Typically when we look to earn extra money on the side it involves a part-time job. A part-time job means trading more time for money. If you don’t have extra time to spare or flexible work hours, a part-time job just isn’t feasible.
For those of you who don’t have the extra time for a part-time job, it’s time to consider creating a passive income stream.
Here are four passive income opportunities you can start today.
#1 – P2P Lending
Peer to peer lending was introduced as a way for individuals to secure loans outside of institutionalized lenders. Platforms like Lending Club offer a service where people can get loans from individuals looking for high-interest opportunities.
Interest rates on highly-secure investments like U.S. Treasury securities and bank certificates will almost always guarantee a return. The downside is that return is usually less than 1%, which is hardly worth it. P2P lending platforms offer returns as high as 10% annually, however, they are a riskier investment. Peer to peer lending loans may default, causing you to lose your principle.
Despite being a riskier investment, there are definitely strategies to mitigate the risk. Lending Club offers loans as low as $25, allowing you to hedge your bets so one bad loan won’t hurt. These platforms also offer tons of guidance and support to help you avoid any losses.
#2 – Create a Blog
One of the most popular ways to earn a passive income is by starting your own blog. With services like WordPress available, launching a blog has never been easier. The only upfront costs you’ll be looking at are domain name and hosting.
The key to any successful blog is the content. Your goal is to attract as many readers as possible. The best way to do so is to create engaging and most of all helpful content. Write about topics you’re personally knowledgeable about.
For example, if you’re a health and fitness expert start a blog aimed at helping others reach their fitness goals. Provide workout plans and diets that your users can access. As you begin to attract and engage more viewers it’s time to monetize.
Here are a few of the best ways to monetize a blog:
Paid content: The more popular your blog becomes the more offers you will get for guest postings or paid content. For example, a business in your industry may ask for you to write a review essentially promoting their company. Depending on your engagement you can charge quite a bit for these postings.
Sell advertisements: As your blog begins to drive more traffic you can offer ad-placement on your website. The more viewers and clicks you generate the more leverage you have when negotiating prices. In the beginning, the numbers may be small but will continue to grow as you increase traffic.
Paid Courses or Guides: If you have the time, create a set of guides our courses you can offer your viewers. In the health and fitness example, develop a set of workout routines or diet plans your readers can purchase. If you spend the time creating quality material it will surely pay off in the future.
Earning a substantial passive income from a blog will require quite a bit of work. However, it is one of the best ways to earn sizable wealth.
#3 – Take Advantage of The Sharing Economy
Thanks to Uber hundreds of thousands of jobs have been creating out of thin air. Uber, unfortunately, won’t provide a passive income, as it requires you to drive. However, Uber inspired other entrepreneurs to create opportunities beyond peer to peer taxiing.
If you’re going on vacation or have extra space in your home you can rent it out using Airbnb. If you typically bike to work, you can rent out your car to others using Turo or Getaround. You can even rent out items like camera equipment on CameraLends or bikes on Spinlister. The sharing economy allows everyday people to make extra cash leveraging everyday items.
#4 – Stock Market
Investing in the stock market has its pros and cons. The general public tends to shy away from stocks as markets tend to be volatile. The truth is, you won’t make substantial wealth without taking the necessary risks. The stock market is a great place to put your money to work.
There are plenty of ways to get your feet wet without gambling away all your assets. Index funds represent a portfolio constructed of multiple stocks. These funds essentially allow you to diversify your portfolio in one investment.
Dividend-paying stocks are another great way to make high returns on your investment. Dividend payments are typically paid out quarterly on top of your returns.
Companies that pay out dividends tend to be larger more established companies, which usually mitigates risk for the investors. That being said, the golden rule for the stock market is to make your own strategy.
Regardless if it’s Warren Buffet, you should never invest solely based on another opinion. Formulate your own investing strategy and stick to it religiously, that way you can iterate wherever needed.
Everyone has 24 hours in their day. Passive income streams allow us to create more time for ourselves by earning more without spending more time. These four strategies are a great place to start if you haven’t done so already.