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Whether for some extra income or a full-time career, it seems like almost everybody is considering starting an online business. This competition might sound daunting, but there is a vast amount of opportunity for a dedicated entrepreneur. Countless people, from single parents to college students, have used their ingenuity to build everything from small solo ventures to billion-dollar companies, so no dream is ever too big in the online world. One of the biggest issues for prospective entrepreneurs, though, is working out where to start. While procrastination can hold people back, choosing one or more of the following home-based business ideas for women can help you start your journey.
Ecommerce
Over the years, consumers have gradually got used to purchasing items online. Many of the initial purchasing fears have been allayed, with sales rising consistently. Regardless of the niche, you can usually find many stores selling relevant items. Ecommerce can be extremely lucrative, whether you focus on one store or a larger number. Many people fear competition from sites like Amazon, but there is always room for a cleverly marketed site. You even have the option of working with Amazon, removing the need for fulfillment of goods.
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways to start an online business, with the difficult product creation aspect already being done. A good quality product will have been tested for sales and conversions, so any traffic you send should prove to convert reliably. Niche and product selection are key aspects of affiliate marketing, ultimately deciding whether you can find enough prospects for the product creator to turn into sales. As an affiliate, you are sending prospects to another business, so building an email list is a great way to create your own asset for the future.
You will need a blog or website of your own to succeed in affiliate marketing today. See this post for further information. Get 12 free tools to help grow your website here.
Info Products
The next stage on from affiliate marketing would be to actually develop your own product. This gives you far more control, allows you to recruit your own affiliates, and is a bigger asset that could potentially be sold in the future. Info product creation has many benefits, with minimal costs to deliver the product being central. There are, however, time and cost considerations in the early stages that need to be considered, so many people prefer to experiment with affiliate marketing first. When you are ready to take it to the next step, check out this guide to passive income for bloggers.
Local Marketing
Local businesses understand the benefit of having an online presence, but online marketing is a whole new skill set to learn. Creating a local marketing business lets you assist these offline businesses, working on things like web design, SEO, paid advertising, and social media. There are plenty of businesses looking for these services, even if they are not fully aware of the impact an online strategy could have. For many services, you can even outsource the bulk of the work, with client recruitment becoming your prime focus.
Apps
There are various stories of creative developers building extremely lucrative businesses from an app. While only a small number of people will build billion dollar companies starting with an app, the opportunities are still endless. You could develop simple apps, sell them in the app store, market them effectively, and build a sustainable business. Alternatively, you could develop products for other businesses, including offline stores who would place a high value on owning their own app.
Providing Services
Whether it is writing, designing, software development, voice acting, or any other desirable skill, there will be people online willing to spend money on your services. Many providers are just looking to make some additional income, but it is possible to use your skills for a full-time income. You could create your own site, sell your services via a third party, or a combination of both. This type of business can be time-intensive, but a good reputation helps you to scale the business to the point where you can take on employees. A few popular service industries to consider:
There are upsides and downsides to any online business, but the key is to get started. While you could spend a long time researching every opportunity, you will only really learn the important lessons when your business is up and running. Choose the online business that best suits your situation, make a start, and never stop learning. The internet has changed the way people do business, so it is time to build your own presence online.
Corina Ramos says
Hi Angie,
Thanks for sharing these ideas with us. I have been thinking about creating an App but I’m still in the idea stages. There just so many out there that coming up with something original has become a task.
I would also try ecommerce. I’ve read when done correctly it can be a great source of income.
Thanks again for sharing. You know I’m passing this along. Have a great week!
Cori
Angie Nelson says
Thanks, Cori. I don’t understand the whole app-thing, but I know many do well with it. Let me know how it turns out if you pursue it!