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17 Best Online Business Ideas in the UK

Last updated on June 16th, 2023 at 07:43 am

Starting an online business might seem like a daunting task to some people but for others, it can be the perfect opportunity to pursue their passion and make a living.

Online businesses are becoming more popular in today’s world.

The internet has changed the way we live our lives, and it has also given many people the opportunity to work from home and do something they love.

Online businesses are not only great because they allow you to work from home, but they also offer more flexibility than other types of businesses.

Some people who start their own online business may have never had any type of experience in business before, which is why starting an online business might seem so daunting.

However, with the help of this article, you will find that starting your own online business is not as difficult as you may think. If you want to start your own online business, it is important that you are committed to this endeavor. 

If you are not sure if starting an online business is something that you want to do, then consider taking a course on how to be successful at owning a small business.

17 Best Online Business Ideas in the UK

This list of online business ideas is for those who are looking for a way to start a business but don’t know where to begin. The list includes all kinds of businesses, from e-commerce to blogging, and more.

1). Set up an eCommerce store

There are many different ways to start an online business in the UK. One popular way is to set up an eCommerce store. Here are the steps needed in order to start your own online store.

The first step is to register a domain name. You can register a domain name by going through a registrar like GoDaddy or NameCheap, or you can also use Google Domains if that suits your needs better.

Next, you will need to choose a web hosting service provider for your website and create an account with them.

Once you have decided on what type of eCommerce store you want (eBay, Amazon, Shopify) and created an account with the appropriate service provider, it is time to get started designing your site using their templates and tools.

There is no specific way to design your website and you can use any reputable design software that you are comfortable with. You may need to hire a professional designer or develop your own strategy depending on the kind of store you have. Finally, decide on the products you want to sell and the way they will be displayed on your site.

2). Buy and sell websites

Another one of the best online business ideas in the UK.

With the advent of the internet, buying and selling websites has become easier and more accessible for entrepreneurs.

There are many reasons to buy a website in the UK. It is an excellent investment opportunity that can bring you a good return on investment. Buying an established business with a website is also one of the best online business ideas in the UK.

The process of buying and selling websites has been made easy by online platforms such as Flippa, which match buyers with sellers. Flippa has made it possible to buy or sell websites for as little as $100. 

Inside the platform, a buyer writes a bid for the website, which is then matched with a seller that agrees with the price.

3). Write and self-publish an eBook

An eBook is a digital book. It is usually published on the internet, and it can be read on a desktop computer, laptop, mobile device, or tablet.

EBooks are often cheaper than physical books because there are no printing costs involved. They are also easier to update and revise, which means that they can be revised after publication without having to reprint them.

With the right knowledge, you can make a lot of money online by using self-publishing platforms like Amazon. For example, if you can write an e-book and self-publish on Amazon, you can make a ton of money online.

4). Start an online SaaS business

What’s a SaaS business?

A SaaS business is a software as a service business. It is the delivery of software over the internet, typically through cloud computing.

A SaaS business can be further classified into three types:

  • Software-as-a-service – where the customer pays for licenses to use the software and does not need to own any hardware
  • Platform-as-a-service – where customers pay for access to a company’s IT infrastructure and are able to install their own applications on it
  • Infrastructure-as-a service – where customers rent access to computing resources such as servers, storage space, and data center space

In fact, some of the most popular SaaS solutions include Google Docs, Dropbox, LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Slack.

How to start an online SaaS business in the UK

1. Identify the problem that needs to be solved.

2. Decide on a solution for the problem.

3. Develop your product or service to solve the problem

4. Launch your product or service

5. Market and sell your product or service

The first step to starting an online SaaS business is to identify the problem you want to solve.

The next step is to find a way of solving that problem. This can be done by either researching the problem or by brainstorming potential solutions. If you are unable to come up with a solution, then it might be worth seeing if there are any competitors in your space.

If there are no competitors, then you may have identified an opportunity for yourself and it is time to start building your product and start marketing it.

5). Make money by affiliate marketing

Another one of the best online business ideas in the UK.

Affiliate marketing is a way of earning money by promoting other people’s products and services.

There are many ways to make money with affiliate marketing. You can do it by promoting digital products, physical products, or even services.

There are many benefits to affiliate marketing:

  • You don’t need any capital to start your business
  • You can work from anywhere
  • You can get started quickly and easily
  • It’s a low-risk way of making money online

Amazon Associates program is an excellent opportunity to make money. However, it does not come without risk because there is a finite amount of commissions available, and how much you’re making will depend on how many people click on your links.

6). Develop and sell mobile apps

Another one of the best online business ideas in the UK.

For most brands and entrepreneurs, mobile apps are the best way to reach customers on their phones. And considering the cost of app development has decreased and so has the time it takes to develop an app, developing a mobile app is now a great way for small businesses to reach customers on their phones.

If you have coding skills, you can start developing apps and selling them to businesses and brands.

While many people think of coding as a skill for Silicon Valley engineers, it’s accessible to anyone with time and dedication. to learn. You can find free programming courses online or take classes in person, and the cost of an entry-level computer is low enough that nearly anyone can justify buying one.

7). Work as a freelancer online

The freelance industry is booming and it’s not just because of the economy. Freelancing has become a viable and attractive career option for many people, especially millennials.

Freelancers have the freedom to work from home, set their own hours, and choose what projects they want to take on. It’s a great way to start your career and gain valuable experience before finding a full-time job. To get started, get a freelance job.

Get experience

While it’s always easier to get started in your career when you have experience, there are plenty of places online that are hiring freelancers with little or no work experience. Maybe you’re just graduating college, or maybe you’re trying to break into the industry as an entry-level developer — either way, these sites will allow you to start earning money quickly, and show you that freelancing is a viable career path.

Find the right project for your skills and interests

Freelancers have a variety of options for careers, including working as writers, designers, developers, photographers, editors, or copywriters.

You can also find work with marketing firms as a digital marketer or social media manager, or you can work as a travel agent. 

If you’re looking for a more creative job that includes design and writing, like graphic design or copywriting, look for jobs on websites like 99designs.com and CreativeMarket

These sites also allow freelancers to create their own projects, which means you’ll be able to make your own schedule and choose the type of work you want to do.

Most freelancers find their client base through word-of-mouth or networking—and there are plenty of opportunities for networking in a freelancer’s life. 

The majority of clients are small businesses, so it is important that you investigate how to learn about them and how to pitch your services.

You can also start with the help of some freelancing blogs. The best way to find a new client is to network with other freelancers, including those in the same field as you. 

At networking events, it can be hard for someone with no listings or business cards to get noticed, so make sure that you have both before walking into a room filled with people.

8). Start and monetize a YouTube channel

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. It is also the third most visited website on the internet. 

With such a large audience, it might seem like a good idea to start a YouTube channel. But before you dive in, it is important to understand what it takes to make money from YouTube.

Monetizing your channels:

There are two ways of making money from your channel – through ads and through sponsorships. The first way involves putting ads on your videos and letting YouTube take care of all the advertising for you.

The second way means that you have to find sponsors who are willing to pay for their products or services to be advertised on your channel in exchange for a share of the profits that they generate.

Picking a niche:

When choosing a niche, it’s important to find something that you’re passionate about and can bring out your skills and expertise. Channels that are focused on cooking tips are a good example of this.-You can get paid by advertisers if your video has sponsorships attached to it.

9). Flip domains

Flipping domains is one of the most profitable online business ideas in the UK.

There are many reasons why flipping domains is a profitable business idea. It can be done by buying a domain name that’s not being used and then finding a buyer for it.

10). Monetize webinars

A webinar is a live seminar that you can attend online. Webinars are becoming more popular as they are easier to share with people from all over the world and they are cheaper to produce.

Companies can make money through webinars by charging for tickets or by selling products during the webinar. There are many companies that offer free webinars in order to promote their products and services.

11). Try copywriting

Copywriting is the art of using language to sell a product or service. Here is how to make money as a copywriter in the UK:

  • Advertising your own products or services
  • Writing ads for a company’s product or service.
  • Working in the marketing department of a company.
  • Creating ad campaigns and television commercials.
  • Coaching others on how to write ads.

12). Create and sell online courses

Online courses are a great way to make money online in the UK by teaching others what you know. But it takes a lot of time and effort to create a course, market it, and get people to buy it.

This is where Udemy comes in. Udemy is an online learning marketplace that allows anyone to create courses and sell them to the world.

Udemy provides everything you need in order to create a successful course: tools for creating content, marketing tools for promoting your course, and an easy-to-use interface for selling your content.

13). Start and monetize a podcast

A podcast is another one of the best online business ideas in the UK. It’s the new form of content marketing. You can use podcasting as a way to market your brand or product, share knowledge, and make connections with listeners.

A podcast is generally a series of audio recordings that you publish on the internet that people can subscribe to in order to download automatically onto their computer or other devices.

Most podcasts are free to listen to, but some podcasts are paid for by advertisers who want their messages heard by more listeners.

14). Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment method in which e-commerce retailers do not keep goods in stock. Instead, when a customer purchases a product from the store, the retailer purchases the item from their supplier and has it shipped directly to the customer’s door.

Dropshipping is an easy way to start an online retail business in the UK without any upfront investment. You can start by simply registering for a dropshipping platform like Oberlo and setting up your store with Shopify or Woocommerce.

15). Start a lead generation business

Lead generation businesses usually sell lists of potential customers or prospects that are not yet clients. They can be compiled from a variety of sources, such as email lists, social media, and databases of prospects.

The list may be compiled from a company’s own customer database, for example, or it may be bought from another company or agency that has collected the data through other means.

Leads are then sold to companies who need new customers quickly and easily without paying for advertising campaigns and marketing materials themselves.

The most popular lead generation tactics include:

  • Creating an email list with contact details of potential customers
  • Creating an opt-in offer
  • Creating a blog with content that resonates with your customer
  • Blog commenting on relevant topics

16). Offer voiceover services online

A voiceover artist is a person who provides the voice-over or narration in a variety of media. This is typically done for films, documentaries, TV shows, radio, and video games.

Voice-over artists can be either male or female. They can also be known as voice actors or voice actresses. Voice-over artists are often hired to provide the voices for animated characters in films and TV shows. They can also provide the voices for live-action characters as well as provide narration to various projects.

Voice over artists’ work from their own home studios or from studios provided by their employers. They may work full-time, part-time, on a contract basis, or on an ad hoc basis depending on the type of project they are working on and the needs of their employer at any given time.

17). Start a blog

Blogging is one of the most lucrative online business ideas in the UK.

The first thing you need to do to get started is to register your domain name. This is a small investment that will help you make more money in the future. You can either purchase one from a domain name provider, or you can use a free domain provider like Truehost or Namecheap.

Next, you need to find and purchase your website hosting. This is where your website files are stored on the internet and accessed by users. You can either purchase hosting from your domain registrar, or you can find one for less on places like Truehost or Bluehost. 

After that, it’s time to choose a blogging platform. There are tons of options out there, like WordPress and Blogger. You can also go with a platform you’ve already used before, like Wix.

Conclusion

The conclusion of the article is that you should find a business that fits your needs and has room to grow. It is important to have a plan and know what you want out of your business before starting one. The article goes on to say that it is also important to not give up when things don’t go as planned.