Online Lazy Jobs for Gen Z and Millennials
Some recent news reports have seen reporters mocking 18 to 40 year olds who are pursuing unheard of work-life balance. They’ve coined the term “lazy job” for what Gen Z and Millennials are seeking in terms of a career, but there’s really nothing lazy about it.
What this demographic is searching for is a job that doesn’t wear them down with stress and endless hours at a low paying position. These generations have seen their parents complain about having to work around the clock, without having anything to show for it at the end of the day or into retirement.
Instead of scoffing at these individuals who have awakened the desire for something better, more guidance needs to be delivered to help people achieve their goals. While news media is rolling their eyes at the concept, the truth is, anyone can carve out a place for personal satisfaction with a job that enables them to make plenty of money and enjoy the flexibility and lifestyle they deserve.
The major pitfall that many in this demographic have fallen prey to is that they associate work from home jobs with that same freedom and opportunity. You can’t simply make the decision to change locations and still expect the personal satisfaction you desire.
However, if you make the move to work for yourself online, which happens to be at home, you will not be restrained by the hours and wages that a company offering telecommuting positions will burden you with.
Below, you’re going to see how you can launch a low effort, yet profitable business that allows you to set your own schedule, earn from unlimited and diversified income streams, and pursue your passions rather than being cornered in a corporate job you can’t stand.
There’s Plenty of Room for You in an Online Work Environment
Some people in these generations mistakenly believe that only those who have encountered a stroke of good luck get to succeed online. This is not true – there are many people who are not well-known earning a substantial living online, enjoying all that life has to offer in the process.
There’s not too much competition for you to launch a thriving business online. Competition is a wonderful thing in this career – it signals an interest in your niche or services.
Whenever there are far too few people doing something, it’s a sign that there may not be enough interest. Some in these generations mistakenly look at the top influencers and assume there’s no more room at the top.
You don’t have to have millions of followers and be a household name in order to earn plenty of money and provide yourself with the kind of life you’ve always wanted to live. You can easily earn six or even seven figures without anyone knowing who you are.
That’s another great thing about the career of an online entrepreneur. You can choose to put yourself out there as a niche leader, or you can choose to maintain your anonymity.
This is a perfect fit for those who want to pursue many of their different passions under a different pen name with their blog and social media content. You can be anything you want to be with this career, and you don’t have to worry that there are already too many competitors.
If you think about it from a consumer’s point of view, you probably like to learn or follow many different people even on the same topic. For example, if you’re studying how to make money online, you’re not just going to listen to one person, but you’re going to see what many different people have to say.
Not only do people teach different strategies and ideas, but they do it in different ways, even if they are in the same niche as someone else. You might have someone who is very fun and motivational, and another leader that is very serious and professional.
The goal with this career is not to see who can accumulate the most followers, but who can convert their followers into paying customers and clients. So you may see many competitors who appear to be doing very well because of their follower count on social media platforms, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into money that hits the bank.
Even if you choose a business model like freelance work, clients will often hire multiple workers to tend to their projects. And if you are selling info products or promoting products as an affiliate, you’ll find that your customers are listening to many different people, not just you and not just someone else.
Instead of worrying about the competition or whether you will fit in well as a leader in a certain niche, you need to spend your time focused on planning your business strategically and honing the skills that you plan to use when catering to your audience.
A Flexible and Lucrative Online Career Delivers on Personal Satisfaction
There’s a misconception that Gen Z and Millennials are anti-work. They’re not. You just want a low-stress job – not one where you wake up dreading work every day, like so many corporate earners feel.
Some companies only let their employees work at home part-time, or force them to work certain hours. With a job as an online entrepreneur working for yourself, you’ll work from home full-time, and set any hours you want, whether it’s at midnight or noon.
In a corporate job, you might have a boss breathing down your neck or coworkers complaining about everything. Working for yourself, you wear many different hats in your business but you get to make all decisions about how (and when) things are done.
Some people will put up with the poor working conditions and lack of personal satisfaction in exchange for a steady paycheck, but you can create a stable and significant income as an online entrepreneur.
Many Gen Z and Millennial men and women are actively trying to find a way to leave their jobs. They don’t want their job to define their entire existence from the time they wake up until the time they go to sleep.
As a work at home entrepreneur, you will need some self-motivation. But when you’re building your own business, you’ll find you have far more enthusiasm for your tasks than when you’re forced to do something because someone else is making you do it.
You can work from a home office, your couch – or even in bed if you want to. You can take your laptop out to the pool, take it on vacation with you and work with an Internet connection – whatever setting brings you the most comfort and happiness.
While you may not necessarily have coworkers, you can have colleagues in the same industry and be networking with people all over the world. You will also have customers and clients in different countries and states, which is very satisfying to people who want to expand their reach in terms of communication.
You don’t need any type of fancy setup when it comes to your technology. A simple laptop will suffice, as long as you have an Internet connection. In fact, there are some people who build their entire business working from a smartphone.
You can start a business at no cost whatsoever, or you can invest a bare minimum of $5 a month to have your own website and hosting. This is an affordable solution for anyone who considers themselves as part of the Gen Z or Millennial generations.
One of the biggest things this demographic is concerned about is work-life with balance and being able to enjoy their free time. While you do have to work to be an online entrepreneur successfully, there are many ways in which you can automate and eventually outsource your work so that you have a more hands off approach, freeing your day up for things you enjoy.
You will no longer be burdened with the expenses or time considerations of a commute in traffic, which brings wear and tear on your vehicle. And you don’t need to invest in a work wardrobe.
People may laugh at the thought of someone saying they work from home in their pajamas, but this is the type of comfort that can be afforded to you when you are a solo entrepreneur.
You also won’t have the expense of having to participate in work functions, such as contributing to someone’s baby shower or birthday party. And you won’t have to worry about having to turn down lunches with colleagues if you can’t afford anything more than a sack lunch.
Those who work in traditional roles often find their mental and physical health lacking. They are rushing to get to work, spend all day doing things they don’t enjoy, and come home in a hurry to go to sleep and do it all over again the following day.
There is very little time to renew your mental spirit or to focus on your physical well-being. Not only is there very little time to exercise, but standing in the kitchen preparing a healthy meal is usually out of the question as well.
However, when you are an online entrepreneur working from home, you can take breaks to manage your physical and mental health around the clock. You won’t have to ask your boss for a break or ask for permission to take off and go to the doctor whenever necessary.
If you have a family, you’ll be able to cater to their needs as well, whenever you are needed rather than having to hope you have time off with pay whenever you want to be with your spouse or children.
Basically, these generations are redefining what success means. It doesn’t always mean a single monetary focus, but instead a well-rounded one that includes the financial results as well as the personal satisfaction.
You want time to spend on personal growth, not just trying to climb the ladder of a corporation. You don’t want to have to beg for a raise, but you want to earn your income to the best of your abilities.
You want to have your skills be appreciated and be able to make an impact in the world rather than being stifled and told what tasks to do each day. Having a desire to be valued as you work and to end each day feeling happy about what you’ve done is just as significant as the financial aspect of a job.
When you have the freedom that an online career affords you with, you’ll automatically be less stressed and more productive. You’ll get to explore different business models and niches according to your passions and skills, and this will deliver in the form of financial benefits as well.
No one is saying that money isn’t important period in fact, one reason Gen Z and Millennials want to pursue this type of career is because it offers unlimited income potential.
These are generations that have seen their own parents hit a ceiling in terms of what they can earn, and witnessed the stress they feel whenever they are denied their due raises.
As an online entrepreneur, you can diversify your income stream and even eliminate the commitment you would have to have in the corporate world. If you want to focus on individual gigs as a freelancer, you can do that.
Or, if you want to earn from different niches or business models, you have that ability without being stuck with something you aren’t happy with. Even if you build up a website and decide you no longer want to be in that niche, you can sell it as an asset by flipping it to another marketer who wants to take it over.
You can choose to enter the marketplace in one of many different ways, which we’ll cover shortly. The diversification of income gives you financial stability. If one method of making money falters, the same as a corporation going out of business or an employee getting fired, you’ll have something to fall back on.
You can start out with one business model, and slowly add others on or branch out to different niches if you want to increase your earnings that way. All it takes is the ability to create content online that attracts an audience you can convert into sales.
You No Longer Have to Be Trapped in a Traditional Work Role
Let’s dig into the niches and business models that can free you from the traditional, boring job market. The first thing you want to know is that you don’t need a degree or any special certification to pursue this career.
You could even be a high school dropout, and still find something to build a business around online! Nobody is looking at your education or experience. What they want is valuable insight and advice.
Unlike a traditional workplace, where seniority is what determines salary, you can start earning right away without having ever spent a day prior in your business. All you need is the ability to research ideas and share content with your audience.
Ideally, you’ll enjoy your career – so choosing a niche that you feel passionate about is the best way to build a business. However, you might have knowledge or skills about something you’re not necessarily excited about, and it’s okay to go that route, too.
This is also a great time to learn new things. For example, if you’ve always wanted to learn how to be a successful container gardener, why not start a business about it online and be committed to it?
People love learning from those who are on the same level as them. When you are sharing your attempts at success, they will be glued to your journey as they follow along side by side.
You’ll be able to tell them what courses you are taking, what tools you are using, and reporting your successes and failures so that they know what to do and what to avoid. This is a great way to earn from your own experiences.
There are so many different things you can earn from when it comes to niches online. While growing up, you may have had parents who scolded you for spending too much time playing video games.
But now, you can earn money from gaming – being an affiliate marketer who reviews gaming systems, guides, accessories and games. You can have a social media profile where you earn as part of the creator funds or from gifts given to you from followers.
You might have an interest in health and fitness, and you can turn that into a lucrative career. Even if you’re a plus sized individual or someone who has a health condition, you can lead the way for others who need someone guiding them in that niche.
If you love pets, turn it int a niche! If you have an interest in survival prepping, that is a very lucrative niche. Even if you like helping people with their relationships or with skincare or cleaning and organization, those are all niches you can make money with it online.
Don’t forget, you don’t have to go broad, either. Instead of just focusing on gardening, you can choose vertical gardening, hydroponics, growing tomatoes, small space gardening, etc.
The same goes for fitness and health topic, and all the others. You can do survival prepping or just canning survival foods. You can do pets or just chihuahuas. You can do relationships or just dating after divorce – however drilled down you want to go, as long as there’s enough interest in your topic.
Whenever you have a list of possible niches, do a little research to see if there’s enough interest in it. This will usually be determined by whether or not there are plenty of digital and tangible products, and how much engagement accounts are getting on social media.
Sometimes, you can spot patterns of things you notice where the audience is not being served well. These are known as gaps in the marketplace. For example, you might see a lot on gardening, but not very much on small space gardening on an apartment balcony, for example.
If you can find a way to position yourself to stand apart from the rest, you’ll experience faster growth. But don’t worry if it seems like a crowded marketplace. Over time, you might see opportunities to expand out in your niche, or drill down in a more defined manner.
In some cases, you’re not going to need to select a niche at all. If you’re a freelance service provider, for example, you’ll be working for people who have a niche of their own.
When it comes to the business model you’ll use, part of it will depend on what your skills are and part of it on what is in demand. For example, if you aren’t good at writing, you might want to avoid business models where a lot of writing is involved.
There are dozens of different business models to choose from. Freelance service providers work for clients, but you maintain control over who you work for and what projects you do.
If you have the ability to write, create graphics such as eCovers or social quote posters, or handle administrative work, you can start a business as a freelancer and set your own schedule and rates.
You won’t even need to have your own website if you don’t want to. There are many platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork that will allow you to create a profile and portfolio. You can also network with online entrepreneurs and use word of mouth to get clients.
Another business model you can choose, which is very popular for people who don’t have a lot of money to get started, is affiliate marketing. You don’t have to have your own products or even your own website, and you can start promoting other people’s products on social media platforms.
With this business model, you will earn a commission for every sale that is made through your referral link. You can earn from both digital and tangible products. You can apply to affiliate programs on platforms like ClickBank, JVZoo, Warrior Plus, Amazon, Share-a-Sale, and Commission Junction to name a few.
Another business model you might choose to pursue is developing information products of your own. These can be things like eBooks that people download to read, or it can be video courses where they watch a tutorial or learn information in this media format.
There are other types of digital products that you can sell as a vendor, too. For example, you can sell coaching to your customers, software or plugins, and the other gadgets that you don’t have to ship.
Even though you may have discounted the idea of becoming an influencer because it felt unachievable, there are many micro influencers who earn a significant living online without having the same major following as top influencers.
As long as you can build a following on social media, you can use tools like Patreon, content creator funds, sponsored posts, and the gifts that followers are able to send during live streams and get paid for the knowledge and influence that you have.
If you like the idea of this, but you don’t want to put yourself out there as the public face of your brand, you can also use AI influencers, which are becoming increasingly popular.
Another business model you might want to try is selling printables. If you are artistic or like to come up with organizational content that people can print, such as calendars, planners, journal sheets, and even homework sheets, then you may want to design these pages that you can list for sale on platforms like Etsy and Shopify, where they will sell again and again and snowball your earnings as you grow your store.
There are other business models, such as drop shipping, FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon), private label rights sales and more that you can research to see if it would be a good fit based on your skills and personal preferences.
Keep in mind that in terms of income, some of these are going to be limited or take longer to earn from while others will allow unlimited earnings from the very beginning. For example, as a freelance service provider, you are going to be limited by the number of hours you can devote to your business.
But with rates, you can start out competitive with your pricing and then increase your pricing as your client list becomes more selective and secure. However, there will come a point in time where you don’t have any more hours to devote to your business, so you will hit a ceiling.
With other business models, your income will grow as you add products and promotions. This is true with affiliate marketing, info product development, printables, and private label rights.
The more content you have available for people to buy, the more revenue you will see. So it might start off small in the very beginning, and grow into something significant. This is why it’s important to have some sort of income to sustain you as you start and grow your business online.
Even with affiliate marketing, there may be a short term payoff or something that takes a bit longer for you to reach a threshold of earnings or the specific amount of time required by the platform to get paid, such as Amazon’s 60 day wait period.
Each of these business models is going to come with its own set have pros and cons. For example, freelancing allows you to hit the ground running and earn almost immediately, but you are still working for someone else to a degree and completing projects based on their specifications.
With affiliate marketing, you have to put in the effort upfront to get your content ranking and noticed by search engines as well as human visitors. But once you develop that following and ranking, you should be able to see your income grow from there.
Many people love becoming an influencer or info product developer because they get to share their own opinions, insight, and knowledge with an audience that appreciates what they have to say.
Choose a business model that not only provides you with the financial opportunities and flexibility that you are looking for, but also the personal satisfaction that will make you wake up each day eager to get to work.
Tools and Strategies That Free Up Your Time for Fun Activities
Now that you know the options available to you as an online entrepreneur, you want to think about the very reason you’re doing this – to enjoy work-life balance. That means you want to work smarter, not harder.
It can be a lot of work to build your own online business. But thankfully, there are strategies and tools that will allow you to shortcut your processes so that you’re not spending as much time on your business, and instead being able to enjoy life.
The first thing you want to know is that there are ways to automate many of the processes in your business. For example, if you are going to be blogging or marketing via email, or even publishing content on social media platforms, you can schedule these messages ahead of time to go out at a specific time so that you don’t have to be glued to your computer.
On a WordPress blog, you can queue up content to publish at an exact time and date – and you can do this weeks in advance. Using an email autoresponder, you can queue up months or years’ worth of emails in advance that will nurture your subscribers while you’re off doing other things.
Using tools like Hootsuite, you can schedule social media posts across many different platforms. You can do batch work and complete tons of writing all at once and then take off and do things in your personal life.
You can also delegate or outsource your tasks to others if you have the funds. Just begin reinvesting your earnings and hire people to do your writing, graphics, and marketing tasks.
You can also repurpose your content so that it is working for you across multiple platforms. For example, you can take a blog post and use it as a transcript to create a video that you put on YouTube or TikTok.
Or, you can take a video that you created and create a text transcript from it and post that as a blog post or social media post, or even use it in an email autoresponder to send to your subscribers.
You can also use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to do some of your brainstorming, creative outlining, and the writing. There are also AI tools that can create images and even videos or work as influencers on your behalf to cater to the needs of your audience.
You’ll want to master your time management skills so that you’re productive and efficient where you’re earning money while not having to work as hard. You’re not “lazy” like the media claims – you’re smart!
Always prioritize your moneymaking tasks first, but incorporate the mundane administrative tasks and learning or growth measures into your routine, too. Don’t be tempted to start devoting too much time to your online business.
Maintain a space for you to enjoy like and the relaxing hobbies that give you joy. Spend time with your friends and family, travel and engage in stress-relieving measures so that you’re able to work as your best self.
Creating Something That Serves You Well Into Retirement
Sometimes, you’ll hear about online work and simply think about short term gigs. However, you can build something that will generate a retirement income for you. There are ways to scale your business so that your profits grow, but your workload decreases.
If you choose a career that is based on services, like coaching or freelancing, then you may have to continue working into your golden years. But if you create something like a store that will give you residual earnings over time, you can use it as an asset to fund your retirement and lifestyle whenever you want to quit working.
When you are choosing how to monetize your business, such as with affiliate marketing, you may want to look specifically at those options that will give you passive or recurring income, such as promoting memberships that continue to pay month after month.
Or a comma if you are creating your own line and empire of info products, choose topics that are evergreen in nature and not those that are quick trends that will soon dissipate and fail to provide you with any sort of income.
As a solo entrepreneur, you are going to be responsible for your taxes and retirement savings, so make sure that you are setting aside a little bit for your future with every bit of revenue that comes in.
This is a career path that can serve as a legacy business, if your heirs want to get involved. You can teach them how to become online entrepreneurs and make it a family operation.
As long as you are treating your customers well, and catering to their needs, you will build a solid reputation as a niche leader, and maintain a steady stream of earnings that will support a healthy, well balanced lifestyle.
Building a business of your own is something anyone can do if they have the drive and determination to have a career that fulfills them, and financially supports them in the process.
Don’t let anyone box you into a career path that doesn’t provide the life you feel deserving of. No one can prevent you from achieving your full potential, because most of the naysayers simply don’t understand what’s involved.