Online Business Ideas That Really Work
If you’re like most people that are entrepreneurs at heart then at some point you’ve looked into potential online business ideas. You may have realized that there are as many ideas for making a living with the internet as there are stars in the sky, but what you may not know is that most of them simply don’t work. Trust me because I’ve tried more of them than I care to admit. I can tell you from personal experience that only a small percentage of supposedly “legitimate” online opportunities are, in actuality, “legit”. So the following list consists only of ideas that I know actually succeed in delivering income for the majority of people that try them. It should go without saying that even though these represent your best chance of earning money, they, like any other business, cannot work if you are not willing to put in the time and effort necessary to make them profitable enterprises. Likewise, these aren’t “get rich quick” schemes and you’d be wise to hang onto that day job until your web business really takes off.
Drum roll please…
1. Sell products on eBay. Many people would have you believe that this is an outdated idea for an online business, but the truth is that it’s still a money-maker for countless people around the world. It is true that their fees are higher than they once were but if you price your products appropriately and have a system down you can make a significant income. You need not stop with eBay, however. You can also sell to the huge community that is Craigslist (fee-free by the way). Or you can take things one step further by launching a website and selling direct from your own platform, a strategy which will require more marketing savvy but eliminates the middle-man of eBay. As for what to sell it could be anything and everything. Think about what you can make or procure better or more cheaply than anyone else. If you have access to dirt cheap office supplies because of a family connection then sell those. If you’ve created a nifty series of picture frames that are all the rage with your friends then sell those. The bottom line is that you need to focus on something that offers you an advantage over potential competitors.
2. Offer a consulting or coaching service via your own website with a subscription model (this is easy to do with PayPal). I have seen this done countless times, and the potential earnings are simply staggering if you have even the slightest bit of web savvy. You can base this on whatever skills or knowledge you already have. Some potential topics: personal development, personal training, weight loss, language skills, career education, personal finance. It really could be anything. If you have the personality type necessary for being an instructor and mentor then this could be just the thing for you. What’s really cool about this online business idea is that with billions of people worldwide with internet access there really are no limits to your potential reach.
3. Create an ebook and sell it via download through your own website or blog. If teaching or coaching isn’t your forte then just distill you knowledge of a subject into an interesting and easy-to-read ebook and sell it digitally. This is best done in conjunction with a blog because it will help you to gain readers’ trust. Once they trust you they will buy from you if they believe you’re offering something of value. Use the blog posts to provide general insights into your topic of expertise, but make it clear that more specific and valuable information is contained within the ebook. This business model can work very well if you pick the right niche and have decent writing skills. I know of a guy who used this model to eventually create a million-dollar income for himself.
4. Create a blog or series of blogs that generate revenue through advertising or affiliate marketing. I’m not going to lie – this is one of those online business ideas that is difficult and will take a long time to bear fruit but once it does it can be a very nice passive income. It could take years but the payoff is sweet. There are a great many people who, through years of active blogging about lucrative subjects, have created a six-figure income for themselves. The most popular and easiest to use advertising platform is Google Adsense, which I highly recommend. If direct advertising isn’t your cup of tea then you can push other peoples’ products on your blog for a cut of each sale or lead (known as affiliate marketing). As with selling ebooks, affiliate marketing success is largely dependent on the trust that you build up with your readers over time.
5. Start a content creation business. Right now there is a huge demand for good writers on the internet. If you have some writing skills then this can be a very lucrative business. Press releases, marketing literature, online web copy – this stuff doesn’t write itself and you might be surprised how many people would rather just hire the work out. Resume writing, in particular, can be especially profitable. Take this one step further by bringing in a team of talented writers and you could have a booming business on your hands. To juice your profits even further you could outsource the work to English-speaking writers in the Philippines or India at a huge price reduction.
So there you have my list of the five online business ideas that are most likely to be successful. Of course I can’t absolutely guarantee success, but if you run with one of these ideas and work your butt off I think you’ll be impressed with the final results. The key is that you’ve got to stick with it for the long-run. If you’re expecting to find a way to easy riches online then you’re in for some major disappointment. After all, if it was easy then everybody would be doing it. Have a little persistence, put in the time, and eventually things should open up for you.