Making money online sounds exciting. Imagine earning an income from your laptop, working in your pajamas, spending more time with your family, and building a business around something you genuinely enjoy. For many people, this is the dream behind starting a blog, creating digital products, or becoming an online entrepreneur.
But what does it actually take to build a profitable online business? And once you start making money, how do you keep that income flowing without relying on a single source?
In a podcast about building a cozy online business, Mia, an online business coach and content creator, shared how she developed a six-figure business from a blog she started in 2018. She also revealed the five income streams that currently contribute to her business and explained why online earnings aren't always as predictable as they appear on social media.
Her experience offers useful lessons for anyone interested in blogging, affiliate marketing, online courses, and other ways to make money from home.
Let's explore how her business works, how the different income streams fit together, and what you can learn if you're planning to build your own online business.
How It All Started: Building an Online Business From a Blog
Mia explained that her online business began with a blog in 2018. Over time, she developed that blog into a business that includes educational content, online courses, coaching, and digital products.
Her goal is to help introverted creatives build online businesses that give them more flexibility and financial independence.
One interesting part of her story is that she didn't rely on just one way to make money. Instead, she developed several income streams that work together.
This is an important lesson for bloggers and content creators. A blog can be much more than a place to publish articles. It can become the foundation for an entire online business.
For example, someone who writes about personal finance could eventually create budgeting templates, publish an e-book, recommend financial tools through affiliate links, or develop a course teaching readers how to manage their money.
Likewise, a blogger who writes about blogging and digital marketing could sell website templates, teach SEO, offer coaching, and earn advertising revenue.
The key is to build an audience around a particular topic and then create products or services that genuinely help those readers.
However, it's important to understand that success takes time. Mia's results came from years of building her business, experimenting with different strategies, and learning what her audience wanted.
The Reality of Making Money Online
Before revealing her income streams, Mia made an important point: online business income isn't always consistent.
She shared that she had experienced months with earnings of $20,000, $10,000, and $5,000, as well as months when she earned only $1,000 or even around $900.
These figures demonstrate something that isn't always obvious when you see income reports online. Even a business that has generated substantial revenue can experience difficult months.
There are several reasons for these fluctuations.
Your Content Doesn't Always Perform the Same Way
If your business depends on blogging, YouTube, Instagram, or other content platforms, your earnings may be influenced by how many people discover your content.
A blog post might attract thousands of visitors, while another article on the same website receives very little traffic. Similarly, a YouTube video may generate new subscribers and customers, while another video attracts fewer views than expected.
Algorithms, search visibility, audience interest, and competition can all affect your results.
Mia described publishing content as something like entering a lottery because you cannot know with certainty which piece will connect with the right people.
Although there are strategies for improving your chances, results aren't guaranteed. Consistency matters because every useful piece of content gives potential customers another opportunity to discover your business.
Launching a Product Doesn't Guarantee Sales
Mia also shared an example of a workshop she launched to help people prepare successful Black Friday sales. Despite investing time in the idea, she didn't make any sales.
This illustrates an important lesson for anyone planning to sell digital products: creating something doesn't automatically mean people will buy it.
Your audience might not need the product at that particular time, the offer may not be clear enough, or your marketing may not reach the right people.
Before investing heavily in a new product, try to understand your audience's problems and validate whether people are interested in your proposed solution.
A failed launch doesn't necessarily mean your entire business is a failure. It can provide information that helps you improve your next offer.
Why Diversifying Your Income Matters
One way to manage the uncertainty of online business is to develop multiple income streams.
If most of your income comes from one course, a decline in course sales could affect your entire business. But if you also earn from digital products, affiliate marketing, advertising, and coaching, you may have other sources of revenue to support your business during slower periods.
Diversification doesn't eliminate risk, and managing several income streams takes work. Nevertheless, it can help you avoid depending entirely on one product or platform.
The Five Income Streams Behind Her Online Business
In the podcast, Mia divided her business revenue into five main categories: online courses, coaching, digital products, affiliate marketing, and advertising.
She estimated that each contributed approximately the following percentage of her total business income.
Income streamApproximate shareOnline courses50%Coaching25%Digital products12%Affiliate marketing8%Advertising5%Total100%
These percentages describe Mia's business at the time of the podcast. They aren't typical earnings figures or a guarantee of what another blogger can expect.
Let's look at how each income stream works.
1. Selling Online Courses: 50% of Revenue
Online courses were the largest source of income in Mia's business, accounting for approximately half of her revenue.
She explained that this category includes courses, workshops, live masterclasses, Q&A sessions, and sales generated through her marketing funnels.
An online course allows you to package your knowledge into a structured learning experience and sell it to people who want to develop a particular skill or achieve a specific result.
For example, you could create a course about starting a blog, learning graphic design, improving social media marketing, building a website, or using a particular software tool.
The advantage is that you can create the course once and sell access to multiple customers. You don't necessarily need to deliver every lesson individually each time someone purchases it.
This can make courses an attractive business model, although creating a useful course requires research, planning, and ongoing improvements. You'll also need to market the product and provide appropriate customer support.
Mia pointed out that you don't have to appear on camera to create a course. You could offer written lessons, audio lessons, downloadable materials, or a combination of different formats.
For introverts who prefer working behind the scenes, this flexibility can be especially appealing.
How to Get Started With Online Courses
Start by identifying something you know how to do that other people want to learn.
Next, research the questions your audience frequently asks. Use those questions to develop a clear course outline with practical lessons and achievable learning objectives.
You can then create the lessons, select a platform for delivering them, and develop a simple sales page.
The goal isn't to produce the longest course possible. It's to help your customers solve a specific problem.
2. Business Coaching: 25% of Revenue
Coaching was Mia's second-largest income stream, contributing approximately 25% of her revenue.
She described offering private coaching to individual clients who need help with business strategy and content strategy. She also runs a group coaching program called Cozy Business Academy, which she launches annually in the fall.
Coaching differs from a traditional online course because clients can receive more personalized guidance.
For example, someone who has started a blog may understand the basics of SEO but struggle to develop a content strategy. A coach could help that person identify priorities, review their approach, and create a plan suited to their situation.
Similarly, a business owner might need help improving a sales funnel, deciding which digital product to launch, or creating a more effective marketing strategy.
Coaching can be profitable because customers pay for expertise, guidance, and support tailored to their needs.
However, it also requires time. Private coaching involves working directly with clients, while group coaching requires planning sessions, answering questions, and managing the learning experience.
If you're considering this model, begin with a subject where you have genuine experience and can provide meaningful value. Avoid presenting yourself as an expert in areas where you lack the necessary knowledge.
3. Selling Digital Products: 12% of Revenue
Digital products accounted for approximately 12% of Mia's revenue.
This category included templates, swipe files, workbooks, planners, and other downloadable resources. She also discussed plans to expand her digital product shop.
Digital products are attractive because they can be delivered online without the need to manufacture, package, or ship physical goods.
Examples include:
- Budget planners and expense trackers.
- Social media content calendars.
- Website templates and design resources.
- E-books and downloadable guides.
- Business worksheets and checklists.
- Email marketing templates.
- Printable planners and productivity tools.
Imagine you run a blog that teaches people how to start an online business. You could create a downloadable business planner that helps readers organize their ideas, identify their target audience, and plan their first product launch.
Instead of offering the same advice in every article, you could sell a more detailed resource that helps readers put the information into practice.
Mia explained that she wanted to focus more on this income stream because she had previously created products without developing a consistent sales strategy.
That is a useful reminder: creating digital products is only one part of the process. You also need to communicate their value, reach the right audience, and make purchasing easy.
4. Affiliate Marketing: 8% of Revenue
Affiliate marketing contributed approximately 8% of Mia's revenue.
If you're unfamiliar with the concept, affiliate marketing involves recommending a company's product or service through a special tracking link. When someone makes a qualifying purchase through that link, you may receive a commission.
For example, a blogger who writes about building websites might recommend hosting services, email marketing platforms, or website design tools.
Mia mentioned several products and services she had used or recommended, including:
- Bluehost for website hosting.
- Kit for email marketing.
- Elegant Themes for Divi and WordPress design tools.
- ClickUp for project management.
These are examples from her discussion, not a guarantee that every product currently offers the same affiliate terms or that every program will accept every applicant.
The most important principle she emphasized was authenticity. She recommends promoting products you have actually used, understand, and genuinely believe could help your audience.
This matters because affiliate marketing depends heavily on trust. If readers believe you recommend products only to earn commissions, they may stop taking your advice seriously.
You should also clearly disclose affiliate relationships when applicable and follow the relevant advertising and affiliate program rules.
How Bloggers Can Start Affiliate Marketing
First, choose a niche and identify products that are genuinely relevant to your readers.
Then, investigate the companies' official affiliate programs and review their commission structures, eligibility requirements, and promotional rules.
Create helpful content that explains the products, answers readers' questions, or compares relevant options.
You can learn more about the business model through the Affiliate Marketing section of Shopify's blog.
Remember that affiliate income depends on factors such as traffic, audience trust, conversion rates, and commission amounts. You may earn nothing at first, even if you publish useful content.
5. Advertising Revenue: 5% of Revenue
Advertising was the fifth income stream in Mia's business, accounting for approximately 5% of her revenue.
She explained that this included YouTube advertising and advertisements displayed on her blog.
With advertising, a creator can earn money when eligible content generates ad impressions, views, or other qualifying activity, depending on the platform and advertising arrangement.
For example, a blogger might publish articles that attract visitors from search engines. If the website qualifies for an advertising network, ads may be displayed alongside the content.
Similarly, eligible YouTube creators can earn a share of advertising revenue through the platform's monetization system.
You can learn more about the requirements for earning money on YouTube through the official YouTube Partner Program page.
Advertising can become a useful source of revenue as your content library and audience grow. However, earnings vary based on traffic, audience location, subject matter, advertiser demand, and monetization eligibility.
You generally need to build an audience before advertising becomes a meaningful income stream.
How Much Money Did She Make in One Month?
Toward the end of the podcast, Mia shared a figure from her business records.
She reported earning $8,931.64 in December 2024.
She also explained that she tracked her income regularly using a spreadsheet, allowing her to see how much her business generated on different days.
This is a valuable habit for anyone starting an online business. Tracking revenue helps you identify which products are selling, understand seasonal changes, and make more informed business decisions.
However, the $8,931.64 figure represents the income she reported for that month. The podcast doesn't establish that this was her profit after business expenses, taxes, refunds, and other costs.
It's also important to distinguish a single month's revenue from a predictable monthly salary. As Mia's experience illustrates, online business income can fluctuate significantly.
Use other creators' income reports as examples of what happened in their businesses, not as promises of what will happen in yours.
How to Start Building Your Own Online Income Streams
You don't need to launch five income streams at once. In fact, trying to do everything immediately can make it harder to build momentum.
A more practical approach is to start with one business model and expand when you have a better understanding of your audience.
Step 1: Choose a topic. Identify a subject you understand and can consistently create helpful content about. This could be blogging, personal finance, beauty, technology, education, or another area with an audience you can serve.
Step 2: Build an online presence. Start a blog, YouTube channel, or another suitable platform. Publish useful content that answers real questions and helps people solve problems.
Step 3: Grow an audience. Learn how search engines, social media, and email marketing can help people discover your content. Focus on attracting people who are genuinely interested in your subject.
Step 4: Choose your first income stream. Depending on your niche, this could be affiliate marketing, a digital product, a service, coaching, or advertising once you're eligible.
Step 5: Track your results. Record revenue, expenses, traffic, sales, and other relevant information. Use these numbers to determine what is working.
Step 6: Expand carefully. Once your first income stream is established, consider adding another that complements your existing business.
For instance, a blogger might start with affiliate marketing, develop a downloadable guide after understanding readers' needs, and later create a course that provides more comprehensive instruction.
The goal is to build a business where the different parts support one another.
Final Thoughts: You Can Build an Online Business, but Be Realistic
Mia's story demonstrates how a blog can grow into a business supported by several different income streams.
Her reported revenue breakdown included online courses, coaching, digital products, affiliate marketing, and advertising. Each plays a different role, from generating sales through educational products to earning commissions and monetizing content.
But perhaps the most important lesson from her experience isn't the income itself. It's her willingness to talk about unsuccessful launches, lower-revenue months, and the uncertainty that comes with running an online business.
Building a profitable online business takes time, experimentation, consistency, and a willingness to adapt. A product that succeeds today may perform differently next month, and an idea that fails may still teach you something valuable.
If you're planning to start a blog or online business, begin with a topic you care about, focus on helping a specific audience, and choose an income stream that makes sense for your skills.
You don't need to build everything at once. Start small, learn from your results, and gradually develop a business that works for your goals and lifestyle.
The bottom line: making money online is possible, but it isn't guaranteed or always passive. Build something valuable, earn your audience's trust, and give yourself room to learn along the way.
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