How many times have you thought about giving up everything and turning that business idea into reality ? Maybe your office work doesn’t satisfy you as before and you need new stimuli. Or, you want to take back control of your life and manage your schedules independently to indulge in new hobbies and passions or have more free time to spend with your family.
Whatever your goal, if you are thinking of setting up your own business and achieving the much desired financial freedom you will need a winning business idea to bet on: the good news is that today some of the best business ideas do not require a large financial investment. and have very low business risks. Some of these are perfect as a side business or second job, and don’t require you to buy initial inventory to sell with an online store.
Today we want to show you new business ideas to earn online without investing large sums; business ideas that require less focus on logistics, leaving room for the development of other aspects of the business.
These business ideas to open an innovative business are an excellent starting point for new entrepreneurs or for anyone with a busy agenda, offering the opportunity to start doing business at a minimal cost.
Ready to discover new successful ideas? Without further ado, here are some of the best business ideas you can focus on to start your own business in 2022.
14 successful business ideas to focus on in 2022
- Sell in dropshipping
- Sell t-shirts online
- Publish a book
- Sell digital products
- Sell prints on demand
- Sell a service
- Sell DIY products
- Publish a podcast
- Open an agriturismo
- Invest in real estate
- Lancia una subscription box
- Start a franchising activity
- Start a 3D printing service
- Open a drone aerial shooting business
1. Sell in dropshipping
One of the best business ideas to make money online without investing too much in terms of time and money is dropshipping.
It is a type of ecommerce where goods are shipped to customers on your behalf directly from the supplier. You can focus solely on the goal of making sales; you don’t need to personally manage the products.
In short, dropshipping is a modern take on the more classic business model: buying an item at a low price and reselling it for a profit. Except, in this case, the supplier you buy from is also responsible for delivering the product to the end customer.
How to make money with this business model? You can add dropshipping products to your online store from multiple suppliers, all sharing a single theme and belonging to a specific niche. For example, mats for yoga enthusiasts or bowls for dog owners. When the customer purchases a product, the order is passed on to the supplier, who processes it on your behalf. The customer service is still up to you.
There are both local and foreign suppliers you can collaborate with. The essential thing is that you can establish a relationship of trust with them, since the unreliability of the supplier can have negative repercussions on the image of your brand.
Since many dropshipping products are consumer goods without your branding on them, your business will compete with others through quality marketing and customer support. In other words, it’s often all about knowing how to sell a product better than the competition.
That said, dropshipping is a low-cost business idea to test the market’s suitability for a certain product; allows you to start an activity without having to immediately bear the costs associated with the production of goods. Make sure you always order a product sample; this is to make sure that the dropshipping supplier is reliable and that the quality of the goods is up to your customers.
Additional Resources:
- Brief introductory guide to dropshipping in Italy
- Over 1000 free photos + 5 business ideas that can be implemented immediately
2. Sell t-shirts online
Among the effective business ideas to make money online without investing too much, consider print on demand services.
They represent another dropshipping model where inventory, shipping, and order fulfillment are outsourced to a third party supplier. The difference from the previous idea is that here the focus is on customizing products with an original design.
T-shirts, caps, phone cases, hoodies, skirts, tote bags and more become supports to show off your creativity. You can come up with witty slogans about developers or references to cat owners; wherever there is a niche community with passion and pride, there is a potential full of ideas to open an innovative business such as a t-shirt business.
Even if you’re not a designer, you can find a designer to work with on freelance sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Dribble or 99Designs.
Many print-on-demand services require payment for individual product units; therefore, the price is cheaper than buying in bulk. But the benefit is, if a t-shirt design doesn’t sell, you don’t waste the money you spend on the t-shirts. At the most, lose those for the realization of the design ( if you have outsourced it ).
To create the product images, you can use virtual templates or t-shirt templates, in order to avoid spending on full photo shoots for each new design.
You can choose from several print-on-demand platforms, many of which can be integrated into your Shopify store to fulfill orders automatically. However, to maximize the effectiveness of your business idea, make sure you always order a sample of the product (often offered at a discount) to make sure the end result is satisfactory.
Additional Resources:
- Selling t-shirts online. To the definitive guide
- Printful (stampa on demand)
3. Publish a book
Books are “products” too, if you think about it. You could write a book to meet a particular market demand.
Cookbooks, picture books, comics, photo books, art books or novels … If you have the necessary knowledge and creativity, there is a variety of original books that you can market and turn into successful ideas.
On-demand publishing is a relatively safe option to test the waters and start publishing your book on your own. This solution leaves you in control of the quality and appearance of the book.
Blurb is a popular platform for supporting business ideas of this type; allows you to create, order and distribute your books as digital and physical products. Alternatively, you can publish your digital book on your own with services like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
Additional Resources:
- Content marketing: 11 simple ideas that can be implemented immediately
- Books for Successful Entrepreneurs: Top 20 Books to Read
4. Sell digital products
Among the new trending business ideas, creating courses or digital products to make money online without investing upfront is a very popular option.
Digital products like music, courses and templates stand out from all the other business ideas on this list. In fact, they are intangible products. There are no recurring manufacturing costs or shipping to worry about, so profit margins can remain high.
The secret lies in identifying what a good digital product can be. Which digital product is useful to the point that people are willing to pay to download it?
Responses range from original instrumental tracks to selling photos that can be licensed to other creatives, to information products and templates that help users improve their skills in certain areas.
If you have a talent that can translate into a digital product, consider turning it into a new source of income.
Shopify offers a free digital download app that allows you to sell digital products in your store just as easily as you would sell physical products.
Additional Resources:
- 10 things to sell on Shopify (other than physical products)
- 6 ideas to start selling digital products
5. Sell prints on demand
Do you have an artistic inclination or are you skilled with the camera? If you are looking for business ideas for creatives, then you can use a dropshipping print on demand service to allow others to physically own your works. Make sure you have the rights to the content you want to print, unless you are using public domain resources that you can monetize freely.
Do you already have a group of loyal followers and for example are you cartoonists or urban photographers? Then you are in a particularly good position to try out this business idea.
Ready to open your own online store? Start your 14-day free trial with Shopify. No credit card needed.
Depending on the printer you work with, you can turn your work into products such as posters, framed artwork, and even greeting cards. There are tons of digital templates and mockup generators like Place.it that you can use to showcase your products without having to print and photograph every single item.
Additional Resources:
- How to sell art online: the definitive guide
- Print on demand: another way to do low-risk dropshipping
- How to promote your art online: channels, strategies and tips
6. Sell a service
For service providers, “time” represents inventory and also the largest investment. You have a limited number of hours in your day. If your skills are in demand, you can easily set up and run a business that sells services.
Writers, designers, developers, photographers, home cleaners, fitness trainers, and other categories can build a business around their skill set and become successful business ideas.
Not only that, but they can extend their business to any of the other business ideas we have listed, to create an additional income stream.
For example, a photographer can work in a local ceremony and at the same time sell prints online via their Instagram account. Combining the sale of services with the sale of physical products can guarantee you a second source of income not directly tied to your time.
You can use Shopify’s BookThatApp or Book an Appointment apps to allow customers to easily schedule sessions, consultations, or lessons with you, through your store.
Additionally, you can offer your services through a freelance marketplace such as Upwork or Fiverr to increase your chances of being found by potential clients who need your skills.
Additional Resources:
- 10 things to sell on Shopify (other than physical products)
- Saving Time: 10 Essential Tricks for Merchants
- The complete guide to selling photos online
7. Sell DIY products
Are you passionate about crafts? Learn how to turn this hobby into a business idea to make money with.
If you choose to sell handcrafted products online, you will be able to tailor the products after receiving orders and thus avoid managing an inventory. To live up to customer expectations, let your customers know in advance that all products are made to order and require a longer than average delivery time.
8. Publish a podcast
That’s why publishing a podcast is one of those business ideas to take seriously: it’s a great business idea that requires a low initial investment (mostly a quality microphone) and allows you to create a community to be monetized later with podcast advertising. , affiliate marketing or incentivizing listeners to support you through Patreon or crowdfunding platforms.
To promote your podcast, try collaborating with prominent personalities and interviewing them during the podcast. Also, encourage listeners to leave feedback and share the podcast with family and friends.
9. Open an agriturismo
Do you love nature and meet new people? Opening a farmhouse could be one of the best business ideas for you!
To put this business idea into practice you need a certain investment: if you don’t already have it, you will have to find a suitable structure, renovate it to welcome guests and pamper them during their stay, but the gratification and economic return can be very high. To get the first customers, enter your structure on platforms like AirBnb: later, as the business grows, you can expand your brand with a personalized website, offer additional experiences and sell local products to increase turnover.
10. Invest in real estate
Among the business ideas to focus on, investing in real estate requires a greater investment but can guarantee an important return and a constant passive income.
Here are some business ideas to make money by investing in real estate:
- Buy a house, renovate it according to the most modern standards (comfort, energy efficiency, design, etc.) and resell it at a higher price;
- Buying property to rent;
- Buy building land to resell to builders.
- Buy car garages or garages (in great demand in big cities) and resell or rent them to motorists.
As we have said, among the business ideas on this list, investing in real estate requires a certain investment and in-depth knowledge of the market in which it is invested, as well as bureaucracy and legislative constraints. In many cases, having a professional work with you could save you time and money to maximize the investment resulting from this business idea.
11. Launch a subscription box
Here is one of the new business ideas that have successfully established themselves in recent years: subscription boxes!
What is it about? The subscription boxes are thematic boxes that include various products: from kits for preparing healthy homemade foods to boxes of fitness or make-up products. The peculiarity of this business idea is that it allows you to create a recurring annuity and forecast cash flow to continue improving your subscription box and impress customers.
According to some statistics, subscription boxes have a profit margin of 40-60% : this is why launching a subscription box continues to be one of the best business ideas to focus on when starting your own business.
12. Start a franchising business
Would you like to open your own business but don’t feel like starting from scratch? In this case, franchising could be the perfect solution for you.
Opening a franchise is one of those business ideas that never go out of fashion: against an initial investment, franchising allows you to open a new business by associating yourself with an already established brand. In this way, you will be able to access the products, customer base, know-how and operating method of an existing brand to minimize the risks of opening a business from scratch. And to attract customers to the store? In this case, a strategy optimized for local SEO and guerrilla marketing tactics are great starting points.
Of course, franchising also has its negative sides: the initial investment is very variable (ranging from a few hundred euros for lesser-known brands to hundreds of thousands of euros for international brands) and you will have to get used to running a business following the guidelines already defined, but if you are looking for a proven business idea, franchising is excellent for starting your entrepreneurial journey.
13. Start a 3D printing service
The printing of 3D products is one of the most innovative services to focus on to launch an entrepreneurial project: among the new business ideas from America, this type of commercial activity is not yet very widespread in Italy.
To start a 3D printing service, the initial investment requires the purchase of a 3D printer – starting from a few hundred euros for the entry level models up to tens of thousands of euros for the more advanced models – and activities of marketing. Your target customers could be companies that need small plastic parts or prototypes for startups engaged in product development.
Among the business ideas suggested, starting a 3D printing service requires a certain technical knowledge of 3D development machinery and software: to learn the basics, we recommend taking one of the many free online courses available on the subject.
14. Open a drone aerial shooting business
Are you creative and video editing is your forte? Here is a great business idea for you: to open a drone aerial shooting business.
The demand is high (hotels, companies, parties and ceremonies) and the initial investment is relatively low: all you need is a professional drone (costs range from 500 € to 1500 €) and a small advertising budget, to spend with Facebook or Google Ads ads, focusing on local marketing (for example, ” aerial shots with drone perugia “) to test this business idea.
To recap, here are the best business ideas to invest in in 2022:
- Vendere in dropshipping
- Selling T-Shirts Online
- To publish a book
- Selling digital products
- Selling prints on demand
- Selling a service
- Selling DIY products
- Publish a podcast
- Open a farmhouse
- Invest in real estate
- Launch a subscription box
- Starting a franchising business
- Start a 3D printing service
- Open a drone aerial shooting business
3 tips for choosing a business idea
The business ideas we have talked about are easy to manage from a logistical point of view, but not necessarily easy to manage successfully. There are at least 3 aspects that you should keep in mind when considering your options, regardless of the activity you decide to undertake.
1. Focus on a niche that facilitates marketing
As with any business, marketing is the key to success. It is not enough to know that your products have market demand; you have to understand how to reach the audience most likely to buy them. You need to get the right visitors to discover your products.
Fortunately, marketing is much easier when you’re targeting a specific audience or category of users. For example, vegans, board game lovers, photographers in your city. You can produce social media content that is suitable for these people or post targeted ads based on their interests. Taking a similar approach also helps you to design a coherent brand, because you will have a better idea of who exactly your interlocutors are.
Think about how you can focus on a specific audience for your products and how the business you build can be useful for them. If you already have a sizable audience (a blog, a YouTube channel, or an Instagram account), you may be able to build your business from this existing audience.
Additional Resources:
- How to evaluate the market demand for a new product idea
- Feasibility study: guide to evaluate a product idea in 16 steps
- How to sell vintage clothes online: definitive guide
- How to sell cosmetics online: the definitive guide
2. The price is not only relevant from the point of view of profit
If you sell too low, buyers may assume that your products are of low quality. After all, if you sell at too high a price, some customers may turn away. In short, you have to find the optimal price. Ideally, the price should also include the amounts needed to acquire customers and offer discounts, especially if you plan to advertise for a fee.
With many of the business ideas seen in this article, there is no need to ship products. However, if shipments are planned, you need to think about covering the related costs. Keep in mind your shipping costs and their variation in the different countries you are addressing.
Many online sellers try to put shipping costs into the selling price to offer free shipping or at least a reasonable flat rate. Others encourage shoppers to add more items to their cart through conditional free shipping (eg “free shipping on orders over $ 50”) to maximize profits.
Ultimately, you can make price adjustments and experiment with a variety of pricing strategies until you find the right one for you.
Additional Resources:
- Profit margin calculator
3. Try, learn, and refine as you go
The pursuit of perfection can be one of the biggest obstacles to building an up and running business. Keep in mind that no choice is irreversible.
Products can be exchanged quite easily (especially if you are not blocked by the amount of stock already purchased). Your shop can be redesigned. Prices can be adjusted. You can switch to a better provider. And you can validate all these decisions based on the dozens of signals you have available (traffic, time spent by users on your site, reviews, abandoned carts, etc.).
If your business idea doesn’t work as expected, think about how to fix it rather than give up.
By trying a different product or approach, there are aspects of your business that you can always catch up on. The brand created by investing time and the followers obtained on social media or in your mailing list are resources that you can use to launch one of the business ideas we have suggested.
