The best online business ideas that anyone can do
Are you searching for ideas to start an online business? Excellent! We got a list of 10 best online business ideas for beginners.
And, I have personally tried all these ten business ideas, so if you ever get stuck doing these, I can personally help you to find a solution from my own experience.
Disclaimer:This information is general in nature and for educational purposes only. And, it does not constitute formal financial, investment, or business advice.
Online business ideas that you can start quickly without having to invest a lot
Doing a business is all about taking risks. The higher the risk you can take, the higher the profits you can make.
However, if you do not have any experience running an online business, it is not that smart to spend thousands of dollars from your hard-earned money doing something new.
Therefore, here, I have included ten beginner-friendly online business ideas that anyone can do to make profits while learning the process.
Once you sink your teeth into the online businesses, I will tell you how to scale-up these business ideas to make more profits.
If you like, you can skip the ideas and learn how to start an online business.
The best online business ideas for beginners
Here is our list of the top 10 online business ideas for beginners. These are safe and do not require thousands of dollars to get started.
- Start an online phone case business
- Sell socks online
- Sell Clothes online
- Make and sell homemade jewelry
- Sell pet toys online
- Start selling handmade soap
- Start an online t-shirt business
- Make and sell candles online
- Start an online cosmetic store
- Sell posture correctors online
- Sell online courses, eBooks, and tutorials
Note: We have created separate posts to explain the ins and outs of those business ideas. And, you can find links to those guides from the text below.
Three ways to start an online business idea
All the above online business ideas fall into three business startup methods. And in this guide, we are going to talk about these three methods to start an online business and some important tips that you should know before getting started.
So, here are the topics that we are going to cover.
- Running an online business hands-free with dropshipping and print-on-demand
- DIY online business ideas
- Three things that no one tells you about starting an online business
You can start any of those online business ideas with less than $200 in hand
Here we are discussing ideas to start a successful online business in the cheapest way possible. So, this $200 includes the cost of starting a website and marketing.
In some countries, you might need to obtain a business registration to run an online business or to accept online payments. If that applies to where you live, you will have to check with the local authorities to see how much that would cost.
Can you start an online business for free?
Is it possible to start an online business without any money? The honest answer is “No”. No, you can’t start an online business without any money. There are some dodgy websites, which tell such things as you can start a business for free. But, I have been running online businesses for almost 8 years now, and I never came across any online business idea that you can start with no money.
Apparently, spending $200 to start an online business is a worthy investment. If you do not have $200, there are many ways to make money online for free by doing online jobs. Also, you can try some successful side hustle ideas to generate the initial budget to start an online business.
Online business ideas that you can run hands-free
There are ways to start and run an online business without having to involve in manufacturing, managing a stock, packing, or shipping the products you sell.
Starting an online business idea with dropshipping
Dropshipping is a simple and efficient way to deliver the products that you sold to your customers. When you dropship, your supplier will directly ship the products to your customers. So, you don’t have to worry about maintaining a stock of the products, or shipping.
So, literally, you can run an online business with dropshipping by sitting in front of a computer. Isn’t it a perfect online business idea for beginners?
One thing we love about dropshipping as a business idea is that it enables you to start an online business without costing a fortune. Since you do not have to buy an inventory first, nothing goes out of your pocket until you make your first sale.
One other thing we love about dropshipping as a business idea is that it enables you to start an online business without costing a fortune. Since you do not have to buy an inventory first, nothing goes out of your pocket until you make your first sale. So, start by learning how to start a dropshipping business to realize your online business idea.
Here are the online business ideas that you can start with dropshipping:
- Selling pet toys online
- Selling makeup online
- Selling posture correctors online
Starting a business with print-on-demand
Print-on-demand businesses are somewhat similar to dropshipping businesses when it comes to product fulfillment. However, if you use print-on-demand to start an online business, you can sell customized products with unique designs.
You can sell print-on-demand t-shirts, socks, phone cases, caps, bags, shoes, mugs, and many other merchandises online.
The process is easy. First, you can to upload your designs to the POD platform and create mock-up photos. Then, you can use these photos to create online listings. Finally, when you get an order, you just have to forward that order to your POD service. Then, they will print your design on the relevant product, and deliver that to your customers on your behalf.
And, due to this value addition, usually you can add a higher profit margin when selling customized products.
Here is a good guide to learn how to start a print-on-demand business.
Here are the online business ideas that you can start with print-on-demand:
- Make custom phone cases and sell online
- Sell socks online
- Sell clothes online
- Start an online t-shirt business
DIY online business ideas
As we have discussed, dropshipping and POD are great online business ideas. However, if you would like to make more profits while keeping full control of your online business, starting your own production line at home is the way to go.
Starting a production line at home doesn’t mean that you have to invest your life savings on this business idea. Here, I have three simple and affordable online business ideas for you to sell homemade products.
When you start your own DIY business, you are set out to sell unique products. Therefore, with the right marketing strategy, you can start selling your products by keeping a higher profit margin.
Homemade product business ideas are suitable for those who have the skills and passion for arts and crafts. And, it is a lucrative way to make money online, while doing something you love as well. Simple go through the above list on DIY online business ideas and see how to get started.
Three things that no one tells you about starting an online business
Before you go ahead and start building your business, take a look at these few tips about starting an online business.
What makes any business idea a “Good Online Business Idea” for a beginner?
Not every online business idea works well. There is a huge competition out there, and many beginners do not know how to manage digital marketing to bring in customers. So, here is the secret to overcome these challenges and to pick the best online business idea as a beginner.
Pick an online business idea to target social media users
Let us think that you need to buy a t-shirt online. What would you do? Probably you’ll check up on Amazon for a t-shirt. This will be the same for anything that you want to buy online. So, how can a small online business owner sell their products?
Obviously, they can’t compete with Amazon or any of those juggernauts when it comes to selling things online. So, there is no point in trying to compete with the eCommerce giants to win the customers who are “ready to buy.” That ship has already sailed!
Therefore, you need to find a way to show your products to those people who don’t have any purchase intent and convert them into paying customers.
In simple terms, you need to show your t-shirts to those who are not thinking of buying a t-shirt and influence them to buy from you.
So, how can you do that? Well, let’s have a look!
Being “social media ready” is the main ingredient of a successful online business idea
So, the best place to find people to show your products is social media. But, people do not hang out on Facebook or Instagram for shopping. They are there to connect with their friends, see memes, watch exciting videos, etc. Basically, people spend time on social media to consume content (photos, videos, stories, etc.)
This means your new online business idea should be capable of creating content that can intrigue potential customers at first sight.
So, go through our list of the best online business ideas for beginners again. Now, you would see that all those online business ideas are capable of creating content that can attract potential customers. Here are some examples.
- Selling pet toys– Creat videos with dogs playing with toys
- Sell jewelry – Create photos featuring models for Instagram
- Sell posture correctors – Create OMG videos
- Sell affiliate DIY products – Create DIY videos
What else to consider when selecting an online business idea?
Now we know that your business idea should have intriguing products. But there are a few other considerations as well.
The product size
Can it fit into a shoebox? If so, your shipping costs will be lower, and you can offer competitive prices.
The product price
Sell things that cost less than $50. So, your customers won’t be skeptical about paying you money before getting the product.
Popular products
Make sure your niche is trending. So, you won’t go out of business.
No branded products
Unless you are trying affiliate marketing, never sell branded products with dropshipping. You will probably get knock-offs and will get sued.
Easy to find suppliers
Make sure that you can find enough suppliers to get competitive prices.
Check this guide on how to find the best niche for dropshipping. There we have discussed all the above considerations in detail.
Create an online store for your online business idea
Creating an online store is easier than you may think. Now with online store building platforms like Shopify, you can even create an online store without any technical knowledge.
And, you can try Shopify for free to see how it works. So, follow this guide on how to create an online store to learn the steps, and register on Shopify to start your free trial.
You have selected an online business idea; What’s next?
The next step is to get traffic to your channel. It doesn’t matter which channel you use. It can be an eCommerce store, a product listing, a niche blog, a YouTube channel, or even a Facebook page, but you need a way to bring in more traffic to your business. That is the only way to make more money from your online business.
There are two basic ways to build traffic to your online business channel. Those are called paid traffic and organic traffic. Of course, in the beginning, you will have to rely a lot on paid ads to bring in more traffic to your site. However, in the long run, you also have to develop your organic reach strategies.
Paid marketing strategies for an online business
If you are have started a brand new online business, the most effective way to find customers is through paid advertisements. So, you can try running ads on Google and on Facebook ads.
Organic marketing strategies for an online business
Building a strong Facebook marketing strategy and trying to sell on Instagram are the two most effective organic and short-term traffic building strategies for an online business idea. Also, you can work on build a content marketing strategy to bring in traffic from Google as well.
Do you have any questions related to these online business ideas
Simply send me an email on “ecommercebuff@gmail.com” and ask all your questions. I personally reply to all your emails and try my best to support you. Let’s talk.
The best online business ideas for beginners – Find out more
We have written some insightful articles about different online business ideas for beginners. You can access all these business guides by searching through our business ideas category. There you will find plenty of online business ideas for beginners that match your interests.
Starting an online business as a beginner can be an intimidating process. There are so many things that you need to learn and understand. So, while you are searching for the best online business ideas for beginners, make sure to start learning a bit about digital marketing as well. Sometimes, having a better understanding of digital marketing might help you to find the best online business ideas for beginners too.