Technology has significantly reduced the barriers to entry when starting a business. It is easier and less expensive than ever before to set up shop online using the amenities of a virtual office. In fact, the many cost-saving benefits that come with having a virtual office can improve yearly profits.
Over the last few years many people have turned to solopreneurship for the freedom and flexibility it provides them. No longer must they be tethered to a specific location. As Timothy Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Work Week, aptly confirms, "I've seen the promised land, and there is good news. You can have it all."
If you've been dreaming of starting your own business, here are three ideas to inspire you that can be run from a virtual office and could lead to your next big pay day.
Life Coaching
As an industry, life coaching has evolved significantly in the last five years and showcases some great online business success stories. Life coaching giants like Anthony Robbins, Marie Forleo and Deepak Chopra have all grown six figure plus empires online through a unique mix of free content and paid programs and services. Life coaching is also an industry with lots of room for newcomers: the market for life coaching continues to grow, and since no two people deliver their services in the exact same way, there will always be a way to stand out from the pack.
Accounting, Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation
From a young age, people are either good with numbers or they're not. For those who don't consider themselves good with numbers, tasks like accounting, bookkeeping and tax preparation take a back seat. But not minding their numbers could leave them with an even bigger mess. If you're savvy with numbers, there is a perpetual market for financial services like accounting, bookkeeping and tax preparation for businesses and individuals. This is a business that does not need to be geographically specific, and can be easily scaled to serve a growing global market.
Online Business Management
With more people around the world gaining access to the Internet through smart phones and computers, online business is booming. Forrester Research suggested that by 2016, more than half of the dollars spent in US retail would be influenced by the web. Businesses are seizing this opportunity left, right and center. But for smaller operations, the transition to managing an online business isn't always a smooth one.
"I see too many entrepreneurs working way too hard. Working evenings and weekends, never taking time off or having a real vacation....Their operations, systems and team - all essential for their growth - are either lacking or just patched together... which leaves them in a place of chaos and overwhelm," says Tina Forsyth, online business management expert and author of The Entrepreneur's Trap. Online business management is a growing need in the marketplace, and businesses are paying top dollar for such services. This career allows you to work from the comfort of your home office and provide services or products to multiple clients.
The days of the traditional office are numbered. Enterprises in life coaching, accounting, and online business management can be easily coordinated from a virtual office – and all of them can earn a good fee. The benefits of a solo career are numerous, but perhaps the greatest is knowing that you can make your mark on the world doing something that is meaningful to you and of service to others.