How can I start making money online right away with a beginner-friendly business?
If you want to start an online business or side hustle in 2026, but you feel overwhelmed, confused, or like everyone on the internet is yelling different advice at you… Take a breath because in this blog post, I’m breaking down beginner-friendly online businesses worth starting in 2026. By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly which business model will work best for you — based on your personality, your ideal lifestyle, and your current starting point.
But first of all – welcome! If you’re new to my blog, I’m Alex, and this is where over 400,000 freelancers, creators, and small business owners come every single week to get honest advice and actionable strategies to start and grow businesses they love.
If you are ready to learn the copywriting skills & storytelling strategies you need to stand out & get paid in 2026 then I want you to check out my Launch Pad program.
And if you’re not new around here or this beginner stuff doesn’t really apply to you, I highly recommend you check out this video where I share 10 years of brutally honest business advice in under ten minutes. It’s a must-watch for anyone with a business as we head into 2026.
How to Start an Online Business at Home Reality Check
Here’s the truth most online “gurus” won’t tell you. Most beginners don’t fail because they lack the skills, education or resources they need to succeed.
More often than not, they fail because they choose the wrong business model for them. Simply because they saw it work for someone else.
They see a YouTuber bragging about passive income, so they start a channel even though they hate teaching or creating content.
They see someone on TikTok make a million dollars with courses and decide to create a digital product even though they have no audience to sell to.
Or they learn a new skill that they actually don’t like doing simply because they think it’s the fast-track to more income, then give up after the first client rejection.
I hear it over and over and over again.
Your success in 2026 will come from choosing the business that actually fits you. Your personality, your energy, what you enjoy, your current skills and how you want to work.
So let’s break down a few of the best beginner-friendly options for starting a side hustle in 2026, along with what you need with each to be successful, so you can find your perfect match.
And of course, in my professional but totally biased opinion, I saved the best one for last…
1. Print-on-Demand Side Hustle
Let’s start with Print-on-Demand or POD.
Print-on-Demand is basically starting an e-commerce business (aka selling physical products) without all of the scary parts or big responsibilities of owning an online store.
You don’t have inventory. You don’t have to turn your garage into a storage warehouse. You don’t need any printing equipment, and you don’t even need to know how printing works.
Here’s how it works:
STEP 1: Create a design
This can be anything from a quote, a cute graphic, a trending joke, a pattern, a meme using a tool like Canva, or if you’re super artistic, you can even design your own custom illustration.
STEP 2: Upload it to a Print-on-Demand platform
This is what makes this so easy. The Print-on-Demand platform will handle printing and shipping all of your orders for you.
There are tons of POD platforms you can choose from. But from my research, Printful and Printify seem to be the most popular.
When you upload your design, you can choose which “type” of product you want to put it on like a T-shirt, hoodie, tote bag, mug, etc.
Then the POD platform auto-generates mockup photos so your listings look professional.
STEP 3: Add the product to your online storefront
You can connect your Print-on-Demand services to an Etsy, Shopify or even Amazon Merch account.
Write your product description, pick your price, and publish it.
STEP 4: The Print-on-Demand company prints + ships
As soon as someone buys your product, the order is automatically sent to your POD company, they’ll print the product and ship it directly to the customer, and you’ll get the profit.
Your Profit = Your selling price – POD production cost – marketplace fees
For example: Let’s say you sell a mug for $18. Printify charges you $6 and etsy charges $2 in fees.
That means you keep $10 profit.
Scale that across dozens of designs, and you could have some real income potential.
If you love creative ideas, following trends, or testing fun concepts without a lot of risk, Print-on-Demand is an awesome entry point.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Creative and unique ideas.
- Copywriting/marketing skills (so you know how to actually SELL your products).
- Basic design skills.
- Familiarity with e-commerce platforms like Shopify.
- Audience or budget for product promotion.
Alright, next up…
2. Affiliate Marketing Side Hustle
Affiliate Marketing — this is honestly probably one of the easiest ways (and most common) ways to earn your first dollar online because you don’t have to do any of the product fulfillment after the sale.
You see affiliate marketing all of the time.
Basically, every single influencer you know who is recommending products and giving you “their link” or “their code” to buy something – that is affiliate marketing.
Here’s how it works:
You recommend a product, and if someone buys it using your link, you earn a small commission.
Now, when I say “small”, I do mean small.
Just because this is an easy and common way to make money online doesn’t mean it’s super profitable – especially in the beginning or if you have a small audience.
The easiest way to get started is to sign up for Amazon Associates – you can expect to earn about 1-10% commissions on anything someone buys using your Amazon Links.
You can also see whether products and brands you already love have a referral or affiliate program — like your favorite makeup brands, clothing brands, software — you name it. Again, expect the commissions here to be relatively low.
OR…
If you know any digital product creators, you could reach out to them and ask if they offer an affiliate program.
You can often earn a 20%–50% commission on digital product sales. This is where people start making real money with affiliate marketing.
The key to being successful is genuinely wanting to share the things you love and that have made your life better, so you can help other people make good buying decisions.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Affiliate links or referral codes.
- Copywriting/marketing skills (so you know how to sell the products you recommend).
- Audience & trust. You need to already have an audience or community that trusts you and your recommendations. Whether that’s on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, an email list, or even inside a niche Facebook group.
3. Virtual Assistant Side Hustle
Virtual Assistance is a great way for beginners to start making money online – and you really don’t need any crazy skills to be successful.
A VA is exactly what it sounds like – you are an assistant for an entrepreneur or small business owner somewhere in the world.
But instead of running to grab them coffee, you might be helping with organizing their inbox, updating their calendars, scheduling social media posts, answering emails, setting up simple tech, doing research, or doing other behind the scenes tasks to keep the business running smoothly.
A lot of beginners start out with simple tasks and then evolve into more specialized roles – like community managers or operations managers.
Which means as long as you do a good job and show an eagerness to continue to learn and grow, your rates can grow quickly without constantly having to look for more clients.
And yes, because I know you’re thinking it, VAs are still in high demand – even with AI.
I can tell you from personal experience that finding a good VA is literal gold to a business owner. And while having AI and tools can certainly make a VA’s job easier, it will never replace the human critical thinking a business owner needs in a VA.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Organization & communication skills.
- Basic understanding of online tools (like social media platforms, Google Drive, project management tools, invoicing software etc.)
- Copywriting/sales skills (to advertise your services & stand out on hiring platforms such as Fiverr, Upwork, etc.)
Alright next up…
4. Dropshipping Side Hustle
Dropshipping is simple: You sell a product online, but instead of storing inventory, your supplier ships it directly to your customer.
On the surface, I know this sounds very similar to print on demand, but they are slightly different and speak to different types of people.
In print on demand, you are creating the designs and selling them through POD services, it’s a more creative endeavor and it’s about selling to the identity of your customer.
In dropshipping, you are selling existing products from online suppliers that solve a need for your customer.
So you choose products from a supplier – like AliExpress. Oftentimes there is a minimum order so it does mean investing a bit up front.
Then you sell those products on your website and the supplier ships directly to the customer.
With dropshipping, you’re in charge of finding and selecting products that are trending or in demand, then you need to drive traffic to your Shopify store or website – using either paid ads or organic content. Dropping is far more strategic and is about finding a market/offer match.
The people who make a lot of money dropshipping are the ones who know how to identify good products, can create strong marketing, test ads, and adjust their strategy quickly.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Copywriting/marketing skills for ads and website copy.
- Familiarity with e-commerce platforms like Shopify.
- Budget for products and ads.
5. Digital Products Side Hustle
Digital products are anything you create that can be accessed digitally – like templates, planners, guides, checklists, or even mini-courses.
Once it’s created, you can sell it over and over again. Never having to worry about shipping or overhead costs or anything like that.
If you are particularly skilled at something other people would pay to learn about – like gardening, making sourdough, building plans – the list is endless. This could be a great option for you.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Subject matter expertise in a topic or skill that others want to learn.
- Copywriting/marketing skills so you can package and sell your digital course.
- Audience or budget for product promotion.
And remember – digital products only sell when they remove friction, short cut time, simplify something, or teach a skill others want to learn. No one pays for more “information.”
Alright, next up…
6. Social Media Management Side Hustle
Businesses desperately need someone who understands how to schedule posts, manage comments, repurpose content, or simply maintain their online presence.
A social media manager was the second hire I made when I started my business – my first hire was a copywriter. But the social media manager was the second. Why?
Because I knew that being consistent and showing up every single day was key to growing.
But I also knew there was absolutely no way I could commit to doing that every day forever.
Let alone do it well.
And guess what? 99% of business owners are exactly like me lol.
We may not like posting on social media every single day, but we know it’s valuable and necessary.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Basic design skills.
- Copywriting/marketing skills to write captions & scroll stopping hooks.
- Love for social media and staying on top of trends.
Alright, next up…
7. Starting a YouTube Channel or Starting a TikTok Account
Out of all the business options in this video, this one will by far require the longest amount of time and commitment before you see a single penny of profit.
Starting a YouTube or TikTok channel is not an overnight success formula — but it is one of the most scalable business models on the internet.
You create content in a niche, grow an audience, and eventually monetize with ads, sponsors, or affiliate links.
You don’t need a fancy camera, you don’t need a studio, and you don’t even need super great editing skills; AI tools can help you with most of that.
But what you do need is consistency and a love for teaching or creating content.
When I started my YouTube channel, it took 6 long months of showing up every single week before I started getting any views other than my friends and family. And then my channel grew very, very slowly.
There were times I literally felt like I was talking to no one because I was… No one was watching.
If I didn’t love what I was talking about, I would have quit well before my channel ever took off.
To be successful in online content creation, you don’t necessarily need to be teaching people a skill, like I am.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Comfort in front of the camera (or desire to be).
- Basic video editing skills.
- Copywriting/marketing skills so you can write scripts that keep people watching and write titles that get clicks
- Love for social media and staying on top of trends.
- Patience!
Alright, the last one on the list…
8. Copywriting Business
Ok ok, you knew this was coming and you know what they say… save the best for last!
Copywriting is hands-down one of the most valuable beginner skills you can learn. And I’m not just saying that because copywriting is the skill that I started MY freelance business 15 years years ago when I first got started.
I’m saying that because copywriting is the foundation of every single business on this list.
Every product needs copy. Every ad needs copy.
Every website needs copy.
Every funnel, email, script, sales page, and social post needs copy.
Copywriting is simply the art of communicating in a way that moves people to take action — it what helps businesses sell more effectively.
If you love writing, if you’re curious about psychology, or if helping businesses clarify and communicate their message excites you… copywriting is one of the best skills to learn in 2026.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED:
- Basic writing skills.
- Empathy
- Curiosity
And here’s the good news…
If you want to learn copywriting from scratch — the right way — I’m your girl.
Inside my 8-week copywriting program, The Copy Posse Launch Pad, I teach beginners everything they need to know about writing an entire marketing funnel.
From emails…
To landing pages…
To sales pages…
To ads…
To messaging strategy…
To audience research…
To the storytelling frameworks that make your words ooze with empathy.
It’s the program hundreds of my students have used to land their first clients, raise their rates, or even switch careers entirely.
If copywriting is calling your name, click the graphic below to learn more about The Launch Pad.
Doors only open once a year!!
So which online business is the best for beginners in 2026?
Honestly?
Whichever one you can see yourself committing to.
No matter which one you pick, don’t expect overnight success and be ready for plenty of ups and downs.
It’s not necessarily going to be “easy” but the freedom that comes with it is something that I think is truly priceless.
So pick the best online business idea that fits you and that excites you the most.
Until then, I’m Alex. Ciao for now.
