The Easiest Way for Beginners to Make Money Online

 

The Easiest Way for Beginners to Make Money Online

What’s the laziest way to make money online? It’s a popular question—and who wouldn’t want a way to earn good money with minimal effort, all while working from anywhere in the world? If you’re looking for passive income side hustles that can bring in more than $100 a day, keep reading. We’ll break down five methods, compare them, and find the one that requires the least amount of work for the most return.

Things to Consider Before You Start

Before we dive in, let’s focus on five categories that determine how lazy, or easy, these methods really are:

1. Learning Curve – How long does it take to get started and earn?
2. Fulfillment – How hard is it to deliver your product or service?
3. Scalability – Can you grow this without working more?
4. Startup Capital – How much money do you need to get off the ground?
5. Risk Level – Is there a big risk to your time or money?

Now let’s dive into the different ways to make money online and crown the laziest winner.

1. Freelancing

Freelancing is a classic way to earn online by using your skills. Popular freelancing gigs include video editing, graphic design, and copywriting. With platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, it’s easier than ever to connect with clients.

But let’s take a look at what freelancing really involves.

Learning Curve

Freelancing has a learning curve that’s not exactly short. It could take about six months to start earning good money. You’ll need to either already have a skill (like design or editing) or learn one. Thankfully, there are tons of free tutorials online to help with that.

Fulfillment

The tricky part with freelancing? Client management. You’ll possibly deal with constant revisions and changes. It can feel like juggling knives—especially when you don’t agree with the client.

Scalability

Freelancing doesn’t scale well; you’re trading hours for dollars. Although you can raise rates, your overall income is still tied to the hours you work.

Startup Capital

The good news? The startup costs are practically zero. As long as you have a computer and internet, you’re ready to start. Some freelancers might invest in software like the Adobe Creative Suite, but cheaper alternatives like Canva exist.

Risk Level

Freelancing is low-risk. The biggest issue you’ll face is inconsistent income. You may have feast-or-famine cycles, but you can minimize that by building a steady client base.

Verdict: Freelancing is flexible and a solid option but far from “lazy.”

2. Airbnb Arbitrage

Airbnb arbitrage is renting a property on a long-term lease and then renting it out on Airbnb for a higher daily rate. Essentially, you’re the middleman, and this can be a lucrative option.

Learning Curve

You could be up and running in as little as one to three months. The learning curve is mostly about figuring out how the Airbnb platform works, and understanding local laws and property management.

Fulfillment

While this method avoids some of the headaches of freelancing, you’ll still have to deal with guests occasionally—think check-ins, cleaning, and the odd complaint. However, with the right tools like Guesty or Hostfully, a lot of the process can be automated.

Scalability

This is where Airbnb arbitrage shines. As long as you have enough capital and resources, you can keep adding properties to your portfolio. There’s really no upper limit.

Startup Capital

Here’s the tough part: the upfront cash. You’ll need at least $5K to $15K to cover rent deposits, furnishings, and other initial costs.

Risk Level

It’s risky. You’re putting a lot of money down upfront without a guarantee that your property will stay booked consistently.

Verdict: Airbnb arbitrage can scale big, but it takes a lot of cash and might not be for beginners.

3. Running an eBay Shop

eBay shops are easy to set up, widely popular, and offer millions of buyers a simple place to sell your products, whether you're flipping thrifted items or selling stuff from your attic.

Learning Curve

You can have a shop up and running in about two weeks. It’s not complicated and there’s no hard skill to learn. You can even start by selling things lying around your home.

Fulfillment

Shipping is part of the game here. You’ll need to pack, label, and manage returns, so fulfillment can take a bit of work, though it’s nothing unmanageable.

Scalability

The scalability of an eBay shop is high. You can expand by listing more products or even start multiple stores with different niches. As you grow, branching out to Etsy or Amazon is another option.

Startup Capital

You need at least $500 to buy some initial stock. You could source good finds from thrift stores, garage sales, or wholesale websites like DHgate.

Risk Level

There’s some risk—the money you spend on stock might not sell right away. But by staying smart with purchases and keeping up with market trends, you can minimize that risk.

Verdict: eBay is great if you don’t mind handling products yourself, but fulfillment can add up.

4. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing lets you earn commissions by promoting other people’s products. No need to manage or handle products, just get clicks on your referral links and you’re set.

Learning Curve

This method is perhaps the easiest to get started. In just a day or two, you can be up and running by signing up for affiliate programs. Popular platforms include Amazon Associates, ClickBank, and Impact.

Fulfillment

After posting your affiliate links, your work is essentially done. You’re not responsible for fulfilling orders or managing customer service, so no stress.

Scalability

It’s highly scalable. You can promote as many products as you like and content promoting affiliate links can go viral on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts.

Startup Capital

You could start for as little as $250. If you’d like to avoid creating content yourself, you can use that money to hire video editors to create short-form content for you.

Risk Level

Affiliate marketing is low-risk. You don’t hold inventory or have any major upfront costs, so the barrier is super low.

Verdict: Affiliate marketing is easy, passive, and scalable, making it a strong contender for earning online easily.

5. AI-Built Shopify Store (The Winner)

Imagine having a Shopify store set up for you by AI, from product selection to fulfillment. This hands-off approach removes almost all the usual hurdles of running an online store. You earn without needing major effort on your end.

Learning Curve

None. This is the ultimate beginner-friendly method. A service like BuildYourStore.ai can create your Shopify store and select products for you with zero coding or design skills necessary.

Fulfillment

After setup, services like AutoDS take care of everything: adding products, managing listings, ensuring orders are shipped without you needing to touch a single item.

Scalability

The smart automation makes this limitless. You can keep adding trending products and scale up without much effort at all.

Startup Capital

You can get started with just $1.99. That covers your Shopify and AutoDS subscriptions with free trials, which gives you time to see if it’s a fit before putting any real money down.

Risk Level

This method is as low-risk as you can get. With such minimal investment, the Shopify AI-powered store is a nearly no-lose situation.

Verdict: With automated product selection, fulfillment, and minimal costs, this is hands-down the laziest money-making method.

Conclusion

If you’re a beginner looking for passive income side hustles that can rake in $100 a day without much effort, the AI-built Shopify store is the clear winner. It combines minimal startup costs with hands-off operation and has virtually no learning curve, all while allowing you to scale as much as you want.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to add another stream of income, it’s never been this easy.

Want to start your AI Shopify store today? Click on BuildYourStore.ai to get started for free and secure a trial with AutoDS for just $0.99.