What is the best online business?

What is the best online business? All promise they are on or near the top of the list but how do we know? Research and more research, it goes on for quite some time.

Have a nine to five job that eats up the time that you could be investing into an online business? Nine to five job not so glamorous, feel under-appreciated, taken advantage of, taken for granted? I'm sure there are many more things that we work bots go through on the 9 to 5 grind, the point is we have to stick with it until we find something better. Unfortunately it is 99.9% guaranteed that your dream opportunity is not just going to come knocking at your door, or the worry and work free online business is just going to show up in your E Mail in-box... be prepared to do a lot of work to earn your freedom from the grind.

At the moment I say the free affiliate programs that are out there are your best bet if you are new to online marketing. There is so much to learn, before you decide to invest even a small amount of money do your research on whatever it is that you decide to join beforehand.

• I have in the past been involved in an MLM which was ok, I ended up getting free product but decided to discontinue my membership. Things change so fast and if you lose key people below you that seriously affects your bottom line.

Things to think about before Joining Up with a Pay Affiliate Program or Business.

• Do you want to market one product? a few products or hundreds of products?
• Do you want to be actively involved or are you going to pay a fee and have them market it for you?
• If you are still working, how much time do you have to put into the prospective business, do you have enough time?
• How much will it cost?
• Do you have to go out and attend meetings?
• Do you have to attend web conferences?
• How much technology/knowledge do you need to have to make the business succeed?

In order to make money online, you need at least a few startup business ideas to choose from. Without a plan you won’t get very far – and that would be a shame because the internet is one of the best resources out there when it comes to making money, and lots of it. There are several popular concepts out there; it’s a case of finding the one that best suits you and your skill set.

The three main ways of making money on the internet, the three best start up business ideas are; freelancing, an online shop, and internet marketing. The great thing about these business ideas are that you can do more than one – and if you choose to do all three, you can cross-subsidize your businesses, which could be crucial in their long term survival.

Freelancing

A freelancing business is the easiest to set up – all you need is the internet and some basic skills. Freelancers can be contracted via many high profile websites out there which act as brokers between freelancers and clients. Elance is just one example of such a site; where people with all kinds of skills can find those who wish to buy them. From article writing, to website design – there’s huge demand out there for freelancers with many different skill sets. Of course the biggest stumbling block for those looking to become a freelancer is whether or not they have anything to offer. Not everyone will find their skills are suitable to market themselves as a freelancer – but there are still other ways to make money online.

An online store

Starting an online shop is one of the most popular ways to make money online – and perhaps the most popular of the many different startup business ideas out there. Starting an online shop has been made easier thanks to the arrival of wholesale websites such as AliBaba and DHGate, which connect Westerners with factories in the Far East. It has never been easier to find a supplier or manufacturer – the only problem is finding an unsaturated market in which to tout your products. Once you’ve identified a golden niche, you could be in for some big profits – as there are many different platforms through which you can sell your items. From Amazon to eBay – anyone can sell anything; an online store could be your perfect place to start an online business.

Internet marketing

The final of the three business startup ideas is the internet marketing industry. Internet marketing has become very popular of recent, with people making money through their websites using an array of different channels. From Clickbank and Adsense revenues, to Amazon referrals – there is big money to be made out there through internet marketing. The best thing about internet marketing is that once your website is up and populated, it can be left on autopilot and you can watch the money roll in.

Business ideas tailored for the internet are countless – it’s a case of you deciding on the idea that you like the most. If you’re blessed with the gift of time you can choose more than one business – lessening the risk of failure, and increasing the chance of you starting a business that will go on to thrive. You’ve now got three great startup business ideas – it’s time for you to decide which one best suits you.

You, your research, your knowledge, your human qualities and if you are paying a fee add some cash investment into the equation.

You are one step in the right direction since we are all here at Hub Pages, this does not cost us a dime and it's a start... there are other places like Hub Pages but I won't mention them here. Go for free to start, research all you can out there when you have the time, spend a tiny bit of money if you feel it is worthy of your hard earned cash to get more knowledge.

I am at the moment trying out one particular online business and if it works out okay I will post it. Only been there a couple of months thus far. I must say at this point they do seem to offer a vast amount of support. There are various learning materials you can and should read, they have a group called a2a which is short for affiliate to affiliate, you can connect with any other affiliate there, anywhere in the world. One point goes to them for their support.

One word of advice, relates back to an old saying, 'Don't put the Cart before the Oxe' or 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch'. Find reviews on whatever it is that you decide to join if you are going to invest your hard earned cash into it. A word on reviews, not all reviews are unbiased, so look for a few reviews please.

In summary I would say the best online business for someone who is starting out, Join the Free Ones, <- Starting with HubPages, until you learn your way around , there is an information overload for succeeding with a business online. After you really figure out what you want, unless you want to put in extremely long hours; be prepared to put out a bit of that hard earned cash to get it off to a good start.

This is only my opinion but this is what I have experienced thus far, long hours of writing, researching, the information is endless and then the hard part is deciding which way you want to go.

1. Are you presently running an online business?
2. Do you want to run one?
3. Do you work from home but not with an online business?
4. What methods work best for you?
5. Which online or home businesses would you recommend to those who want to start one?

If you have some different business ideas that you think would work for those that are just starting out, leave a detailed comment below.