Level Up Your Online Hustle: Advanced Ways to Make Money Online in the UK
So, you’ve dabbled in surveys and maybe even sold a few knick-knacks on eBay. Now you’re ready to take things up a notch and dive into the big leagues of online money-making.
Now I have tried various online business/side hustles myself and the main advice I would give is to not believe everything the helpful and friendly YouTube “experts” are telling you, do not expect to make millions straight away.
These ideas for earning online are often difficult, time consuming but can be highly rewarding. So unless you already have vast knowledge and experience, expect that there will be a very steep initial learning curve and it will take constant time and effort to make it a success.
Whether you’re after a high-paying side hustle or dreaming of launching your own online empire, these advanced ideas are worth your time (and effort). Let’s dig in!
If you’re looking for some less time intensive online earners take a look at:
- Quick and Easy Ways to Earn Money Online in the UK.
- The Best Ways To Earn Money Online In Your Spare Time
- Earn Money From E-Commerce
- Earn Money With a Subscription Box Service
- Earn Money From Selling Courses
- Earn Money From Flipping Websites
- Earn Money From Affiliate Marketing
- Earn Money From Creating Apps
- Earn Money From a Podcast
- Earn Money From a YouTube Channel
- Earn Money From a Blog
1. Launch Your Own E-Commerce Store
You’ve probably bought from a million online stores, but have you thought about starting one?
Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce make it really easy to launch your own online shop. You could sell anything from handmade goods to curated products via dropshipping (where a third party handles the inventory and shipping).
Earning Potential: Dropshipping and e-commerce stores range from people making 1-2 sales a month, to multi-billion pound empires like Amazon. So there is amazing potential, if you’ve got the drive and determination to make your business take off.
Tip: If you’re not sure what to sell, check out trending products on Etsy or tools like Google Trends. Or go niche—who doesn’t need personalised dog bandanas?
Tip: Quality over quantity. When starting out make sure that your products, service and presentation of your site is the best it can be. Nobody is going to buy from an unknown site that looks like it was built by a 3 year old.
2. Start a Niche Subscription Box Service
Subscription boxes are all the rage, and the more niche, the better. Think artisanal snacks, self-care kits, or even a “British tea-lover’s survival box.”
Use platforms like Cratejoy to manage your service, or DIY it with tools like Stripe for payments.
One of my favourite delivery box company I found in recent years is Sweetzy. How can you not like mail order pick-n-mix?
Earning Potential: The sky’s the limit! The more subscribers you get the higher your income, so if you create a product or service people enjoy they will want to buy from you.
Warning: You might spend more time sampling goodies for your box than packing them. Totally worth it.
3. Build and Sell Online Courses
Take your expertise and package it into an online course. Whether you’re teaching advanced Excel tricks or how to bake the perfect sourdough, there’s always an audience.
Think of your own interests and what it took you to acquire your knowledge? Why not start sharing your experience and skills with the world?
Platforms like Teachable, Udemy, and Skillshare make creating courses easy.
Earning Potential: A top-rated course can earn £500–£5,000/month.
Fun Thought: “The Art of Making Perfect Yorkshire Puddings” might be the next online bestseller. Just saying.
4. Flip Websites or Domains
Ever heard of property flipping? Well, website flipping is the digital version!
Platforms like Flippa and Empire Flippers let you buy underperforming websites, spruce them up, and sell them for a profit.
Alternatively, you can flip domains (website names) by snagging catchy ones and selling them to businesses. For example, whatever evil genius first created the website name www.chair.com must have made a complete fortune selling it, or if they haven’t sold it must have had some crazy offers.
Earning Potential: Profits range from £500 to tens of thousands per flip, depending on the website.
Catch: It’s addictive. You’ll soon find yourself browsing domains at 2 a.m and searching for every term you can think of to make into a website.
5. Get into Affiliate Marketing
If you’re already blogging, vlogging, or running an Instagram page, why not make money promoting products?
Affiliate marketing lets you earn a commission whenever someone buys through your unique link.
There are so many websites and companies that will pay you well for promoting and selling their products. When you get someone to click your unique weblink and make a purchase you get cash!
Most affiliate deals offer either a flat rate for each sale or more often a percentage of the whole sale from that customer. I have even seen some programs for subscription services that will pay you a monthly percentage of the customer’s subscription…hello passive income!
Sign up for affiliate programs like Clickbank, Amazon Associates, Awin, or ShareASale to get started.
Earning Potential: sky’s the limit! Keep growing your audience and reach and your income will grow too.
Best Part: You’re basically getting paid to recommend things you love (or at least things that pay well).
Pro Tip: Pick products to promote that your audience actually wants to buy, not what you think they will want – make sure to do your research.
6. Sell Custom Software or Apps
If you’re tech-savvy and have a knack for coding, creating custom apps or software can be incredibly lucrative.
Platforms like CodeCanyon or Google Play Store let you sell your creations to a global audience.
Like any other website or business, a successful app or game can change the world and your own fortunes.
Take the example of the viral game Flappy Bird. The creator was a university student from Vietnam who made an incredibly simple game, but it went viral. Towards the end of the life of this app the creator was seeing an estimated $50,000 a day from his app, turning him into a millionaire
Earning Potential: Popular apps can make anything from a few hundred pounds, to millions!
Pro Tip: Even simple tools like budgeting calculators or language-learning games can sell like hotcakes.
7. Start a Podcast
Podcasts aren’t just fun—they can be profitable. Focus on a niche you’re passionate about, and monetize with sponsorships, ads, and even listener support via platforms like Patreon.
Use tools like Buzzsprout to launch and grow your podcast.
Earning Potential: £500–£5,000+/month with a loyal audience.
Reminder: You might spend hours editing out all your “ums,” but it’s worth it when the cash starts rolling in.
8. Start a YouTube Channel
Dreaming of YouTube fame? Whether you’re into gaming, cooking, or showing off your adorable dog, starting a channel could turn into a serious business.
The key? Find your niche (yes, even “how to make the perfect cuppa” could go viral) and stay consistent.
Building a following on YouTube and building your channel is great fun, when you’re creating videos for something that you love and enjoy. I even tried it myself during Covid Lockdowns, created a reaction channel and after a few months found myself with a few thousand followers. I had great fun doing it, but when you suddenly go from 1 to 2 kids your spare time strangely starts to disappear.
Once you’ve built up an audience you can start earning through YouTube Ads, Sponsorships, Subscriptions, Affiliate Marketing and selling Merch that is themed to your channel.
Earning Potential: Successful UK YouTubers earn anywhere from pocket change to £10k+ a month. Plus, you’ll finally have an excuse for talking to yourself on camera!
9. Create a High-Quality Blog
Blogs may sound old-school, but they’re still money-makers when done right.
Focus on a niche like travel, personal finance, or tech reviews, and monetize with ads, sponsorships, and affiliate links. Use platforms like WordPress or Squarespace to build your site.
Earning Potential: This really depends on the blog and the niche. Some blogs can fly under the radar and make a slow low level income but some can explode and become known worldwide
Heads-Up: It’s a long game, but if you stick with it, your blog could be paying for your holidays in no time.
Final Thoughts
Making serious money online takes effort, creativity, and sometimes a bit of trial and error. But with these advanced ideas, you’re not just earning pocket change—you’re building something that can last. So, go ahead: launch that store, flip that website, or finally record that podcast.
Just remember, the only thing standing between you and online success is the courage to start—and maybe a steady supply of tea, energy drinks and internet memes. Cheers to your next big online adventure!