More and more people are asked or required by law to stay at home as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately some industries are hit more than others and resulted in lost jobs. If you are fortunate enough that your current employer allows you to work from home then that is a blessing. If that is not your case, hopefully you can claim unemployment insurance in your country. In any case, it is a challenge to stay inside days on end. Fortunately we have the Internet. Can you imagine if this pandemic happened in the 80s or prior when there was no Internet? Better not think about that. Today, the Internet is a Godsend. You can connect with family members, and have virtual social contact with other people. You can also start an online business, which is the topic of this article.
Can the Coronavirus Crisis Give You the Opportunity to Start an Online Business?
The Coronavirus crisis will eventually end. The curve will be leveled and will go down. A vaccine will be made available and will kill the pandemic. In the meantime we have to hunker down. The Internet offers huge opportunities. If you have never considered an online business, could this be the opportune time? An online business can subsidize your income or even become your primary source of income. How so? Here we will discuss some online businesses that you can start during this pandemic.
Why Consider an Online Business?
Today, there is no such thing as job security. Consider the biggest companies today. What comes to mind? Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc. All these companies are strictly online businesses that started at zero. Now, we are not suggesting that you will become the next Amazon or Facebook, which would be fantastic. But there is a lot of opportunity below the level of those giants that can create comfortable living income and act as a job security protection. At the very least, it can become a hobby and give you some beer or coffee money. During the current crisis., it will also give you a focus that will help you deal with mental health, unemployment, or other anxiety.
It takes anywhere from 6 to 12 months, maybe longer, for a new website to start generating revenue. Research the niche you want to start in. Is there a market or demand for it?
Some Businesses You Can Start Online
Could this be the time to start a business online that can be managed as you work from home? Absolutely. Even if you only make some extra change, starting an online business can help subsidize your income from a day job. Eventually it could even become a primary source of income. Here are some businesses you can start right from your home.
Start a Blog
Do you have a passion or interest in a specific topic? Are you good at writing? Starting a blog is very easy and inexpensive. You can use free sites such as wordpress.com, blogger.com, or another. Also site builder websites offer free options. But if you are serious, then you can get cheap hosting and register a domain name. Once you have enough content, a blog can be monetized with Google Adsense or you can offer advertising directly. You can offer guest posts for a cost. Contact SEO companies to offer your established blog to promote their clients.
Photography
Do you enjoy photography? Do you have a collection of photos you took over the years? Check out stock photography sites. Many allow you to sell your photos for publishing rights. You can also start a photo portfolio website.
Web Design
Basic Web design is not difficult to learn. You can learn how to build a simple website. Then offer your services to friends and others. Web design is an excellent “work from home” business. This can also include building social media pages for businesses.
Sell Merchandise
Sites like eBay, Etsy, and similar allow you to sell merchandise online. There are even sites that create t-shirts, coffee mugs, and more for you with a logo or artwork you upload. You can sell items you already have and don’t really use or you can create your own custom merchandise. This all can be done from the comforts of your own home. The only downside from selling things you already own is that you have to go to the post office. But if you sell custom merchandise through sites that create them for you is that you never have to send those items yourself. There are sites such as tee spring.com, zazzle.com, and others that will produce and ship products you can customize.
Copywriting
Are you good at writing? Fresh content is always in demand. You can contact existing blogs and offer your services. There are also websites were you can sell your original articles such as constant-content.com, textbroker.com and others.
Conclusion
These are some areas where you can start an online business. You may have other ideas. The point is that with the Internet, you have many opportunities to start a business online even while being quarantined or required to stay at home. In fact, this could be the ideal opportunity for you to do so. Staying busy, even when at home, can be a way to coping with this difficult situation and can open up new possibilities.
