Quick Summary:
WiFi Money, simply put, to a making money online without a physical store or physical goods. Essentially it's an online business that you can start, build and grow that works solely online that generates it's revenue and profits online too (hence the WiFi money name).
This guide looks at what exactly WiFi money is, examples of business ideas that you can do that fit into this category as well as the pros and cons of starting a business of this type.
Updated:
July 24, 2023
By Max
If you've heard of the term WiFi money then you may be wondering what it means, put simply, it refers to making money online and hence over WiFI. It more specifically means making money on the internet without any physical building, shop or physically handling any goods yourself.
With the rise of the internet, it's never been easier to do this, however it's also important to be aware it's not easy and anyone telling you it is, will in most part be lying and probably selling a course on how to do it.
One of the great things about WiFi money is that it's a way to make money without a large financial investment, typically you can now start a business with little to no capital and test the market, growing it organically or without investing much moneu in marketing. In past times, most businesses required a loan or cash to invest in stock, a shop, advertising and so forth where as today, you can set up websites for next to nothing and start earning money.
How to make WiFi money
The next logical step once you've understood the concept of WiFi money is how to make WiFi money, now the are literally thousands of ways but we'll concentrate on some of the more straight forward and those with a larger chance of success. Often those that are easy are in markets where they are completely saturated with competition, so we'll ensure it's clear the level of competition of each of the ideas below.
Different WiFi money business ideas
All of the ideas here are ones where by the are zero physical presence i.e you won't need a shop and won't need any equipment (other than a laptop/computer), we'll let you know the level of competitiveness on each too.
The list below is roughly in order of most popular/well known, this doesn't mean the top or bottom is best, the best one will be the one most suited to your skills, interest and knowledge.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is a powerful business avenue that has been since the early days of the internet, it enables you to make money online without the need for physical stock or a physical shop. In this model, you (known as an affiliate), promote products or services offered by other companies (often referred to as merchants). You do this by creating content, such as blog posts, reviews, or social media posts, where you recommend and showcase the products to your audience. When a potential customer clicks on your unique referral link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission from the sale.
The beauty of affiliate marketing lies in its simplicity and accessibility. You can operate from the comfort of your homes, using only your computer and an internet connection. This eliminates the need for inventory management or dealing with shipping logistics. Additionally, you are not responsible for customer support or after-sales service (which can be a huge headache ) as these aspects are handled by the product or service provider. As a result, affiliate marketing has become a popular choice for many aspiring online entrepreneurs looking to generate passive income and build successful online businesses with minimal upfront investment.
Ecommerce (Dropshipping)
E-commerce, particularly through the dropshipping model, gives you the chance to make money online without the hassle of buying, holding and shipping stock. This is often the largest cost and problem when it comes to selling goods and with this model it's completely skipped. The model essentially follows the below steps:
- Set up an ecommerce store: Start by creating your online store, where you will showcase the products you plan to sell.
- Source a product from a dropshipper: Partner with a dropshipping supplier, which is a physical company that allows you to sell their products. They handle inventory, shipping, and customer service on your behalf.
- Advertise their products with a markup: Promote the dropshipper's products on your ecommerce store, setting a price that includes your desired profit margin on top of what the dropshipper charges you for the item.
- Receive a customer order: When a customer purchases a product from your store, you receive their order and payment details.
- Forward the order to the dropship company: Once you receive the order, send the details to the dropshipper, including the customer's shipping address.
- Dropshipper ships the product directly to the customer: The dropshipper will package and ship the product directly to the customer on your behalf, without any branding from the dropshipper itself.
- Pay the dropship company and keep the profit: After the customer receives the product and you've successfully completed the transaction, you pay the dropshipper their wholesale price for the item, and the difference between the wholesale price and the retail price you set becomes your profit.
The advantages of dropshipping within the e-commerce are numerous, these include:
- Very little upfront or overhead costs
- No stock to purchase or hold
- No shipping to do yourself
- No customer service to do yourself
- Sell thousands of products easily
- Ability to pick a niche you have knowledge or an interest in
The disadvantages of this model are also numerous though, these include:
- Very competitive space
- Getting traffic and customers to your site can be hard
- Finding reliable dropshipping companies can be tricky
- You often don't have unique products so its hard to differentiate
- Hard to compete with companies who sell products themselves as they have higher margins
Overall it certainly can be a good category, we'd recommend that you niche down and pick an area you have interest or knowledge in, if you can also source a supplier who doesn't currently dropship to others so you can have unique products then this can really help.
Selling your services (freelancing)
Once you have these skills, you can start to sell your services, there are plenty of market places online, such as Fiverr, Upwork, and other marketplaces where you can sign up for free and offer your services for a fee. We would recommend that you initially offer your services for a low cost while you're learning and building up a portfolio, as you get more and more experience, you can increase your prices and start to make more money online. You can also showcase your services via your own social media and website where you will be able to take work on without paying a percentage like you do on the marketplaces. This is a good Avenue for making money online, however, it is not easy and does require persistence.
One of the main advantages of freelancing like this is that it gives you flexibility in your life. It can be great for those who have kids or have another job and therefore need to work around certain hours. Make sure to pick an area that you have some interesting as you will be spending a lot of time doing this, if you pick an area that you don't have an interest in and you pick it purely because you think you can make money, you will likely get bored and lose motivation.
Amazon FBA
Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) has revolutionized the way individuals can make money online without the need for physical stock or a traditional shop. Put simply, FBA sellers, sell on Amazon, but simply get all of the stock delivered to Amazon warehouses where they hold and fulfil any orders.
You'll have likely seen people raving about how much money can be made via this method, but please be aware this again is not an easy and straight forward way to make money. In recent years the Amazon FBA market has become increasingly competitive so you will need to devote a good amount of time to ensure success.
Creating and selling courses
If you have knowledge and are good at writing, then you may want to explore the idea of creating and selling courses, with the advent of e-learning platforms and the widespread accessibility of the internet, experts and educators can create and sell their knowledge in the form of digital courses. Whether it's teaching a specific skill, sharing specialized knowledge, or providing in-depth tutorials, selling courses allows entrepreneurs to package their expertise into valuable content that appeals to a global audience. The digital nature of these courses means they can be accessed anytime, anywhere, and can be sold repeatedly without the need for physical inventory, making it a scalable and cost-effective way to generate income and build a successful online business.
Becoming a social media influencer
The role of a social media influencer has become one of the most coveted and admired professions, particularly among young people aspiring to become one themselves. As influencers, individuals can cultivate a substantial following on popular platforms like Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Twitter, where they create captivating content tailored to their niche, expertise, or lifestyle. With a dedicated audience, influencers can engage in fruitful collaborations with brands for sponsored content, product endorsements, and affiliate marketing, thereby generating income through promoting various products or services. Beyond these avenues, influencers have the opportunity to diversify their revenue streams by monetizing their content through brand partnerships, paid promotions, and even by creating and selling digital products like e-books, courses, or merchandise. The digital landscape of social media empowers influencers to forge connections with their audience from anywhere in the world, offering a flexible and accessible path to building a thriving online business, all while bypassing the need for investing capital upfront or having any physical stores.
Reselling products
Reselling has more recently emerged as a popular way for you to make money. As a reseller, you can leverage online platforms to purchase products at wholesale or discounted prices and then resell them at a higher retail price to customers. This model allows you to tap into a wide range of products and niches without the burden of inventory management or the need to establish a physical store. By utilizing e-commerce platforms, social media, and online marketplaces, you can reach a vast audience and effectively market your products to potential buyers. The digital landscape enables you to operate from virtually anywhere, offering the flexibility to manage your business remotely, making it an accessible and scalable approach to earning income online.
Online paid surveys
These just about fall into the category of WiFi money, although not so much of a business, doing paid surveys can create you some income that is done solely over the internet. Companies essentially pay you to fill in surveys, these can be about anything from your shopping habits to your food tastes to beauty regime. They can take anything from a few minutes to an hour or two to fill in and you'll get paid anything from a few dollars or pounds up to double digits per survey and on rare occasions you may be able to get paid large amounts for one offs.
Online market trading
Again these fall under more of a 'Way to make money' online but aren't technically businesses, Trading online is a way where you make money from trading stocks or currencies online. This requires a lot of research, learning and practicing to do well and you can easily lose a lot of money as well as make it. It's certainly not a market that you can just start doing tomorrow and earning a lot of money (no matter what some 'guru's' will tell you).
There are some more reputable companies out there such as eToro and Trading212 which have big education hubs for you to learn as well as demo accounts where you can practice with pretend money.
Is making WiFi money easy?
The simple answer is no, it requires dedication and time to learn and launch your business, then when you have launched the sales won't generally start flowing in, so you'll need to put more time to build your business, get customers and build the business. There will be occasions when you create a business idea that just works and hits a low competition but medium to high demand area, these are the golden grail of businesses and are few and far apart.
Assume that you will have to be very persistent when it comes to making money online with a WiFi money style business.
The pros of WiFi money
Once you successfully crack one of these ideas and begin earning money online, a world of advantages opens up. Firstly, you gain the freedom to work from any location, be it the comfort of your home or a tropical beach escape. Secondly, you have the flexibility to choose your working hours, whether it's dedicating a few hours a day or setting specific days off. The autonomy extends to tailoring your work schedule to suit your lifestyle. Lastly, as your online business starts to flourish, you can reinvest your earnings back into it, paving the way to potentially build a substantial enterprise that holds the potential for future sale at a significant value. The prospect of turning a small venture into a thriving business is one of the most enticing rewards of this entrepreneurial journey.
The cons of WiFi money
The realm of Wi-Fi money does come with some challenges that aspiring entrepreneurs must be aware of. It demands significant effort and is not a quick or easy path to success. To succeed, one must be prepared to invest substantial time in learning, research, and trial-and-error processes. Exploring various products and services across different markets is essential until you find a niche that aligns with your interests, has manageable competition, and generates genuine excitement. If you manage to discover this ideal combination, you'll unlock the potential for a business that you genuinely enjoy and can sustain a livelihood from. However, it's crucial to recognize that many entrepreneurs undergo years of experimentation and idea-generation before stumbling upon a profitable venture. Hence, if you have a short attention span, this method of making money might not be the most suitable fit for you.
Information we provide is for general information and does not constitute financial advice. Always ensure do your own research when making decisions especially financial ones.
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