You Only Need These 10 Things To Make Money Online
#4 A Working Internet Connection
Very often when we think about something we would like to achieve, we imagine the final outcome. Winning the state championship. Marrying the man of your dreams. Having a successful business online.
The final goal seems so big in our minds that we tell ourselves it’s going to require something really big to get there. And we don’t have anything that big.
So we pass on our dreams. Put it back on its shelf so we can dream about it another day.
There are really only three things that we need to do as entrepreneurs online:
- Attract an audience
- Create a deeper connection with them
- Sell them something
That’s it. Everything else is in the in-betweens.
The truth is, for many things, like starting an online business, we don’t need BIG things. All we need to do is start. And when it comes to entrepreneurship, my friend, you only need these ten (or so things) to get started.
#1 Something To Share
There are many ways to make money online but the best are the ones where you’re helping people solve a problem. You can solve a problem with a product, or with an idea or a process or a way of thinking.
I like the latter. You can start with that right now. Everyone has accumulated some experience or knowledge or passion that they can share with the world. That’s all you need!
It might be experience you’ve gotten from your professional career, or it might be a skill you picked up back in Sunday School. Whatever it is, chances are there is someone who would pay you to learn how to do it your way.
#2 A Way To Share It
How are you going to share this knowledge? This idea? This framework? All you need to do is choose a method to communicate it. There’s video, audio, the written word, sketch art, oil painting. Clearly some media are better than others. But all you need to do is choose one. Which one? It really doesn't matter.
If you’re just starting out, you’re probably not great at any and that’s ok. Because this is a long-game. You’re gonna get better. And you need to start practicing now.
If you are already good at one, then keep at it. If not. Choose one that you like. Choose one that interests you. Just choose one and start getting great at it.
#3 A Social Media Platform (or three)
I mean, come on. We live in the age of the Social Platform. That means you need a platform. More specifically, you need a primary platform.
But there are so many out there! How is a budding entrepreneur to choose? Choose the one you like. Choose the one you’re already on. Choose one where the people you want to help are on. I’m really not sure it matters. At the end of the day, whenever that is, you’re not wedded to your choice.
If it turns out, no one uses your platform anymore. You jump ship like everyone else. Chances are that’s not going to happen anytime soon (Unless you were in India and chose TikTok! Yikes!)
When you get your primary platform, spend 80% of your time really establishing yourself on that platform. As for the other 20% of your platform time — spend it between two other secondary platforms.
These secondary platforms are more than just an insurance policy against the primary platform. You’re going to use these platforms to drive traffic to your primary platform.
How does that work? Say you’re primary platform is your podcast and your secondary platforms are Instagram and LinkedIn. Then, just about everything you do on Instagram and LinkedIn will encourage people to check out your podcast. That way, you grow your primary platform.
#4 An Internet Connection
Did I even need to mention this? Yes. Because it’s important for you to know that what you need is within your reach.
For some, starting a business online might mean cutting out some existing expenses. Take note. You can cut Netflix, but don’t cut your Internet.
#5 A Laptop/phone
Do people still say smartphone, or is it just phone? Either way, your phone is your content creating machine. Your photo studio. Your video production hub. It’s your office.
You can do so much with your phone. Don’t underestimate it.
I think a laptop will be great to have. But either will do.
Do not not start because you don’t have a laptop but you have a phone. And vice versa. If you have either one. You have what you need.
#6 Some Inspiration
One of the biggest killers of progress is inspiration. Some entrepreneurs get addicted to inspiration porn. This can come in the form of books, podcasts, or videos.
Being inspired is great. Taking action is even better. That being said, I think you should adopt a source of inspiration, just make sure you jot down an action plan after consuming all that feel good inspiration.
For me, I have a few podcasts that provide a world of inspiration for me to take action on.
#7 An Email List and A Landing Page
Why did I bundle these together? Because they’re related. You absolutely do not need a full-fledged website to start making money. You just need a landing page where you can send people to.
And what do you do with the landing page? You simply exchange value for an email address et voila! You have an email list.
An email list is such a great resource for creating connections, delivering value and making sales.
All you need is a way to start collecting emails. You can always get back to a full website that no one will visit later on.
#8 Something to Sell
The title did speak about making money online right? So unless it’s a Nigerian scam, we need something to sell.
We already have something to share, now we need to package that into an offer that we can sell. This might be the hardest part of starting, either figuring out how to package what we have to sell or getting the nerve to actually make an offer to our audience.
Like a lot of other things I’ve mentioned so far, you’re probably not going to get this right at first. Which is why you need to start, so you can figure it out as soon as possible.
#9 A Way to Recieve Money
Someone ready to buy is someone who needs a way to pay and when you have people ready to give you money, you better have a way to receive it.
I can tell you stories about people who have made offers but were so convinced that no one would pay them, that when someone eventually said “I’m ready to buy” they had to scramble to find a way to receive the money.
Like everything else, it does not have to be complicated. It just needs to work.
#10 A Support System
I’m not talking customer support. I’m talking YOU support. Entrepreneurship can be a very very lonely journey, but it really doesn't have to be. In all my time coaching and helping entrepreneurs start or grow their business, one of the biggest challenges I’ve seen is people giving up because they end up feeling so overwhelmed.
They don’t know what to focus on. They feel they’re the only ones who are struggling. The stuff the gurus say just doesn’t feel right. I’ve been there.
And that’s why I started The Fulltime Coach Society, a community new and part-time online coaches coming together to build the practices and habits that are essential for us to turn our expertise and passions into a successful online business, earn consistently and predictably, and deliver greater impact to our clients
This list is in no way is an attempt to over-simplify online entrepreneurship, but the truth really is that you have enough to start. To take the first step. And you can find the support to figure out the next steps as well.
