One of the major benefits of starting an online business is that it doesn’t require nearly as much technical expertise as you’d think. Aspiring entrepreneurs are often put off because they think building an online business from scratch requires a wealth of technical know-how. This is simply not the case.
The truth is, anyone can start an online business as long as you have a computer and access to the internet. It’s perfect for those who are constantly on the move because you don’t have to set up a permanent place of residence or hire any serviced offices (unless you choose to).
You have full reign and flexibility over how much you work, when you want to work, how big you want your business to be and what you choose to do with it. Without the need for any substantial capital, you can create an online business for no money whatsoever if you prefer.
The immediate benefits of running an online business:
- Work anywhere you want
- Easy to get started
- Income potential can be very high
- Automation can make your life very easy
- It’s mentally stimulating
- It’s almost recession-proof
These are just a few of the benefits of starting your own online business, it’s up to you what you choose to run and how you choose to do it. With that being said, there are certain necessities to consider in order for your business to run successfully.
Four simple business ideas that make money online
While there may be hundreds, if not thousands of online business ideas to consider, all will fall under four main categories:
- Online video – money through advertising and ad revenue
- Blogging – making money through shareable content and paid submissions
- Affiliate marketing – driving relevant traffic (searchers) to ecommerce websites and make a commission from sales
- Shipping and transport – transporting third-party items to buyers
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Online video
Biggest benefits:
- Freedom to create any content you like and monetize it
- No office space required
- Potential to generate huge income
- Sponsorship opportunities
- Zero-risk investment
For the last decade, YouTube has remained one of the most popular websites, alongside Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. More than one billion people visit YouTube every day, so if you are able to get your video seen by just a fraction of that on a consistent basis, you should have no problem making a success out of your business.
This is easier said than done. You will need to create useful and engaging content on a regular basis, pick a subject that interests you or that you are educated in and beginning creating. It doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘informative’ or even provide a product or service. For example, Vloggers make their money by documenting their days in fun and interesting ways, couple this with strong editing skills and a likeable personality and you have the foundations of a strong channel.
Once you start uploading videos, you can enable monetisation on your YouTube settings. What this does is tell Google that you’re allowing them to include short adverts before, during or after your video is published. When viewers click on those ads, you get money.
Sponsorship is also another way to earn money through online video. This is where companies sponsor you to talk about and promote their brand (this usually happens when your channel becomes popular and you therefore have a large audience to promote the brand to).
2. Blogging
Biggest benefits:
- Creating fun and engaging content
- Cost-effective ecommerce solution
- Sponsorship opportunities
- Affiliate marketing and Google Adsense options
Creating your own website is far easier than you think, all you really need is the confidence to write about a subject you’re knowledgeable about and publish articles on a regular basis. This is a very cost-effective business model as you only need to pay for hosting.
This is your website and you aren’t limited by only posting articles. Videos, photos and other media channels can be used to reach your audience, it’s entirely up to you.
There are also other ways to make money from blogging, including:
- Google AdSense – pay per click ads that when clicked, pay you (small amounts each time).
- Affiliate marketing – including links to products within your articles that are relevant to your business. For example, you could review a new power tool and provide an affiliate link to buy it underneath.
3. Affiliate marketing
Biggest benefits:
- Almost zero-investment
- No customer interaction
- No shipping costs
- No inventory requirements
Affiliate marketing is one of the biggest industries in the world, with websites like Amazon finding huge success in it. These websites can provide anything from digital products (ebooks, music, film, etc) to almost any physical goods (food and drink to laptops and furniture). Companies like Sony, Nike and Waitrose offer their goods on these affiliate platforms.
However, with affiliate marketing, you won’t maintain an inventory for your products, nor will you need to worry about shipping. What you will need to do is decide on a profitable product or service to sell and then source and affiliate partner who supplies that product or service.
All you need to do is place a link to these products on your website and it doesn’t matter whether you’re writing reviews, blogging or actively promoting the product. When a product is clicked by a user, it alerts your account and your affiliate partner. The link takes the prospective buyer to their shopping cart to conclude the sale. Once the purchase is complete, it is recorded and you receive a commission.
This is a virtually zero-risk investment, with the only cost being the marketing and advertising of the product (and you control the budget of this). Once the buyer clicks the link, it’s up to them to complete the final stage of the purchase. With no shipping costs, no customer interaction and no inventory requirements, this is one of the easiest ways to make money through ecommerce.
4. Drop shipping
Biggest benefits:
- No inventory needed
- No delivery handling
- Low financial risk
With drop shopping, your only focus is on the marketing and advertising of the product or service you’re selling (similar to affiliate marketing). Once the link is clicked and the sale is made, you receive a commission and that ends involvement in the process. The only cost is how much you want to spend on marketing and advertising the product on your website.
Start by choosing an affiliate site (eBay, Amazon, Etsy etc) to sell your product. Once the buyer makes the purchase, you then buy that product from the manufacturer at a lower price. This is a process that can actually be automated, you can learn more about this here. There is no need to invest in a huge inventory because you only buy once someone has purchased the product.
You then need to liaise with your chosen drop shipper to deliver the product.
How we can help
For customers who require bespoke transport and fast delivery solutions, we can help.
Whether you’re an SME just starting or a large online retailer in need of a cost-effective delivery solution we’re ready to help.
We provide solutions for all delivery requirements including free delivery, tracked or untracked, national or international options. We’ll work with your business to tailor a service that’s right for you.
Take away points for starting an online business
So to recap, before you start a business you need to:
- Find a need for something (a product, service etc) and provide the solution
- Create engaging, actionable copy
- Ensure your website is easy to navigate (it doesn’t need to cost thousands)
- Optimise your site for SEO (search engine optimisation)
- Place yourself as an authority of your industry
For bespoke delivery services
Call or email our team today to begin transporting your goods. We work around your delivery requirements to provide the best possible service.
