One of the best things about having a side job is that you can set your own hours. But you can only trade hours for earnings so many times. You need to change your attention from work to assets if you want to make more money without working more all the time.
Digital goods come in.
With digital items, you may do the same work again and over again. You build something useful, put it in a packaging, and sell it online. People can buy it over and over again, even while you sleep. It’s not magic. It’s a plan. And it’s easier to get to than ever.
This post will show you how to make simple digital assets that make actual money without needing a large audience, advanced computer expertise, or months of planning.
What Does It Mean to Have a Digital Product?
You can make a digital product once and sell it online without having to send anything.
Some examples are:
- Ebooks
- Printables, such as planners, notebooks, or worksheets
- Templates for resumes, pitch decks, and social media kits
- Workshops or courses online
- Fonts, digital art, or design components
- Photos or videos from stock
- Sound effects or music
- Notion or Excel template
Why digital products are great: they can grow. You don’t have to perform any extra labor if 5 or 5,000 people buy your stuff.
Why Side Hustlers Should Sell Digital Products
Making digital assets is one of the best ways to make money that doesn’t need much work, especially if you’re establishing your side business in your free time.
This is why:
- Low initial costs: You can make most things with free or cheap tools.
- No shipping or inventory: Everything is provided online right away.
- Create once, sell many times: Work once, earn endlessly.
- Automated delivery: Use sites like Gumroad, Etsy, or Payhip.
- Global reach: Your audience can be anywhere in the world and at any time.
And maybe most crucially, once it’s online, your time is no longer the problem.
Step 1: Pick a Problem You Can Solve or a Need You Can Meet
Great digital goods help consumers solve issues or do things faster, easier, or more beautifully.
Ask yourself:
- What do people always ask me to do for them?
- What systems or shortcuts have I made for myself?
- What tool, guidance, or resource would have been helpful to me earlier on my journey?
Examples:
- A freelance designer may make a collection of Canva templates for small business owners.
- A teacher may give homeschooling parents worksheets to print out.
- A fitness instructor might sell a food plan for four weeks with grocery lists and recipes.
- A person looking for work might sell a CV and a LinkedIn optimization checklist.
It’s not important to be the best in the world; what’s important is to be helpful to someone who is a little behind you.
Step 2: Pick One Small, Specific Product to Start With
You don’t need a whole course or a 200-page ebook to get started. In fact, simpler products often sell better.
Some easy-to-sell digital products:
- A one-page checklist
- A journal with prompts (10–15 pages)
- A weekly calendar for “busy moms who work from home”
- A collection of cold email templates
- A 10-minute video lesson
These kinds of products:
- Are quick to make
- Sell easily at $5 to $25
- Need little customer education
- Stay focused, useful, and easy to understand
Step 3: Use Free or Simple Tools to Make Your Product
You don’t have to employ a designer or learn to code.
Tools you can use right now:
- Canva: Templates, planners, and guides
- Google Docs: Ebooks, manuals, and checklists
- Notion: Digital planners, systems, or databases
- Loom: Video tutorials
- GarageBand or Audacity: Audio products
- Trello or Airtable: Workflows or customizable templates
Don’t worry about perfection. Focus on clarity and usefulness. Your product should do one thing well and help consumers save time.
Step 4: Pick a Place to Sell
You need a platform to host and sell your product. Options include:
- Gumroad: Great for creators, fast setup, free plan
- Payhip: Simple and easy to use
- Etsy: Best for printables and design-based items
- Podia or Teachable: Perfect for courses and bundles
- Shopify (with digital downloads plugin): For your own store
These platforms handle payments and file delivery automatically.
Bonus: Add email collection to grow your audience.
Step 5: Make a Simple Sales Page That Highlights the Benefits
A good product needs a good pitch. Your sales page should be clear and persuasive.
Include:
- What the item is
- Who it’s for
- What issue it fixes or what outcome it gives
- What’s inside (modules, templates, pages, etc.)
- A few pictures or previews
- A clear price and buy button
Tip: Speak your audience’s language. Talk about their struggles, not just your features.
Example: Instead of saying “Includes 30 meal-prep templates,” say “Make dinner in less than 20 minutes, even on your busiest days.”
Step 6: Start and Keep Becoming Better Over Time
Don’t wait for perfection. Launch and let people know.
Where to market:
- Social media profiles
- Facebook or Reddit groups (no spam)
- Your email list
- LinkedIn or Instagram bio
- Quora or niche communities (with relevant links)
Begin small. Make a few sales. Collect feedback. Improve.
Each product is a chance to learn. The first one may earn $50. The next one $500. It grows.
Bonus: Stack Products to Make More Money
Don’t stop after one product. You can:
- Create a line of products (beginner to advanced)
- Bundle multiple items together
- Add upsell templates or resources
- Build a related course or higher-ticket service
Every digital product is an asset that keeps working for you long after creation.
Final Thoughts: Work Smart, Not Hard
A side job should help you reach your goals, not burn you out. Making simple digital products is one of the best methods to earn money with low stress and huge potential.
You don’t need to be a tech genius. You don’t need a big audience. You just need to solve one small problem and make it easy for people to buy.
Start small. Add value. Share it.
And see what happens when your hard work keeps paying off—even while you sleep.