106 Online Business Ideas You Can Start Today (Part V)

 

85. Set up a daily deals site

A daily deals site, as the name suggests, is a site where consumers can find heavily discounted products and services, for one day only. You’ll have to source lots of brands and merchants to work with to make the site successful, which can be very time-consuming. However, most vendors are open to offering good discounts in exchange for the marketing opportunity, as the offers are only available for a day.

The main advantage of starting a daily deals site is that you’re just a middleman, meaning you don’t have to deal with the products themselves or delivery of the service. To get going, you’ll need to purchase a domain and web hosting, which makes it a cost-effective startup. You’ll make money on a commission basis, in turn for marketing merchants’ products.

To compete with other deals sites on the web, it’s best to choose a niche. Decide on a type of product or service to attract clients. This concept is similar to the ‘Daily deals’ sites. The difference is that daily-deal sites offer discounts on individual purchases, whereas with group-buying there is a need for several buyers to place an order to the deal. Once the deal goes live, the customers are sent discount vouchers via email.

It’s also worth noting that group-buying is usually aimed at a local market. The best-known sites in this sector are Groupon and Wowcher UK.

86. Become an internet strategy genius

In this field, you aim to help clients identify their goals, assess the strengths and weaknesses of their business and create a structured plan where you outline how to achieve the set goals. In practice, that means advising the client on selecting the correct web-based applications to increase their competitiveness in the market or improve communication among employees and with customers.

So many businesses are migrating online that you’ll be highly in demand as an internet strategist. Experience in business strategy or marketing is a bonus here, which can boost your credibility.

For this kind of business, cold-calling is an excellent way to procure clients. You may also use email campaigns and online advertising to attract customers.

87. Get paid to test digital products

Usability testing is a technique used to evaluate a digital product by letting users try its features for free and record the process while doing it. This usability exercise provides direct information on how real-life consumers use a system and shows whether its features are user-friendly or need some work. This type of testing assesses features of websites, apps or other products.

To earn money by user testing, all you need is a computer and microphone. You can find products to test through sites such as UserTesting, Webusability or TestingTime and can earn up to £50 per test. Vendors will send you a product, such as a website, app or piece of software, accompanied by some instructions. You’ll then record yourself trying out the services which will then be used by companies to hone their product.

To maximise your earnings, join as many testing sites as you can to capitalise on as many testing opportunities as possible.

88. Web research

In short, web research means looking up information that’s hard to find and time-consuming. Companies are willing to outsource internet research to save their time and resources. You can research anything from contact details, company lists (such as competitors in a given target market), market research data, product lists, statistical data, personal data or data confirming documents’ legitimacy.

Becoming a web researcher is one of the easiest businesses you can start from home with nothing more than a computer. The biggest drawback of becoming an internet researcher is the challenge of finding consistent work. You’ll need to put in some hard graft to curate an extensive network, self-promote and market your services. You’ll also need astute judgment skills to assess the authenticity and legitimacy of the information you find online.

Be careful to cite your sources and keep records of where you find information, to avoid infringing any plagiarism laws.

89. Buy and sell on online auctions

Online auctions allow vendors to sell products to competing customers, each attempting to outbid the other to purchase products. Listings can remain live for up to 30 days on some platforms, which can increase the bidding price.

Selling through auctions online is an easy way to make money as you can start with your own unwanted items. Once you’ve made a bit of money, you can invest in other products online and resell them for a profit. Online auction places attract huge audiences which is fantastic exposure for your products. The leading players, eBay, Bonanza and Lista, attract millions of users every day – with over 182 million people using eBay in 2019.

Top tip: electronics and accessories was eBay’s top-selling product category, closely followed by clothing. Selling these products is a sensible place to start to profit from the online auction market.

90. Freelance as a proofreader

As a proofreader, your task will be to examine your clients’ text material for any spelling, punctuation, formatting, typographical or grammatical errors and to correct them to improve the overall readability and professionalism of the document. If you’ve got a good knowledge of spelling and grammar and enjoy reading, this is a low-cost business you can set up at home.

Translation agencies often employ proofreaders with knowledge of both the source and target language to spot inconsistencies in translation and to recognise unidiomatic word order that’s come from the source language. That said, all kinds of businesses and copywriters require proofreaders to act as the final editors before documents go to print. Many professional proofreaders use software such as Hemingway, Zenpen and Grammarly to improve their overall service performance. Once you’ve started attracting customers, you can expand your business by also offering copywriting services.

91. Become an online translator

Tourism, recruitment and journalism are a few of the many industries that have a high demand for translation services. If you’re bilingual, translation is a sought-after and readily marketable skill.

As a translator, clients will commission you to translate a range of materials and texts, such as marketing materials for businesses, the novel of an author looking to sell their work in another country or the personal documents of an individual, including foreign job applications and passports.

Translation requires some research and close attention to detail. One of the biggest challenges of translation is setting the right tone in the target language for each text type. Translators utilise software tools which specialise in translation, such as Babylon, Ginger and Trados.

If you’ve got a background in a particular area, you can become a translation specialist and charge more for your services. Medical translators, for example, are familiar with medical jargon and can achieve much higher rates. The same goes for translators with training in engineering or technology. Translators typically charge a fee per word, though you can also set prices per project, per page or per hour.

92. Earn money as a freelance ad designer

If you’ve got skills in graphic design and some experience in advertising, you can make good money at home by designing ads for companies’ marketing campaigns.

You’ll need some good graphic design or video software and a website to market your services. Paid ads are also a good idea for this type of business, as it showcases the skills you’re offering. It’s also a good idea to build a portfolio to show potential customers for an idea of what service they’ll receive.

To be a successful ad designer, make sure you listen to your clients. You need to truly understand their vision and brand message to bring it to life.

93. Produce and sell a diet plan

The health and fitness industry has taken the online world by storm. It’s a huge part of popular culture, particularly for young people. The number of Instagram and YouTube fitness influencers has increased exponentially in the last few years, with individuals posting workout clips and videos, recipes and lifestyle content. With increased awareness of following a healthy diet, coupled with the rise of veganism, there’s now a broad market for selling diet plans.

Selling a diet plan is one of the easiest ways to make money from the health and fitness industry. Before trading any product with a claim to boost health, you need to make sure you’ve consulted relevant professionals and have done sufficient research.

The next significant barrier to making money from a diet plan is reaching your audience. So much competition means you need to get creative. Having multiple social media channels is a great way to access these audiences. Alternatively, find a niche – if people are looking for a coeliac, vegan diet, the competition will be pretty slim. Just make sure you have the nutritional authority to support your product.

Another easy way to sell a diet plan is to self-publish an eBook and sell it on Amazon. Again, you’ll need to get creative to find a niche.

94. App tester

App testers work alongside an app development team to test the overall functionality of the app in areas such as performance and usability. App testing exposes any areas that can be streamlined or improved.

Working from home as an app tester requires no experience and no start-up costs. UserTesting, Userlystics and TestBirds are a few of the many sites that allow you to sign up and begin testing apps from home.

App-testing is a great side-hustle for students, freelancers or anyone looking to earn a bit of extra cash.

95. Statistical & data analysis

Almost every professional field requires this kind of research. Common types of data analysis include regression, time series, panel data, experimental designs, factor analysis, principal component analysis and Bayesian analysis, to name just a few.

To find work as a statistical researcher, you can advertise on the freelancer websites we’ve referred to in this post, such as PeoplePerHour and Fiverr, or simply set up your site to promote your services. Examples of the tools used to perform statistical analysis are Excel, Stata, MINITAB or Eviews. To be successful in this field, you’ll need a mathematical or statistical background, and ideally some knowledge of your target industry.

If you’ve got the skillset, statistical analysis can be a lucrative career. Businesses need data analysed for all sorts of purposes, meaning you’ll always be in high demand.

96. Sell your videos

Building a business that sells videos is relatively straightforward. You’ll produce and upload video content to stock footage platforms, such as Pond5, iStock and Shutterstock. Your content is then available on a site with high traffic of potential buyers.

Camera fanatics can make a lot of money in this industry. The video content tends to be between 15 and 30 seconds long, in resolutions of 1080p and higher – the market demand is greater for footage in formats such as 4K.

One of the perks to selling your footage is that once uploaded to a third-party platform, it can generate passive income through licensing and purchase fees.

97. Produce online training events

With more and more remote workers and large-scale, international companies, many businesses are turning to online training events to incorporate more of their workforce. You can start an online business producing training events in any subject. If you’ve got a particular skill set, you can create or hold training sessions or informative talks which can be live-streamed to clients.

It’s an attractive option for companies who want to reduce training time in their offices and also minimise cost.

If you want to develop your business, experienced online trainers use platforms such as ClickMeeting, Livestorm and GoToWebinar to host events.

98. Genealogical researcher

Popular TV programmes such as ‘Who do you think you are?’ have spiked national interest in genealogy, with more and more people becoming interested in their family tree. Working as a family historian involves finding out information about someone’s family history. Projects vary from researching an entire family tree or focusing on a particular individual.

You can quickly start a genealogical research business from home. Even hobbyists with little experience can charge for their services. Websites like Ancestry and Find My Past are fantastic resources for family tree researchers, containing vast archives of birth and death certificates which can help you piece together a person’s family tree. To set up, all you need is a computer, subscriptions to the best genealogy websites and somewhere to advertise your services.

If you want to cut out the marketing side of things, you may want to try a freelancer website like Genealogy Freelancers as an alternative to setting up an online platform yourself.

99. Design newsletters

For creatives, newsletter design is a simple business to start with as little as a laptop. All you need is some creative software to produce the drawings and a computer to get going. By only offering email newsletters, you cut out all the costly printing processes.

Putting together a newsletter can be a timely process, and many smaller businesses don’t have the resources. For some companies, it’s merely a case of wanting a more professional look. Consider offering a range of set formats and templates and charging more for bespoke designs. You’ll also need to decide whether you’re offering the design aspect only, or whether you’ll charge more for writing the content, too.

If you want a fully automated business and you’re software savvy, consider producing a website that provides an online newsletter design tool. Your customers can then create their newsletter for a small fee, which is cheaper for them as it is for you.