During the COVID-19 epidemic, many professionals who had been laid off chose to go out on their own and start a business. These newly minted entrepreneurs rapidly realized that, despite global conditions, there were several pandemic-friendly business concepts that could be effectively implemented.
Also, for many aspiring entrepreneurs, operating an internet business is a dream that promises financial stability and freedom. And, COVID-19 actually has created an opportunity to realize their dream.
We’ve created a list of the top online small business ideas to assist you in beginning your own internet business and obtaining the flexibility and freedom that comes with it. None of these online business ideas need a physical storefront, and several don’t even necessitate the sale of a real product, only a service.
Services for social media
Social Media Marketing & Services
Many small company owners understand the importance of having a social media presence but lack the time and resources to learn about it. If you have the knowledge, this is an excellent moment to start a social media management firm. Reach out to businesses who have little to no social media presence and offer to manage their accounts and connect with their followers in order to increase sales and brand recognition. Facebook and Instagram are the most effective channels for growing a business’s audience. Depending on the sector and product or service offered, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest may also assist a business in gaining and interacting with their fans.
Graphic Designing
Do you have an eye for beauty? Did you attend art school, or did you always spend your spare time making posters in Photoshop or Illustrator?
If so, and if you’re looking for a job on our list of online small business ideas that’s appropriate for you, freelance designing might be a fantastic option. Take on customers at your own pace, develop a solid name online and by word of mouth, and work on topics that interest you – freelancing offers many advantages.
Look for the perfect assignments on sites like Upwork and Behance to experience the flexibility of a freelancing existence.
Online Cooking courses
People enjoy eating and drinking, and they are always seeking for new cuisines and beverages to try. If you have a culinary background or have mastered the pastime, consider sharing your knowledge with the rest of the world.
To begin, you can offer online culinary lessons conducted via Zoom. As your company grows, you may be able to create a physical presence as customers regain confidence in live, in-person interactions.
This is also a potential business for someone with an experience in bartending. People enjoy discovering small secrets that improve their drinks or completely new recipes they’ve never tried before. These lectures may be delivered online, in-person, or even videotaped and uploaded to YouTube. If you really want to take off, you may even collaborate with local distillers to develop your own brand of liquor or mixer.
Online Writing
Instead, if you are good with writing, you might work as a freelance writer. You may contribute blog entries as long as you have an internet connection and a keyboard.
It is advantageous if you have a certain area of interest or knowledge, so that your employers will know you are equipped to remark on specific issues. The most crucial aspect, though, will always be your writing. Are you able to write clearly? Do you put in the time and effort to truly comprehend what you’re saying? Are you attracting the appropriate readers? If you are confident in your writing abilities, this internet business concept is excellent for you.
Online Fitness & Wellness Programs
For more than a year, the coronavirus forced individuals to work from home and spend the majority of their time indoors. This, along with the fear that comes with a pandemic, resulted in a loss of habit, with individuals no longer working out, drinking more alcohol, and overall taking less care of themselves.
People may need a little additional encouragement right now to get out of their pandemic health rut. Start generating material to help others better themselves and get out of a rut if you have a background in health, exercise, and wellness. Blogs and articles are excellent ways to offer recipes and fitness regimens that can be done from home with little to no expertise.
Begin documenting your techniques of de-stressing, whether it’s cooking, exercising, meditating, stretching, or simply talking about your health practices in general. Once you’ve finished the video, edit it, add music, and share it with your audience on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media sites. If you’ve amassed a sizable fan base, you may collaborate with them to design customized exercises and diets for them for a fee.
Virtual tutoring service
Despite the fact that most institutions have reverted to in-person instruction, demand for virtual tutoring is expected to stay high. Students who flourish in a remote learning setting desire to continue their online study sessions, and busy parents value not having to transport their children to and from a tutoring center.
Begin a virtual tutoring business by identifying your competence in various areas and deciding on an age range to target. Consider if you want to work with parents with small children, high school students preparing for the SAT or ACT, or college students who need a little more motivation to get through finals week.
Online Accounting & Bookkeeping Services
The coronavirus pandemic has caused difficulty for many companies and individuals during 2020. While some people’s fortunes have improved, others require innovative ways to keep their small business viable or their personal finances in order.
Many individuals are in need of your knowledge if you are a certified public accountant with a flair for finding hidden resources in limited budgets. Small firms, in particular, are searching for methods to save expenses while keeping as many employees as possible on board.
Online Translation Services
If you’re a brilliant writer but don’t want to produce original content, we’ve got some simple internet business ideas for you. If you are fluent in several languages, for example, translating might be a great career for you. You may do it wherever you want as long as you have the material you’re working on and understand the purpose of the translation.
Online Independent research
Another clever internet business idea is freelance research, which allows you to work from anywhere and on your own terms. You don’t have to be a gifted writer or a natural designer; simply hardworking and aware of where to go for what you need.
Whether you’re putting together research documents for competitor or market research, answering tough technical questions on forums, or analyzing statistics to spot trends, you’ll be doing invaluable work for your clients — and doing it for a reasonable price and with the freedom to work how you want.
Business Mentoring & Coaching
You’ll need a strong track record and a range of testimonials to back you up, but the business coaching sector is growing, so now is the time to get involved. You may charge anything from under $100 to many times that much, depending on your credentials and efficacy, and coaching over the phone or video chat is totally fine instead of face-to-face.
So, if you’re interested in patching up other people’s businesses and getting compensated for it, check out this online business opportunity.
Online Shop (eCommerce
Starting an e-commerce store is one of the most frequent internet business ideas, and it is reasonably straightforward and inexpensive – at least when compared to creating a brick-and-mortar store.
If you’re skilled or creative, you may make your own items and sell them from the comfort of your own home on sites like Etsy, Amazon, or eBay. The most difficult issue, depending on your specialty and how viral your items are, would be being found. But, luckily, there is a wealth of information accessible to assist you, from correctly pricing your job to shooting the finest photographs possible.
Affiliate Marketing
Take note, social media gurus: you don’t have to be a consultant to gain from your social networking talents.
Companies may instead pay you to showcase items on your blog, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or other social platforms. The higher your profile, the greater the effect of your brand endorsement, and the greater the impact of product placement. As long as your fans aren’t turned off by the advertising, affiliate marketing, also known as influencer marketing, is one method to put your social media abilities to good use.
Plus, much like the rest of these online business ideas, you may work as an affiliate marketer from anywhere you choose, with the freedom and flexibility to set your own hours and be your own boss.
Online Transcription Services
Transcription is a simple internet business concept that doesn’t require any prior expertise or experience – other than the ability to write rapidly. You may provide transcription services online in a variety of ways, such as transcribe audio interviews for reporters, generate subtitles for TV shows and films, or produce transcribed versions of podcasts.
Although this is not the most profitable concept on our list, it is a fantastic place to start as a freelancer and allows you to work anywhere and whenever you choose.
Virtual personal assistant
Organized. Efficient. You want to be able to live your life on your own terms.
If those three characteristics describe you, you should consider becoming a virtual assistant. What you’ll perform depends on your talents, expertise, and network of connections, but you may expect responsibilities ranging from data entry to client management, research, and scheduling. And, like with any internet business ideas, you can accomplish it from anywhere.
Online therapy & Medical Consultation
With the rise of firms such as TalkSpace and BetterHelp, you no longer need an office or your own practice to counsel patients – you can do it online. Although this online business concept necessitates the necessary certifications and expertise, a digitally savvy therapist looking to reach a new population of patients may simply get started.
If you’re a counselor, therapist, or psychologist, you might want to go into the internet counseling sector by working for one of these new firms or creating your own. By counseling online, you will be able to reach new patients, provide them more freedom and flexibility, and enjoy some time for yourself.
Career counseling and resume writing services
If you have a history in human resources or just know how to write the perfect resume, you might think about establishing an online resume writing and career counseling service. You can provide customers with career counseling and assistance, as well as job applications, resumes, and cover letters. LinkedIn is a fantastic location to start with this sort of online business concept because many professionals use it to find job advice.
And, of course, you can communicate with clients through chat, email, or phone, allowing you to work from anywhere and set your own hours.
Voiceover Services
You may start your own voiceover business if you’re searching for an internet business idea that you can start from home fast and easily. All you need is a good microphone, some basic sound editing software, and the willingness to give your voice to marketing agencies, production firms, and anybody else in need of a voiceover.
To get started, sign up for a freelance voiceover site like Voices.com and begin looking for suitable gigs. Furthermore, after you’ve gotten your foot in the door, you’ll have great footage to show potential future clients.
Online Dropshipping Business
If you don’t want the obligation of developing your own items to sell, you might start a dropshipping business instead. You may select items from vendors and then sell them online using this type of e-commerce business. You may construct your own website, process, and control every aspect of your internet company.
You may begin by looking via dropshipping markets or attempting to deal directly with manufacturers and importers. There will be no shortage of possibilities in the dropshipping market as e-commerce grows.
Trading in stocks or foreign currencies
Stock trading, like selling internet domain names, may be a casual online pastime or a job. If you’re prepared to put in the effort and are skilled at conducting extensive research and forecasting trends, you might convert this side hustle into a full-time job.
However, operating as a pattern day trader requires you to have $25,000 in your account at all times, so if that barrier to entry is too high for you, you may want to consider trading on the foreign exchange or currency markets instead.
Photography Services
For those with a talent for photography, you may as well convert your hobby into a source of income. Stock photo sites such as Shutterstock and iStock will pay you a commission on the images you sell, so if you’re okay with sharing your lens with millions of others, this is a simple and quick method to support your independence.
Furthermore, if you are really good, you may wish to sell your pictures on more exclusive sites with larger commission rates — or even on your own website or online shop.
Telemarketing Services
Virtual telemarketing is another fantastic online small business concept to explore if you’re a natural communicator who enjoys assisting people. Many businesses outsource some of their sales and customer support employees, so if you don’t mind working the phone from home or on the road, consider this alternative.
These online business ideas aren’t just methods to get away from the workplace. Instead, they provide a level of independence that most people do not have: the ability to manage yourself, establish your own hours and objectives, and take significant responsibility for your work. Having said that, although establishing an internet business provides you with unique freedom, it also requires you to work incredibly hard to attract clients, advertise your services, and maintain a consistent revenue flow.
