The Only 25 Ways to Make Money in 2026

 

I know for a fact that you're tired of searching the internet for the best ways to make money online. Every day, thousands of internet gurus tell you to try affiliate marketing or dropshipping, and they're all full of it. Those things don't work in 2026, especially not in the new era of AI.

 

 I've created dozens of companies that now generate millions, and I can tell you there are only a few real ways to make money online . To make it simple, we're breaking everything into four buckets: Trash, the stuff you should run away from; Easy, businesses you can launch in under three months, earning $5K to $10K a month; Medium, skills that can be profitable within a year, making $10K to $50K a month; and Hard, long-term plays that may take more time, but can make you millions if done right.

 

I'll tell you the income potential, difficulty, how long it'll take to make money, and who is best for each bucket. So, without further explanation, let's get into the real ways to make money in 2026.

 

 

 

Bucket 1: The Trash Bucket – Zero or Negative Income Potential

Starting with bucket number one, the Trash Bucket. The income potential for this bucket is zero, or even worse, it could be negative. The difficulty? It looks easy, but it gives you nothing back. The timeframe? It wastes months before you realize it was dead on arrival. Who is it best for? No one.

 

The Losing Recipes You Must Avoid

1. NFT Flipping: 

The hype is done. Look at all the projects that launched. Nobody made money. The ones that thought they made money have lost money. If you're going to start there and you haven't made money ever online, that's a losing recipe.

 

2. Crypto Trading: 

This moves really fast. Most people don't have the patience, and without any crazy skill, most people lose money every single day. Unless you're the person that tries to front-run the whole trade, this is a dangerous game.

 

3. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM): 

If the way you make money is getting paid to recruit people to join your thing, and you don't actually sell anything, and you spend more money to buy product to try to get up the leaderboard, that's not a business you want to be in. Most of these are scams.

 

4. Basic Caption or Subtitles:

AI does it faster, cheaper, and way better. This work has been completely automated.

 

5. Low-Level Data Entry: 

It is wild to watch that people still think they're going to make money on this because AI tools have replaced this work completely.

 

6. Fiverr Microtasks:

My favorite website on the internet five years ago, but trying to make money this way has zero long-term growth.

 

7. Print on Demand:

Here's the thing: it's really crowded, and everyone sells the same stuff. The market is saturated.

 

8. Day Trading:

Here's the deal: if you're not completely into it, obsessed with it, and just want to live the day trading life, it is way easier to lose money than to make any.

 

Basically, all these are like trying to race across the ocean in a car. You keep drowning because you need a different vehicle.

 

Run Your Idea Through the Trash Filter

To make sure your idea isn't in this bucket, I need you to run your idea through the Trash Filter. Three simple questions:

1        Is AI already replacing this?

2        Is the industry shrinking or going obsolete?

3        Is it easier to lose money than to make money?

 

If you answer yes to any, move on immediately.

 

 

 

Bucket 2: The Easy Bucket – Building Momentum ($5K - $10K / month)

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Now, let's talk about the first bucket that actually pays real money. The Easy Bucket. The income potential is $5K to $10K a month, no problem. The difficulty is low, involving simple skills and fast turnaround. The timeframe is 30 to 60 days to actually get paid. And it's best for beginners trying to gain some momentum and build some skills.

 

You don't need a degree for these. These just need basic execution and learning how to talk to customers. The goal is to get your first dollar online, build some confidence, and learn how clients work.

 

Top 6 Easy AI-Powered Opportunities

1. Basic Short-Form Editing: 

If you haven't seen all the people who have these clipping accounts and people edit these short-form videos all over social media, the demand is huge. Every person now seems to be a content creator, and AI makes it incredibly easy. So, it's easy to get paid fast.

 

2. Social Media Copywriting: 

Every business in the world needs to learn how to use words to get customers to buy, and they need somebody to help them. The tools are getting so good. Just get the client, do the work, get paid.

 

3. AI Chatbot Setup for Small Businesses:

I love this one because every small business needs more time back. If you can be the person that comes in and helps them set this up, they will pay you money because it's easy for them to redeploy their time to make more money than what they paid you.

 

4. AI Receptionist: 

Along those same lines, it's crazy today when you can use tools like YourAtlas [2] that you can get paid to set up for small businesses to take all the inbound calls, to qualify, sell, fill up schedules, answer questions. And it'll do it without being upset, complaining, taking time off, or calling in sick. Helping businesses do this is a great way to make money.

 

5. UGC (User-Generated Content):

Brands want to pay for real people showing their products, not professional models. Helping a brand connect with a creator, and you're the middleman, you get a piece of this. My buddy in Dubai, this is his whole business, and they're already doing $100K a month. So, you can make $5K to $10K starting with this one.

 

6. Virtual or Executive Assistant:

It's one of my favorite categories because I wrote a book called Buy Back Your Time. Rich people hate wasting time, and they'll pay you to get it back. The best part is you get paid to hang out with smart people that can teach you about life. This is a no-brainer. This approach is a great starting point for those looking to build wealth with zero initial capital

For a deeper dive into building foundational wealth: The Ultimate Blueprint to Building Wealth with Zero Initial Capital

 

The Blueprint for Success in the Easy Bucket

This bucket is about learning how to master a high-income skill. If you already knew how to make millions, you'd be making millions. Which means you're going to have to invest in yourself to develop the skills to add value to the world.

 

If you want to try any of these ideas, follow these specific steps:

 

Step 1: Create Your Outcome-Based Offer. Don't sell your time. Map your offer to a pain the customer already has. Help them make money or save time around an area that they're really in pain around, because pain is a perfect way to figure out what they're willing to pay for. Make a promise that's specific around a result in a very specific timeframe. That's how you create a compelling offer.

 

Then, just remove all the risks. Tell them what the guarantee is, and then say, "Because it's just you, you can only take so many clients, so I'm only looking for three or five clients." That creates urgency and it'll get them to buy right away.

 

 

Step 2: Do One Daily Outreach. That's a non-negotiable. If you want to make money online, set it and forget it. It's just a habit. Reach out to one potential client every day until you get customers. But you just have to have a clear offer. That's what this bucket will teach you: the skill of crafting an offer, getting somebody to understand it, and paying you. This will give you the best chance to be successful in this bucket.

 

 

 

Bucket 3: The Medium Bucket – Stability and Scale ($10K - $50K / month)

If you already have experience or you want income that's more consistent, the Medium Bucket might actually be a better choice.

 

The income potential is $10K to $50K per month minimum. The difficulty level is medium, but multi-skill work tied to real business outcomes makes you money. You're not just doing tasks anymore; you're solving revenue and growth problems for businesses. The timeframe to make real money could be 3 months, maybe worst case 12 months, but you're setting up your future. It's best for people that have some skill but want more stability and scale.

 

You're no longer just doing the skill; you're actually tying your pay to an outcome. The only way for your clients to make more money is for them to focus on solving bigger problems, which means you come in and take the smaller problems off their plate.

 

Top 5 Medium AI-Powered Opportunities

1. AI Automation Agencies (AAA): 

This one's the new hotness. The demand for this alone makes it a fantastic opportunity, and it makes you bulletproof for the future. Businesses are literally drowning in opportunity to automate, and it makes them money quickly and saves them time at scale. This is how you turn AI into real revenue .

 A guide on how to leverage AI for revenue generation: How to make money with AI in 2026 - Elementor

2. LinkedIn Growth Systems Powered by AI:

Every CEO or leader out there needs more reach. They need people to know who they are. If you're the kind of person to come in and own that outcome of getting that attention, that audience, that trust, they will pay you to help them grow.

 

3. Micro-SaaS:

Near and dear to my heart, and really AI tools for small businesses. These are like really small plugins, extensions, or apps for a marketplace. The cool part is you charge monthly for simple, clear value, and that's how you stack revenue. This model is ideal for those who have mastered the discipline of building wealth .

 

4. AI Content Agency:

This one is super fun, especially if you love content. Brands are always looking for more content that's aligned to help them create associations to help their business. You use AI to produce high volumes without shooting. Look into tools like HeyGen, ElevenLabs, and others like that that'll make this job easy.

 

5. High-Quality Motion Graphic Designers:

The more AI can do all kinds of low-quality stuff, and the more people are shooting content, what's missing is somebody to understand how to do motion graphics. This is the separator. This is where you make content look pro. You want to learn After Effects plus all the AI tools that help you make and deliver premium assets fast.

 

Pro Tips for the Medium Bucket

If you fall in love with this bucket, here are two pro tips that you need:

 

1. Build Three to Five Measurable Case Studies: 

That way, it'll allow you to sell to more clients fast. If you're just starting off, maybe you find people that represent your ideal customer profile and offer to do it at a discount. In return for that discount, they agree to let you use their project as a case study to talk to other customers about.

 

2. Sell Outcome-Based Monthly Retainers:

I still see people in today's age that are selling their time for money. You have to disconnect from that. Don't get stuck in it. When you can sell outcomes, especially like monthly retainers for a specific outcome, that creates predictability and recurring revenue in your business. And that is the most beautiful place to get. That is how you make real money online.

 

 

 

Bucket 4: The Hard Bucket – Building an Empire ($1M+ / month)

If you want to build something way bigger than yourself, something that could actually change your entire life, the Hard Bucket is where it's at.

 

The income potential here could be millions per month. The difficulty level is high because it's going to require systems, leadership, and honestly, long-term thinking. It's hard to get into, and it may need some capital or expertise, but you will see a massive return. The timeframe to get to this level, if you start from zero, could take two to 10 years or more, depending on your level of effort. It's best for people who want to build something bigger than themselves—essentially, an asset or even better, an empire. The reason why is because you're building something that someone else might actually buy.

 

Top 6 Hard AI-Powered Opportunities

1. Investing in AI-First Founders:

This is my world. I've been doing AI investing for over seven years. Companies like Flex Pay or Intercom, etc. are all companies I was involved in in the early days. If you have the capital and you invest in them, when they win, you win. When you get equity without running the company yourself, you get a lot of time back. I've personally invested in over 100 companies using this method.

 

2. Software AI Products:

 We have built or partnered with people that have launched a new AI company every month for the last year and a little bit. This one has made me more money than anything I've ever done my whole life. The key to make it work is you've got to build tools that solve real problems in a way that's unique. Not only is it a great way to generate recurring revenue because it's software, but you build some value where people will pay you 10 to 50 times more than your top-line revenue for the business.

 

3. Buying Small Businesses and Automating with AI:

It's so crazy how there are these really simple businesses that are still stuck in the 80s. My friend Jason bought a campground a couple of years ago, and all he did was put in AI-powered booking software, management software, and maintenance software, and the thing prints cash today. Buying a boring business that somebody else is done with and using AI is a great way to create real wealth.

 

4. Personal Brand / Content Machine for Deal Flow: 

You've seen this with Mr. Beast and Feastables, with Logan Paul and Prime, and with all these content creators. If you can build a personal brand and build distribution, then you have a way to introduce customers to a product that creates equity, that creates enterprise value. This is in the Hard Bucket because most people are unwilling to stick with it. It takes time, commitment, and dedication. You've got to be consistent.

 

5. Subscription Communities Powered by AI Curation: 

I've seen so many of these online communities now where people pay every month to be part of a group so that they have access to knowledge and experience, and the AI is designed to answer their questions to support them. It's faster, it's easier, and you can build a business from it.

 

6. Licensing AI Playbooks:

Most companies don't realize their system prompts are their new IP, their intellectual property. If you have a business that has created these playbooks that are AI-powered, you can copy-paste those and sell them to other businesses by making them passive income. Just go look at all the custom GPTs you can buy. A lot of people are creating innovation inside their own business and licensing it to other companies and making a ton of money. This is a really cool one that I think a lot of people are sleeping on.

 

The Hard Bucket Success Formula

The Hard Bucket is a reflection of my life. I started as a software programmer at 17, writing code, and it took me almost seven years to finally find any traction. Eventually, at 28, I sold my company and became a multi-millionaire. It's the thing that ultimately made me financially successful, but better than anything, it created the confidence in my abilities that I could then apply to my other companies.

 

Don't forget, you don't get the hockey stick without the flat first year. So, you have to learn how to invest and reinvest and recommit if you ever want to be successful.

 

Here's how you do this for yourself step by step:

 

4        Tie your strongest skill to a fast-growing industry. If you don't know what that is, ask AI. It'll tell you.

5        Systematize your service. Don't sell your time. Sell an outcome so that you can build the system around delivering that outcome and create automation so it's systematized. This requires the kind of discipline you might find in a structured morning routine 

Master the discipline required for long-term success: Can a 10-Minute Morning Routine Really Make You a Millionaire?

6        Build a small team slowly. Surround yourself with killers. I believe the first 12 people that come into your business will dictate your success. You want to be slow on making sure they're the right fit for what you're trying to do. And for what it's worth, avoid adding headcount where AI could do the job for you.

7        Layer AI into your operations to increase your margins. Get rid of the cost. Get AI to build that automation.

8        Use content to create inbound deal flow. If I would have known when I started creating content that it would not only bring opportunities to me, but it would bring talent, it would bring friendships, it would bring invites to things that you couldn't even pay for, I would have started a long time ago. So, no matter what you decide to do in this bucket, just make sure you create content around it.

 

 

 

The Ultimate Trap: Shiny Object Syndrome

None of this matters if you fall into the trap that destroys more businesses than anything else: Shiny Object Syndrome.

 

Most people fail not because they were in the wrong bucket, but because they switch buckets every few weeks. I've watched friends go from one idea to the other idea to the next idea, and they haven't found any traction. Why? They keep resetting every time. Every two or three years, it's like, "Oh, that didn't work because of this. I'm going to do this now."

 

The real way to win is to stay in the game long enough to win. Winners lose more than losers by definition of being a winner. It sounds crazy, but that's what it's going to take. So, don't get distracted. Focus. Follow one course until successful. Pick one of these options out of these buckets and execute. Just remember, you can do anything, just not everything.

 

How to Avoid the Shiny Object Syndrome:

9        Commit to 1,000 days of focus. Don't stop. Be consistent.

10    Document the journey. Put it in public. Build in public. It'll actually hold you accountable because everybody's going to be waiting to see what you're going to post next.

 

If you just do these two things, it'll increase your probability of success more than anything else you could do. The separator in 2026 is the people that show up and do.

 

 

 

Related Resources and Further Reading

Internal Links (Yassmin-net)

•         For a deeper dive into building foundational wealth: The Ultimate Blueprint to Building Wealth with Zero Initial Capital [3].

•         Learn how to monetize digital products, a perfect complement to the "Easy" bucket: HOW TO SELL FREE NOTION TEMPLATES ON PAYHIP (THE 2026 GUIDE) [7].

•         Master the discipline required for long-term success: Can a 10-Minute Morning Routine Really Make You a Millionaire? [6].

 

External Links & Videos

•         Video: The original source of this blueprint: The Only 25 Ways to Make Money in 2026 - YouTube [1].

•         Video: A complementary strategy for the "Hard" bucket: How I'd Make $1M with AI in 2026 (Zero Code) - Dan Martell [8].

•         Tool: Example of an AI receptionist tool mentioned: YourAtlas [2].

•         Resource: A guide on how to leverage AI for revenue generation: How to make money with AI in 2026 - Elementor [4].

 

  

References[1] The Only 25 Ways to Make Money in 2026 - YouTube (Dan Martell)
[2] YourAtlas:https://youratlas.com/getstarted[3] The Ultimate Blueprint to Building Wealth with Zero Initial Capital - Yassmin-net
[4] How to make money with AI in 2026 - Elementor
[5] Can a 10-Minute Morning Routine Really Make You a Millionaire? - Yassmin-net
[6] Can a 10-Minute Morning Routine Really Make You a Millionaire? - Yassmin-net
[7] HOW TO SELL FREE NOTION TEMPLATES ON PAYHIP (THE 2026 GUIDE) - Yassmin-net
[8] How I'd Make $1M with AI in 2026 (Zero Code) - Dan Martell (YouTube)