Fast Money

This is not for you if you're looking to build a serious small business on the Net. It's the easiest of the ways to make money without money, but because it's easy, it doesn't pay much.

Very little in fact.

It mostly involves getting paid to surf the Internet and getting paid to read e-mail. The catch is that you are bombarded with advertisements.

For more on this, type "getting paid to surf" into the seach box at Google and hit "Enter". Take your pick.

The idea behind it is to offer free information from your web site to pull in high volumes of traffic. Once you achieved that, advertisers would pay you to display their banners on your site. This is probably one of the oldest and most hyped ways to make money without money.

It worked really well until the end of 2000. It's how Yahoo became big. With the Internet bust, even Yahoo was forced to look to alternative revenue streams. Advertisers began to realize that, in most cases, banner advertising is just not cost effective.

Most people don't click banners. I know I don't.

Contextual advertising (like Google's AdSense program) is the big thing in online advertising. If done properly, it is far more effective than banner ads.

When you sign up as an affiliate / reseller for Internet company X, it means that you refer people to them.

When someone you refer buys, you get a cut.

It's still hard work, but this is probably the most doable of the ways to make money without money.

Affiliate programs are a little over-hyped, but they can really make money. I know. More than 75% of my own Internet income is from affiliate programs. There are a couple of things you have to get right though. In that same $39 book I mentioned above I reveal some of the best ways to make money with affiliate programs.

Make money selling your own product
Yes, you can do this without spending money. This is the path most small business take - and probably the most profitable one.

It is also the most difficult one of the 4 ways to make money without money. It's difficult and time-consuming. If you're forced to do it without a budget, it will be even more time-consuming. But you're determined to build a profitable, long-term Internet business, right? Hard work is not a problem.

Right?

The most difficult part of this method is the product development.

What can you make without spending a penny? Something that people will still buy from you?

The answer lies in information products. We all have marketable skills. You're an expert in something.

Do you know a lot about cars?
Write a mini-book on basic engine maintenance.

Know a lot about kids?
Write a book called "101 Ways To Keep 2-year olds entertained" - you've already got your first buyer right here!
This is really doable. There are people who'd pay to know what you know.

Want more nitty-gritty advice on creating your own e-product? I've written a 37-page e-book called "Ways To Make Money On The Net " where I get into this in more depth. If you have 39 bucks, this mini e-book will save you a year of trial and error.