5 Best Online Businesses To Start (For Beginners)

If you’re thinking about starting an online business in 2024 but aren’t sure where to begin, you’re in the right place! With so many different options available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re just starting. But don’t worry, I’ve narrowed down the top five best online businesses for beginners that offer real potential for success.

Drawing from my experience in various business circles and seeing firsthand what works, I’ve compiled this list to help you get started. Whether you’re interested in sales, marketing, writing, content creation, or affiliate marketing, these five business models can set you on the path to success. Let’s dive in!

1. High Ticket Remote Setter/Closer Business

What is it?

A high-ticket remote setter/closer business involves working as part of a sales team for a company. The “setter” role focuses on making the initial contact with potential clients or leads, while the “closer” role is about sealing the deal and making the sale.

• Setter: Initiates the conversation with leads, qualifies them, and hands them over to a closer.
• Closer: Takes over from the setter and closes the deal, ensuring the client makes the purchase.

Why It’s Great for Beginners

Sales is a cornerstone skill in business, and many successful entrepreneurs have sales experience. As a beginner, this is an excellent way to break into the business world, especially because sales positions don’t require extensive startup capital. In fact, many top business owners started their careers in sales before building their own companies.

A high-ticket setter/closer role is a fantastic entry point into entrepreneurship because it teaches essential skills like:

• Negotiation
• Persuasion
• Customer Relationship Management

Moreover, these roles help you develop emotional intelligence—understanding what your clients want and providing solutions. This experience is invaluable when transitioning into your own business.

Industries to Focus On

1. Info Products: High-ticket coaching programs, masterminds, and courses are incredibly popular. Selling a $5,000 coaching program can earn a closer 10% to 20% commission on every sale.
2. Solar Industry: As more people look into renewable energy, selling solar systems has become a lucrative industry.
3. Insurance: Insurance is an evergreen industry, with constant demand for closers.
4. Tech Sales (SaaS): Software as a Service (SaaS) is one of the most profitable areas of tech, offering high commissions for salespeople.

Earnings Potential

• Setters: Typically earn between $5,000 and $10,000 per month, depending on their success in generating leads.
• Closers: Can earn $10,000 to $15,000 per month or more, with some industries offering up to 20% commission per sale.

Why It Works

Even if you don’t plan to stay in sales long-term, the skills you gain from this role are transferable across all areas of business. It changes your mindset and teaches you to think from the perspective of your customer—an essential trait for any successful entrepreneur.

Opportunity Score: 10/10

This is one of the best ways to break into the online business world with minimal investment. It’s flexible, teaches you critical business skills, and can be highly profitable.

2. Social Media Marketing Agency (SMMA)

What is SMMA?

A Social Media Marketing Agency (SMMA) involves managing social media accounts, creating digital marketing strategies, and running ad campaigns for clients. Businesses outsource their online marketing to agencies because they don’t have the expertise or time to do it themselves.

You’ve probably heard about SMMAs from influencers like Tai Lopez or Iman Gadzhi, who have popularized this business model. It’s a competitive space, but it’s also one of the best ways to learn the fundamentals of running a business.

Why SMMA Is Attractive

With the rise of digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, businesses need help staying visible online. The demand for digital marketing services is higher than ever, and as long as you can deliver results, you’ll find clients willing to pay you.

An SMMA can be run from anywhere, and the startup costs are low. You don’t need inventory or a physical location—just your skills and a laptop.

Challenges

However, running an SMMA is not without its difficulties:

• High Competition: Many people are trying to start their own SMMAs, making it hard to stand out.
• Client Management: Clients can be demanding, often expecting you to be available 24/7. If something goes wrong, the responsibility falls on you.

Types of SMMA Models

1. Done-for-You (DFY): You handle all aspects of social media for your clients. This is the easiest service to sell, but it’s also the most time-consuming and stressful.
2. Done-with-You (DWY): You guide your clients through the process, working alongside them rather than doing all the work yourself. This model is easier to scale.
3. Coaching or Consulting: Once you’ve gained experience, you can offer coaching services, teaching others how to manage social media accounts.

Industries to Target

• Real Estate: Real estate agents need consistent leads and are often too busy to handle their social media, making them ideal clients.
• E-commerce: Managing social media ad campaigns for online stores can be a lucrative niche.
• Local Businesses: Gyms, restaurants, and other small businesses need help growing their online presence.

Personal Experience

I’ve run my own SMMA in the past, and while it was a valuable learning experience, I found it incredibly stressful. However, it gave me the foundational skills I needed to run a business and helped me understand the importance of client relationships.

Scalability

Many successful SMMA owners eventually transition to more scalable models like coaching or done-with-you services. Others negotiate deals where they take a percentage of their clients’ profits, making the business less stressful to manage.

Opportunity Score: 9/10

SMMA is a fantastic way to get started in business, but it requires grit and determination to succeed. It’s a great learning ground, but you’ll need to be prepared for the pressure that comes with managing clients.

3. Freelance Writing Agency

What is a Freelance Writing Agency?

A freelance writing agency specializes in creating written content for businesses and websites. This can include anything from blog posts and articles to product descriptions, website copy, and SEO-driven content.

Writing agencies are in high demand because content is king in the digital world. Businesses need quality content to improve their SEO, attract visitors, and convert those visitors into customers.

Why It’s Lucrative

Freelance writing is a great business to start because:

• You can do it from anywhere.
• There are very few startup costs.
• The demand for content, especially SEO-optimized articles, is growing every year.

Types of Writing Services

1. SEO Writing: Writing content that is optimized for search engines to improve organic rankings.
2. Copywriting: Writing persuasive copy for websites, email campaigns, and product descriptions that encourage conversions.
3. Technical Writing: Writing manuals, guides, and documentation for products and services.

Importance of Niching Down

In today’s competitive landscape, being a generalist doesn’t cut it. If you want to stand out, you need to become an expert in a specific niche. For example:

• E-commerce: Specializing in writing for e-commerce brands.
• SaaS: Becoming an expert in writing for software companies.
• Info Products: Writing for the info-product industry, which includes courses, coaching, and digital downloads.

Success Story

Some writers are making upwards of $27,000 per month running successful agencies. For instance, a freelance writing agency that specializes in SEO for e-commerce websites can charge premium rates for their expertise.

Scalability

As your writing agency grows, you can hire additional writers and take on more clients. You can also create standard operating procedures (SOPs) to streamline the process and scale efficiently.

Opportunity Score: 8.5/10

Freelance writing is an excellent option for beginners with a talent for writing and a willingness to specialize in a niche. It offers flexibility and relatively low competition if you niche down, but it requires patience and consistency.

4. Starting a YouTube Channel

Why YouTube is a Goldmine

Starting a YouTube channel is one of the most exciting business opportunities in 2024. Not only has it become easier to create content, but it’s also more profitable than ever. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, where content has a short lifespan, YouTube videos have longevity and continue generating traffic (and revenue) for years after they’re posted.

Why YouTube?

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world (after Google), and it’s where people go to learn, be entertained, and find solutions to their problems. Whether you want to create tutorials, reviews, lifestyle vlogs, or niche-specific content, YouTube offers endless possibilities.

• Scalable Income: You can earn money through AdSense, affiliate marketing, sponsorships, merchandising, and more.
• Longevity: A single video can continue earning views (and money) months or even years after it’s uploaded.

Examples of Success

Many YouTubers are making substantial incomes from relatively small channels. For instance, Charlie Morgan has around 20,000 to 30,000 subscribers and makes over a million dollars per month, with much of his revenue coming from YouTube.

Best Niches for Beginners

1. Tech Tutorials: Reviews, how-tos, and tech comparisons.
2. Finance: Personal finance tips, investing strategies, and saving hacks.
3. Health and Fitness: Workout routines, meal planning, and lifestyle content.
4. Lifestyle and Travel: Vlogs documenting your experiences or niche-specific advice.

Monetization Strategies

1. Google AdSense: YouTube places ads on your videos, and you earn a portion of the revenue.
2. Affiliate Marketing: Promote products in your videos and earn a commission for each sale.
3. Sponsorships: Companies pay you to feature their products in your videos.
4. Merchandising: Sell your own branded products to your audience.

Opportunity Score: 10/10

YouTube offers massive potential with relatively low upfront investment. If you’re willing to consistently create valuable content, YouTube can become a reliable source of income for years to come.

5. Affiliate Marketing

What is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services and earning a commission for each sale made through your referral. It’s a business model that allows you to sell other people’s products without the need to create your own.

Why It’s Great for Beginners

Affiliate marketing is one of the simplest business models for beginners because:

• No product creation: You don’t have to worry about product development, inventory, or customer service.
• Low risk: There are no upfront costs besides the time and effort spent promoting the products.
• Focus on one skill: Your primary focus is on driving traffic to your affiliate links.

Challenges

While it sounds easy, affiliate marketing can be challenging. The hardest part is generating enough traffic to your affiliate offers. Without an audience, it’s difficult to make sales, which is why pairing affiliate marketing with another business model is often recommended.

Best Ways to Pair Affiliate Marketing

1. YouTube Channel: Create content around your niche and promote relevant affiliate products.
2. Blog: Write in-depth reviews, tutorials, or how-tos and include affiliate links throughout your content.

Examples of Success

The top affiliate marketers can make anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 per month, depending on the quality of their traffic and their niche. Many YouTubers and bloggers supplement their income with affiliate commissions by recommending products to their audience.

Opportunity Score: 9/10

Affiliate marketing is an excellent way to get started, but it works best when combined with a traffic-generating business like blogging or YouTube.

Conclusion

These are the 5 best online businesses to start in 2024 for beginners. Whether you’re interested in sales, content creation, marketing, or affiliate marketing, each of these business models offers incredible opportunities with minimal upfront costs. Remember, starting an online business requires patience and persistence. You may fail a few times before you find what works for you—but if you stick with it, you’ll be on the path to success.

If you’re looking for remote job opportunities, check out my viral video on the 21 highest-paying work-from-home jobs, which I’ve linked below. Good luck on your entrepreneurial journey!