If you are planning on starting a company and are looking for some ways to earn capital on the side, then we are in the same boat.<p>I've written off doing freelance work as it's highly competitive and requires a lot of networking to find work. I've been there done that - not worth it.<p>I'm looking for an automated way to earn money online - I can code rails apps/websites quickly so ideally I'd like to use that skill and create a money maker.<p>Let's discuss...
You could always try selling commodity type stuff. Pick something you know there's already a market for like cell phone chargers or dry erase markers. Find a good supplier, preferably a drop-shipper (<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=drop+shippers" rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/search?q=drop+shippers</a>), and start selling. Start on Ebay and Craigslist to answer questions like "How much should it cost?", "Who is buying this stuff?", "Where should I promote my commodity?" Thereafter, it wouldn't be very hard to setup a Tumblr and then maybe build in Paypal or Stripe for payments.<p>At the very least, you'll learn tactics to market whatever it is you're hoping to build. It can also help you develop a supply chain.
I've been selling scripts on CodeCanyon (<a href="http://codecanyon.net?ref=fillerspace" rel="nofollow">http://codecanyon.net?ref=fillerspace</a>). I spent a day or two on each of 3 plugins (2 jQuery, 1 WordPress) back in May, and they have earned me $306.50. Not exactly retirement money, but some of the top sellers make 5 figures per month. This is truly passive for me since I wrote the code once and haven't had to do anything since.
Build a product and sell it/subscriptions. This is a question with an ever elusive answer that we all seek. Hard work is key to earning a good living.