Are you tired of constantly building, scaling and strategizing to grow your business? As an entrepreneur, your time is your asset, and you spend it delivering service and winning new clients. But what if you could generate more income on autopilot and focus on your main venture?

This secret lies in earning passive income without spending time and energy. Successful business owners sell what they already have in the form of digital products, assets and programs and earn with minimal ongoing effort.

The foundation of passive income is value creation. There’s no shortcut or quick fix to get rich overnight. Money is simply a medium of value exchange. To generate passive income, you must provide value in a way that isn’t directly tied to your time.

Let’s talk about five innovative ways entrepreneurs can do this:

Related: Anyone Can Start a Passive Income Side Hustle For Easy Money — But Only If You Know These 5 Essential Tips First.

1. Investing in stocks and shares

One of the most accessible ways to earn passive income is through investing. You can buy stocks in a company. Investing in dividend-paying stocks means you earn a share of the company’s profits without doing any work. Platforms like M1 Finance or Vanguard make it easy to get started.

In real estate, you buy a property, rent it out and collect monthly income. Another hassle-free way is investing in real estate (REITs) without owning a physical property.

2. Affiliate marketing

Anyone can get started in affiliate marketing without expertise. This is also considered an evergreen business model. It means that it can exist for an extended period of time. You also have the flexibility to be a one-person business or scale your company to have hundreds of employees. But do you know what affiliate marketing is?

You enjoyed a product and told somebody to get it. You give them a code to get that product and earn a commission — that is affiliate marketing.

Some of the best niches for affiliate marketing are:

• Software and tools: If you use business software like Skool, ConvertKit or ClickFunnels, sign up for their affiliate programs and earn commissions.

• Online education: Many course platforms have affiliate programs where you earn money by referring students.

• Ecommerce and physical products: Amazon Associates, Shopify and niche product affiliate programs can generate steady income.

You can automate affiliate income in the following ways:

• Write SEO-optimized blog posts that rank and bring in traffic over time

• Review products in YouTube videos and add affiliate links in the description

• Create an email list and set up automated sequences with affiliate recommendations

If nothing works, you can run paid ads that will bring quick results.

Related: 7 Ways to Make Extra Income Even With a Full-Time Job

3. Monetizing content (YouTube, blogging and podcasts)

Another easy way to earn passive income is by starting a YouTube channel, blogging or starting a podcast. Content creation is a long game, but the potential for passive income is enormous once you build an audience.

You can start a YouTube channel easily and upload videos based on your expertise. You can earn through ads, sponsorships and affiliate links when your channel is monetized.

With the right strategy, blogging can also give you thousands and millions of dollars in passive income. Create a website in a low-competition niche. Write high-quality content and monetize it through ads or affiliate marketing.

Podcasting is another way to get passive income. You can get sponsorship deals, sell premium content or use listener support platforms like Patreon.

You can use different strategies to make content passive. A blog post can become a YouTube script, a podcast episode and a Twitter thread. Use SEO strategies to rank content and drive organic traffic. Generative AI is gradually changing SEO forever, making it easier to generate high-quality content that ranks.

4. Create and sell digital products

Selling digital products is another way to earn passive income. Digital products require no inventory and no shipping, with minimal overhead costs. Need ideas for digital products you can sell?

If you are an expert in a niche (marketing, personal finance, fitness, etc.), package your knowledge into an e-book or guide. You can sell it via Amazon Kindle, Gumroad or your website.

The online education industry is growing at an exceptional rate. Platforms like Udemy, Teachable and Skool make creating and selling courses easy. If you’re an entrepreneur, the valuable lessons you have learned are likely ones that others are willing to pay for.

Business owners love time-saving resources. Selling Canva templates, Notion dashboards or financial planning spreadsheets can also be lucrative.

To make it passive, you can automate the delivery process using platforms like ThriveCart or SendOwl. Set up evergreen sales funnels that bring in leads and convert them automatically. To keep sales steady, continuously update and improve your digital product.

5. Print-on-demand and ecommerce automation

Now, selling physical products doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. With automation, you can create an ecommerce business that can run itself. You can choose a passive income ecommerce model according to your experience:

• Print-on-demand (POD): Platforms like Printful or Redbubble can be used to sell T-shirts, mugs or posters. You don’t need to manage inventory.

• Dropshipping: Find suppliers who can handle fulfillment and run a business without touching a single product.

• Amazon FBA: Let Amazon store and ship your products while you focus on marketing.

Use AI-powered chatbots to handle customer service. You can also automate email marketing to nurture customers on autopilot. Optimizing product listings can bring organic traffic and minimize ad spending.

Related: How to Make Money While You Sleep

The key to successful passive income as an entrepreneur is selecting income streams that complement your expertise and business model. Instead of spreading yourself too thin, focus on one or two strategies, automate them as much as possible, and reinvest your earnings into scaling your primary business.

Setting up smart passive income streams will create financial stability and give you more time to focus on what truly matters.

Small businesses are getting approved for manufacturing loans in greater numbers this year, according to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Its flagship program, the 7(a) business loan, offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to buy real estate, purchase machinery, and obtain furniture and supplies, and guarantees up to 85% of 7(a) loans of $150,000 or less, and up to 75% of loans above $150,000.

According to new data by the SBA, 74% more business owners were approved for 7(a) manufacturing loans in the first 90 days of President Donald Trump’s administration than during the first 90 days of former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021.

From Jan. 20 to April 17, the SBA has approved more than 1,120 7(a) manufacturing loans totaling $677 million. During the same period in 2021, the SBA approved fewer than 650 7(a) loans, equivalent to $497 million in funds.

Related: More People Are Exploring Entrepreneurship Because of This Unexpected Reason

“Loan applications and approvals for small manufacturers are surging — a clear sign that American manufacturing is roaring back,” SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler stated in a press release.

The SBA launched its Made in America Manufacturing Initiative last month, which aims to cut $100 billion worth of regulations for manufacturers and create a pipeline of skilled workers to take on manufacturing jobs.

Related: ‘Strategy All Along’: President Donald Trump Pauses Most Tariffs for 90 Days — Except One. Here’s What We Know.

Trump is promoting Made in America manufacturing through a combination of tax cuts, deregulation, and trade policies, including tariffs of up to 145% on imports from China, and a blanket tariff of 10% for other countries until July. As of Wednesday, however, Trump has indicated that he would consider lowering China tariffs.

“As part of our tax cuts, we want to cut taxes on domestic production and all manufacturing,” Trump stated in remarks to Congress last month.

According to the SBA’s Office of Advocacy, about 98% of American manufacturers are deemed small businesses and collectively employ 4.8 million U.S. workers.

The SBA offers other small business loans besides the 7(a), including 504 loans of up to $5.5 million and microloans of up to $50,000.

Most leaders believe they’re giving helpful feedback. But too often, what they think is constructive comes across as demoralizing, ineffective or outright damaging. The difference? The best leaders don’t just give feedback — they coach, communicate with care, and create an environment where employees feel seen, heard and valued.

Gallup and Workhuman research shows that employees who receive valuable feedback are five times more engaged and 57% less likely to experience burnout. Yet too many leaders fall into the trap of delivering feedback in a way that crushes morale instead of driving improvement.

The solution? Feedback needs to be an ongoing, trust-based conversation, not a one-time critique. It must be framed as coaching, not criticism, and delivered in a way that accounts for more than just words. Your tone, body language, facial expressions and energy play just as big a role as the message itself.

Here’s how to be more effective at giving feedback — step by step.

Related: Employee Feedback Is Only Effective If It’s Done Right. Here’s How to Make Sure It Lands.

Step 1: Shift your mindset — feedback is a gift, not a gotcha

Leaders often hesitate to give honest feedback for fear of being seen as negative. But avoiding feedback doesn’t create a culture of psychological safety; it creates a culture of guessing and stagnation. The best employees want to grow, and they need clear, constructive input to do so.

Key shift: Move from a criticism mindset to a coaching mindset. Think of your team as business athletes. Just as elite performers rely on coaches to refine their skills, employees need guidance, encouragement and practical ways to improve.

Ask yourself:

When you see feedback as an investment in someone’s success, it changes the way you show up.

Step 2: Presence and delivery matter more than you think

The most overlooked part of feedback? How you show up.

Your body language, vocal range, gaze and facial expressions all send a message before you say a word. To curate a warm and inviting atmosphere conducive to accepting constructive feedback, adopt an open posture, connect visually, show concern and care with facial expressions that are authentic and congruent to what you’re saying, and use a conversational tone and cadence. Otherwise, they may feel tension, judgment or discomfort instead.

You silently communicate to the world all day through your body language and presence. Be intentional about how you are perceived. Convey, instead of betray, your message.

Key shift: Feedback isn’t just about what you say but how you make people feel. You need to be fully present, engaged and emotionally attuned.

What to do:

• Make eye contact: Remove distractions and see the person in front of you; stay “on gaze!” Not in an intimidating way, but with warmth and attentiveness.

• Adopt an open posture: To signal partnership as opposed to power, face your employee with open arms and gestures that invite conversation, seated at the same level.

• Mind your facial expressions: Are you showing genuine curiosity and care or unintentionally conveying frustration?

• Be intentional with your vocal delivery: Vary your pitch and pace. Speak as you would in conversation. Too fast or too slow, too high-pitched or too low-pitched, and your message may be misunderstood.

Effective leaders don’t only plan what they’ll say; they are also intentional about their presence or how they “show up.”

Ask yourself:

• Is my nonverbal communication reinforcing my message, or undermining it?

• Am I making this a safe, productive space for the other person to engage?

Related: Your Words Only Tell a Fraction of the Story — Here’s Why Tone and Body Language Actually Matter More

Step 3: Start with strengths, not weaknesses

Too often, feedback begins with what’s wrong rather than what’s working. But neuroscience shows that people are more open to feedback when they feel seen, valued and capable.

Starting with acknowledgment sets a positive tone and reinforces that feedback is coming from a place of support. “I always like to start conversations by sharing how my team members’ strengths have had a positive effect on our business outcomes,” says Kristi Snyder, Chief People Officer at Enthuse Marketing Group. Framing the conversation around strengths helps both parties enter the discussion with a constructive, growth-oriented mindset.

Key shift: Flip the traditional feedback approach. Start with acknowledgment before diving into areas for improvement.

What to say:

By opening with a question, you create a loop of engagement rather than a top-down critique. Employees get to explain their thinking first, which makes them far more receptive to guidance.

Step 4: Ask more, tell less

Great leaders use feedback as an opportunity to understand before they correct. Instead of leading with here’s what you did wrong, try leading with curiosity.

Key shift: Replace statements with open-ended questions to uncover insights and encourage self-reflection.

What to ask:

• “What was your thought process behind this approach?”

• “What challenges did you run into?”

• “How do you think we could refine this?”

By letting employees talk first, you gather context, acknowledge their thinking and collaborate on solutions rather than dictate them. Approaching situations like this makes sure employees feel heard and increases buy-in.

A reminder: Acknowledgment is NOT agreement. Giving employees space to explain their reasoning allows leaders to correct misunderstandings while still respecting their perspective.

Step 5: Deliver feedback with directness and care

Feedback shouldn’t be sugarcoated, but it also shouldn’t feel like an attack. The secret? Balance directness with care.

Key shift: Avoid vague platitudes (“You did great”) and harsh bluntness (“This was bad”). Instead, use clear, actionable and supportive language.

What to say:

• Instead of “Your presentation was weak,” try: “I see the effort you put in. Let’s strengthen the data to make it even more compelling.”

• Instead of “You handled that customer situation poorly,” try: “I appreciate how you followed the process. Let’s explore ways to make it more adaptable.”

Related: How to Give Constructive Feedback That Actually Empowers Others

Step 6: Follow up and reinforce progress

The biggest mistake leaders make? Giving feedback once and never revisiting it. Without reinforcement, even the best feedback fades into the background.

Key shift: Feedback shouldn’t be a one-time event — it should be an ongoing dialogue.

What to do:

• Circle back in a week to see what’s changed.

• Recognize progress (even small wins) to reinforce learning.

• Keep feedback alive in regular conversations, not just performance reviews.

Great leaders don’t go it alone

The most remarkable leaders and elite performers lean on coaches to hone their skills. Many of the most effective leaders actively work with executive coaches to refine their ability to deliver impactful feedback. They recognize that feedback is an art — one that can be mastered with guidance, practice and expert insight.

Feedback is meant to bring people closer and move the organization forward, but it must be delivered expertly. Mastering feedback isn’t just about what you say — it’s about how you say it and how it makes people feel. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, investing in expert coaching can elevate your ability to guide, inspire and develop your team.

Feedback is your leadership superpower. Use it wisely.