Looking for real online businesses that you can start from anywhere?
Over the years, I’ve worked from so many different places – my sailboat in the Bahamas, our RV while road-tripping across the U.S., a cabin deep in the mountains, and more. And every time, I think the same thing: I’m so glad I started an online business.
If you’ve ever dreamed of working for yourself and running a small business, setting your own hours, or even traveling while you work, starting a real online business might be one of the best things you can do. There are so many flexible and legitimate ways to earn money online, and the best part is – you can do it from anywhere in the world.
You don’t need a big budget to get started, either. Many of the ideas below can be started with just a laptop and Wi-Fi. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, digital nomad, or just looking for a change, these real online businesses can give you the freedom you’re looking for.
22 Real Online Businesses You Can Start From Anywhere
Yes, these are real businesses that you can start and run from anywhere in the world, even your couch.
Recommended reading:
- How To Decide What Business To Start in 8 Simple Steps
- How To Start a Business With No Money (Here’s How I Did It)
1. Blogging
Starting a blog changed my life – literally. It started as a fun side project, and now it’s grown into a full-time income that has supported our travels and helped me save for early retirement.
For me, it is my favorite way to work online from anywhere.
Blogging is a real business that can earn money through income streams like:
- Affiliate marketing
- Display ads
- Sponsored posts and sponsorships
- Digital product sales
How to get started blogging:
- Pick a niche you’re passionate about (like personal finance, food, travel, parenting, etc.).
- Start a WordPress blog with a host like Bluehost (I have a tutorial here).
- Write useful, helpful blog posts for your readers.
- Learn about the many different ways to grow your blog. One of my favorite ways is Pinterest, which you can learn about here – How I Use Pinterest To Get Blog Traffic and Make a Full-Time Income.
Blogging can take time to grow, but once you get traffic and start monetizing, it can turn into a semi-passive income stream. And yes, you can blog from anywhere with an internet connection.
Plus, you can learn how to start a blog in my free How To Start a Blog Course.
Here’s a quick outline of what you will learn:
- Day 1: Why you should start a blog
- Day 2: How to decide what to write about (your blog niche!)
- Day 3: How to create your blog (in this lesson, you will learn how to start a blog on WordPress)
- Day 4: The different ways to make money with your blog
- Day 5: My advice for making passive income with your blog
- Day 6: How to get pageviews
- Day 7: Other blogging tips to help you see success
2. Selling printables or digital products
Printables are a fun and low-cost way to make money online.
You can create planners, budgeting sheets, homeschool materials, checklists, wedding signs – really anything that someone can download and print.
I buy printables all the time, and I know several people who sell printables while traveling around the world.
Once your product is created, you can sell it over and over again without doing much extra work, which makes it a great way to make semi-passive income.
You can learn more at How I Made $6,161 in Just 4 Months With a New Etsy Printables Shop.
Free Training: Earn Money Selling Printables
Do you want to make money selling printables online? This free training will give you great ideas on what you can sell, how to get started, the costs, and how to make sales.
3. Remote cleaning business
Yes, you can run a local cleaning business, completely online. This is because you can hire independent cleaners in your area and manage everything from your laptop or phone (such as bookings and finding cleaners).
How it works:
- Set up a website for bookings
- Find trustworthy local cleaners (via referrals, job boards, or flyers)
- Schedule clients and send cleaners to the job
- Handle payments and customer service virtually
This is a great semi-passive business if you want to run something real but not do the physical work yourself.
You can learn more at How To Start a Remote Cleaning Business and Make $100,000+ Each Year.
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How To Start a Remote Cleaning Business Webinar
Want to learn how to start a remote cleaning business? This free training will help you get started.
4. Proofreading or editing services
If you have an eye for grammar and spelling, proofreading can be a great online business to run from anywhere.
Proofreaders check for grammar, punctuation, formatting, and consistency. They can work with bloggers, authors, students, and businesses.
You can find proofreading and editing work on Upwork, Fiverr, and by directly reaching out to business owners.
Also, there is a FREE 76-minute workshop where all of the most common questions about becoming a proofreader are answered. You can sign up for free here.
You can learn more at 20 Best Online Proofreading Jobs For Beginners (Earn $40,000+ A Year).
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Proofread Anywhere
This free 76-minute workshop answers all of the most common questions about how to become a proofreader, and even talks about the 5 signs that proofreading could be a perfect fit for you.
5. Social media management
Many business owners need help managing their Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, or other social media accounts. If you love social media and understand how to grow an account, this can be a fun online business.
Examples of tasks that you might do include:
- Plan and schedule posts
- Create graphics
- Respond to comments
- Analyze engagement stats
- Brainstorm campaign ideas
You can find clients by selling services locally, reaching out to small business owners, networking online, or on sites like Upwork and Fiverr.
6. Print On Demand
Print-on-demand (POD) is where you sell custom-designed products like T-shirts, mugs, and tote bags without actually having any inventory or doing the printing yourself.
When someone orders, the item is printed and shipped by a third party. That means no storage, no shipping, and low startup costs. Instead, you would be creating the design, such as the graphic or the words (like funny quotes) that go on a T-shirt.
Popular POD platforms include Printify, Printful, Redbubble, and Teespring.
You don’t have to be an expert designer either – Canva makes it easy to create simple, sellable designs.
You can learn more at How I Make $7,500 Monthly Selling Print-On-Demand Gifts.
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Make Money With Print-On-Demand Free Workshop
Want to learn how to make money selling print-on-demand products on Etsy? Check out this free workshop and learn how Emily made $500,000 in just two years.
7. Online course creation
Creating an online course is a great way to turn what you know into income. Whether you’re great at organizing, budgeting, painting, parenting, or something else, there’s probably a topic that you can teach about.
How to get started:
- Choose a topic you know well. You can start by thinking about topics that your friends and family may ask you for advice on already.
- Outline what you’ll teach step-by-step.
- Record videos or write lessons.
- Upload to platforms like Teachable, Thinkific, or Kajabi.
Learn more at How I’ve Made Over $1,000,000 From My First Course Without a Big Launch.
8. Bookkeeping
You don’t need to be an accountant or have a degree to start a bookkeeping job, so please continue reading before you skip this one!
A bookkeeper is someone who helps manage and track the financial side of a business. They usually handle tasks like recording income, tracking expenses, organizing receipts, managing invoices, and creating basic financial reports.
Many small business owners hire bookkeepers because they don’t have time to do it themselves or because they don’t like dealing with numbers.
You can sign up here for a free training that will teach you more about how to become an online bookkeeper and work from anywhere.
Recommended reading: How To Find Online Bookkeeping Jobs As A Beginner
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Bookkeeper Launch Course
This free training will teach you what you need to know to become a virtual bookkeeper and make money from home.
9. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of my favorite ways to earn online, and it’s how I make a large portion of my income each month.
With affiliate marketing, you earn money by recommending products or services and earning a commission when someone makes a purchase or signs up through your link.
You can include affiliate links in places like:
- Blog posts
- Email newsletters
- YouTube, Facebook, or TikTok
Recommended reading: What You Need To Know About Affiliate Marketing For Beginners
10. Translating
If you’re fluent in more than one language, translation is a flexible online business that you can start from anywhere.
Businesses, websites, and publishers need content translated into different languages, and you can get paid well for this skill.
You can get paid to translate things like:
- Blog posts
- Books
- Legal or medical documents (with proper certification)
- Subtitles for videos
And so much more.
You can start small by selling your services on freelancing platforms or by building your own client list.
11. Transcription
Transcription involves listening to audio and typing what you hear. This can be done in flexible chunks of time and doesn’t require talking to anyone, which is great for introverts!
Some things that need to be transcribed include:
- Podcasts
- YouTube videos
- Business meetings
- Legal or medical recordings (with extra training)
You can charge more for fast turnaround or accuracy, so fast typing skills really help!
Recommended reading: 18 Best Online Transcription Jobs For Beginners To Make $2,000 Monthly
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FREE Workshop: Is a Career in Transcription Right for You?
In this free training, you will learn what transcription is, why it’s a highly in-demand skill, who hires transcriptionists, how to become a transcriptionist, and more.
12. Write your own book
Writing and publishing your own book is more doable than ever. You don’t need a publisher – platforms like Amazon KDP make it easy to self-publish.
Some book ideas include:
- Personal finance
- Travel s