I am 17, and while I am still in school, I have been thinking a lot about my future. I am really interested in finding ways to make money online and start building something for myself. I have got a good grip on communication and negotiation (especially over text), and I am looking for income streams where I can put those skills to work.
I am curious about things like freelancing, real estate, or other online business ideas that might be a good fit for someone my age. I am all about learning and getting started early, so if you have got any advice or personal experiences to share, I would love to hear them.
I really want to do something rather than just wasting my time doing physics📉. So any advice will be really appreciated.
One promising avenue you might consider is dropshipping. It’s a business model that allows you to sell products online without the need for upfront inventory. By partnering with a reliable supplier, you can focus on marketing and customer service. Additionally, with a guaranteed returns model, you can offer your customers peace of mind while boosting sales. It’s a great way to gain practical business experience and start generating income, even while you’re still in school.
@candise
I know what dropshipping is, what’s holding me back is how do we do it step by step. Finding a profit, making a website on Shopify, listing it. Just like that?
Yo, 17 and thinking about online income is a power move. Freelancing is definitely a good starting point. Since you’re good with communication, maybe content writing, social media management, or virtual assistant gigs could be a good fit. Check out sites like Upwork or Fiverr. Real estate’s a bigger play, but you could look into wholesaling or lead generation – those are more skill-based than capital-intensive. For other online biz ideas, maybe explore dropshipping or affiliate marketing, but do your research first. Since you’re all about learning, check out some resources like The $100 Startup for inspiration and Skillshare to level up your skills. Don’t sleep on networking either – join online communities or local groups related to your interests. Building connections can open doors. Hit me up if you have any other questions.
@Ben
First of all thanks for writing such a useful comment. I really want to indulge more in networking. And the problem is I don’t have PayPal, and I don’t know if freelancing sites provide jobs to underage individuals. And I tried to look for some content writing or blog writing jobs but most of the requirements were a bachelor’s degree (which I obviously don’t have because I’m in final year of high school) and experience (which I also don’t have as it’s my first time doing so).
It might look promising, but how do people even become one? Coding their whole lives, doing ethical hacking makes them rich??? I don’t think so. There’s a lot more than just hacking.
Ainsley said:
Maybe you could try writing blogs or copywriting ads.
That’s the thing, those are two problems in my case. Although I have great writing skills, I don’t know where to start like actual sites, even if I know sites like Fiverr or Upwork. A second problem arises that being 17, I can’t receive international payments because I don’t have PayPal.
@Arden
First, try writing on apps like Medium, then slowly build up your portfolio. I feel when we just start, you have to write for free and add things to your portfolio; that way your first client can know what he/she is making deal for.
Yo, it’s cool to see young people so motivated. I would say that if you aim for communication, contact small businesses and offer them your services of posts for the social networks that you create on Canva (you have to learn how to use the tool), but if you manage to make good communication it can be profitable. Or else learn to become a developer. Learn to code and if you’re really motivated to make websites. And the last advice reads from Napoleon Hill. Good luck. Sorry my English is bad.
@Kit
Hey, I appreciate your advice. I have experience in Canva (I was the one who creates posters and pamphlets from Canva for any event happening in our school). Contacting small businesses is a tough one, like I don’t know how to provide my services. Even if I figure out that, then why would they choose an inexperienced 17 year old guy who has potential (but not recognized because of a lack of experience)? I heard many people and many of my friends also do coding, but I am not sure why people do it. Like creating websites isn’t a big deal nowadays. I have read Think and Grow Rich from Napoleon Hill; I’ll try your recommended one too.
@Arden
If you know Canva, that’s already a point, and the question is why you? Well, because you were able to do those at your school and you enjoyed doing them, so on the plus side, you have examples. And you’d like to improve.
I was making ads for people to post on their social networks, short stuff, a quick 10-second montage for Snapchat or Instagram. You don’t know where to offer your services; it’s either physical or digital. Physically, you have to introduce yourself; it’s not easy at first, but it goes quickly. And digitally, on the networks, you contact people and offer your services. For payment, you’ll find a solution because the major problem is finding people who can pay you. Of course, coding is very broad, from software creation to website creation; it’s just that it’s a job where you can get by. But you have to be a bit of a geek. After that, it’s just leads. Book: The Mastery of Persuasion by Napoleon Hill.
Buying and flipping YouTube channels sounds like a full-time hustle, not a side gig. So I’m looking for good side hustle options, not a gamble that requires endless effort for unpredictable returns.
I usually contact my branding clients via text, and that’s our main form of communication. I have clients I’ve actually never spoken to on the phone.
The side hustle discord - https://swiy.co/thesidehustle We teach people how to make money on YouTube, flipping on Amazon & eBay, make $1000’s off TikTok reels, dropshipping, (POD - sell hoodies, shirts, cups with prints on them), affiliate marketing, sell audiobooks, and sell stock images.
You should try with beermoney; it’s basically microtasking online for different sites/apps. All the sites that have paid me personally are in this linktree. But if I were you, I would recommend beginning with Prolific, PaidViewpoint, and Freecash!
Arden said: @Ari
Will you explain more about these sites along with your own personal experience?
Prolific is a research portal where you can participate in university studies; you get paid in GBP or USD. It is basically the goat of beermoney, but there is a waiting list (in my case, it was 6 months). Earnings depend on your region and the time you spend doing tasks; the ratio is 14GBP/hour, but not always there’s work; most of the time, there isn’t actually. I make about $30 every month with Prolific. PaidViewpoint is for doing surveys where you are never disqualified, but you work about 1 to 5 minutes every day, and Freecash is an OfferWall site where you can microtask or play games and earn.
Get paid to clip and post on TikTok/Instagram based on how many views you get! Creators want you to join and start earning money clipping for them! The current rate of pay is $10/100k views! This is a side hustle very easy to do on the side; it doesn’t take much time. Something you can do in your free time and get that extra income.