Every Student Can Earn Money

Become a Mechanical Turk

If you don’t mind being what amounts to a small cog in a large wheel, you could apply to become what is referred to as a Mechanical Turk for the internet behemoth Amazon.

Based on the concept of internet crowdsourcing, business advertise through Amazon for assistance with scalable tasks that require a team of people and a fast turnaround. You will probably be asked to complete some mundane chores like data entry or form filling, but your reward is cash rather than vouchers.It seems that only U.S based people are currently eligible for sign-up at the moment, but you will probably find something similar at a site like Clickworker.

Chapter 5: Brainstorm more ideas

Still struggling for ideas or inspiration? Here is a list and a reminder of just some of the best ways to make money on the internet.

Sign up to an affiliate marketing program

There are over 1,000 to choose from and the commission can be up to 75%, but success and glory don’t come easy and some help and training is often needed to make a real success of this idea. You can get some inspiration and pointers from sites like http://www.affilorama.com/

Set up an ecommerce store

You could be up and running with an internet storefront with a relatively small investment and if you get it right, you will make good money and might even attract an acquisition offer.

Make cash from blogging

There is definitely money to be made from blogging and the trick to making large amounts of money from your online blog, is to generate a high volume of traffic, normally from a specific niche that helps you stand out from the crowd.

Become an eBay seller

Selling on eBay seems to be a feast or famine scenario for a lot of people. Selling successfully is certainly not easy, but if you manage to find the right product line where profit margins are high and competition is minimal, you could become one of those extremely large sellers on eBay. Have a look at a site like http://www.salehoo.com/ which is a great resource for suppliers and inspiration on what to sell.

Become a trainer or mentor

If you have learned a foreign language skill or maybe have a acquired some qualifications and knowledge that others will find useful, offer your services as a trainer or mentor.

Become an outsourcing resource

Consider setting up a business that offers an outsourcing service. Putting your knowledge and contacts to good use can earn you a profit by charging a margin for your services.

Trade the forex markets

Big money is made and lost with daily fluctuations in the FX markets. Trading currencies is an activity that comes with a  severe wealth warning but if you manage to grasp the analytical skills needed, you can make some serious profits. Take a look at a site like http://www.forexfactory.com/ for a grasp of the basics and to see what others are doing and talking about on the forums.

Learn to create apps

If you are prepared to invest in learning about coding languages and build apps through someone like http://www.codecademy.com/ you might be able to generate an income by selling the apps for a recurring fixed fee or by charging clients for creating bespoke apps for them.

Use your writing talents

If you have a flair for creative writing and have the ability to produce compelling articles and blogs, there are many ways that you can turn your writing talents into cash.

Internet research

Another good way of building up some regular credits in your bank account is by doing some online research.

There are a number of companies around such as 63336 and The Opinion Panel, as well as American Consumer Opinion, to name a few. These companies offer you the chance to sign up and then get paid to answer questions or provide your opinion on a range of products and services.

You should not expect to pay any money to become a member of many of these companies, so definitely be wary if you find someone offering you a lucrative income stream in return for an up-front payment to become a member.

Chapter 6: Getting the most out of your online ventures

• Make sure that you regularly withdraw any cash owed to you in online accounts rather than let it build up.
• Set up a dedicated email address for your online earning activities, so that you have an easier way of keeping track of everything.
• Always try to spend any gift vouchers as quickly as possible, as some of these have expiry dates.
• Remember that the tax authorities will need to know about what you are earning, so keep a record.
• Be patient and don’t expect the money to come rolling in from day one. It takes time to build up a regular income.