Online Business Opportunities

Online business opportunities also afford you all the benefits of working from home, but even better, many of them allow you to work from absolutely anywhere (which has never been easier or more fun, thanks to the ever-growing coworking industry).

Tommy Landry of Return on Now, explains this transformation. "One of the major changes to 'how we work' over the past decade is the massive shift toward free agency, i.e. freelancing, consulting, or running solopreneur-types of businesses," he says. "While many older workers were taught to pursue security in the form of a full-time job, that is no longer the only way to make a living. In fact, it has become super easy to make the leap out to independence heading into 2019. You could consult or freelance in a number of areas from copywriting to marketing strategy, or run your own e-commerce business from your home."

He also advises that no matter which path you choose, the smart way to "escape" your full-time job is to start making this transition while you're still working. "I started my own business as a side gig back in 2009, while running marketing teams for local high tech companies," he explains. "It took 2.5 years to build up the business enough to sustain a living income, and I went full-time in 2012. I'm living proof … if you want to run solo, you can do it with the right business model, a sound exit strategy, and a lot of hard work."

Freelance Online

Want a way to start making money in minutes? Sites like Upwork, Freelancer, and People Per Hour allow you to do just that.

Another valuable (but often overlooked) resource for finding freelance work is Craigslist. "Craigslist has a whole section devoted to Gigs you can join to make additional money," says Carl Sednaoui, Director of Marketing at MailCharts.

Just bear in mind that these jobs aren't scalable. What they are, however, is a great way to make a little extra pocket money by outsourcing your skills on your own terms.

Some sites are better than others -- in terms of both opportunities and pay -- so you should do your research to find the best match for your skills, abilities, and expectations.

It's also well worth considering some sound advice from Foundr's Jeremy Noronha. "Go where your customers are, not where your competition is," he advises. "Many freelancers who get started tend to hang out in the online communities with their peers and not their potential clients. The best way to develop and build the right relationships is to provide value in all the places your ideal clients spend their time."

Bear in mind that some skills are more in demand than others:

• Writing
• Graphic or web design
• Financial services (like accounting and bookkeeping)
• AR/VR
• Development

These all tend to be instant earners. The rarer the skill (and the better you are at it), the more you can expect to earn. It can be tough to find great web designers and developers, for one. As Ashley Faulkes, founder of Mad Lemmings explains, one of the biggest reasons behind this is the fact that the industry is overrun with cheap-yet-underskilled designers and developers.

"Web design and development has gotten a bad rap lately with so many cheap options available, but I still find clients who want a personal and professional touch," she says. "You can start with the basics, and produce top-notch sites using online tools, or start with WordPress and good themes and page builders. Focus on quality and great communication and you will soon make a name for yourself."

Develop Apps

Across all markets, more than 80% of mobile minutes are now spent using apps. It may be competitive, but if you've got the skills, there's big money to be made either in developing and distributing your own app, or developing apps for others.

Leverage Amazon

While the working conditions of Amazon's own employees regularly come under fire, there are plenty of ways to make money through Amazon without being on its payroll.

Thanks to services like Amazon Fulfillment, it's easier than you might think to sell products from home, since Amazon will pick, pack, and deliver your orders for you. The service can even enable you to import and export outside your home country.

Other opportunities include self-publishing ebooks (you can learn more about writing books that sell here) and affiliate marketing, which involves linking to Amazon products from your website, and earning a commission if a link is clicked and a purchase made.

Sell on Etsy

Etsy is the platform for selling goods such as arts, crafts, jewelry, and much more. Basically, if it's handmade, vintage, or just a little bit different, Etsy's the place to find it (and sell it).

Sell Courses

Sites like Udemy and Coursera allow you to create, sell, and profit from courses you've created yourself. Few of the courses are accredited, but that's reflected in the price students pay.

They're also far more popular than you might think. "Online courses are huge right now," says David Hoos, Head of Marketing at The Good marketing agency. "They can be incredibly helpful to develop niche skills and businesses will often use them for professional development purposes. If you have a unique skill that you can organize and share, a course is a great way to do it!"

Be a Virtual Personal Assistant

Working as a virtual personal assistant takes minimal skill and is easy to get into, since there are always businesses looking for people to take on day-to-day grunt work without the cost of hiring an assistant in-house.

Become a Social Media Influencer

This one might sound like wishful thinking, but countless people are making substantial amounts of money simply by having a large and engaged social following.

Sure, it's not for everyone, and even if it is for you, it takes time to become successful. That said, if you've got the right personality and patience, making money using your influence online is a very real possibility.