I am asked ALL the time “What should I do for an online business?” and my answer is always “What are you passionate about?”. Taking your passion in life and turning that into an online business is a life changing experience. It allows you to love what you do (and that is a biggie) while also allowing you to provide for yourself and your loved ones. After all, aren’t they your “WHY” to begin with?
Finding your passion in a sea of online business ideas
I get it, if you have a true entrepreneurial spirit, you probably have many passions in life and many online business ideas you want to implement right now.
BUT… implementing more than one business idea and launching them in the online space is going to cause sooooo much overwhelm and confusion. Please, do not do that to yourself. We are on a mission to find that one idea that sparks a passion inside of you AND has all the possibility of becoming a successful online business.
That is why I have put together a list of 50 online business ideas to help you begin the process of narrowing down your niche so you can find and attract your perfect audience and start loving what you do. Ready?
The fishing is best where the fewest go
- Blogging
- Virtual Assistant
- Social Media Manager
- Ebook Author
- Affiliate Marketer
- Podcaster
- Web Designer
- Handmade Business
- SEO Consultant
- Social Media Consultant
- Business Coach
- Online Course Creator
- Domain Reseller
- Freelance Writer
- T-Shirt Designer
- Proofreader
- Stock Photographer
- Virtual Tech Support
- Copywriter
- Booking Service
- Marketing Consultant
- Online Advertising Specialist
- Remote Tutor
- Social Media Influencer
- Contract Customer Service
Any thoughts on the path your business could go in? I hope that this list has sparked your creativity and began the mental wheels turning. There is nothing that will boost your creativity and problem solving skills more than building and succeeding in business. You are talented and very much capable of this.
I have personally built several successful online businesses and helped hundreds of people launch and run their business… AND IT ALL STARTED WITH AN IDEA!
If the list above was not enough to spark that flame, or simple did not contain anything that stood out to you, I have included 25 more online business ideas below.
Question marks are shaped like hooks for a reason
- WordPress Developer
- Ebay Seller
- Youtube Personality
- Website Maintenance Service
- Travel Consultant
- E-Commerce Website
- Researcher
- Membership Site Operator
- Lead Generation Service
- Blog Network Creator
- Business Recruiting
- Software Developer
- Life Coach
- Resume Writing Service
- Financial Consultant
- Custom Illustrator
- Video Ad Creator
- Direct Sales Marketer
- Meal Plan Service
- Online Public Relations
- App Developer
- Amazon Seller
- Graphic Designer
- Branding Specialist
- Digital Business
OK, did that help? Do you have one or two…or 10 ideas that you would like to explore? GREAT!!!
But now what do you do with that online business idea? I’m glad that you asked.
The first step is the fun and exciting part of finding an idea that sparks a passion in you. Make a list of your ideas or you can simply download the list in PDF form here to help you with the next step.
The second step in the process is a little more boring and a little time consuming but very very important. Do not skip this step or you could possibly find yourself down the road in a big puddle of the proverbial poo poo.
You do not want that!
Take the time to do your research and draw out the best and the most lucrative online business ideas and set yourself up for success now.
Throwing back all the no no not good for me business ideas
So, you have your list of ideas but not sure what to do with it. Well, we are going to narrow that list down to one or two possible online business ideas. We want to do a little research and find the one that has the most potential for success. Primary market research is a big picture overview of your potential market. But, more specifically, exploratory research is what we will be doing.
- Exploratory Research: Research that is not explicitly intended to test hypotheses (as in basic research) nor to solve practical problems (as in applied research) but is used to make initial forays into unfamiliar territory when studying new or poorly understood phenomena.
First, I want you to go to Facebook and search for all of your ideas.
Why Facebook?
Because Facebook has over 2.41 billion monthly active users and that is a large pool of people to help you get an idea of the interest in your niche (a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.). You are looking for a broad overview of how many people share your interest. Is there enough interest that you could possibly convert a small percentage to an audience ,and therefore, to revenue?
There is no magic number here, you have to go with your gut, but remember that conversion rates are much lower than the numbers you will find. You just want to know if there is enough interest.
Second, I want you to do the same test on Youtube … Yep, Youtube!
Why Youtube?
Because Youtube is the second largest search engine behind Google. In this day and age, video is the most consumed form of content and I see that trend will only rise from here. You want to see what type of video content is in your niche and if that content is something that you can compete with. Can you produce better quality and more informative content than what you find on Youtube?
Third, search out problems on Quora.
Why Quora?
Because Quora has a massive community in a question and answer forum format. This allows you to do a little avatar (perfect customer persona) problem research. You want to know the problems of your avatar because you need to know if your idea is the possible solution to the problems. Can your idea deliver the right product to solve the problems of your customers or audience? Do you have an idea for the right vehicle to deliver the solution? Can you put together a killer offer to convey the solution to your avatar?
Fourth, answer the questions.
Why questions?
Because without the answers to the following questions, you are still guessing, and guessing is not what we want to do. Did you come this far to guess? Me neither, so, answer the questions below for each online business idea that you have.
- Do I know the 3 biggest problems that my avatar is struggling with?
- Can I develop a product to solve the problems of my avatar?
- Am I the solution to the problems?
- Can I consistently produce quality content to serve my audience?
- Do I have an idea of a vehicle to deliver the solutions to the problems?
- Can I develop an easily consumable piece of content to give my avatar quick actionable wins?
- Do I have an idea of a killer offer for a product that would be a no-brainer for my avatar?
- How large of a market would I guess the interest is in my niche?
- Can I niche down even farther?
- Am I VERY CLEAR on who my perfect avatar would be?
- Can I attract a highly engaged audience in this niche?
- Can I perfect my messaging to this audience?
- Am I willing to invest money into building this business?
- Am I willing to invest my time into building this business?
- Can I position myself as an expert on the topic of my niche?
My online business idea: clarity in the sea of overwhelm
So, you narrowed your ideas down during the research, and hopefully, a little more while answering the questions. You should have no more that two ideas left (preferably only one) and now you need to know which one to pursue further.
At this point it all boils down to you and your instincts. What does your heart tell you? Which niche feels like a better fit for you? Does one stand out over the other?
I can tell you that I have seen many niches that are extremely small and specific. Online businesses that you would never believe could be open much less profitable… AND THEY ARE KILLING IT!! So don’t be afraid to choose the one that is the most passionate to you.
Go with your gut and take an imperfect leap of faith. The best time to start an online business was yesterday, but today is better than never.