You are an entrepreneur and have decided to create an online business. However, no bright idea comes to mind. Your mind is like the blank sheet of a writer with creative blocking. You have thought about different options such as electronic devices, beauty items, toys, video games, even making money online, etc. But all seem highly competitive topics in which succeeding would require a lot of experience, time and resources.
Are you in need of new business ideas online? What if you leave the box? If you think about those topics that may not seem like a trend? You would be surprised how many possibilities there are to bring old issues from the past. You should explore those places that are outside the computer, in the real world. The Internet is undoubtedly a window to the world, but sometimes it can also create a tunnel vision. Turning it off from time to time is useful for refreshing ideas that you can attract when you connect again.
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Following is an interesting insight of Forbes about how people like Jeff Bezos from Amazon or Marc Benioff from Salesforce get new ideas continuously:
Old Topics, New Perspectives
When we think of a subject, we sometimes stagnate in a single possibility, the most obvious. We mentioned that one of the topics perhaps too competitive online is that of electronic items. There are a lot of sites that talk about them right? But how many sites have you found that focus on training older people in the use of such devices? There are many grandparents who may want to use them or need to do so and do not know how. That would be a good niche market.
There are many places that perhaps talk about the cultivation of plants and flowers, but how many have you found that talk about how to create a garden with colorful flowers in an apartment with poor lighting or ventilation? Would it be a good topic to investigate? Do you think there would be people interested?
Toys are a subject that is in great demand practically throughout the year. You may have seen a lot of ads all over the internet. However, how many sites could you mention that talk about toys for children with autism or Down syndrome? They are undoubtedly a sensitive population that requires attention and it would be worth dedicating to it in many ways.
The above are just some of thousands of examples of the different perspectives that we can give to issues that may sometimes be repetitive, without originality or otherwise too competitive. There in the new perspectives, there are great opportunities.
Are You Targeting Only Techies ?
There seems to be a general idea about how lucrative the technology business is in all its forms. It is an idea that has a strong livelihood because great fortunes have been forged from the sale of personal computers, smartphones, video consoles, audio equipment, etc. It is logical then that many new entrepreneurs wish to start in this field of commerce.
People who try to progress in this field have in mind that audience that loves electronic news. Each new gadget, each new edition of a device, or the emergence of a different generation with added functionalities is a new gold mine for sellers of these goods.
The problem is that they are saturated fields of very similar offers and many of the leaders in sales dominate not only the marketing, but also the inventories and the technical knowledge that gives them authority in front of such a demanding public. Success in this sector is possible, but it will require a much greater effort than in any other type of business.
Some Answers Are Offline
Internet constantly requires new ideas. You need sites that offer differentiated content and paradoxically that is sometimes achieved outside the network.
Have you thought that there are many people who do not like to read digital books? They do not have Kindle, nor do they download any books from Amazon or other platforms. They like the scent of a new book and the feeling of passing the leaves between their fingers.
There are people, many of them still who find it pleasant to write with a pen, not with the keyboard. They enjoy calligraphy with various types of dots or colors and inks.
How about those people who like to spend hours looking for new home decoration options with objects made by their own hands?
Or maybe analog watch lovers? Those who do not want to use a battery watch and less an iwatch.
Many of the things that happen in the world and will continue to happen are sometimes far from the most modern technologies and that does not imply that they have no public. You have to identify it and face them with what they are looking for.
It Happens when You Turn Off the Computer
Perhaps it would be useful to turn off the laptop from time to time and go outside with pencil and paper in hand. Then you have to observe what those people who are not immersed in their smartphones do.
What clothes do you wear? What places are they going to eat? What physical books do they read? How do they protect themselves from rain? What do they buy at the supermarket? What plays do you prefer? How do you have fun in the park? etc.
There is a whole world out there that can be left out of the vision of the information superhighway. What solutions can we offer to that world?
Millennials Enjoy Vintage Stuff
Surprisingly many millennials despite being immersed in the frontier of technology, have also turned to see the past and have found many things that they no longer knew and would like to discover at least out of curiosity.
They are young people who call attention to the music emanating from the LP’s, learn to solve the rubik cube or make a call using a disk phone. The new films about Freddie Mercury or Elthon John for example have aroused interest in the music of the 70s and some pieces of the 80s have regained popularity.
There is a large audience eager to reveal the way in which their parents or grandparents lived 40 or 50 years ago and the objects of those times that can be re-marketed are countless…
Dust Off Old Memories
But the great treasures date back not only to the recent past. Pawn Stars and other similar shows have taught us that the rarest or unlikely functions can be worth a fortune. Dusted objects, rusty toys or stacked furniture sometimes tell old epic stories that give them historical value.
The old brands that disappeared, the toys that were never unpacked, the collections with thousands of items, are just some of the assets that you might find in your attic or in a flea market.
All that you think has no value for you, can have great value for someone else. If you present it properly it becomes a relevant income opportunity and if you can do it constantly in a niche market too.
You already have the ideas, now you just need the right training to make them happen with your online business. LEARN HOW TO DO IT HERE.
Hello Tommy, I must say that this article is very helpful and informative. Definitely, starting an online business can be hard primarily because there are so many people doing the same. I can totally agree with you that we should do something different than others. I plan to start my own site soon so you gave me some great tips, thank you!
Hi Danijel, I’m glad you find the tips of this post useful. In reality, they are just a sample of millions of examples of which we can use to create valuable content on our site without getting caught up in the same ideas as always. Much success in your business!
Hello,
I was in this beginning mindset when I started. I really didn’t know where to focus. I wish I had come across this post back then. Still, there’s nothing stopping me from starting another website.
It took me a while but I settled on one of my hobbies I’m passionate about. Still, it’s very much a techie thing and I’m looking to branch out a bit with another niche.
I’m actually loving the vintage niche. There’s a lot of people these days that are “longing for better times” and a lot of these vintage items can bring back that nostalgia.
That said, I’m actually thinking of producing a site that’s all about disconnecting and enjoying the offline part of life. Reconnecting with nature, relaxing and taking a break.
Thanks again. You have some great ideas here.
Scott
Hi Scott,
I think you’re focusing in the right direction. We have labeled millennials and generations that will follow for several years as techies based on that have grown in a technological environment quite different from that of previous generations. However, perhaps for that reason, many young people are now eager to experience what it was like to live in other times. Even if only for a season with articles from those times, from paper books, toys, vinyl records, bulky devices, etc. It is also true that those same people are opting for a more natural world. One where technology is not the most dominant aspect but one more tool in their lives.
I love your post. It brings back so many memories and gives me so many ideas. Looking into the past is a great way to find a niche topic to write about. Not to mention how much fun revisiting the past sounds. Thank you for the helpful devise I know that this article will hit home to others as well.
Exactly Desiray! When you look at the objects of the past that were stored somewhere in the home, you are not only dusting antiques but also recovering ideas that many have not had a chance to know firsthand. But I also agree with you that this process also involves a lot of fun and good memories.