So…let’s say you don’t want to sell any products, you don’t have a service to sell and you’re not interested in the drop ship model…how else can you make money online? I’ve got a very easy method that only takes a little time and no money. Sound good? Read on.
4. Become an affiliate. Now depending upon what business you’ve been in, you may or may not be familiar with being an affiliate. Quite simply, it’s all about earning a commission for referring customers to other online site, who then buy their products. I told you it was simple. What’s nice about this is that there’s no risk to you, and the partnering company, which may never even know who you are, benefits too. For example, on my Recommended Reading page, each book is directly linked to it’s Amazon page. If you follow the link and buy the book, or even stay on Amazon and buy something, I earn an affiliate commission. Granted it’s very small, but it something. In some businesses, commissions may be as high as 20+%, which can definitely add up. The idea here is that by adding links or banners to your websites, you simply drive traffic to other sites (businesses), who in turn reward you with a commission for each sale. You might be surprised at how many businesses do this. You just have to do a little research…and before you know it, you might start getting unexpected checks in the mail.
If you’re interested in a business consultation, for more information, please refer to my Behind the Scenes Consulting. If you have questions, please email me at Robert@RobertFinkelstein.com. I welcome your comments below. Thank you.
Let’s say you don’t have a product to sell or any service that you provide…then what? Trust me there are still plenty of options for making a lot of money online. The next one I want to suggest is one that I had a lot of experience with when I was V.P. of Operations for a sporting goods company. We did manufacture our own products, but that didn’t stop us for only selling them. We carried a huge online inventory. Key word there is obviously “online.” Allow me to clarify.
3. Drop ship it. Simple economics – The less you have to touch a product, the higher your margin will be when it’s sold. So why not sell products you never have to touch. In other words, have the manufacturer ship it directly to your customer. Thus, you become the middle man. You can carry products that are out of your price range. The idea here is that you have access to customers that the vendor doesn’t. You market and sell their stuff, getting their brand out to the public, while they do what they do – manufacture. They may sell their products as well, but you know if the market has room for you too. It’s really a win/win. You get to carry an inventory that…well, you don’t have to inventory. Not literally. Of course it’s your responsibility to make sure your vendor keeps whatever products your selling either on hand or in the pipeline. 
You’re the one the customer trusts and will rely on for delivery. Customer places the order online and pays you – You place the order and pay your vendor – The vendor packs and ships the order to your customer. It’s a beautiful thing.
Some say that in order to compete in today’s challenging economy, you have to have an online presence. So what does that mean? For some, it’s just marketing through websites and social media. Spread the word to more people in a way that traditional print advertising just can’t…and for next to nothing. Of course you can launch a very expensive and extensive online market blitz, but that’s your call. And for others to compete, they need to have a e-commerce business, with or without a physical store. That’s what we’re exploring here…ways to make a profit with an online business.
2. See yourself. That’s me, selling myself. Well, to be clear, my 
Now keep in mind, if I go into a Target to buy a fan, I really don’t need to establish any relationship with the store or the team working there. I trust Target. When you’re selling yourself and services, it’s imperative that you build rapport and trust. People need to understand why they need to work with you, and not the competition. That’s what you have to get across in your website, branding and copy. If it resonates with them, your phone will ring or an email will arrive.
