8 Things You Need to Start an Online Business

Want to know what you need to start your online business? Check out the list today. 

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What Do I Need to Start an Online Business? 

One of the coolest parts about starting an online business is that you usually don’t need a lot of money or different tools to get started. You just need something to sell, a place to sell it, and someone to sell it to. That’s pretty much it, and that’s what all of these tools help you to achieve. Check it out! 

Checklist: Must-Haves for Any Business

There are some things that you absolutely need to manage pretty much any type of online business. Your needs will depend on your business, but these are the basics.  Bonus: many of them offer free trials or even free versions!

1. A product or service. Not sure what to sell? Check out my blog post, 25 ENTRY-LEVEL WAYS TO MAKE MONEY FROM HOME! for some great ideas. 
2. A laptop or computer. I prefer a MacBook Pro but this Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is a popular choice. Amazon has easy payment plans too!
3. A website or other place to sell. I recommend Wix or Siteground. Siteground is a little cheaper, but Wix is much easier. You can also use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, or Fiverr but it’s a good idea to also have a website. 
4. A simple graphic design tool like Canva. Canva is the real MVP when it comes to doing all the things, and it’s probably the most important tool for any small business. It lets you create images for your website, social media posts, ads, and more in minutes. Plus, Canva Pro has a social media scheduler and logo creator and starts at just $10 a month. 
5. SEO tool or WordPress plug-in. SEO makes is all about helping people find you online, whether you are using your website, social media, or a platform like Etsy. An SEO tool like AIO SEO or Ahrefs Keyword Generator can help. 
6. An email provider for your newsletter. Finding customers can be tough, and it’s much easier to sell your new stuff to people who’ve already bought from you. That’s where a newsletter comes in. I currently use Mailchimp, but Flodesk is also a popular choice. 
7. Super simple video equipment, like a cellphone stand & lighting. Video is the most effective form of marketing, aka finding people to sell to. More effective equals less work, and you can get simple equipment like this for about $25.  
8. Payment system. I’ve always used PayPal for all my service-based businesses, but that will depend on the type of business you run. 

7 Cool Upgrades for Any Business

You don’t need any of these things, but having them will make your life a heck of a lot easier, so they are definitely something to consider once you start making money!

1. A social media scheduler like Tailwinds. Canva’s social media scheduler is pretty cool, but Tailwind has additional features like its Tailwinds Tribes that allow you to share your content. 
2. A premium theme on WordPress or possibly even a ShowIt template for WordPress. This will give your website a professional look. 
3. A premium SEO tool like Ahrefs (my pick) or Semrush. These tools can help you build a stronger SEO strategy and help more people find you online. 
4. A course builder like SamCart or ThriveCart. These allow you to add courses to your business for passive income
5. An invoice creator like InvoiceGenerator to make professional invoices for all your products and services. This makes it easy to bill your customers. 
6. An accounting program like Quicken to make tax season a breeze. Quicken Books allows you to keep track of all your expenses and sales. 
7. A grammar tool like Grammarly or ProWriting Aid. Grammarly and ProWriting Aid can help you minimize typos in your content and emails, so everything looks more professional 

So there you have it–all the things you need to begin your business. What type of business will you start? Drop it in the comments!