If you’re like most people, you’re interested in starting your own business, being your own boss, and working from home. And today, it’s possible for a number of reasons. Although there’s a lot to consider before taking such a huge leap, many people do it anyway. The world’s interest with leading a “laptop lifestyle” has caused many to explore other things than just a 9-5 Monday through Friday workweek.
Below, we will discuss 3 trending small business concepts. These business trends are a great way to transition into owning your own business and many of them can be done on the side of your already current career.
Start Freelancing
Over 57 million people are freelancing in the United States alone. Nearly 30% of these freelancers are making a living solely from their freelance work, while the other 70% have another source of income from other jobs. Why are people turning to freelance? In the past few years we have seen the staggering growth of platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Simply Hired, Task Rabbit and College Recruiter.
These platforms are the 21st century’s way of helping our highly populated economy find either supplemental or solid income without leaving home. While the job market is faring better these days than it has in previous years, there is still a lot of hype about unfair pay, soaring mortgage or rent prices, and the cost of transportation. These kinds of expenses send many workers looking for freelance work to help support their families and live comfortably.
Freelance platforms can help in many other ways other than income too. Consider that you’re a freelancer who is interested in starting up your own business. A freelance platform can help you look for prospective clients, study the market in your industry and provide protection from fraud. If you’re a talented copywriter, for example, these platforms can also help you to build a more encompassing portfolio that you can use to advance yourself into larger gigs.
Of course, if you’re a small business looking for affordable work without needing to hire an employee, these platforms can help you just as much as they help freelancers. There is no commitment, and you are also protected against fraud and poor quality of work. Most of these platforms utilize smart reviewing systems that help you weed out any freelancers with a lack of talent or poor reputation.
Freelance Platforms are most popularly utilized by those who have a talent for:
● Search Engine Optimization
● Content Creation
● Web Design
● Logo and Brand Design
● Personal Assistants
● Human Resources
● Accounting
Selling on Amazon and Utilizing Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
If you have a knack for studying market trends for consumer products but you don’t have the financial capacity to open your own physical store, Amazon is probably a smart choice to consider for entering today’s market. Becoming a seller on Amazon is simple, but you’ll need to do a lot of studying in order to be successful. In 2018 alone Amazon grew by over one million sellers, and this year is expected to surpass the last.
The popular trend in Amazon selling for small businesses or entrepreneurs has a lot to do with the potential of making money quickly without the added hassle of warehousing inventory or shipping product yourself to customers. Amazon’s FBA service will do this entirely for you for a small fee that is deducted from your profits. The only work required from you is shipping your desired product to their warehouse and updating your product listings on their website.
This process isn’t just a simple, list it and the customers will come running, you need to study the markets you are deciding to enter. There are actually quite a few experienced amazon sellers who have quality webinars and software tools for purchase that will help you learn how to focus in on the Amazon niches, the potential return on investments, and how to optimize your product listings for greater results.
One of the key tricks that is most frequently explored by successful Amazon sellers, is finding the problems within the top markets. If you can design or source a product that solves a common customer complaint on Amazon, you’re likely to win business within that niche and gain yourself traction among customers from positive reviews.
Another route would be to look into becoming an Amazon Affiliate. Amazon Affiliates create websites and blog posts aimed at product lines on Amazon. If you’re great at building web platforms and optimizing them for results, you’ll earn money for bringing customers to the Amazon store for purchase!
Search Engine Optimization
We aren’t kidding when we say SEO is really big. In our modern world, any business owner who wants to be successful online requires a search engine optimized website. Search Engine Optimization is the ticket to ranking high on websites like Google, Yahoo and Bing. Without it, you don’t stand a chance against your competitors in the global market.
Small companies offering corporate SEO services are flourishing. They boast helping business owners, corporations and freelancers build an online presence that is recognized by all search engines. And by the way, if you don’t know what SEO is, you can learn more here.
Search engine optimization can come in many forms, such as content, keywords, user-friendly websites, off-page links, and much more. Getting your business on Google maps would be a great first step to building an online presence. But your SEO strategy is up to you to decide.
It can be tricky for many businesses to take on this task in the house and on their own. Now more than ever it’s increasingly popular to outsource the work to certified experts who will rank, track, and optimize your website for solid results and conversions.
If you’re savvy within business marketing, communications, or information technology, search engine optimization could be a great business concept for you to explore. Besides education, there is very little investment, and it’s work you can do from home, or in a smaller and affordable office location. The risk of failure in this small business trend is very low.
Conclusion:
Although leaving a full-time job to start a business or freelance work can be intimidating, it can be done. Use the tips we’ve provided and you’re sure to find your way with a prosperous job that you can do from the comfort of your home.
