LinkedIn Adds Monetization Tools for Business Owners
New consulting and networking features allow professionals to manage multiple side ventures and monetize their expertise.
Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Remote Work
Live Poll
Do you trust professional networking platforms to provide useful tools for your side business?
LinkedIn has rolled out a suite of new tools for business owners and creators, including paid one-on-one consulting sessions and enhanced networking features. These updates aim to better support users managing multiple professional ventures or side businesses.
Why it matters
The changes reflect a shift in how professionals leverage their network, as the platform reports a 70% increase in members adding founder titles to their profiles over the past year. These tools provide new monetization and identity options for solopreneurs and small business owners.
Profiles adding a founder title increased 70% year-over-year, signaling a surge in users managing side projects. LinkedIn is supporting this growth by launching Advice Sessions with no commission fees for U.S. business premium subscribers.
The players
A professional networking and career development platform owned by Microsoft that serves as a primary hub for business recruiting, marketing, and content creation.
The details
The new Advice Sessions feature allows business premium subscribers in the U.S. to host one-on-one paid consultations directly through the platform. To support networking, LinkedIn added a digital business card that can be saved to phone wallet apps. Additionally, creators can monitor post performance with a new analytics dashboard, while expanded profile options now allow members to showcase multiple ongoing professional roles simultaneously.
Timeline
October 15, 2026: New profile, networking, and monetization tools launched.
Past year: Founder titles on user profiles increased by 70 percent.
Market Landscape
This development aligns with the broader rise of the creator economy and solopreneurship as standard career paths. It marks a departure from traditional recruitment-focused platform models toward services that prioritize independent revenue generation.
Operators managing side ventures should evaluate these new monetization tools to determine if Advice Sessions provide a viable consulting channel. Ensure your team's profile settings reflect multiple current roles to capture traffic from the platform's recent identity updates.
The takeaway
The surge in founder titles indicates a growing expectation for platforms to serve as business management tools rather than simple resume repositories. Monitor the rollout of the video revenue-sharing program as a secondary indicator of the platform's commitment to monetizing professional content.
Further reading
For more strategies on managing distributed operations and independent talent, visit the Remote Work section.
Live Poll
Do you trust professional networking platforms to provide useful tools for your side business?
