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When it comes to new ventures, more and more business owners are flocking to the digital world. That’s because it is becoming increasingly easier to make money online and to be your own boss. If you’ve got digital skills and some exciting business ideas, becoming a digital entrepreneur could be the right path for you.
In this article, we will discuss what a digital entrepreneur is, some of the common digital career paths, and how to get started.
Digital Entrepreneurship for Beginners
So what exactly is a digital entrepreneur? A digital entrepreneur can be described as someone who is self-employed on a digital platform. The term can be used for anyone who owns, manages, or has founded an Internet-based business.
Digital entrepreneurs are involved exclusively in e-commerce; they do not have any business operations located in person. As a part of digital entrepreneurship, you can also take an existing business and transform it into a solely web-based business.
Working for yourself online has many advantages. Here are a few of them:
- Easy to scale: If you start your business online, this will give you opportunities to scale it easily. If your business overgoes a digital transformation, this means you will likely get a strong boost in revenue without extra costs. Earn passive income without having to invest too much money.
- Expand globally: When you open your customer base to the Internet, you are greatly expanding your revenue potential. And you will also have access to labor resources from throughout the world as well!
- Work from anywhere: Having a business solely Internet-based means that you don’t need to stay in one spot. Work and travel if you like, as long as you have a good Internet connection.
You may also read our article on Steering Clear of the 15 Most Common E-commerce Mistakes to know more on this.
Digital Entrepreneur Careers
If you are looking for new opportunities for digital entrepreneurship, here are a few career possibilities to consider:
Buying and selling products
With the pandemic, digital commerce boomed and offline sales waned. As a result, people have become dependent on buying products online. Why not profit off of these changes in purchasing habits and the diminishment of the big box stores? If you’ve got a product to sell, there is a huge market for it online.
Websites like Amazon and eBay are ideal for selling products.
Software developer
With increased dependence on the online world, digital products are more in demand than ever. If you’ve got the technical know-how, consider producing and selling your own software. Software developers create specific programs or apps, and even huge networks and systems that large organizations depend on.
Do you have an idea for an app that will solve problems for consumers? Developing an app that solves a common need can make a huge difference in people’s lives.
Or you can focus on operating systems-level software, compilers, and network distribution software. These software developers design large-scale solutions for bigger organizations; anything from medical to military, business to scientific software.
Web development/design
Having a grasp on digital technologies is in high demand these days. So if you know how to code, you are already well on your way to becoming a successful web developer.
Front-end developers use formatting languages and code to implement the web design into a web browser. But, if you are more into what is “under the hood,” back-end development may be more for you. This includes creating code to of the overall functionality behind the scenes; things like writing code to request and fetch data from databases.
But if you aren’t a coder, there are still tons of opportunities in website building.
Website strategists will do market research to establish what the goals of the business are, figuring out what will be needed on the overall website and its pages. The graphic designer creates things like logos, color schemes, typography, illustrations, and icons that will be used on the site. The copywriter provides the written content, everything from the headlines to button text to the actual copy.
A UX designer will focus on what the user needs and will design the wireframes around those needs. A UI designer specializes in interactive elements like buttons or forms. And lastly, a web designer will focus on all of the visual aspects, turning the wireframes into actual web page designs.
All of these specializations are possibilities for a booming website business. Start yours today!
Buy, sell, or test digital real estate
The gigantic expanse of the world wide web is constantly in development. That is why buying and selling domains, websites, or apps will always be an option. To get started, check out sites like GoDaddy.
But if you’d like to be less risky, why not be an online website tester to test websites that are about to go live? As a user tester, you will be asked to perform certain tasks for a product or service. These results are recorded and analyzed by UX experts and the feedback will help build a better website, product, feature, or prototype since it has been scrutinized by a real human. Get started at usertesting.com.
Writer
If you’ve always had a way with words, consider publishing eBooks or becoming an online author/blogger.
It is now easier than ever to publish your work! Check out online publishers like Amazon Kindle, Google Play Store, the App Store, or eBay.
Language work
Are you bilingual, trilingual, or polyglot? Becoming a translator could be a great career for you. The more the Internet spreads across the world, the need for translations also grows. Companies are looking for translators to help them present digital material in many different languages and many different ways. This allows them to expand their reach to new markets.
Some common materials to be translated include things like webinars, case studies, tutorials, eBooks, training programs, or marketing material.
You can also consider online transcription work as your forte if you have excellent auditory comprehension skills. Transcription work includes listening to an audio or video file and typing out what you hear. There are transcription websites like Rev that need this kind of work done, and some sites will teach you how to do it if you are a first-timer.
Podcasting
Those with the gift of gab may want to get into podcasting. Podcasting has seen a lot of growth within the past few years, becoming one of the most popular ways to consume Internet content.
If you think you’ve got something important to say, or can offer a unique perspective, this could be the career for you. However, with the ever-increasing competition out there, you have to focus on providing quality content for your listeners.
Get your YouTube channel started today! Try to keep topics simple, free-flowing, unscripted, and ask interesting questions. Also, include the audience if you can.
Monetize your podcast in various ways like affiliate marketing, sponsors, advertising, or offering specialized services to your listeners.
Content creator
Influencers have become the biggest craze on the Internet. From Instagram to TikTok, there are tons of popular people creating content for their target market. If you think you’ve got what it takes, find a niche market that you enjoy and blog/vlog about it. You can also enter into brand partnerships with companies whose values align with yours to make some good money.
Another way to make money is to run ads through Google AdSense. Getting more views is the goal rather than a high follower count.
Sell your photography
Having an eye for beautiful pictures can lead you to sell your photos online. Sell your photos to stock photo sites like iStockphoto or Creativemarket. Maybe someday you’ll find your work on a popular website one day!
Sell your art or music
Artists and musicians have never had so many opportunities to make a living. Sell your art on websites like Artfire or Etsy. Or sell your music on Distrokid or Spotify.
Online courses/tutoring
Sell your hard-earned knowledge over the internet. You can teach what you know through online course websites like Skillshare or Udemy, or create your own platform.
Or are you talented at explaining things in a simple way for kids to understand? Make a small business by becoming a tutor online. There are tons of jobs to choose from. Check out Tutor.com.
Digital marketing
Sales skills are increasingly rewarding to use online. You can use this important talent by promoting someone else’s products in exchange for a commission on the sale. If you’ve already got a following on social media, this could be especially lucrative. Many influencers are flocking to affiliate marketing to gain major profits.
Or if you’d like to start your own digital business, consider content marketing or becoming a social media manager. These are important marketing outlets most businesses will pay good money to be taken care of for them. If you are familiar with search engine optimization (SEO) or have a grasp on how to promote content on various platforms, this could be a lucrative career for you.
How to Get Started as a Digital Entrepreneur
Are you ready to get your digital entrepreneurship started? Let’s discuss how to get started on your new career endeavor!
- Develop an entrepreneurial mindset: Take a hard look at your strengths and weaknesses. Figure out what ways you can leverage your strengths toward your goal. Then figure out how to improve your weaknesses or get help in those areas. Ignore negative talk and doubt while embracing your fears.
- Pick the right business for you: Do any of the career opportunities listed above resonate with you? If not, think of what you excel at, and consider how you can uniquely present it to the online world. Consider different business models that include a marketing strategy to help launch yourself.
- Establish reliable communication: If you will be having employees, you will need to be able to easily communicate with them. Figure out the best modes to keep everyone clear on the business goals. For project management consider a platform like Monday.com or Slack. For video conferencing, try out Zoom.
- Get funded: After you’ve purchased accounting software for your new business, you’ll need some funds to put in your business accounts. Consider reaching out to angel investors or venture capitalists if you need some extra cash. They are looking for promising startups just like yours. Be sure to make sure your business plan is solid before you step forward!
- Get established: To succeed, you’ll want to consider things like ads, banners, and offerings. Make sure you have a solid business name and logo, then build your online presence on all the platforms. Once you’ve found the one with the most engagement, try focusing on that platform, utilizing plenty of hashtags, and engaging with your audience. Consider building a website for a centralized location for users to see what you’re all about.
- Figure out what works: After you’ve got your online business going after a while, step back and take a look at the big picture. What seems to be working, and what is weighing the business down? Check out analytics data to see how users engage with your ads and content. Use automation whenever possible to alleviate simple tasks that take up your time. Optimize what works and toss out what doesn’t.
Become a Successful Digital Entrepreneur
If you are ready to start your own scalable business with a global reach that allows you to work from anywhere, digital entrepreneurship might be for you. There are so many opportunities online, the path you take all depends on what kind of skills you have. What are you passionate about? What gifts do you want to share with the world?
Once you’ve come up with your business idea, you’ll need to focus on developing an entrepreneurial mindset, getting a supportive network behind you, putting together a business plan, getting funded, and getting established. Once you’ve got the hang of it, step back to see what is working. Make changes as needed, and you’ll be on your way to entrepreneurial success!
