There are many online business ideas out there and opportunities for everyone to find something they love to do. Everybody should be looking at doing business online as a way to secure a long-term income. People are looking for new options because of the economy’s swings and the absence of long-term job stability. It is just common sense to take these online business ideas and turn them into one or multiple income streams.
If you want to start an online business, you’ll need to research which business model will work best for you. With building the needed skillsets and a bit of work (time) input you can build a sustainable online income yourself. Start today and you can achieve this goal within the next few weeks or months.
In this article, we will look at 10 popular online business ideas that you can start right away with the right kind of motivation.
Click on the index link and jump to that section
- Blogging
- Freelancing
- Print-On-Demand
- Podcasting
- Selling digital products
- Stock photography
- Online course creator
- Graphic designer
- Content Creator
- Youtuber
- Online Business Ideas – Conclusion
Online Business Idea 1: Blogging
One of the easiest online business ideas you can start from home as either a full or part-time business is starting a blog.
Blogging is the perfect way to build an authoritative presence in the niche that you have selected.
With blogging, you have the option to start off small and build your blog into a full-time online business.
Because of the various types of content and the niche possibilities it can allow you to expand in many ways that will make it profitable.
Starting a blog is fairly easy but you will require some writing skills and a lot of patience. Building up enough content to feature on Google and other search engines will take time and get it ranked with SEO even longer.
Bloggers make money with the services and products they sell to their audiences while visiting the blog. This online business idea can be the initiator for bigger online business opportunities to come.
Getting a domain name and hosting that is both professional and appropriate can help you grow your blog more effectively. That is one reason why some of the money you make must be re-invested. It is also possible to start another blog to increase your income streams.
Here are 10 popular blog niches that can be investigated further as a source for micro-niches:
- Health
- Self-Motivation
- Food
- Outdoors
- Fashion
- Pets
- Travel
- Sport
- Education
- Technology
For a beginner, it is often easier to enter a market with a micro-niche instead of tackling the big topic. A broad topic takes longer to find a potential customer whereas a micro-niche attracts visitors that are searching with intent.
SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED FOR BLOGGING
Beginner – No experience is required to start except for some basic writing skills. As you progress you will develop new skills that can be beneficial for your online journey. The first skill you will need to learn as a beginner is to write for SEO purposes.
This is a must-learn if you are going to depend solely on organic traffic.
COST ESTIMATE TO START BLOGGING
This platform offers a variety of options for free or paid memberships, so everyone can get started. There are some things you’ll need to invest in in order to start a successful online business.
Most beginners will start free and once income starts coming in they will reinvest into some paid resources such as domain name, hosting, graphic designers, or even content writers.
BLOGGING TIME FRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
Medium to long term depending on the quality and quantity of content you will be publishing. There is no specific timeline for success but can be short-term if you put a lot of work in and market to your audience consistently.
Content creation skills and niche will play a big role in how quickly you will see returns.
FREE BLOGGING PLATFORMS
Although there are many hosting platforms on the web that will offer a free option you have to decide on your long-term requirements before starting.
Free options are normally restricted and present themselves only as a good learning platform.
- Blogger.com
- Wix.com
PAID BLOGGING OPTIONS
In most cases, you can start with a basic affordable package and upgrade as your needs and skills change. In this way, you don’t have to intentionally hamper your own growth.
- Namecheap
- Bluehost
- Ultra Webhosting
Online Business Idea 2: Freelancing
Freelancing is a quick and easy way to earn money online and is a great starting point for beginners.
There are many online freelancing websites that will host your freelancing platform for free but they will take a commission on all your sales.
The main purpose of using a freelance website is to provide services to clients around the world, by using your skills to complete specific tasks for payment.
Freelancers are becoming increasingly popular among companies because it reduces the cost of employing permanent employees. It also enables them to be selective in what skills and from whom they want to use.
Most beginners who try freelancing find it difficult because they think it’s only for highly qualified people, but that’s not the case. There are many tasks you can complete in many different fields to generate income.
Freelancing can be a liberating experience, but it can also become a normal day job if you make the wrong choices. The most important is to have your skills listed and build up a good reliable portfolio.
Most freelancing websites will have a tiered system related to your experience. Once you can build yourself up from beginner to expert level you also have the opportunity to earn more money.
Popular freelancing target markets
Here are 10 popular freelancing skills you can market as part of your online work strategy:
- Creative writing
- Content creation
- Graphic Design
- Bookkeeping
- Social media marketing
- Video editing
- Web Design
- Search engine optimization
- Virtual Assistant
- Translator
These are but a few and when browsing the different freelancing platforms you will quickly find a niche. Your online business idea will fit in perfectly and you can start right away. There are virtually hundreds of opportunities when it comes to freelancing.
SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED FOR FREELANCING
No experience is required to start but you must have at least one marketable skill you can offer to potential clients. If you are highly qualified in a micro-niche that is also in demand there is no limit to your earning potential.
Building skill sets are the only thing that can ensure a sustainable income.
FREELANCING TIME FRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
Short to Medium term depending on the skills you offer and the demands for it. Some freelancers received their first assignment within 24 hrs while others can wait a month or longer.
How quickly you get offers will depend on presentation, pricing, and marketing yourself.
COST ESTIMATE TO START FREELANCING
This is suitable for both beginners and experts because you have a choice of starting for free or paying for certain services. Starting a successful online business requires some upfront costs.
Most beginners will start free and once income starts coming in they will reinvest into some paid resources such as domain name and hosting.
It’s possible that your target niche might require some initial investment in tools or software to make your life easier.
FREE FREELANCING PLATFORMS
Not all freelancing platforms are equal so before you start you will have to do a bit of research on which will suit both your current needs and long-term goals.
Also, have a look at work input vs reward ratios.
- Fiverr
- Upwork
- IWriter
- Freelancer
- People Per Hour
- Clickworker
PAID FREELANCING PLATFORMS
Freelancing platforms are free, but they will take a commission from you, which can range between 2 and 12%.
There are no platforms where you can charge for your freelance services, but I’m sure it’s possible to find them. The only paid freelancing I would attempt is starting my own blog or website with a professional-looking portfolio. You will have to spend time marketing your services and that can be costly or time-consuming. For a beginner, it is best to link your portfolio to your freelancing platform and enjoy both strategies.
Online Business Idea 3: Print-On-Demand
One of the online business ideas that have gained popularity over the last ten years.
This is mainly because of how easy and simple it is to start your own print on demand business. Another attraction to this kind of business is the fact that it is 100% free.
Print-on-demand companies allow you to create custom designs and have them printed directly on products.
They will take care of all the other businesses and deliver the end product to your customer. They take care of customer service and returns, so you can focus on creating designs and running your online business.
If you search Google you will see that there is a print-on-demand company for almost anything on the web. The goal of this online business is to produce high-quality designs as quickly as possible.
By doing this you place a piece of real estate on the web that can show a return on the time you invested.
If you are not artistic enough you can still make use of this online business opportunity by hiring t-shirt designers or purchasing ready-made designs.
There are many entrepreneurs running print-on-demand stores without creating one design.
Print-On-Demand is not a get rich quick strategy
Print-on-demand businesses don’t always result in quick riches, but you can expect your income to grow over time with the right designs.
If you can spread your wings to various print-on-demand platforms it is possible to create several small income streams that will provide some handy extra cash.
This business can become fairly passive over time as it only needs fresh designs from time to time. The rest of your time will be spent on marketing your link and products via social media. Print-on-demand companies can also close in the blink of an eye or change the way they operate so it is advisable to list on more than one.
Print-On-Demand Product Ideas
Top 10 most popular Print-On-Demand products you can create and sell online:
- T-Shirts
- Coffee Mugs
- Ladies Fashion
- Wall art
- Home decorations
- Stickers
- Jewellery
- Hoodies and Sweatshirts
- Babies and Toddler clothing
- Travel Luggage
One word of caution is to stick to their Terms & Conditions and not steal or copyright designs. This will get your shop shut down and all your efforts will come to zero.
Don’t worry about getting told that all of these markets are over-saturated. Your success will depend entirely on your design quality and self-promotion.
For a good example of such a free print-on-demand store, you can visit two of my online shops here at Teepublic and Redbubble.
SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED FOR PRINT-ON-DEMAND
No experience is required to start but it would help if you are a bit creative or artistic. This is so you can create your own designs or at least put together an idea for a design.
If you are naturally creative or an artist, you can create designs that are unique and original, which other people cannot copy.
A skill set that will help is to master one or more of the graphic design software packages available.
PRINT-ON-DEMAND TIME FRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
Medium to long term depending on the quality and the niche of your designs. Like many other online business ideas, there are many factors that influence when you will start to get paid for your efforts.
Some are lucky and boast the first sale within the first 10 designs while others can struggle for at least three months to get a sale with up to 100 designs listed. It is a game of patience and persistence.
COST ESTIMATE TO START PRINT-ON-DEMAND
Print-on-Demand services are 100% free to start if you do everything yourself. If you can afford it, you can start buying graphic designs or get a freelance designer to help you make your designs.
This can cost you anywhere between $2 and $50 depending on the service you want. It is important to make sure that you get the commercial right with everything you purchase.
FREE PRINT-ON-DEMAND PLATFORMS
Easy to start and will cost you nothing except some hard work and patience.
- Redbubble
- Teepublic
- Spring
- Teechip
- Interest Print
PAID PRINT-ON-DEMAND PLATFORMS
I have not yet seen a print-on-demand platform and the only time I’ve come across a paid option is when you set up your own shop and integrate a print-on-demand company such as Printful that can fulfil your orders.
All print-on-demand platforms are free but note that they will charge you the base price of the product + a percentage to cover manufacturing and distribution.
Online Business Idea 4: Podcasting
It can be a bit difficult for a beginner to get started with no experience, but it’s definitely possible with the right approach.
Most people who will make use of this online business idea have an interest or experience in public speaking, journalism, or just like the action of live camera work.
Podcasting is basically taking your blog content to air and sharing it with your audience either as a live broadcast or pre-recorded audio files.
You can instead talk on podcasts, but you’ll need to write scripts in order to make it a true podcast.
Starting a podcast as an online business can initially be costly because podcast setups can be expensive especially if you are using high-end equipment.
For the beginner with no money, it is advisable to start off with entry-level podcasting equipment and build from there.
This online business idea can be profitable and rewarding for the right niche and requires hard work. You will also have the opportunity to expand your podcasting business into other income streams such as video blogs or Youtube channels.
Podcasting as a business will require a lot of time, fresh content, and consistency. If you stop Podcasting for one day you stop earning so for a beginner it is best to incorporate it with a blog or Youtube channel.
Top 10 Podcasting niches you can start:
- Entertainment
- Small business
- Online business
- Sport
- Outdoors
- Healthy living
- Fitness
- Food
- Parenting
- Motoring
There are many more niches you can discover when you do your research and the possibility of finding a profitable micro-niche is good depending on your experience and knowledge.
SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED FOR PODCASTING
Intermediate to Advanced – No experience is required to start but it would be required of you to learn new skills that will enable you to build a strong online business.
Starting a podcasting hosting service does require a lot of skills unless you are planning to outsource some tasks such as content creation and scriptwriting.
PODCASTING TIME FRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
Long-term depending on your skills and the niche you are selecting as an online business.
Earning an income from podcast hosting can take a while because first, you have to build a substantial audience, and then you have to convince them that you have the experience to be authoritative in your niche.
COST ESTIMATE TO START PODCASTING
Podcasting setups can be expensive with an entry-level start-up of under $500 but if you are going to spend some money on better equipment that will allow some initial growth you will be looking at around $2500 to $4000.
That is presuming that you will do most of the content creation and online work yourself.
FREE PODCASTING PLATFORMS
- Anchor – 100% Free
- Podcasts.com
Most paid podcasting platforms will have a free plan which will be limited but at the same time be good enough for an absolute beginner to test and build their podcasting skills.
PAID PODCASTING PLATFORMS
- Buzzsprout
- Podbean
- Simplecast
- Spreaker
Most podcasting platforms will have a free option but it will be with limited functions. There are some that will offer a no-obligation 7-day trial if you want to test full functionality first.
Online Business Idea 5: Selling Digital Products
One of the most popular online business ideas for beginners with a flair for design skills are digital products.
Because of the content demand of the web, content creators will always look for new products that will make their content unique or different.
This is where a beginner looking for online income comes in as a creator of digital resources that will make life easier. There are basically hundreds of digital content ideas that can be developed into an online business for a home worker.
Everything you basically see on the web contains digital content and if you can find a niche where you can apply your skills you’re in business.
Digital products do not take that long to create and by developing a large portfolio in a specific niche you can very quickly become the go-to designer for a lot of the content creators out there.
It is also not that difficult to learn specific skills to create some of these digital products as there are enough free tutorials on Youtube and other platforms that will assist any beginner entrepreneur.
Here are 20 examples of popular digital products that are in high demand on the web.
- Generic document templates
- Email marketing templates
- Sound effects
- Video overlays
- Video intros
- eBook Tutorials
- Photoshop or Procreate Brush sets
- Infographics
- Powerpoint Templates
- Web Icons
- Font design
- Photoshop presets
- Product mockup images
- Stock photos
- Blog and website templates
- WordPress website themes
- Code snippets
- Social media marketing image templates
- Product design graphics
- eBook covers
The beauty of these online business ideas is that there is a lot of software and online resources that will help you create this quickly and like a professional. profit margins might be small so it is important to sell quantity and have large collections.
SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED FOR SELLING DIGITAL PRODUCTS
Beginner to Advanced – No experience is required to start but it would need you to build up some skills to develop quality products.
For people who have advanced designing or photography skills, it would be easier to apply their experience and grow a large digital product portfolio quickly.
SELLING DIGITAL PRODUCTS TIME FRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
These online business ideas although simple and easy to startup can take a while to turn profitable as it will all depend on the quantity, quality, and niche demand.
It is not impossible to hit success quickly if you have done your homework and can put out in-demand content that is unique from the word go.
Often profit margins are smaller therefore you have to sell much more.
COST ESTIMATE TO START SELLING DIGITAL PRODUCTS
There is no to very low-cost input for this business idea depending on what you will need to start off with.
If you have the skills and are prepared to do all the work input yourself this opportunity can be totally cost-free. If you decide to acquire assets, in the beginning, to speed up the process costs can move into the low to medium range depending on your needs.
FREE SELLING DIGITAL PRODUCTS PLATFORM
As with print-on-demand platforms listing your digital problems are free but the platform will take a percentage for distribution and after-sales services.
- Creative Fabrica
- Spring
- Gumroad
- Email Marketing
PAID SELLING DIGITAL PRODUCTS PLATFORM
- Etsy
- Lemon Squeezy
- Shopify
- Own Website
Most of these digital sales platforms will require you to pay for hosting and service fees. Some will offer trial periods but can only turn out profitable if you can provide the turnover. The difference is that your profit margins are bigger than when hosting on a free platform.
Online Business Idea 6: Stock Photography
These days everybody more or less has the capability to take high-quality photos there selling stock photography as an online business from your desk is very easy. It is also a business that beginners can do without any experience and input cost.
Because of the diversity of topics on the web, there is a demand for related images that can be used on every part of any web page you view.
The cost of using stock photography for content creators outweighs the cost of having to employ someone to go do a photoshoot on the topics or niches they are trying to cover. Imagine creating content on snowboarding and having to grab a camera and go out to shoot your own photos. This does not only cost money but it also takes time that could’ve been used for other tasks and projects.
There are thousands of content creators out there looking for niche-specific images that they can use in their online projects such as:
- Social media marketing
- Advertising campaigns
- Blog content images
- Website enhancement
- Wallpapers
- Graphic Design
Anywhere where you can see an image on the web your service will be needed.
As a beginner, you will have to see which niches are most in-demand by doing keyword research and then decide which niche is most accessible for you.
Read up on the stock photography websites about their image requirements and the terms & conditions then you are ready to upload your images and start earning.
Your most popular stock photography niches
The top 10 most popular stock photos currently in demand are:
- Travel destinations
- Outdoors
- Business environments
- Nature
- Food
- Health
- Technology
- Architecture
- Underwater
- Pets
Although the profit margins are small it can develop into a valuable income stream as your portfolio grows and you gain authority in your niche.
Growth, also means that you can set up your own stock photo website and thereby increase your profit margins.
By developing additional skills in graphic design and photography you will be able to expand this hobby into bigger online opportunities.
SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED TO BECOME A STOCK PHOTOGRAPHER
Beginner to Advanced – Although you just need a good camera and some creative skills this business is ideal for beginners with no money and no skills.
More experienced skill levels can earn a very decent living from stock photography so as a beginner it does help to develop new skills and do your research well.
STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY TIME FRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
Definitely long term – This online business idea although simple and easy to startup can take a long time before showing any results.
Niche selection and portfolio size are critical to making an early impact on your niche.
As a hobbyist, you will take a while to create some sort of authority but professional photographers can have success sooner because of their experience.
COST ESTIMATE TO START STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
Although your initial input cost can be zero if you use a high-quality mobile phone or already have existing equipment you will have to upgrade your equipment sooner or later.
These expenses might take you into a $1000 – $2000 investment for some professional equipment to focus totally on this as a sole income stream.
FREE PLATFORM FOR STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
- 500px
- Foap
- Alamy
- iStockphoto
- Unsplash
Most stock photo listing platforms will be free but it is important to check the term and conditions and the marketing ability of your portfolio.
With some free sites, you will be limited and some might even retain copyright on your images. It is important to know the basic copyright terms used when it comes to digital media or your images might be stolen.
They will also take a percentage of each sale for hosting and marketing.
PAID PLATFORM FOR STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
- Getty Images
- Adobe Stock
- Own website
Although the listing of images is free these platforms will need you to apply for approval except of course if you operate your own stock image website.
I would suggest that you set up your own website with a portfolio as you retain the copyright and have the freedom to market your brand.
Online Business Idea 7: Online Course Creator
There are many entrepreneurs out there who have experience and skills that can be transferred to others who are in need of self-development with the help of an online course.
Online course creation is also another option for those wanting to create multiple income streams.
There are a lot of people who cannot afford higher education but still need to build skill sets that will provide them with a sustainable income.
These visitors will find an online course that suits their needs and which is also affordable.
The web is packed with online courses on every subject or topic under the sun and it is not that hard to find it. If you have the expertise in a specific niche it will be very easy to set yourself up for online success.
There are also many entrepreneurs who make use of these skills development courses to prepare them for taking advantage of these same online business ideas.
With the learning platforms and software available it is simple to design and present your own course. The beauty of this online business idea is that once you have created your courses it remains on the system and becomes passive income for you with very little maintenance.
It is not an easy task for a beginner to get into selling online courses because of the cost outlay on some of the platforms but if your course development is of good quality it might be worth a shot.
You can be very successful if your course is based on a micro-niche in which you have the relevant expertise.
Select the right niche that matches your skills
Some of the more popular areas or niches that people will find online to develop their skills are:
- Graphic design
- Course design
- Web Design
- Web Development
- Programming
- Leadership skills
- Photoshop and Illustrator
- Creative writing
- Typography
There are too many to mention but each one of these skills can be a line of income from home. Once you have had success with course creation you will enjoy a steady stream of income as the demand is growing.
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR ONLINE COURSE CREATION
Intermediate to Advanced – This is an online business idea that does need some experience and skill.
Without experience, you cannot teach anyone anything as most courses sold are by people that have some kind of authority in their field of expertise.
You will also need to learn the right skills to present a course of value to the people you are targeting.
ONLINE COURSE CREATION TIME FRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
Short term to start but long term to build up authority and trust on your platform. Only a solid portfolio, good content, and trustworthy ratings will bring you long-term success and a solid passive income.
A well-presented course design with authority and bringing big value with it can stand out from the rest and be a money-spinner right away.
COST ESTIMATE TO START ONLINE COURSE CREATION
With zero monetary input cost and only your hard work and time as a cost, this is ideal for someone who wants to start a reliable online business from home.
Some creators will use freelancers to compile and write the course which can increase cost input substantially so you have to be confident that your course is good enough to recuperate your cost.
FREE ONLINE COURSE CREATION PLATFORMS
- Udemy
- Skillshare
- Your own website
Most platforms that will host your online course for free will limit your enrollment or take a commission on your sales to compensate for hosting.
Free trials offered are limited and can turn costly once it expires especially if your courses are not bringing returns.
PAID ONLINE COURSE CREATION PLATFORMS
- Teachable
- Podia
- Thinkific
- Open Learning
- Your own website
For a beginner, none of the paid options for hosting your online course will come across as cheap. In this case, the best option is to create and host your course yourself but to get exposure might be costly.
Paid platforms are doing a lot of marketing and if your course is popular they will push it to the top.
Online Business Idea 8: Graphic Designer
If you are creative and enjoy the arts then you cannot go wrong with becoming a graphic designer from home.
This online business idea has been the pillar of work from home entrepreneurs for decades and most have earned good income as their skills grew with the demand.
Every visual aspect of the internet is represented through graphic design and the opportunity to make money from it will depend on your entrepreneurship.
The constant change in technology and some social platforms are making sure that new opportunities are created all the time.
All you have to do as an entrepreneur is to identify the opportunities and then develop your skills in graphic design to fill the gap and become an authority in that niche.
As a beginner, it is wise to experiment with different aspects of graphic design before you can find the niche where you feel comfortable.
Ten of the most popular niches for beginner graphic designers are:
- Designing logos
- Creating social media posts
- Web banners and icons
- Youtube thumbnails
- Images to print on clothing
- eBook covers
- Brand style guides
- Podcast cover art
- Tattoo designs
- Landing page designs
All of these can be done by beginners working from home via freelance platforms or selling it as a design kit on platforms for graphic designers. Once you have gained experience you must consider opening your own online store selling your designs for better profit.
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR A GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Beginner to Advanced – Graphic design as an online business idea can be implemented by anyone with creative skills and the drive to build up a sustainable income stream over a period of time.
It would be an advantage to have some skills in using popular graphics software packages but there are enough free resources to learn this quickly as a beginner.
GRAPHIC DESIGNING TIMEFRAME ( FOR RESULTS )
Short term to start but long term to build up a consistent income stream that can become passive except for some upgrades and maintenance that you will have to do.
As with any other small profit business opportunity, it is essential to build a sizable portfolio that will bring long-term success and consistent sales.
COST ESTIMATE TO START GRAPHIC DESIGN
This work-from-home business opportunity allows you to start cost-free as a freelancer or sell your designs. Most platforms will take a commission on your sales which pays for hosting and distributing your content.
As you gain experience you will need to re-invest some of your earnings into your business. This will be to get better software or resources that will help you grow your business quicker.
FREE GRAPHIC DESIGN SELLING PLATFORMS
- Creative Fabrica
- Fiverr
- Gumroad
Most platforms where you can host your designs or services for free will take a commission on your sales to compensate for hosting.
The advantage of these platforms is that they already have a big following and you don’t have to drive visitors to your designs.
PAID GRAPHIC DESIGN SELLING PLATFORMS
- Shopify
- Etsy
- Your own website
If you want to set yourself up for success with this online business idea I recommend starting your own storefront but you will have to pay for hosting and domain services. You will also be responsible to drive traffic to your website.
Most free platforms will offer you paid options for additional services so you will have to weigh it up against the value of your time.
Online Business Idea 9: Content Creator
What is a content creator?
This is someone who is creating content for online use by blogs, websites, news, and other platforms to attract visitors who will consume this content as part of their online experience.
Whatever you lay your eyes on when browsing the web is content that was created by someone.
This will give you an idea of how many opportunities are there to make money online selling the content you create. Test yourself and look at any web page then say to yourself “Can I create that?”. If the answer is yes or maybe then you are in business.
To create something all depends on your skills and the good thing to know is that any skill can be self-taught.
There are mainly 4 main types of media we are using on the web to create content:
- Written
- Video
- Audio
- Graphics
Most web pages will have written content as the core of their main content with other media types supporting more of the visual aspects of the website.
The written content you write for the web will contain information, data, or snippets for other media.
If you are a beginner then this online business idea will be ideal for people with creative writing skills and some SEO knowledge.
Beginner writers will focus on creating articles, information sheets, how-to manuals, and other content that will be easy to publish with a bit of research and learning some additional skills.
More experienced content creators will earn more as they will focus on subjects such as ghostwriting, scriptwriting, technical datasheets, and ebooks.
That is why making writing content your main online business can help you develop your skills and build an extensive home business.
The rise of video content
Video content is becoming more and more popular because of mobile technology, easier access to networks, and people’s demand for quick content.
That is why it is important for you as a content creator to develop your skills to another level where this market can open new doors for your home business.
Video content is in big demand both as information and entertainment media.
Content creators making use of this online business idea will be providers of video clips for other creators, youtube recordings, video blog content, or viral marketing clips for social media.
The initial outlay might be a bit more costly for beginners but the reward is also higher than a lot of the other online business ideas.
Beginner content creators can focus on audio content as it is a much cheaper option than video content. Being an audio content creator will involve making sound clips, voiceovers, audiobooks, and other supplementary content for developers and creators.
Once again we are back with the beginners’ old-time favourite of graphics. Graphics are used on every website to attract visitors visually to your content. Infographics, call to action and other informative graphics can easily be created by beginners wanting to work from home.
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR A CONTENT CREATOR
Beginner to Advanced – Content creation is one of the easiest start-ups for beginners wanting to take their online business ideas one step further.
All it will need is creativity, time, and the ability to learn new skills daily. Everything you see on the web is content so it is just a matter of finding what you are good at and what has the most profitable demand.
CONTENT CREATION TIMEFRAME ( FOR SUCCESS )
Medium to long term depending on the quality, demand, and quantity you can deliver. More can be earned as a freelancer but it also increases the pressure factor if not managed well. Your reputation will sell your product for you as the demand will always be there.
COST ESTIMATE TO START CONTENT CREATION AS AN ONLINE BUSINESS
One of the few online business ideas that can be started totally free as a beginner. You might have to sacrifice some profit to the platforms where you are hosting content material or services.
Only when you feel comfortable enough to host and supply on your own will some input costs be required for your own website hosting.
FREE CONTENT CREATOR PLATFORMS
- Creative Fabrica
- Fiverr
- Pond5
- Shutterstock
Most platforms where you can host your designs or services for free will take a commission on your sales to compensate for hosting.
Depending on the fee this can be a good thing as they take care of all the marketing, hosting, and distribution which leaves you with more time to create content.
PAID CONTENT CREATOR PLATFORMS
- Uscreen
- Ecwid
- Your own website
Not cheap on hosting with service providers as they will charge for content storage and if you create video or sound the file sizes can be large. $49 – $99 p/m is realistic for basic services.
Setting up your own digital shop can be more profitable but will mean putting in more resources on your own such as marketing and customer service.
Online Business Idea 10: Youtuber
Everybody wants to be a Youtuber but it is not as easy as what the “gurus” are suggesting.
It is however still a very lucrative online business idea that can explode into a good income if you hit the right niche with fresh content.
To start your own Youtube channel and create content is not a problem and so is your creativity not to blame.
When it comes to the Youtube platform it is all about algorithms and audience response to your content. It does not even have to be qualified as long as audiences love it and it creates a platform for good advertising it is ok.
Advertising and watch time is what pay your bills so if you can create viral stuff that can earn you the CPC and CPA required then you can do very well. There are many Youtubers living a good life from what they have created through the years.
This avenue of creating an income stream is very similar to the Podcasting business and definitely not for the faint-hearted. That said many beginners have achieved success by starting straight out on Youtube as content creators.
It takes a special person to maintain a high profile on Youtube for an extended period of time because of new trends developing around you all the time and consistent algorithm changes on Youtube that can dump your content overnight to the bottom of the pile.
It is also a platform that has generated the most cases of content creator burnout because of the pressure to be consistent and fresh.
Most online business entrepreneurs will use Youtube solely as another platform to drive some traffic to the real source of income which is your website.
SKILLS REQUIRED FOR A YOUTUBER
As a beginner with starting a Youtube channel, you will have to learn skillsets you have never dreamt of. The spectrum we are looking at here covers everything involving online business and if you can be successful here you can be successful everywhere else on the web.
Most of the basic skills you will need as a Youtuber are:
- Public speaking
- Graphic Design
- Content creation
- Scriptwriting
- Online marketing
- Monetization
- SEO
- Video and Audio editing
Just learning the basic skills in this will be a good start as it will also give you an idea of what you are letting yourself in for.
It all still comes down to patience and consistency.
YOUTUBE TIME FRAME ( FOR SUCCESS )
On average it will take a long time to achieve any kind of success on the Youtube platform. Most YouTubers achieve success only after many years and building up a large portfolio of very good content.
You do get the odd YouTuber who will create a few pieces of viral content that can propel them to stardom quickly as the algorithm push their content for their own advertising strategy.
COST ESTIMATE TO BECOME A YOUTUBER
The Youtube platform itself is free to use so most of your cost will come from your resources which will mainly consist of video and audio recording equipment.
You will also need auditing software if it is going to become your main income stream. The good news is that there are plenty of free resources ( although somewhat limited ) for beginners to use until they can afford better.
It is also possible that these resources will satisfy the need for what you are using them for.
The good news is that with the start of Youtube Shorts it is possible for a beginner to use their smartphones to create content for Youtube.
Content can be created absolutely for free forever and if it works for you it can be profitable to draw an audience to the main source of income.
ALTERNATIVE FREE PLATFORMS TO YOUTUBE
There are many free alternatives to Youtube although not so popular it all depends on what your main goal with video creation is.
There is nothing that stops you from experimenting with other platforms to see what works best.
The 7 most popular Youtube alternatives are:
- Dailymotion
- Vimeo
- Twitch
- Patreon
- Flickr
- TikTok
- Metacafe
Video is still the most popular way of driving free traffic to your product or service so it will always be my advice to at least put some content on if you are a beginner.
Focusing on quality and quantity can always come later once you have gained more experience to redo the content. Of all the online business ideas presented here becoming a Youtuber will probably turn out the most challenging of all.
Online business ideas – Conclusion
As a beginner with an online business, you must realize that most online business ideas that have a low skill level or a low-cost entry will have smaller profit margins.
These will also require hard work and patience. There is no get-rich-quick scheme with online business and success is never guaranteed. Only the effort you put in will lead you to success.
It is important to have more than one income stream to have a sustainable income in the future. Also, make sure a portion of the income is utilized for growing your online business.
Just keep in mind that your biggest gain is in the skills you learn along your journey. These skills will guide you to larger online income streams and better consistency.
The more skills you learn the better your chances are to grow a group of online business ideas into a very successful and profitable home business.
Developing these online business ideas from scratch into a sustainable income source should be on top of everybody’s bucket list. The rewards are total satisfaction and financial freedom.
Online Business Idea Comments and Questions
If you have any questions or other online business ideas please leave a comment below.
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