Does Passive Income Really Work?

Many people get very excited about how to make money online, but few understand what it really takes to succeed at it. It is important to recognize that creating an income stream via the internet is not a quick way to make large sums of money.

It will take time to develop your website or business, you will need to invest in equipment and tools to run it, and you will have to advertise it to gather traffic. All of these things can consume lots of time, energy, and money!

A lot of people give up before they start investing because they believe that just spending a small amount of cash cannot earn them much money. This assumption is wrong!

By investing in your own business, you are helping yourself achieve your dreams. You will be doing something that makes you happy and this happiness will spill over onto others. Plus, you will learn more about marketing, finance, and leadership as you grow your business.

There are many ways to spend money on your business, such as buying new equipment, hiring professionals to help you, and advertising. Some of the most common expenses include paying for web hosting, finding advertisers, designing your site, and developing your skills and knowledge.

All of these things cost money, which is why it is so difficult to find beginners’ tips on making money online.

Examples of passive income

Being a millionaire is definitely not limited to having a good job and living in a wealthy area, it takes work and dedication. But making money consistently out of nothing can be tricky.

There are several strategies for achieving this, some more successful than others. Many people have great success with investing, owning rental properties or producing digital content online.

By adding these into your income source, you will never need to look for new jobs and and/or reduce spending to make additional money.

These are called ‘rental’ incomes as you simply enjoy what you own and it keeps generating revenue for you!

Another way to earn an income without too much effort is to sell products or services that you manufacture yourself. For example, if you are very artistic, you could produce artwork and offer it up to be sold. Or if you have a lot of land, you could start a gardening business and supply green space to individuals and companies.

Popular sources of passive income

does passive income really work

A popular source of what some call “passive” or “surrender” income is investing in stocks and real estate.

There are several reasons why this can be considered not truly passive, but rather active. For one, you need to remain engaged in these investments to make any money- you cannot just leave them to do their thing!

Secondly, most people who invest in dividend paying stock or real estate also retain at least half or more of the earnings themselves. They actively manage and control how much of the company’s revenue they keep for themselves.

This isn’t true of all investors, of course, but it is quite common. And while it is very wealthy to let others handle your money and earn a small amount of money for doing so, it is definitely not a way to go if you want to reap the benefits of having an investment portfolio.

A third reason that investing in dividends and real estate is usually not considered a good example of passive investing is that both require significant amounts of management. You have to check in occasionally to see whether or not the dividends were paid and released, and you still have to maintain your property.

Overall, though, even when taking into account the three points mentioned here, owning stocks and real estate is still a great way to accumulate wealth. It’s just not necessarily the best choice for every person.

Lessons learned

does passive income really work

A lot of people get stuck in a loop when it comes to income-producing activities, constantly thinking about how they can make money without any help from others or without doing anything beyond writing a good book.

I read an article several years ago that gave me some insight into how this could be possible. The writer mentioned how you can create your own online course using a tool that allows you to create courses quickly and easily. He called his method and product My Book Package.

He made his living off of these products for over a year before he took time off to do something else. At that point, he was still earning revenue every month while away. This inspired him to start publishing other self-help books again, which is what he had originally done until he stopped working as a software engineer.

His advice? You don’t have to go after a big goal like most wealthy people do. You can enjoy small milestones along the way, creating a lifestyle choice that doesn’t require lots of external input or influence from others. It will only grow as your life changes and things fall into place.

This article may contain affiliate links where I earn compensation at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure here.

Personal experience with passive income

does passive income really work

I have mixed opinions about whether or not it is truly a way to make large sums of money. This article series will talk more in depth about this topic, but for now let’s look at some personal experiences I have with investing in passive incomes.

As mentioned before, my partner and I do not actively work on earning additional revenue for our company. We are both professionals so we don’t need the extra cash flow that being paid full time would provide us, but we still want to keep working because we love what we are doing!

We did launch our own website back in 2014, but it was only accessible through our domain name until we purchased the hosting package years later. It has since become one of our biggest sources of revenue and we could even say it saved our lives as entrepreneurs.

Our site barely makes any revenues per month, which is why we referred to it as a passive income source earlier. But we invested in the service long ago and never looked back, which is why it continues to bring in revenue today.

I wanted to take some time and share my insights on how creating your own side business can be an effective way to earn small amounts of money while also keeping you busy. It may not be a quick $1,000 a day, but it does help out quite a bit!

What is a side business?

A side business is an activity or activities that you focus on outside of your main job.

Are all your assets secure?

does passive income really work

A good way to determine if you need to re-evaluate your income source is to assess whether or not your current sources of income are safe!

If they’re not, it may be time to look for alternatives. It costs very little to change how you make money, so instead of risking everything you have, why don’t you try some ways to increase what you have before investing in new ventures?

There are many ways to achieve this, but one of the most effective is to start blogging. You can pick any topic you like, and put quality content into it to grow your audience and readership.

You can then use that audience to earn more through advertising, affiliate links, and other revenue streams. All of these add to your overall income, making it possible to invest in newer projects at a later date.

How will you get to your financial goal?

does passive income really work

Most people start investing in income generation strategies at the very least two years before they make any significant money. If you are one of these individuals, you need to ask yourself what you want to achieve with your life and career.

Do you really want to be rich or do you just want to have enough money to survive each day?

If the latter is more important to you, then maybe it’s time to consider less ambitious goals like saving a certain amount every week or monthly instead of trying to save a large sum every few months.

Should I start a business or go debt free?

does passive income really work

Sometimes people get the wrong idea about whether or not passive income is a good thing. Many think that it’s only for rich guys with big money to spend.

The truth is, even if you are just starting out as an entrepreneur, having some form of passive income is important.

It will give you a sense of balance and stability in your life which has been proven to boost overall happiness.

And while most experts agree that living high on consumption is a bad way to live, there’s also a difference between buying things that make you happy and buying lots of stuff.

There's a reason why we're called consumers! Having some sort of savings or steady source of income can help us feel more relaxed and comfortable in our lives, especially when we're spending time with loved ones or traveling.

Get creative

does passive income really work

A lot of people talk about how you can make money online through passive income, but they rarely tell you what that actually means. What does it mean to be passive?

I’d say one of the biggest things is not requiring constant action to earn your income. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have to work at all!

Having something available for sale or giving away content or offering services requires an amount of effort to produce each time.

But you could just focus on providing value and people will eventually find you, OR You could create a product or service that people are looking for and will pay good money for. That’s why it's so important to research your niche and determine if there’s already a competition, then try to beat them.

Or better yet, take the best parts of those products and offer them as a solution too! - Lizette Ortega

In fact, being able to generate revenue without having to actively promote or manage your business or channel is one of the main reasons some small businesses fail. Why would someone buy from you when you’ve got to put in so much energy to sell them something?

It becomes more difficult to achieve self-sufficiency as your business grows. This is especially true if your goal is higher revenues or greater profits per month.

About The Author

Tiara Ogabang
Tiara Joan Ogabang is a talented content writer and marketing expert, currently working for the innovative company juice.ai. With a passion for writing and a keen eye for detail, Tiara has quickly become an integral part of the team, helping to drive engagement and build brand awareness through her creative and engaging content.
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