Online Business Ideas; How To Start Your Side-Venture in 2021
Starting a business in 2021 seems to be a great deal with prevailing competition and the funds that are needed. Most entrepreneurs, despite being talented, hold back because of the lack of funds that are needed to set a base for a business. Is it only about shedloads of investment? Can’t you start a low-investment business and succeed with that in 2021? Well, we are a part of a big global village and with the latest technology in hand starting an online business at a much lower cost is possible.
Internet is used by many people for shopping, gaming, entertainment, booking a service, etc. and businesses nowadays are simply leveraging the culture to reach out to their target audience through a full-fledged e-commerce website, seeking help from an e-commerce web development company.
You can certainly start an online business and welcome people to purchase from all over the world. For instance, a dropshipping business lets you have an e-commerce store and sell products online without even stocking the inventory. Moreover, the products are delivered directly to your customer by the dropshipping supplier cutting the cost of owning a physical store and inventory management.
Dropshipping is just one out of many business ideas. Several aspiring entrepreneurs have already made it in their respective segment by holding a business niche and the right online business ideas to touch the financial skies. In 2021, it is more about time management and tech-stack than a financial investment that decides the fate of a business.
Starting an online business isn’t easy but is neither impossible. If you are planning to hold a business in 2021, then this article is for you as listed here are the simple ways to start a low-investment online business, which you can pursue with a steady 9-5 job too. While you are invested in setting up the base for your online business, Vervelogic helps you turn your dreams into reality by rendering the best IT solutions for your business base camps.
List of best Online Business Ideas To Pursue in 2021
1. Start an Online Clothing Brand
If clothing and textile fashion piques your interest then this is the time for you to step out of your comfort zones and start a website to design and sell clothes online. A web development company will help you turn your dreams into reality by designing and developing a fully featured website with the integration of a checkout payment system and smart chatbots for ultimate customer support.
Meanwhile, you can go for raw material sourcing apps that will link you to clothing manufacturers and apparel printers for product availability and in fact shipment.
Benefits of Starting an Online Clothing Brand
-> Customized clothing lines always hold a wider scope for fashion designers as it relates to the trend-conscious buyers instantly.
-> Satisfaction of creating products that people will use every day.
-> People trusting your brand and wearing your designed clothes itself is a promotion for your brand.
-> The best feeling of seeing your imagination come to life and turned into a profitable business.
-> Targeting the passionate audience and relating with them through your customized products will automatically increase your sales.
-> You can craft your brand story to promote your online clothing brand.
2. Dropshipping Business
No need for renting a physical store or stocking up inventory before selling. You can own a dropshipping business by creating an online store to catalog the products. It is a great way of starting an online business on a budget. Pick a profitable dropshipping niche, choose the best products to sell, create an e-commerce website or mobile app to facilitate the purchase, and redirect the orders you receive to the reliable suppliers who will thereon facilitate product availability, packaging, and shipment. You get entitled to the commission for selling the product.
A dropshipping business is one of the best online business ideas as this prevents you from a huge upfront cost of maintaining an inventory beforehand and eliminates the risk that comes with stocking the bulk of products that have a lesser scope in the market. You can renovate your product catalogs and develop an m-commerce app to give more options and the best user experience to retain your clients.
M-commerce is basically an e-commerce app that is operated through smartphones giving benefits of shopping and payment checkouts on phones themselves. As smartphones being prevalent in 2021 m-commerce is the best bet for your dropshipping business success.
Benefits of online dropshipping business
-> No need to stock the products or hire a store saving a massive upfront cost.
-> People from all around the world are using the internet to purchase products giving your dropshipping business an upper hand in 2021.
-> You can run your business from anywhere in the world with a laptop and internet.
-> Your e-commerce website can be visible to millions through SEO best practices enhancing the probability of sales. For a physical store that is impossible.
-> Once the order is placed by the consumer you can redirect the order to third-party suppliers for further processing and shipment.
-> You can go with digital marketing to establish an authority in the market which will influence people to buy from you.
If the dropshipping model intrigues you, then you might also want to go through the complete dropshipping guide to know its benefits, order fulfillment processes, challenges and solutions too.
3. Selling Artwork Online
How would you feel if you get to do what you love and make money out of it? Turning your passion into a full-fledged business is third on the list of our best online business ideas that will take you to financial heights in 2021. Whether you are a painter or a photographer, you can start your own online photography business or a painting line with the help of a feature-rich and dynamic eCommerce website to catalog and sell your masterpieces.
Give your clients the privilege to know your talent, buy the masterpieces that intrigue them, and pay online all from the comfort of their homes.
Benefits of Selling Artwork Online
-> You can publicize your art and talent through clients to whom you sell your artwork.
-> A watermark of your brand logo on your artwork itself is a great marketing strategy.
-> Your artwork influences people every day.
-> Your creativity will be re-lived every day by the possessor of the painting.
-> Framed photographs or paintings are the best home decors in 2021.
-> Your every day will be fun if you are able to turn your passion into a full-fledged online business.
-> You can create an online store to sell on-demand artwork or photography as a service. You are good to go with your passion without investment shed loads in any setup.
4. Offer Online Freelance Services
Freelancing and remote working are the new normal in the post COVID era. Small to big businesses hire freelancers to get their tasks done and hire their services for the time they are needed. Freelancing service is one of the best online business ideas in 2021 as the business model is beneficial for both the employer and the freelancer. Build your own online website and showcase your freelancing services to get to work on some high-end projects for big firms.
Freelancing is yet another way of turning your talent into a business. It can be writing, content marketing, digital marketing, website development, website or product designing, etc. 2021 is the time to be the master of your own business and turn your talent/expertise into a full-time business. Apart from having a website you can try other freelancing marketplaces where businesses land just to hire the freelancers like Upwork or Fiver.
Benefits of offering online freelancing services
-> Time flexibility
-> You can choose the projects you want to work on.
-> You can work from anywhere in the world.
-> For freshers in writing, digital marketing, or website building, freelancing is the best way to start building your portfolio.
-> Freelancing gives you a trailer of what your preferred profile holds.
5. Online Teaching or Offering Courses
If you are wondering how to start an online business you can probably go with online teaching or sell courses online. Online teaching has become a kind of culture in 2021. To leverage from the culture all you need to do is make a video explaining the subject in which you hold the expertise and host it on your personal website with purchase offers. Stick to a particular niche to showcase your expertise in the same and create videos to sell on a subscription basis or keep per video charges.
In this era of smartphones, owning a mobile app in addition to a website is your best bet. Your sales will certainly increase if people are able to operate your courses from their smartphones anytime, anywhere. This will help you increase your premises to a much larger audience. For inspiration check out the 20 best free Educational Apps for Students or discuss your queries with app development experts at Vervelogic.
Benefits of Online Teaching and Courses Offering
-> Once started you can reap the profits for weeks or months with a single video.
-> You are the master of your own schedule. Upload the video on your online portal whenever you want.
-> You already have the knowledge so it is less of hassling and more of sharing the knowledge you already possess.
-> Android and iOS app development will help you reach out to people outside your traditional area. Your student strength can increase to thousands or lakhs which was earlier not more than 100 (with offline teaching).
-> Being able to pass on knowledge itself is a reward.
-> Once your teaching app is made, all the equipment you need is a smartphone/video recorder, a whiteboard, and a marker.
6. Vintage Store Finds
Believe it or not but you can start your own e-commerce business of selling second-hand gems collected from offline stores. People are really into the vintage stuff but find it insanely hectic to sniff through the old jerseys and belts to get their hands on the ultimate masterpiece. This is your potential audience, create an eCommerce website to catalog such items and auction them to the suitors. Take pride in positioning yourself as a trustworthy curator who can go out and unveil the treasure for others.
Benefits of Selling Vintage Store Finds
-> You can place auctions to sell the great vintage pieces to the highest bidder.
-> You already have an item available while displaying it on the website.
-> If you are a shopaholic, you can make money while keeping your addiction at bay.
-> The profit margins in such a business are huge.
-> You are selling a unique item that no one else is selling over the internet. This automatically promotes your brand for its uniqueness.
-> You can own your personal online vintage store and sell items that are rare to find plus the highest bidder has to pay while checking out of the website.
Worried about secured checkout payments? Check out the top 10 payment gateways to integrate into your e-commerce application.
7. Launch Your Own Book
Have you ever been appreciated by others for your writing or storytelling? If yes, then this is indeed the golden ticket you were waiting for. Launching your own book is one of the best ways of starting an online business as there are a plethora of options in the market to successfully self-publish your work online. Seeing your book in the list of bestsellers itself is a dream come true and moreover, you will earn through your love for writing.
With technology being prevalent in 2021, you can publish your book online through the Digital Downloads app or other such third-party apps that will help you fetch audience and recognition for your work. Indeed one of the best low-cost online business ideas.
Benefits of Publishing a Book Online
-> There is no limit on the number of books you want to publish.
-> From short storytelling to novels or a marketing guide, you can go with anything to cater to the writer inside you.
-> Apart from selling your ebook, you can go with the offline publication of your book too to increase your premise to the old-school bookworms.
-> With self-publication, you are going out of your comfort zone to share your imagination with strangers too which was earlier limited to your friends and family.
-> You have a lot of portals nowadays to print, preserve and deliver your publication to people who are willing to read your books.
-> Earning from your passion itself is satisfying.
8. Blog Writing
Blogging can be used in several ways and more than anything it is used to inform and influence readers. You can use your blogs as a monetization tool which is 8th in our list of best online business ideas.
Writing a blog for publishing sponsored posts, hosting third-party ads, or selling the products, is a great way of making money online from your skill of convincing people through words. No shedloads to invest, what you need to start your blog is an online platform (website), a niche, and an engaged loyal audience.
Benefits of Blog Writing
-> Blog writing contributes to influencing and trust-building with your target audience and eventually earning revenue.
-> Blog writing has an immense earning scope without much initial investment.
-> You can use blogs for affiliate marketing, e-commerce, selling courses, services or products.
-> You can speak well with your target audience and create an urge to buy the products or services from you.
-> Blog writing can fetch you results in the long term and is sustainable.
-> There are various third-party tools such as Writer or Hemingway to help you improve your writing.
9. Virtual Assistance
As remote working has become the culture in 2021, there are various companies that are hiring people for virtual assistance and customer services. If you are organized and love to work in the back-end then virtual assistance is in the run to become one of your best online business ideas to consider in 2021.
A virtual assistant is in demand by companies and entrepreneurs as it makes their lives easier by effectively handling a wide range of duties from appointment scheduling to general query solving, post-sales calling, and marketing management. Everything is taken care of online.
Benefits of becoming a Virtual Assistant
-> Pick up your preferred clients.
-> This is the easiest way to start an online business and grow over time.
-> You can seek foreign projects so you get the chance to interact with people all around the world.
-> Your only investment is an internet connection and a smart gadget to facilitate calls.
-> Grow your connections and if you are hyper-busy with projects, you can certainly outsource the tasks to other VAs.
-> You can create an online website to represent your services and reach out to potential clients worldwide.
-> Also, you can hire a team to work under you and slowly increase your business empire.
10. Being an Online Influencer
Influencer marketing has been prevalent for a while and many big to small businesses are coming forward for collaboration with influencers to promote products. Some might think that it is an over-saturated arena but in reality, the major focus of the businesses nowadays is towards micro-influencers whose profiles have a smaller follower base but those are active and engaged in followings. So you can earn money through Instagram by owning a considerable follower base who are interested in your niche and are engaged.
Benefits of becoming an online influencer
-> Any business you pursue you have to interact with your target audience and being an online influencer will help you know your potential clients well and speak well about your services.
-> You will get to know about interesting businesses and brands you would love to promote.
-> You will find some trustworthy brands which you yourself can rely on for a lifetime.
11. Launch A Podcast
If you are good at narrating things and keep people engaged with your narrations then this business idea is probably for you. As podcast being the thing of 2021, you can consider recording for a podcast as this is one of the best home business ideas with a high scope in the year and ahead.
Benefits of Launching a Podcast
-> It is a low-investment business idea with high demand and sustainability scope in the market.
-> You only need a good quality microphone, audio recording software, and call recording software to start your podcasting business.
-> You can also reach out to influential personalities to collaborate as guests at your podcast shows.
-> People can interact with your podcast via shares, likes, and comments.
-> You can advertise or go for paid sponsorships once you have gained a considerable audience base.
-> You can make some best connections in your industry which anyways is hard to build.
12. Leverage from Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate Marketing is promoting a product for a different brand through your blogs, articles, website, social media, or any other channels. What you will get is the commission for every conversion that is made through your links. This is the best online business in 2021 and is even sustainable if seen with a long-term perception.
Benefits of Affiliate Marketing
-> Select a niche that suits your interests and is profitable in the market.
-> You can select from Affiliate programs available online and start sharing.
-> You can run your own websites and do affiliate marketing to earn from there.
-> Create social media handles, blogs, articles, and other content over the internet to promote the products and tell people the benefit of using the product.
-> You can communicate with your audience base by telling them the benefits, ways to use it, ingredients, client stories, etc.
-> It is easy to promote products and services you are already using as you know everything about the products.
13. Make Subscription Boxes
Very much a trend in 2021, subscription boxes are themed boxes comprising of various complimentary products. From meal kits to fitness products and accessories and makeup boxes, almost every industry is invested in this trend. You can create your own subscription boxes and choose a theme to revolve around your curations. While creating a subscription box you are basically purchasing the box and resell the product as a bundled offering.
Benefits of creating subscription boxes
-> Best ever online business in 2021 as every industry is following the trend.
-> There is a surprise the consumer waits for which creates an urge for them to shop.
-> Also sometimes people get the benefit of picking the products in the box. So the box is customized for them.
-> Subscription boxes are nowadays the priority for gifting purposes which will keep up your sales for the entire year.
-> No need to create or manufacture your own products rather you can deal with the suppliers and simply curate the subscription boxes to create a nice and appealing package.
14. Develop a Niche Product
If you know a profitable niche that will help you flourish in your local market then this is the time to think upon the best online business idea in 2021. A niche product always relates to a particular group of people which will be your loyal client base in 2021 and years ahead. Create an m-commerce app with the help of the best mobile app development company and start selling the niche products to a particular client base that has similar traits- like the same demography, geographic location, price point, shopping behavior, preferences, etc.
Benefits of developing a niche product
-> Niche products are unique and thus relate to a particular audience.
-> This is the best way to retain your clients as niche products are hard to find.
-> If you are selling a niche product all you need to do is introduce the availability to the correct audience base through SEO and digital marketing strategies.
-> While people are worried their audience group will be smaller, some take this as an opportunity to market and message to the specific consumer base that will resonate.
-> It is far more cost-effective to talk to the small relevant public than a broad base that is least interested.
15. Sell Handmade goods Online
If you hold a special skill set and possess the equipment and raw material to manufacture handmade goods at home then this is your best bet in 2021. People are seeking more handmade goods than machine productions. And especially the ones that are made with organic natural ingredients (good for health, body, and skin). You can make anything from homemade soaps to scented candles, chocolates, jute or cotton bags, wall hangings, etc.
Owning an e-commerce website will let you have authority in the market. You can easily communicate with your clientele and let them shop from the comfort of their homes. People do not have to step out of their homes to buy your product what else do they need? Moreover, this is the most convenient online business idea in 2021 as you do not have to own any store or a shop to sell the inventory you are making. The entire profit is for you as you are your own manufacturer and supplier.
Benefits of selling handmade goods online
-> You can start with a minimum initial investment and judge the scope of your products.
-> Hours flexibility. Devote as little time as you want.
-> The satisfaction of doing something productive in your spare time.
-> You can turn your grasp on a particular art into a full-time online business.
-> Owning a full-time online business will enhance your entrepreneurial skills and doing what you love will make your work even more interesting.
Steps to start your online business in 2021
Step-1 Work on your business idea and do market research
Step-2 Decide product/service you want to sell
Step-4 Find the Vendors and Suppliers
Step-5 Create Your Own Website
Step -6 Go for Digital Marketing and SEO
Work on your business idea and do market research
Starting an online business is a tough one to crack. An amazing business idea doesn’t give you the guarantee of success. You have to re-visit your idea and do market research to find the scope for your business idea.
Before investing your time and energy into starting an online business make sure that your idea can be practically applied, is sustainable, and has future growth. The prior market research will help you find out the scope of your business idea plus you will get to know the demand, your target audience, and your competition.
Decide product/service you want to sell
Once you are clear with your business idea, its market scope, target audience, and your competition, you can start with the list of products or services that you will be selling in the market. Just like setting up your store, you have to enlist the items that you will be cataloging on your e-commerce website.
If you want to pursue a dropshipping business make sure you hold a catalog of products that have a good profit margin and have a considerable selling scope in the market. To give you a headstart we have curated a list of the best dropshipping products to sell online in 2021
Set Up A Budget
Setting up a bank account only to handle your business finance. Yes, this is as crucial as setting a base to start your online business in 2021. Several entrepreneurs are stuck with opening a business bank account but if you have legally registered your business with the government then you should have a Tax Identification Number and other information required to open a business bank account.
Holding a bank account is extremely helpful when it comes to managing your overseas business transactions, supply payment, and tax preparation.
Find the Vendors and Suppliers
Apart from home manufacturing or selling a service, if you are starting a business much like a dropshipping business then you have to establish business relations with the manufacturers, dropshippers, suppliers, third-party logistics, and suppliers. To get your hands on the genuine resources you can always shop around and compare your options to find the best solutions, great deals, and dignified partners. In a dropshipping business, everything lays on the suppliers and manufacturers as from product quality to packaging and shipment.
Create Your Own Website
Now that you are inclined towards online business ideas you need to have an online utility, either a website or an app to represent your business and facilitate purchases. Very much like a physical store, a fully-featured e-commerce store will help your customers fetch products, put them in the cart and make payments at the virtual checkouts. The only difference here is the order will be home-delivered to the customer’s address in minimum time.
In 2021, a mobile app development agency is your wisest pick as the company goes to the root of your needs and gives you customized solutions to start your business in 2021. A professional IT Development Firm prevents you from any unnecessary cost by creating a proposal depicting the estimation of your expense in the project. Moreover, you do not have to wander around to fill up for the mistakes made by any freelancer in the first place. Also ensuring secure payment integration in your e-commerce website.
Find a brand name first, check domain name availability, develop a robust e-commerce app/website and launch yourself as a business in the market with Vervelogic.com.
Go for Digital Marketing and SEO
Now that you have your own e-commerce website to facilitate shopping for your customers, all you want to do is drive the right traffic to your online store. Fetching traffic for your website is not the task of a day or two, it takes months of endeavors and planning for people to know you and get influenced by what you are offering them.
Hire the help of a digital marketing agency to promote your business and SEO experts to enhance the visibility of your website on SERPs. There are various ways to promote your business online – you can go with content marketing, email marketing, SEO, SMO, SMM, online advertisement, and much more. Above that, it’s easier to get trapped by wrong marketing tactics and invest your time and money in the wrong places, therefore it is advisable to hire help from online marketing professionals.
Turn Your Dream for Online Business into Reality
Do not hold yourself back if you have any online business ideas. Do market research and build your own startup while still holding on to your steady 9-5 job. The beauty of a low-investment business is you learn and scale up without putting in heavy upfront costs. For instance, owning a website is certainly an affordable deal than owning a physical store with upfront inventory. The article has a list of low-cost online business ideas and how to start a business online? Make the best out of this piece of information while you get started with your own venture in 2021.
