This first step is one of the hardest challenges, where you might find yourself wandering around the web trying to find an idea just to get your creative juices flowing.

Don’t look any further. 

I put together a list of 20 online business ideas which you can start today and start making money with as early as this week. 

Obviously, there is a need for tremendous preparation and research, but hopefully, this list can get you started on doing exactly that right now!

The recipe is quite simple. Look for emotional, inspirational, interesting stories on Facebook, Reddit or wherever you wish and rewrite the short stories into a detailed article. Set up your own site and publish the articles.

There are a bunch of listicle blogs out there by now. Even though it seems as a simple business, monetizing your site might prove to be a bit of challenge, however, if you know a few things about SEO and AdSense, there is a great chance for success. 

With a successful promotion, you will be able to pull in tons of unique visits per month, as it seems like we just cannot get bored of these stories.

Even though you might think that best deals have been made long ago, the domain business is still going strong. Lots of people buy and sell domain names to earn money as it requires only a small investment.

With some thorough research, you can get an idea about what are the most trending domain names currently. This will help you to buy potential domain names which can be later on sold for a profit. 

Look for domain auction websites on the web, as you can stumble upon expired names, which are back in the pool and available to buy. The chances are high, that you will be the next domain guru, who can make a profit with only a few clicks from home.

Smartphones are everywhere and everyone enjoys quality apps. In case you feel like you are up for the challenge, start building apps. With a few clicks, you can get them into the Google or Apple market and start selling. Check for the latest trends and start developing.

Overall, app building is a cost- efficient online business, which if done right, can get you great profit. You might need some time before getting things right, however, in the long run, apps can generate the success that you’ve always dreamt about. 

Well performing apps can make thousands in ad revenue in each month, this might as well be a great choice for you.

If you are good with designing and creating unique images, you can simply start selling your own designs. There are numerous sites out there offering the opportunity to sell your designs in form of T-shirts, bags, mugs etc. The only thing to keep an eye on is to keep your creations printable.

Once your ideas start selling, you will be receiving a commission for each sold piece. You don’t have to worry about shipping, or actually printing the design, the only thing you’ll be asked to do, is to upload your images.

The registration is free, there are usually no fees, however, before you would start, you should start thinking of your own brand. It always proves to be a great decision to come up with a catchy name at least, as people can follow your shop and will keep an eye on your work. 

By creating your own brand and selling creative images, you can gain a better reputation, which will lead to better sales.

There are numerous professional platforms on the web which offer the opportunity to start your own freelance career. These sites enable businesses to get that required extra help for their project success, while they enable freelancers to build their reputation and apply to various types of projects.

Starting from graphic design, translation, programming to data entry tasks, you will find various projects which you can join. Build your own rockstar profile and start bidding to get your business running.

If you are into coding, offering a website building service can get you big bucks. Set up your own site and describe your services. Start advertising your service on social media and start a marketing campaign. Pay attention to the latest trends and keep up with them to attract as many customers as possible.

As the world of web design is constantly changing, you will be needed to learn things constantly. You can get an idea about the latest design trends with a simple Google search.

Another option if you have a talent for designing websites, is to create your own WordPress themes and sell it. As many people look for easy and simple solutions to establish their online presence, WordPress themes are highly popular. You can sell your own designs for numerous sites and profit from your hard work.

Even though nowadays it seems impossible to make money from blogging, lots of people managed to do so. If you are passionate about writing and have the right amount of motivation, you can give blogging a chance.

Setting up your own blog does not require a lot of technical skills, however, getting high traffic is a different challenge. Picking a topic is always hard. If you are an expert in something, you might want to choose to share your own insights, which can help other professionals.

Whatever will be your topic about, you will need to invest time to build a strong audience. This will enable you to promote other brands, build new business relationships and finally make some decent money.

Blogging is rather competitive but if you are good with the words, you can do well.

If you are up for making serious money online and would like to do it without developing any product yourself, becoming an online affiliate might be your best choice.

I have done extremely well promoting digital products on ClickBank and other digital product affiliate sites. The only thing that you need to do, is to drive traffic to your affiliate link and a certain percentage of people will buy the product.

After each sale, you will be getting a considerable commission, where the top commission tier can be as high as 90% of the sale!!. If you are interested in pursuing this, shoot me an email and I will give you more details on how to get started off on the right foot.

Shopify and Woocommerce make it easy to set up your own online shop in a second. In case you have a product in mind, you can easily start selling online.

There are also several methods, like dropshipping available which can save you from a headache when it comes to storing or delivering products. Shoot me an email if you would like additional info on how to start a dropshipping store on Shopify. Glad to help!

With the growing popularity of social media, large corporations are in need of professionals who can manage multiple social media accounts at once. Look for social media expert/consultant opportunities and be prepared to implement, or in some cases even create a social media marketing plan for the company.

If you have professional experience and you know how to turn social media connections into customers, this is your best choice.

The stock and forex market is considered to be a risky investment, however, there are numerous success stories all over the web. In case you have previous experience this might be a great opportunity to start your own online business.

By exchanging foreign currencies and stocks you can earn a considerable profit, however, it is always advisable to start out small. Again, this is highly risky in my opinion but if this appeals to you then it’s worth looking into.

In case you already have your own blog or website, you can work together with advertisers and sell a portion of your page. This way, you can earn money each time the ad placed on your site is clicked. The CPC (cost-per-click) model is based on the level of traffic to your site, and the CTR (click-through-rate).

You can further enhance your profit by utilizing SEO tools and Google AdSense. There are numerous other tools which can help you maximize your advertising potential and generate income for your business.

If you want to solely focus on writing without worrying about the various marketing aspects that come with an online business, you can do that too. Either by writing for other sites or blogs, you can get paid per article. E-books, topics that require special knowledge (marketing, legal, pharmaceutical etc.) will get you higher paying projects.

You can also become a professional copy or content writer or editor. Freelance writing is getting more and more popular, so if you have a talent for writing, you should considering this new career path.

Do you have experience with SEO? Do you know what SEM is? You have yourself a career in the world of online marketing. Once a site has been optimized for SEO and is full of rockstar content, it is time for SEM (Search Engine Marketing).

If you have experience and professional knowledge about promoting techniques around the web, the chances are high that you can get an online business running. As usually these tasks are outsourced by companies, there is a vast pool of potential customers out there. Also, a great chance to make some decent long term profits!

Webinars have brought online education to a new level. In case you are an expert in a topic, you can share your knowledge online and make an extra income in your spare time. There are numerous platforms on the web which offer courses on various topics, while they also enable professionals to sign up as online tutors.

Dedicate a few hours a week to sharing your insights and you can easily end up with a new passion and new source of income.

The era of stock photos is slowly coming to an end, as web designs are aiming to feature unique, quality photographs. If you are a passionate photographer, you really have numerous options to sell your pictures online.

Putting quality material on the web will give you a great opportunity to generate revenue and build a great brand! I was actually thinking of rolling this idea out myself in the next few months!

As all businesses are in need of a helping hand to run their everyday administrative tasks, there is a great chance to land a full-time virtual assistant job.

This work from home type of job will get you flexibility, while you will surely not get bored, as virtual assistants have to deal with several types of tasks. If you have a phone, an internet connection and a skype account and some office experience, you might as well get started right away.

Since the popularity of video content is on the rise, especially when it comes to online marketing, if you have experience with video content creation, you can surely get a business running like immediately!

Offer video packages to potential clients, look for online projects to participate in and most importantly have a compelling portfolio. Video content can bring in big bucks, but only if you have the required technical skills and marketing knowledge.

If you don’t have the knowledge, go out and get it! Start with doing a few “How To” searches on YouTube. Also check out the courses available on Udemy. Do your self a favor and go for it!

Are you an entertainer? Well, it might be time for you to hit the virtual stage and show people what you got. With the rising popularity of podcasts and YouTube channels, you now have the opportunity to build a huge audience and share your ideas.

Either if you are planning to comment on daily political events, or you would like to create gameplay videos, you can with a few clicks.

There are millionaires who became wealthy thanks to the online community, so don’t be afraid to step out there and let others enjoy your talent!

That being said, stay tuned for the “Think Online Profits” Podcast coming to your smartphones or laptop soon!

The ideas that I just floated in this article are designed with one purpose in mind: To get your own creative juices flowing towards building and online career that delivers a full time income. 

Take the first step on your new journey today!