The world is changing and more of us than ever are wanting to say goodbye to the 9-5 and ditch the commute. If you’re thinking about starting a new digital business from home, you might be wondering where to start and what your options are.
If you are going to be considering a business online from home, then you need to ensure that you have the right managed IT services supporting you. Your business depends on it and your customers will, too, as data security is always in the spotlight!
Here are seven digital careers or businesses you could start from home.
1. Virtual assistant
With so many of us looking to start a business or embrace a better work-life balance, the need for virtual assistants has risen considerably. This means it’s the perfect time to dive into this as a business idea or career option.
Virtual assistants (VAs) are the digital version of a personal assistant. At their most traditional, VAs handle administrative and organisational tasks that you might hire a PA or admin assistant for – like arranging meetings, managing emails and assisting with paperwork.
Some virtual assistants have specialised in specific areas. You’ll find lots of virtual assistants that can handle social media management, blogging, simple web design and graphic design. If you have digital skills but don’t know which route you’d like to go down, this could be a good starting point for you.
2. Blogger
It’s no secret that I love blogging and think it’s a wonderful digital career. While you won’t make millions and it’s a tough journey at the start, having your own blog can be a really rewarding way to make money online.
Bloggers are digital creators that run their own blog or website. They publish new content on it regularly, with writing and photography often taking up a lot of their time. It doesn’t stop there though – bloggers need to master lots of skills to take their blog to a profitable place. These skills include social media, search engine optimisation (SEO), pitching to brands and daily admin. You can also make money through advertising, sponsored content, selling merchandise, or selling courses or eBooks through a payment gateway.
If you’re looking to make money quickly, blogging may not be the best option for you. However if you can dedicate time, love and energy over a longer time period it can pay off in the long run.
3. Copywriter or content writer
There’s an ever-growing demand for expertly written copy and content, which means plenty of opportunity for budding writers. If you enjoy writing but don’t want to run your own blog, consider starting a new career as a copywriter.
Copywriters and content writers both create written content for brands, businesses and agencies. Copywriters tend to specialise in advertising or sales copy, like landing pages or advertising campaigns. Content writers often spend their time writing blog posts and website copy.
One of the best ways to find work as a copywriter is to find your niche. Specialise in either a type of copy (e.g. blog posts, website copy, print ads) or an industry (e.g. technology, arts, parenting) and become the go-to writer for those in need.
You’ll need great writing skills and a willingness to go out there and earn business to be a profitable copywriter, but there are plenty of resources out there to help you learn.
4. Social media manager
We all spend so much time online these days that there’s no shortage of businesses looking for help with their social media. If you know your memes and want to experience the kudos of managing a great social media account, becoming a social media manager could be perfect for you.
Social media managers look after a brand’s social media accounts and keep them running smoothly. Their role might involve creating new content, curating user content, replying to comments, fielding customer support requests and thinking of creative content ideas.
This is a great digital business idea if you’re creative and love to experiment with social media. If you have design skills or experience of growing a social media account then even better. With the right clients, you’ll have the freedom to try new things and achieve real growth for them.
5. Paid ads specialist
Alongside organic social media there’s a growing demand for talented professionals that know Facebook Ads and Instagram campaigns inside out. For real digital experts with experience in running high-performing campaigns, you could specialise as a paid ads expert.
As a paid ads specialist you’ll be the go-to person for setting up, running and analysing digital ad campaigns. You’ll pull everything together – from the ad copy to the imagery and targeting. Most of these paid ads will be social media ads, but you might also get involved in website advertising too.
Running paid ads can be trial and error at times, especially if you’re new to it. Run some test campaigns for yourself to build your knowledge and confidence, then set out there to become a helpful and profitable paid ads specialist.
6. SEO manager
Almost everyone uses search engines to find new products, solve ideas and seek out inspiration for their everyday lives. This means there’s a huge need for people who know all about search engine optimisation (SEO) and how to work it in a business’ favour.
SEO managers or experts know their way around how to optimise a website for search engines, so it has a better chance of ranking in the top few results. They might offer a range of services or specialise in off site, on site or technical SEO. Their day might involve speeding up a slow website, building backlinks for a client or revisiting website copy to make sure it’s optimised.
There are a lot of people offering SEO services, and businesses can be wary of who to trust. I’m sure you’ve all seen those spammy emails in your inbox. Stand out from the crowd by knowing your stuff and offering businesses a real, valuable service to help them get visible online.
7. Website designer
There’s no shortage of people starting businesses these days, and almost all of them are going to need a website. If you enjoy working with websites but writing or SEO isn’t your thing, how about starting a new career as a web designer?
Web designers plan, create and build websites for businesses, brands and agencies. They work with clients to turn an idea into a fully-functioning website, ready to welcome visitors and customers. This includes designing wireframes, writing code and bringing content together into a finished package.
Like with SEO, there’s a whole industry of cheap and cheerful web designers out there who create less than stellar results. Don’t be like them. Instead, think of an angle that makes you different and create stunning websites that are both functional and creative.
Remember, as a digital business owner it’s incredibly important to protect the online safety of your company and your employees. Although, you may just be starting out with your new digital business idea, you could scale and grow very quickly, which leaves your business vulnerable to cyber attacks and security breaches. Make sure all of your hard work is kept safe and sound with a cyber essentials scheme and take every available business to safeguard your business from cyber threats. Usually, cyber attacks can happen very unexpectedly and are very simple to achieve if you don’t have the right measures in place. Once you have launched your digital business, it’s important to look into safety and security so that you can focus on growing and improving your business over time.
Which digital career are you most interested in?
Which of these digital business ideas has you wanting to know more? Let me know in the comments!
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