If you are interested in making money online, you must be careful not to fall prey to the many “get-rich-quick” scams that proliferate on the web. It is possible to make money online without any monetary investment on your part.

There are a variety of websites that want authors, vendors, service providers, and other willing participants to contribute to their workforce. The majority of these sites protect you by guaranteeing payment, and paying you through a Paypal account. Here are a few ways to get started.

Become a “Virtual Assistant.” There are many small business owners, who would love to have an administrative assistant to help with the office, but they can’t afford it, or there’s not enough work to fill up an entire day. By working as a “virtual assistant,” you can perform the office tasks from your home, such as typing, replying to phone messages, answering emails, or writing business correspondence. There’s no limit as to how many businesses you could support, as long as you can fit it all into one day!

Become an Internet Author. There are a number of legitimate companies that will pay you to write articles for their clients. There are no start-up fees of any kind, and you are paid on a regular basis (at least one or twice per month) directly to your Paypal account. Sites such as InteractMedia, eCopywriter, Helium, Snipsly, and HubPages are all sites where you can submit articles for payment.

Share Your Talents. Sites such as Fiverr, Goferr, and Zeerk are sites where you can advertise and sell your specific talents to clients to make money. Are you an artist? Do you have a beautiful voice? Can you edit a resume or write a paper? These sites are perfect for people who want to sell their talents to others. Sometimes offbeat, these sites are free and allow you to earn extra money. The amount of revenue you can earn varies with each site, and all payments are made through Paypal.

Sell Your Stuff. Depending on how involved you want to get, eBay is a source for selling one or two items, or creating a virtual “storefront,” with an extensive inventory. EBay does charge a listing price for each item you sell, but it is far below what you would pay in a commercial environment. I know of one vendor who sells used books on eBay, and although he’s not yet a millionaire, he has been steadily growing his business and he hopes to use the income to supplement his retirement.

Make Money with Your Website. There are firms such as Yahoo and Google Adsense that will pay you for ad placement and click-through. Once you sign up, an ad will be placed on your website, and you will get paid each time that ad is clicked. The ads will reflect your viewer’s interests, and the fee is paid by the third-party web owner. This is a type of passive income – once installed, you don’t have to maintain or supervise the operation.

Give these sites a try; you will find they are valid resources for earning extra money. And who knows? Perhaps you will grow your skills into a successful business!