5 Online Business Ideas You Can Start Today

These 5 online business ideas can be launched quickly and easily. Start your e-commerce business today.

1. Many online business ideas can be started with limited startup capital.
2. Some of the highest-paying online businesses include corporate counsel consulting and software development.
3. Build an online business in a subject or industry that you are passionate and knowledgeable about.
4. This article is for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for inspiration to start an online business.

Owning and maintaining an online business gives entrepreneurs the freedom to make money anywhere in the world. The idea is enticing and more possible than ever, but many entrepreneurs don’t know where to start. The most important step in starting a profitable online business is to find a business idea that matches your skills and strengths. Compare the best credit card processing providers to find a partner that can help you accept payments online.

Whether you want to become a full-time entrepreneur or just to start a part-time business for passive income, your product or service should fulfill a specific consumer need. We’ve compiled a series of profitable need-based businesses, with minimal startup costs, that you can start as soon as possible

1. Small business consultant

If you have a great deal of business experience and knowledge, why not create a business that helps aspiring entrepreneurs find success? As a business consultant, you could use your skills to help new business owners get off to a good start and help experienced entrepreneurs keep up with demand. Your chances of success are greater if you focus your strategy on a niche aspect of business consulting. 

It is helpful to be present in the digital business community to add to your credibility, demonstrate your expertise, and bring in clients.

Key takeaway: Use your business experience and knowledge to help aspiring entrepreneurs find success.

2. Social media consultant

Larger enterprises can hire an agency or full-time staff member to run their social media accounts, but small businesses often have to handle their social media marketing. With so many responsibilities, business owners are often too busy, overwhelmed or under educated about the importance of a social media presence to spend time developing and implementing a great social media strategy. As a social media consultant, you can help small businesses determine the best tactics, posting schedules and content for their target audience. As their follower count grows, so will your business.

Facebook and Twitter are still the top business networks, but businesses often struggle with more visual platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr and Snapchat. These platforms have huge consumer audiences, but many businesses don’t realize how big they are, how effective they can be and how to make them work for their brand. If you have a background in social media marketing and a passion for photography, focusing your consulting business on one specific platform, like Instagram, can be a great way to make money while helping other businesses improve their content and achieve their business goals.

Key takeaway: Help businesses understand the importance of social media and grow their social following through your expertise.

Read Also: 7 Online Business ideas you can start now

3. Niche market e-commerce retailer

There’s an audience for everything, even if it’s as specific as dollhouse furniture or organic dog food. You can reach customers seeking your specific products with a niche e-commerce site. Building a business in a niche market can help you differentiate yourself from other brands and build your credibility and expertise. Look to social media or your consumer needs to develop a product to sell on your online store.  

To get your e-commerce business up and running, you only need a web hosting service with an integrated shopping cart feature or e-commerce software. To simplify the shipping process, you can work with vendors to ship products to customers on your behalf. This can reduce the amount of inventory you need to keep onsite. 

Key takeaway: If you have a niche product or service to sell, consider starting an online store.

4. Web designer or web developer

If you are a creative, digital professional who thrives on forming the layout, visual theme, font set and color palette of a website, freelance web design may be a good path for you. If you have little to no experience in this field, you can learn the basics of web design and master the tools you’ll need for success, like Adobe XD, Chrome DevTools and text editor software. 

You are more interested in the coding side of building websites, freelance web development might be your wheelhouse. If you already know HTML, CSS or JavaScript and have a good eye for solving problems with creative solutions, you can launch a service to build attractive, easy-to-use websites for small businesses. If you need to learn the basics of web development before launching your full-stack career, you can take a simple beginner’s course to get started.

Put your technical and creative skills to good use for business owners who want to take their online presence to the next level. Build a comprehensive portfolio, and then create your own website to show it off and attract a steady stream of clients.

Key takeaway: Becoming a web designer or developer is a great option for those with technical know-how.

Read Also: 5 Online Business ideas you can start now

5. SEO Consultant

If you know the ins and outs of search engines and have technical skills in platforms like Google Ads and Google Analytics, becoming an SEO consultant could be a lucrative option for you. Many small business owners don’t realize how much of an impact search engine optimization (SEO) can have on their business. Start your online consulting business by educating those business owners on the power of SEO to help transform their websites and increase their conversion rates.

You could use your marketing skills to show business owners the benefits of using analytics data, strategic keywords and content structure to gain more organic web traffic. If you are unfamiliar with SEO or want to brush up on your digital marketing skills, you can refer to Moz’s Beginner’s Guide to SEO.

Remember that Google’s algorithms are always changing, so you will need to continue your education on SEO to stay relevant and successful in this field.

Key takeaway: Educate small businesses about the importance of SEO and help them grow their online presence.

Read Also: 5 Online Business Ideas for Beginners