7 High-Income Skills You Can Learn This Weekend (For Free)

1. Copywriting

What it is: Writing words that sell - emails, ads, websites, landing pages.

Why it pays: Every business needs words that drive action. Great copy = more conversions = more revenue.

Where to learn:

• Alex Cattoni’s YouTube channel

• “The Boron Letters” by Gary Halbert (free online)

• Study top landing pages on SwipeFile.com

2. ChatGPT Prompt Engineering

What it is: Knowing how to talk to AI so it gives you useful, fast, accurate responses.

Why it pays: Businesses are desperate for people who can build workflows, generate content, and save hours using AI tools.

Where to learn:

• LearnPrompting.org (free open-source course)

• Twitter threads from @TheAiSolopreneur

• Just practice on ChatGPT (seriously)

3. Video Editing (Short-Form)

What it is: Editing TikToks, Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

Why it pays: Every creator and startup is producing content. They don’t want to edit it themselves.

Where to learn:

• CapCut’s YouTube tutorials

• Ali Abdaal’s Skillshare course (free trial)

• Just re-edit viral content for practice

4. Cold Email Outreach

What it is: Writing emails that get responses from potential clients or employers.

Why it pays: Master this and you’ll never worry about where your next opportunity comes from.

Where to learn:

• “Cold Email Wizard” on YouTube

• Use ChatGPT to rewrite and improve your emails

• Practice emailing local businesses or creators

5. Sales Page & Landing Page Design

What it is: Structuring and writing a page that sells a product or service.

Why it pays: A solid sales page can make or break a launch, and most founders can’t build one.

Where to learn:

• Landingfolio.com for inspiration

• YouTube tutorials on Carrd, Webflow, or Notion landing pages

• Reverse-engineer landing pages from your favorite startups

6. No-Code Automation

What it is: Using tools like Zapier, Make, or Notion to automate repetitive tasks.

Why it pays: Small businesses will pay you to save them time and money.

Where to learn:

• Zapier’s free automation guides

• YouTube: “Zapier for Beginners”

• Automate a task for yourself this weekend

7. Content Strategy

What it is: Knowing what content to create, when, and for who.

Why it pays: Founders, creators, and coaches need help growing an audience that converts.

Where to learn:

• Justin Welsh’s free content strategy breakdowns

• Study top-performing Twitter and LinkedIn accounts

• Try planning 5 content ideas for a niche you know

Here’s the Truth:

You don’t need to master all 7. You don’t even need to master one.

You just need to start.

Pick one skill. Give it 4 focused hours this weekend. Learn, try, build.

In a month, you’ll have a service. In 3 months, you could have your first client. In 6 months, your 9–5 might look optional.

Entrepreneur Toolkit: Tools to Power Your Business

1. CapCut – Edit viral-quality short-form videos for free

Whether you’re learning video editing for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts, CapCut makes it simple, with built-in templates, transitions, and effects even beginners can use.

2. Notion – Plan your content and organize your new skillset

Create a workspace to track what you’re learning, build a content calendar, or draft your cold outreach messages — all in one place.

3. Zapier – Automate tasks without writing code

Once you’ve learned the basics of automation, use Zapier to connect tools like Gmail, Google Sheets, and Slack — and start building systems that save time for clients (and yourself).

Built Not Hired is built for the modern creator, freelancers, solopreneurs, and builders who want freedom and ownership. If that’s you, pick one idea and run with it.