How to Make Money Online as an Introvert

18 Mar

Over the last few years, I’ve flipped secondhand clothes, helped my parents sell homemade drinks, tried print-on-demand, offered writing services, and built an affiliate site – all while working onboard cruise ships.

If there’s a quiet, introvert-friendly way to make money online, chances are I’ve tried it (or at least Googled).

But can you really make money online as an introvert – without becoming a YouTube personality or livestreaming your to-do list?

Honestly, I think so.

Here’s how I’ve been figuring out how to make money online in a way that doesn’t involve pretending to be an extrovert – and what I’ve learnt along the way.

The Best Ways to Make Money Online as an Introvert

From my experience, there are two main ways to make money online as an introvert:

Offering services or products directly
Creating systems that make money in the background

So far, most of my online income has come from the first category – offering products like flipping secondhand clothes or preloved items. It’s more hands-on, and you tend to see results faster (even if they’re small).

But the second category is what I’m slowly shifting toward. Projects like my eSIM quiz site and my own Shopify store haven’t made much yet, but they have long-term potential – and don’t require constant input once they’re set up.

Let’s break down both approaches.

1. Making money online by offering your time, skills, or products

This is where I started, and honestly, where I’ve seen the clearest returns. You’re essentially exchanging your skills or goods for money, and because you’re directly involved, it’s easier to control the quality and improve over time.

A few ways I’ve made money by selling my time, skills, or physical products:

Flipping secondhand clothes on platforms like Carousell and Facebook Marketplace
Selling homemade drinks (with my parents) on Shopee and Lazada
Freelancing as a writer on Fiverr

What worked well here was that I didn’t have to show my face or do live selling. Most of the communication could be done via chat, which suited me perfectly. I could work at odd hours, stay in my bubble, and still build something.

These platforms also came with built-in traffic, which made it easier to start – though that also meant more competition. It’s simple to list your products, but not always simple to get noticed. That balance between ease and saturation is something to keep in mind.

That said, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Packing and shipping orders drained me pretty quickly. And while freelancing gave me flexibility, it also meant waiting for new clients if you’re not self-promoting outside the platform.

The upside? You can start almost immediately. No big investment, no fancy tech skills. Just a willingness to learn, experiment, and take imperfect action.

If you’re wondering how to make money online without being “out there” all the time, this is probably your easiest entry point. It’s not passive, but it gives you control – and the feedback loop is quicker than most online income streams.

2. Making money online through systems and scalable platforms

The dream, right? You set something up once, and it brings in money while you’re busy doing something else – or nothing at all.

In reality, this kind of income takes more time to build and more patience to see results. But it’s also the path I’m most drawn to now.

My experiments with building systems that earn in the background:

Running a Shopify store combining print-on-demand with dropshipping
Starting a niche affiliate site based on a tool I built myself
Creating blog content that includes affiliate links and resources

Right now, none of these bring in significant income. But they’re giving me space to experiment, improve my SEO and marketing skills, and slowly build assets that might pay off later.

If you’re an introvert who enjoys creating quietly in the background, this kind of work can be incredibly fulfilling – even before it makes money. You don’t need to show up on camera, you don’t need to answer to clients, and you don’t need to be “on” all the time. You just need a willingness to stick with it, even when the early numbers are discouraging.

What I like about this path is that I can take my time. I can test ideas, scrap what doesn’t work, and lean into what feels aligned. It gives me space to use my creativity without the pressure of constant output or social visibility. It’s not quick money, but it’s intentional – and that matters to me.

This might be faster if I ran paid ads or hired experts to speed things up – but I’m intentionally keeping costs low. That means progress is slower, but it also means I’m learning as I go and building something that feels sustainable.

The Best Combination for Making Money Online as an Introvert

I’ve done the quick-cash methods because I needed money to keep going. These helped me stay afloat, but they also pulled my energy in too many directions.

Now that I have a bit more financial breathing room, I’m deliberately stepping back from selling physical products. I don’t want to get distracted. I’d rather pour that energy into building long-term systems that align with how I actually want to live and work.

Some days feel slow. But they feel aligned. And that matters more to me now than chasing another quick win.

If you’re figuring out how to make money online in a way that supports your energy and your nature, you don’t need to rush. Start with what fits. Keep testing. And trust that sustainable things often take time to grow.