If you’ve been thinking about starting a business online for a while now, there is truly no time like the present. We live in a Golden age when it comes to technology and wealth, and while you might feel like the media is all doom and gloom, there is actually no end to the potential for huge business growth when it comes to being online.
Smartphones and the Internet have allowed for commerce to be carried out online at an unprecedented rate. If you are at a point where you could cash in your chips, and try your hand at starting an online business, then you might be looking for some creative ideas. Let’s talk about what we think are some of the best creative online business ideas right now that can make you rich.
What You Need When Starting an Online Business
Before we dive into the ideas, one of the most important things to have lined up before you launch your online business is funds. While there are many different ways to fund your business startup, there’s really no way of getting around needing a budget in the first place.
Just because your business is online doesn’t mean that it will not cost to get it off the ground. If 2024 has been tough on you as it has everyone else, you might want to consider how you can bridge the gap to secure business funding. Companies such as 1800CarTitleLoan and LendingTree offer a variety of loans to help you secure your business funds.
1. Chatbot Business
One thing that has become more relevant recently with the Internet has been the chatbot. While you might be used to talking to a customer service representative at the other end of the phone or email, there are plenty of businesses out there that have chosen to outsource this aspect of their brand to an automated chatbot, which can make up for human error.
Needless to say, chatbots are in high demand right now, as more people move their business online and rely on automation to cover departments like customer support. If you team up with a developer and come up with a reliable, consistent chatbot, you could end up doing really well.
2. Box Subscriptions
If you haven’t noticed, the rise of box subscription businesses has been exponential. The concept of a box subscription is that you sell a monthly subscription that comprises various items and a box, which clients either choose themselves or get surprised by.
The good news is that when it comes to item categories, your opportunities are endless. This is why we recommend that you try and choose a relatively untouched niche so that you can become a pioneer of the box subscription business. There are many industry founders out there that have since gone on to sell their box subscription businesses for millions of dollars.
3. Ad Management
If you haven’t heard of social media marketing yet, then you’ve definitely been living under a rock. One of the most popular ways for brands to market their products these days is online through social media marketing. There are plenty of companies out there already that are working closely with their clients to optimize their ads for SEO, and there’s no reason why you can’t be the next big thing.
The good news is that you don’t need to be an expert in this field yet; as long as you are committed to constantly learning, you can keep up with what’s already out there and create a powerful business model.
4. Start Your Own Clothing Line
If you’ve got a few clothing designs in mind and you’ve got a bit of time on your hands to devote to starting a small business. If you already have a Shopify store, then you can easily set up your clothing line using a product sourcing app. Each product sourcing app is going to be able to automatically link you to clothing manufacturers and apparel printers within your niche. This is a great way to get someone to handle every step of the retail process for you, so that you can spend more time designing and shipping your ideas out to customers. It’s a great way to get creative and come up with a product that people can use every day.
5. Start a Dropshipping Store
If you want to start a product line or brand but you don’t have a warehouse to store the product, then you might want to think about starting a dropshipping store. It’s a great way to hit the ground running with your business idea by sourcing an existing product from a supplier, where they take care of the fulfilling and packaging side of things. This way, you can avoid many roadblocks that small businesses have to get through to do well. If you don’t want to deal with products in a physical location, set up a dropshipping store where people can purchase a product through you.
6. Sell Your Art Online
Are you naturally creative and talented when it comes to art? Whether you are a musician, a photographer, or a painter, there are many different avenues online these days through which you can sell your wares. If photography or painting is your forte, then you can easily sell your posters, prints or canvases through websites and apps. This way, you can turn your art into something tangible, that people can gift to others or hang in their own home. You can also create music through websites like SoundCloud to share your love of a genre. You never know, you might be spotted by an agency.
7. Become a Freelance Designer
Do you have a graphic design degree and you are struggling to find a job with it? Then consider starting up your own graphic design business online. With everything online these days, there’s no reason why you can’t start a business based on existing talents that you have. You will be able to put those skills to good use by helping people not only who are local to you, but around the world. You can start your online graphic design business by connecting with long-term clients through Upwork and Fiverr, before slowly moving up the ladder and establishing your reputation. You might think that there are a lot of people doing this these days, and there are, but there’s no reason why you can’t also have a go at it as well.
Starting a business online is fun, exciting, and if you hit it at just the right time, it can be extremely lucrative. The key is to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s hot and which industries have a lot of growth yet to do. This way, you’ll be able to sustain a profitable business in no time.
