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When most people think about starting an ecommerce business, they have a vision of selling some amazing product that will enable them the freedom to work on something they truly enjoy. But despite early enthusiasm, sometimes they end up not taking action. So what happens to these people? They don’t have any idea of what to sell Worrying about failing prevents them from starting They have an idea but are not sure what to do next Does that sound like you? Don’t worry. We’re going to show you some meaty and actionable stories of how two people were able to start their own ecommerce businesses without spending any money.
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Often, the hardest part about running a business is finding the right idea—one that fits in with your day job, allows you to work from home, or monetizes a skill you already have. If you’re an entrepreneur in a creative lull, this guide shares 16 ecommerce business ideas that generate profit fast.
If you’re looking for a low-investment, small business idea, dropshipping can be a safe bet.
Dropshipping is an order fulfillment method that doesn’t need you to buy, store, or ship inventory. You’ll work with a dropshipping supplier who takes those responsibilities off your plate, meaning you only pay for products once you sell them.
Popular products to dropship include;
To get started, find a dropshipping supplier that stocks the items you want to sell. Apps like DSers, Spocket, and DropCommerce integrate with Shopify stores. Once you sell a product through your ecommerce website, it’ll automatically route to your supplier to ship to the customer.
Private labeling is a business model in which entrepreneurs work with a manufacturer to produce custom products. Capitalize on the $59.2 million health and personal care industry by private labeling makeup, skin care, and cosmetics.
DaKira Taylor took this approach when starting a beauty line. She now operates two ecommerce businesses, byREDD Beauty and byREDD Wholesale—both of which include private label skin care products as part of its offering.
When you think about it, Kylie Jenner and Rihanna are not in their kitchen or their warehouse making products. They’re using private label. So why not start off with the same mindset of those big people?
To start a private label beauty business, contact manufacturers that already make the product you want to sell. Work together on a formula, order samples to test their quality, and check reviews left by entrepreneurs already working with them.
Once you’ve found a manufacturer, create your online store and upload product listings, then start marketing your new beauty products to spread the word.
Do you enjoy making handcrafted items? Turn your hobby into a successful business, and earn additional money on the side, by selling handmade products through your own online store.
Popular items to make and sell include:
Reach extra potential customers by listing your handmade products on marketplaces. Etsy, for example, serves almost 90 million buyers—many of whom use the marketplace to find handmade and/or personalized items.
Custom-made products are hard to beat, as not only do they give customers specifically what they want (demand), but you can be the only source (supply) for these products.
However, it’s worth noting that Etsy takes a cut out of any sale you make. A combination of both Shopify and Etsy gives you the best of both worlds: you tap into an existing customer base looking to buy handmade items, while maintaining strong profit margins on orders made through your ecommerce website.
Further Reading: How to Sell on Etsy Successfully
Do you have a following on social media? Whether you’re an artist, musician, or fashionista, monetize your audience by selling fan merchandise.
Use a print-on-demand service like Printful to create a custom design, such as your logo or slogan. Then, upload the design to mugs, t-shirts, phone cases—anything your target audience would be interested in—and sell them online.
Don’t have the passion or time to become an influencer? Take advantage of well-known brands’ existing recognition.
Household names like Disney offer trademark licensing deals so you can monetize their logos, characters, and slogans through unofficial merchandise. Upload them to mugs, clothes, or home décor and sell the merchandise through your own website.
Consumers will spend $38.2 billion on ecommerce subscriptions in 2023, making it a product idea worth considering if you want to earn recurring revenue. You’ll bill customers every month (unless they cancel) in exchange for a subscription box.
Choose an industry where the subscription business model is already popular with customers. According to Statista, those are:
Fresh Patch is one business using this model to make money online. The retailer sells grass patches for pets to use the toilet inside. Over 80% of its sales come from subscriptions, with its founder, Andrew Feld, advising people who are thinking of starting a business to “try and find something that is necessary and needs to be replenished.”
The online education market is projected to be worth $300.3 million in 2028, at a compounding annual growth rate of 23.6%. Capture the millions of customers who pay for premium education with an online course.
“Self-paced online courses are one of the most lucrative digital products to sell,” says Stephen Light, co-owner and CEO at mattress company Nolah. “You need only select a skill that you’re highly knowledgeable about and market yourself as an expert in the online space.
“Many course creators are leveraging social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to nurture inbound leads and launch their digital products. With the continuation of remote or online work, the digital course creation industry is expected to grow exponentially. It’s best to curate your offer now before the market becomes overly saturated.”
Monetize your skill by creating an online course around something you have deep knowledge in. From pottery to cooking, there’s bound to be someone looking to get better at whatever you have to share.
Sell clothes online to claim your share of the $180.5 billion US consumers spend on fashion and apparel each year.
While you could maintain high profit margins by handcrafting the clothes yourself, business models with a lower barrier to entry include:
Sarah Donofrio is one entrepreneur who took this ecommerce business idea and ran with it. She’s a successful designer with her own clothing line, and advises new business owners to follow fashion trends: “Take athleisure. I don’t make tights, I don’t make sports bras, but this cool woven crop would look kind of awesome with tights, so that’s how I would incorporate the trend.”
Global parents and caregivers spend $94.7 billion on children’s toys every year. But if you’re looking for a startup business idea with the ability to make money fast, flip broken, faulty, or unloved toys and sell them for a profit.
People do not mind reusing things as long as they are of high quality and in good condition. You only need to begin collecting these used products, such as clothing, jewelry, and furniture and posting them on your ecommerce website.
To find unloved kids toys:
Refine your DIY skills to bring the toys back to life. List them for sale on your ecommerce website, and capture parents looking for new toys without the brand new price tag.
Read: Top 24 Achievable Business Ideas for Kids
Marketplaces like Amazon give consumers access to almost everything they’d want to buy online. It’s why 63% of shoppers start their shopping journey on Amazon, spending $367.19 billion each year.
Look at Amazon’s bestsellers category and see whether you can capitalize on existing interest from shoppers. Chances are, you could source cheaper products in bulk from a wholesaler and list them for sale on Amazon.
Amazon aside, other popular marketplaces to sell products online include:
While marketplace selling gives you access to a purchase-ready customer base, it does come with its downsides—notably cuts to your profit margins. There’s also the risk of a marketplace taking down your mini-store and cutting sales overnight.
Mitigate that risk by operating an online store alongside your marketplace listings. That way, should the worst happen, you’re still able to keep your business afloat.
Some 65% of Americans have read at least one print book in the past year, with each consumer spending an average of $113.87 per year on reading.
Monetize your writing skill by self-publishing your own book. Publishing platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing, Lulu, or Reedsy make it easy to sell books online. They print and ship books at the point of sale, meaning you don’t need to keep a stack of unsold books at home.
Not a great writer? Other business models to sell books include:
I tend to shy away from trendy or most popular lists, so I don’t usually have the same books that people see in Barnes & Noble. That experience alone makes my customers willing to pay to purchase from me rather than a big-box store.
Keen photographer? Grab your camera (a phone can do the trick), snap some images, and sell your photos online to earn extra cash on the side.
The following sites pay out each time your photo is licenced or downloaded:
To squeeze more cash out of your budding business, sell photography services on the side. List your photography packages on freelance sites like Fiverr and Upwork, or apply to become a Shopify Expert. You can often charge higher prices for these custom photoshoots.
How to Sell Photos Online: 7 Ways to Make Money With Photography
Health-conscious consumers spend $32.09 billion per year on natural cosmetics and personal care products. Create and sell your own natural, quality products online, such as:
Customers are becoming more interested in natural and organic products as a result of increased consumer awareness of their lifestyle choices. You can begin selling natural products online to support people living an all-natural and sustainable lifestyle.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are unique digital files that can be bought and sold online. Wealthy NFT enthusiasts have been known to spend $6.2 million on a single asset. Even a fraction of that spend would make a lucrative ecommerce business.
Create a digital asset to turn into an NFT, such as:
Then, choose an NFT marketplace to sell on, like OpenSea or Rarible, and open a digital wallet (customers will buy your NFTs using cryptocurrency). Link your marketplace account with your digital wallet, set a price for the NFT, and let people bid to buy it.
We’re a hyperconnected nation—at least with our gadgets. More than 87.7 million Americans have a smart speaker in their home. Muttering the words “Hey, Alexa” gives them instant access to all the information they’d ever need.
But smart home products are expensive—not everyone has $100 or more to drop on brand new gadgets.
If you’re looking for a part-time business idea, search for smart home products to refurbish. Find old, broken, or faulty versions of:
… and use your DIY skills to bring them back to life. List them for a higher price on your ecommerce site and recoup the profit.
Products don’t need to be the only thing you sell through an online store. Monetize your skills and turn them into a service, such as:
Michael Keenan is a freelance marketer who uses his SEO skills to sell freelance services online. He says, “I started ghostwriting for companies and made $20 per article on the side of my day job. As I began to refine my service offering and get more experience under my belt, I went full-time and started making six figures per year.”
The most important thing to remember when starting an ecommerce business is to choose a niche you’re passionate about. This will help you build a successful brand and stand out from the competition.
No skill to monetize? No interest in manufacturing your own products? Affiliate marketing is an ecommerce business model that doesn’t require either. It happens when you partner with a brand, promote their products or services, and earn commission on any sales you make.
To drive traffic to your affiliate partners’ website:
The key to success as an affiliate marketer is to diversify your partners within a specific niche. If you’re promoting pet products, for example, partner with brands that sell food, toys, and medication. That way, you’re not left income-less if one brand shuts down its affiliate program or denies your commission.
You don’t need a spark of genius to start an online business. As these ecommerce business ideas show, it’s possible to make money online by monetizing your existing skills, hobbies, and interests.
The best part? Many ecommerce business ideas don’t need upfront cash to start. Business models like dropshipping, print on demand, and self-publishing books take inventory and fulfillment tasks off your plate entirely. That leaves you with more time to do what you do best: create and sell.
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