Where will you be making money in 2022? Chances are, it won’t be the same place as where you’re making money now.
Even if you’re doing just fine in your current business, it’s always smart to explore new options and new ways to make money online; otherwise, you risk being left behind as industry trends shift and consumer preferences change.
Here are 10 businesses that could help you make money in 2022—and beyond!
1) Invest in E-Commerce
In 2017, e-commerce sales accounted for a record-breaking 9.2% of total U.S. retail sales, according to Internet Retailer Research.
Sales continue to grow, especially as more and more shoppers purchase items online on their smartphones—nowadays 58% of all e-commerce sales occur on mobile devices!
In just a few years, almost every industry has seen online shopping integration become a requirement rather than an option; it’s estimated that by 2022, 30% of all retail sales will be made through smartphones and tablets!
In other words: if you’re looking for some new side income opportunities to make money in 2022 and beyond, it’s time you start getting involved with e-commerce now.
2) Get into Network Marketing
The future of work is here, and you can make money doing it. No, we’re not talking about taking on a second job as a Lyft driver or doing odd jobs on TaskRabbit.
While those can be great side hustles if you need some extra cash, we’re talking about becoming an independent contractor for companies that sell products and services over the internet.
Internet sales are projected to hit $4 trillion by 2022, so there will be plenty of business opportunities when it comes to connecting with people who want your help selling their products—and there’s little competition since everyone else is also trying to sell their stuff online.
3) Use Mobile Apps to Promote Brands
According to a recent survey, 70% of Americans now own a smartphone. That’s an incredible opportunity for anyone wanting to start a business.
Mobile apps are cost-effective, easy to develop, and have much wider potential than their desktop counterparts—with just one app you can reach hundreds of thousands of customers.
If you’re looking for new ways to make money from your favorite brands then creating an app could be one way forward.
4) Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants offer a wide range of services, from administrative duties and data entry to research and word processing.
If you have solid business skills and know how to use them to save businesses time and money, then starting your own virtual assistant business can be an incredibly lucrative option for making money online.
Virtual assistants are independent contractors who enjoy much more flexibility than traditional employees—they typically aren’t required by law to provide benefits or receive overtime pay.
Being a virtual assistant allows you total freedom on what hours you work each day, who you work with, and how much time you spend making money from home.
Most importantly, perhaps, they can be your first step toward building up experience (and even connections) that will help support your own full-time remote work goals.
5) Do Digital Marketing for Others
In an industry that’s all about being on people’s minds, digital marketing is a strong way to capitalize on your passion for business.
Whether you have experience as a social media expert or have a knack for writing and translating web content, companies are eager to get their products seen by their target audiences.
With digital marketing skills, you can earn money by helping these businesses grow their customer bases via social media channels.
Some of these platforms include YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If you want to get paid for your expertise in staying top-of-mind with potential customers, start building your client base now.
6) Become an Affiliate Marketer
The best part about affiliate marketing is that you don’t have to create or sell a product. The marketer creates products and does all of that hard work for you, meaning you can focus on driving traffic, getting sales, and making money!
To succeed with affiliate marketing, you must know basic HTML skills.
As well as using WordPress as your content management system (CMS), and knowing how to use analytics programs like Google Analytics and Facebook Insights.
Having experience with AdWords is also a benefit when it comes time to optimize your campaign on Google.
7) Engage People Through social media
Social media is a booming industry that has exploded since Facebook’s inception, and platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat have only added fuel to its fire.
The field has no clear ceiling; whatever direction it heads toward next is up for grabs. It’s simple enough to get started: find a niche you can analyze from your area of expertise, or your own experience and interests.
Write about it on your social media accounts, or start a new account for that purpose. As long as you stay active (and post regularly), people will follow along with their friends and recommend your page to others as well.
Developing an audience takes time—so if you don’t see much activity at first, don’t get discouraged!
8) Become a Freelance Writer
One of my favorite businesses for stay-at-home moms is freelance writing. There’s a huge demand for writers and bloggers.
However, it’s hard to get started because you need experience and an online presence if you want companies to hire you.
Even if you don’t plan on freelancing, being able to write a little bit gives you flexibility when it comes time to job hunt or move somewhere else where work might be hard to find.
Freelance writing also helps hone your writing skills so that one day, should you decide that blogging isn’t your jam, maybe freelance writing is a good fit for you!
9) Do On-Demand Jobs Like Uber/Lyft Etc.
While many people think of Uber or Lyft as full-time jobs, they’re not. Most people who drive with them do so part-time.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t make decent money with them and create a good side business. If you have a car, consider signing up for one of these services and see how much money you can make driving around town doing errands for others.
It takes some patience, but it’s not out of reach for most people. Don’t forget to register as an independent contractor.
10) Become a Virtual Concierge (Businesses like Glamsquad, AirServ, etc.)
With platforms like Amazon making, it easier than ever for people and businesses to be their bosses, business models like driving services will continue shifting.
These fractional or shared-economy business models will start to take over as millennials lose trust in big corporations and instead opt for one-on-one service providers and experiences.
As a result, you could become a virtual concierge that matches clients with specific freelance professionals, like a photographer or caterer.
Of course, with huge companies providing these types of services on demand (Uber), success is far from guaranteed—but if you can differentiate yourself through quality and service, you could stand out in an oversaturated market.