I Made $10K Using One of Dave Ramsey’s Best Passive Income Ideas

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Tired of trading time for money? Financial expert Dave Ramsey says there’s a better way to build wealth, and entrepreneur Alex Windsor is living proof.

In a blog post, Ramsey Solutions emphasized that while traditional jobs demand time and energy, a smarter path to wealth is through passive income — earning money with minimal ongoing effort after an initial investment of time, energy or capital.

One standout strategy from the post is affiliate marketing, which resonated with Alex Windsor. “The idea of building something once and having it generate income over time was incredibly appealing,” he said.

Motivated by this concept, Windsor launched Betting Tools, an affiliate marketing site under GameTime Digital offering free sports betting resources. Within the first year, it earned $10,000, and that was just the beginning.

In an interview with GOBankingRates, Windsor, who previously sold a portfolio of affiliate websites for $10 million, detailed his path to passive income and shared practical tips for aspiring affiliate marketers.

Finding Purpose Before the Product

It might be tempting to start with the business idea itself, but a better strategy is to find your purpose and let that be your guide. Aligning your venture with your passions and strengths can lead to more sustainable success.

“Affiliate marketing caught my attention because it seemed like the perfect blend of my interests in writing, technology and business,” Windsor said.

“I loved the idea of creating valuable content that could help people make informed decisions, while also earning commissions on products and services I believed in,” he continued. “Plus, the low upfront costs and scalability of affiliate marketing made it an accessible way to start an online business.”

Turning Passion Into Profit

With a clear sense of purpose, Windsor moved quickly to turn his vision into reality by launching his affiliate marketing site.

“I started by choosing a niche I was passionate about — sports — and then built a website around it, he said.

Windsor focused on creating high-quality content that delivered real value to sports enthusiasts. This included in-depth product reviews, how-to guides and tips tailored to his audience’s interests. He also researched affiliate programs and partnered with companies offering relevant products and services.

Investing Time and Money Wisely

Windsor launched his affiliate marketing site with a modest budget — just $500 for web hosting, a domain name and essential tools like keyword research software.

“The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you can start with a minimal budget and scale as your income grows,” he explained.

While the financial investment was low, Windsor committed significant time to get his site off the ground, logging 40 to 50 hours per week in the beginning. Much of that time went into mastering search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing to ensure his site ranked well on Google and attracted organic traffic.

“There was a steep learning curve, and I wanted to get as much content out there as possible,” Windsor said.

The effort paid off. Today, Windsor spends just 15 to 20 hours per week maintaining the site, updating content and scouting out new opportunities — proof that passive income can become truly sustainable over time.

Overcoming Early Challenges

Launching an affiliate marketing site takes time and patience. One of the biggest hurdles is staying motivated when results aren’t immediate.

For Windsor, the biggest challenge was the slow start. “It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re putting in a lot of effort and not seeing immediate results,” he said.

But perseverance paid off. Windsor stayed focused on creating valuable content and optimizing his site for search engines, knowing that consistent effort would eventually lead to growth.

Scaling Up to Full-Time Success

After a period of trial and error, Windsor refined his strategy and began seeing consistent affiliate income. Recognizing the scalability of this venture, he made the leap to focus on it full-time.

“My ultimate goal is to create a portfolio of passive income streams that provide financial freedom and flexibility,” he said.

By doubling down on what worked — valuable content, strategic partnerships and SEO — Windsor turned a side project into a sustainable online business.

Final Take To GO: Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success

For anyone looking to build passive income through affiliate marketing, Windsor offers these key tips:

• Choose a niche that aligns with your interests and expertise. Passion helps sustain long-term effort and builds credibility with your audience.
• Focus on delivering real value. Create high-quality content that solves problems, answers questions or helps users make informed decisions.
• Be patient and persistent. Affiliate marketing takes time to gain traction, but consistency pays off.
• Stay current with digital marketing trends. Continuously learn about SEO, content strategy and audience engagement to stay competitive.

“If I could do it over again, I would have spent more time researching and understanding SEO right from the start,” Windsor said. “SEO is crucial for driving organic traffic, and getting it right early on can save a lot of time and effort down the line.”

Windsor added that he would also spend more time on email marketing. He said, “I would… focus on building an email list sooner, as it’s a valuable asset for any online business.”

Affiliate marketing may take time to build, but with purpose, persistence and the right strategy, it can become a powerful path to passive income and financial freedom.

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