It has been said that doing business via an online platform is one of the easiest ways to start a revenue stream. This is characterized by the unlimited reach of websites, social pages and apps, and the generally low startup and operational costs resulting in more net profit. You can start, fail and restart online businesses and not burn too big a hole in your pocket. Going online is the almost sure way to get a start in the business world!
The online world is growing and more people are getting connected to the internet, even in the most rural of places. There are many businesses you can enhance by investing in some online presence. Here are just 4 examples, but you can use the tips and points in each to adapt to whatever business you’re doing.
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Merchandise Printing
This is primarily a physical business requiring specialist tools. If you already run your own merchandise printing business then good for you. Now give your customers more convenience by offering online service provision. Build an engaging Social Media page to inform users and build brand awareness, put up images of your past projects, and put up your physical address. A website gives you even more options to express yourself. You can get free tutorials on website creation on YouTube and free drag-and-drop website builders like Wix and Weebly are your friend if you don’t want to spend too much (please note these services offer more functionality if you pay).
If you don’t have the skills and equipment to run a merchandise printing business but would like to go into it, outsource.
Uber is in the transport business, yet it doesn’t own cars. AirBnB is in the accommodation business, yet it doesn’t own hotels.
You could talk to a merchandise printing company to discount any business you bring to them, create a professional-looking online presence (also create business cards and flyers for marketing), mark up the original price (optional), and fulfill those orders. This isn’t rocket science. The online presence is just there to give you more reach and portray professionalism.
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Baked Goods Delivery
This is also a physical business however it doesn’t require as much in terms of startup costs (assuming you already own an oven). You’ve probably seen people walk around offices and school campuses selling baked goods to the public. This can be enhanced by introducing an online ordering platform via a website or social media page. Most of the people who will buy your items will be working at a desk with a computer. Imagine if you had a website or social page where they could pre-order different goods for you to deliver.
This will also help you communicate new products and help you develop a database of customers so you can find out which areas are the most profitable and deserve more of your time. Build your brand and partner with other bakers who may appreciate your pre-order services. You could be king or queen of pre-ordered baked products!
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Floating salesperson / Affiliate Marketing
Businesses are always trying to find the cheapest ways to get their adverts to their target markets. Digital targeted advertising does that more than mass advertising and it is what makes companies like Google and Facebook so successful. However, there’s still some pie left for you to take a bite out of. With a large number of various interest groups on social media and all around you, you can be the intermediary between the group individuals and the companies that sell what these people want.
This can be as simple as posting social media posts or adverts of your client businesses to private groups on their behalf (with permission from group administrators) along with a request that the group users tell the business they were referred by you. Alternatively, you could create the groups yourself so you can control the content.
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Writing/Blogging
Maybe you are a storyteller or you enjoy voicing your thoughts on current affairs or want to share about something you have some substantial knowledge on. Not too long ago you would have to look for a job in a newspaper or magazine publication. Not anymore though. A young entrepreneur once remarked:
“The internet allows us to start our own empires without the need for permission.”
You can write and publish your thoughts, knowledge, or stories online and make real money from them. Yes, I know, success here is about readership and reach and it takes time to build that on your own. But depending on your content and creativity you can not only build a sizeable audience, but it may also become a loyal fan base. Use YouTube to make video blogs (vlogs) and monetize these videos with endorsements, write articles for online magazines that pay for content like The Sun Magazine (and many more, just Google, ‘get paid to write,’ and see for yourself), write reviews of products and add an affiliate link so you can get paid every time your readers decide to buy these products. The possibilities are endless!
There are many ways to turn that hobby or side hustle business into a real source of monthly income. It all starts by embracing the online world and the multitudes of potential clients on it at any given time.