Can you really make money online? Well, the honest answer is yes you can, but it can take time and often a little risk of your own money. There is no magic “click here to start winning money” button, you need to commit to making money online, but I thought I would offer some tips on ten of the best ways to do just that…

10 – Online surveys

Searching on a laptopAn increasingly popular way for students to make money is to fill out online surveys in their spare time. Research companies are always recruiting new members to answer surveys and test new products. For a few minutes of form filling, you can make a couple of quid which is paid as cash or in rewards. You can make up to £3 for some surveys! A few good ones to try are: Toluna, Pinecone, Vivatic, The OpinionPanel, MySurvey, Valued Opinions, iPoll, SurveyBods, YourWord, Global Test Market, Hiving, PanelBase, Harris Poll, YouGov, New Vista. Also sign up for Swagbucks.com which rewards you for surveys as well as simply surfing the web, watching videos and playing games.

9 – Mobile phone recycling

See how much you can get for your old mobile phone using our in-house mobile phone price comparison tool! Maybe ask your parents if they have any lying around too. You can get some good money and help the environment by recycling mobile phones with certain companies listed on the comparison tool. Most phones are shipped off to Asia to be dismantled and we know of at least one person who received a £250 cheque in return!

8 – Start your own website

If you’ve ever seen the film “The Social Network” then you’ve most likely had your brain spinning as to what website you can start-up to make you billions. And of course, there are lots of stories out there about successful students who have started a site while at university, or even bought a domain name and later sold it for 1000s. In fact, Save the Student is one such example of a website started at a university by Owen Burek in his first year, which has since grown into a full-time and successful enterprise.

7 – Write and publish an eBook

The key to success with eBooks is to create value, and write non-fiction. Simply bundling information you have researched and compiled on a common problem (eg. ‘secrets’ to finding a job) and then presenting it in an easy to digest format (an eBook) justifies someone spending a few quid on it. Another big tip is to have a great cover designed so it stands out, and once your book is live on the Kindle store (approval takes less than 48 hours) it’s really important to get some reviews so it shows up higher in results. Encourage readers to leave an honest review at the end of your book.

[adinserter block=”7″]

6 – Affiliate marketing

If you’ve got a good presence on social media or perhaps you even have a blog or website, you can start bringing in money immediately by promoting all sorts of companies, products, services and offers online. Affiliate Window logo sign up to an affiliate network such as Affiliate Window, check their offers blog or browse the merchant listings to find something you think your friends would be interested in, grab your affiliate link and share it. If someone buys (can be within up to 90 days) using your link you’ll make a nice commission. To take it a step further, set up a website or a topical Facebook page and invite all your friends to join it and post your affiliate offers on there.

5 – Competitions

Entering competitions of course comes with no guarantees, but there is a growing community of so-called ‘compers’ in the UK consistently making up to £50,000 a year through all sorts of competitions. Types of competitions available to enter range from simple registration forms and Facebook page liking to answering questions correctly over the phone to being a TV game show contestant.

4 – Claim tax back

Many people work part-time or during the summer months, and others will be on job placements or paid internships. More often than not, if you are a student working during the year, you will be overpaying income tax. Why? Simply because few students reach the personal tax-free income allowance each year but are put on an emergency basic tax-code by their employers meaning tax is being paid when it shouldn’t be.

3 – Gigs on Fiverr and fivesquids

Fiverr is now the world’s largest marketplace for people to make money selling small services (known as ‘gigs’). What you offer could be absolutely anything, from writing and translating, social media posting, playing pranks and teaching to creating music, voiceovers and short video clips for people all around the world! The default price is $5 (hence the name of the site), but you can attach extra services to gigs for more money. Whilst it might not seem like much, it can quickly add up and there are plenty of examples of people making a really good living from the site. The key is to get a system in place which minimises the time spent on each gig.

[adinserter block=”8″]

2 – Sell clothes on eBay

Everyone’s best friend when it comes to getting rid of junk is eBay. Online auctions are a sure-fire way to turn that sleeveless jacket (which came in and out of fashion in a week) into hard cash. Some eBay sellers look at trends and try to predict what will be big ahead of the market. If you are good and don’t mind taking a risk then you can buy early in bulk and sell on when the craze hits.

1 – Betting/Gambling

For most people, gambling is a fun, recreational activity which they are able to enjoy without
losing control. However, for some people, gambling can become a serious problem, both for themselves and for their family, friends, and those concerned about them. We provide tools to help you to recognise problem gambling behaviour.