"You have to spend money to make money," the old saying goes. In traditional businesses, that's true. You need stock to sell, tools to use, or money to advertise. However, it's possible to make money online without buying any stock and without spending money on tools you don't already have. All you need is a computer.
- Get paid to blog
Viral marketing is the new hot trend, and blogging is the hottest trend out there. Hundreds of companies are willing to pay for a mention--good or bad, as long as your review is honest--on your blog. All you need is an active blog on a topic that fits their niche. If you don't already have a blog, get one for free from one of the dozens of free blogging sites, and start filling it up! When your blog is established, browse the "blogging for cash" sites until you find offers that suit you, and start earning while you blog.
- Take surveys for pay
Marketers want your input, and they're willing to give you money for it. Sign up with a survey site or five and start filling out surveys. At first you'll be eligible mainly for the lower-paying surveys, but after you've developed a reputation with a company, you'll have the option to take surveys for $20, $50, or even $200 apiece.
- Start a drop-shipping store on eBay
If you already have a good reputation on eBay, this can be a lucrative field. When you work with a drop shipper, you run a store without ever touching stock. You advertise the goods on eBay and sell them as though you had them in-house, then when customers pay, you send an order to the drop shipper,who packages the order as though it came from your store and sends it directly to the customer. Your profit is the difference between what the customer pays you and what you pay the drop shipper. Because you don't pay the drop shipper until the customer pays you, you never pay out of pocket.
As you can see, all three of these methods take effort--because there's no way to make money without work, even on the Internet. However, they're all free, and all proven. Good luck, and happy earning!