Here are 3 general free money making ideas. All require a starting capital of almost nothing (besides perhaps having a computer connected to the Internet, which if you’re reading this, isn’t a problem).

1st idea: Research a topic thoroughly and sell your expertise to others. Currently, people not only need information, but they need precise information. On the other hand, the amount of information available is so huge that no one can master it alone. If you regularly gather information about a topic and monetize it, you will be helping people and cashing in on that. There are several ways of monetizing your expertise about a topic. You can sell it in the form of e-books, or you could write articles, upload them and sell the ad space on your web-page.

2nd idea: Gather things that people don’t need and sell them online. Many people have a basement or garage full of stuff that they don’t need anymore and these people are often eager to get rid of it. However, not everyone has the time to deal with it, which is where you come in. You could advertise it as a service – you will be helping them recycling what they don’t need anymore and charging your clients online. You will be surprised about how valuable those things are that nobody wanted. Some of them are antiquities, others are collectibles – people collect many incredible things, others can be simply repaired before they are sold.

3rd idea: Be an online personal assistant (PA). If you can stay online for long hours, offer your services as a personal assistant. Many people have too much stress and will be happy to have a virtual helper somewhere on the Internet. Be as flexible as you can and try to offer a whole range of services – transcriptions, write letters, research better prices, make calls, take calls, collect bills, etc.

Web Design
With lots of people starting their own business these days, many people are in need of good web page designs. The amount of tutorials or how-to articles on the Internet is simply huge. However, not everyone has the time to go through these tutorials to make their own web page. Many people will only need a new web page once, therefore it’s a much better deal to hire a dedicated freelance to do the job. If you want to be a freelance web-developer or web-designer take your time to discover what others are doing, gather your samples together and make sure that they not only look good, but that they are also technically top-notch.

Tutoring
Tutoring is a relatively harder field to break into, but it’s possible. Students expect from a tutor that they are knowledgeable, that they understand their needs and that they help them under time pressure. There are lots of topics where students need to be tutored. There are also lots of resources for these students. However, most students don’t have the time or ability to go through these resources. Try to specialize in just one topic – like math, for example – and just one kind of situation – like tutoring two days before an examination. If you get just one client, and help him passing his examination, this will be a good reference for you. People rely on word-of-mouth advertisement in this kind of service, since it’s impossible to know how good a tutor will be.

Freelance Writing
Freelance writing can be related to the web page design online money making idea. Web pages don’t just need the structure, graphics and programs to keep running. People needs web pages with text on it. Many people want to build sites full of content and they are willing to pay others money to write articles for them. You can specialize in writing on one topics that you know a lot about, or you can offer to write articles for other on topics you may not know much about, but are willing to do a little bit of research for.

eBay Selling.
Since it’s beginning many years ago, eBay has been a huge success story, not only for the company and its shareholders, but also for sellers using eBay auctions to market their products. eBay is the ideal venue to sell uncommon products or well-priced products. Make no mistake, people who buy on eBay know what they want and how much it costs. You’ll need to be different than other sellers, either cheaper or have unique products.

When trying to earn money online without investing a huge amount of money, don’t just follow what people are saying online. Be as creative as you can and exploit your talents. Many things can make you money on the internet.

One idea is to gather and sell stuff that others don’t need. Some kids organize flea markets or swap meets. Second hand goods can be traded this way. A swap meet can be indoors or in your front door, if you live in a quiet neighborhood. The most simple form is just a table with everything on it. Some kids also offer home made lemonade as an additional product. Through this idea you can get rid of any unwanted household that you may have.

Another great idea to to shovel snow or rake leaves.  These are simply tasks that most young ones can do with friends to get the job done quicker.  Children who are a little bit older can clean houses or mow lawns.  Also, if your child can wrap gifts well, they can sell their services to neighbors.

If your child can create useful crafts, then selling them can be a good job.  Picture frames and greeting cards are thing that neighbors will buy to support your children.  If you’re stuck on ideas, why not ask your neighbors what they would buy?  This can teach your child to do market research, and they can provide a product needed by their market.

If your child has a camera, they can take pictures for people.  You can probably find a used polaroid camera at a yard sale or on eBay or Craigslist.  Then, go with your child to the park where people walk around or are playing, and have them ask people if they want their picture taken for a small fee.  Maybe you’ll find someone who wants a picture of them walking their dog, or a couple of a first date.

Last but not least, a lemonade stand is always a great idea.  They don’t just have to sell lemonade.  When it’s a little cooler outside, why not sell hot chcoolate?  You can always allow the kids to assist in baking some cookies or brownies to supplement the lemonade or other drinks they will be selling.

1st idea – Babysitting. If a teen likes children, babysitting is an easy job and especially around the holidays many parents have to go out more often and don’t want to leave their children alone. Teens can post fliers in public places to get clients. In big cities, parents often need this kind of service more than in small neighborhoods. However, it is quite common for teens to provide this kind of service for others.

2nd idea – Yard Work.  In the summer, it can be watering and mowing lawns.  In the fall, it can be raking leaves.  In the winter, it can be shoveling snow.  There are many duties around the house that can be labor intensive, but not so much so that a teen could do them.  Your neighbors probably don’t want to do these chores, and wouldn’t mind paying someone they know to take care of these tasks for them.

3rd idea – Pet Care. If a teen loves animals, then this is a great job for them. Not every pet owner can take of a pet the whole year round. Taking the pet out, taking care of it during vacation or just playing a little with it are perfectly common services regarding pets.  Also, cleaning up after a pet, or bathing a pet can be duties your teen could handle.

4th idea – Cooking. Most teens don’t think about this idea and concentrate in more traditional teen money making ideas. However, there is a huge market out there for home made food. Starting with cookies, going through cake and including anything that can be offered at a party. Most people won’t buy real home made food everyday, but watch out for opportunities like birthday parties or holidays like Christmas. People want these festivities to be special. Buying home made food is a way to make them special. Try to be creative regarding it. A simple cake won’t be a business hit. But, a fancy cake, or a personalized cake can jump start a small business for you.

The first step is to learn how eBay works. Open an account (if you don’t already have one), read the terms of service, and learn how to use the interface. These are basic steps to get you started on the right foot.

Next, start searching for stuff you can sell. Stuff you can acquire for free is great to seller. If you don’t know if an item will sell on eBay, just check the web-page and see how it has sold in the past and for how much. People are eager to get rid of stuff taking up space in their garage or basement, so watch out for this kind of stuff.

Another amazing source of products are old items that have turned out to be collectibles nowadays. There is a collector for many incredible old things. Especially things older than 20 years are ideal for eBay. Many of these items are much more valuable than you might think.

Another idea is to look into drop-shipping. Drop-shipping is another source of products. Many will charge you in advance for joining their networks and their products won’t sell. Go for businesses who see you just as a seller who works for them, not as someone who will pay fees in advance. Drop-ship businesses with good products don’t need to charge in advance. The products that you obtain through your drop-shipping provider can also be sold everywhere. EBay is sometimes a quite competitive market place, so common products don’t sell that well and just earn meager earnings. Go for other venues parallel to your eBay venture.

Lastly, watch out for rummage sales, yard sales, or flea markets. As an eBay seller, you’ll be a researcher most of the time. Your main task is to find products for your virtual clients. Rummage sales, yard sales, or flea markets are terrible for the first seller, principally because the client base is tiny. Only people near him, will have a chance of buying his products. If you put a valuable item on eBay, it can be sold for even 5 times more. There are four kinds of items that sell quite well – anything with a brand on it, anything that’s electronic and well-priced, anything that’s antique or vintage and anything that can be a collectible.