Author Archives: Stephanie
Blogger, Online Marketer and full-time music lover. Thank you for reading my posts! I share my experiences of making money online as well as providing useful tips and advice to those who are interested in starting an online business. I enjoy writing reviews and giving an insight into what has worked for me and what hasn't. If you like what I write here be sure to share my posts with others!
Product Name: Empower Network
Website: www.empowernetwork.com
Overall Ranking: 4/10
Price: $25/month + upsells up to $3500
Owner: David Wood
You may have come to my review because you’ve heard of Empower Network, and/or you’re interested in joining, but want to know a bit more before potentially taking the plunge (or not). Well, I want to share with you my honest opinion of the Empower Network system as a former member.
My angle might by slightly different from other Empower Network reviews online because I will be sharing my own personal experiences, as well as why I don’t recommend this program for starting a business online.
Empower Network is an online program that aims to provide people with the tools to start an online business and make money online from home. It began in October 2011 and has now become a well-known name in the online marketing world.
I first heard about Empower Network when I joined the iPas 2 system. The iPas 2 system was designed as a “done for you system” which automated the process of getting other people to sign up and purchase the iPas 2 system through your link, to give you affiliate commissions. iPas 2 was affiliated with Empower Network, so when you joined the iPas2 system you also ended up joining the Empower Network system, if you wanted to achieve higher commissions. I was actually hoping to do my review of iPas 2, but I have recently learnt that it no longer exists, and the co-founder Chris Jones, is also no longer affiliated with Empower Network.
There are 6 products available with Empower Network, and they all have different pricing structures.
Cost: $25/month for Basic or $97/month for Premium
The Kalatu Blogging Platform is a WordPress based blogging framework available to people who want to build a website for their business.
This is your entry level into the Empower Network System.
On their website, they claim that setting up a self-hosted blogging platform is difficult, however, I haven’t found this to be true. This website, and others I own, are self-hosted and they didn’t take me long to set up at all. Empower Network also claims that purchasing the Kalatu blogging platform is more affordable, however, you can easily host your own site for $1.99/month with iPage , install WordPress and have access to 1000s of themes and plugins at no additional cost.
Cost: $100/month
The Inner Circle is a collection of audios that are designed to train your mindset and give you daily bursts of inspiration, with regular weekly audio updates to listen to. Personally, I like the idea of mindset audios. I think it’s encouraging to be able to listen to/read words of encouragement, and have tips from other entrepreneurs to inspire you with your business.
However, I didn’t like having to spend $100/month on this. I did find the audios helpful at the time, but since joining Wealthy Affiliate I don’t feel I’m missing out as I get lots of motivation from the blogs written at Wealthy Affiliate by other members of the community. Although they’re not audios, they are regular bursts of motivation, inspiration, and encouragement for me, and it’s all included in the premium membership of $47/month.
Cost: $500 one time fee
Previously known as Costa Rica Intensive
In this training course, you get 13 modules that aim to reveal the secrets of how to become a Top Producer in your business. It also includes 11 video sessions which took place in Costa Rica in 2011, so some of the information is a bit outdated.
It seems this is where the main bulk of the Empower Network training begins.
At the time, I couldn’t afford (thankfully), or even comprehend investing $500 into a product that I didn’t really have much information about, and even now there is still very little information on the actual website about what this product is, which isn’t very good if you’re expecting someone to spend that amount of money on the product.
Cost: $1000 one time fee
Previously known as 15K Formula
With the Team Building Formula, you get 11 lessons and webinars that are designed to teach you how to sell high commission items and build a team.
Again, there is very little information on the website about this product, which is a shame for a product costing this much.
Cost: $3500
Previously known as Masters Retreat
With this set of recorded training, you’ll be taught to “win the respect of others and influence them to take action” in 8 modules, by some of the top earners within Empower Network.
But again, there is not much information available on the site.
Just a thought: Considering the last 3 options have such little information on what the products actually are, would you be happy spending $5000 on them?
Overall, I think some of the ideas behind the products are good, however, I personally don’t think they’re worth the high price tag.
Cost: $19.95
Yes, that’s right…with the Empower Network Affiliate Program you have to pay a monthly fee to be an affiliate. I don’t believe you should have to pay to be an affiliate, and I have joined many affiliate programs, and this is the only program where I have had to pay a fee, let alone a monthly fee!
So with this in mind, if you don’t pay this fee and someone purchases an Empower Network product through your link, you will not receive the commissions for that product.
You make money with Empower Network by getting others to join the program. It’s as simple as that really.
If you do not own one of the products, you will not receive any commissions for that product. For example, if you only had the Kalatu Blogging System, and someone joins Empower Network through your link, you’ll only get paid commissions for the blogging system. If your referral purchases other products, you will not receive affiliate commissions for those.
The best way to make the most money with Empower Network is by going all in and purchasing all the products. Most people wanting to work from home online cannot afford to go all in, and you’ll most likely lose A LOT of money before making you actually start making any.
Empower Network pays it’s affiliates up to 70% commissions. But in my opinion, there’s a hidden downside…and this is the compensation plan.
With the Empower Network Compensation Plan, some referral sales you make get passed up to your upline. When I joined it meant that commissions from the 1st, 3rd, 5th sale, and every 5th sale after that, would get passed up.
If we take a look at an example below:
Imagine that I’m “all in” and own every product of Empower Network. I have a referral, Lisa, who has only purchased the $25 Kalatu blogging platform. If she gets another person, John, to join the program, and John decides to go all in, she won’t receive commissions for products after the blogging platform, and they will be passed up to me.
So, it seems the aim of this is to encourage Lisa to want to go “all in” to avoid missing out on commissions.
After lots of work and money lost, I was finally able to refer someone to the iPas 2 system, and they eventually continued through to Empower Network and purchased the Kalatu blogging system. As I was a subscriber of the product at the time I expected to receive a commission. However due to the compensation plan, that commission was passed up to my upline.
Here’s a few quotes directly from Empower Network regarding their Compensation Plan:
The compensation plan is initiated when a particular product is activated either through personal use or product sale; you receive no benefit for referring or recruiting affiliates.
It should be noted that if the product in question is a monthly subscription, you have to maintain that subscription either through purchasing it for your own personal use, or maintaining one active member subscription. You will then be activated to participate in the full commission structure with your next sale of that product, and receive commissions immediately.
So it seems they’re saying that in order to receive commissions, I first need to make a sale just to activate the commission payment for that product. That seems very strange since I’m already paying a $19.95 affiliate fee. Shouldn’t that activate my commission payments?!
Anyway, the supposed aim of this compensation plan is to make sure everyone is hungry for success. However, this for me was very disheartening, as I had put so much effort and money into trying to get referrals, and when someone finally came through my link, I wasn’t awarded for it. I could have kept going, but to be honest, that put me off completely. I was losing a lot of money very fast, and making nothing. I know making money from an online business doesn’t happen overnight, but when you put in so much effort and your potential reward gets passed up so easily, it’s not very encouraging. Not for me at least.
So I felt I couldn’t continue.
Empower Network offers a 14-day refund policy which begins from the day of purchase. If you want to request a refund you can contact their support team support@empowernetwork.com.
I’ve had a look online regarding the refund policy, and it seems that many people have found it difficult to get their money back. However, there are a few options available here.
Empower Network doesn’t use PayPal to pay its affiliates. It uses an e-wallet merchant called Global Payroll Gateway (GPG), which cost an additional $19.95/month for you to use with Empower Network. I’m not sure if this is still the case, but either way, there are a lot of account and transfer fees involved with this merchant. It just seemed like a lot of hassle for me when setting up the account. Things with PayPal are so much simpler, and I personally prefer affiliate programs that pay via Paypal.
Yes, I believe it is possible to make money with Empower Network. However, in my opinion, even if you get lots of referrals, and therefore lots of commission…soon you’ll find that most of the people who join under you will fail. Not because they don’t apply the knowledge, but because they cannot afford the products and lose a lot of money trying to promote to other people.
Even Empower Network knows that most people won’t make money. Below is a quote from the income disclosure stated at the bottom of Empower Network’s Compensation plan document:
The average affiliate makes less than $100 and that does not include business expenses.
Empower Network Income Disclosure
Yes, it’s true that everyone’s earnings will be different, but if the average affiliate makes less than $100 and that hasn’t even included business expenses, then is it really worth a $5k investment? So that’s one thing I’d definitely encourage you to ask yourself before you consider joining.
Even if you take a look at this table below, you’ll see that 92% of all Empower Network affiliates make an average of only $55 a year!
Empower Network Affiliate Income Disclosure
Now, I believe there are people that are making money with this program, however, would you be comfortable knowing you’re potentially putting other people in financial despair, just to earn money yourself.
I didn’t feel comfortable asking others to potentially spend $5k when I couldn’t even afford it myself. I spent so much on trying to market Empower Network, and wasn’t given the correct training at the basic level, therefore, I wasted money on things I knew nothing about. I also couldn’t seem to get in contact with my upline for further advice. Thinking back I can only imagine it’s because they left Empower Network too. In the end, I did not feel comfortable asking others to join a program that was losing me lots of money. This is also why I decided to leave iPas 2. Although I was making commissions with iPas 2, as it was more affordable, I didn’t like that it was affiliated with Empower Network. I decided that Empower Network wasn’t for me, and it was time to leave.
So now you need to ask yourself, “Is Empower Network the best Make Money Online program for me?”
Empower Network was clearly not for me, and I don’t particularly encourage others to join it because I think the money can be better spent elsewhere. However, if you feel content that you can afford all the products, are able to put the work in to promote them, and you don’t mind promoting only Empower Network, then the option is there for you.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post on How to Find The Best Make Money Online Program For You. There were a few questions I felt were important to ask yourself about a program before deciding to join, and the table below will summarise Empower Network against those questions.
Empower Network Program – Is it the best program for you?
These are my deciding factors for choosing a make money online program. They may be different for you, and that’s completely fine. My aim with this review is to share with you my genuine experiences.
I know there will be people that will disagree with my thoughts on Empower Network, and that’s fine, but I just don’t agree with many aspects of this program, and would personally NOT recommended Empower Network to other people looking to start an online business. I believe if I had continued I probably would have made some commissions, but I also believe I would have lost a lot more money in the process, because I was not given the right skills and training, and I would have made most of my referrals lose money also.
Therefore, I want to share with you my #1 recommended training program for starting an online business, that I feel fits my needs and the needs of someone looking to start an online business in a way that is much more affordable.
I am an active member of Wealthy Affiliate, and I like to promote this training program because it is a genuine way to learn how to start an online business, and the training is much more affordable and in-depth. Below is a list of some of the reasons why I recommend Wealthy Affiliate over Empower Network:
There’s so much to gain with Wealthy Affiliate compared to Empower Network, in my opinion. I have been a member of both, and as someone who has experienced Empower Network, I believe Wealthy Affiliate is the better program to go for. I have created a comparison table below to outline some of the major differences between the 2 programs:
Wealthy Affiliate Vs Empower Network Comparison
The aim of this review isn’t to go around yelling scam, scam, scam…it’s to inform you of some of the realities of Empower Network.
Although I believe people are making money with Empower Network, I was not one of those people. It’s not because I didn’t apply the training available to me, or that I didn’t try hard enough, it was because I couldn’t afford to go all in.
Overall, I didn’t feel comfortable going all in financially and ethically.
I just want to be able to share my honest opinion of Empower Network and give you my take on things as a former member.
Ultimately, if you’re still interested in joining Empower Network, you have to think to yourself, are you able to afford this program, and can you put the work in. Both options are there, and the end decision is yours. If you’d like to know more about Wealthy Affiliate please check out my review here, or you can ask questions in the comments below.
What are your experiences with Empower Network? Are you currently a member and wondering if you should continue? Are you a former member and feel scammed by Empower Network? Feel free to share your questions, comments and/or experiences in the section below.
Have you ever always wanted to start your own online business, but the only thing holding you back was the lack of money?
Well, there’s some good news…it is actually possible to kickstart your own online business for FREE, and you could get started today.
It would be a shame for you not to be able to live out your dreams because of this reason, so I want to share with you how you can get started with an online business totally free.
There are a few online business models available to choose from, but in this post, I will specifically focus on the Affiliate Marketing business model.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, it appears online courses are no longer being accepted for purchasing the NUS extra card. If anything changes I will update this post accordingly.
Don’t you just love being able to save money on your purchases?
10% here, 5% there…it all adds up.
The great news is, you can even save money using an NUS extra card, without being a student.
These methods are 100% legitimate and will allow you potentially save £100s a year.
As a Uni student, I LOVED getting discounts and thought that would be the end of it when I finished…but luckily, I found 2 ways to continue to get the NUS extra card without being a student and keep on saving!
So, now it’s my turn to share this great tip with you!
NUS stands for the National Union of Students, and the NUS extra card is the #1 student discount card which allows you to have discounts at over 200 UK stores.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a student in order to purchase the NUS extra card!
If you’re someone who shops a lot and loves to save money, then and NUS extra card is definitely worth considering.
I’ve found 2 methods of getting the NUS extra card without being a student, so hopefully, you’ll find one that suits you.
Note: If you are a student, then you can head over to nus.org.uk and follow the steps from ‘step 2’ below, entering your University of study. You can get your card sent to your Uni free of charge, or pay an extra £1 to have it delivered to your home.
You could apply for an NUS extra card by signing up directly for an online course at sites such as e-careers and New Skills Academy. However, this method would be more costly (generally over £100).
Instead, the most cost-effective way to do this is by using discount websites such as Go-Groopie, Living Social, and Groupon to purchase a course…at about 90% off. If you click the links below you will be taken to a range of courses that are currently available for you to choose from:
=> GoGroopie – Eligible Courses From Just £4!
=> Living Social – Eligible Courses From Just £8!
=> Groupon – currently don’t have any eligible courses
Here’s a list of eligible online course providers:
Tip #1: Remember to look at the online course merchant when purchasing through the discount site, to make sure your course is eligible.
Tip #2: Before making a purchase on these sites, take a look at cashback sites such as TopCashBack and Quidco, to see if you can also earn some of your money back.
There are a few courses to choose from, so maybe you could look at learning a new skill, and/or have something extra to add to your CV.
Step 1: Once you’ve purchased your e-course, you’ll be sent a voucher code, which you will be able to redeem at the eligible course merchant. Here’s an example below using e-Careers. (But the same should apply for other merchants.)
Redeem your e-Careers Voucher
Once redeemed, you can now purchase your NUS extra card.
Step 2: Go to nus.org.uk and select “Buy your NUS extra card now”, in the top right-hand corner.
Click “Buy Your NUS Extra Card Now”
Step 3: Enter your email address, then select “Buy or renew your NUS extra card now”.
Enter your email and click “Buy or renew your NUS extra card now”
Step 4: Type your merchant course provider. In this example, you’ll type in ECareers as your place of study, then Continue.
Type In ECareers as your place of study
Step 5: Enter your course details. Most of the e-courses will last for 1 year, but yours could be longer, so check the course details to find out. Select the course level and course disciplines from the drop-down menus.
Enter in Your Course Details
Step 6: Select a photo for your card. If you want to come back and finish it, you can also enter your email and “save for later”.
Select a Photo
Step 7: Enter your details, then view your order summary
Enter your details
Step 8: Select the home delivery option and then make your payment. (For home delivery, it’s an extra £1)
Pay for your card
Once you’ve paid, you can then view your order, and your card should be delivered within 7 days.
When I first finished Uni I was able to get a 1-year NUS extra card as a graduate. I’ve recently learned they have stopped this, but it is possible to get the NUS card as a former student of your university.
However, not all Unis do this. I was a former student at Brighton University, and that’s how I was able to get my current NUS card. I emailed the alumni team, and they sent me the instructions to get my NUS card.
So, if you’re interested and want to know if the NUS extra card is available for alumni/former students at your University, I would suggest contacting them to find out or taking a look at their website.
Gormet society – £3.99/year
With the Gourmet society add-on, you get extra savings with 5,000 restaurants. Discounts include 2-for-1 meals, 50% off food or 25% off food bill. All this for an additional £3.99 a year.
OR you could get 3 months now for only £1
ISIC card – 1 year FREE with NUS extra card
ISIC stands for International Student Identity Card. This card allows you to have additional discounts internationally. Previously the ISIC card would cost an additional £1 with the NUS card, but they have recently included 1 year totally FREE. This is a great saving, as the ISIC card on its own is £12.00. It is accepted in 130 countries, and you can get discounts on worldwide flights and hotels. You can always take a look at their website for other discounts available.
There are so many discounts available, it would be very long for me to list them all, so I will list some that are popular below:
Health and Beauty:
Eating Out:
Entertainment:
Fashion:
Health and Fitness:
Music:
Supermarkets:
Travel:
After all that, there’s still loads more discounts available!
You can check out the NUS website for a full list of current discounts. (and don’t forget to keep an eye on the small print. For example, Odeon discount is only available Monday-Thursday)
Furthermore, you can download the NUS extra mobile app, and get to view discounts on the go, for Android and iOS
Overall, I think it is definitely worth it! But only you can be the real judge of that. For example, if you were to purchase an e-course for £4 on GoGroopie, then pay £13 for the NUS extra card (inc. delivery), that would be a total of just £17!
I’ve already save £60 a year with my 50% Spotify discount, as well as more savings with other purchases. So, now think about all the savings you could make with your shopping/purchases in a year. You could easily save that much and lots more with the NUS extra discount card. In the end, all the discounts add up.
However, I feel you should only get the card if you believe you will benefit from the discounts. Take a look at the list above, do you shop/visit any of these places regularly? If so, then why not get the card. Maybe you’re a parent and want to take your kids on fun trips during the holidays, you could make lots of savings on amusement parks, and coach travel etc.
Whatever your reasons are for wanting the NUS extra card, I hope you found this post useful!
Be sure to join the conversation and let me know, what discounts will you be using your NUS card on?
I want to share with you some of the ways you can make money online in the UK, working from home.
As someone who lives in the UK, the methods I share will be ones that I’ve personally used myself to make money online, as well as sites that are popular, that others have used to make money online.
Some of the methods I mention pay in $ dollars, therefore they can also be used by non-UK citizens. (Note: You can still cash out from sites that pay in dollars if you live in the UK).
So, whether you’re looking to make some extra money from home, or a way to build a full-time income, here’s how to make extra money online from home in the UK. I’m sure you’ll find a few new methods that will work well for you.
Whatusersdo is a site that lets you earn money for testing websites. Payment is made through Paypal, and it takes only 5-10 minutes to sign up. If you sign up, you can enter my referral code: 186584
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
Other available countries: US, China, France, Germany and Netherlands
Usertesting is my personal favourite user testing website. At the time of writing, I have made $219 (approx £153) since joining, and I am still able to earn $10-$15 regularly. They pay via Paypal, and it’s free to join. You can start getting tests right away.
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
Ferpection is a site I came across a little while ago, and it is a French-based user testing website. I’ve currently made 50 euros (approx £40). Most tests are carried out using your mobile device, and you take screenshots of the site according to the task, then upload the screenshots with your review of your experience. You do not need to have a microphone for this test, this can all be done using your mobile device.
You get paid at the end of each month, usually the last Friday, if your balance is £20+. I’ve already been able to cash out £25 to my PayPal account.
I don’t use this site as often as the others, but it’s still a nice way to earn some additional income from time to time.
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
You May Like This: “3 Genuine Ways To Make Money Online Searching The Web”
Mintvine is my personal favourite survey site online. They are a relatively new survey site, and I am still quite new to the site. I have already cashed out $10.21 and have over $8 so far. (See my review + payment proof here)
There are multiple ways to earn some points, and once you reach 1000 points you are able to cash out $10. You can also check out my video review on YouTube. You can even get points if you don’t qualify for a survey. It doesn’t happen all the time but I think it’s nice that you can get rewarded for that.
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
Prolific Academic is a survey site that is based on academic research. Academics, with a valid university email address, give you their research for users like you to participate in and get paid. It’s free to sign up, and it has a low payment threshold of £5, which doesn’t take too long to reach. You get emails sent to you when new tests become available. I haven’t been given a survey that I didn’t qualify for, which is a nice relief compared to other survey sites.
At the time of writing I have already earned £6.20, and if you wait until you reach £20, then you avoid any PayPal fees. (see my review + payment proof here)
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
There are many ways to get paid with InboxPounds, and they include
The emails get sent to your inbox, and when you click “Confirm the paid email”, you’ll get paid. I’ve noticed that the payment is £0.01 per email…but if you complete the offer advertised in the email you can also get paid for that. So far I’ve seen some offers up to £4. You can also get paid to search online using Inbox Pounds as your search engine. You need to have £20 in order to cash out, and you get paid via cheque.
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
There is also a US version called InboxDollars which is the essentially the same thing, with a cash out threshold of $30
You May Like This: “OfferNation Review – What Is Offer Nation? (+ payment proof)”
I’ve been selling on eBay for over 1.5 years, and in that time I’ve made £6000+ in sales (this isn’t taking into account the cost of shipping and eBay’s fees), and within 1 year I earned Top Rated Seller status. At first, I was selling things on the side and then started turning it into a part-time income.
It’s pretty easy to get started, you don’t need any initial costs, and you can set up a free account here now. You can start by selling used or unwanted items around your house, and once you generate enough you can think about buying and reselling products. I use Aliexpress, DHgate, and Alibaba to purchase my stock to resell. Overall, I prefer Aliexpress, as they have a low minimum order quantity (MOQ), which means you can order in small amounts if you’re on a budget, and sometimes the prices of products you add to your basket or wishlist can be reduced, so you get them at a sale price. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re new to selling on eBay.
Earning Potential:
This platform is better for selling new products, however, I have made money selling used items too. It’s free and easy to sign up. When pricing your items, Amazon shows you how much the seller fees will be, and how much you can expect to make, which is very handy, so you don’t have to do it all manually. As a new seller, you are restricted from selling some products, such as perfumes, but there are still other products you can sell, and once you become more established, you’ll be able to sell more items. One other advantage is that you don’t have to write descriptions for your item if it’s new, as it’s already available on Amazon. You can also source products to resell from Aliexpress, DHgate, and Alibaba.
Earning Potential:
I personally don’t have much experience selling on Etsy, but I know there are people who are making a lot of money with it. It’s great if you’re good at arts and crafts, and you can sell your creations on there. Things you can create to sell on Etsy include:
Earning Potential:
Sign up to Timebucks and you could earn $1 in the next few minutes with their sign up bonus. You can get paid to:
Affiliate Marketing is basically a method of promoting other people’s products and receiving a commission for a sale that is made.
Anyone can get started with affiliate marketing and it doesn’t require any start-up costs. In order to really do well with affiliate marketing you’ll need:
My recommended training for starting with affiliate marketing is Wealthy Affiliate (see review). They offer the training you need to get started, and it’s free to join. You can sign up as a free member here, and if you like what you see you can upgrade to premium membership. The great thing is that you can remain a free member as long as you like. But if you’re really serious about making money with affiliate marketing I would encourage you to upgrade. Either way, both options are available.
With a free account you get:
These are very helpful for when you’re just starting out.
Earning Potential:
Discover how I’m able to earn affiliate commissions like this in my free guide to making money online…
You may like this: “How To Kickstart Your Affiliate Marketing Business with No Money”
TopCashBack is my favourite cashback site. A site like this basically allows you to get earn some money back when you shop online. I use it for my online purchases. You can also even earn cashback on some free offers which is nice. If you download the TopCashBack notifier, you can get a pop-up notification whenever you visit a site that is offering cashback, therefore, you don’t need to manually remember to check your cashback account.
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
Quidco is another popular cashback site in the UK. I usually look here if I can’t find someone on TopCashBack, but most of the time I can. I haven’t used this site much, but I know many people do, and earn a lot.
Price to Join: Free
Earning Potential:
For Those in the US: You can check out Ebates, which is also a cashback site available to US citizens.
Matched Betting is a technique that involves taking advantage of bookmaker offers in order to make a guaranteed profit. So in essence, you are betting on all outcomes of a sporting event, so that no matter what happens, you make a profit. It is a legitimate and genuine way to make money online, which has even been suggested by MSE and Save the Student (which is where I actually first found out about Matched Betting.)
With Matched Betting, I have been able to make £500+ in just over 2 months. There are people who are able to make £1000-£2000 a month with this. I currently do this on the side, and you can get started with as little as £50. The higher you start with the more money you’ll make, but if you’re a complete beginner, and still unsure I’d recommend starting with a minimum of £50-100.
Please feel free to check out My Matched Betting Experience blog for more information about Matched Betting, and be sure to check out the Profit Accumulator review, which is my recommended program for anyone who is a beginner and wants to have a step by step guide to follow, with video and written tutorials. With the Profit Accumulator free trial, you can earn up to £45.
I made £35 overall with my free trial, of which £11 was made in my first 24 hours. Also, the money you make with Matched Betting is tax-free!
Price to Join:
Earning potential:
I hope you’ve found this list of how to make extra money online from home in the UK very useful, and I hope you have now found some new profitable ways to make money online.
Have you tried any of these methods?
What’s your favourite way to make money online in the UK?
Do you have any other ways you make money online?
Please feel free to share your thoughts/and comments below.
Struggling to make money online?
I feel this is an important topic to delve into, because so many of us ask ourselves, “why am I not making money online?”. So I want to share 7 of the main reasons why you may be struggling to make money online. I haven’t written these to put you down, I have written them to make you aware of what you may be doing wrong, and what you need to improve about your mindset in order to really succeed in the online world.
Although there are some sites that you can genuinely earn money from, that require little work, those sites will not earn you a liveable amount. They’re mostly side incomes, something you can do in your spare time to earn a little extra money, to cover a monthly subscription, such as a phone bill.
In order to really make money from an online business, you need to understand and realise that making money requires hard work. Yes, many people are making passive income, however, it took a lot of work and dedication to get there.
Now, I can totally identify with this one. When I first started my Make Money Online journey, I thought the most important thing I needed to do was get traffic to my site, and that my visitors will automatically become buyers. Needless to say, I got it wrong. I spent a lot of time and money on the wrong kind of traffic. I spent ages earning credits manually with traffic exchange sites, and spent hundreds on sites that promised “unlimited traffic”. Yes, I got the traffic, but unfortunately, this was not the traffic I needed if I was going to get people to buy my products.
Things began to change when I joined Wealthy Affiliate. It’s was at this point that I realised that I needed targeted traffic in order to improve my chance of sales, and they teach you how to work towards getting quality visitors who are more likely to buy your products.
Making money online can take some time
Now, if your goal is to earn passive income with your business, then you’ll need a lot of time to get there. Although I am able to make money online, I am still working towards my passive income goals. However, I am not letting the time I have pass me by. I use as much time as I can working on ways to improve my business, and how to improve my earnings. When I first started my Make Money Online journey, I didn’t realise the time and effort that would be involved. So I can totally understand if you also don’t know. However, this is why I want to help you know and understand the truths about making money online, and starting an online business.
There’s a term used online for this behaviour, it’s called “Shiny Object Syndrome”. That was me at the beginning of my journey. I was jumping from one shiny opportunity to the next, hoping to find the next big thing that would earn me lots of money. In the end, I wasn’t getting anywhere. I wasn’t allowing myself to really progress with an opportunity to see if I could get real results from it.
With Wealthy Affiliate, I have found the right program for me. They don’t make “shiny” promises, they deliver quality and give you the tools you need to work for yourself. Don’t rely on “get rich quick” schemes to make you money. The money you make depends on you.
I understand that sometimes you want to test the waters with a few programs to see how you get on, and that’s absolutely fine. Just try not to do too many at once. Stick to one, or a few programs and work hard at those first, in order to see what works for you. That’s one of the reasons I created this site. I want to be able to show you the best, and legitimate opportunities for making money online.
Now if you’re just looking for ways to make a little extra money, through surveys, paid to click (PTC), and get paid to sites (GPT) etc, then yes, you shouldn’t need to spend any money. The money you make isn’t going to be much, therefore, it isn’t worth any financial investment, in my opinion.
However, if you’re serious about building a business online, and making money through that, then yes, you will need to invest money. Now, if you’re familiar with my site you’ll see that I recommend Wealthy Affiliate as a way to get started online for $0, and it genuinely is free to join. But if you want to see your business grow and make the most of it, you’ll need to make some financial investments. These investments include:
Luckily, Wealthy Affiliate is one of the few very affordable training programs online. For less than $50/month you can get training, tools, resources, high-quality web hosting, and an active community of fellow online business entrepreneurs. You can check out my review below to see what Wealthy Affiliate has to offer, and you can sign up for a free membership, test it out for 7 days or so, just to see if it’s the right program for you.
Some people who join the Make Money Online world are just not committed. You need to realise that making money online can be a long process, especially in the beginning, therefore, you need to be willing to stay committed and work hard. If you can do that, then you’ll start seeing the fruits of your labour.
Furthermore, you need to be willing to learn. You need to learn how you’ll maximise your earning potential, and learn how to get better at your online business. If you try out Wealthy Affiliate’s free membership you’ll get to see all the learning materials they offer, and be able to try out some of the training for yourself. From here you’ll get an idea of whether or not you’re willing to learn and be committed towards your business.
Even making money online through surveys, GPT, PTC sites etc, requires commitment, if you only do it every now and again, you won’t see your money grow.
If you’re constantly looking for the easy route, then you won’t be very successful online. Yes, there are ways to make money online with little work, as I mentioned before you can do so through survey sites etc. But to make consistent money online through an online business you need to be willing to work. If you truly want to make money online successfully, then you’ll need to start changing your mindset.
Hopefully this list has helped you point out areas you may need to change/improve in order to successfully make money online.
Ultimately, people who fail online do so because of their lack of commitment.
In order to succeed you need to take action daily, and begin to enjoy what you do Click To TweetSo, if you’re someone who has the idea to do something legit, gradually and long-term, then you have a higher chance of succeeding online.
If You’d Like To Build An Online Business And Succeed In Making Money Online, Find Out How To Get Started Below
Have you had trouble making money online in the past? Have you learnt anything from this list? What do you feel you may need to change about your mindset in order to successfully make money online? Please feel free to respond/comment in the section below. Also, Don’t forget to share this with others you know who may be struggling to make money online.
Finding The Best Make Money Online Program For You
There are lots of “Make Money Online” programs available these days, which makes it hard to know which one is the best for you. So in this post I want to share with you some of the questions you should ask yourself when choosing a program, and before making any financial investment to the program. I will also tell you my #1 recommended program to help you make money online.
This is me basically saying, is there a free membership/free trial?. When deciding whether or not to go for a paid program, you need to be able to tell if it is going to be worth your money or not. So the first thing you’ll want to do is find out if the program lets you test out its features as a free trial, or whether you can join as a free member, with the choice to upgrade when you want to. This is useful because it means you get to test out the program, which will allow you to make an informed decision before potentially paying for the program. Also, it’s helpful to note that most free trial offers don’t require any payment details.
If you are unable to do a free trial, find out if the program offers a refund policy. Some refund policies can be 14, 30 or 60 days, so it’s important to find out what the exact policy is. If you’re not too sure, take a look at reviews online to what others might say about the program, and whether the refund process is simple or not.
If you’re a newbie, or an expert in the world of making money online, then you need to join a program that fits you needs. As an expert, you won’t want a program that covers only the basics of making money online, and likewise, as a newbie you won’t want a program that’s full of technical jargon. By choosing the wrong program for your expertise, you may feel that you’ve wasted your money.
This is one of the advantages of being able to “try before you buy” because it allows you to see what level of training and information the program offers.
Most of the programs you see will only teach you the methods you need to Make Money Online. In order to make it work, you need to be willing to take action and actually implement what they teach. If you spend too much time procrastinating, then you’ll be losing money on the program, rather than making money from what the program teaches.
If you’re not ready to make use of the information you are given, then no matter which “Make Money Online” program you join, it will not be worth your money.
In order to succeed in making money online, you need to have the right training. Just like with any job, you need to have lessons/training that will allow you to be able to carry out that job effectively. Therefore, a Make Money Online program should be able to teach you, using quality training methods and materials, in order to help you really make money online.
That’s another reason why I feel it’s good to join a program that allows you to “try before you buy”, so you can get a feel for the training that is being offered.
You need to find out from the program what you’ll actually be doing in order to make money online. If the program’s only method of being able to make money is by promoting that program, then I personally would not recommend joining…unless you truly believe the program is worth sharing with others, and you feel that people will benefit from joining it. However, it helps if a program offers you other ways you can make money online, cause I believe that the more alternative income streams you have to make money online, the more successful you will be.
Overall, there’s nothing wrong with a program offering upsells in order to get you to purchase other products or services. However, the problem comes when the program is bombarding you with multiple overpriced upsells. If that’s the case, then you may want to avoid that kind of program, as it seems they’re more interested in your money rather than helping you. However, if you’re able to look past the upsells and you feel you can still benefit from what the main program has to offer, then I’d say do what you feel is right for you.
My personal #1 recommended program is Wealthy Affiliate (check out my in-depth review here). As a hands-on member, I recommend it because it is a genuine program that is geared to help you make money online. I have gained so much from being a part of the program and want others to benefit from it too. Below is a table that compares what Wealthy Affiliate has to offer against the questions that were asked above:
When looking for information, it can take a lot of time to get the training and resources you need to make money online, and you’ll likely end up jumping from one site to another this way. Therefore, having access to a Make Money Online program like Wealthy Affiliate, means you get most of the training and tools you need under one roof, and can make the overall process less overwhelming.
Whatever program you choose, always be aware that there is no 100% guaranteed success. What might work for me may not work for you, and vise versa. You need to work hard and be committed to get the results you want. I would still recommend you give Wealthy Affiliate a try, as it’s free to join and you can test it out for yourself, and you can choose to upgrade or remain a free member depending on your experience with them.
To sign up for a totally free account at Wealthy Affiliate, click the link below
If you have any questions then please feel free to ask them in the comments section below, as well as share any other tips you may have on this topic.
Product name: 
Kalatu Blogging Platform
Website: www.kalatublog.com
Overall Ranking: 5/10
Price:
$25/month Kalatu Basic
$97/month Kalatu Premium
Owner: David Wood of Empower Network (EN)
This is going to be my personal review of the Kalatu Blogging Platform. I aim to talk about my own experience and help you decide whether this platform is worth your time and money.
Kalatu is a WordPress based blogging platform available for anyone who wants to build a website for their online business. Although anyone can join the platform, the majority of its members are also Empower Network Affiliates.
The aim of the Kalatu Blogging Platform is to help people build a business online through blogging. Their idea is that blogging is the key to being a successful marketer online.
There are 2 pricing tiers available for the Kalatu Blogging Platform
Below you can see a screenshot of the different features you can expect to get with the Kalatu memberships
Kalatu Blogging Platform: Basic vs Premium
As you can see from the features, there are quite a few things that the Kalatu Blogging Platform has to offer.
Good platform for beginners:
In my opinion, this is genuinely a really good blogging platform for beginners. When I first was introduced to Empower Network, I knew nothing of marketing or blogging. The first blogging platform they had wasn’t all that great, and I never made full use of it. But then they introduced the Kalatu platform, and my ideas/thoughts about blogging had changed. I found it to be a great tool for me as an absolute beginner.
Takes away all the technical aspects of blogging:
Everything about it was so simple. I didn’t have to think about installing plugins or themes, or having too many things ot think about. This was really helpful to me at the time because I had no clue what I was doing, I didn’t know about plugins for example. If you’re familiar with the WordPress dashboard you know that there’s a lot of features, and to a newbie it can be quite overwhelming. However, the Kalatu dashboard was very simplified. All I needed to do was create content for my blog. As an absolute newbie, this worked for me.
21-day blogging challenge:
This is unique plugin specially created for users of the Kalatu Blogging Platform. Basically, it is a way of encouraging users to blog more frequently. So the aim is to blog every day, for 21 days. This was a usual tool to me back then, and even now I actually think this is a very useful tool. When I was a member of Empower Network, I really appreciated having a plugin like this. I was very new to blogging at that point, and it was very helpful to have prompts and guides to help me create content for my blog.
Take a look at the video below to find out more about what you can expect from the 21 day blogging challenge
Can link it to your own domain name:
When you first sign up your domain name will look something like this “youwebsite.buildingabrandonline.com”. You can use this if you choose too, but if you’re really thinking about growing your business you need a domain name that doesn’t have a sub domain attached to it. For example, “yourwebsite.com”. You can purchase your own domain name with GoDaddy, Namecheap etc)
You can create your own “Call to Action”:
Although this feature of creating custom “Call to Action” is available, most Kalatu blogs I see are from people who are members of Empower Network Affiliate program, so their call to action are one’s created by Empower Netwrok. But at least the option is there to customise and create your own ones to it to suit your own needs.
Limited Plugins:
The Kalatu Platform has very limited number of plugins. If you upgrade to Premium then you get access to more plugins, however, your site is not as customisable as other blogging platforms. Although this can be suitable for beginners, cause they don’t have to think too much about all the technical stuff, it doesn’t really allow you to expand and build your website the way you want to.
Only 8 themes!:
When I was a member there were only 5 themes, so it’s interesting to see they’ve now recently increased that to a whopping 8 themes. Considering the amount of money you put in every month, it’s not much.
Kalatu Blogging Platform Themes…That’s it, only 8!
I wasn’t able to customise the site the way I wanted:
Once I started learning more about building a website, and WordPress, I wanted to start customising my site to look the way I wanted it. When I first began with Kalatu I really like the simplicity of the platform, but after some weeks I wanted to change things, add things and move things. However, I didn’t really get the chance to do this. I couldn’t add any new plugins. At the time of being a member there were only 5 themes available…which had very limited customisation features. So it left me feeling disappointed, especially as I was paying for it.
I wasn’t always creating quality content:
I found that with the 21-day blogging challenge, although I was writing everyday, I wasn’t always creating real quality content. My post would be short, or just be a list of videos. Although I still recommend writing regularly, maybe it shouldn’t be 21 consecutive days, as it’s not easy to write in depth posts in a day, when you have other responsibilities, such as having a full time job (which I had at the time).
You don’t really own your blog/website:
After all the money you put in monthly, you do not actually own your blog/website! It is owned my Empower Network. So if Empower Network decided to stop operating, all your hard work will be lost.
Pricing – There’s no free option:
In order to get on board with Kalatu, you need to be willing to spend $25 a month. This isn’t great if you’re a beginner and just want test the waters before you start investing any kind of money.
When I was a member of Kalatu last year, the platform only had one price package, which was the $25. But I can now see that they have added another package of $97 month. So in order to really get access to all the features of Kalatu, you would need to sign up for their premium package of $97 a month. I personally think that is way too much. Even a Business Plan on WordPress.com doesn’t cost half that much!
Kalatu is a very useful platform for people who are just starting out online. If you’re looking for a blogging platform that is geared towards beginners, then I feel Kalatu has a lot to offer you. If you’ve never had a website or blogged before, the tools they provide are useful get you off your feet, and create some content.
Looking back on my overall experience, I did actually enjoy the Kalatu Blogging Platform. As a beginner, I was able to create blog posts often with the help of the 21 Day Blogging Challenge and have my very own website. However, I did not feel comfortable with the $25/month price, especially when I was being offered little in regards to themes and plugins…and after a month of being an Empower Network Affiliate, I just didn’t like the idea of promoting their program to other people.
So, even though there are some good features available with Kalatu, and it is well suited for beginners, based on my overall experience I would NOT recommend the Kalatu Blogging Platform if you’re looking for long term success. I feel there are other platforms out there which offer much more, and for a much better price!
It is actually possible to build your own website online for free, and I want to share with you my #1 recommended website builder to do so.
Why I recommend Siterubix.com?:
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What are your thoughts/experiences on the Kalatu Blogging Platform? What did you like, what didn’t you like? Feel free to leave your responses and/or questions in the comments below. And if you found this post useful, or interesting please feel free to share.
ATryBox review
I came across this exciting new website online that pays users to test new products online and share their opinions. The website is called ATryBox, and the good news is, it’s FREE to join.
Basically ATryBox is a new NYC based company that connects tech companies with people who are willing, and able to test out their products.
You can click the image below to watch their 1 min video
Watch their 1 minute video to find out more
You will get sent invitations to new products via your email. You can choose to accept or decline the invitation.
The payment you receive depends on the type of test that you do. There are 5 types of tests available:
Usually bigger brands and startups might use this method as a way to get user opinions and feedback in real-time. Because it involves taking your time to commute, the price is open for you to decide how much you’ll want to be paid.
The good thing about phone calls is that you get to give live feedback, without having to commute. You’ll be asked to give your experience while using the product on the phone. They usually take around 30 minutes to complete, and shouldn’t take more than 50 minutes
With this method you will be providing feedback on things such as product design. It will usually take around 10-20 minutes to complete, but some can be up to 30 minutes.
If you choose this method you will be helping brands get data on specific questions, and will usually take 5-10 minutes to complete
This is nice and easy because you get to pick your preference over features such as colour, logo, design, name etc.
ATryBox is good for anyone who is looking to make some extra money online. If you enjoy giving your opinions and feedback, you can get paid to do so.
Well, other than getting paid, there are also some other features you can expect to get:
You get fixed prices on the tests that you do (except Personal Meetings)
You get to choose the methods of testing you want to do. So if you’re someone who hates phone calls, but loves surveys, then you can decline a specific test.
If you’re at home or travelling, all the tests (expect Personal Meetings), can be done remotely.
You can expect to receive payments within 7 days of completing the test.
Payment is made through Venmo. If you don’t have a Venmo account, then you can create one when you receive your first payment. Venmo is part of Paypal, and charges no commission, so you actually get what you earn.
So if you’ve read this review and thought…”I’m ready to get started”, then click the link below to start making some extra money online.
As I am not a US resident, I am unable to give you my own personal experiences with this website. However, I would really like to know what your experiences are, and whether you think it’s a good way to make some extra money online. It’s free to join so there’s nothing to lose. Please share them in the comments below. I really look forward to hearing your thoughts on this website…and hopefully soon it’ll be available internationally.
If you’re international and know people in the US that you think might be interested, why not share this review with them and help them earn a little extra online.
P.S. If you’re a brand and would like to get users to test your product, you can click this link to contact them about your product.
I made a number of mistakes when starting my online business, and sadly I know there are many others who have done the same. That’s why I want to share with you my 9 tips on starting your own successful business online. I want to share with you what I’ve learnt over the years from my mistakes, in hopes that it will help you avoid them earlier on in your online business venture.
Have A Plan
One of the most important tips to starting a successful online business is to have a plan. You need to know what direction you want your business to take, and how you will get there. It’s ok to change your mind at some points if you feel you want to tweak your original plan. But if you just sit back waiting to see what happens, you won’t be successful. So decide what your business will be about, and how you plan to make an income from it.
The best way to start an online business is to focus on something you are passionate about, and that you know a lot about too. If you focus on a topic that you have no interest in, you’re less likely to be motivated through the hard times. Whereas if you’re passionate about your topic, you’ll want to continue to share your knowledge with others, and promote products around that area of interest. I’m not saying that your business has to be based on your #1 passion (cause it could be that business model is saturated), but let it at least be something you care about. If you enjoy your topic then the creativity will flow.
It’s so easy to come up with all these ideas of what you want to do, and think of how you’re going to do it. But it becomes a whole different thing when you actually start DOING it. You need to start acting on your ideas. For example, if you’re thinking about emailing potential suppliers about a product…don’t think, just do it. I mean, you can obviously plan what you’re going to say, and the questions you’ll ask, but you’re not going to get any answers if you don’t hit that send button.
Get The Right Training
Having the right training is important because you get to learn tried and tested methods that will help you business grow. You’ll also come across new tips/methods that will further make your business a successful one. My #1 recommended training program is Wealthy Affiliate. This is because they have all the things you need, under one roof, and they provide bite-sized lessons to help you get things done step by step. They don’t give false promises, and they offer a free membership which gives you the opportunity to “try before you buy” (if you choose to upgrade). This means you can get a feel for the training material, allowing you to decide whether it’s for you, without having to invest any actual money. They don’t bombard you with upsells, nor do they claim that they have all the “secrets to success” in a 69 page eBook. If you’d like to know more you can check out my review (below), or sign up free today with the link (below).
FURTHER READING: Wealthy Affiliate Review
or
LINK: Sign Up FREE Today For Wealthy Affiliate Training Program
Build A Support Network
Having some kind of support network is highly important to having success in business. You need to surround yourself with likeminded people, whether thats offline or online, it’s necessary to do so. You need guidance from more experienced entreprenurs, as well as a way to stop you from feeling alone in the online world. You also need people in your life who are going to motivate you to keep going. That’s why I enjoy being a part of the Wealthy Affiliate community, cause there is a great support network available to me. I have somewhere I can share my worries, and the people there will pick me up and encourage me to keep going. I also inspired by their stories, which further motivates me. Sometimes getting in to business online can be difficult when you’re not seeing results early, but having a support network makes you realise that you need to persevere…and the hard work will soon pay off.
Building a business isn’t easy, and it’s not quick. It may not sound like what you were hoping for, but it’s the truth. Building a business requires hard work, especially when you’re just starting out. If you’re expecting to make money doing nothing, or only work 4 hours a week…then this is not for you. If possible, I would encourage you to speak to other entrepreneurs, ask them how much work it took them, and how long. This may help you decide whether building a business is really for you.
Side note: If you’re a full-time worker and genuinely can only work about 4 hours a week on your business, then that’s totally understandable. My reference to the “4 hour work week” is purely to illustrate the misconception many people have about starting a business online.
Brainstorm Ideas
You need to have a brainstorm of ideas of content and products for your business. This is so you can tackle a gap in the market, and improve your chance of being successful. The best way to do this is through keyword research. You can do a basic brainstorm of ideas, or use keyword tools. I personally use Jaaxy or Wealthy Affiliate Keyword Tool (you’ll need to create a free account to use this) to brainstorm ideas. You can also use KeywordTool.io. These tools can all be accessed for free, and also have upgrade options for more features. Quality content is what brings readers/visitors to your site. If you provide value, you’re able to make money through advertising or Affiliate Marketing. You want to provide value for your visitors and write in your own words. Keyword tools are very useful because they help you come up with different content ideas. You don’t want to run out of content after only a few articles. So get brainstorming, and come start coming up with awesome content!
No Magic Button To Success
Before you can really be successful with your business, you need to realise that there is NO magic button to success…there NO magic formula. What you need are the right tools and resources to help you work smarter. Don’t believe all the hype of products written my “internet gurus” showing you “the secrets to success” in a costly ebook. Save your money from that and invest in real resources and training.
Take Action!
I know I say this throughout my site a lot, but it is so true. You need to take action in order to get anywhere. Don’t be the person who talks, talks and talks about starting a business, but never does anything to get it going. It’s easy to get worried about making mistakes with your business…but not starting at all will be your biggest failure. With the right training and resources, you will be off to a good start, and you’ll have the chance to learn a lot along the way.
So, I invite you to take action today by signing up for the Wealthy Affiliate Training Program. Here you will learn the ways to starting your own business online.
To sign up free today, click the link below.
What would you add to this list of tips? Are there any tips that stand out most to you? Which of these tips, if any, will you take on board after reading this? I’d really like to read your responses and answer any questions you may have in the comments below.
When I first started, I didn’t really understand what Affiliate Marketing was about
When I first got into the Affiliate Marketing business, I didn’t fully understand what it was about. I was only interested in the money and couldn’t understand why people weren’t buying products from my links. I would copy and paste my link all over social media, and spend ages on countless traffic exchange sites to get my site noticed, but with with no real success. Then I joined Wealthy Affiliate, which taught me what Affiliate Marketing really is about. Continue reading
