If you’re thinking about starting an online business, you’ve probably realized that there’s a lot you can do on the Web these days to earn a living (or some side money, if that’s your goal). So how do you choose an online business idea?
- Make a list of things that interest you (could be a career path to hobbies).
- Make a list of your skills or expertise (degrees, computer skills, business skills, etc.).
- Find as many overlaps between the two as possible (for example, if you’re passionate about writing and you have a degree in marketing, they would work well together if you went into Web copywriting… or if you’re passionate about horses and still have that same marketing degree, the two could work well together in an online retail business for horse-related products).
- Narrow down your list of potential online business ideas by thinking about things like investment requirements, time commitments, and the real viability of running the type of business online as opposed to greater offline potential or needing to work with people face-to-face.
Here are just a few general online business ideas that you can adapt to a wide range of interests and areas of expertise:
- Consulting
- Writing / Editing / Publishing (for clients or your own sites and blogs)
- Virtual Assistant Work
- Online Retail
- Selling Information Products (e-books, reports, books, etc.)
Even though an online business can seem easier to start than many offline businesses, you can’t take choosing an online business idea lightly, and you have to understand that your online business will still take a lot of time, energy, and possibly money to successfully launch and grow.
