This might sound strange…

Especially if you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while.

But today I want to answer the BIG question…

“What Really Makes Money?”

However, that answer doesn’t consist of a single business idea or side hustle.

If it did, I’d write it up, hit ‘publish’, send it out…

And that would be the end of that!

Of course, there isn’t ONE answer to that question.

Because we’re all different…

We each have our own strengths and weaknesses… experiences and insights… financial goals and personal ambitions.

Not only that, we have different home situations, family commitments, and levels of free time.

Which is why a proven business idea might suit one person brilliantly… and yet that same idea might spell disappointment for someone else.

To make it even more complicated, there are so many credible ways to earn money, it boggles the mind!

You can invent products… sell goods online…. create content… become an influencer… coach and educate…

And within those broad categories there are multiple niches, target audiences and angles of approach.

Not to mention a plethora of platforms, tools and methodologies!

Then you’ve got trends and tech breakthroughs that come along and upend one kind of business while sending others into the stratosphere.

It’s an ever-changing landscape!

So it’s no wonder that people who seek ways to earn an independent income find themselves feeling totally overwhelmed.

Where on earth do you begin? And how can you get an honest answer about what’s involved and how much you could realistically make?

This is where I come in.

As you know, I’m about to set up a premium What Really Makes Money Substack newsletter.

It will offer regular in-depth blueprints on different ways to generate an extra income from home.

But rather than taking a scattergun approach where I simply share everything and anything I find…

I will put in place a strict selection criteria.

It means that you will ONLY get those business plans that I have verified as workable and credible for an ordinary person to set up from home as a solo operator.

Because the question ‘What Really Makes Money?’ is missing one crucial element…

And that’s YOU.

Really, what you need to know is…

What Is Most Likely To Make You Money?

In other words, what will work best for you, taking into account your strengths and weaknesses… likes and dislikes… interests and experiences… home circumstances and financial goals?

And the best way I can answer that is by giving you a full breakdown of each opportunity…

Along with my professional verdict, based on over three decades working in home business and financial publishing… and 23 years running my own business!

This way, you can match yourself up to the income strategies that fit you best.

7 Tests That Every Opportunity Must Pass

So in the new premium What Really Makes Money Substack, there will be 7 core criteria for every opportunity I recommend:

1. Income Potential

Can you genuinely earn money from this?

I look for methods where ordinary (non-techy or experienced) people can earn a great income without needing a huge online following, existing customers or special insider access.

A good example is freelance content writing, where people with a decent grasp of written English (and an AI tool!) are charging businesses £300–£500 per article or web page. Even writing just two or three pieces a week around a day job can bring in an extra £500–£1,500 per month – and experienced writers working full-time regularly earn £50,000–£80,000 a year.

2. Accessibility

Can an ordinary person get going quickly with low or no upfront cost, no staff or premises, and no specialist skills?

I seek out opportunities you can test in your evenings or weekends from home, and fit around your existing job or commitments, using AI to do any tricky or boring bits.

An example might be selling via Fulfilment By Amazon, where you don’t need to buy stock up front, store it at home or even send it out to customers.

All that hard work is done by Amazon, and you can piggyback on its customer base to start without any experience.

3. Effort-to-Reward Ratio

How much time and effort do you need to get set up and run the business?

Rather than just being paid for your time, the financial reward from a business must be greater than the amount of time and effort you put in.

Where possible I look for ways that you can generate a passive or leveraged income, where you don’t need to actively ‘work’ in order to get paid.

A good example is Print-On-Demand, where you create logos, slogans or designs on products that other people print and send to customers for you.

So the income just keeps rolling in automatically, day and night… even if you’re been nowhere near your computer in weeks.

4. Scalability

Could this be scaled up to something even more profitable – or potentially become a full time business?

I look for business ideas where you have the option to grow the income whether that’s through additional income streams, outsourcing the work, recurring payments or automated elements.

For example, a subscription business could start with a single publication, like a digital course…

But you could expand it with bonus materials, higher level support and community access…

Then you could also sell other relevant products like ebooks, workshops, webinars, even mastermind groups.

5. Proof That It Works

Are real people doing this right now?

I look for credible income reports, forum threads and media case studies… or I find evidence of products and services that are online right now, started by individuals or very small teams from scratch.

These can include people I know personally and professionally, who are succeeding in a similar business.

For instance, last year I based an entire blueprint on a real life business that was working brilliantly in the USA.

A guy named Ryan Sneddon started a tiny local email newsletter in Annapolis that blew up into a 17,000 subscriber business which generated £154,000 per year!

This is the kind of proven idea that gets me very excited!

6. Longevity

Is this still going to work in 2–3 years?

Every method I share is based on a genuine long-term trend in how people work, buy, or behave online. If I think demand is shortly going to drop off a cliff, I won’t recommend it.

For example, digital courses are a top recommendation because the eLearning market is continuing to expand, year on year.

Not only that but it is being driven by powerful trends including the rising gig economy, hybrid work culture, new digital platforms and demand from people who urgently need to re-skill.

7. Ethical and Legal

Would I be happy to do this business myself and tell friends about it?

In all cases, I look for businesses where you deliver something of value to people, and of which you can be proud.

If an opportunity involves misleading people, duping people, or breaking the law, then it goes without saying, I’ll never cover it. For example, pyramid schemes or MLM schemes where the product is flimsy and the business model is fundamentally biased against you.

When A Business Idea Ticks These Boxes, Here’s What You’ll Get

Once I’ve verified all seven criteria, then I’ll create and send a blueprint that contains everything you need, including:-

• Business Model Snapshot – A plain-English explanation of the business model.
• The Market Outlook – Why does this opportunity exist right now, why is it a good time to get in, and why will it continue to thrive in the future?
• Case Studies – examples of people doing this in the real world.
• What It Costs to Start – this is split into essential costs (you can’t start without these) and optional costs (they’ll speed things up but aren’t required).
• Time & Effort –how many hours per week you need to get started, how long before your first income, and what a typical week might look like once it’s up and running.
• Skills & Knowledge – what skills you might need and what you might need to learn. In all cases, I’ll give you the option to use AI to cover any gaps.
• Setup instructions – everything you need step-by-step, including screenshots, tools, recommended platforms and AI prompts where necessary.
• How to Get Your First Customer or Sale – I’ll walk you through the actions you should take in your first 30 days to generate your income.
• Income Projection – estimates of how much you will potentially make.
• How to Scale Up – options for growing the income through additional services, outsourcing, automation, multiple income streams and recurring payments,
• Risks & Downsides – I’ll also share any legal, tax or compliance considerations.
• Who it suits – the strengths, experiences and personality traits that might come in handy when running the business.
• Resources– tools, resources, recommended books and courses.

So I really hope you’ll consider joining the brand new What Really Makes Money when the time comes to launch.

Because there’s bound to be an idea that inspires you – and which is exactly RIGHT for your personal circumstances.

To whet your appetite…

Which One of These Could Be Your First Home Income Breakthrough?

I’ll look at eCommerce, including flipping products, consignment selling, digital products, print-on-demand and making money on Amazon, eBay and Etsy.

I’ll also show you services you can run from home, including digital microtasks, local jobs, property, renting and coaching.

And I’ll cover the ways you can make money from creating content with AI. These include membership sites, faceless social media videos, email newsletters, digital courses, phone apps, eBooks, PDFs and yes on Substack itself!

So please do keep reading, and stay tuned for updates on the new What Really Makes Money.

In the meantime, I’d love to know….

Are there specific business ideas you like the look of, and want me to investigate that I haven’t covered here?

Or are there any criteria outside of the 7 listed today that you’d like to see included?

And finally, is there anything you’d personally like to see added to my suggested blueprint structure?

The more feedback I get, the more useful the new blueprints are likely to be!

As always, I’d love to hear from you….