The number one goal of this site, as stated in its title, is to help you learn how to earn a living working online. There are many ways you can ‘make money’ online, and you’ve probably already tried a few, but they are filled with people trying to scam you and never allow you to make enough money to actually quit your 9-5 job.
According to a recent survey over 50% of Americans are unhappy with their jobs.
And they should be. In many cases people are severely underemployed, taking just about any job that is offered to them in order to keep the lights on at home. Many of these people have college degrees or higher!
As much as the people at the top continue to tell everyone that ‘the economy is doing great!’ and ‘you can totally support a family on $8 an hour!’ and ‘at least you have a job!’ people like you and me know how things really are. And it’s not pretty.
So What Can You Do?
One thing that hasn’t changed and will always be the true secret to success is hard work.
We are told from an early age that “as long as you work hard you can do anything you want,” and I truly believe that. The thing is, our entire system is designed around preparing you to work hard for someone else.
There are exceptions to the rule, of course. People that break from the mold and build something of their own that amasses them great wealth. We see those people, like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and all of the other billionaires and millionaires, and want what they have but have no idea how to get it.
To be honest, most of us would be happy with making enough money to be able to quit our 9-5 jobs and start living life the way we want. We don’t necessarily want to build empires that will employ thousands of people. We just want to be able to spend more time with our friends and family and do the things we want to do in life rather than having to work a 9-5 job that half of us hate anyways.
Turn Your Passion into a Business
What you can take away from success stories like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and apply to your own life is what they were willing to do in order to make their dreams come true. They had a passion and were willing to do what ever it took, even if it meant locking themselves in a garage for 10 years, in order to earn a living from their passion.
It’s not like you don’t want to work hard in order to make your dreams come true, you just have no idea how to turn your dreams or passion into a full-time income. Owning your own business like Bill Gates would be great but where do you even start?
I am certain that if I told you that you could build an online business, from scratch, in any niche that you want and earn a full-time income from it so you can quit your 9-5 job you would jump at the opportunity. What you might not be thinking about when you say ‘Sign me up!’ is how much work it actually takes to build a business from scratch.
Bill Gates didn’t lock himself in a garage for 10 years because he thought it would be fun. He was coding around the clock, building Microsoft from scratch.
Luckily for us it’s 2016 and the Internet exists so we don’t have to learn how to code in order create a successful business online. As long as you know how to use a computer you can create an online business in any area, interest, niche, or passion that you can think of.
But it’s going to take a lot of hard work.
The thing that will be different is you are going to be working hard for yourself instead of for someone else. The harder you work building your online business the more successful you will become. The person who is going to be benefiting from that success is YOU and YOU are the only one who can make it happen.
How to Earn a Living Working Online
So you think you have what it takes to build your own online business and are ready to work hard and do whatever it takes to make that business successful. Now what? What exactly do you have to do in order to build a business that is actually going to help you earn a living working online?
There are a few ways that you can make money from your online business but you first need a place where you can set up shop. In the online world that would be your website.
Don’t worry, the process of building a website has been simplified so much with the Internet that it only takes 30 seconds to have your website up and running. It’s obviously going to be empty until you add content to it, but if you typed the website address into your browser you would arrive at a real, live website that is all yours to do whatever you want with.
A blank website with no idea where to start wouldn’t be a very good way to kick off the opening ceremony, however. You wouldn’t want to start your own business anywhere else in life unless you had some training or went to school to learn how first and it’s no different with an online business.
You need training to be successful.
Everyone has to start from somewhere and for many of us that means starting from absolutely nothing and against all odds. When you are trained by and have access to people that have built successful businesses online and are already earning a full-time income then your chances of finding success are that much greater.
Ready to Start Earning?
If you’re ready to earn a living working online and build something that you can be proud of, check out my review of Wealthy Affiliate. It’s how I was able to get past the 9-5 job and work doing something that helps other people and that I am passionate about.
It is possible to earn a living working online and thousands of people are doing it each day. It’s whether you’re willing to work hard in order to make your dreams come true that is going to decide if you are going to become one of those people.
What are you willing to do in order to earn a living working online and start living life on your terms?
To your success,
-Nate
Hi Nate,
That was a very helpful overview of how to earn a living online. I’m one of those people that has a very hard time working hard and consistently at a project.
I never knew that Bill Gates locked himself in his garage for 10 years coding Microsoft. Very inspiring, yet…makes me feel all the more hopeless haha. Do you have any tips on staying focused and working hard on a project?
Thanks!
Hi Ian, I’m glad you found this post helpful! I have the same issue if I’m working on a project that I don’t enjoy and usually end up with a lot of unfinished projects.
It’s crazy what people like Bill Gates had to do behind the scenes in order to be as rich as he is today. 10 years might seem like a long time after it’s over but if you are always focusing on the amount of time then you’ll let each day slip by. The time is going to pass anyways, whether or not you do anything with that time is up to you.
When I have been working on a project for awhile and start to lose focus I think it’s important for me to allow myself to lose focus if that’s what I need. I know that the project has to be finished in order for some part of my life or business to be successful so I can’t quit. For me, it’s okay to step back and take a breather as long as I always get back to it eventually.
Thanks for the comment!
Hey Nate, thanks for posting all of this information. I have been looking for a way to start my own online business and one day quit my 9-5 job. You have given some great advice and I think I’m about ready to start my online adventure. Quick question though, I’ve had a hard time coming up with a niche. Does Wealthy Affiliate offer any guidance for those of us that might be temporarily nicheless? Thanks!
Hi Christian, that’s the goal for all of us isn’t it? I dream of the day where I don’t have to worry about going to a 9-5 job ever again.
If you can’t think of a niche that you want to pursue right away then Wealthy Affiliate has you covered. They have an entire separate training that provides you with a niche and helps you build a business around a niche that has proven results.
Thanks for the comment!
I love the idea but you do stress here that it’s going to be hard work – can you start this sort of thing off on a part time basis along side a physical job?
I suppose the learning curve will take up the most time right? How much is there to learn before you can hit the internet and flex your muscles?
Hi Chris,
You can definitely start building a website alongside your day job but I’m not going to lie to you, it’s hard work. I would say if you put in a minimum of 12 hours a week on your website, including all of the training that it takes in order to know how to do it all, you would have a fully functional website with enough content to start generating traffic in 3 or 4 months.
The only barrier to how quickly you become successful is genuinely up to how hard you are willing to work to get there. The more time you put into your online business the faster you will start to see results.
Thanks for the comment!
To start working online, you need to create an online presence and getting a blog set up is one of the best way to do so.
But I like to rephrase that to starting a business because if you think in that sense, you become more committed and innovative in your approach to marketing. Working can be completing a certain task that you might or might not like, but as an online entrepreneur, you are driven by passion and a goal to succeed in life.
And that’s the kind of living that you want.
Hi Cathy,
That’s something really great to think about for when the motivation isn’t there because working on something that might not have immediate results can be difficult to stick with overtime. Keeping that passion alive is key for success in business and in life.
Thanks for the insight 🙂
You mentioned that you need a website to start an online business. I was thinking of promoting affiliate products and have heard websites were common in doing this.
But I was thinking of promoting them either by a youtube channel or a podcast. Should I just stick to doing a website or would those alternatives also be good?
I want to start an affiliate marketing business around my passion for jiujitsu.
Jessie
Having a YouTube channel or podcast that promotes your website can only help your business. The more people you are reaching, the better. Good luck!
Hi Nate, thank you for giving an overview of what making money online means for us, and how it is possible. I agree that it is important to get training on how to do this. Otherwise, you’ll be running around like a headless chicken, looking for options that will tell you anything, leaving you vulnerable to numerous scams. Wealthy Affiliate, I have heard good things about them, is that the recommended route you would take on learning how to make money online?
Thank you for your comment! I’m glad that you found our overview of making money online helpful.
I do think Wealthy Affiliate is a great starting point for those who are new to affiliate marketing and want to learn the ins and outs of the business. Wealthy Affiliate offers a comprehensive training program that covers everything from choosing a niche to building a website to driving traffic and generating revenue. It also provides access to a supportive community of fellow affiliate marketers who can offer guidance and support.
Wealthy Affiliate is not the only option out there though. There are other reputable training programs and resources available that can also help you learn how to make money online. The key is to do your research and choose a program that aligns with your goals and values.
Regardless of which route you choose, it’s important to approach making money online with a realistic mindset and a willingness to put in the effort required to achieve success. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, but with the right training and guidance, it is possible to build a successful and profitable online business.