What are the best ideas for an online business?

By Omar Barraza
 
This is a rather popular question and it's tough to provide a precise answer, but here's a summary of the some answers I have shared with others:

•  If likelihood of success is a major component of best, then try a business where you have much to offer (expertise, contacts, resources, etc.) and can be very helpful to a community of people (audience).
• You should decide whether you prefer to match your offer (product, service, information, etc.) to an audience (men over 45, stay at home moms, etc.) or will choose to match an audience to your offer.
• The most common business mistake I see is thinking that everyone is a potential customer. Watch out for this.
• If you really want your business to operate exclusively online, or mostly online, you'll need to select a business model that makes this feasible. For example, business customers will rarely tolerate faceless relationships.

You can create some great ideas by making short lists of the work you enjoy most, the communities you care about, and the ways you help others. Then, imagine the outcome of connecting one item from each list to create a business. Often, the best ideas for a business include those where you can help others better than most.