18 Ways to Make Money Online From Anywhere

Are you looking for ways to make money online in the world but don’t know where to start? I get it!

Sometimes, it feels like an impossible dream, to be able to reduce or eliminate your commute and have more time with your family.

Working online from home or while you travel is possible, especially if you’re prepared to try new things.

Since my entire income for the last two years is from making money online from anywhere we were including Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Singapore and all the places we travelled in between, I wanted to give you a helpful list of ways to make money online from where ever you are.

18 Ways to Make Money Online and Work From Anywhere

A quick note: You might be wondering how to make money online internationally, especially if you’re in a country with a small economy. My top piece of advice is to think about targeting customers and clients from other countries.

Around 60% of my income comes from readers in the United States. Depending on the type of business you offer, you might have more luck targeting larger economies such as the United Kingdom or even the United States.

In fact, there has never been an easier time to earn money online from anywhere in the world. If you’d like to earn an income online, here are some surefire ways to get started, whether you’re in Texas or Taipei.

1. Watch videos online

Watching videos online from your phone or computer is a great way to make money online fast with Swagbucks.

If you’re in North America, U.K., Ireland or Australia you can join Swagbucks for free, and get a FREE $5 credit with this link.

2. Take online surveys

One of the easiest online money making ideas is taking paid surveys with sites like Survey Junkie. Survey Junkie is open to participants from the United States, Canada and Australia. Join Survey Junkie today.

If you’re not from those countries, keep reading as I’ve listed some legit international paid survey companies below (or read my growing post on international survey sites here)

Australian Paid Surveys

Opinion World and Toluna are my top rated Australian survey sites (here is a complete list of the top Aussie survey sites).

United States Paid Surveys

MySurvey, Opinion Outpost and Pinecone Research are legit American survey sites to make extra money. More options for my US-based readers here.

New Zealand Paid Surveys

Opinion World , Valued Opinions and Toluna are my top rated NZ surveys. I’ve written more about the best paid online surveys in New Zealand here.

UK Paid Surveys

Click here to read how mum blogger, Emily, makes over £100 per month taking online surveys in the UK.

Irish Paid Surveys

In Ireland, I recommend Irish Opinions and MySurvey. Find more Irish paid survey options here.

Canadian Paid Surveys

In Canada check out Ipsos Panel, Pinecone Research, Web Perspective and Mobile Xpression.

The best thing about doing surveys online is you can earn money and gift cards while sitting on the couch, or waiting for the kids to finish school.

It’s money for jam in my opinion, and although you won’t get rich from surveys, the extra few dollars definitely comes in handy.

3. Get Free Sign Up Bonuses

There are sites out there that will pay you simply for signing up.

They include Ebates/Rakuten ($10), GrabPoints ($5), Ibotta ($10) and more. You can see the complete list of sites that pay you to sign up here.

4. Become a Virtual Assistant

One of the easiest ways to make money from home or abroad is to become a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant can offer any number of services, depending on experience.

If you’ve worked in administration or as a personal or executive assistant, starting a virtual assistant business could be the easiest way for you to start making money online.

Starting a virtual assistant business is especially great for those of you who have wondered how to make money online without paying anything towards fees or memberships as you can easily promote your virtual assistant services via free platforms such as LinkedIn.

To find out more about how to become a virtual assistant, check out this epic article: How to Become a Virtual Assistant: Everything You Need to Know

5. Dropshipping

What is drop shipping, you ask? Dropshipping is when you sell a product online, without holding inventory.

When your customer places an order, that order is then fulfilled by a drop shipper, who holds the stock and organises shipping.

As you can probably imagine, holding stock would be quite limiting if you want to travel the world whilst running your business.

Most drop shippers start out by opening a store on eBay, so it can be a very cost-effective business to break into.

To be successful as a drop shipper, you’ll need to have a website, a marketing plan and in-depth knowledge of your chosen product.

I recommend checking out this super-useful guide to drop shipping from Salehoo, to see if drop shipping will be a good fit for you.

6. Freelance writing

Up until a few months ago, a large portion of the money I earnt online came from freelance writing.

Freelance writing is a great way to earn money online from home or when travelling.

Writers can make a legit income writing articles for blogs and businesses.

Although I didn’t have any formal experience as a freelance writer, I used my blog as a portfolio, set up a profile on Upwork, and within a few weeks, I had my first gig.

I have some more tips on how to get started with Upwork here.

7. Teaching English Online

Nicola earns money as an online English teacher. Image credit: Nicole Rae

Teaching English online to kids in China is a neat way to earn money online and have fun in the process.

You can earn between $10 and $25 per hour, and some companies will even hire teachers without a degree. I was lucky to have Nicola write a post on how she travels the world earning money as an online English teacher.

You can read Nicola’s post on how to become an online English teacher here.

8. Offer a service business

Offering a service from home is the simplest way to get started making money online. Are you exceptionally skilled in your industry? Have a skill set that commands a high rate? Could you work remotely?

This is exactly what I did when I was first looking for ways to work online from home. I used my professional experience and network to set up a marketing business.

Former colleagues became clients through word of mouth. I set my hourly rate at something I would be happy with but also provided value to the client.

I have never once advertised, and work keeps coming my way.

Some ideas that work well for a service business are website design, bookkeeping, database administration, marketing strategist.

Or you could use the skills you’ve acquired throughout your regular working life to build a repertoire of offerings such as appointment making, proposal writing, procurement, travel bookings, personal shopper.

The options are limitless, especially if you have a professional network and are well regarded in your field. This was how I started to make extra money in Australia when I first became a parent.

LinkedIn is a great way to find clients you already have a relationship with.

Here are some free courses to help you work from home.

9. Blogging

If you have a lot of time before you need to start making an income, blogging is an excellent way to make money online.

How do I know?

Well, I make over $7000USD per month from my blog (my picks for the best courses on blogging here) and my income grows every month.

Blogging income comes from many different sources including sponsorships, affiliate marketing (read more below), advertising income, course sales and more.

At last count, my blog had 8 income streams which pay me each month. The great thing about a blog is how easy and cheap they are to start off.

I have been blogging since 2013 but only started to think about making money from a blog in early 2016. I have invested thousands into courses on blogging and still have loads to learn.

Blogging is definitely a long game, so for that reason, I recommend starting a blog on the side, while focusing on other ways to make money online from home.

If you need income right away, blogging is not the answer. BUT, it’s a fun way to connect with people who have the same interests as you and actively practice writing.

(Have more questions about making money blogging? Ask them here.)

10. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate Marketing is when you promote a product on a website or by social media and receive a commission on any sales made from your referral.

It can be a lucrative business to make money through internet marketing but you’ll need to grow an audience of potential purchasers first, which means affiliate marketing can take a long time.

Affiliate marketing is how I started to make money from my blog.

You can read my review of the course that got me into profit from blogging here: Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Review: How to Make More Money from Your Blog

Many people also start niche sites based on certain products, aiming to exploit affiliate revenue by providing detailed reviews and information about products.

Starting a niche affiliate site is a great way to earn an online income if you have specialist knowledge of certain equipment or products. For example,

11. Etsy or craft business

Are you crafty or creative? If so, you could start a business selling your wares on Etsy. Etsy is an online marketplace for crafts, handmade and digital goods.

You will need to consider shipping costs for overseas customers, but there is definitely good money to be made.

If you’re interested in earning money on Etsy check out these articles:

12. Data entry

If you have experience and can type quickly and accurately, data entry jobs from home could be just what you’re looking for.

Check out Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer.com as well as local jobs boards in your area.

13. Buy an existing website

If you want to make money online, then buying an established website can be a way to get income right away.

You’ll bypass the painful growth stage when you buy a proven site.

If you have a lump sum of cash to invest upfront, buying a profitable site can help you flip from employee to self-employed quickly.

I’ve just bought an established website, you can follow my progress is growing it here: Buying an Existing Website: Shortcut to Online Riches or Money Pit?

14. Customer service

CSR’s (Customer Service Representatives) are the most commonly occurring jobs under Seek’s Work From Home listings in New Zealand and Australia.

If you’ve got excellent spoken English and experience, working from home as a CSR is one of the simplest transitions to make as most employers will provide you with the full setup from home.

15. User testing

You can earn money from home in NZ or in loads of other countries by testing other people’s website. You’ll earn $10USD per 20-minute test.

You’ll need a good internet connection and very clear spoken English. User testers provide valuable feedback to website owners about website navigation and use. Click here to read more about becoming a user tester.

16. Proofreading

Proofreading is becoming a popular way to make money from home.

If you have an excellent eye for detail, becoming a proofreader is a business you can do from anywhere.

Click here to read more about becoming a proofreader.

17. Review music

Love music? Record companies and indie publishers appreciate feedback before going to market with new music.

Check out slice the pie to be rewarded for sharing your opinions on new music before it hits the charts.

18. Sell pictures of your feet

Seriously. You can make extra cash by selling feet pics online.

It’s a legitimate way to earn money online and it doesn’t need to be gross. If you’ve got nice feet (or even if you don’t as there is demand for dirty feet), check out our guide to get started selling feet pics here.

So there you have it, 18 online money-making ideas you can do from anywhere you have an internet connection. Ain’t technology grand?.

This article was written in collaboration with Salehoo. All opinions are my own.

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18 Ways to Make Money Online From Anywhere in the World