Many people dream of staying at home and building a business empire using only their kitchen table and laptop. But with the number of businesses online through the roof, it can be extremely difficult – and discouraging – to understand how to make this system work.
In the past nine years, I have helped more than 600 entrepreneurs sell their Internet businesses. Right now, I've seen incredibly creative and inspiring ideas.
Finding a unique niche may seem almost impossible, but some people still manage to become very creative. A single incident can trigger an "a-ha!" Moment in their head, and suddenly the idea takes shape before they know it. For example, an online business that was supplying people eager to bomb their enemies, for example, eventually sold for $ 85,000.
There are other "traditional" companies that are very easy to set up and maintain before it is time to sell the business. Consider these four types of online activity if you are looking for your moment "a-ha!":
SaaS companies
SaaS (Software as a Service) companies are currently one of the most popular business niches. So what exactly is SaaS? It is a website that is in the cloud and offers a service to a person or company. Users typically pay monthly or annual subscription rates for the features they need.
If you really think big, cloud providers such as Dropbox or Google Apps could be considered SaaS, but on a much more basic level, a good example of SaaS might be something that you offer full access for a together. cool, like a collection of tutorials videos, ebooks, games, etc.
Buyers love this type of business because they are heavy in terms of metrics and offer many opportunities for optimization. If you insist that most SaaS companies run on recurring revenue models, this makes SaaS activities very desirable. After all, it's a dream of any entrepreneur to have a fully automated ATM machine.
Product of the Month Clubs
Recent years have seen a proliferation of "product of the month" clubs. Sites such as TrunkClub or Bombfell offer users the benefits of convenience and access to products that they may not have tried.
These types of sites identify a need for something that is normally very inconvenient or stressful for the client. They then try to eliminate this inconvenience or stress through their services. TrunkClub or Bombfell, for example, send clothes by mail to subscribers, who try everything from the comfort of their homes. They then keep what they want and send the rest.
Now, compare that to walking in a busy mall, after work or on weekends, fighting the crowds in the stores. It's easy to see why these types of convenience-oriented sites have so much appeal.
And this is not just a garment. People can pay a little more for everything they need on a daily basis, in exchange for the convenience of having it delivered directly to their door. Some sites even offer free shipping and returns, so you do not even have to go out to the post office.
From the point of view of business acquisition, the "product of the month" clubs offer solid recurring revenue in the world of e-commerce. These are the three words that all potential buyers want to hear.
Amazon Brands
The power of Amazon as a market is indisputable: it is king when it comes to online sales, and many rivals have fallen back under the thunder of Amazon .
Amazon stores that own their own brands may pay Amazon.com for their products to be listed on the site (including internationally), while taking advantage of Amazon's delivery infrastructure. The goods are stored in the warehouses of Amazon, are eligible for delivery Prime, and Amazon takes care of packaging, delivery, returns and customer service. All for a fee, of course.
"Fulfilled by Amazon" exploits the incredible power of the Amazon Marketplace, while ensuring that the online business in question has nothing to do but collect orders and pass them on to Amazon.
Digital Education
We have recently observed an upward trend in continuing education. It is therefore easy to see why online education sites are so popular and requested by buyers. This is another example of recurring revenue, which is the dream of every entrepreneur.
The cost of "traditional" offline education can be prohibitive and can reach tens of thousands of dollars. An online course, however, can be extremely cheap if you give full access to a course for a flat fee or a recurring monthly fee. In addition, an online course is extremely flexible in the sense that a subscriber can learn in his spare time.
In addition, the material tends to be evergreen, requiring only the occasional update. This puts the focus on marketing, optimization and optimization of the experience for users, which is very attractive for growth-oriented buyers.
All that is needed is a very good idea
Of course, you can make any business attractive to buyers with the right marketing. Take the idea of the glitter bomb, for example: something so simple, but that appeals to the sense of humor of people. This intelligent marketing led to media coverage, which led to a $ 85,000 gain for the founder. And all for what? Put glitter in a box and ship it. Talk about simple.
Although the four economic models listed here are popular, they are not the only ones . If you can easily get out of the business, show a potential buyer that there is still a lot of growth to be done and that finances look good, you can evolve many other entrepreneurial ideas and sell them. also.
Author : Mark Daoust is the founder and CEO of Quiet Light Brokerage, an internet brokerage firm advising Entrepreneurs on the release of their e-commerce, SaaS, Amazon, and other web-based businesses. Mark is also the author of the recently published Ultimate Value Guide.