If you’ve ever searched “how to make money online,” you’ve likely come across a flood of videos, blog posts, and gurus promising quick riches. The problem? Much of that content is either misleading or completely scammy—leaving beginners frustrated, confused, and often wasting time or money.
So in this article, I want to cut through the noise and share with you three real, proven online business models that are perfect for absolute beginners. These aren’t just random ideas from the internet—I’ve personally built all three of these businesses myself and have made over $3 million in profit doing so.
The best part? I’ve created free step-by-step tutorials for each of these businesses on my YouTube channel, so you can follow along and get started today—without paying for a course.
Whether you’re just getting started, looking to escape the 9–5, or simply want a side hustle that works, this blog will show you the way.
✅ 1. Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) – Easiest Online Business for Beginners
Amazon KDP is hands down the easiest and lowest-risk business to start online if you have no experience. KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing, and it allows anyone to publish books and sell them on Amazon—for free.
Now, before you say, “But I’m not a writer,” let me stop you right there.
You don’t have to write novels or even know how to write well. In fact, most successful beginners on KDP start by creating low-content or no-content books such as:
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Daily planners
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Password logbooks
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Blank notebooks
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Gratitude journals
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Coloring books
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Puzzle books (like word searches or sudoku)
🧠 Why It Works:
Amazon is the largest online marketplace in the world. Millions of people buy books every day, and with KDP, you can tap into that traffic. Once your book is live, Amazon handles everything for you:
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Printing
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Shipping
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Customer service
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Listing your book on the site
You just collect your royalties.
💻 How to Start:
All you need to do is:
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Create a PDF interior and book cover (using free tools like Canva or Book Bolt).
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Upload your files to Amazon KDP.
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Set your pricing and hit publish.
You can literally have your first product live in a single day.
🔍 Real Example:
If you search “password logbook” or “word search book” on Amazon, you’ll find hundreds of simple books with hundreds—even thousands—of reviews. These are created using KDP. The inside pages are often identical, and the creator only designed the cover and uploaded the file.
🆓 Free Resource:
I’ve created a step-by-step Amazon KDP tutorial on my YouTube channel, completely free, showing you how to design, format, and publish your first book—even if you’re a total beginner.
✅ 2. Print on Demand – Create & Sell Custom T-Shirts Without Inventory
The second business model is called Print on Demand (POD). Like KDP, it requires no inventory, no upfront costs, and no shipping or handling.
Instead of books, this time you’ll be selling custom-designed products like:
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T-shirts
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Hoodies
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Tote bags
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Mugs
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Posters
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Phone cases
You simply upload a design, and the platform handles the rest—from printing to shipping.
🛍 How POD Works:
Here’s a quick breakdown of the process:
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Create a design using online tools (no graphic design experience needed).
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Upload it to a POD platform (like Amazon Merch on Demand, Redbubble, or TeePublic).
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When a customer orders, the platform prints and ships it.
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You earn a profit from each sale.
🔍 Real-Life Example:
Try searching Amazon for something like “funny fishing shirt”. You’ll notice listings that say “Merch on Demand”—these are POD products. The seller created the design once, uploaded it, and Amazon handles the rest. Many of these listings are done by individuals who started with no experience.
🎨 “I Can’t Design!” – No Problem:
You don’t need to be a designer to succeed with POD. There are tools like Canva, Placeit, and Creative Fabrica that allow you to create eye-catching designs with just a few clicks. You can also purchase design bundles or hire freelancers on Fiverr.
Even typing in a keyword like “dog mom” into a design tool will give you pre-made templates you can quickly edit.
📝 Bonus Tip:
While Amazon requires an application for their Merch program, platforms like Redbubble, TeePublic, and Zazzle let you start immediately. You can begin creating and uploading designs while you wait for Amazon’s approval (which typically takes 7–14 days).
🆓 Free Resource:
I’ve also created a complete Print on Demand tutorial on YouTube that walks you through the exact steps to get started, including how to design, where to upload, and how to price for profit.
✅ 3. Affiliate Marketing – Highest Profit Potential
While Amazon KDP and POD are amazing for beginners, the third business model—affiliate marketing—offers the biggest opportunity for long-term income and growth.
🤔 What Is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate marketing is essentially recommending products and earning a commission when someone buys through your referral link. It's like a digital version of “word of mouth.”
Most major retailers have affiliate programs:
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Amazon Associates
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Walmart
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Best Buy
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Bluehost (for web hosting)
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ClickBank (digital products)
You sign up for free, receive a unique tracking link, and when someone clicks and purchases, you get paid.
💻 Strategy That Works:
My favorite method for affiliate marketing is creating YouTube videos around products I use or recommend.
For example, let’s say you search for:
“Best fishing poles for beginners”
You’ll see videos where creators show off and review different fishing poles. In their description, they include affiliate links to those products. If you click and buy—they get a commission.
🔍 Small Creator Example:
One creator I found had only 700 subscribers but their video had over 3,000 views in just a few months. That’s enough to make consistent income from affiliate sales, especially if the product is over $50 or $100.
📦 Don’t Have Products? Start With What You Own:
If you’ve ever ordered anything from Amazon (and let’s be real, who hasn’t?), you already have products you can review. Just grab your phone, make a simple video showing how the product works or why you like it, and post it to YouTube with your affiliate link in the description.
You don’t need to be on camera—you can film the product itself or even use screen recordings and slideshows.
🆓 Free Resource:
Want to try this? My Affiliate Marketing Tutorial on YouTube gives you the exact blueprint I used, including how to find affiliate programs, how to create videos, and how to get your first clicks and sales.
