Many people dream of starting a business, but finding an idea that works and putting a plan into motion can be challenging. Selling products or services online is a unique, affordable startup option. Matching your skills, strengths, and interests to an online business idea is the cornerstone of any successful entrepreneurial initiative.
Fulfilling a need
You might want to start a part-time business to make some money on the side or become a full-time entrepreneur. Whichever option you choose, your product or service must meet a specific consumer need. Here are some unexpected options with low to no startup costs, which take very little time to launch.
Online blogging
If you are a good writer and an expert in an area, blogging can be a lucrative initiative. Website builders like WordPress make starting a business blog simple and straightforward. Publishing quality posts regularly is the key to success. The best-known bloggers provide value through entertaining, informative, or educational content.
Once you gain a following, you can monetize your blog by selling webinars, e-books, digital coaching, or online courses. You can also sell advertising space. While this strategy takes consistency and some effort, it can be very profitable in the long run.
Resell hosting
Reselling hosting is where you purchase hosting resources from a parent host and resell them to your clients. Resellers are like intermediaries between the main provider and the end users. The parent host usually handles the technical side of web hosting. This includes software updates, server maintenance, and security.
The reseller purchases a big hosting package from a provider and then splits it into smaller reseller hosting packages to sell to many users.
Reseller hosting is an easy way to access the lucrative web hosting market. Reseller businesses can make money without maintaining their infrastructure. They can manage customer accounts, set their own prices, and define the features of their hosting packages.
Resellers have free technical support, white labeling, surmountable entry barriers, and simple content and client management.
Online tech support
Most small businesses don’t have enough money to pay full-time IT staff salaries. If you have a technical background and experience with networks and computers, you can use remote software to provide some poor soul immediate technical assistance.
Most customers today look at experience and knowledge first and then ask about official qualifications, like a degree or a certificate.
To start growing your online tech support business, get in touch with local businesses and friends and ask if they need tech support. You can look for work on freelancer platforms.
Online courses or training
There are many opportunities to launch an online business focused on education and training. This includes tutoring, building and selling digital courses, and offering video-based learning via YouTube.
If you’re good at explaining things in a one-on-one setting and knowledgeable about a certain subject, you can start a tutoring business. Tools like Skype and Zoom are suitable for remote tutoring sessions. You can post ads on Craigslist and Upwork to increase your visibility.
If you prefer a group setting, then online training courses might be for you. Start digital courses for groups interested in the respective subject.
Sell second-hand finds online
If you’ve found a great deal at a thrift store, you can sell these items online for a profit. People love rare tidbits, but they’re not willing to rummage through the colossal heap of garments in second-hand stores. If you’re willing to go out and uncover great vintage pieces, flipping them is the logical next step.
The margins are pretty impressive. You can find a RadioShack cap for a few dollars and sell it as a vintage piece for tens. After all, something unique is being sold. People won’t find unique vintage collections like yours anywhere online.
Sell art or music online
Aspiring musicians, photographers, and painters have ample opportunities to sell their work online. If you’re a talented artist, you can use print-on-demand networks to sell your art as prints, framed posters, and canvases. If you set up shop online, you’ll have a platform to showcase your art. This is a great way to transform it into something tangible that people can buy and make part of their home décor.
Musicians can sell songs, beats, samples, and other works as digital downloads.
This business has an emotional dimension because when your work finds its way into someone’s home, it becomes part of their life, and you become part of their life as well.