Make Money Online UK- 30 Ways

If you want to leave the 9-5, start living that digital nomad lifestyle and start to make money online in the UK- you are in the right place. There are so many ways that you can earn money online. Whether you want a high earning side hustle on the side of your full time job, or if you want to make money on your own terms entirely.

The perks to picking online hustles is that you can do them anywhere. If you want to split your time between two countries, or you want to travel round the world for 6 months of the year- you need to be able to make money with a WiFi connection, a laptop, and not much else. Pick wisely, and your money making enterprise can provide you with a full time income. Minus the commute, the boss, and the office politics!

How Can I Make Money Online UK?

So what do you need to consider before you embark on making money online in the UK? By making sure that you do the thought-work before you take action, you are setting yourself up for success. When you think through your ideas and make sure that they align with your greater goals (both present and future) you are more likely to be successful, and have lasting success at your money making ventures.

1. Align With Your Passions and Interests

The biggest thing you need to consider when starting your journey to making money online, is whether your idea aligns with your passions, your strengths, and your interests. If you are going to be side hustling alongside your full time job or occupation, you need to make sure that at the end of a long day, you are still motivated to open your laptop and start working on your side hustle.

You need that passion and drive to keep working during evenings, weekends, and spare time.

2. Consider Time Zones

This point is more relevant to those who want to have a digital nomad lifestyle. Those who want to travel and work at the same time, and explore the world without being tied to a traditional 9-5 job. For example, if you have decided to become an online tutor, you might have to consider time zones. If your students are all based in the UK, and you want to travel around Asia while you work, this will give you limited teaching hours due to the vastly different time zones. Something to think about if you are considering this kind of work.

3. Decide How Much You Want To Earn

Many people overlook this point. But having an idea of how much you would like to earn can really inform which side hustle (or hustle) you decide to pursue. If you want to earn £500 a month, your hustle strategy could look very different to if you want to earn an extra £50 or £1,000 a month. Make sure that the hustle that you pick has the scalability that you need to ensure that you earn your desired amount.

4. Open a Separate Bank Account

When you start to earn money online, one of the best things that you can do, is to keep your earnings in a separate bank account. This is because it is much easier to see your income and expenditure in one place, which makes it easier to track profits, and it also makes it easier when it comes to declaring tax on your income.

My personal favourite bank account to open is Starling, because you can separate your money out into ‘pots’ or ‘spaces’ and control it within the app. I love this feature because you can put aside money for your tax bill here. It does not interfere with your day to day spending, or your salary (if you are also employed).

I cannot recommend opening a separate bank account enough to have clarity and control over your additional income. For more top tips on side hustles & taxes- take a look at this post about HMRC & Side Hustles.

Open a Starling bank account here.

Make Money Online Ideas UK

1. Freelance Writing

Freelance writing can be a very lucrative side hustle- and there are so many variations on this side hustle too. There are lots of specialisms within freelance writing. You can be a B2B or B2C copywriter, a blog writer, a sales page writer… and more!

So where can you get started? Take a look at this how to get started as a freelance copywriter post. You can find freelance writing opportunities in the UK using sites such as PeoplePerHour, Upwork, or my personal favourite, Fiverr.

Be sure to network on social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook to try and find your very first writing opportunities.

2. Teach English As A Foreign Language

Teaching English as a foreign language is something that is always going to be in demand online. You may have heard of TEFL, which is a widely, internationally recognised qualification that you can undertake in order to start teaching English as a foreign language online. Luckily, TEFL often offer discounts on their courses, so look out for this when you are purchasing the course.

Whether you decide to teach classes, or teach one on one with students, you can do both online- from anywhere in the world!

Check out opportunities on sites such as Preply, Fiverr and EF Education First Online to find your first online teaching jobs.

3. Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant role is something that can suit many people, especially if you know your way around a computer. Roles can vary from completing admin tasks and replying to emails, to social media scheduling.

Many small business owners, bloggers, and website owners require the help of freelance virtual assistants to complete day-to-day tasks that they no longer have time for. It can also be a great way to get a peek into the world of being your own boss. It could even become a full time hustle if you find a full time virtual assistant position.

So how can you get started? Head to sites like Fiverr to find your very first Virtual Assistant jobs (which will also be advertised as VA jobs sometimes). However, if you are looking for something more long term, head to Twitter or Facebook groups. You could even reach out to small businesses and start ups in your local area to see if they require any assistance.

4. Logo Design

If you work as a designer in your day job, a brilliant side hustle could be logo design. Many business owners will not know how to use Photoshop, or know how to make their vision come to life. This is where you can step in.

Designing logos in your spare time could be something that complements your full time job, without being too stressful to do during your evenings and weekends.

Again, you can head to Fiverr to start selling your logo design services. You could also set up a store on Etsy to sell custom logo designs, and set up a dedicated Instagram page to show off your work.

5. Sell Crafts

The best place to sell crafts online is at online marketplaces such as Etsy. Selling your crafts on a site like Etsy means that you have access to hundreds of thousands of potential customers- and you can ship the items worldwide.

Etsy fees are pretty good compared to other sites like Not On The High Street, and so this is an affordable way to get your products in front of lots of different customers. Consider sharing images of your crafts on social media- and eventually you could even set up your own website and dedicated social media pages in order to drive sales from the likes of Instagram and Pinterest.

Take a look at my How To Get Started On Etsy post for more information on how to begin selling crafts on Etsy yourself.

6. Reselling

Online reselling is when you buy something, and then sell it for a profit. You could resell anything at all from fine jewellery, to clothing, to collectable homeware. The best thing that you can do when reselling is to pick a niche that you are interested in. That means that when you’re sourcing your products to resell- it won’t ever feel like work!

Get started with reselling on sites like eBay and Etsy.

7. Data Entry

Data entry is another side hustle that anyone can get their teeth into in order to make some money on the side. All you need is a laptop or computer and an internet connection to get started with data entry.

It’s a skill that’s always in demand, and so you are likely to find your first jobs on sites such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour and Upwork. For longer term work, you can also search job sites such as Indeed, or even take a look on LinkedIn.

8. Flipping

Similar to reselling, flipping items for profit involves sourcing an item and then selling it again for profit. However, the idea behind ‘flipping’ is usually that you will refurbish, restore, or upcycle an item again before it is sold.

There are so many different items that you can flip. From the large items like houses, to smaller scale items such as iPhones and furniture. Again, it’s best to pick your niche wisely to make sure that you enjoy the process of flipping items. It’s something that can take up a lot of time, and can often be a labour of love if you are restoring items.

9. Matched Betting

One of the best ways to make money online relatively quickly (and potentially make relatively large amounts of money too!) is matched betting. When I first heard of matched betting, I wondered whether it was a truly legitimate way of making money, and whether it was too good to be true. After all, I had never placed a bet online myself, and knew absolutely nothing about sports and betting.

However, I decided to give it a chance and I was not disappointed! I was so surprised to find that I could make a lot of money with hardly any input (over £300, in fact). Many people go on to make thousands of pounds a month from matched betting- so it’s a real no brainer if you want to make money online in the UK.

So how can you get started with matched betting? You’ll need to sign up to a service like Profit Accumulator. This is a service which gives you all the information and tool and calculators you need to get started with matched betting, alongside step-by-step videos showing you the exact process of placing matched bets.

You can sign up to their free trial so that you can test it out for yourself, and you can earn up to £45 with this free trial. After that, your membership is £29.99 a month (you’ll have already made enough money from your free trial to cover your first months membership!)

Check out my full guide to matched betting to find out more.

Disclaimer- if you have had gambling problems in the past, or have addictive tendencies than you may want to choose another side hustle. You will be betting on real sporting events and if this sounds like something that could trigger your addiction, please steer clear.

10. OhMyDosh

Another quick way to make money online in the UK is to use a site called OhMyDosh. You can usually earn about £20 in an hour by signing up to free trials (just remember to cancel them!). The free trials can range from a graze box free trial, to a contact lens free trial. The great thing is that you get to use the items in the free trial, as well as get cash for signing up!

It’s a no brainer. Get started using this link and get yourself your first £1. From there, sign up to the trials which take your fancy, and cash out through PayPal when you reach £10.

And if you’d like to know more about OhMyDosh? Check out my full review of the OhMyDosh site.

11. Survey Sites

Many survey sites are not worth your time- but there are two which I use and recommend regularly. The surveys are genuinely interesting and also pay you well for your time. Neither of these sites will ever screen you out of surveys, which means that your time is not wasted.

YouGov

YouGov tend to pay an average of 50p per survey completed- some of which only take a few minutes to complete. You may notice on the news that YouGov polls and surveys are referenced. You could be contributing to those surveys yourself and getting paid for it!

YouGov also pay you £2 per person you refer, when they complete 10 surveys. Sign up a few friends and you will be well on your way to cashing out. Cash out when you reach £50. Use this link to get started with a £2 bonus.

Prolific

Another great survey site is Prolific. Here you can complete surveys from universities and colleges around the world. The surveys are interesting and varied- and they pay well too. The highest paid survey I’ve spotted on the site was £25 which involved speaking some words and phrases out loud.

Other surveys include things like testing games, memory tasks, and opinion based surveys.

12. 20Cogs

20Cogs is fairly similar to OhMyDosh (mentioned in point number 10), where you sign up to free trials, competitions, games and surveys. Once you complete 20 ‘cogs’ or ‘tasks’ you can cash out. You can cash out up to £200 which is pretty good going! Once all the tasks are approved, you can usually cash out within 30 days.

Sign up here to get a free £5 starting bonus.

13. Website Testing

Who knew you could get paid for website testing? When you sign up to sites like UserTesting, you can get paid to give your opinions on websites.

14. Blogging

Creating your own website or starting a blog is certainly a lucrative way to start earning money online in the UK. It’s again something that you can do anywhere, and can even help you to generate some passive income streams.

Blogging can often be a long game. There might be months or even years of hard work before you are able to start earning decent money from the work you have put in. However, once that hard work pays off, the earning opportunities can come in thick and fast. Most bloggers make money through sponsored posts, on-site ads, and affiliate marketing. There’s no reason why you can’t be making money in this way too!

Read my post on How To Start a Blog and Make Money for more information.

15. Research Trials

Online research trials are great ways to make money online in the UK from time to time. UserTribe is my favourite for earning Amazon vouchers. I have earned £80 in Amazon vouchers for one half an hour survey before.

You could also sign up to Market Research 4 U, People For Research and Research Opinions and earn money through participating in focus groups online. Often you can pick up £40-50 for a 45 minute session.

16. YouTube Videos

Did you know that YouTubers can make serious money through ad revenue? You might notice ads popping up when you watch videos on YouTube. This allows the owner of the channel to make some money from their content.

If you have a specialist subject that you’re knowledgeable about, or perhaps a skill that you could share, creating a YouTube channel and sharing videos or tutorials could be a brilliant hustle for you.

Make sure that you are passionate about the topic. Do your research to see where there could be a gap in content- and fill that gap!

17. Print on Demand

Have you ever wondered how sellers on Etsy are able to sell so many t-shirt designs? So many mug designs? So many card designs? Lots of them will be using print on demand services in order to fulfil their orders.

So what is print on demand? Print on demand works on the basis that you upload your design onto a printing website such as Printify (my preferred choice), select your printers of choice, and then integrate the listing onto your own website or a site such as Etsy.

When someone places an order with you, the order will automatically get sent to Printify. They will print, pack and send the item to the buyer. You don’t have to do anything! Everything is taken care of and you do not have to hold any stock.

This is a great way to sell your designs and artwork without having to commit to costly (and space-hogging!) stock. Check out my guide to Print On Demand in the UK for more information on how to get started.

18. Fitness Instructor

More and more fitness classes are moving online. You could start one of your own from the comfort of your own home. Whether you’d like to do one on one sessions or group classes, both are suitable as an online venture.

19. Nutritionist

As the wellness movement booms, more people than ever are keen to make sure that they are eating well and maintaining optimal health. If you are working as a nutritionist (or you’re working towards qualifying as one), offering online consultations is a brilliant way to make a full time income.

Get the word out in local groups and on social media, set up a website and start finding your customers! You could offer both courses and one to one consultations to really optimise your income in this niche.

20. Editing

Whether it’s video editing, text editing, photo editing and retouching… there are many forms of freelance editing that you can complete online to earn extra money.

Editing can be a stream of income that can easily complement your day job or other side hustles. For example, if you already record videos for YouTube, a viable side line income stream could be video editing. If you’re a freelance journalist, or freelance writer, you could earn some extra cash by doing some editing on the side.

Find your first editing jobs on freelance websites such as Fiverr, PeoplePerHour and Upwork. You may even be able to find long term partnerships with professional writers, bloggers or YouTubers eventually if you would like to turn this idea into a full time income stream.

21. Website Design

There are a lot of business owners out there who need a website as an integral part of their business, but have no idea how to create one. That’s where you can come in. If you have an interest in website design and website creation, this could become an incredibly lucrative way to make money online in the UK.

Reach out to local business owners and your professional network as a way of getting your first customers. Alternatively you can again head to a website like Fiverr and sell your services on there.

You might also be interested in: 50 Side Hustle Ideas UK 

22. Online Tutoring

If you have a background in teaching, online tutoring could be one of the best ways to make some additional money online. You already have the skills, qualifications and expertise required to successfully tutor students online.

However there are many types of tutoring that you can sell online. From music lessons, singing lessons, or even confidence coaching. If you have a skill that other people want to learn, you can sell this service online by tutoring other people.

If you want to tutor online in traditional subjects, you could use sites such as Tutorful to create a profile. Or if you wish to tutor in a language or music, you could list your services on places like Gumtree or in local Facebook groups.

23. Publish an eBook

Have you listened to the How They Hustle podcast yet? It’s the Thrifty Londoner podcast all about side hustles and main hustles. I interview people who have interesting side hustles and main hustles who make money in slightly different ways to the norm.

If you’re interested in ghost writing and publishing eBooks you might want to listen to episode 6. I chat to Calum Nolan about how he got started with this and how to publish eBooks for yourself on Amazon.

24. Voiceover Artistry

Ever heard an advert on the radio or TV, and thought you could do that? Well, you can! Voiceover artists are often sought after to do the voiceovers for videos, adverts, and more. Now that audiobooks have become more popular, writers are often also looking for people to record their audiobooks for them.

If you have a recognisable accent, this could work in your favour. Sometimes voiceover jobs will specify that they’d like to employ someone with a Scottish, Irish or London accent. So it’s worth checking out if you have a strong regional accent.

Head to sites like Fiverr for voiceover work, but you can also head to acx where you can apply for audiobook recording work.

25. Translation Services

If you are bilingual, offering translation services could be an excellent way to make money online from the comfort of your own home. This hustle could quite seamlessly fit into your evenings or weekends, and is a service that is often going to be in demand.

Head to sites like Fiverr to find your first translation jobs.

26. Remote Working Opportunities

As remote working becomes more popular, many opportunities have become available to work remotely and therefore earn money online rather than having to commute to an office each day.

This style of flexible working could be really suitable for those looking for that digital nomad lifestyle, but want the security of a regular pay cheque.

27. Create an App

Creating an app won’t be for everyone. But, if you are technologically gifted, this could be a brilliant way to make some money online if you have a unique idea.

28. Affiliate Marketing

I touched on affiliate marketing earlier when discussing blogging as a way of making money online. However you can also make money through affiliate marketing through other ways and means. You can also make money through affiliate marketing through social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

When you use an affiliate link to recommend a product or service, and someone buys that product or signs up to the service, you will make a small commission at no extra cost to them.

Affiliate networks like AWIN, Impact, and CJ Affiliates are great places to get started.

29. IT and Tech Support Services

Know your way around a computer? This could be the side hustle for you. When someone’s website goes down, gets hacked, or just isn’t working how they want it to- most people will turn to a professional for a bit of help. That person could be you!

There will always be people looking for some tech support, so there is unlikely to be a shortage of work in this area. Head to sites like Fiverr to find your first clients.

30. Social Media Manager

Love social media? Why not make some money from it. Freelancing as a social media manager could well become your full time hustle one day. Social media is now part of our everyday lives. Everyone from individuals, small business owners and large brands now use social media to promote their latest products and offers.

Offer your social media skills on sites like Fiverr, PeoplePerHour and Upwork.

So there you have it. 30 ways to make money online in the UK. Absolutely anyone can make some money on the side using one of the ideas above. When you have an internet connection and a computer, the opportunities truly are endless.

And if you’ve enjoyed these ideas? Head over to the How They Hustle podcast to hear from people who have made interesting side hustles their full time careers.

Remember to follow along @thriftylondoner on Instagram to get all the latest on side hustle ideas and money management.