Everyone has the dream of working online. Sitting on the beach with your laptop and making money. However, many people have no idea what type of business to operate while online. Here are 12 online business ideas that beginners can do. Most of these can be started tomorrow, and with enough work, you can be working online.

1. SEO Consultant

The first business idea on our list requires some knowledge. SEO is simply the process of ranking a web page on the first page of a search engine (usually Google) for a particular keyword. The basics of SEO can be learned within a few weeks. Convince clients that you can get them to the top page of Google and you should have no problem finding work.

2. Content Writing

This ties directly into SEO consulting. Website owners need web content to help rank for relevant keywords. They usually will outsource the writing to writers or agencies. You can start as a writer and eventually start your own writing agency as your skills progress.

3. Social Media Consulting

Think you’re a social media rockstar?

Larger businesses will usually have an entire marketing agency that handles their social media accounts. Smaller businesses often do not have the budget to hire a large agency and must resort to hiring individual consultants to handle their social media accounts. This will usually involve forming a comprehensive media posting strategy and schedule. If you understand how social media works, then this might be the online business for you.

4. Web Design Agency

Having a well-designed website is one of the fastest ways for a business to improve their conversion rate. Despite this fact, many businesses still have very poorly designed websites, and this makes becoming a web designer a very profitable venture.

5. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is simply receiving a percentage of each sale you refer to an online business. Many online retailers, including Amazon, have affiliate programs. Most affiliate marketers will set up a review website for a specific niche and generate traffic via SEO. However, many other avenues for affiliate marketing exist including paid marketing.

6. Fulfilment by Amazon

You can sell just about anything on Amazon, and many people are doing just that. You can import product from China, or any other country, and sell it on Amazon for a profit. You do not even have to deal with shipping labels or boxes. Amazon does that. You only handle the financial and marketing side of the business.

7. Start a webinar business

Starting a webinar business is one of the fastest growing trends in the digital space. Just about anyone can start a webinar business if they package together enough highly valuable. However, you do not need even to create your own program. You can simply sell other people’s products via a webinar and receive an affiliate commission.

8. Business Coaching

Business coaching is another multi-billion-dollar industry. A few big names dominate the market, but there is always room for smaller coaches. This position requires some form of business experience that proves that you understand the market.

Typically, most coaches offer lots of free value up front to increase their brand awareness. Most of this value is delivered via free videos posted to their YouTube channel. They generate most of their revenue through private coaching, in-person seminars, and corporate consulting.

9. Self-Publishing Books on Amazon

Amazon is the largest ecommerce platform in the world and they offer a booming digital book section. Anyone can write and publish a book on Amazon under any pen name they want. You can then publish the book on Amazon’s platform.

You are not limited to Amazon.co.uk though. You can publish books to Amazon.com and tap into the lucrative American market. The most popular genre is of course romance. Many people still make a living by publishing non-fiction books on topics that have a low supply and high demand.

10. Become a copywriter

Writing advertising copy is a little different than content writing. Advertising writing involves persuading customers to purchase a product or service. Many companies will hire copywriters to write emails, landing pages, or even write their company mission statement.

There is high demand for excellent copywriters. If you have the power of persuasion, then put that skill to use and start earning money online.

11. Flip Domains

Flipping domains are one of the industries that most people have probably heard about, but no one knows about. There are still thousands of domain names available that companies would love to purchase despite the Internet existing for about 25 years.

Domain flippers usually purchase a large quantity of domains and hold them. The hope is that a business will purchase the domain for a high amount at a later date. This business is especially passive, but the rewards can be quite high if you purchase a highly sought-after domain.

12. Flip Concert Tickets

Flipping concert tickets is another one of those highly profitable ventures you can operate from a laptop. Ticket flippers will purchase tickets online. They will then advertise these tickets online via sites such as StubHub and Craigslist.

If you take this route, then make sure to buy at least two concert tickets located directly next to each other. Not many people go to a concert alone.

Final Thoughts

Those 12 business ideas should give you a good starting place for working online. All those businesses can be operated from a laptop. In fact, there are already people operating businesses in those niches that make a full-time income.

Earning side hustle income from the above business ideas can be achieved within a month or two. The only requirement is an ability to put an honest effort towards providing value to your customers.

Some of these businesses may also require you to sell products yourself via various channels. Those channels may include phone calls, fliers, digital advertising, Google search, or simply word of mouth through your network.