Last week, I asked you to pick one project to try for 30 days. Several of you replied with variations of the same concern:

"That's all well and good, but can I really make enough to make it worth my time?"

Fair question. Let me answer it with some math that might surprise you.

The Myth of the "One Big Thing"

Most people think they need to find that one perfect business idea that'll make them £1,000 a month. They spend months researching, planning, and waiting for the stars to align.

Meanwhile, they could have been earning.

Here's what actually works: multiple small income streams that add up to something meaningful.

Think of it like this—would you rather:

• Try to hit one £1,000 target (massive pressure, high risk of failure)

• Hit four £250 targets (much easier, diversified, lower stress)

The second option is not only more achievable, it's also more stable. If one stream dries up, you've still got three others running.

The £100-a-Month Building Blocks

Let me show you four realistic income streams and exactly what you'd need to do to hit £100 monthly from each:

Stream 1: Smartphone Apps (£100/month)

• Sign up for 12-15 survey and cashback apps

• Spend 20-30 minutes daily completing surveys and tasks

• Scan receipts with cashback apps

• Do 1-2 mystery shopping tasks weekly

• Reality check: Boring? Yes. Profitable? Also yes.

Stream 2: Selling Unused Items (£100-£300 in first 2 months)

• List 20-30 items from your home on eBay, Vinted, or Facebook Marketplace

• This is front-loaded income (you'll run out of stuff eventually)

• But it gives you immediate cash to prove this works

• Plus it clears your space—double win

Stream 3: Digital Printables on Etsy (£100/month)

• Create 5-7 simple printable products (gift tags, planners, labels)

• Each product priced at £4-£8

• You need roughly 15-20 sales per month total

• After initial setup (8-10 hours), this becomes passive

Stream 4: Print-on-Demand Products (£100/month)

• Upload 10-15 designs to Printify/Printful

• Connected to Etsy or your own store

• Sell mugs, t-shirts, or prints with your designs

• Need about 10-15 sales monthly (after platform fees)

• Again, largely passive once set up

 I really hope you did download my FREE report Digital Home Income Ideas that Actually Work

If not here’s the link – it contains 16 great ideas to get you started!

The 90-Day Reality Check

Here's what this actually looks like month by month:

Month 1:

• Smartphone apps: £30-£50 (you're still learning which apps pay best)

• Selling items: £150-£300 (quick wins from stuff you already own)

• Digital printables: £10-£40 (just getting listed, building reviews)

• Print-on-demand: £5-£20 (designs are new, no traffic yet)

• Total: £195-£410

Month 2:

• Smartphone apps: £80-£120 (you've got a routine now)

• Selling items: £100-£200 (running low on your own stuff)

• Digital printables: £60-£150 (products getting discovered)

• Print-on-demand: £40-£100 (some designs starting to sell)

• Total: £280-£570

Month 3:

• Smartphone apps: £100-£150 (fully optimized)

• Selling items: £50-£100 (occasional sales, maybe sourcing from charity shops)

• Digital printables: £150-£300 (passive sales building)

• Print-on-demand: £100-£200 (winning designs identified)

• Total: £400-£750

Why This Works (When "One Big Idea" Doesn't)

1. Quick Wins Build Confidence

Starting with smartphone apps and selling items gives you immediate cash. That first £50 proves this isn't fantasy—it's real money hitting your account. That momentum is powerful.

2. You're Learning While Earning

Each income stream teaches you something different:

• Smartphone apps teach you discipline and routine

• Selling items teaches you platforms, pricing, and customer service

• Digital products teach you AI tools, design, and passive income

• Print-on-demand teaches you niche selection and marketing

3. Failure Doesn't Sink You

If your gift tags don't sell on Etsy? Fine—you've still got survey income and a few POD products making money. You're never betting everything on one horse.

4. You Discover What You Actually Enjoy

Some of you will love the treasure-hunt aspect of reselling. Others will get hooked on creating digital products. A few might find print-on-demand designs genuinely fun. You won't know until you try.

The Real Numbers from Real People

Let me share what three newsletter subscribers told me last month:

Patricia, 69: "I thought the smartphone apps were beneath me at first—felt like pocket money for teenagers. But after 6 weeks I'd made £220 just from my morning coffee routine. That paid for my grandkids' birthday presents. Not life-changing, but not nothing either."

Robert, 71: "I made £340 in my first month just selling old tools, books, and kitchen stuff I never used. Then I started going to car boot sales on Sunday mornings—made another £180 buying and flipping. It's become my weekend hobby and it pays for itself plus profit."

Linda, 66: "I was terrified of Etsy but I forced myself to upload 5 printable planner pages. First sale came after 11 days. Now I'm up to 12 products and making £150-200 monthly. I spend maybe 2 hours a week adding new products. It's genuinely passive."

None of them are making thousands. But all of them are making hundreds—and that matters.

Your 30-Day Action Plan

If you want to build toward £400+ monthly in 90 days, here's what to do in the next 30 days:

Week 1:

• Set up 10 smartphone income apps

• Start entering competitions on Instagram/TikTok

• List 10 items from your home for sale

Week 2:

• Establish a daily 20-minute smartphone app routine

• List 10 more items for sale

• Research Etsy categories and pick your first product idea

Week 3:

• Keep up smartphone routine

• Use ChatGPT to create your first digital printable

• Upload it to Etsy (even if it's not perfect)

• List 5-10 more items for sale

Week 4:

• Keep up smartphone routine

• Add 2-3 more digital products to Etsy

• Research print-on-demand and pick your first niche

• Tally your total earnings from all sources

By day 30, you should have:

• £80-£150 from smartphone apps

• £150-£300 from selling items

• £10-£50 from your first digital products

• A clear system for all three streams

• Total: £240-£500

The Compound Effect

Here's what most people don't realize: these income streams compound.

Your Etsy shop gets better with more products and more reviews. Your print-on-demand designs improve as you see what sells. You get faster at creating products. You learn which smartphone apps pay best.

By month 6, those four £100 streams might have grown to:

• Smartphone apps: £120-£150

• Reselling (if you enjoy it): £150-£300

• Digital printables: £300-£500

• Print-on-demand: £200-£400

• Potential total: £770-£1,350

The Bottom Line

You don't need a brilliant business idea. You don't need to be exceptional at any one thing.

You just need to be consistently decent at 3-4 small things.

£100 a month from each might not sound exciting. But £400-£500 monthly? That's a holiday. That's home improvements. That's helping your grandkids with university. That's breathing room.

And it all starts with picking your first income stream and giving it an honest 30 days.

So here's my question: which of these four are you going to start with?

Action Step: Pick ONE income stream from today's article. Set a goal for what you want to achieve in 30 days. Write it down somewhere you'll see it daily.

 Cheers

Tony

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 Email: tony@tarlmarketing.co.uk

 Website: Tarl Marketing.com