7 Unique Online Business Ideas (2024)

If you’re interested in launching your own online business, now is a great time to start. With working from home becoming the norm, we’re fast becoming more comfortable with building relationships, sharing information and transacting online.

Owning an online business gives you the freedom to work from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re considering becoming a full-time online entrepreneur or looking for a profitable side hustle, the internet makes it relatively easy to turn your skills and passion into a successful online business.

Start by thinking about your strengths. What are you good at? What do friends, family and others seek your guidance on? You should also consider the resources you have – and those you might need to thrive. Some online businesses need very little in terms of start-up capital; others are more resource intensive.

Here, we share seven unique online business ideas that may allow you to turn your self-employed dream into a reality.

1. Launch an eCommerce store

COVID-19 has driven an absolute boom for eCommerce websites. Unable or reluctant to leave their homes, Australians are shopping online more than ever before. You might create an eCommerce store selling products you’re passionate about, or zero in on an industry with strong profit margins.

Whatever you sell, having an attractive and easy-to-use website is essential. Square makes it easy to start selling online. Our site builder helps you to launch a free online store quickly, accept payments using a range of payment methods, and even offer curbside pickup and local delivery.

2. Become a virtual assistant

If you have great organisational skills, the ability to multi-task and excellent attention to detail, an online virtual assistant (VA) business is worth considering. VAs typically help with administrative tasks like data entry, research and customer service. Some VAs choose to specialise in areas like social media management or basic graphic design.

3. Start a bookkeeping business

As a bookkeeper, you’ll maintain the financial records of your clients – creating invoices, monitoring cash flow and preparing financial statements. Cloud-based accounting software like Xero allows businesses to share their financial information in real-time with bookkeepers working remotely anywhere across the globe.

If you’re interested in becoming a bookkeeper, you should look into completing a qualification in bookkeeping or accounts administration. You may also need to become a registered BAS agent if you’re providing particular services.

4. Create an online course

If you’re an expert in your field, consider developing an online course to share your knowledge with others. People are increasingly comfortable learning online and open to different learning models. There are many different styles of online course – from those where students pay for a once-off download that they work through at their own pace, to courses that combine a staged online syllabus with regular scheduled video calls to monitor progress.

You might focus on business-type skills that help learners to improve their public speaking, convert more sales prospects or become better managers. Or, you could launch an online course showing people how to bake bread at home, create a seasonal veggie garden or improve their flexibility – the options are endless.

5. Become an app developer

Mobile apps are everywhere as people look to their smartphones to manage more and more aspects of their lives. If you can code, you could start an online app development business where you create your own apps or contract to clients wanting you to build a specific app for them. Or do both!

With more than 2.7 million apps on Google Play and 1.8 million in the Apple App Store, there’s an enormous market for talented app developers. If you build your own apps, you can choose to generate revenue in different ways to smooth your income – from billing at initial download to charging for premium features or simply selling ad space.

6. Start an online consultancy

Perhaps your face-to-face consultancy business has been affected by COVID-related restrictions, or you’re simply looking for an alternative delivery model. If you have specialist skills, knowledge and experience, becoming an online consultant will allow you to share your expertise without leaving your home or office. You might choose a broad area of focus – like marketing or financial consultant – or opt to specialise in a particular niche like social media, search engine optimisation (SEO) or self-managed superannuation.

7. Become a copywriter

If you have a way with words and impeccable grammar, working as a copywriter could be a lucrative online business option. Copywriters create content for anything from websites to brochures, blogs, product packaging and more. You might choose to specialise by industry and become a health copywriter or financial services copywriter, or focus on a specific channel like websites, blogs or print advertisem*nts.

The best online business for you will depend on your skills, resources and goals. Regardless of the path you decide to go down, Square offers simple, seamless and customisable solutions to help you start selling online fast. Create a free account in minutes and join the millions of businesses using Square.