Types of business on the Internet: choosing the most profitable. Examples of successful business in Russia and abroad Internet business of all types

How to choose a niche and start an online business from scratch? How much can you earn if you start an online business? How to start promoting your business on the Internet without investment?

For some, the Internet is a way of entertainment, communication, information, for others - a workplace. Online earnings are available to all categories of the population - private entrepreneurs, housewives, pensioners, students and schoolchildren.

There are thousands of ways to monetize the Internet. You don't even need to have your own website to get a steady income. The main thing is the presence of desire and free time.

With you Denis Kuderin is an expert on financial topics of the HeatherBober magazine. I will tell, how to start a business on the internet, what are the ways to make money online, how to choose a niche for entrepreneurship and what are the features of modern online business.

We read to the end - in the final you will find life hacks and tricks for a novice entrepreneur, as well as an answer to the question, how much can you earn by starting a business from scratch.

1. Business on the Internet - earnings for the "lazy"

The Internet is a territory of unlimited opportunities for those who want to work for themselves and receive a guaranteed income, regardless of economic crises, the dollar exchange rate and the availability of initial capital.

Thousands of people are doing this right now. They already made the Internet a source of real financial independence. If you want to follow their example, this the article will help you choose the direction and arm you with useful knowledge.

But I want to warn you in advance - the word "lazy" in the title of this section is not accidentally enclosed in quotation marks. There is a persistent philistine opinion that those who are too lazy to look for a "normal job" go to the Internet in search of earnings. As if the net is the habitat of idlers, lazy people and projectors, almost alchemists looking for the philosopher's stone.
I dare to assure skeptics - this is a fundamentally wrong point of view. I myself have encountered this attitude from friends and family members when I left my "normal" job for the network.
I still encounter bewilderment and skeptical smirks, especially from the older generation.
But on the other hand, relatives and friends do not need to prove anything else - they already know in general terms that my earnings are quite enough for a comfortable life, that they are no less stable than earnings in a "real job", and they relate to working in the network quite adequately.

I will list all the advantages of doing business on the Internet:

a wide range of directions for commercial activities - implement your talents and abilities, depending on their availability;
you work exclusively for yourself, and not "uncle";
you are not attached to the workplace - work the way you want and where you want: at home, in an Internet cafe, in a coworking space, in Thailand;
working day is not standardized- if you want to work from dawn to dawn, if you want 2 hours a day;
schedule weekends and vacations for yourself;
you have no bosses and strict rules: if you want to change your direction of activity - please;
income is not limited- it all depends only on your abilities and ambitions.

By working on the Internet, you become the master of your life. The feeling of freedom when you move from a normalized working day to a free schedule is incomparable.

But it is important not to confuse freedom with sloppiness. Money won't fall into your wallet on its own - simply because you've declared yourself a freelancer or internet entrepreneur.

You still have to work hard and persistently. The lazy person is unlikely to be able to achieve more or less noticeable results in the network. The discipline for working on the Internet requires no less, and even more, than for office and industrial work. Lack of external control for budding moneymakers is often the main problem.

Do you need an initial investment? It depends on what you plan to do. If you open an online store or launch a startup that requires full-fledged promotion, you cannot do without initial capital. If you plan to sell your skills and abilities online, investments are not required.

Another warning: Internet entrepreneurship is not for everyone. There is no guarantee that the investment of money and time will necessarily pay off. I know people who, after spending a couple of years in e-commerce, went back to the office for a stable salary. I am also familiar with those who make millions online.

But if you are confident that online business is your way, then doubt it! We choose, and begin to move patiently, consistently and measuredly in the desired direction.

2. TOP 5 ideas for starting an online business

In fact, there are hundreds of ideas for starting a business. And each of them has every chance of becoming super-profitable.

For example, no one could have predicted that the launch of the world's first global social network “ FacebookWill make Mark Zuckerberg youngest billionaire in US history.
And the creators “ Google”(Two Stanford students) even wanted to abandon their project at first, because it distracted them too much from their studies at the university.

Our top five include most popular destinationswhich have already proven their commercial potential. These ideas definitely work - if you can get them right.

Idea 1. Opening an online store

Now almost all companies have an Internet resource. Even if the main profile of the company is offline sales, an additional way of selling goods will never be superfluous.

Some companies started out as small offline stores and then developed into online sales giants.

Those who already have an online store know how important it is to success professional approach to website development... Having a quality product for sale does not guarantee success.

Earlier we already wrote a detailed article on the topic, I advise you to read it.

Idea 2. Creation of an Internet Marketing Agency

Online stores sell, and marketing agencies help them do it. Launching even a separate advertising campaign on the Internet is a matter of professionals.

Even a brilliant advertising idea will not find a response if you are not in the know, how internet search engines work, why do you need advertising in Yandex and what is SEO promotion. All this is done by marketing agencies. The demand for them is stable, and the payment for services is high.

Just a couple of days ago, one of my acquaintances - a successful entrepreneur, owner of an online store selling expensive heating equipment - asked if I would recommend him a good specialist in website promotion. I advised why not help a good person.

How is internet marketing different from conventional marketing? There are many differences - this is a higher level of interactivity, and the possibility of targeting (selection of a target audience), and other prices for services.

What is needed to organize such an agency? Understanding the basics of internet marketing and a desire to grow. The industry is relatively new, there are few professionals. The Internet environment is constantly changing, and with it marketing methods are changing. Those who follow trends and are not afraid of experimentation win.

Idea 3. Consulting services

If you are professionally versed in anything, no one will forbid you share experiences with others for money... The provision of remote consulting services on the network is carried out by lawyers, accountants, teachers, practitioners and business theorists, cooks, designers, etc.

Skype consultations will only require knowledge and time consuming from you

The more expensive the consultations are, the higher your level as a specialist and teacher. In addition, the Internet allows you to teach remotely at once a group of interested persons in the format of an online conference.

You will find even more answers to the question: "" in the article of the same name on our website.

Idea 4. Website promotion

Website development and promotion is another popular area of \u200b\u200bindividual entrepreneurial activity. To create and promote Internet resources, you need to have an understanding of HTML layout, types of engines, hosting and domains, and creating templates. But do not be intimidated by these words if they are unfamiliar to you - understanding comes with experience.

Owners of online stores and other commercial portals rarely promote websites on their own - for this they hire specialists.

Idea 5. Preparing content for sites

Each site needs to be filled with unique content. Moreover, in order for the resource to be successfully ranked in the search engines, content needs to be updated regularly... This is especially true for information sites, but it is also relevant for other formats - blogs, online stores, service sites.

If a potential client comes to the site of a beauty salon and sees last year's New Year greetings from clients in the "News" section, trust in such a resource immediately disappears. If the owners are too lazy to update the information sections for clients, then the rest of the services will be of appropriate quality.

A similar attitude to the resource will be in the event that the site has a bad design, illiterate descriptions of goods and template information about a "dynamically developing company" and "team of professionals" on the main page.

Takeaway: Websites need professional content. And it is supplied by freelancers: designers, copywriters, technical specialists. Their services will be in demand as long as the Internet exists.

In addition to the ideas listed above, there are dozens of others - making money on social networks, creating a channel on YouTube, etc.

Business idea comparison table:

№	Idea	Primary investments	Hints
1	Online store	Equal to the purchase cost of the product and the launch of the site	Pay as much attention to the resource as to the quality of the product
2	Internet Marketing	Almost not required	You need to professionally understand the features of online marketing
3	Consulting	Near zero	A well-known name and authority is a guarantee of high earnings
4	Website promotion	Only your time	You need to constantly improve your skills
5	Filling sites with content	Not required	Competition is high, but professionals are always in great demand

If you want, then we have a publication on this topic.

3. How to Create an Online Business Selling Products from Scratch - A Step-by-Step Guide

The basis of economic relations between people has always been purchase and sale. Therefore, most entrepreneurs on the Internet act in a proven and reliable way - they open an online store.

To do this correctly, use a step-by-step algorithm.

Step 1. Choosing the direction of trade and preparing a business plan

If you do not have an investor, you will have to make the initial purchases with your own money. There is another option - your online store will act as a kind of intermediary between the buyer and the wholesaler. But for this you need to work quickly and establish contacts with suppliers in advance.

Almost any product can be purchased on the Internet today. There is competition in all trade niches. So you need to choose the direction wisely. Stable demand is for: cosmetics, health and body care products, natural products, baby products, exclusive coffee and tea.

If you have a product that has no analogues, that's great. But first you need to find out is there a demand for it.

I have a friend who sells elite feed supplements for sports horses. It would seem difficult to come up with a narrower niche - but no, there are several such stores in the network.
So my friend takes it for others - he has his own natural production, raw materials based on Altai herbs, and the products are tested by veterinarians and horse breeders.

Read about that in a separate article.

Step 2. Testing the chosen niche

Niche testing reduces risk and provides an overview of the demand for your product offering.

How to test it? Watch the video:

Step 3. Create a portrait of the ideal client

Did you know that more than half of all online sales are in Moscow and St. Petersburg? Or that 70% of all online shoppers are women?

A businessman should smell his buyers a mile away... Take into account age, gender, geography, interests, ability to pay, even the level of education.

Determining your ideal audience is the key to sales success

Knowing your audience can help you set up effective targeted ads that hit your target.

Step 4. Order a website

Website development is not a cost item that is worth saving on. If funds allow, order design development and launch of the resource in a professional studio. Experts will make the site quickly and efficiently, at the same time they will help with the initial content.

Well, if you want to know, check out the article that we specially prepared earlier.

Step 5. We register a business with government agencies

Internet commerce is an official business activity... Choose the format yourself - IP or. easier and cheaper. The state fee is 800 rubles at the time of writing.

You also have to:

choose the main type of activity;
prepare a package of documents;
submit an application to the Federal Tax Service;
obtain a certificate of an individual entrepreneur.

Special permission is required to trade certain types of goods.

Step 6. Launch advertising

Another expense item, saving on which is more expensive for yourself.

Professional Marketing Campaign - guarantee of wide market coverage... And then, without advertising, only a few will find and notice your store. And you can't do business on casual sales.

Step 7. Make a profit and analyze your business

The first buyers are the first ones. Don't rush to rest on your laurels. At the initial stage, feedback is very important: do not hesitate to ask customers how they found you, why they chose your store.

Continuously improve functionality and customer service based on feedback. Don't chase super profits from the start. Attract buyers with discounts, bonuses, promotions and partner offers.

Don't make the mistakes that this video talks about:

4. How to choose a niche for starting an online business - 5 useful tips

The key success factor is the right niche.

Expert advice will help you determine the direction.

Tip 1. Analyze the demand for products

The easiest way to find out the level of demand for goods is to analyze the number of key queries for different goods in your region using a statistical resource Wordstat... So you will find out the level of consumer interest in certain products.

If a product that you trade online can be bought for the same (or less) price in a nearby store around the corner, the online store loses its relevance. We'll either have to change the assortment or cut prices.

Follow fashion trends, fan hobbies, the latest news, hits of the season.

A recent example: the worldwide school craze spinners - rotating toys. How much the sellers of this product earned at the peak of its popularity, not a single statistical resource will tell. One thing is clear - these are colossal amounts of money at minimal cost.

Keeping track of such trends is a skill that all merchants must have... Ideally, you should catch ideas before they even start talking about them in the media, on forums and on social networks.

Seasonal items - seasonal income... An ideal store is one where the assortment is in demand all year round.

Of course, this does not apply to clothing stores, where the supply changes with the seasons.

Avito is a kind of test platform for studying consumer demand. If a trial batch of a product quickly finds its customers, it means that the product is popular and in demand, and the consumer market requires saturation.

5. How to achieve success in Internet business - tricks and life hacks for a beginner entrepreneur

And a few more tricks and life hacks for any business area.

Read and memorize - it really helps.

Life hack 1. Read literature on management and marketing

Practice must be supported by a scientific basis. There is a lot of useful literature that will increase sales at times and help establish effective business process management.

Examples of good books - Philip Kotler " Marketing Basics", Seth Godin" Purple cow", Phil Barden" Hacking Marketing».

Life hack 2. Study the biography of successful businessmen

Nothing motivates better than the life stories of successful businessmen. Almost everyone who is included in the TOP of the richest and most successful businessmen of our time achieved status and wealth on their own. Use the experience of older comrades, learn from their mistakes.

Life hack 3. Follow the development of competitors

An experienced businessman uses competitors for his own purposes - he studies them, adopts the best, analyzes their mistakes and successes.

Isolation in business is like running with a blindfold: dangerous and unpredictable.

Life hack 4. Look for like-minded people

It's always easier to work in a team. If everyone is responsible for their area of \u200b\u200bwork, the head hurts less and productivity is higher.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

Confectionery, delicious pastries and sweets - this business idea is the dream of many aspiring entrepreneurs. In this calorie compilation, you'll find 16 business ideas for a sweet tooth and guides to launching these startups trending in 2020.

1. Cake to order

Cake is a favorite sweet of a huge number of people. Baking cakes is a hobby that can grow not only into an additional source of income, but also into your own small business. For such a startup in the “homemade baking” format, even in the absence of cooking equipment, 30 thousand rubles will be enough. However, today you will hardly surprise anyone with a simple cake like “Napoleon”, so you need to think carefully about the ideas for decorating your cakes. An excellent option for advertising sweets would be to post photos of cakes on Instagram.

Pies have become a topical trend in public catering in recent years. This business idea attracts with rather low competition and simple technological process of baking pies. To open a cafe selling pies with a capacity of 36 visitors, 1.24 million rubles will be required, which will pay off in about 7 months of work.

3. Yogurt

The yoghurt bar is a small island-style outlet in the mall that sells sweets, in particular frozen yoghurts with various fillings. To open such an island on an area of \u200b\u200b4-6 sq. meters will require about 655 thousand rubles. The net profit of a yoghurt bar per month can be about 100 thousand rubles. The menu can be supplemented with sandwiches and drinks.

To open your own smoothie bar in the format of a 5-6 sq. meters in a shopping center will require about 465 thousand rubles. and he will be able to bring about 80-100 thousand rubles. per month. The advantages of smoothie bars include a relatively free niche, small investments, simplicity of beverage preparation technology and a fashion for smoothies. The profitability of smoothie bars reaches 80%.

5. Bakery

Bakery is one of the most popular small business destinations. Baking is a product of daily demand. Investments in opening your own bakery are small, and if the tastes of consumers change, you can instantly adjust to new trends. You can open your own mini-bakery if you have 885 thousand rubles, which can be recouped within 7 months of work.

6. Ice cream

10. Waffles

Unusual varieties and types of waffles are a trend in the catering business. These are Hong Kong pimpled waffles with fillings, and well-known, but "pumped" on domestic soil, Belgian waffles, decorated with cream, fruit, ice cream, yogurt and all kinds of toppings on top, and much more. Basically, wafer startups "storm" shopping centers with their islands. The threshold for entering a business is 350 thousand rubles.

11. Donuts

Selling donuts is a great option for a mini cafeteria or department in a mall food court. The mark-up for these products can reach 1000% without much damage to demand. Donut baking technology is quite simple, and there are many both manual units and automated systems on the market that can increase productivity.

12. Caramelized fruits

Caramel fruits on sticks are sweets popular abroad, regulars at festive and city fairs. The most common delicacies are caramelized apples and bananas in chocolate, but in principle, the scope for imagination in this business is not limited. The device for caramelization costs from 15 to 30 thousand rubles, and 70 thousand rubles will be enough to start in the format of a seasonal street point.

Ready ideas for your business

13. Figured chocolate

Chocolate is an excellent way of earning money not only for large entrepreneurs, but also for beginner chocolatiers who are ready to offer the buyer an exclusive handmade product. The technology of handmade chocolate production can be mastered from the videos of master classes on YouTube. You can also open a figured chocolate shop that only sells finished products. To open such a store, it will take about 400 thousand rubles, and the net profit will be 80-200 thousand rubles.

14. Peanut butter

Peanut butter is one of the symbols of America and, at the same time, a completely free niche in the Russian market. The advantages of this business idea can be called the simplicity of the production technology, and the disadvantage is the weak “recognizability” of the product, which will require the entrepreneur to actively promote the product at city fairs and constantly go out “to the people”.

15. Oriental sweets

Traditional oriental sweets such as baklava, halva, kyata, shaker are made by many confectionery shops and are often found in grocery stores, but these products do not exhaust the sweet riches of the east. An attractive format for your business, in which you will definitely not have competitors, will be the opening of a specialized confectionery store of oriental sweets.

Read the Oriental Sweets Making Guide

The most popular format for selling marmalade is a shopping island in a shopping center with an area of \u200b\u200bup to 5 sq. meters, selling marmalade by weight. The cost of opening such a point, taking into account showcases and equipment, will not exceed 400 thousand rubles. The markup for these delicacies is about 100%. The opening of its own production of marmalade with a minimum production volume will require from 1 million rubles.

17,204 people are studying this business today.

786690 times were interested in this business in 30 days.

Who is online business suitable for?

Almost any business can be represented on the Internet. New professions and directions are becoming relevant, which do not require extensive experience in trade or management from an entrepreneur.

Doing business online does not have clear age limits. The main criterion for success is knowledge in a particular field and hard work. Searching for a client base is not limited to one specific region, providing unique opportunities for development. For a start, it is enough to have access to the network and a computer.

Serious economic deterioration and instability have led to the emergence of freelancers - specialists in various fields who work remotely and provide various services via the Internet. They themselves plan projects, earnings and choose the best place to work.

According to statistics, this type of activity was chosen by more than 25% of the entire working population of the United States.

How the main or additional income is suitable:

various courses;
senior classes;
People who need stable;
People who want to have an interesting business with limited start-up capital.

More and more often, business on the Internet is becoming the main place of work for young active people who are not satisfied with working conditions in an office or at a manufacturing enterprise. In some types of activities, special knowledge and skills may be required, so training in master classes or courses cannot be avoided. Some types of online business can be started without capital investment, working efficiently using your own strengths and talents.

Factors Helping Make an Online Business Successful

Web designer services

Almost any firm or trade enterprise is interested in promoting sales via the Internet using a website. Their creation and design are in high demand and generate a good income. Personal pages and blogs, online stores are just a minimal list of the most relevant orders. The only problem is high competition and constant search for a new customer.

Copywriting

Writing services for articles and posts for social networks is an urgent direction for business on the Internet from scratch. The names of talented creators who study marketing and other disciplines become real brands. , filling sites and virtual stores can generate a lot of income. As an option to increase earnings - the sale of copyright courses and techniques, the organization of your own writing school or content studio.

Lead generation

The new direction opens up prospects for a successful online business due to low competition. The activity is based on the collection of contact information at the request of the client using contextual and targeted advertising, sites with a narrow topic.

Online sales

A popular way of selling goods and services to bring great financial returns with little start-up capital. The development of the system of small wholesale purchases "" and the possibility of prepayment minimized the problems of sellers. Such a business on the Internet can be successfully promoted with a competent pricing policy, high-quality customer service.

Actual schemes for online business

It is possible, although difficult to understand at the initial stage in the intricacies of running a virtual business. In fact, it is not very different from normal business activities. For successful promotion on the market, it is necessary to work better than competitors, to surpass them in work and quality of service. To facilitate the task, we present several schemes for organizing a profitable business project.

Website development and earnings on advertising

A good and popular option does not provide an instant return, but the time and investment costs will return in full. A high-quality website filled with useful and unique content will attract a lot of visitors and customers of advertisements.

Scheme of action for an entrepreneur:

The market analysis is carried out and the topics in demand are selected. A user-friendly website with original design and navigation is being created. Regular filling with bright articles with useful information, reviews or master classes is carried out, which provides at least 500 visitors to the resource per day;
Advertising of various types is inserted, which brings a stable income. You can hire authors and assistants who will optimize, fill the site, and make it more popular. More popular resource - more advertising;
A new information site or personal blog is being opened and developed. Several such business projects, if properly promoted, will bring tangible profits.

The scheme seems simple, but not so simple, it requires an understanding of the principles of website promotion and monetization, the ability to analyze and operate data.

Online store creation scheme

- a profitable business. The actual way is to start working on a social network (VK or Odnoklassniki), where it is convenient to post goods, promptly advise buyers.

The scheme for creating such a business project:

Creating a community, filling photos and product descriptions with the necessary information;
Attracting subscribers in a variety of ways, including targeted advertising. To increase activity, you can exchange information with other groups, use links, invitations, hold promotions and contests;
Part of the profit received must be invested in the "promotion" of the selling group and bring it to a decent monthly turnover;
Hire a professional administrator who will take care of communicating with clients and placing orders;
Creating your own website that will expand your audience and profit. In addition to the product, there will be returns from contextual advertising, banners and affiliate programs.

Website development and promotion will take more time, so it is better to actively trade on social networks at the same time.

Also use! Now it is the most promising format for starting sales on the Internet with minimal investment!

Easy Ideas for Online Business

Development and development of a job portal or searching for an employer on the net for a small percentage. By acting as an intermediary, you can have a stable income from each concluded agreement or transaction;
Custom production of virtual room models, which will be in demand among ordinary users who have started repairs or redevelopment.
Estimator services for individuals. A special program and a detailed report with the quantity of materials will help users to optimize the estimated costs for repair or construction.
Typing from a printed source or photocopies. The service may be in demand among students or small businesses that do not want to hire a separate employee for such painstaking work.
Scripting for weddings, corporate events or themed celebrations. Creative ideas can bring good income and fame to the screenwriter, work in event agencies on favorable terms.
System administration remotely. The service is always in demand among small businesses that do not have the finances (or conditions) for hiring a permanent employee. Such a business can be formalized by an agreement.
Selling groups in social networks... By learning the techniques for attracting subscribers, you can make good money selling communities to third parties.
Writing congratulations or toasts for events. Services are in demand among companies organizing events or weddings, non-standard birthday jokes.
Internet bulletin board... With the correct presentation and advertising support, the service will be in demand. You can work for a percentage of the deal or monetize with advertising.
Conducting surveys or collecting statistics... A service of this kind may be required by large and small retail chains, delivery services or credit institutions.

Any business on the Internet will always find its consumer, if you approach the organization of the process rationally, constantly develop and provide quality services. Some serious and well-known projects also started with small ideas, implemented by their creators without investment and support.

Business promotion on the Internet

Projects in the network are developing rapidly, new ways of developing and increasing capital appear. Internet marketers are confident that with the right approach to advertising and the ability to quickly respond to market demands, an entrepreneur can achieve any amount of income.

The main effective promotion methods:

Different types of advertising... This includes display ads and banners on websites that make a business project recognizable. It will be active only if it is presented to visitors correctly: a bright picture should be accompanied by inviting text that makes you want to go to the store page and make a purchase.
Search engine optimization of sites (SEO).An effective way to promote a resource, which consists in optimization and promotion using selected keys (phrases). The goal is to raise the site as high as possible in order to attract potential buyers and bypass competitors.
Quality content.Photos and articles should be as useful and interesting to visitors as possible, encourage them to purchase goods or use services. SEO experts believe that the future belongs to sites that are focused on people and their needs.
Parallel social media support (SMM). Most potential customers actively use social networks: they play online games, read news and communicate in communities. Placing advertisements, holding promotions can attract visitors, increase product recognition and sales.
Posting articles and advertisements on third-party resources. A good option for promoting your business on the Internet can be posting notes about a product or company on popular sites for a fee. If you provide for a link to the page of a business project, you can increase traffic and promote it online.

Readers of The Village may remember the heroine of one of the People in the City column - 21-year-old pastry chef Sania, who returned to St. Petersburg from Moscow at the end of last year and launched her own business. First it was muffins, now - cheesecakes and tiramisu in jars, some of the most delicious in the city. Sania recently conducted an experiment: for ten days, the price tag for all products on her website displayed "0 rubles". In fact, it was an open price: people who ordered cheesecakes and tiramisu, having tasted the desserts, could pay as much as they saw fit. Sania told The Village about the results of the experiment, as well as haters and imitators and how to start a business with just $ 1,700 for everything.

Sania Galimova

21 years old, confectioner entrepreneur

Mojo

I come from a Tatar village. I learned to speak Russian only at the age of five. We had a rule at home: everyone would sit at the table together. The food was the occasion for communication. Therefore, I invest in the concept of "food" more than just calories: it is important for me how the food looks, who prepared it for you, how it is served.

Why did I decide to focus on food? I always wanted to do my own business so that everything was as it should be. When you recline in the bathtub after a whole day and think: "If I go to the Caribbean someday, they will lie there on the sand and do nothing." Or "I will open my bar, and there I will have a rocking chair, my bar will work until the last visitor." Have you watched How I Met Your Mother? There, Ted and Barney always dreamed of opening a bar - so did I.

Start

I lived in Kazan, then in St. Petersburg, then for three years I moved to Moscow: I studied in Baumanka. I was married, I have a child. I am a programmer, my whole life was spent in a mathematical get-together - closed, chamber. And at some point it became clear: everything seems to be fine, but life needs to be changed. There were several options: to go to Thailand, to St. Petersburg, or to stay in Moscow - I could freelance everywhere, since I am not tied to a place. And it seems that different options are good, but none falls on the soul.

And last summer I went to my mother in the village. There we have a wooden house with a large garden, a lot of sun. We cooked something new every day, then I took the food outside and took pictures. And I realized: "Wow, I like to shoot food!" I can also express my passion for food through photography.

I also read the book Startup Without a Budget by Mike Mikalowitz. The author asserts: you have to do one thing, become a god in this - and then expand your business. Let's say Procter & Gamble first made a super-duper soap: they became the gods of soap, expanded and now they sell everything, even chocolate.

And I thought: if you do business, then it is related to food, and focus on sweets, namely muffins.

At the end of last year, I moved from Moscow to St. Petersburg and started my own business. Why not in Moscow? Firstly, I really want to live in St. Petersburg, and secondly, I had a starting capital of 1,700 dollars: I saved up some of it myself, and my older brother threw it in. In Moscow you will rent an apartment for a month with this money and buy a pie. And I still have a child! In general, I cannot afford Moscow yet, but I want to seize this city when the forces and money appear. In St. Petersburg, you can rent an apartment for $ 1,700, live. Now the starting capital is running out, and I'm spinning as best I can.

Muffins vs cheesecakes

I started with muffins. My first frontier was 100 pieces per day. I got up at 6 in the morning and worked 16 hours - that is, until the night. I realized that this is wrong, money should be earned easier. But if I hire a marketer, courier, photographer, pastry chef, each muffin will rise in price by 20 rubles.

Then I planned the day like this: I get up in the morning at 09:30, I cook the required volume for about four hours - with packaging, gluing tags. The rest of my working time I devote to photographing, communicating with clients, and organizational matters.

At first I rented a kitchen in one of the bars on Vasilievsky Island, recently I moved out from there and temporarily work at home. Now only I am working on the project, plus there are couriers. My job gives work to other people, I really like it. I look for couriers using the YouDo service. This is a great site in general: when my nanny accidentally locked me in an apartment on the 21st floor, I wrote an assignment for YouDo.

I refused muffins because it is not a working business model (my group VKontakte, however, is still called Sania & Muffin Factory). I will continue to do 10 pieces a day, it will be possible to pre-register for them. Now I make cheesecakes and tiramisu - canned desserts. This is an image-based business. I don’t even sell cheesecakes, but myself: the girl who moved to St. Petersburg and makes desserts.

From the very beginning, I relied on word of mouth, because I read another cool book about business “Word of Mouth Marketing” by Andy Cernovitz: it said that advertising was long dead, because with the advent of social networks, people very quickly share their opinions with each other. That the most correct advertisement is a cool product plus recommendations from a person who is delighted with it. Therefore, money and effort must be invested in making the product perfect. As a result, people come to me thanks to the "sundress" and Instagram. But in the VKontakte group there was a very low conversion: a hundred likes and zero sex.

I used to think that I was an extrovert, but then I started doing a business in which I have to communicate a lot with clients, and I realized that this was not so. Too many people began to pass through me. At the end of the working day, I sat and stared into emptiness for several hours. Now I have three circles of people. The first one is very close people: family and one or two vacancies. The second is just friends. The third is all other people, including clients. I need feedback from people. If she comes and covers emotional expenses, I don't feel empty.

Recipe and jars

Success comes when you have haters and imitators. So, one girl made a thread on the Cosmo forum about how awful I am, and she is cool - and there they throw mud at me seven pages. Of the imitators, there is a girl in Moscow: she wrote to me that she also wants to do business. One day she asked me for a cream recipe. I went to her profile, looked at the photo: e-mine, but these are my muffins! I fell into a stupor, did not answer her for several days. And then she gave me the recipe, because I realized: in the world of cool people, everyone helps each other. If I am greedy, it will not enrich me.

However, I do not make any secret from my recipes. I take them from cookbooks and blogs, then change them if necessary. Once the recipe is perfect, I leave it. The tiramisu recipe was initially perfect, but the cheesecake had to be refined in the process.

When I started thinking about the product, I wanted to do everything very cool, so I decided to order Mason Jars from the USA. But if you carry it in small batches, it turns out very expensive - 200 rubles per bottle. A dessert in such a jar will cost 400 rubles (100 rubles is the cost of the dessert, including berries and packaging, plus 100 rubles on top). But I understand that now there is a crisis, people are abandoning luxury goods. For a couple of days I fought with myself and eventually found a cheap version of jars in Moscow: now I carry both these and those. And Mason Jars, when I reach the required volume of production, I will carry from China: if you order 3 thousand jars, it will come out cheaper than in Moscow.

Experiment

In the case of word of mouth, it is necessary to constantly give reasons for conversation. When I talk about sundress and marketing, it may seem like I'm doing everything for the money. No, I do business not only for the sake of money, although it is impossible without them. I make marketing moves that are based on truth. For example, I openly talk about my faith in my product. And now it's time to show that I really believe in him. I cannot release something imperfect. However, faith must be expressed not only in words, but also in action. When I give to the bank for free, I take action - thus faith turns into movement. I also believe that an honest and humane way of doing business is more successful in the end than one that deceives and deals with conscience. And with the step of an open price tag, I tried to follow the idea of \u200b\u200b"faith in deed" - to take no less and no more than it makes customers happy, take exactly as much as it costs.

In general, I sat down and reset all prices on the site, indicating that everyone can pay for the dessert as much as he sees fit.

As a result, there was only one girl who ordered two jars, then called back, scattered in compliments and thanks, promised to transfer money to my card and disappeared. The girl, it seems to me, fell into a vicious circle: you did not do something, you are ashamed, then even more ashamed - and away we go. I understand her and am not angry with her.

All other clients who participated in the experiment - several dozen people - paid. Dessert costs 259 rubles, people paid from 250 to 320 rubles. On average, I earned 25 rubles more from each can than usual. In 98% of cases, they said that this is the best tiramisu in their life. Only one girl said that she did not like it very much, as she has a favorite tiramisu elsewhere. I realized that it was not that I didn’t succeed: she just wanted something different. I did not take this as a negative assessment.

From the experiment I got drive, adrenaline. I hoped that everything would go well - and it was.

Photos Dima Tsyrenschikov,

Dmitry Dementiy

Ideas are much more difficult to implement than generate. Instead of spending years pondering what business to do, it's better to spend time on a business plan and building a workflow. And to understand what business to take, this article will help you. Choose a rubric according to your interests and competencies, find ideas and bring them to life!

Just keep in mind: even the best product will not promote itself. To get the maximum result in terms of traffic to the site, conversions, leads and sales, you need a comprehensive business promotion.

Sales

Over the past year, more than 35% of Russians have made purchases online, and these numbers are only growing. Open an online store and sell products that you are good at. You can do this on your website, sell through a landing page, even just through social media. Or use third-party services - Avito, Ebay, Amazon and others.

Electronics breaks all internet sales records. If you can find a way to compete with the big chains and minimize the risk of damaging your gadgets on delivery, this is a good option.
clothing... Many things can be picked up without trying on, and people actively buy them on the Internet - you can minimize costs by selling through social networks and offer favorable prices. Read on our blog about how to create an online store "VKontakte".
Books. Yes, paper. It sounds old-fashioned, but it is on the sites that they are now preferred to order, because prices in offline stores have skyrocketed.

Goods from China. Absolutely any: order clothes, accessories and gadgets in Chinese stores and resell them online in your region - you will have an advantage over AliExpress due to faster delivery. It is only important to find a reliable supplier so that the poor quality of the product does not lead to losses.
Promoted communities and accounts. First, of course, they will have to be promoted. Buy bots and sell low or honestly recruit live people and sell high - it's up to you. For "white" SMM-promotion, you can contact us.
Organic food. You can negotiate with local farmers, gardeners and mushroom pickers, find buyers online and arrange delivery.
Antiques. Suitable only if you understand it or want to understand it. Among the population there is always a layer of connoisseurs of antiquity - the main thing is to reach them and offer a relevant product.
Goods for pets. Oddly enough, people can save on themselves, but not on their cats and dogs.
Goods for kids. Another niche with high margins.
Goods for everyday needs. If you can supply people with detergents, razors, napkins and shampoos once a month with delivery, you will find grateful customers. And for an online store, be sure to choose the right CMS.
Affiliate Marketing. Sell \u200b\u200bany products from other companies for a commission. Such a business on partnership terms will require a minimum investment.
Cybersquatting. Register and resell domains.
Hobby goods. People who are passionate about scrapbooking, embroidery, woodcarving, fishing or hunting know exactly what they need - so they are ready to shop online quickly and easily.
Cosmetics. It is easy to sell with a small investment, easy and inexpensive to deliver, and has a long shelf life - a convenient product for e-commerce. You can open an online store on Instagram.
Used goods. Buy and sell used appliances, clothing and household items in good condition.

Handmade

If you can not only sell other people's products, but also make your own, you have a competitive advantage. You can sell on your own resources and on third-party sites. There is a “Crafts Fair” for finding buyers in Russia, there is Etsy, where you can sell your handmade products all over the world.

Individual tailoring. With the decline in quality in the mass market, the demand for clothes made from high-quality fabrics, tailored to individual measurements, is growing. All you need is a sewing machine and the ability to use it, and buyers can take all measurements themselves and send them to you on the website.
Accessories and bijouterie. From polymer clay, wood, metal or fabric - perhaps you know how to make jewelry, but you just don't know about it.
Household products. It can be textiles, frames, coasters, candlesticks or dishes. But making quality things is not a guarantee of success, because it is very important to find your buyer.
Interior paintings.Usually they are large and abstract, they can be made to order according to the requests of a particular buyer. The main thing is to find this buyer.

Furniture. For the convenience of delivery, it is better to small-sized or disassembled into parts - as in IKEA. You can try to negotiate cooperation with interior design studios.
Personalization of common items. You can make engravings to order or give a second life to old things of customers.
Confectionery. Cakes and pastries can be made to order and shipped to your region, gingerbread and candy can live long and ship across the country. Choose the right content for your online store - then it will be convenient and interesting for users to work with your site, and you can increase sales.

Online education and information products

Modern man learns all his life. And more and more often he chooses online education so as not to waste time on the road, not to adjust his schedule to the courses and to be able to learn from professionals from anywhere in the world.

Language teaching. You can create an online school with your own chips. In comprehending foreign languages, people are picky, lazy and constantly looking for new methods - so it is quite possible to find ways to compete with giants like Skyeng.
Practical skills training. Any professional activity in which you are well versed will do: you can teach people about targeting, design, photography, programming, SEO promotion, management. If you don't know how yet, it's okay - come to the courses on Internet marketing from TexTerra.
Training for self-development. These are financial literacy, time management, public speaking and much more. You can attract not only young people, but also older people who have a lot of free time and who are interested in learning new things. By the way, our blog has material about promoting courses to an audience of 50+.
Training in highly specialized things. Perhaps you can teach programmers a new language, or designers how to work with a new program.
General education courses. Monetize the human thirst for knowledge: Courses in contemporary art, history of religion, or English literature also attract a lot of people if made entertaining and interactive.
Expert books. Write them and sell them if you have a deep understanding of a particular area. Create a serious product and think over every little thing: content, promotion, presentation of the material. You can get some inspiration from our book 100+ Hacks for Internet Marketers.
Study guides. If you don't understand deeply enough, compose electronic manuals based on less convenient or foreign publications - and sell them.
Video lessons. You can teach people something specific by showing by example. You can teach what you can do - from cooking to photo retouching.
Author's courses. Develop teaching materials for lessons and sell them - just a semblance of a textbook, without any online consultation and verification of work.
Tutoring for children. Any school subject can be taught via video link.

Additional education for children. Open an online school of programming, journalism or any other topic - teach your students what may be useful to them in later life.
Courses for parents. They have been gaining popularity lately.

Entertainment

People also often spend their leisure time on the Internet - use that.

Dating service. It seems that everything has already been invented, but you can do it with your own chip. For example, there is a Haters app that matches couples based on what people hate. Come up with your own feature and implement it, study the target audience. And we will help you understand how men and women behave on the Internet.
Social network. Of course, you don't need to compete with VK. You need to target a narrower audience with similar interests.
Online Games. It can be a large-scale project with virtual and augmented reality technologies. Or simple games in mobile applications. How to make money on this, we have already written.
Content project. Make a website, write articles and shoot videos on interesting topics - travel, human stories, science pop or interesting facts.

Events aggregator in different cities of Russia. Not all events are published in Kudago, and not all regions are represented on the site. You can cover more interesting things, it is convenient to organize it and take money for posting announcements.
Event planning... If you are creative by nature, develop and sell holiday scripts according to the wishes of the customers.
Organization of events... This can also be done online - you can select premises for events, hosts, photographers, decorators, animators and coordinate their work.

Blogging

One of the most popular types of modern Internet business: develop an Instagram account, YouTube channel or blog with articles - charge money for advertising.

Blogs with photos. If you travel a lot or just see the world from an unusual angle, you can keep followers engaged with beautiful pictures and witty captions. Learn to work professionally in Photoshop to take your content to the next level.
Longread blogs. You can implement it in the social network, on your website, Zen or Medium. Write about what may be interesting or useful to a wide range of readers. And we will show you 7 win-win topics for any blog.

Product testing... Choose an area and tell your subscribers about the experience of using different brands of cosmetics, fishing tackle, equipment and any other products.
Interviews with experts and interesting personalities... If you can video blog and find interesting guests, you will never run out of ideas for content - you will make money from your heroes' stories. You can repeat Dudya's experience and keep an entertaining blog, or choose an area and conduct discussions for specialists.

Useful services

On the Internet, any information is publicly available, but a resource will be successful, where it can be conveniently organized and presented to users. And also, in addition to information services, you can coordinate the work of some offline services using sites and applications.

Online libraries. Runet already has Litres and others, but there are not many of them yet.
Library of application forms to different instances. You can create a resource where people can quickly find and download any form.
Discount aggregators. To weaken competition, you can choose a narrow specialization in certain products. The structure of such a site can be quite complex: take care to draw up a competent technical specification for developers.
Bulletin board. Make a convenient service for posting any ads: sale, purchase, exchange, service offers and job search.

Online flea market. It is convenient to implement it through the application, but with a small budget, you can even get by with social networks.
Real estate sale and purchase service. Less and less often people turn to realtors and more and more often look for housing via the Internet. To be taken seriously in the real estate market, take care of the little things that build trust in the site.
Buying tickets and tours online. A modern person will also prefer a convenient site to travel agencies, and you can take a percentage of the amount.
Photobank. Everyone needs good photos - designers, SMMs, business owners, and sometimes even individuals. And they are ready to pay for them.
Food delivery service. And you don't need to keep your restaurant at all - the main thing is to organize the work of couriers, create a user-friendly website and succeed in promotion. And learn to write delicious food texts that will attract customers.
Delivery service. Delivery of anything is now arranged over the Internet.
Service exchange. You can create a resource for a wide range of services, like YouDo, or create a specialized exchange for freelancers in one area or another. For example, the exchange of copywriters, programmers, designers. Research Your Competitors: We've published an overview of popular freelance exchanges.
A platform for tutors and students. Like Preply or Upstudy.
Service for editing photos. There are many of them on the Internet, but it is difficult to navigate in them, and not everyone has Photoshop. An editor tailored to specific needs, for example, specifically for SMM or retouching, may be in demand.

Consulting for individuals

Individual consultations on a variety of issues are gaining popularity on the Internet.

Psychological help. If suddenly you are a certified psychologist or can hire psychologists to work, online consultations will be a good business project.

Career guidance for children and adults... Now everyone without exception wants to find a vocation and a job to their liking - some will definitely need help.
Employment Consulting... Finding a dream job is not an easy task in itself, and HeadHunter is not a worthy competitor. If you can track job offers all over the internet and submit them to candidates, you can make money.
Family relations consultations. And for any relationship. Such services can be sold in private messages.
Nutrition advice. At the same time, you can negotiate with brands, whose products you will recommend.
Fashion. Since shopping is moving to the Internet, the services of a virtual stylist may also be required here.
Legal advice for individuals. Of course, you can't work as a lawyer online, but you can answer people's questions and suggest legal solutions to their problems for money. You can promote your services with useful content - the TexTerra blog has material on how to write good legal texts.
Consulting on education abroad. It is always relevant, because many want to leave, but it is difficult to understand the intricacies themselves.
Computer help. Some people cannot reboot the router or install the browser on their own and are willing to pay for help.

B2B services

A large and separate layer of ideas is various services for business. Outsourcing is gaining popularity: if a specialist is needed for several hours a month, he will not be kept on the staff.

Legal assistance. Any business issue can be resolved: from copyright protection to resolving disputes with partners.
Mystery shopping exchange. Usually such employees are not kept on the staff, they are needed for a short period. You can create a website for easy search for performers and monetize it.
Accounting services. More and more small businesses are choosing outsourced accountants.
Internet audit. Analyze the work of websites, communities and social media accounts.
Remote call center. You will need employees from anywhere in the country who will take calls for multiple organizations.
System administration. Usually, the full-time presence of the sysadmin in the office is needed only when problems arise.
Trainings. Large and even medium-sized companies are ready to pay for employee training: from leveling specialized skills to negotiation techniques, management and other soft skills. Such courses can be successfully promoted through social media.

Software development. Business needs a lot of programs and all sorts of different.
Remote technical support.You can help employees work with programs or fix errors on sites.
Recruiting agency... It seems that the job market has become more open with the internet, but it is not. Company representatives do not want to look through a bunch of resumes themselves in search of suitable people - you can help them with this. Even the first interviews are now often conducted online.
Marketing agency... Why not.
Typography with an order on the site. Business always needs flyers, posters, merchandise and more. And with the current low-cost delivery, the scheme will work quite well: the client ordered on the website, you printed it and sent it by courier to the address.
Creation of websites, landing pages and applications... New businesses open every day and everyone needs websites. In the TexTerra e-book you can read how to make a website yourself, if you are a humanist.

Translation services. You can translate documents, carry on correspondence with foreign companies, or search for simultaneous interpreters for events. However, there is a lot of competition in the field of translation.
Warehousing. If you have an empty space, you can organize a storage service via the Internet - this will be relevant for many stores.
Fundraising. Unfortunately or fortunately, you can also earn money by raising money for charities.
Equipment rent. Through your website, you can rent equipment for any area of \u200b\u200bactivity.
Design services. Advertising products are needed by every business on a regular basis, and each time is different.
Administrative services... Help businessmen with financial planning and office work.
Sociological research... Conduct online surveys so your business can improve their marketing and sales.

Crazy ideas menu

If you are adventurous and don't like boilerplate, you can consider more creative ideas. Among the advantages is low competition.

Service of surprises. The customer pays the money, names the addressee, you buy a surprise gift of your choice and send it. Beautiful content on Instagram will help you promote an unusual business.
Draw service. The customer pays the money, names the addressee, you are playing a joke on him. Perhaps the rally can also be made virtual.
Making things according to children's drawings. The client sends you a drawing, and you bring it to life - for example, make a toy or household item.
Service for lovers and owners of pets. On such a dating site, the owner of the dog, who has no time to walk with her in the morning, will be able to meet a neighbor who dreams of walking with the dog in the morning.
Products for singles. More and more people are living alone, but grocery packaging in stores is often designed for families. If you get the idea right, singles will be happy to get rid of overpayments - and you can sell small portions of food with delivery through the website and social networks.
Virtual friend for an hour. Since you can buy a real friend for an hour, there will be people willing to pay for lunch with a virtual interlocutor. It is important to correctly identify the target audience for such a project.
Paid newsletter with useful reminders... Already, apps are popping up to remind users to get up at 8am, do 100 squats, or finally get busy. It is easier for people to engage in self-development when they are motivated - even if virtually.
An online store where you can buy a surprise for yourself... The buyer pays a certain amount, and the product is delivered to him commensurate in value, the more unexpected, the better.
Rent of various status items: jewelry, dresses, huge bouquets for photos and people to accompany at events.
Delivery of any goods from stores abroad... Worldwide delivery is by no means everywhere. Therefore, services that organize such are now relevant: you just need to find performers abroad who are ready to send goods that your customers need.

Organization of partings. It is difficult for people to announce to their loved ones that they are breaking up, and this weakness can be monetized: Hire a psychologist who will report sad news over the phone for money. Such a service can be promoted through social networks - learn how to choose the right pictures for posts and attract the attention of a wide audience.
Fortune telling and predictions. A specific occupation, but there are always willing ones.

Share your ideas and experiences in the comments. Perhaps you have ideas that worked or, conversely, caused difficulties? Tell us about them.

97-idey-internet-biznesa

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