“Why would anyone buy from me or listen to me? I’m not an expert.”
This is one of the many concerns I hear from people who want to start a business online.
- “I don’t have a degree in XYZ”
- “I don’t have credentials”
- “Why would they listen to me?”
- “But my degree is in something else”
- “I’m not an expert”
I’m going to be blunt:
None of that matters.
While this can be a fulfilling path for many people, it’s also one of the most challenging.
Depending on the industry, creating a business that’s well paying, is flexible, has amazing clients, and is rewarding can require an incredible amount of effort.
Online success is democratic. You don’t need to appeal to a few gatekeepers who wield disproportionate power over your life and your name doesn’t need to be followed by some alphabet soup of credentials. You need to connect with your audience.
Here’s what you need to succeed online
- You need to educate, entertain, inform and inspire.
- You need a servant’s heart for your audience.
- You need authenticity and a clear voice.
- You need competence, confidence and consistency.
- You need to be motivated by purpose, a desire to leave a legacy.
Anyone can succeed as an online entrepreneur without going through the official credential channels that were required in the pre-Internet days.
- Most food bloggers don’t have culinary degrees.
- Most fashion influencers haven’t attended design school.
- Most finance bloggers aren’t certified financial planners.
- Most fitness bloggers aren’t physiologists or certified personal trainers.
If you want to be an online entrepreneur your job is straightforward: Build an audience. Because in the internet the proof is in the pudding. “What makes me think that people will listen to me? The fact that they do!”
If you are to remember one line from this page remember this: You don’t grow an audience because you’re an expert, You’re an expert because you grow an audience.
Establishing and expanding your business idea requires more than a great product or service. It demands a strong online presence and effective marketing strategies. This is why I recommend Clickfunnels, offering a powerful solution to streamline sales processes and maximize conversions.
Launch Your Idea Out Into the World
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your business to the next level, understanding and using this platform can be a game-changer.
If you’re starting out, Your First Funnel Challenge will show you how to quickly launch your business idea and turn it into a highly profitable business that you’re proud of in 5 days. (This can work even if you currently have no tech skills, Don’t have a product yet, or have no idea what a funnel is yet…!)
If you already have a business – picture this: You’ve built a successful business from the ground up, but you know there’s untapped potential waiting to be unleashed in the digital realm.
With the One Funnel Away Challenge, you can reach a wider audience, convert more leads, and ultimately, scale your business to new heights. Imagine seamlessly guiding your customers through a tailored online journey, captivating them at every step and effortlessly turning browsers into loyal, repeat customers.
Online Business Ideas That You Can Start
1. Start a Blog
A blog is a type of website that focuses mainly on written content, also known as blog posts. Bloggers mostly write from a personal perspective that allows them to connect directly with their readers.
The good news is that the internet is exploding with views right now. More people than ever are online. This explosion on growth means more potential readers for your blog.
So just how do you start a blog? One of the misconceptions about starting a blog is that you need to be a great writer to be successful. Nothing could be further from the truth. You don’t need to be an expert in any of the topics you write about. For example, visitors to a cooking blog don’t want to read a textbook from a food scientist, they want to hear experiences of someone who has actually cooked some real meals, mistakes and all.
To be a successful blogger there is really just one requirement: a passion for your topic. As long as you’re writing about things that you’re genuinely interested in, your passion will shine through and keep your visitors interested.
To get your blog up and running you need two things: blog hosting and blogging software. The good news is that these typically come packaged together. The web host I use and personally recommend is BlueHost. They offer reliable web hosting that has been recommended by WordPress since 2005. Use any BlueHost link on this site to get up to 75% discount on your hosting packages.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get your blog up and running
2. Start a Podcast
A podcast is an episodic audio series that can be streamed, downloaded, and replayed – similar to audiobooks. They can be weekly, daily, or monthly. The can be about football, stories, past event, or science. They’re usually available on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer and more. They’re everywhere and everything.
Castos is an all-in-one podcasting platform for new and veteran podcasters. With more than 65,000 podcasts, its a powerful platform for podcasts at any stage of their journey. You can create as many podcasts as you want (either public or private), and publish as many episodes as you’d like, all with unlimited downloads.
Can you start a podcast by yourself? Of course you can! Plenty of solo podcasts, including Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History and You Must Remember This by Karina Longworth, are well-loved. They come in loads of different formats, so if you want to go at it alone – why not?
If you’re drafting someone else in, consider people who can offer different perspectives: if it’s three people with the same opinions on everything, the conversation’s going to be dry.
Ready to launch your podcast journey?
Click here for your comprehensive guide on launching your own show.
3. Open a Dropshipping Store
Drop shipping businesses don’t manufacture what they sell, or even buy stock from manufacturers in advance. Instead wholesalers fulfil their order directly after a buyer places an order through your website.
Opening an ecommerce store can be intimidating for those who don’t want to deal with inventory management or study chain logistics. Dropshipping is the best alternative.
The only thing you need is the willingness to invest in an ecommerce website builder and the ability to manage relationships with local and international manufacturers. From there, you need to only publish your site and advertise your brand via ecommerce marketing.
4. Create an Online Course
If you want to monetize your expertise a little further for your online business, then creating an online course is the best choice.
To create an online course, you’ll need to sign up on an online course platform such as Teachable, sketch out a curriculum, film your lectures if needed, and create worksheets and guides. You can be as hands-on or as hand-off as you’d like, but make this online business as passive as possible.
If you’d like to try your hand at it first, you can try publishing a course and see if it feels viable to you.
To become an online course teacher, you don’t need a specific level of education, but you should have a strong grasp of the material you’re teaching and a strong set of customer skills to handle inquiries or course refunds.
5. Publish a Subscription-based Newsletter
Newsletters are a very simple idea. It’s ultimately you sending your audience valuable information daily or weekly. People love being sent valuable information, and newsletters are a great way to get your audience to know, like and trust you.
The best part about newsletters is that you don’t need to have a separate website or blog; instead you can sign up on a platform and begin publishing right away.
With newsletter monetization platforms such as ConvertKit or Moosend you can publish shorter content that features your opinion, experience and expertise. I recommend pairing this business idea with a robust social media marketing strategy, where your followers can learn more about you, and be swayed to subscribe to a gated newsletter.
Choose a niche you’re passionate about, and this online business idea can feel less like work and more like a profitable hobby.
6. Become a Content Creator or Influencer
Instagrammers, Youtubers, podcasters, and TikTokers with more than ten thousand followers can eventually turn their accounts into a small online business that generates passive income.
As a content creator or influencer on social media, you can not only earn money from sponsored partnerships, but you can monetize your audience in other ways, such as creating subscriptions on Instagram, allowing companies to advertise on your YouTube channel, or creating a paid-only newsletter.
Becoming an influencer or content creator takes hard work, but it can be a fun way to create an online business, assuming you’re posting content that you enjoy creating. First, you should chose a niche, such as thrifted fashion, work-from-home hacks, or reviews.
Most importantly have fun with this online business ideas as you give it a try. The good news is that it has little overhead – all you need is willingness to spend time on social media content creation.
7. Become an Independent Author
Think becoming an author is only for those who are extremely lucky? Think again. Whether you write historical epics or self-help guides, chances are there’s a market to read your work, and you can now easily publish it online.
I recommend editing and proofreading your book, or hiring someone to do it. Then, it’s as simple as signing up on a self-publishing platform such as Kindle Direct Publishing or Barnes & Noble, uploading your file and cover and publishing it live.
You’ll enjoy benefits such as large royalties (up to 70%) and the ability to unpublish the book at any time, in case you find a typo or another change you’d like to make.
8. Affiliate Marketing
An affiliate marketing business is a great fit if own a website or a blog you wish to monetize.
Affiliate marketers create blog posts and content that contain affiliate links. When a user clicks that link, a cookie is added to their browser that tracks their activity for a specified period of time. If they make a purchase at the affiliate website, then you get a commission usually recurring if you’re selling subscription products.
There are countless affiliate marketing programs for you to start your online business. These programs come with many benefits such as pre-made advertisements and lazy copy for you to use.
To create a viable affiliate marketing business, you should choose the right blog niche, such as technology, household decor and organization, or fitness, and then find affiliate marketing programs that offer products your readership would be genuinely interested in.
Read the blog to learn how to grow and scale your business.
P.S When you use these links and/or sign up for these services, Of Sense and Cents many a commission. This means that you help support this website and enjoy all these ways to earn and save extra money.