33 Unique Online Business Ideas

Looking for online business ideas? Here are unique ideas to make money online. Have you ever thought about leaving that corporate job behind and striking out as an online entrepreneur? If you have internet access you have a world of opportunities at your fingertips.

Many of these online business concepts can be started with little to no money.  Check out these ideas for your entrepreneurial inspiration. 

Blogger

We all have great ideas and interesting opinions, and most of us have thought at one time or another how great it would be to get paid to share them. Online blogging can not only be a great creative outlet, but it can also make you money! You can monetize your blog with multiple streams of income. The most lucrative is affiliate marketing. You get paid when your blog readers buy products and services that you recommend. These are the best niches for affiliate marketing revenue.

Other income sources are ads on your site from companies such as Google Adsense or Ezoic.  The bigger your audience and reach, the more ad dollars you earn!

Many bloggers make income with the Amazon Associates program which offers virtually every type of product.

Today there are dozens of online affiliate networks to help you get started CJ, Shareasale, Pepperjam and Clickbank. All of these networks offer hundreds of products and services that you can promote and earn.

Career consultant and resume writing

With the fierce competition in the market job, hunters are looking for expert advice. If you have human relations skills or are great at finding good jobs you can sell your expertise. Some ideas are to package your knowledge into a job-hunting course or teach how to get noticed by top recruiters or sell resume writing services.  Another lucrative opportunity in this market would be interview training and coaching.

Want to start a business but got no ideas? Read my comprehensive guide for the new entrepreneurs

Online Ad Agency Management

Today more ad dollars are being spent online as print advertising dwindles. Thus one of the fastest-growing needs is for online ad agencies and ad campaign management. Businesses of all sizes from local mom-and-pop shops to corporations need help navigating the complex and confusing online adverting options.

Your services could offer ad management for an ad on Google,  Facebook,  Pinterest, and Instagram.  Some agencies do not charge their clients set service fees. Instead, they charge a percentage of the total advertising campaign buy. Other agencies charge a monthly retainer fee for a set number of services or hours.

Subscription Box Service

A fast-growing business idea for online is to create a subscription box business. This business offers stable and reoccurring monthly revenue. Start by getting a reliable subscription payment solutions for your subscription model.

Every niche and interest can be packaged into a monthly subscription program with products or services. Some of the most popular subscription services are food, pets, fitness, beauty, and fashion.

Learn how to get started from the experts at Cratejoy how to start your online subscription box business.

Bookkeeping and Accounting Services

Every business needs bookkeeping services. If you are organized and have experience in accounting you can develop a lucrative business. This is an evergreen business niche it’s always in demand  – plus it has low start-up costs and overhead. An excellent online business idea for stay-at-home moms (or dads) and those with special needs. Learn how to start a bookkeeping service here.

Language Teacher

Currently, there is a record-high demand for learning languages globally. The top money-earnings are English, Mandarin, and Spanish teachers.  The worldwide language learning industry revenue is $57 billion dollars annually. The majority of sales are teaching the English language. As a native English speaker with an interest in sharing your knowledge, you could develop a language teaching business online.

There is a strong demand for learning English in emerging economies like China, India and Brazil and the market in these countries is huge. The regions for the highest growth rates in digital English language learning products are Africa (20.5%), Asia (14.2%) and Latin America (13.8%) Learn how to make money as a language tutor online.

Translation Services

If you are bilingual or fluent in more than one language you have the right skill set to start an online translation service. The benefits of starting a translation service are many including low start-up costs and the ability to start at home.

There is a large target market for translation clients working with commercial, medical, technical, and legal documents. You can start as a solo translator and grow into a team covering many languages and types of transcription services. Here’s how to start a translation business by experts. 

Membership Site

The business model of a membership site can bring in passive income on a reoccurring basis. One of my favorite online business sites is Location Rebel which is the model of a profitable membership site. Learn from the owner Sean about important tips on how to start a membership site of your own. 

Designing Merchandise – Print on Demand

If you have creative talent and a sense of fashion you can design custom merchandise and get manufacturers to produce and sell your items. This is a lucrative way to profit from your creative input. There are many types of products you can design including, tote bags,  t-shirts, coffee mugs, and phone cases.

One of the top vendors, TeeSpring has over 50 different print-on-demand items you can design and sell including socks, home decor, and beach towels.  Other good vendor options are Society6 and Merch by Amazon. Here is how to make money by designing funny t shirts. 

>>Get more of my best fashion business ideas here

Video Production Editing

Video marketing is one of the fastest-growing trends online. If you have the skills or learn them on a course such as this one,  you can sell your services to customers around the world. Here is how to build your own video production company from scratch.

Sound Editing

Audio editors are in demand for editing work on videos, audio tracks, podcasts, audiobooks and other material. Tips on how to become a sound editor here.

Writing Music

You can start a songwriting business or instrumental composition for ensembles or orchestras. Research the market using these tips.

Buy and Flip Domain Names

This uniquely internet-based business is the activity of buying domain names and then reselling them at a profit. This is called domain name flipping.

It is a promising business idea because domain registration rates have grown by 5% annually.  Each year there are over 300 million domain names registered globally. To make money in this business you will need to become proficient in researching available domain names with commercial value.

Once these domain names are found you will need a small amount of capital to purchase them. Then you will list them for sale on various online domain auction and resale websites. Check out this excellent guide on how to buy and sell domain names at a profit.

These are the top 10 online marketplaces to sell your domain names. https://nameclerks.com/top-10-best-domain-marketplaces-to-sell-your-domain-names/

You Tube Channel

Certainly you’ve heard about the wild success stories of beauty makeup artist making millions of dollars from their YouTube makeup tutorials.  While this is true, they are amongst the exception and not the rule.

But this does not mean that you cannot create a tidy sum by creating videos and earning money on YouTube. Your income will come from the ads placed on your videos by advertisers. There are other revenue streams you can incorporate into your  YouTube channel such as memberships, merchandising, brand deals, live chats and YouTube premium paid membership.

Check out my guide to startup costs for YouTube Channel here

It’s stunning to think how many people have been able to quit their day jobs just by posting content on YouTube. Do you have a passion or a hobby you could talk about forever? Do you have funny ideas or commentary on the games you play or the shows you watch?

Many people have made millions doing just that, so do some research and find a niche that your particular brand of funny or insightful can fill.

Luckily YouTube is glad to support you in making money by creating a channel. Here’s some more information on how to get started.

Fitness and Nutrition Consulting

You can start an online Fitness business as a health coach, personal trainer, or weight loss expert.

SEO consultant

SEO is the backbone of the web industry. Every website needs to contain a specific set of targeted keywords in order to be efficiently picked up in search engines, but most small businesses and websites don’t know the specifics of how it works. If you have experience with Google Analytics or writing solid SEO web copy, consider setting yourself up as an SEO consultant and help business owners drive traffic to their sites. How to start your SEO company advice from agency owners. 

Life coaching

We all struggle sometimes with various aspects of our lives, whether it’s our weight, our motivation, or our work/life balance. If you are a compassionate listener and passionate about living positively, consider becoming a life coach! Coaches are more in demand now than ever before, and you can help bring your knowledge to others and help them achieve the success they want in their life. Read Coach Training steps to start your life coaching business. 

Consulting

This business could be run from home using your existing knowledge. Many businesses and individuals have goals they are unable to achieve without specialized knowledge, guidance, and support.

Are you a business marketing expert? Do you know how to build a solid work team? Are you organized and efficient and want to help others? Then consider starting a Consulting business with these tips.

Online eCommerce retailer

With the boom in digital marketplaces, it’s never been easier to set up an eCommerce shop. If there are certain products you’re knowledgeable and passionate about (clothing, books, kitchenware, sporting equipment), all you need is a web-hosting service that offers a shopping cart feature and you could turn that interest into a solid business.

Check out my big list of the best ways to source wholesale products here

You can store inventory yourself, or save time and money by linking up with suppliers and having them ship products straight to the customers. Check out Shopify – get started for free!

Selling handmade crafts

Do you have a hidden hobby? Does crafting run in your blood? Online platforms like Etsy and ArtFire are phenomenal outlets for getting your handmade crafts into the hands of grateful customers. Check out these lucrative woodworking business ideas to create and sell online.

Overhead is very low on these sites, which means that you’ll make more for your hard work. How to open your Etsy shop. 

Voice over work

Do you have a calm, soothing voice? One that’s cool and professional? Or how about one that’s powerful and booming? Believe it or not, there’s a demand out there for native English voiceover work for a lot of web videos and other online content! Check out this guide on how to get into voice acting. 

Business Coaching

Just like with life coaching, there are many small business owners and solopreneurs that have great ideas and great products, but need help with certain aspects of their business.

If you have skills in business development, marketing and branding, or accounting, consider offering your services as a business coach! As more and more people leave the corporate world to strike out on their own, the demand for seasoned advice and guidance has never been higher.

Web design

Let’s face it: we all have seen bad websites, and we know that nothing can turn off a potential customer more than the shoddy design or poor layout. If you have a knack for design and know (or want to learn) some basic online skills like HTML or CSS, you can start your own web design business offering those skills to small businesses. Approach local businesses to build your portfolio, or better yet, create a beautiful website for your services that show off your skills!

Mobile app developer

With over a billion smartphones in the world, the demand for mobile apps has never been higher and certainly won’t diminish any time soon. People use their phones to stay organized, stay in touch, and be entertained. If you have a great idea to boost productivity, or help people distress with a fun game, consider turning your idea into an app.

Don’t know how to code? No problem! There are plenty of affordable freelance app developers who you can subcontract to help bring your idea to life.

Graphic design

If you have an artistic flair and a good aesthetic sense, consider putting those talents to use designing logos for businesses and websites. Logos are such an important aspect of branding, and, as we all know, many small businesses either have no logos or have logos that leave much to be desired. Reach out to local businesses or tap your social network to find clients and pitch them some ideas!

Freelance writer

Generating online content is a big business. There are countless blogs and websites that need regular copy produced for their readers and to keep up ad sales, and many of them hire outside writers to help. You could write blogs or online articles, help businesses create compelling copy for their websites, or write letters or resumes on behalf of paying customers. The variety of paid online writing jobs is endless! Get started freelance writing in one week!

Social media consultant

Big companies often have a team of social media experts who run their giant ad campaigns, but small businesses and solopreneurs often to have to run their campaigns all on their own. It can be daunting, which is why many small business owners turn to social media consultants to help them target their ads and maximize their impact.

If you have experience in advertising on social media, consider offering those skills as a consultant to help businesses target their audience, strategize their content, and find the best posting schedules.

Affiliate marketing

Customer reviews drive the majority of online businesses. If you already have a blog or a sizeable following on social media, you should consider affiliate marketing as a way to bring in some extra income!

Word-of-mouth advertising goes a long way, and many companies and producers are willing to share a portion of their profits with individuals who promote their products online and drive referrals and traffic to their products. So quit writing reviews for free, and start leveraging your online presence!

Virtual assistant

Assistants aren’t just there to get coffee. A valuable assistant helps not only with organizing and scheduling, but also with errands, planning, and project-related tasks. If you have excellent organizational skills and understand the fast-paced demands of entrepreneurs or high-powered professionals, you should consider offering your services as an online personal assistant.

Look into companies like TaskRabbit or Thumbtack that allow you to connect with local individuals who are looking to delegate tasks and get help in their busy lives.

Freelance editor – Proofreading

How many times have you found a typo on a website, or come across some pretty atrocious writing online? With all the content being generated for websites and online platforms (see: freelance writer), there is an equal need for skilled editors to make sure everything is up to scratch. Editors can work on web copy, or help independent authors polish their books and get them ready for publication. Here is how to get started as a freelance editor

IT Tech Support

Only the larger businesses and corporations can afford to have full-time IT staff; many small businesses, on the other hand, have to find outside help when something goes wrong or when they need to upgrade a certain part of their system. If you have some computer savvy, you should look into offering your services as an IT support person.

You can even work remotely through screen-sharing and video conferencing—just be sure to have references ready, so it might be wise to start local first.

Bridal Consultant

Planning a wedding is a HUGE deal. There are literally hundreds of little details to keep track of, and many young couples have to balance work and life with all the ins-and-outs of planning the biggest day of their lives. Having a consultant help with suggestions, recommendations, and planning can go a long way.

Bridal consultants and bridal concierges are in high demand, so consider this path if you love all the glamor of a wedding! Get ideas for a great name for your wedding planning business. 

Online consignment

Vintage is back (or did it ever really go away?). If you’re a bargain hunter or have a knack for finding the gems on the thrift store rack, you should think about selling those vintage finds online.

Set up a virtual storefront and brand yourself as a vintage expert, and share your style with the world. Take stylish photographs of your clothes, or hire local models to bring your looks to like. Set yourself apart by developing your own visual and aesthetic style. List of ideas for your thrift shop name

Travel consultant

Do you love to travel? Do you have a travel blog with a decent following? If so, you are in an excellent position to offer your skills as a travel consultant. Many people want the adventure of travel, but don’t know where to start—check out these 15 tips on how to start an online travel business! Help people plan and arrange their travel and get paid to do what you love.

Check out my big list of Amazon business ideas here

Get more small business ideas from this big list of profitable new business ideas

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