Starting an online business requires a lot less risk than investing in an office or store front. You can reach a wide national – sometimes international – customer-base and work from anywhere. With only a basic knowledge of website maintenance and a knack for communication, you can have an online business up and running in days. If you're ready to take the plunge into becoming an online entrepreneur, we've got 13 ideas to help you get off the ground.

1. Specialized retailer - An online store lets you reach customers all over that world and that means you can afford to specialize. Whether it's dollhouse furniture or organic dog food, there's an audience for everything. Using a web hosting service with an integrated shopping cart or e-commerce sofware, your business will be operational in no time. Many vendors will even ship products to customers on your behalf, which means you don't need to own a lot of inventory.

2. Social media consultant - Larger firms can hire an agency or full-time staff member to run their Facebook and Twitter accounts, but small businesses often have to take care of their own social media marketing. With so many other responsibilities, business owners may be too busy or overwhelmed to spend time coming up with a great social media strategy. As a consultant, you can help them determine the best tactics, posting schedules and content for their target audience. As their follower count grows, so will your business.




3. Web design - Have you ever been turned off by a business’s generic-looking website layout? If you know some HTML and have a good eye for design, you can launch a service to create attractive, easy-to-use websites for small businesses. You can put your skills to good use for business owners who want to take their online presence to the next level. Build up a portfolio of work with smaller freelance jobs, then create your own website to show it off and bring in a steady stream of clients.

[Business Idea Generator]

4. Resume/cover letter writing - It's a tough truth to swallow, but a standout resume and cover letter can make all the difference when you're applying to a job. While listing your career accomplishments might seem like an easy task, the fine art of “humble bragging” eludes some of us. Get hired to help others get hired by writing stellar CVs. Capitalize on the increasingly important social media branding bandwagon and offer to fix LinkedIn profiles as well.

5. Professional freelancer - You might not think of freelancing as a business, but with more and more companies turning to part-time contract workers to fill their skill gaps, it's not hard to imagine making a living providing businesses with a variety of freelance services. Depending on your skill sets, you could work for multiple companies in a variety of fields, offering flexibility and a refreshing change of pace. According to freelance job listing website Freelancer.com, tech services, content creation and web design are popular fields for contract work,

6. Affiliate marketing - If you're a person that loves leaving customer reviews on sites like Amazon, stop doing it for free. Word-of-mouth advertising is still a huge lead generator for many companies, and a lot of them are willing to share a portion of their profit with persuasive individuals that will promote their products to the public. If you have a personal website with a large following, this might be easier to accomplish (PR reps are always seeking out brand advocates they can send free samples to). Smart Passive Income breaks down three types of affiliate marketing and explains which one is most profitable.
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