can begin with a camera either on your phone or laptop, so there's no big outlay of expenses. Why not give it a go!?!
My top tips for making money online with Youtube? Pick one subject and talk about it a lot. And post 2/3 videos a week for maximum growth. I barely do one a week, so I'm definitely not an expert, but there are plenty of videos on Youtube about how to start and grow on there- and I do believe there's room for us all!Teach English Online
Teaching English online is a fantastic and genuine way to make money online- especially in the current climate while people can't go to actual lessons. If you are an English native speaker, companies are BEGGING for you to come and teach their employees or students, especially if you're from England or the UK. (Don't panic if you're one of our English-speaking cousins around the world- there are PLENTY of opportunities for Americans, Canadians and Australians to teach English online too. )
I am learning French with a company called Lingoda (which I highly recommend!) and they are constantly asking for English-speaking teachers to help supply the demand. (Want to learn a language? Get 50€ off Lingoda here, using code vea9yx)Is it a genuine way to make money fast online?
Fast? Possibly not- although it's a heck of a lot quicker than starting a blog or a Youtube channel! But it's not going to be instant and, depending on which company you sign up with, there will be checks, trials and you might have to work for free for a short period while they assess you. But realistically you can be making decent money within a couple of months. Expect to make around £8-£10/ hour without any qualifications; more if you have one.What do you need?
A laptop with camera and somewhere quiet to work. People are paying good money for your service, and you need to make sure they get their money's worth.
Some key places to start are:LingodaiTalkiTeach ANYTHING online
Do you have a skill? I bet you do!
Every single one of us can do something which most people struggle with. What do people always ask your advice with? What do you find easy to do which other people don't?
Can you:Bake bread easilyClean a house in an hour and have it sparklingKnow how to get the best from your kids- without yelling!Grow flowers or vegetablesLive on a budgetTake amazing photos or videosPlay an instrumentSpeak a languageMake money online!
Literally- ANYTHING. People love knowledge and they love learning online. Create a course and teach them what YOU know. You can then sell your course through Udemy or Teachable.Is it a genuine way to make money fast online?
Actually, it's a pretty fast way to make some money- although it's not free. You'll need to pay for the course hosting platform, unless you use Youtube and make the videos private (meaning people can't see them without a specific link.)
But it will mostly just be your time and effort which goes into creating the course- so if you have that then it's a great way to get some money coming in within a short period of time.Start a Podcast