15 Best Ways To Make Money As A Teenager Online

Are you looking for ways to make money while staying at home? That’s great. As a teen, you have never had a better opportunity to make money online. You can choose from dozens of businesses. You can make money with some of these right away, while others will require you to build a following. 

When high school and college students go this route, they also develop their marketing and selling skills. This can lead to much success in business down the line.

Below are the options available to you.

1. Creating an eBook

eBooks are a very cost-effective way to earn money on the side. The best part is that you can publish your work immediately without having to contact dozens of publishers and hope for just one response.

You do not have to be a New York Times best-selling author. Basic grammar and spelling skills are sufficient. Any client who is interested in the topic you want to write about is a potential client. It’s good if you can find a niche or two to focus on and develop a repertoire there. People love to get information in a single place, and an eBook is a perfect example of that.

We will tell you some pros and cons of writing eBooks that you should consider. Let us start with the cons first.

• You bear the cost of writing an eBook, which is not very high if you are willing to do the proofreading, editing and cover design yourself.
• You are responsible for the marketing efforts.
• You need to make sure that you are as honest and factual as possible to prevent false and low-quality content from being published.
• Some people still neglect the benefits of eBooks.

We will now explain some of the pros.

• You pretty much have the final say in everything related to your book.
• You get to keep 100% of your net profit.
• Your book will be on the market much faster than with a traditional publisher.

Publishing on kindle can take as little as a few hours or a few days, depending on how long it takes for the book to be reviewed. English titles are published much faster.

The average earnings from an ebook is about $1,000 a year. If you write several and regularly, you can certainly make a decent income, depending on the content and marketing. You may not make a lot of money, but it can become a good side income.

When you are ready to start writing eBooks, find your platform and get started. Find the topic you want to write about, and then figure out everything else. If you do not want to do it yourself, you can find people relatively cheaply on platforms like Fiverr.

2. Selling Photography 

Selling your photos on sites like Shutterstock or Pexels is actually quite simple. It’s also free and can be very profitable over time. After you upload your images to one of these platforms, you still retain the copyright to your work and receive a royalty when someone downloads it.

You’ll need good photography skills to make sure your images catch people’s eyes. You’ll also need a computer and an account with Shutterstock or any other platform you want to use. Once you have this, you can get started.

We will now explain some of the pros and cons of selling your work through these channels. Let us start with the cons first.

• You will make very little money for each picture sold. It is usually about 25 cents initially and can increase to 33 cents as more images are sold through a subscription.
• There are strict requirements for uploading so your images must be near perfect.
• To earn good money, you need to upload a large amount of images. The income grows slowly at first.

Here are some of the pros.

• Once you upload your photos, you get all the passive income.
• The more you get published on stock sites, the more money you earn per image.
• You will learn and perfect your skills through experience.
• You do not spend time with your clients. They just see your work online and can buy it if they want.

Once you are able to take perfect pictures, you can start uploading them through your account. This can take a lot of time in the beginning as you need to build your portfolio.

The money you earn depends on many factors. The most important one is how many downloads your image gets. The good thing is, the more images you sell, the more money you make from each image. For example, once you exceed the $500 mark on Shutterstock, your royalty amount increases.

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3. Selling Your Old Items

The old adage “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is attributed to this business model. Items you no longer need may be a necessity for someone else. Therefore, you will have many potential customers.

Never discard something you have that may be sellable. While some products may not have much resale value, other old items may have gone up in price. Check websites like eBay and Craigslist to find out what price different products are selling for.

We will go over some of the pros and cons of selling your own products. Here are some of the cons to start off with.

• Some items may sell for less than you bought them for.
• Decluttering can take a while.
• Profit is limited because you can only sell items that are in your home.

Here are some of the pros to consider.

• You do not need to buy inventory because it is already in your house.
• You can collect a lot of money for your old items.
• You will be able to minimize your possessions and make room for more products if desired.
• You will help people by providing them with the items they need.

The time investment here is less than the previous ideas because you do not have to look around. Post about your products, market them and then ship them.

Just like the flea market, you can make hundreds of dollars selling vintage items. Make sure you research the market on various websites to price specific items.

When you are ready, gather the items you want to sell and upload them to eBay, Craigslist, Facebook and other sites where you can sell them. When you post something about an item, be sure to include any flaws so customers are fully informed.

4. Selling Baked Goods Online

You can make some money by selling baked goods to the public, whether to support your living or to benefit a charity.

Depending on the state, you may need a food license and special permits for the facility. Above all, you will need good baking and customer relations skills.

Once you have these things, all you need are your baking tools, a large table to set up on, and some signs. You may want to buy new baking supplies that are up-to-date and give you what you need.

There are some pros and cons of selling baked goods. We will go over the cons first.

• You must comply with government regulations, and that can become daunting.
• You must maintain sanitary conditions at all times.
• Build a relationship with your community to do business.
• Baking for a long time can become exhausting.

Here are some of the pros.

• If you really love baking, you may not mind the long hours.
• You can prepare the food you love.
• You’ll be able to work your own hours.
• Once you have built a relationship, you’ll be able to cater to your customers’ needs.

You can expect a substantial time commitment when you receive requests. Not only do you have to factor in time to make the sale, but you also have to factor in time to bake and clean. You’ll do well to limit yourself to items that are easier to bake, like cookies or muffins. If you are selling on your own, you will not make much money selling baked goods. Expect to make about $400 per month, which is a good side income for a teenager.

You should start marketing your products and your specific locations as soon as you are ready to get started. Post a message on social media letting people know where and when you will be. Put up signs that are highly visible. You can even take inquiries and orders online in advance. If your baked goods are delicious, customers will be lining up in no time.

5. Online Courses

If you can offer a solution to a problem, then you can probably create a popular online course. You can earn extra income while providing a great service.

Even if you are young, you will have some wisdom to pass on. So do not sell yourself short. There are many people in the world who will benefit from your teachings, so start creating your online course content.

If you have heard of a problem that people are struggling to solve, focus on that and create an audience of elearners. For example, as a younger person, you have much more knowledge about technology. One idea would be to create a course where you teach people how to use their smartphones.

We will go over some pros and cons of creating an online course. We will start with the cons first.

• You may be creating something that no one is interested in. It can be difficult to gauge what people want, and that may lead you to create a course that has no appeal whatsoever. 
• You really need to build your audience, and that can take a long time. 

We will now go over the pros.

• You can use various websites that will set up a sales page for you and even allow you to host your videos, all at a great price.
• The content you create is 100% yours and you also keep 100% of the profits after some initial investment.
• The courses do not have to be very long to be profitable.

The time required varies greatly depending on how extensive and long the course will be. It can take anywhere from 20 hours to hundreds of hours. In addition, you will be doing a lot of marketing to make the public aware of the course. 

The money you will make will also depend on how much you can sell the course for and how many people will buy it. In the beginning, you will probably make just enough to have a nice side income. As you improve and sell more courses, you may be able to sell thousands of dollars worth of courses each month.

When you are ready to get started, decide on a specific course topic based on what you think the public wants. Do the necessary research and then design the course. This involves setting your goals and objectives and then creating the content. 

After that, you can set your price and start working out the time involved, which can vary greatly depending on the scope of the online course. After that, it all comes down to your marketing.

6. Domain Flipping

Domain flipping is where you buy domain names from various registrars on the Internet and then resell them at a profit to an interested buyer. This type of work is ideal for entrepreneurs who have a good sense of which domain names and words are valuable to a buyer and popular with the general public.

You can also do research using Google AdWords’ Keyword Tool. Look for words with the highest search volume and try to incorporate them naturally into a domain name. This way you will follow the trends of the society.

Research and marketing are important skills you need for this side hustle. Apart from that, no experience is required and all you need is a good computer with software to manage your domain portfolio. With it you can keep everything simple, organized and efficient.

We will go over some pros and cons for this type of work. We will start with the cons first.

• You must first invest money in domain names before you can make a profit.
• There is no guarantee of a return, so it is important that you research the words as best you can.
• You will not make money doing this that will make you independent, but you can still make a good bit of money on the side.

Here are some of the pros.

• Once you have the tools, it’s easy to get started.
• You do not have to be a technical genius.
• Once you buy a domain name, it’s yours until you sell it. So you can use it first and try it out. This may allow you to sell it at a higher price.
• You can set up a domain name without having to create an entire website, and you can get them quite cheaply too.

The time required is not particularly high. You just need to do some research before buying a domain name, and then do some marketing to sell it. Profit margins vary depending on the domain. However, the average profit margin is around $2,000 for domains sold. Not a bad return for the time and money invested. As I said, it’s not a guarantee, just something to look forward to.

If you are ready to get started, then you can get started right away. Start researching potential domain names that could be valuable in the future. There are numerous registrars like GoDaddy where you can buy domain names. You can purchase them for as little as $10.

Finally, start marketing your domain name on Sedo, a domain auction site. Also, NamePros and DNForum are great resources for helpful tips and tricks.

7. Building an App

These days, there seems to be an app for just about everything. If you can think of something, you can probably search for it in the App Store. Many of these apps are developed by ordinary people who have a great idea. They can create an app for businesses, or mobile apps that can be sold in the App Store.

Programming skills are definitely essential. However, today there are many platforms where you can work without having to program.

Before we proceed, we will go through some pros and cons. Let us start with the disadvantages first.

• You need to be technologically savvy.
• Developing an app can be very time-consuming.
• You can make a lot of money or none at all.
• Your idea can be a flop.

Here are some of the pros to consider.

• If the app catches on, you can make a lot of money.
• App creation platforms make it much easier than before.
• You can help a lot of people with it and provide a great service.

When you are ready to get started, there are a few steps to go through to make it happen.

• Define the idea for your app, then conduct market research to determine if it has potential.
• Create mockups and then design the app.
• Create a landing page and then develop the app using a good app platform.
• Once you have launched the app, start marketing it. You can even do some marketing ahead of time to get people excited.
• Once the app is on the market, listen to your audience. If they have suggestions for improvements, be sure to take them into consideration.

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8. Garage Sale Flipping

If you drive around town, you have probably seen flea markets your whole life. Maybe your parents have had one, too. Well, with a technique called a garage sale, you can make a pretty good profit. How does it work? Basically, you buy items at a garage sale at a greatly reduced price and then sell them for a big profit on eBay.

You do not need to have any experience, just be willing to do a little legwork. Your customers will be the ones who find you on eBay.

If you find an item at a flea market that catches your eye, go to eBay and search for that exact item. Scroll down in the filters to “Items Sold” and you can see what price that particular item sold for.

We will go over some pros and cons of garage sale flipping. We will start with the cons first.

• You may have to haggle for a lower price.
• You may not find anything to sell.
• The item you bought may not sell on eBay.
• You’ll have to ship the items yourself.

Here are some of the pros.

• You can make big profits on individual items.
• Flea markets often sell items in mint condition.
• eBay’s website is well visited and easy to research.
• You only need one or two big hits a week to make good money. Imagine buying $100 worth of items and then selling a single one of them for $1,000.
• The money spent on buying items can be written off.

The time commitment for this sideline can be quite high, especially if you are looking for flea markets. You may have to wait a while for your item to sell once you put it on eBay.

The profits you make can range from $100 to $1,000 or more. The more you sell, the more you earn. When you are ready to get started, gas up your car and start looking for great deals. Set up an eBay account. You can also share your eBay link on social media.

9. Flea Market Flipping

A similar concept to garage sales is flea market sales. Through platforms like eBay, Amazon, Craigslist or Facebook, you can sell various products you buy at flea markets, yard sales or discount stores for a profit. Consider this great business idea if you are passionate about bargain shopping and entrepreneurial.

You will need a lot of patience and the ability to find items that sell. You’ll also need a smartphone or tablet to check prices on the items you need. For example, if you find an old video game in mint condition, you can do a search on eBay or Craigslist to determine the value of the item. It’s worth considering buying at a low price and selling at a profit if profit is important to you.

Different online platforms offer you, multiple customers, to sell to. You can sell a variety of different products or specialize in a few. Research the market and see what people like to buy.

Consider some of the pros and cons of flea market flipping. We will start with the cons first.

• You will have to spend a lot of time and effort to find saleable products.
• Some products you buy may not sell.
• If you do not do your research, you may pay more than you should.

Here are some of the pros of this business plan.

• You will have a lot of freedom.
• You will meet some interesting people while shopping.
• You can sell through multiple platforms.

Shopping for items takes most of your time. After that, you need to put your inventory online. Make sure you take a good photo. It should look professional. It would be great if you or someone you know could take good photos. Last but not least, you need to pack and ship the product after it is sold.

It is possible to buy an item for $10 at a flea market and then sell it for hundreds of dollars. This is the model many people use to make a living. Their goal is to make a little extra money first.

When you are ready to get started, all you have to do is set up your various accounts, then you can start shopping and buying. When customers are interested in your items, post them and wait for them to contact you. Also, use social media to promote your business.

10. Dropshipping

Online shopping is a new trend. You can sell products through a dropshipping website at your own price, and you do not even have to hold inventory or pay for them until they sell. Once you sell an item, the supplier ships the item directly from their warehouse. All you need is entrepreneurship and knowledge about how items are sold through the different websites.

You do not need any experience to get started. After you build your business, you can start selling your products to interested customers. You can sell a wide range of items to a variety of customers, or specialize in one item and build a steady customer base. To get started, all you need is a good computer and then set up an eCommerce store.

Here are some pros and cons to consider when setting up a dropshipping business. We will start with the cons first.

• You will have to research to find products that sell.
• You will have to rely on the inventory of others, so it is important to find a good dealer.
• You will not get bulk discounts on the items you want to sell, so you’ll probably pay more for each item.
• Even if you do not personally handle the products, many customers will blame you if the products arrive damaged.

Here are some of the pros.

• You do not have to process, pack or ship products.
• You usually do not have to pay for your inventory until it is sold.
• Low startup costs.
• You can update your inventory quickly and have a variety of products without worrying about storing them.

People who simply want to act as an intermediary between sellers and buyers benefit from dropshipping. Before you start selling, you need to set up your store, select products, and determine your pricing strategy.

Most of the work is done when you set up your store. Your earnings depend on how much inventory you sell and how many hours you work.

Even if they sell thousands of products a month, some people make well over a hundred thousand dollars a year. Students may only be able to sell a few dozen products a month at first.

When you are ready to start a dropshipping business, consider the following steps.

• Think about a dropshipping idea and products you want to sell. Some people focus on what they are passionate about. However, you should also research products that are popular and that you can make a profit on.
• Do a competitor analysis to find out what your competitors are selling and for how much. You want to stay competitive in the marketplace. Find a good supplier. You can find good suppliers on websites like Oberlo, where you can see ratings and reviews.
• Build a dropshipping business by setting up a domain name, building your website, and signing up with Shopify, the most comprehensive eCommerce store around.
• Market your dropshipping business everywhere, including social media.

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11. Podcasting

If you are someone who likes to go onthe air and has something valuable to share, podcasting might be the right forum for you.

No special skills are required. You just need to be able to speak, get your message across, and engage people with your words. It’s harder than it sounds, especially when you are talking to people through various online channels.

Your customers will be your audience, so think about what topics you want to talk about and what’s popular right now. Chances are, if you like something, many others will like it too. You just do not know that someone has the same interests.

You do not need a lot of high-tech equipment. In many cases, all you need is a phone, a computer, and a good microphone for voice quality. Then you can use a variety of platforms to create a podcast. Consider some of the pros and cons of podcasting. Let us start with the disadvantages first.

• It will take you a while to build an audience.
• You will not experience how people respond to what you say.
• Long speeches can be exhausting and if you do not have enough content, there will be a lot of dead air time.
• You may not have an audience at all.

Here are some of the pros.

• You can talk about what you love.
• You can interview guests you love to talk to when you do an interview-style show.
• You can get creative and really talk about almost any topic.
• You have fewer rules than other media.
• You can decide the length of your broadcasts.
• It’s easy to record almost anywhere.

Podcasting can take quite a bit of time, especially when it comes to finding, researching, editing and uploading content. Oh yes, you also need to record the content. Your engagement also depends on how often you do the podcast. Your listeners will not like it if you are absent for a long time.

If you have enough viewers, sponsors will take an interest in you and start paying for advertising. If you make it big, you can earn millions of dollars.

If you are ready to get started, then take the following steps:

• Choose one or more topics for your podcast to cover.
• Consider bringing on a co-host to share ideas.
• Choose a catchy name for your new show.
• Determine the format, including length, style, introduction to the show, and closing remarks.
• Set up your equipment and choose a podcasting platform, like Podbean or SoundCloud.
• Begin recording your broadcast. Edit the show before uploading it through the platform.

12. Instagram Influencer

If you love Instagram and do not mind documenting aspects of your life there, then you too can become an Instagram influencer. Once you gain a large following and credibility, various brands will start courting you to sell their products. You can earn quite a pretty penny just by posting great photos of yourself. The top influencers earn millions of dollars.

No real experience is required, you just need to be able to influence a large number of people to do something. For example, some influencers can get people excited about a hotel and get them to travel there.

There are some pros and cons to consider when becoming an influencer. We will start with the cons first.

• It will take a while for you to build an audience.
• Your personal life is a bit on display.
• You need to upload the perfect picture.

Here are some of the pros.

• You can earn passive income by becoming an influencer.
• You have the potential to reach a large number of people.
• There are many influencers you can follow.

You will have to spend a lot of time building your audience. You will always have to watch for good opportunities to take a good picture. You are basically always working and influencing people.

To make money, you need a lot of followers. The more followers you have, the more money you make per post. For example, an influencer with 10,000-100,000 followers can earn about $200 per post. If you have more followers, you can earn up to $600 per post.

If you are ready to become an influencer, then take the following steps:

• Think about what makes you unique and capitalise on it. For example, maybe you are a great comedian or chef.
• Put your insecurities aside and do not be shy.
• Document your life, do not create it.
• Document many of the things you do on a regular basis with photos.
• Stick to a certain aesthetic so your audience can follow you.
• Invest in a good camera and maybe even photography lessons.
• Make yourself available for sponsorship.

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13. Create a YouTube Channel

Nowadays, many people watch videos on YouTube. You can find content on almost any topic. The goal of a YouTube channel should be to create content that is interesting to viewers, whether it is entertaining, educational, dark, or lighthearted. As your videos gain popularity, you can attract sponsors who want to show their advertisements on your channel.

Experience is not necessary as long as you know what you are talking about. The software you use, the computer you use, and the camera you use must be of good quality. The camera on your phone is acceptable. At some point, you may want to upgrade. Also, some YouTubers buy selfie sticks that rotate around themselves to get better angles and views.

• It takes time to build an audience that you can monetize.
• It is a highly competitive market.
• You may need to spend extra money to create quality content.
• Some of your content may be devalued if it does not meet YouTube’s guidelines.
• You may get very few subscribers or none at all.
• You must be over 18 or have parental consent to be on YouTube.

Here are some of the pros.

• Potential for a large passive income. Once you have a large following and sponsors, each video you create can bring in large sums of money.
• Create content that you are passionate about.
• You have the opportunity to help and influence people all over the world.

If you want to focus on a niche market, you should choose one. Building an audience can be a time-consuming process. It can take a while to create, edit and upload a professional-looking video.

In order for you to earn money and participate in the affiliate program, YouTube requires at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 viewing hours.

YouTube’s top earners make millions of dollars. If you work hard, you will reach this level, but it will take time. Initially, you will earn only a small chunk of money. You can start building a YouTube channel with the following steps:

• Find a niche or specific content to focus on.
• Create a YouTube account. Come up with a unique name, icon, and graphic that fits your content.
• Start creating and uploading content and playlists.
• Start sharing your content. Do not rely on YouTube to market you. Post your videos everywhere you can.
• Analyze the data, such as which videos get the most reactions.
• Stay in touch with your audience. Track comments and answer questions when you can.

14. Creating a Blog

Blogs are websites that focus on written content, such as articles or short passages of text. Bloggers often write from a personal perspective. There are numerous types of blogs on almost any type of content.

Just like YouTube, your goal is to create content that attracts followers through writing. Once you have enough followers, you can also attract sponsors. If you are creative and enjoy writing content of any kind, then blogging is for you.

Consider some of the pros and cons of creating a blog. We will start with the cons first.

• You will have to write a lot before you are noticed.
• You may never get noticed.
• People will criticise your work, especially if you have controversial topics.
• The market is pretty saturated, but you can still stand out.

Here are some of the pros to consider.

• You will be able to publish your content immediately.
• You will be able to practice your writing skills.
• It is a great medium to express yourself.
• You will find many like-minded people.

The time required to create your website can be high at first. After everything is set up, you will need to write blogs on a regular basis. Your absence may cause your audience to become worried or disinterested. Writing an article can take about 30 minutes, depending on the content and how fast you are.

The best bloggers can earn hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. You essentially get paid for article clicks once you find sponsors. You can earn around $0.01-$0.10 per article click. It will take a while to build your audience and find sponsors.

If you are interested in earning money from blogging, here are some steps to get you started:

• Choose a platform to start blogging. WordPress is the most popular platform. There are reasons why so many people love this platform, and that is because it offers many benefits. Other options include Blogger or Tumblr.
• You can set up a free blog or pay a fee. If you pay, you have some benefits, such as owning your own domain name. There are different fee levels depending on what services you want.
• Design your WordPress site to your liking.
• Start blogging and creating content.

15. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the ability to earn commissions by promoting other people’s products. If you find a product that you like, you can recommend it to others and get a percentage of the profit for each sale. There are products that you use every day that you can promote.

The provider of the product provides their affiliates with a link that they can place on their websites. When a person clicks on the link and buys a product, the merchant can track the link that sold the product and pay commissions. They can also receive a commission if a buyer delays the purchase.

Consider some of the pros and cons. We will go over the cons first.

• You have no control over the existing affiliate markets, so you just have to use the ones you have.
• You are not building a customer base. A returning customer will usually not buy from you again.
• There are no revenue guarantees.
• People may feel that you are spamming them.

Here are some of the pros.

• Low investment costs.
• It’s a billion-dollar business.
• It offers a lot of convenience and flexibility.
• You do not have to worry about customer service.
• Vendors provide you with marketing materials so you do not have to create them yourself.

You can start making money as an affiliate marketer almost immediately. However, commissions will be low for a while. Top earners can make over $3,000 in a day. In the beginning, you may only earn a few dollars a day, but if you keep at it, you can earn up to a few hundred dollars a day.

Affiliate Marketing is perfect for anyone who is new to online business.

You can actually run affiliate marketing almost for free while earning a steady and sustainable passive income to pay your bills. Initial capital is not required, and it can even be done as a side hustle.

And if you really want to learn affiliate marketing and build a business from scratch, I’d recommend you to get started with the most reputable platform for affiliate marketing: Wealthy Affiliate.

Wealthy Affiliate is an all-in-one platform for building your affiliate marketing business from scratch. It offers you a free account (including a free website) with comprehensive training on SEO (free traffic methods), which enables you to get started with affiliate marketing right away without paying a penny.

A 21-year-old student from Wealthy Affiliate was able to earn $7,395 in just 1 week, which means he made more than $1k a day…all while using free traffic methods.

Wealthy Affiliate has existed for 15  years and there are many success stories in the past decade.

To give you more examples, here are some of the other inspiring success stories of Wealthy Affiliate members.

So, where can you Join Wealthy Affiliate?

Wealthy Affiliate has a very simple pricing scheme. It has a free and premium membership.

If you want to feel about Wealthy Affiliate, you can sign up for the free starter membership here (no credit card required). You can select to be a free member with no time limit.

And as a starter member, you can get instant access to the community, live chat, over 500 training modules, 2 classrooms, networking, commenting, 1 free website, and access to the keyword tool.

You can enjoy all these values without paying a penny. 

So I strongly recommend you register a free account and see it yourself.

Final Words

Traditionally, income came from only one source. That is slowly changing. There are many opportunities for people to earn extra income while enjoying flexible work schedules. It’s also a blessing to be able to draw income from multiple sources through so many different channels.

As a teenager, you may not be able to work a traditional 9-5 job due to your class schedule and the amount of schoolwork you have to complete. With these non-traditional income methods, students can earn some money on the side and still focus fully on their studies. It is possible to earn a full-time income and more even if you are not working full-time.

I hope that after reading the various lists of money-making ideas, you have been inspired to think of many opportunities in your own life that can provide you with extra income. You certainly do not have to limit yourself to the possibilities I have mentioned. They are just suggestions, but they are definitely worth considering.

I have tried to make the ideas as diverse as possible so that no one is excluded. We all have different talents, and once we recognize them, we can open up a whole world. Motivation is sometimes all we need.

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