A good online business model helps you start a business, earn some extra money on the side, or travel the world while making money from your laptop. With the business models below, it's all possible. But which business model suits you best and what risks and costs are involved? We'll tell you more about the 5 smartest business models in this article.
Business Model #1: starting a business without costs using affiliate marketing
One of the business models that gets a lot of praise is affiliate marketing. Not only because it's low-threshold, but also because it's known as a passive income model. This means that with affiliate marketing, you can earn money without having to put in a lot of work every day. Once you've got this smart business model up and running, you'll even earn money while you're on vacation!
Affiliate marketing means you earn money when someone buys a product or service after you've told them about it. This often happens through blogs, but it can also happen through links on social media, like Instagram. For every sale made through your unique link, you receive a percentage. This percentage varies from a few percent (for example, on books) to 50% when you promote online courses.
Is affiliate marketing a smart business model? Yes. Is it also an easy business model? Don't be mistaken. For this business model, it's essential to have a large audience, for example, with a popular blog or a well-known social media account. Are you willing to invest time and energy into this?
Business Model #2: selling your photos
Selling photos? Yes! Do you know online platforms like Shutterstock and Pixabay? How do you think they get their royalty-free photos? Because photographers upload them! If you have a talent for photography and enjoy doing it, Google 'selling photos online' and explore the possibilities.
This is also an example of a passive income model. Once your photos are online, you might receive a nice amount of money for them every day (you get paid when someone downloads your photo). Is this smart business model for everyone? Not quite. Photography skills are a must!
Business Model #3: the ultimate digital nomad life as an influencer
Earning money as an influencer is no longer just for the select few. With the rise of new social media platforms like TikTok, your online fame can happen quickly.
Would you like to earn money while traveling? Do you see yourself receiving free products to test and promote? Be creative, come up with a cool concept that others will follow, and grow into a unique online influencer. If others can do it…
Business Model #4: taking over the world with crypto & NFT's
Of course, investing in cryptocurrencies and NFT's is also an online business model. Whether it's a smart business model depends largely on one factor: are you willing to invest a lot of time and energy into learning about the market?
Trading in crypto and the (even newer) NFT market is a profession in itself. Smart investors who got in early have seen their investments increase tenfold. Are you wondering if the world of digital currencies and transactions has already had its day? Think again!
Check YouTube for information and how-to's about investing in crypto and NFT's, and discover this bizarre, special, and promising world. Note: reckless investing is almost a guarantee of loss. Consider beforehand whether you're willing to dive into the world of digital money.
Earning Model #5: Building a Real Business with E-commerce
The above earning models are clever, but do they really help you build a solid foundation for a successful online business? The popular earning model behind e-commerce certainly does. We'd be happy to introduce you to the #1 earning model for thousands of entrepreneurs in the Netherlands and Belgium: selling via bol.com.
Have you ever explored the possibility of selling products on bol.com? With this earning model, you benefit from the unparalleled popularity and brand recognition (millions of visitors and customers) of the Netherlands' largest webshop. Plus, you avoid a lot of the hassle that comes with running your own webshop. You can even let bol.com handle shipping and customer service! Selling on bol.com, the smartest of these 5 clever earning models! :-)
Want to learn more about selling on bol.com? We've written several blogs about it. At Boloo, we have the experts, knowledge, and best tools to make you a successful bol.com seller too. Ready to take real steps in entrepreneurship? Our bol.com course teaches you exactly what you need to know.
