How to Make Money Online – Forbes Advisor Australia

1. Become a Freelancer

If you’re a knowledge worker or a specialist in your field, you could start your own consultancy or offer your services as a freelancer.

Many marketers, writers, journalists, graphic designers, web developers and other professionals find work by sourcing and servicing multiple clients.

You can choose your hours, control your work, and potentially earn more than an in-house employee.

According to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, some 1.6 million Australians are self-employed, many of whom are older Australians or women. In fact, mature-age people are more likely to be business owners than employees.

You could start on freelance sites such as Upwork or Freelancer, but be aware that these are global job hubs, so it may be difficult to compete with workers from lower-income geographies. You can use these sites to find your footing before launching into your local network, where pay rates are higher.

May suit: Self-motivated knowledge comfortable with autonomy.

2. Launch an Online Course

Launching an online course is a great way to leverage your expertise and skills, especially in an area of high demand.

If you have built a successful marketing career, you could create a marketing course to teach others the tricks of the trade. Or, if you have built a name for yourself in search engine optimisation (SEO), you could create a guide to mastering the subject. These are just two examples of the many professional skills in demand.

It also helps if you have a large social media or newsletter following, which you can use to sell your online courses.

May suit: Skilled professionals with pre-existing audiences or large networks.

3. Start a Jobs Board

If you have experience in a niche industry or one dominated by contract or short-term roles, you could set up an online job advertisements board.

You will need to register the domain name—such as TVproductionjobs.com.au—and monetise it by attracting display advertisers or charging job-seekers subscription fees to unlock the board content. Once the site grows, you could even charge job-posters to list new jobs.

May suit: Workers in niche industries with high turnover or contract roles.

4. Launch a YouTube Channel

There is no quick way to make money off YouTube, but you may succeed if you have an original idea or the ability to market yourself.

Once your channel has reached a certain number of views and engagements, you can participate in the YouTube Partner Program. This program allows you to place ads on your long-form videos or between short-form videos and earn income from YouTube Premium subscribers who watch your content.

However, YouTube is a crowded marketplace, so make sure your content is clickable and persuasive. You can test the video content on other platforms, such as Instagram, to gauge its commercial appeal.

May suit: Entrepreneurs with strong social media skills

5. Start a Dropshipping Business

Dropshipping is a relatively new concept in Australia, but it can be a great business opportunity for those interested in starting an e-commerce store.

In dropshipping, goods are shipped by a third party rather than the online retailer. This allows you to sell a variety of products online without maintaining an expensive inventory.

As you can imagine, the overheads are also low, although you will need to research consumer buying patterns to find a profitable niche.

May suit: Those happy to let others manage their inventory.

6. List on Etsy

If you’re a dab hand at crafts and suspect there is a market for what you make, then Etsy Australia may be a great option. The online store deals exclusively with craft and home decor, selling everything from dried flower wreaths and tea cosies to handmade rugs and printable wall art.

Before opening your Etsy store, it’s important to conduct competitor and market research to help you stand out from the crowd. You should also calculate your costs and overheads, including Etsy’s transaction fees, to ensure profitability.

For example, it costs 30 cents to publish a listing on Etsy. A listing lasts for four months or until the item is sold. Once an item sells, there is a 6.5% transaction fee on the sale price (including the delivery price you set). Be well aware of these fees, as they can quickly add up.

May suit: Crafty types with a good business head.

7. Sell Your Artwork on Bluethumb

Gone are the days when you needed to visit a gallery to buy artwork, with many Australian artists listing their works on the online art marketplace, Bluethumb.

A wide variety of art styles are championed on the site—from traditional watercolours to abstract acrylics—so you’re bound to fit in, whatever your style.

Bluethumb staff also curate the site into various categories, such as ‘staff picks’ and ‘exclusive’ (new) arrivals—which helps artists find their audience.

All interactions with buyers must happen on the Bluethumb site, which takes a 40% cut on all sales.

May suit: Emerging visual artists who want to reach a wider audience.

8. Write an E-Book

If you’re a subject matter expert in a niche specialty, writing an e-book can boost your career and make you some extra money on the side.

If you’ve built a successful property portfolio or are an expert home renovator, there could well be a market for your book. Perhaps you are well-known for your business insights or have designed your own productivity tools. Or, if you’re a life coach, you could find an audience with a self-help guide.

The great thing about e-books is their easy distribution via book sites such as Amazon and Booktopia, which have designated e-book sections and downloadable formats.

Whatever your expertise, make sure there is a market for your message. If writing is not your strong suit, you may wish to work with an experienced ghostwriter, but be prepared to budget for this expense.

May suit: Experts with something compelling to say.

9. Trade on the Stock Market

The stock market can also be a great way to make money—although there are no guarantees.

If you’re a newbie investor, you may wish to take advantage of the social trading features of some of the bigger share trading platforms. eToro, for example, has a ‘demo’ account that lets you trade virtual money. You can practise until you feel comfortable investing with your own money.

Also, be prepared to lose money in the short-term to make money in the long run. Long-term investing in trusted financial instruments—such as stocks, bonds and ETFs—is widely considered to be the safest way to invest.

May suit: Long-term investors who enjoy trading.

10. Tutor High School Students

If you obtained decent marks in high school and have a flair for a particular subject or two, tutoring high school students may be a great option.

You will need to memorise different curriculums, help students prepare for exams, communicate with students of various skill levels and assess their work. You must also complete a Working With Children Check (WWCC) via your state government or territory.

Top tutors can earn $50 and upwards per hour, and those with teaching qualifications may earn more.

May suit: Retired or part-time teachers who want to make some extra money.

11. Sell What You Already Own

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and you may be surprised by how much some people are willing to pay for your pre-loved items.

Maybe you have a great collection of designer shoes you no longer wear or leftover prams and toys cluttering the garage.

There is no shortage of online sites to list your goods, from Facebook Marketplace to Gumtree Australia.

If you have quality garments, the online retailer SwapUp allows you to sell them to their fashionista community. They have a list of ‘fast fashion’ outlets from which they do not accept clothes, such as Target and K-Mart, preferring quality brands with ethical manufacturing policies

May suit: Those with designer threads to spare.

12. Join the Airtasker Crowd

Not all tasks listed on Airtasker involve helping someone move house or mow their lawn. In fact, if you dig a little deeper into the site’s back categories, you will find a few knowledge-based tasks.

Web developers are popular, with plenty of requests for basic website builds, as are professional resume writers, who can help job-seekers write cover letters for prospective employers.

May suit: Highly literate English-language natives, HR or IT professionals.

13. Teach a Second Language

If you’re lucky enough to be fluent in a second language, especially one in high demand like French or Italian, you could start your own language school.

To begin with, you could offer these classes online to keep overheads low or use your local community space for in-person meetings.

Language classes usually cost around $400 per semester, and you can cater to various abilities from beginners to advanced.

You don’t need to confine yourself to adults, either. You could also tutor senior high school students one-on-one in the lead-up to their exams.

May suit: Former teachers who are fluent in a second language.

14. Become a Virtual Assistant

Many entrepreneurs turn to virtual assistants for help with tasks, emails, calendar scheduling, and other work tasks.

If you’re organised and have a background as a personal assistant, this may be a great way to earn additional income.

To seamlessly integrate into a company’s communication channels, you will need a reliable internet connection with plenty of capacity and a good understanding of various workplace tools, such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

You can earn around $40 per hour, but it’s a competitive field, so you may need to spend time marketing yourself and your services. Freelance sites such as Upwork or Freelancer are great places to begin checking out the competition.

May suit: A professional personal assistant or project manager.

15. Become an Influencer

With the dominance of social media, brands now rely heavily on ‘influencers’ to market their businesses. If you have a sizable social media following—we’re talking in the tens of thousands—you can leverage this audience to post sponsored ads in return for payment.

But a word of warning: while this type of work can be lucrative—some influencers net thousands of dollars a month—it’s also very competitive.

It’s not easy to build a large online following, and while the videos or posts may be short, they can take time to organise, script and shoot.

May suit: Social media personalities with huge followings and time to devote to sponsored ads.

16. Sell Stock Imagery

Image sites, such as Shutterstock, Adobe Stock and Getty, are powered by creatives who sell stock images for profit.

If you have a top-notch camera and are a whiz behind the lens, there is no reason why you can’t turn your photography hobby into a side-income stream.

You can then sell the licence for using these images for a fee. This side income can become lucrative if you hit upon a popular image. Some of the top stock photographers earn more than $1000 a month, according to design site Canva

May suit: Amateur photographers with professional equipment.

17. Rent Out Your Room or Granny Flat

If you have a large house or a granny flat at the back of your property, you may wish to rent it out for extra money.

Not only will you be helping someone in need of a room or home, but considering how tight Australia’s rental market is, you will also pocket a decent weekly income.

You can list your room or granny flat on long-term rental sites, such as realestate.com.au or short-term sites, such as Stayz and Airbnb. Short-term rental sites charge hosts 3% to 4% of the booking, so price your property accordingly.

Do your homework first, as there are several other issues to consider when renting property or a room in your home, including the terms of your home insurance policy.

May suit: Retirees with plenty of space.