Emmanuel Soroba June 26, 2021 
Source: Shutterstock
The idea of doing things “virtually” has now become as normal as going to the grocery store to buy milk and bread. Consumers are more comfortable transacting over the internet than ever before.
You can venture into almost any type of business with the assurance of finding customers. More than half of the world’s population has internet access. Whatever questions you have, or challenges you encounter along the way can most likely be resolved through a Google search. The stage is all set and the odds are in your favor.
This article will go over 6 internet-based businesses that you can realistically start with little or no capital.
6 Online Business Ideas
1. Sell stock photos
Stock photos are most commonly used by advertisers and publishers to serve as visual illustrations for their content.
If you’re good at photography, you can become a contributor on platforms like Shutterstock, and then publish high-quality photos of various things in your everyday life. You can even publish photos of yourself posing in different scenarios, such as a teacher, doctor, painter, etc. Every time someone licenses your photos, you get paid.
Shutterstock doesn’t have very strict policies on what you can and cannot publish, therefore you can be as creative as you want.
2. Online consultation and coaching
If you have plenty of experience in a certain area, you can become an online consultant or a coach. Most marketable skills can be converted to some type of consultation service.
For example, if social media is your forte, then you can become a social media consultant. If you’re into fitness then you can become a fitness coach. If you’re good at dating then you can become a dating coach. Such services are evergreen and have an incredible earning potential once you build a reputation as an expert in the field.
3. Create an online course
Many people have recently developed an appetite for online learning. Just like with consultation or coaching, you can create a course on almost anything you’re good at, whether that’s cooking, music, or even dog training.
The bulk of the work will go into building the course, but once it’s published on teaching platforms like Udemy and Teachable, students will be able to enroll and access all your modules without much work from you. The entire process is automated.
4. Become a ghostwriter
Ghostwriters are people who are hired to write content for other people who then take credit as authors. If you’re good at writing then this might be the perfect side hustle for you.
It is a lucrative industry with lots of opportunities for work on freelancing sites like Upwork. You can ghostwrite speeches, books, articles, music, and so many other things. A short book with around 100 pages can earn you north of $ 10,000.
5. Sell outsourced services
Selling outsourced services is one of the easiest ways of making money online. You don’t even need to be skilled or experienced in anything.
Here’s how it works in a nutshell: you start by creating a business page on social media and on freelancing sites to advertise virtual services such as web design and graphic design.
Whenever a client pays you for some work, you immediately outsource it to a freelancer who does the same job cheaper than what you originally quoted, and keep the margin as your profit.
6. Become a virtual assistant
The demand for VAs is currently through the roof. Many businesses have been become completely dependent on them due to being forced to downsize or to work remotely. The cost of hiring a virtual assistant is lower than hiring a full-time employee. You can focus your services on areas such as social media management, accounting, and data entry.
There are numerous ways to find clients online as a virtual assistant, including doing outreaches on LinkedIn, joining business groups on Facebook, and applying for projects on Upwork.
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