How to make money online is a question that more and more Slovenians are asking themselves today. And rightly so. Over the last few decades, the internet has become the largest marketplace in the world – and it has no geographic limits, no fixed schedules, and no bosses telling you when you can go on your lunch break.
Earning an income online is my everyday life. I wasn’t taught this in school. I taught myself – through mistakes, experiments, and persistence. In this article, I won’t tell you fairy tales. I’ll tell you what actually works, how to start from scratch, and which pitfalls to avoid.
If you’re a complete beginner in the world of making money online, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll explain every term I mention so you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Why making money online is more accessible today than ever before
Twenty years ago, having an online presence was a privilege reserved for big companies. Today, all you need to start an online business is a smartphone, an internet connection, and the right knowledge.
The digital economy – the part of the economy based on the internet and digital technologies – grows year after year. Platforms such as Amazon, YouTube, Fiverr, Etsy and many others have opened the door for millions of people around the world to earn money without their own office, warehouse, or large amount of capital.
In Slovenia, interest in earning money online has exploded in recent years. More and more people are looking for ways to earn extra income alongside a regular job, or even to replace full-time employment entirely with an online business.
The good news: getting started is easier than you think.
8 proven ways to make money online
Below, I’m presenting 8 methods that are realistic, tested, and suitable for beginners. For each one, I explain what it is, how it works, and how to get started.
1. Affiliate marketing
What is affiliate marketing? It’s a method where you promote another company’s products or services and earn a commission on every sale made through your unique link. You don’t sell anything of your own – you simply refer customers.
How does it work in practice?
Let’s say you sign up for a company’s affiliate program. You get your own unique web link (URL). When someone clicks that link and buys the product, you receive a certain percentage of the sale. This percentage is called a commission and often ranges between 5% and 50%, depending on the product and the company.
How to get started?
Choose a niche – an area that interests you (health, finance, technology, travel…). A niche is a narrow topic area in which you specialize.
Create a promotional channel – this can be a blog, a YouTube channel, an Instagram profile, or TikTok.
Sign up for an affiliate program – Amazon Associates, Digistore24, or programs run by Slovenian companies are good for beginners.
Start creating content and include your affiliate links in it.
Realistic expectations: You won’t see your first results overnight. Affiliate marketing takes time to build traffic – meaning visitors to your platform. But once you create content that attracts visitors, that content generates passive income for you – earnings that come in automatically, without you having to actively work every day.
2. Social Media Management
What is social media management? It’s a service where you manage profiles for businesses or individual brands on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or LinkedIn. That means: you create posts, write copy, respond to comments, and analyze results. Businesses often can’t do this on their own – they lack the time, knowledge, or ideas. So they pay an outside expert to do it for them.
Why is this a great opportunity for beginners?
Because most of us already know social media well. What’s everyday for you – scrolling, posting, reels – is a mystery to a business owner.
How to get started?
Choose the platform you know best – Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook.
Create your own profile that showcases your ability to create content. This is your living portfolio (a collection of work that you show to potential clients).
Offer your first services at a lower price, or even for free, to one business in exchange for a recommendation and a review.
Once you have your first references, raise your prices and look for new clients – on LinkedIn, in local Facebook groups, or by messaging local businesses.
What skills do you need?
- Basic knowledge of the platforms (Instagram algorithm, TikTok trends…)
- Basics of writing for the web – short, clear posts that grab attention
- Canva for designing visual content (a free tool)
- Ability to read analytics – this is the data that shows how well your posts are performing
My advice: Start with one local business in your area. Show them what you could do for their profile, and offer a one-month trial period. This is the fastest path to your first client and your first earnings.
3. Dropshipping
What is dropshipping? Dropshipping is a business model in which you sell physical products without keeping them in stock yourself. When a customer places an order with you, you pass the order on to a supplier, who ships the goods directly to the buyer. You are the middleman who earns the difference between your selling price and the supplier’s wholesale price.
Advantages of dropshipping:
- No capital needed to buy inventory
- You work from home
- You can choose from millions of products
How do you get started?
Create an online store – the most commonly used options are Shopify (a paid but easy-to-use platform) or WooCommerce (a free WordPress plugin).
Find a supplier – the most popular one for beginners is AliExpress.
Choose a product with a good balance between price and demand.
Promote your store – this is the key part; without traffic (visitors) there are no sales.
Warning: Dropshipping is not passive income. It requires active management, handling complaints, and constant optimization. However, it is an excellent way to learn how to run an online business without a large upfront investment.
4. Freelancing – Offering Your Services Online
What is freelancing? Freelancing means independently providing services to various clients – without an employment relationship, on a project basis. As a freelancer, you are your own boss and set your own rates and schedule.
Which services are in demand?
- Content writing and copywriting (copywriting = writing text intended to sell or persuade)
- Graphic design
- Web development and programming
- Social media management
- Translation
- Virtual assistance
- Video editing
Where do you find clients?
- Fiverr – a platform where you offer services (“gigs”) at fixed prices. Ideal for beginners, because buyers search for providers themselves.
- Upwork – a larger platform for more experienced freelancers with bigger projects.
How do you get started? Create a profile on Fiverr, clearly describe your service, set your price, and wait for your first clients. The key to success is collecting your first positive reviews – they dramatically increase your visibility on the platform.
5. YouTube Channel
Why YouTube? YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world and a platform that reaches billions of viewers every month. When you create video content that is useful or entertaining, YouTube pays you for the ads shown alongside your videos. In addition, you can earn through sponsorships and affiliate links in your descriptions.
How does YouTube income work?
Once your channel reaches 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months, you can join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). You then earn a share of the advertising revenue – this is measured in RPM (revenue per mille), which means earnings per thousand views.
How do you get started?
Choose a niche that you can cover with videos.
Shoot with your mobile phone – the camera quality of modern phones is excellent.
Be consistent – one to two videos per week is the ideal rhythm to start with.
Optimize your video titles and descriptions with keywords that your target audience is searching for.
My opinion: YouTube is a long-term investment. Some channels grow quickly, while others need a year or two. But once you build an audience, the income is stable and long-lasting.
6. Amazon FBA (Selling on Amazon)
What is Amazon FBA? FBA stands for Fulfillment by Amazon – it’s an Amazon program in which you send your products to an Amazon warehouse, and Amazon takes care of shipping, packaging, and part of customer support. All you have to do is find and market the product.
Why Amazon? Amazon is the largest online store in the world, with millions of customers every day. Your product is instantly exposed to a huge customer base without you having to build your own traffic.
How do you get started?
Register an Amazon Seller account.
Find a product with good demand and low competition – there are tools for this, such as Helium 10.
Find a supplier (often on Alibaba.com – a Chinese B2B wholesale platform).
Send your goods to an Amazon warehouse and start selling.
Capital required: To get started, you need at least 1,000 EUR to buy your first inventory. This is the only method on this list that requires an initial investment.
7. Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Opportunities
What are cryptocurrencies? Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that run on a decentralized technology called blockchain. The most common are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and many others.
How can you make money with cryptocurrencies?
- Trading – you buy and sell cryptocurrencies in order to profit from price differences. It requires knowledge and is risky for beginners.
- Staking – you lock up your cryptocurrency in the network and earn rewards, similar to interest on a bank account.
- Accumulating (HODLing) – you buy cryptocurrencies and hold them long term, hoping their value will grow.
Warning: Cryptocurrencies are a high-risk investment. Their value can change drastically. Never invest money you can’t afford to lose.
8. Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Earning Money
What is AI and how can it help you earn money? AI (artificial intelligence) is a technology powered by tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, and many others. These tools let you create more content with less effort.
Specific ways to earn money with AI:
- Writing content with AI – with the help of ChatGPT, you write blog posts, product descriptions, or content for businesses.
- Creating graphics with AI – with tools like Midjourney, you create unique images and sell them on platforms such as Etsy or Adobe Stock.
- AI videos – with tools such as Synthesia or HeyGen, you create videos without cameras or microphones and sell them or publish them on YouTube.
- Prompt engineering – you sell collections of prompts (instructions for AI) on platforms such as PromptBase.
AI doesn’t replace knowledge – it multiplies it. Those who know how to use AI properly have an exceptional advantage.
Which Method Is Best for Beginners?
This is the question you ask me most often. My answer is always the same: there is no single best method for everyone.
It depends on:
- How much time do you have available?
- Do you have startup capital or not?
- What skills do you already have?
- Do you prefer working at a screen or with people?
My recommendation for absolute beginners with no capital:
Start with one of these three:
Affiliate marketing – create a blog or YouTube channel and promote products you trust.
Freelancing on Fiverr – offer a service you already know how to do (writing, graphic design, translation).
Social media management – offer to manage an Instagram or Facebook profile for a local business and earn money in your very first month.
What all three have in common is that you don’t need capital and you can start today.
The Most Common Mistakes Beginners Make When Earning Money Online
Over all these years, I’ve seen thousands of beginners make the same mistakes. To save you time and frustration, here they are:
1. Looking for a shortcut
“Earn €500 a day with no effort” – these promises are false. Every legitimate way of earning money online takes time, effort, and learning. The difference between the internet and traditional work is that your work online accumulates – the content you create today keeps bringing you visitors for years to come.
2. Jumping From Method to Method
You start with affiliate marketing, switch to dropshipping after two weeks, and move on to crypto after a month. The result? You never make enough progress anywhere to see results. Pick one method and stick with it for at least 6 months.
3. Neglecting to Build a Target Audience
Without a target audience – the people who follow you and trust your recommendations – there is no stable income. Build an email list (a list of email subscribers), social media followers, or blog visitors. These are your biggest long-term assets.
4. Not Investing in Knowledge
The web changes quickly. Algorithms – the systems that determine which content is shown and to whom – are updated regularly. Those who are willing to learn stay one step ahead of everyone else.
5. Expecting Immediate Results
Most successful online entrepreneurs worked for 6 to 18 months before seeing serious results. That is not a reason to give up – it’s the natural process of building.
How to Start Today – Step by Step
Don’t wait for the “right moment.” The right moment is now. Here is your action plan for the next 7 days:
Day 1: Choose the one method from this article that feels closest to you.
Day 2: Do some basic research – see who is successful in this field and what they are doing.
Day 3: Create an account on the appropriate platform (Fiverr, YouTube, Shopify…).
Day 4: Create your first piece of content or service – it won’t be perfect, but that’s not a problem.
Day 5: Publish or activate your offer.
Day 6: Promote it on one social network.
Day 7: Analyze the response and determine your next steps.
None of this costs money. It only costs time and determination.
Tools and Platforms I Use Myself
Over the years I’ve tried a huge number of tools. Here are the ones that have proven worthwhile:
- WordPress – the best platform for a blog and website. Free, customizable, SEO-friendly.
- Yoast SEO – a WordPress plugin that helps you optimize your content for Google. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) means optimizing for search engines, which helps your website rank higher in Google results.
- Canva – a free graphic design tool, great for beginners.
- Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign – email marketing tools (for sending messages to subscribers). An email list is one of the most important assets an online entrepreneur has.
- ChatGPT – an AI tool for writing, ideas, and problem solving.
- Google Analytics – a free tool that shows you how many visitors your website has and where they come from.
- Google Search Console – a free Google tool that shows you which keywords your site appears for in search results.
Passive Income – Myth or Reality?
The phrase “passive income” is one of the most popular in the world of online earning. It means income that comes in without active work – for example, when someone clicks on your affiliate link while you sleep.
Is passive income possible? Yes.
Is it passive from the start? No.
Every passive income requires active work at the beginning. A blog that brings you passive income had to be built over months or years.
The true definition of passive income: a system that you actively built and that now works for you.
When Can You Expect Your First Results?
It depends on the method and the effort you put in. Here are realistic estimates:
- Freelancing: first earnings within 1–4 weeks (often with your very first project on Fiverr).
- Dropshipping: first sales within 2–8 weeks, depending on your advertising budget.
- Affiliate marketing / Blog: 3–12 months for the first noticeable results.
- YouTube: 6–18 months to monetize a channel.
The key message: how quickly you see results depends on your consistency, not on luck.
Why Trust This Content?
I’ve been working in and teaching online earning for more than 15 years. I’ve built my own online income, tested hundreds of methods, and helped thousands of Slovenians take their first steps in the world of earning money online.
On zannekrep.si I regularly publish:
- Practical content for earning money
- Free e-books and webinars
My teaching is based on what I do myself – not on theory.
Conclusion: How to Make Money Online – From Words to Action
How to make money online is not a secret. It’s a skill that can be learned – like cooking, driving, or a foreign language.
Those who succeed aren’t especially smart or lucky. They’re the ones who start, stay consistent, and don’t give up after the first obstacles.
You’ve taken the first step – you’ve read this article. Now it’s up to you to take the second.
Choose one method. Start today. And when you see your first results, don’t forget: every successful online entrepreneur was once exactly where you are now.
Thank you for reading this article. If you have any questions, I’m here to help.
