Selling Options allows you to make money in all market directions: up, down, sideways.
Here are 3 trades, one for each direction, and they deposit the premium into your account immediately.
3 trades for 3 market directions:
DOWN: Call Credit Spread
Easily a personal favorite, sell a call option a week or two out, and then buy a call option for the same date but with a higher strike for your hedge.
How you profit:
If the stock remains below the option you sold on the expiry date you get to keep the entire premium you got when you entered the trade.