6 Ways To Get Rich With Little-to-No Skills
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
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Who says you need a college degree or years of work experience to build wealth? While traditional career paths often require specialized skills and formal education, there are still plenty of ways to get rich, even if you don’t have a fancy resume or technical expertise.
Whether you’re starting from scratch, pivoting careers or just looking for unconventional ways to grow your income, there are lots of ways to go about building financial success with little-to-no formal skills.
Look For a Need To Solve
For anyone who feels uncertain about how they could grow wealth without degrees, trade school or other experience, Patrick McAndrew, a financial planner from American Wealth Planner, pointed out that “today, 35% of America’s fastest-growing jobs are blue collar roles.”
Regardless of whether you have technical skills or soft skills, almost anyone can look for solutions that help people meet a need, he said.
“When people ask me what the best side hustles are for someone without specialized training, I always say: Look for a job that solves a basic human need.”
One such example is Poplin’s Laundry Pros, a business he called “recession-proof, predictable, and most people hate doing it, so there’s huge demand.”
Laundry Pros processed 5 million loads of laundry, and demand keeps growing, he pointed out.
Establish a Professional E-Commerce Store
Jesse Frimpone, an e-commerce expert and CEO at Prestige Automation, suggested it’s not hard to build an online shop with “zero technological skills,” and just “a straightforward drag-and-drop interface,” through sites like Shopify.
Then, you can use short-form video (TikTok, Instagram reels, YouTube Shorts) to reach your audience for free.
“These platforms’ viral character means that, should your material appeal to viewers, it will soon be shared to hundreds or perhaps millions of others. Whether it’s proving their advantages, unpacking or producing humorous or educational material around your items, concentrate on presenting them in use,” he explained.
Use Artificial Intelligence (AI) Automation Tools
The constantly evolving AI tools can free up your time for higher-level work and help to simplify repetitive chores, Frimpone said. For example, ChatGPT could help to answer consumer questions or create product descriptions. Jasper.ai could assist in creating emails, blogs or ad material. Canva can you help you quickly and easily design ads or presentations.
Create a Game Plan
While you don’t need specialized expertise, you do need a game plan, according to Arias Websterberry, CEO of WebsterBerry Marketing.
He said the fastest way to make money is to leverage skills that don’t require formal education, things like sales, service-based gigs or digital content creation. “The trick is to start where you are, learn as you go and focus on businesses or jobs that pay based on performance, not just time worked,” he said.
Freelance Through Online Platforms
Websterberry also recommended freelancing on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, or setting up your own website to doing a variety of services, including the following:
- Selling digital products: Create and sell printables, templates or guides on Etsy or Gumroad.
- Reselling and flipping: Buy low, sell high. Thrift stores, garage sales or Facebook Marketplace flips can turn small investments into profit.
- Affiliate marketing: Promote products from Amazon, Shopify or ClickBank and earn commissions. You don’t need to own anything, just drive traffic.
- Service-based hustles: Pet sitting, mobile car detailing or lawn care require little investment but can be highly profitable.
- Gig economy jobs: Instacart, DoorDash or renting out a room on Airbnb are simple ways to start generating cash flow.
“No matter which hustle you choose, the key is to focus on something scalable, meaning you can either automate it, outsource it or increase your rates over time,” he said.
Invest Your Earnings
Once you begin earning money, you can also start investing it, which is where the real wealth creation comes in, Websterberry pointed out.
“Passive income doesn’t require a finance degree — it requires leverage. The best way to build passive income with no experience is to start small, reinvest and automate where possible,” he said.
Investing strategies can include:
- Investing in dividend stocks: Apps like Robinhood and M1 Finance allow beginners to start investing in dividend-paying stocks with as little as $10.
- Fractional stock investing: Platforms like Robinhood, Acorns and Webull let you invest in stocks with as little as $1.
- Real estate crowdfunding: Apps like Fundrise let you invest in real estate for as little as $10.
- High-yield savings accounts: Keep your emergency fund in a high-yield savings account so your money earns while sitting.
- Index funds and ETFs: Instead of picking stocks, invest in broad market funds like the S&P 500, which historically grows over time.
- Invest in knowledge: Books, courses and mentorships can provide a higher ROI than any stock if they help you build income-generating skills.
You don’t need to start big, Websterberry said, just start. “Time is the biggest factor in wealth-building, so the earlier you begin, the better.”
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