When people ask the inevitable question that has come to define our generation of “what do you do” I usually respond “I’m in internet business”. The follow up is always the same, “how can you make money online?”, which when you think about it is almost laughable. The internet is the biggest marketplace there is and hosts some of the largest business giants of our day, or any day for that matter, think Facebook, Google, Amazon.com and so many more. There are literally a million ways to make money online, all you need to do is try. The problem is people nowadays have little faith in what they cannot see, they will gladly get there news, celebrity gossip & social networking needs filled online but when you suggest they write a blog or *gasp* start an online business they shake their collective heads and say “nah, I’m not that good at computers”. Well fella, neither was I, or still am I…. I outsource almost ALL of my internet needs to competent, freelance web-designers, graphics people etc. That leaves me to focus on what I’m (sort of) good at: blogging, marketing & innovating.

So for all you doubters here are 6 EASY ways to make money online. Instead of watching the newest American Idol spend an hour every other day focusing on internet business & you’ll be surprised how fast a nice, fat little passive income stream will sneak up on you.

1. Ebay- this is the “duh” one. Come on people, I know teenagers who make money on eBay. It has the easiest interface ever created and within thirty minutes you can have the basics mastered and list your first item. Its way better than a garage sale, unless your garage sale attract 2 million people a day, and you don’t have to wake up at six a.m. to put signs out. Whether it be a part time thing or a full blown business, eBay can bring in internet income in trickles or torrents- its up to you. Go to www.ebay.com to get started or to www.ebayprincess.com for powerseller secrets & tips to give you a cutting edge in the eBay marketplace.

2. Virtual Property: Flip this Site- buying a domain on the internet is as easy as 1, 2, 3. Check out godaddy.com or 1and1.com to get good rates on domain names, then put up adds on craigslist.com, eBay and others saying your willing to sell your site for blank $$. People that really want that site will be willing to pay it. Be creative, think of catchy domain names that are still not taken. Do a little research on this growing money maker on Google and see how a few minutes a day & a little creativity can yield big profits in the “site flipping” business.

3. Social Networking Sites/Membership Sites- Its all about the niche. What are you good at? What can you do better than most? Capitalize on your knowledge, be it small or great & start up a membership site where people pay a set fee every month to pick your brain & read all the interesting info on that niche that you gather. Just be sure to gather interesting info. Start out with a blog & pack it full of content then slowly switch over… it works for others, it can work for you. Check out Sterling & Jay’s podcast on Internet Business Mastery at www.internet-based-business-mastery.com for all the info you’ll need to get up and started. (Trust me this podcast & site is a gem! & its free!)

Alright I gave you three… the next post will have the last 3… now I’m off to work on my own internet business Good Luck & get started!

Popularity: 100% [?]

I just turned 24, have NO corporate or classical biz experience and am entirely self taught. For years now I have read every business book & downloaded hundreds of hours of podcasts on internet marketing. I dare to say I know more about general business, online marketing & being successful in a virtual marketplace than most of the middle managers twice my age with two kids and a Volvo.

I say that not to brag, trust me. I’ve only begun to get my feet wet but I want everyone who reads this to know, if I can escape the 9 to 5 so can you! Come on, give yourself some credit… who out there reading this is not smarter than your average, 24 year old, flighty college drop out! Probably most of you have more experience, knowledge & life skills than I do. So beat me, I dare you.

I’ll help you out even, give you the ‘push’ you need to get out of the rat race & become the master of your own life! Finally! I will be outlining on this site EXACTLY how to get out of being an employee and quick start a business with minimal start up costs, time & headaches that will at least replace your old income & probably exceed it!

How? Well thanks for asking.

I’ll be outlining in blogs, podcasts and video tutorials exactly what to do step by step. I’ll print my own personal earnings & break down how I got there and how you can too. The world its a changing, you can either be one of the 90% who slave away to make someone else rich or join what Timothy Ferris (author of The Four Hour Work Week) calls the new rich. These 10% are made up of those who are sick of working for the man & instead want to become the man, while designing the lifestyle of their choice & bringing in constant passive income.

Everybody’s man looks different as well. I wanted to become ‘the man’ who is actually a chick, likes to travel & work from her laptop. Her office is Starbucks and all her worldly possessions fit in her Lexus – gotta be ready to go at anytime, in style of course. Besides, think of all the business books and gurus out there. Smart, indeed. Successful, absolutely. But I’m more fun, promise! Come along on my journey & learn for yourself to start escaping the 9 to 5.

Popularity: 98% [?]

Today all over the country & the world people are quitting or getting canned from jobs they’ve slaved at for years. And then tomorrow, or the next day (depending on how long their savings/unemployement pay lasts) these same people will go out to search for another job like the last and repeat the whole vicious cycle over again.

Well, I for one am not one of those people. I escaped, the 9 to 5 that is. I escaped it before it even started really. At age 21 I saw the writing on the wall and knew that my path towards Law School would lead to 60 hour weeks, stress and a series of bad marriages. So I started a little eBay business while working on my English degree and white took off I promptly dropped out.

A year later the business was frozen (something eBay occasionally, without reason does) and the idea of bartending for the rest of my life sent me running back to the safe arms of University life with my tale between my legs. I had failed as an entrepreneur, so I thought & decided I guess I’d have to do what everyone else did and study to ‘get a job’. As graduation loomed, 4 classes away, again the fear of working a 9 to 5 job I hated struck. They say necessity is the mother of invention so once more I got back on the eBay pony & saddled up. Within a few months I was back on top making a great living and left college four credits shy. Needless to say the folks weren’t too pleased but the one thing my eBay comeback had taught me was that if I hated the ‘normal’ options society presented me bad enough I was capable & likely to find income on my own terms elsewhere.

Normal Societal ‘Options’ for a ‘Good’ life:

1. Go to college & get a “good” job

2. Get a job that pays well, not necessarily a job you enjoy. Misery enjoys company.

3. Starting your own business is for those who are experienced

4. It takes money to make money

The Real Story:

1. Google 5 of the most successful business people you can think of and see if they finished college. Spoiler alert: most of them didn’t!

2. If you hate your job, hating your life is quick to follow. I don’t care how noble or great a career you have, better to be a happy beet farmer than a miserable stock broker.

3. Experience is a close as your nearest public library. Take a week & read as many books on your subject as possible- you’ll probably leave knowing more than 75% of the so called experts in the field.

4. It takes money to make money is just simply wrong, eBay is free, buying a domain is 7.00 or less & many fortunes were made starting from scratch. I started my first LLC in 20 minutes in my pajamas online for under $250 bucks.

Popularity: 87% [?]