20 Online Business Ideas for Entrepreneurs to Make Money
The secret of success is to then either find something that’s missing from existing businesses or to do it better than them – and preferably both.
I’ve compiled 20 online business ideas to act as a resource to give you plenty of things to think about, and at the end I’ve added some great ways to search for ideas online.
There are lots of questions to ask yourself before you jump in. What to sell, how to organize your shop front and how to manage logistics are three questions to start with.
1. Marketplaces: Luckily there are an increasing number of sites that make it easy for you to get started by allowing you to set up your own shop within their online market. At the very least it gives you an opportunity to try it out without having to set up your own website and shopping cart. For example if you create handmade goods then check out Etsy and other similar sites.
If you’re into clothing designs then take a look at cafe press, which is an online market place that allows you to print and sell your own custom clothing designs.
2. Ecommerce Website: If you want to create your own standalone business then you can start a fully-fledged ecommerce website to sell any products you like. You can either go the whole hog and design your own site or you might find it easier to use a solution such as Shopify, which provides everything you need in order to run an online store.
3. Dropshipping: This is another good method to set up an ecommerce business because it removes the headache of keeping stock and processing deliveries.
Work can be varied ranging from traditional secretarial and personal assistant roles to transcription, diary management, presentations, proofreading, transcription, translation and more.
Some VAs offer a telephone answering service, which while it can tie you to your office can be quite lucrative.
5. Bookkeeping: If you are good with numbers then bookkeeping is another area that small companies and individuals are looking to hire. You have a big advantage in that there are a number of online accounting packages such as QuickBooks and Xero that many companies are using and you can teach yourself how to use them.
You would need to get certified if you aim to work for a big company and certification certainly demonstrates to clients that you have the required skills to handle payrolls and so on. You can get certified by passing an examination once you have more than two years of experience in the as a bookkeeper.
6. Internet Researcher: With the proliferation of content on the web a lot of companies require the services of an internet researcher. The job can also incorporate photo research, where websites are looking for images to include with their content.
7. Blogging: As I’ve shown it’s perfectly possible to make money blogging. However as I pointed out in that article you do need to be committed to writing regularly and you also need to write about something you enjoy doing or find interesting.
8. eBook Author: With the popularity of devices such as the Amazon Kindle there is a strong demand for eBooks, both fiction and non-fiction. It’s important to find out how to write an eBook that sells because the marketing is just as important as the contents of the book itself.
9. Contributor: Many people make a good living by supplying articles to various websites that invite contributions from writers. The best way to find them is to Google the phrase “write for us” and you will see a long list of companies who are looking for content. While the rates might not be high, some of them offer bonus payments depending on the amount of traffic your articles receive.
The majority of people who shop on the internet are probably unaware that they often buy through an intermediary affiliate website. In order to be a success you need to be able to pre-sell your visitors so that they are ready to buy when they land on the vendor’s site.
Affiliate marketing relies on being able to set up professional web sites geared to promoting a particular type of product. When someone clicks on the buy button they are forwarded to the vendor’s site for the financial transaction to take place.
A way to boost affiliate income is to use Google AdSense, display ads that are tailored to your audience’s interests. Although earnings per click aren’t going to set the world on fire, income can become significant if your site(s) boast a decent amount of traffic.
By teaching yourself the odd bit of HTML and CSS you can easily expand your capabilities. The best model for this idea is to find local businesses or individuals who either don’t have a web presence or their existing site needs improving. If you offer to host the sites for them then it can become a very good source of recurring income.
12. Website Graphics: If you are imaginative then starting a website graphics business could be for you. There are many sites where you can show off your designs.
Resume writing
Genealogical consultant
Help with social media – setting up accounts, Linkedin profiles etc.
Wardrobe consultation
Men’s styling
Personal shopping
Style workshops
The starting point for any online business is the initial idea. Find a good business idea and the rest should fall into place.
But instead of spending days trying to come up with a unique idea it’s best to start by looking at online businesses that already work. In other words, don’t try to re-invent the wheel but look instead to start up a business in an area where you can see that people need something. Whether it’s a product or a service it doesn’t matter, it’s the fact that people are already spending money that does.The secret of success is to then either find something that’s missing from existing businesses or to do it better than them – and preferably both.
I’ve compiled 20 online business ideas to act as a resource to give you plenty of things to think about, and at the end I’ve added some great ways to search for ideas online.
Ecommerce
Ecommerce provides a whole range of opportunities for entrepreneurs looking for business ideas and as a result is one of the most popular. As the latest 2013 figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show, Ecommerce is continuing its inexorable rise.There are lots of questions to ask yourself before you jump in. What to sell, how to organize your shop front and how to manage logistics are three questions to start with.
1. Marketplaces: Luckily there are an increasing number of sites that make it easy for you to get started by allowing you to set up your own shop within their online market. At the very least it gives you an opportunity to try it out without having to set up your own website and shopping cart. For example if you create handmade goods then check out Etsy and other similar sites.
If you’re into clothing designs then take a look at cafe press, which is an online market place that allows you to print and sell your own custom clothing designs.
2. Ecommerce Website: If you want to create your own standalone business then you can start a fully-fledged ecommerce website to sell any products you like. You can either go the whole hog and design your own site or you might find it easier to use a solution such as Shopify, which provides everything you need in order to run an online store.
3. Dropshipping: This is another good method to set up an ecommerce business because it removes the headache of keeping stock and processing deliveries.
Business Services
4. Virtual Assistant (VA): The market for Virtual Assistants is growing every year. Figures show that if you are female, married and have children then this could well be the perfect job.Work can be varied ranging from traditional secretarial and personal assistant roles to transcription, diary management, presentations, proofreading, transcription, translation and more.
Some VAs offer a telephone answering service, which while it can tie you to your office can be quite lucrative.
5. Bookkeeping: If you are good with numbers then bookkeeping is another area that small companies and individuals are looking to hire. You have a big advantage in that there are a number of online accounting packages such as QuickBooks and Xero that many companies are using and you can teach yourself how to use them.
You would need to get certified if you aim to work for a big company and certification certainly demonstrates to clients that you have the required skills to handle payrolls and so on. You can get certified by passing an examination once you have more than two years of experience in the as a bookkeeper.
6. Internet Researcher: With the proliferation of content on the web a lot of companies require the services of an internet researcher. The job can also incorporate photo research, where websites are looking for images to include with their content.
Writing
If you like to write then there are many business ideas you can take a look at.7. Blogging: As I’ve shown it’s perfectly possible to make money blogging. However as I pointed out in that article you do need to be committed to writing regularly and you also need to write about something you enjoy doing or find interesting.
8. eBook Author: With the popularity of devices such as the Amazon Kindle there is a strong demand for eBooks, both fiction and non-fiction. It’s important to find out how to write an eBook that sells because the marketing is just as important as the contents of the book itself.
9. Contributor: Many people make a good living by supplying articles to various websites that invite contributions from writers. The best way to find them is to Google the phrase “write for us” and you will see a long list of companies who are looking for content. While the rates might not be high, some of them offer bonus payments depending on the amount of traffic your articles receive.
Affiliate Marketing
10. Affiliate Marketing: The idea behind affiliate marketing is to promote products and services offered by other companies and taking a commission on any sales that result. Affiliate marketing is a big industry, indeed predictions for 2016 show that by then it will be a $4.5 billion industry. When done well therefore it’s an extremely lucrative form of business.The majority of people who shop on the internet are probably unaware that they often buy through an intermediary affiliate website. In order to be a success you need to be able to pre-sell your visitors so that they are ready to buy when they land on the vendor’s site.
Affiliate marketing relies on being able to set up professional web sites geared to promoting a particular type of product. When someone clicks on the buy button they are forwarded to the vendor’s site for the financial transaction to take place.
A way to boost affiliate income is to use Google AdSense, display ads that are tailored to your audience’s interests. Although earnings per click aren’t going to set the world on fire, income can become significant if your site(s) boast a decent amount of traffic.
Website Services Business
11. Building Websites: As you might expect there is a massive demand for website creation. You can break into this area even if you don’t think of yourself as a technical person. The availability of WordPress means that it’s easy to set up websites of even moderate complexity almost at the push of a button.By teaching yourself the odd bit of HTML and CSS you can easily expand your capabilities. The best model for this idea is to find local businesses or individuals who either don’t have a web presence or their existing site needs improving. If you offer to host the sites for them then it can become a very good source of recurring income.
12. Website Graphics: If you are imaginative then starting a website graphics business could be for you. There are many sites where you can show off your designs.
Consulting
13. Consulting: A consulting business can be a very lucrative way of earning a living. Obviously it helps to have some kind of knowledge and experience in the industry you want to consult in otherwise you will need to get the appropriate training, but it can be well worth it financially.Personal Services
14. Personal Services: This is a somewhat generic title but it encompasses all sorts of ideas for your business. Personal services are things that you would do for individual clients either on a one-off or recurring basis. Here are some examples:Resume writing
Genealogical consultant
Help with social media – setting up accounts, Linkedin profiles etc.
Wardrobe consultation
Men’s styling
Personal shopping
Style workshops
In the Home
15. Home: There are many areas around the home that lend themselves to setting up a small business. They can use a variety of business models:- Blogging
- eBooks
- Videos
- Courses
- Membership sites
- Show people how to make money from things made at home
- Parenting
- Cooking/Recipes
- Gardening
- Interior design
- DIY
Coaching and Self-Help
16. Coaching: This is a massive and growing area in the online world and there’s no shortage of ideas for your online business here. The business model usually centers around setting up a website offering guidance and advice on the subject.
You can then monetize your site using products such as eBooks and courses. Big money can made by offering one-to-one consultations and group coaching. Here are some ideas:- Confidence
- De-cluttering
- Procrastination
- Motivation
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Relationships
- Diet
- Health
- Life coaching
Eco-Friendly
17. Eco-Friendly: Eco-friendly products are increasingly popular so it makes sense to start a business that follows this trend. There are many areas that lend themselves to an eco-friendly business such as:- Fabrics
- Interior design and decorating
- Travel and vacations
Teaching
- 18. Teaching: If you have learned a skill such as playing an instrument then you can profit from the growing demand for online classes. This type of business lends itself to online video courses and also one-to-one lessons.
Similarly tuition for children is in great demand and depending on the subject and level can be very lucrative indeed.Technology
19. Technology: This is an area where you might have ideas but be afraid to put them into practice. Well help is at hand since it’s good ideas that are at a premium!
There’s no shortage of people who can put your ideas into practice. So if you have ideas for some software or an app then don’t be put off by the technical side.
The biggest hurdle is managing the people you get to carry out the programming side of the business. Once you have your product though it can sell very well if you’ve targeted the right market.
Your business could be involved in:- App development
- Software development
- WordPress plugins
- WordPress themes
Pets
20. Pets: Animals and pets are an evergreen business area where there will always be demand. The competition is high so you need to find your own niche.
Perhaps you have your own unique pet care or pet training methods?
Pet health and food is also a big area as is demonstrated by the vast amount of money that is spent on pet products each year, and much of that is spent online.
- 18. Teaching: If you have learned a skill such as playing an instrument then you can profit from the growing demand for online classes. This type of business lends itself to online video courses and also one-to-one lessons.
Testing the Water – Hire Yourself Out
For some of the business ideas above, a great way to get your feet wet without committing yourself to creating a website and marketing your business is to hire yourself out as a freelancer on one of the many outsourcing sites.
More Resources for Online Business Ideas
It can be daunting looking through all the available information on the web. I would suggest looking through some of these forums for ideas. These are also excellent places to get help and advice once you have an idea in place:
Fiverr – I’m not suggesting you offer your services on Fiverr but it’s well worth looking through the site to see what others are offering. You might just find something where you think ‘I could do that!’
BizBuySell, BizQuest and BusinessMart – take a look at what people are buying and selling. These sites are great places to get ideas for your online business. Check out the various categories and you will find no end of ideas.
I hope I’ve provided enough online business ideas to keep you interested.
Are you still stuck for ideas? How about this business idea generator, which promises to offer you the ideal business after asking 21 questions? I tried it out and it certainly comes up with some interesting business ideas.
I think I’ve covered a lot of potential ideas here. Please leave a comment below if you think I’ve missed anything.
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