Are you interested in starting your own business, but you have a very small budget to start with? The idea of starting a business has long been viewed as a very expensive venture and is only a common practice among a small group of people. Thankfully, the technology era has leveled the playing field for starting a business. It is now possible to get started with very little cash. And by gaining the right knowledge and skills, you can own a very lucrative business. In this article, I have compiled a list of 4 profitable online business ideas that you can start, with just a laptop and internet access.1. Become A Website Developer.Website development has created many business opportunities over the past couple of decades. Now that there are open source platforms like WordPress, it is quite possible for anyone with a computer/laptop and an internet connection can become a website developer, even if you have basic technical skills. If you are uncertain of whether or not you are able to start a business, creating websites for clients, then a short, informal online course in WordPress can fill in the blanks and give you the confidence to offer your service to potential clients.In addition to, website development, you can offer hosting services to your clients. And no, you don’t have to own a server. You can get hosting services for very little money. You can then offer the service as part of your package for website development. This price is usually set a bit higher than what you pay for the hosting.Online business ideas like website development, don’t require that you have a business space, so if you are strapped for cash and don’t want to incur the monthly cost of an internet bill, then this is the kind of business for you. You can take your laptop to your favorite cafe shop, and make use of their free internet service. Make sure you buy something from the shop, as this will keep you and the business owner happy.2. Start An Online Store.This is one of the most lucrative online business ideas I know of. You can start a business online, selling your own products, or selling other people’s products. The clear advantage of this business model is that you are not restricted by creativity, or location. If you do not have a product, and don’t have the slightest idea how to come up with one, then you can earn huge commissions from selling other people’s product. This is one of the few online business ideas that you can start with no money.If you don’t have an online store, it would cost very little for you to set one up for yourself, or have someone set one up for you. As mentioned before, open source platforms like WordPress and Joomla makes it possible for anyone to create a website. WordPress has great support along with free plugins that can make it very easy for you to create an online store with a shopping cart and an automated checkout system.However, if the monthly cost of hosting is still above your budget, then you can make use of free e-Commerce platforms like eBay, Etsy and Amazon. There is no monthly fee to sell your products, and you only pay a small fee for listing your product.3. Become a Social Media Manager.New social media platforms are springing up all over the internet. These social media platforms have huge audiences at any given time of the day. This makes it important for businesses to create and maintain a social presence on these social media platforms if they want to be visible to potential customers.This need for a social media presence has created a new and unique business opportunity. It is very tedious to spend time creating content to add to the social media platforms. And with so many platforms to have to keep track of, it can be a full-time job.Many companies are in need of a social media manager, and you can help. This is one of the online business ideas that will not become saturated. New companies are emerging every day and need to maintain a social media presence. So you will never run short of a potential client list.It is very easy to create content and maintain a several social media accounts. You can use platforms like Hootsuite to manage several social media accounts simultaneously.You can schedule posts and content for several weeks in advance. You can then charge clients a monthly fee for managing these accounts, which will be a lot less than having to hire an employee to provide this service full-time.4. Become a Mobile App Developer.Before you decide that mobile app development is only for those individuals who have spent years or more pursuing a formal education in coding, you might want to read this.It is possible for non-techs to create mobile apps for clients with no coding skills. You can use mobile content management platforms like MAPS – Mobile Apps Productions Software.These platforms allow you to create mobile apps and publish them to the Google Play and Apple app stores. In addition to publishing the apps on the app stores, the content management platforms allow you to provide back-end access to clients so that they can manage and update their mobile apps. You can also maintain the apps on the client’s behalf and charge an additional monthly fee for management and hosting of the mobile app.More than 91% of the world’s population have a cell phone or mobile device. And as consumers become more attached to their mobile devices and more demanding of what it can provide and provide quickly, the demand for mobile apps will be even greater. More than 95% of businesses do not have a mobile app for their business. You can create a mobile app for these businesses at a price that they can afford. This is one of the online business ideas that has very little competition and huge earning potentials.Looking for More Online Business Ideas?While you may find lots of online business ideas on the internet, it is important to note that being successful in any business requires that you acquire the skills and knowledge of creating the business or service.

Tips for Online Flight BookingsBelow are some tips you can use next time you’re looking for an online travel agency to book flights online.Social Media channels like Facebook and Twitter have been game changing in the way online businesses conduct themselves and deal with their clients and prospects. Take advantage of this by checking if the online travel agency you’re interested in has a social media profile. Keep a lookout for how active they are in their social media – do they respond to their fans and followers, when did they last post and how many fans/followers do they have? In addition to social media, many online businesses will have a blog where they can ‘open up the floor’ to their followers and encourage industry related discussion. Check if the company you’re interested in has a blog and you’ll soon be able to tell whether or not they’re a suspect fly-by-night or an authentic travel company.Find out what others are saying about the online travel agency you’re leaning towards by carrying out a quick online audit. A few search engine searches and you should be able to come up with some balanced reviews and testimonials.Are they displaying airfares including taxes and fees? It’s one thing claiming to have the cheapest airfares, but many OTA’s that make these claims fall short in that their cheap flight prices suddenly skyrocket when you come to the booking page and see the total. They’re wasting your time and are not giving the online travel industry a good reputation. Save yourself time and money by finding an online travel service that displays the total cost of the flight including taxes.Internet is a faceless business and reputable online travel agencies should be easily reachable through channels other than their website. Check their website for a valid business address, phone numbers and email addresses. Some online travel agencies will have the option to chat to them directly from their website.Check that the website has a safe and secure Internet payment facility. This is usually identifiable by a clickable badge that will take you to another page that displays the security certificate.How much flexibility does the travel agency allow? In other words, how flexible are they when it comes to booking a flight online, how long do they hold the seat for you if you don’t pay immediately, what is their cancellation policy? The top online travel agencies will usually have a full customer support team and experienced travel consultants to help with any flight bookings for business and leisure travellers. Also check on the added services the OTA offers. This will usually be things like SMS itinerary reminders and travel insurance.What can you find out about the company on their website? You will usually find this information under the ‘About Us’ or ‘Company History’ sections. Avoid fly by nights and try to book with a company that is established within the online travel industry. Look out for press releases and carry out some searches on local news websites to see if they’re getting any media coverage.Finally, make sure the company you book through makes it clear what you need to bring to the airport when you fly. To get on the plane it’s usually an e-ticket (provided by the OTA), a personal identity document (passport if you’re flying internationally) and in some cases the credit card you used to make the booking (if that’s the payment channel you chose).Remember that the services an online travel agency provides are designed to make your life easier. Sought out a good one and you’ll never have to bother visiting a bricks & mortar shop ever again.

Music is of huge importance at a wedding. It sets the tone for the day, influences the mood of the guests and enhances the atmosphere of the chosen venue. A choice of acoustic guitarist or harpist to entertain the guests during the signing of the register or whilst photos are being taken will say a lot about the couple. A choice of swing band or string quartet to play during the meal will have an effect on the vibe of the reception. And a choice of DJ or indie band for the evening entertainment will make a difference to how many people get on the dance floor, depending on the type of music the couple and guests are into.Of all the preparations for the big day, the wedding entertainment is one thing that can’t be rehearsed. Speeches can be practiced in front of willing family members. Dresses and suits can be tried on. Cakes and catering can be taste tested. All these practice-runs take place to minimise the chances of catastrophe on the most important day of the bride and groom’s life. But the music is very much dependent on the equipment working, the act turning up, and the music being enjoyable for as many people as possible. How can the bride and groom know whether their chosen wedding entertainment will be worth the money and add the finishing touch to both the service and the day and evening receptions? What can be done to maximise the chances of the wedding entertainment going smoothly on the big day?Using a reputable online wedding entertainment service with a range of quality acts to choose from will ensure that any music chosen for the wedding day is reliable and professional. A wedding entertainment website has a reputation to build and maintain and will expect any acts on their books to reflect this. Apart from the obvious benefit of providing a whole host of different entertainment to choose from, drawing together a lot of acts under one roof also makes life easier for the bride and groom. Rather than trawling separate websites or chasing up adverts in wedding magazines, on a wedding entertainment website it is easy to search by genre, budget, date and location, read customer reviews for all the acts, listen to audio demo clips, watch video clips, and get a general feel for the type of performance an act will give.Having narrowed down the choice to a few acts it is important to ask plenty of questions. A good act will understand what an important decision this is and will be prepared to answer questions and provide proof of the quality of their act. Consider asking about their experience, not only how long they’ve been playing as a band, but how long they’ve been playing for weddings. They may have some previous customer reviews that could be read, or even previous customers that could be contacted. Watch their video clips or listen to their audio demos, or perhaps even ask if it’s possible to see them live. This will give an idea of what to expect on the night. Don’t forget to ask about how long their set is and how many breaks they will require and for how long. Make sure they know where the venue is and have checked all their equipment works there with plenty of time to sort out any problems. And, without wanting to tempt fate, inquire about their cancellation policy or what happens if they are sick.With this last point in mind, checking that the wedding insurance policy covers the wedding entertainment is of vital importance. Of course, there can still be last minute calamities as there can with any aspect of a wedding day. Photographers can be sick, Cakes can be dropped. Rings can be lost. Wedding insurance should cover all the most important parts of the day, including wedding entertainment, in the event of a disaster. But hopefully with all the above advice put into place there should be no need to use it. With the right preparation, and choosing the right wedding entertainment, there should be total peace of mind that this is one area that will definitely be alright on the night.For more information about online wedding entertainment services try I Do Music Ltd.