Nowadays, you can start a business within the comforts of your home. Plus, you can run it wherever you are and hire people from different parts of the world.

This is all thanks to technology.

If you want to have extra income or augment your salary by doing something you love, we have listed nine online business ideas that you can start.

Freelance Writing

If you consider yourself a talented writer, consider starting a freelance writing business.

The thing with freelance writing is that you only need minimal tools. A steady internet connection and your laptop will suffice. All you have to do is search for clients and complete writing assignments.

Virtual Assistance

If you previously worked as an executive or administrative assistant, consider working as a virtual assistant.

Your tasks can range from setting and confirming appointments to managing emails. You can also be a specialist VA, wherein you can do tasks relevant to your skills.

If you have experience doing public relations, for example, you can be a marketing VA. You can even niche it down to search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising, or social media marketing.

But just like with freelance writing, you should be diligent in finding clients. It is also essential to have the right tools to organize your tasks, send invoices, and accept payments.

This is where task management apps and online business tools like Plutio could come in handy.

Online Store

If you would rather manufacture products and do something that would generate sales, perhaps opening an online store is for you.

However, there are a couple of factors that you should consider before diving into e-commerce:

• Your product must be something easy to manufacture and deliver
• You must have a reliable fulfillment service partner
• You should have the skills to build and promote an online store

Dropshipping

If you feel like having an e-commerce business is expensive and challenging, you can start your journey with dropshipping. It is like having an online store sans the need to have a warehouse.

How it works is that you partner with a manufacturer or supplier. You will accept customer orders through your online store, which you will forward to your partners. And they will be the ones who will pick, pack, and ship the orders to your customers.

Hence, you get to earn without having to worry about manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping your products.

Online Tutoring

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the popularity of homeschooling and online classes has increased. With it comes the demand for online tutors.

While online schooling can be convenient, nothing beats human connection when it comes to teaching. This is where online tutors come in

What's cool about being a tutor is that you can accept students at a time and day convenient to you. You can also pick your specialization (e.g., Math or English online tutor).

Blogging 

Blogging is pretty similar to freelance writing, although you write for your brand instead of your clients.

But how do you earn through blogging? It can be through partnerships, ad placements, and affiliate marketing.

Another example is you can use your blog to promote your own products. This is common practice among e-commerce and dropshipping businesses.

But for your brand to be successful, you need to learn about Search Engine Optimization.

Vlogging

If you have something valuable to share with the world and not camera-shy, you might want to start a vlog instead of a blog.

You earn the same way as blogging, although you have more creative license in producing your content. And similar to blogging, you should also build your online presence through YouTube SEO.

Podcasting

Podcasting is for those who want to share valuable content but do not have a knack for writing and are too shy to face the camera.

Growing your brand presence and audience reach through podcasts is pretty similar to blogging and vlogging. And you earn pretty much the same way as blogging.

Lastly, it requires SEO so you can make your business grow.

Affiliate Marketing

We have mentioned affiliate marketing in this post a couple of times. But what is it anyway?

It is when you earn a commission by promoting or selling a product on your website, blog, vlog, or podcast. This is a common way for "influencers" to earn. That's because brands reach out and partner with famous people online to help promote their products.

However, you do not have to be an influencer to start with affiliate marketing. You can begin as soon as you launch your blog, as there are websites that can give you a link with a tracking code.

What you can do is mention the product on your blog post and add the affiliate link. The code on the link can help the affiliate track whether the sale came from you.

Conclusion

Because of technological advances, we can start a business or side hustle within the comforts of our home. The best part? We can maximize our talent and skills.

Hence, you can earn while doing the things you love to do.

What online business idea do you have in mind? Let us know in the comment!

About the Author: Jake Rheude is the Director of Marketing at Red Stag Fulfillment, a reliable provider of Los Angeles fulfillment services. He has years of experience in ecommerce and business development. In his free time, Jake enjoys reading about business and sharing his own experience with others.