47 Most Innovative Online Business Ideas

Looking for fantastic online business ideas that will allow you to follow your passion and make money at the same time?

Our comprehensive list of the best ideas for online business encompasses everything you’ll need to make a decision, as well as what that role could involve.

But if you’re keen to get started immediately, take the plunge today and become an online personal trainer with OriGym’s signature Personal Training Diploma. You can study almost entirely online, and learn at your own pace, before earning an impressive salary.

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#1 - Being An Online Personal Trainer Is A Lucrative, Rewarding Online Business

Whether you’re looking to become a personal trainer or are already qualified, becoming an online PT is one of the best online business ideas for fitness professionals.

If motivating people to push that little bit further to reach their goals and working closely in a one-to-one setting sounds like your dream, consider this business idea.

You’ll have full control over your schedule and cash flow, as well as creative freedom to deliver the kind of training and guidance you resonate with.

In terms of your salary as a personal trainer online, you can expect to earn around the average within your first few years - £29,060 per year, according to Indeed.

Still uncertain if this is the online business idea for you? Check out our full breakdown of the pros and cons of online training, and see how it can fit around your lifestyle and existing commitments.

#2 - Working As A Food Blogger Is An Easy Idea For Your Online Business

If you’re a passionate foodie with a flair for writing in informative and entertaining ways, you should consider starting a food blog. 

It’s one of the more popular ideas for a small online business, but you can stand out by finding a niche.

Whether you prefer sweet or savoury, pastries or pasta, you can build a solid following by posting reviews or story-like posts on your blog and by posting gorgeous photos of the food you’re talking about on Instagram.

#3 - Business Coaching Offers One Of The More Unique Online Business Ideas

Business coaching involves working alongside businesses to help them grow and maintain success. You’ll assess the goals of the business and create business strategies to hit these goals.

This could involve:

• Designing charts showing projected earnings or growth
• Plans for future endeavours
• Ideas on marketing or advertising campaigns

This small online business idea can be very lucrative if you’re a good communicator. Plus, if you have experience in a specific industry, you can frame yourself as an expert, and ultimately charge more for your services.

#4 - Online Business Ideas: Nutrition Coach

If you’re known by family and friends as the person to come to for health and wellness advice, you should consider easy online business ideas like becoming a virtual nutritionist. 

In this role, you’ll mainly be providing clients with bespoke meal plans and video consultations to provide in-depth analysis of their lifestyle choices and dietary habits.

Many people who opt to pursue this as their online business idea will make use of social media platforms (like Instagram), and harness its features to provide both a point of contact and an informative resource for their clients.

You’ll also offer more holistic advice and recommendations, tailoring your client’s meal plans to ensure that it both helps them meet their goals, and accommodates any preferences or dietary requirements.

You’ll need the same qualifications and accreditations as a face-to-face nutrition coach to become an online nutrition coach, but with OriGym’s online sports nutrition courses, you’re able to study this entirely online.

#5 - Speech Writing Is One Of The Easier Online Business Ideas

If you’re a writer with a flair for crafting rousing presentations, you could start a successful online business with ideas for speeches. 

In this line of work, you could work with anyone from politicians to business leaders and more.

Speech writers may benefit from a degree in communications, English, journalism, or something similar, but this is not mandatory. 

You’ll want to build up a portfolio of work and get that in front of clients, but if you can write high-quality pieces, this is a good idea for an online business.

#6 - Good Ideas For Online Business Include SEO Services

One of the best ideas for an online business is to start an SEO business. 

It’s no secret that search engines are constantly evolving, and so are the businesses that rely on search engines.

You’ll work in a collaborative fashion with clients to help them understand how to use SEO in their daily operations or processes, and depending on your service rate, this can be a lucrative online business idea.

Plus, as search engines change, you’ve got the opportunity to develop as a professional, and offer a comprehensive service for your clients.

#7 - Ideas For A Small Online Business Include Building Job Boards

If you’re looking for ideas for an online business from home, consider creating your own job board. Plus, it can all be done from the comfort of your sofa!

Job boards connect employers with job seekers for a small fee. This fee may be for each job posted by employers, for uploading a CV, or for a package to post multiple listings.

Because there are already plenty of job boards online, you’ll need to find a niche, for example targeting app developers, content writers, interior designers, etc. - this will ensure you get adequate traffic to the site.

If you’re after ideas for small online business start-ups, this is a great place to start.

#8 - Best Online Business Ideas: Start A YouTube Channel

Starting a YouTube channel is a fantastic online business idea (UK) to start when you want to build a strong follower base or audience. 

It will, undoubtedly, take time to compete with the numerous other smaller channels out there, but with enough time and dedication, you can make money this way.

YouTube starts to pay you for advertising once you reach 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 “watched hours”, which might seem steep at first, but as you get started and find your niche, you’ll soon surpass those numbers.

As your following grows, you can branch out into branded merch, sponsorships, selling books, or even affiliate marketing (which we’ll go into in more detail later!).

#9 - Teaching Yoga Online Is One Of The Best Ideas For An Online Business

More and more yoga instructors are taking their teaching online, making this a fabulous online home business idea. 

By becoming an online yoga teacher, you’ll plan and deliver effective sessions that incorporate different poses and movements, all over Zoom or YouTube.

You’ll also be responsible for a wide range of other roles, too, including:

• Offering holistic guidance and advice
• Planning your teaching schedule
• Developing an effective yoga teaching style
• Marketing and advertising your classes

Whether you’re already qualified to teach or are getting your qualifications sorted, you can set up this business easily.

Along with YouTube or Instagram, we recommend launching your own independent yoga website, as this is the most effective way to teach online while maintaining a stable, recurring income.

#10 - A Virtual Event Planning Service Is A Great Online Business Idea

As a virtual event planner, you’re responsible for coordinating events down to the smallest detail, including overseeing the logistics, technology, and consistent execution of online events. 

For anyone with a passion for management and great communication skills, this unique online business idea will be a hit.

Because this style of event planning involves a lot of research and phone calls, it’s a business you can start anywhere. 

You can specialise in business events, wedding parties, corporate events, or private parties (and more!).

#11 - Consider Life Coaching As An Online Idea For Business

If you’re after online business ideas for beginners, you may want to look into becoming an online life coach. 

You don’t need any formal qualifications to offer advice on relationships, finances, career fulfilment, or just life in general, so if you’re the person everyone comes to for help, consider this role.

The primary benefit of being an online life coach is that you can expand your reach far beyond your immediate area. You can work with clients across the country or even the world and increase your potential earnings.

#12 - Provide Lead Generation Strategies For Your Online Business

A lead generation business sources potential clients for other businesses, meaning it’s ideal if you’re looking for online business ideas that are self-sufficient. 

This is one of the best ideas for online business start-ups because most companies are willing to pay good money for quality leads who have a genuine interest in the product or service on offer.

One of the main advantages of these ideas for online business is that once you’ve set it up, it’s completely automated! 

This means that, once you’ve put the initial effort in, you’re able to reap the rewards while you work on other lead generation software or something else entirely.

#13 - Start An Online Clothing Line For Your Business

Creating your own range of clothing and seeing people wearing it is very rewarding. While it might seem daunting at first, bear in mind that Gymshark (one of the biggest fitness clothing brands in the world) began in a garage in Birmingham!

If you love the idea of seeing your fashion ideas come to life and funnelling your creative juices into something special, consider this idea for businesses online.

Using websites like Shopify, you can set up your own clothing line, and have it printed and distributed via them. 

These online business ideas from home can be successful with a little bit of time and previous design knowledge.

#14 - Consider Teaching Music As One Of Your Ideas For An Online Business

If you’re a music teacher looking to get some extra students, taking your business online means you can get students from across the world. 

If you’re looking for online business-from-home ideas, this is a great one, especially if you’re proficient in one or more instruments.

People who want to learn how to play an instrument but don’t have the time or resources to travel to a teacher will often turn to online tutors. You’ll be communicating with them via video conferencing software like Zoom or Teams, but other than that, you’ll be teaching as normal.

#15 - Virtual Interior Design Is A Booming Online Business Idea

Being a virtual interior designer may sound strange - surely you need to be there in person to know what to do? 

Well, thanks to CAD and other computer design software, becoming a virtual interior designer has never been a better online business idea.

Whether you’re already an interior designer or looking to expand your skill set, you’ll need to be proficient at sketching and graphical drawing skills. 

Knowing how to build 2D and 3D renders of a space is also a crucial skill so that clients can fully understand your vision.

#16 - Best Ideas For Online Business: Transcriber

Transcription is an easy online business idea, as there are plenty of gigs on freelancing sites such as Fiverr, which you can use to build up a portfolio whilst gaining experience and feedback from clients. 

With the rise of video-to-text content, all you’ll need is a computer and quality English language skills to get plenty of clients.

To excel in this business, you must be quick and accurate with your typing to get the work done in a good time frame, as well as to ensure the proofreader isn’t taking too much time reviewing your work.

#17 - Bring Your Online Business Ideas To Life As A Voiceover Artist

If you have a unique voice, you may have been told that you should do voice overs. 

A voice actor uses their voice in a specific and often persuasive way, using vocal tone, enunciation, inflexion, and expression to put a point across to an audience.

You don’t need any formal training, but a bit of acting talent will go a long way, alongside enthusiasm and a flexible schedule. 

Plus, with a decent microphone and some simple audio editing skills, you’ll be able to apply to a huge variety of freelance voice-acting gigs on freelancing boards and get this successful online business idea going.

#18 - Consider Working Online As A Digital Consultant For Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding has become an immensely popular way of financing projects and businesses. At its core, it entails collecting money from a large number of people through platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter.

As a digital consultant for crowdfunding, you’ll work closely with multiple types of businesses, especially start-ups that need advice on how to launch a campaign. 

This is one of the best online business ideas if you have previous experience in crowdfunding and have a niche you can work within (such as your previous/current realm of employment).

If you can prove your quality, you may even make it onto Indiegogo’s list of recommended advisors, making this a lucrative business option.

#19 - Website Building Is One Of The Most Lucrative Online Business Ideas

If you know how to build a website from the ground up and customise it to given requirements, you’re all set for one of the best small online business ideas. 

You don’t need any formal qualifications to work as a website builder, just a portfolio of your work to put in front of clients.

It’s important to have the hard skill of some basic SEO knowledge so that you can use it in your web designs, and the soft skill of adaptability, as you’ll need to be able to work with all the new technology that comes out.

#20 - Online Business Ideas: Creating Stock Photography

Stock photography has become increasingly popular over the past few decades. If you love taking photos but have no formal photography training, this might be the perfect online business idea for beginners.

While the pay-out for an individual image use may be small (averaging £1 per image), if you submit work to sites like Adobe Stock, the image is stored and can be sold multiple times. 

This can become lucrative with a large portfolio as you’ll make money off images you’ve taken days, weeks, or months ago without having to market them.

#21 - Online Fitness Coaching Is A Lucrative Online Business Idea

If you’re passionate about exercise, and are seeking to pass on your enthusiasm and knowledge, becoming an online fitness coach is an excellent idea.

Online coaching differs from personal training because you’ll be working with clients that have specific goals, such as reaching peak performance in a sport or improving their technique, as opposed to PT clients with general goals like losing weight.

Fitness coaching is a good idea for an online business for anyone in the world of fitness who prefers the comfort of working from home. 

You’ll work with clients over Zoom or Teams to find out about their lifestyle and fitness habits and create bespoke fitness programs.

You’ll also be in contact with your clients throughout the week - through email or another video call - to ensure your clients are supported and stay on plan.

#22 - Software Testing Offers A Great Option For Online Business Ideas

Software testing is a unique online business idea as it’s one of the more technical fields, and you’ll need some previous experience to get started. You’ll be testing websites and tech products to find bugs and report on the usability of the product.

You’ll need a working knowledge of at least one coding language and should be able to identify issues in code and fix them. 

You can get work to build a portfolio from testing platforms like Testbirds and uTest. You could even create your own platform to perform quality control and testing if you have more experience.

Software testing is a good idea for an online business venture as there is plenty of room for you to grow and branch out into a niche later on.

#23 - The Best Online Business Ideas Include Animation

Whether you graduated with an animation degree or are completely self-taught, a career in the animation industry has a bright future. 

The global demand for animated content has shown steady growth over the years, with some sectors seeing 2-3% growth every year, so there’s no better time to put this online home business idea into action!

As a freelance animator, you’ll want to develop both your technical and non-technical skills and promote them through your social media channels and website. 

For example, develop your observational skills to better understand body movement, which you can apply when animating characters.

#24 - Travel Blogging Is One Of The Best Ideas For An Online Business

Another great idea for an online business from home is to create a travel blog. While it’s a great way to document your travels for you to look back on, you can use your blog to make income whilst you travel.

Combine your blog with a YouTube channel, and you’ll soon have a good deal of followers, alongside an ability to work alongside brands and travel companies to earn lucrative deals.

Once you’ve established yourself as a source of entertaining and informative content, you can monetise it through adverts, sponsorships, or paid promotions.

#25 - Creating Website Plugins Offers An Unusual Online Business Opportunity

A plugin is a type of script that alters websites. They can affect anything from the way log-ins work to triggering emails to send or even something as simple as tweaking the appearance of a header.

WordPress plugins are one of the most popular options, as it’s a scalable idea for a small online business. 

This means once you’ve created the plugin, it can be licensed to any number of WordPress users, leading to a very lucrative business.

Use your blog to build your brand awareness and post the best work you have - businesses may contact you for contracted work if they like what they see.

#26 - Consider Digital Illustration As An Online Business

It’s never been as easy for artists to make money online. With the advent of social media, anyone can post or be discovered through their posts. 

All sorts of publishers, from advertisers to content creators, look online for the artwork they’re after, making this one of the best ideas for online business ventures.

Start by finding commission work through freelance sites and build a portfolio, and, as it grows, you can showcase your work on your own website to build your brand. 

This is a super easy idea for an online business that anyone with quality illustration skills can start.

#27 - Good Ideas For Online Business: Website Maintenance

Website maintenance involves keeping websites functioning as they’re supposed to through regular auditing, conducting updates, and checking the site for any bugs, malware, or loopholes that could compromise security.

This job makes our list of ideas for online businesses because it can all be done fully remotely, simply with your laptop! 

You can work with multiple businesses and charge a monthly service fee, which ensures you build a recurring income, or work contracted to one business that you’ll consistently monitor.

#28 - Fashion Blogging Could Be Your Next Online Business Idea

If you have a passion for fashion and style, you might have been tempted to start a fashion blog. It’s a great online business idea for home workers, though you may have to head outside to get some shots of fabulous fashion!

According to Harper’s Bazaar, designers and top brands spend more than a billion dollars every year on Instagram advertising alone. 

This means there are plenty of opportunities for fashion bloggers - from sponsorships and brand deals, to promoted posts and opportunities to be a brand ambassador.

#29 - Graphic Design Offers An Online Business Idea For Creatives

If you have a keen eye for detail and a creative flair, you should consider starting your own graphic design business. 

You can begin by finding freelance work through sites like Fiverr and Upwork and building a portfolio.

We’d suggest using social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter to post photos of your work that are more easily found than your CV, and brands may reach out to you via these platforms to commission you for work. 

Graphic design is one of the best ideas for an online business as it’s scalable and gives you ultimate flexibility.

#30 - Lucrative Ideas For Online Businesses Include App Development

If you want ideas for online business start-ups, and you have a background in coding, software development, or a similar field, you may want to branch out into app development. 

There’s an unlimited market for new mobile applications, so there’s no better time to put this online business idea (UK) into action!

You can build and market your own app ideas or partner with people who bring marketing skills to the table and develop apps on a contracted basis for other businesses. 

If you don’t have marketing experience yourself, this is the best way to get this small online business idea going.

#31 - Working As A Video Editor Could Be Your New Online Business

Video editing is one of the best online business ideas, as you can work fully from home without a full-fledged studio setup. 

You may need to buy quality software initially, but this is well worth the investment, especially as you begin to build a reputation.

People will always need this service, whether it’s editing family videos, a business’s marketing campaign, or simply creating a humorous video. 

You should be familiar with popular video editing methods (such as film splicing, tape-to-tape, and live editing) to make the most out of this easy online business idea.

#32 - Ideas For Online Business From Home: Handmade Creations

Looking for online business ideas from home? Consider yourself crafty? Then why not start your very own handmade crafts business! 

If you want to monetise your creative output whilst maintaining creative freedom and work-life flexibility, there’s no better option.

You can set up an online store or use sites like Etsy if you’re not tech-savvy. Etsy is particularly useful for artisanal products, and allows you to sell worldwide rather than only reaching your immediate area.

#33 - Consider Affiliate Marketing As An Effective Online Business

Affiliate marketing is a fairly simple online home business idea - businesses need their products advertised, and you’ll do it (for a slice of the profits!).

You’ll often be working on a freelance or semi-contracted basis than being fully contracted, as businesses employ you for new products or promotions.

This position offers very lucrative options and high ROI (affiliate marketing has been shown to have a much higher ROI than most other marketing strategies), and if you have the mindset of a salesman, this is a great option for you.

#34 - Simple Online Business Ideas: Social Media Management

There is no social media marketing without management! If you can create quality content that engages a target audience on social media, you have the perfect idea for an online business. 

It’s also the perfect business for scaling - there are a myriad of tools that help you handle multiple clients and social media accounts as you gain popularity.

If being paid to be on social media whilst bringing out your creative side sounds like your dream career, social media management may be perfect for you.

#35 - Designing Website Themes Could Be Your Next Online Business Idea

Similarly to being a website developer, you’ll be working on the back end of websites as a theme designer. 

This idea for a small online business is the perfect side hustle, as it provides you with a constant stream of income - once you create a theme, it can be licensed by multiple people.

You’ll also work alongside businesses to identify shortcomings in current themes and create solutions to these issues whilst remaining true to the brand’s image.

If you have a background in a specific industry, you can find your niche in creating themes for that industry.

#36 - Online Business Ideas For UK: Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a form of e-commerce (the buying and selling of goods only using the internet) in which you do not have to deal with any of the physical products you’re selling. 

You don’t need to manufacture, store, package, or even ship anything - you simply act as a middleman between the manufacturer and the customer, and get paid for it.

Sites like Wix are the favourites for this online business idea for beginners, as you simply partner with a manufacturer or wholesaler and make sales through your store. 

Your energy will go into maintaining your online shop and marketing the products through social media platforms.

#37 - Starting A Podcast Could Be The Ideal Online Business For You

If you’re after unique online business ideas, you should consider starting a podcast. 

It’s a great way to get your voice out there and build a following, and all you’ll need is some basic recording equipment and interesting things to talk about.

Whilst podcasting is a competitive space, if you find your niche and gain followers, you can make money from sponsorships or build a second business that revolves around the products or services your podcast audience is interested in.

Sites like Anchor.fm also provide a simple and effective route into podcasting, plus taking inspiration from your favourite ‘casters means you’ll be on the right track.

#38 - Editing & Proofreading Are An Ideal Online Business Idea

Of all the ideas for an online business from home on this list, editing and proofreading are fantastic ways to earn an income without any formal education. 

With content being published every day, you can specialise in magazine editing, proofreading fiction books, or just about anything else you can think of!

You should get started in this role by finding freelance work on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr to build a portfolio and find clients. 

Once you’ve got some evidence of your skill under your belt, consider partnering with a marketing or content creation company.

#39 - Good Ideas For Online Business: Translating

If you’re fluent in more than one language, translation can be a very successful online business idea. You’ll work alongside companies or individuals that have an audience in more than one country. 

You’ll be translating anything from web pages to YouTube videos, so you need to be comfortable with many forms of media.

Your first work will likely come from freelance job boards, but once you’ve got a solid portfolio and a few clients, referrals and testimonials will help you grow your business.

#40 - Successful Online Business Ideas: Fitness Blogger

If you’re a fitness expert, whether you’re a qualified personal trainer or a CrossFit instructor, you’ve probably got a wealth of knowledge to impart. 

Becoming a fitness blogger allows you to share your advice, tips and tricks, and expertise with others.

You’ll be writing posts about new training techniques, ‘hot-to’ instructional posts, nutrition tips, and more, but we recommend finding a niche within a specific area of health and fitness, such as running or bodybuilding. 

This ensures you’ll build a loyal follower base, plus you’ll start to notice a more steady stream of income.

This is one of the best online business ideas for building your brand authority and recognition and gives you more exposure to people who otherwise may not have discovered you. 

#41 - Working As An Online Tutor Is An Excellent Business Idea

If you’re already a qualified teacher or personal tutor, you’re missing out on one of the best ideas for small online business start-ups! 

Online lessons have the same structure as a normal one-to-one session would - the only difference is that they work through video conferencing services like Zoom or Teams. 

Plus, with the help of technology, you can share resources in real-time, use interactive whiteboards to keep students engaged, and edit documents between yourself and your student. 

If you want small online business ideas, starting online tutoring is a great choice, especially with services like Tutorful that connect you with students in your chosen subject area.

#42 - Design & Sell Merchandise As Part Of Your Online Business

If you have a creative streak and have been looking for ideas for an online business, look no further! 

With merch design, you can put your creations on anything from t-shirts and mugs to blankets and tote bags.

You don’t need to be proficient in the production side, either. There are options like Merch by Amazon and Teespring that will do all of the printing and order processing for you - you simply get paid when someone orders one of your designs.

#43 - Best Ideas For An Online Business: Accountancy

If you’re a fully-fledged accountant, you’re a real gold mine to businesses, especially during tax season! 

If you want good ideas for an online business that allows you to work from home whilst getting paid, this is a fab choice.

Depending on your credentials and previous experience, you can browse through platforms like PeoplePerHour, a freelancer's job board. 

You may specialise in bookkeeping, tax consulting for businesses, individual tax return preparation, or something else. You may also have a good knowledge of all of these, making this idea even more lucrative!

#44 - Run A Monthly Box Subscription Service For Your Online Business

Monthly subscription boxes can be good ideas for online business ventures as they can be very profitable, especially when you find your niche. 

With big companies like Bark Box and Dollar Shave Club already making millions a year, you can see the obvious potential of this business model.

It’s without a doubt one of the best ideas for an online business - consumers love to save time, automatically receive products, and discover new things, all without the hassle of shopping.

#45 - Working As A Virtual Assistant Is An Excellent Online Business Idea

Starting a virtual assistant business is one of the easiest online business ideas for beginners to put into practice. 

The role draws from previous administrative experience and soft skills you will likely have from university or other job experience.

Virtual assistants are always in demand as businesses always require help with email management, data entry, and appointment scheduling. 

Rather than hiring in-house receptionists, many companies will outsource this work to you instead!

#46 - Online Business Ideas For Beginners: Copywriting

If you have previous experience in copywriting or are simply gifted at writing high-quality content, you can easily create a copywriting business. 

Through sites like Fiverr and Upwork, you can network, gain clients, and build a portfolio, ultimately leading to a higher commission price.

What makes copywriting one of the best online business ideas is that you can offer a wide range of services or specialise. 

You may prefer advertising copy, website content, or email marketing copy - all of which come with their own unique challenges and benefits. 

#47 - Consider Publishing As A Lucrative Online Business Suggestion

When you think of publishing, you may automatically think of a warehouse filled with printing machines. But, with the advent of the internet, you can run a publishing business fully online. 

You’ll outsource the printing through companies like Kindle Direct Publishing, so won’t have to worry about the manufacturing or storing of books!

If you aren’t a writer yourself but love the industry, this online business idea (UK) is a great way to help authors get their work out there and make valuable connections. Stick with what you know, and work on becoming the authority in that genre.

Before You Go!

Now that you’ve read through our comprehensive guide to online business ideas, you should have some idea of how you can set up a digital business that’s exactly right for you.

If you’re seeking to get started straight away, OriGym’s Personal Training Diploma offers the perfect choice, taking you from no prior knowledge to a fully qualified PT in as little as 4 weeks.

Interested? Download our complete prospectus today to learn more!