This post is something overdue, I think it is important that the internet has created a way for everyone to generate income. As an avid traveler, I generate my income online. I am going to break down what I personally have done, this isn't just a list of what you can do as there are a ton of lists out there.
I am writing these business models because I have personally done these. I find some these has the potential to be scaled and others can just be a side gig.
Affiliate Marketing
This is obviously on the list as this is the most I have done in my career. Affiliate marketing allows you to create a mini-website, even just a single page, promote it and generate a commission. I mostly focus on paid media, where I buy traffic from multiple sources online and promote an offer via an affiliate link.
There are several types of affiliate networks and the ones I try to focus on the most are the recurring ones, such as software. The other highly popular ones are in the ever-green niches such as dating, health, and wealth.
There are communities out there which helps you focus on the affiliate marketing model, such as Afflift and STM forum. Affiliate marketing is the best business to start as it jumps starts you get ready for your evolution in the other categories of marketing.
Amazon FBA, Arbitrage Model
Another one of my businesses is Amazon FBA, more specifically arbitrage. Since I do click arbitrage online, it made sense to do arbitrage on Amazon. Amazon FBA arbitrage is finding products for cheap, and reselling them on Amazon for a higher market price. Basically, it is product flipping.
It is super easy to start this business. I have automated it to a point where I do not touch this model at all, I simply fund a card for my VAs to purchase the source items. This model is super easy to start because instead of the retail arbitrage, which you have to be physically purchasing. I have adjusted this model to online and purchase items from the web to ship to Amazon logistic facilities.
If you want to get into eCommerce you should have a feel of how Amazon works. Eventually, you want to put your physical product on the Amazon network.
Freelancer
This I do on and off as I just need someone to talk to about their marketing and it gives me a gateway to step away from my own mind and into others. You can create a simple profile on Upwork, Freeup, Fiverr, etc, and just put out your talent on the internet.
There are a lot of writers that make money by ghost writing other peoples content. Freelancing isn't a scalable business unless you start an agency and grow a team. A lot of digital nomads, due make their travels just by freelancing and I have met a lot on my journey.
Print On Demand
This is another easy way to start while you are traveling. Print on Demand holds no product until an order is placed. When I started a print on demand business, I generated revenue pretty much the next day. There are services such as Printful who owns huge facilities to print your products on cups, tshirts, and book covers.
Printful is one of the bigger print on demand services out there with a huge community and constantly growing their print facilities. You can literally start this business right now. If you are a graphic designer, this can be a very simple business to start. A lot of branded T-shirt businesses use to print on demand to start. Once they grow, they order in bulk to give a more personal delivery experience to the end-user.
Print on Demand has been growing because of the minimal friction to start.
Information: Newsletter, eBooks, Courses
This is how I started my online journey, creating PDFs to sell in the forums. Many years ago I sold eBooks, basically PDfs with information. We live in an information world. Years ago there was not enough information so people bought information, now there is a lot of information, so people buy trusted information.
This is why curated information is critical in our day and age. No one wants to research, they want the answers now. This same idea was the same years ago, they couldn't find the information but users wanted it now. I remember my first eBook was about how to work a specific cellphone model. I simply added my link in my forum signature and I generated 100$ a day!
Also, there are popular apps that curate content. A newsletter that gives you a brief overview of the industry you are in. 'Experts' that sell their knowledge even though they never actually did it. Information sells, you just have to turn it into a tangible item.
Social Communities
Everyone wants to be part of something elite. This is why a lot of people aim to get their Instagram followers up so they can get a lot of likes. The feeling of speciality when you are among others like you or pay to be around what you want to be is a very powerful selling point.
This is why Facebook groups are popular, Skype masterminds, Telegram communities are all popular. Even creating a chat room where users pay to be part of is something that is critical to one's growth. I have created several Slack communities where users pay to be part of, a chat room.
The advantage is they get one on one access to me and other link minded users. That exclusivity is super important to a lot of people, especially when they want to grow. The other most direct way is utilizing your communities and suggesting a product via an affiliate link. Users trust you, they will take action on your recommendations. Leverage it.
DropShipping, eCommerce
Direct to Consumer is something gaining traction, everyone now buys a lot of their goods online. The world logistic system is choking because of this and the need of the consumer. I have started several brands in the past, though they maybe whitelabel a product is what the consume wants, so I will create that product.
Nowadays you can start a brand literally right away with dropshipping and private label. You never have to come up with a concept idea of a product or start a Kickstarter. You simply just find a similar product and rebrand it as your own. Dropshipping, you never even see the product!
I know people who drop ship products on the Facebook marketplace! They simply post an item, someone is interested, they search for it and ship it to the user! The internet makes this possible.
Digital SaaS Business
A software business is a bit more time-consuming as it requires dedication to a team. I have sold 1 software business, which I needed in the past because affiliate networks and advertisers were messing up my conversions. I was passionate about this as it solved my problem and realized the industry needed it.
Nowadays you can start with a baseline SaaS business because of all the white label code out there. You buy the main source code which allows you to edit and then you turn it into a subscription where they pay monthly to use your service. You have to work on the brand itself and grow its reputation, but starting a SaaS is fairly easy nowadays as well.
More ways to generate revenue online...
Now there are more ways to generate income like creating a Youtube Channel and being a gamer on Twitch, hell you can even become a TikTok influencer and generate revenue that way. The internet has created a portal for you to make money online, now you just need to take advantage of it.
Again, these 7 models I have personally done. There are a ton of others ways to make money online. I just wanted to write down my experience and share these ideas with you, from one traveler to another.
