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20 Best Online Business Ideas in the UK

Last updated on September 17th, 2024 at 01:01 pm

The Internet has changed the way we buy, sell and communicate with each other. We now have the power to not only find what we need but also to make informed choices. 

This article lists some of the best online business ideas in the UK. It is likely that by the time you read this you will have come up with your own business idea; if not then why not check out these fantastic new businesses? 

Many people are interested in setting up their own online business, whether it is selling their products or services or creating a blog to promote their ideas. If you have a spare couple of hours then why not give it a try? These businesses can be very profitable and they offer many opportunities for self-employment.

Although some of these ideas may seem like an immense challenge they are not actually that difficult to set up and run successfully. 

By keeping this list of the best online business ideas in the UK you will be one step closer to starting your own company.

1).  Online shop 

An online shop is a great way to start your own business. You can set the hours and days you work, work from home and even control the amount of time you spend on it. The idea behind this is that you will not have to spend money on overheads like rent or rates and you can choose what hours of the day you do your work. 

You will need a website for this idea, as well as an e-commerce solution such as OLITT, Shopify, or PrestaShop to run your site. You will also need a payment gateway such as PayPal or Stripe to take payments online.

Once you have all these things sorted out then it is just a matter of selling your products or services online! This is a great way to make money from home and it can be very profitable if done correctly.

2.  Personal styling 

Personal styling is when an individual provides their clients with fashion advice based on their personal style preferences. The personal stylist will take into consideration the client’s personality, lifestyle, and interests in order for them to choose an outfit that matches what they are looking for in terms of colors, styles, shapes, etc…  

Personal styling is a great way to earn money from home and it can be very profitable if done correctly.  

3.  Blogging

Blogging in the UK is where you create a website that consists of articles written by you about any subject matter that appeals to you. The blog may contain images or videos as well as text, depending on what kind of blog you want to create.  

Blogging is a great way to make money from home in the UK and it can be very profitable if done correctly.  

4.  Affiliate marketing

Here is another one of the best online business ideas in the UK.

Affiliate marketing is when the affiliate provides links or banners for other companies in exchange for compensation in the form of commissions from sales made through these links or banners.  

This compensation comes in many forms including cash, credit, products, etc…  Affiliate marketing has become increasingly popular over recent years due to its ability to generate quick income without spending anything.  

The affiliate will promote products or services using their own website so they can earn commission through sales made through these websites.

This means they do not need any special skills or experience in order to make money online using this method.  

The downside of this method is that it requires a lot of work on behalf of the affiliate, who must constantly keep their website updated with new content and must stay on top of any changes made by other companies so they can provide fresh content to their website visitors.

5.  Freelancing

Freelancing is a method of making money online in the UK where the freelancer provides their own work to another company or individual and takes payment in the form of a commission for every sale made.  

Due to the nature of this method, it is not as straightforward as other methods and requires a lot more effort on behalf of the freelancer.

You must market yourself effectively in order to find freelance work and must be able to fulfill any requests they are given without any issues.  

Freelancers in the UK can however bring in very high income which can make this method a very lucrative source of income.

6).  Buying and Selling Domains

Also known as domain flipping,  domain investing or domain trading, buying and selling domains is a great way of making money. 

If you have a background in Internet marketing then this will be easy for you to do. You need to be able to deal with all the technical aspects of the business, so if you are not confident in this area then it is probably best not to start a domain investment business. 

You need to make sure that the domain you are buying has the potential to be valuable in the future.

7). Start a Niche Website Business

If you have a good understanding of SEO and know how to build a website then you can start an online business that is based on keywords. 

You need to make sure that the niche you choose has a lot of potential to generate traffic. You will also need to be able to promote your site with the correct keywords and add the correct content for your target audience.

And then monetize the website using affiliate programs.

Niche sites are the best as compared to other types of blogs because they are dedicated to one topic. 

8). Business Coaching

If you have the ability to help people to achieve their goals then this could be a good way to start a business. 

You can set up an online course that is designed to teach people how they can achieve their goals and then sell it on an affiliate basis.

As long as you are able to offer your services as a coach or mentor then this will be easy for you to do.

9). Become a Freelance Writer

If you have the ability to write articles and blog posts then this could be something that you could do. 

You will need to set up a blog where you will write your articles and then promote them on an affiliate basis.

You will need to be able to write quality articles that are related to your niche and also have the correct keywords.

You can become an independent writer as long as you can produce quality content. 

10). Social Media Marketing

If you have the ability to promote products on social media then this could be something that you can do. 

You will need to create a profile on all the social media sites that are relevant to your niche market. You will also need to be able to market your products on these sites too. 

11). Video Marketing and YouTube Channel Creation

If you have the ability to create video marketing content then you could start a video marketing business. 

You will need to create videos related to your niche and then promote them on YouTube and other video-sharing platforms. You can also make money by selling advertising space on these platforms too! 

12). Launch a dropshipping business

Dropshipping is a very popular online business idea in the UK. This means that you will be selling products and other products for wholesale, but not for retail. If you are already a dropshipper then why not consider starting up an online store to sell your products. 

The best thing about this business idea is that it is incredibly easy to set up and even easier to run. You can start an online store in minutes with little to no money outlay at all. 

This is one of the best online business ideas in the UK because it can be set up very quickly and it is very easy to run.

13). Sell your art online

If you have any artistic talent then selling your art online is a great way to make some money. Selling your paintings, drawings, or photographs on websites like Etsy is a very good idea. You can set up your own website to showcase your work and sell it at a profit. 

This is one of the best online business ideas in the UK because it is so easy to set up and run successfully. You can start this business in minutes with little to no money outlay at all.

14). Teach an online course

If you have any knowledge or experience that you would like to share with other people then consider setting up an online course. This can be a very good idea for people who have a lot of knowledge that they want to share with other people. 

The best thing about this business is that it is incredibly easy to set up and even easier to run. 

This is also one of the best online business ideas in the UK because it is so easy to set up and run successfully. 

15). Create your own e-book

If you have any knowledge or experience that you would like to share with other people then consider creating an e-book on a subject related to your area of expertise. 

The best thing about this business is that it is incredibly easy to set up and even easier to run. 

This is one of the best online business ideas in the UK because it is so easy to set up and even easier for those who are not professional writers but simply want to share their knowledge with others. 

16). Try your hand at being an influencer.

Influencers are individuals who have an immense amount of power and influence over the way people view a product or service and they can share their opinions with others.

If you have an idea that you wish to promote then all you need to do is reach out to influential individuals in the field that you are interested in, they will be more than happy to promote your product or service.

The best way to find influencers is through social media, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

17). Build apps and websites.

If you have an idea for an app or website then why not build it yourself?

You may be surprised at the amount of money and time that you can save by creating your own product or service and selling it online.

The best way to get started is to create a website, there are many different software programs available to use when creating your own site.

Once you have created your site then you can start promoting it. You can promote it by getting in touch with friends and family members, social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will be useful for this purpose. 

18). Start an online accounting or bookkeeping firm

This is another one of the best online business ideas in the UK. 

Online accounting firms are great because they do not need a huge amount of space to operate. The best way to get started is to register with an accounting firm and pay them an annual fee. 

The key to running your own online accounting firm is to make sure that you have a good understanding of online bookkeeping.

The first step is to get a good understanding of the software that you will be using. You need to make sure that you have access to reliable software and a reliable internet connection.

Once you have purchased the software and have set it up, it’s time to start promoting your online accounting firm. 

You can promote your online accounting firm by promoting it on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 

19). Create and sell NFTs

What is an NFT?

An NFT is an acronym for Non-Fungible Token. It is a digital token that can be used to represent assets such as stocks, bonds, and currencies.

The main advantage of creating and selling NFTs is that they are completely unique. There are no duplicates of these tokens so there will be no confusion or issues when it comes to trading them. 

How do I sell NFTs?

You can create an NFT and sell it on an existing marketplace such as Openledger, Livecoin, or Forkdelta. You can also sell these tokens on a new marketplace that is being built for NFTs called Neufund.

20). Do voiceover work

If you want to make a little extra money, you can do voiceover work.

You can do this by creating your own website that is dedicated to providing voiceover work. You will be able to upload your audio files to an online audio library and then charge for the recording time.

To get started, you will need a microphone, recording software, and an online library that allows you to upload your audio files. 

How to Start an Online Business (Step by Step)

If you want to start an online business in the UK, follow these steps:

Step 1. Find a Niche

If you have an idea for a business, you need to find out if there is a demand for it. The first thing to do is to find a niche in which you can sell your products or services. If you are not sure about the kind of product or service that people will want, then try asking around online, but don’t expect everyone to be able to answer your question.

Step 2. Find Customers

Once you have identified the kind of product or service that you want to sell, you need to find out if people are willing to pay for it. You can do this by asking around online or by looking for a market research company that can help you.

Step 3. Draw a Business Plan

You need a business plan before you can start selling your products or services online. 

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a document that details what you will do to start up your own business and how you will achieve your goals. It can be used as a guide for the rest of the process.

A practical and efficient business plan should be detailed, but it should also be flexible. It should include your marketing strategy, the initial capital required to start up, how you will market your business and what you will do to keep it going.

Step 4. Create a Website

Your website is a very important part of your business. You need to have a unique, professional, and attractive website that will demonstrate that you are serious about your business and capable of making it work. Your website will be the first impression that people get of you and it is very important that they are impressed.

You need a domain name and hosting space.

Make sure the domain is unique and that your hosting company gives you a free web page.

Once you have the domain name and hosting, go ahead and design your site. Make sure it is mobile-friendly and easy to access.

Your site should have a blog, which can be used to write about your business, products, and services. It should also include a contact form so that your customers can contact you.

Step 5. Start Promoting Your Online Business

The best way to start promoting your business is through SEO (search engine optimization). This means that you need to get your business listed on the first page of search results for relevant keywords.

You can use Google AdWords and Facebook Ads to promote your business.

Step 6. Monitor Performance

You need to monitor your online business to make sure that it is performing well.

You should use stats from Google Analytics to keep track of your online business.

Do less of what’s not working and more of what is working.

Starting an online business in the UK is NOT a lot of work. Yes, in some cases, it can take months to make any money, but others take off immediately.

You need to invest in your online business and put in the time, effort, and money required.

If you have the desire, passion, and persistence to succeed in an online business, then you can do it.

The hardest part is just starting.

Good luck!

Bottomline

There are so many different ways that you can make money online in the UK. 

If you have your own idea then try it out and see if it works for you or not. If not then don’t give up! 

You can always change your business idea later on if you decide that it is no longer profitable enough to run.

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