20 low investment, ONLINE ideas for Botswana

How can you make money this coming year in Botswana? There are many ways to do so, but by far, the most cost-effective way to do this would be online – online businesses do not require large amounts of capital to start, and the audience is global.

Let’s take a look at the list of business ideas for Botswana that’ll make you money in the coming year:

1. Dropshipping

Are you looking to sell products online but don’t have the money to buy and store inventory? Consider dropshipping! 

Dropshipping is an ecommerce business model in which you don’t have to manage any physical products. 

All you have to do is set up an online store, and partner with suppliers who’re ready to store, package, and ship orders to your customers.

One of the reasons that people are often drawn to dropshipping is that you don’t have to hold inventory. However, if holding inventory isn’t an issue – maybe there’s enough room in that spare closet – then you can also source products wholesale. 

2. Translation Services

Multilingual people are always in demand, so if you can speak two or more languages, consider starting a small business where you can monetize those skills. You can start looking for clients on websites like Upwork and Flexjobs and slowly build your portfolio. Got only a few hours to spare each day? Translation is one of the best side business ideas to pursue. As you work successfully with more and more companies, you can hire more translators who specialize in other languages to take things off your plate. It’s also a good idea to market your business on social media websites as it can help you reach a wider audience. 

3. Home-based Catering

If you have a knack for cooking and see it as a creative outlet, you can make a decent income by opening a home-based catering business. The initial investment depends much on how big you want the setup to be. For example, if you start with smaller events that you can manage on your own, you should be able to start your business for less. Most home-based caterers start by creating a website, experimenting with local food markets, or joining platforms that allow cooking experts to squeeze some profits out of their culinary skills. 

4. Virtual Assistant

One of the most successful business ideas is to offer virtual assistant services. Everyone from large enterprises to solopreneurs require help with the day-to-day management of their business. You can use your excellent organizational skills to take some weight off their shoulders. Of course, you’ll get paid for the time and effort you put into answering emails, scheduling meetings, and performing other administrative duties.

You can land your first few clients by responding to listings on platforms like FreeUp, PeoplePerHour, or Virtual Assistant Jobs. This is a proven business model as people are always looking for efficient virtual assistants. 

5. Personal Shopper

Do you often get praised for your eye for fashion trends? Are you someone who friends and family come to for clothing advice? Personal shopping can be a business that builds on those skills. Personal shoppers find clothing items for clients who are struggling to find their personal style. Duties involve evaluating your client’s wardrobe, visiting websites and picking items that will suit them. There are all sorts of products on all kinds of online clothing boutiques, so you don’t necessarily have to shop offline to get this business started. Plus, you don’t need to hold any special certification or degree to become a personal shopper. If your interests lie in business ideas with low investment, personal shopping might be the ideal route to consider.

6. Online Tutoring

If you’re an expert in art, maths, or another subject, you can start the business of online tutoring. An essential prerequisite is having a bachelor’s degree in the subject you intend to teach, so make sure to cover this area before you start. You can find online tutoring clients on sites like Skooli and Tutor.com. For the best results, always teach subjects that relate to your area of expertise because you’ll be able to share your skills and constructive knowledge to enhance your students’ knowledge experience. You can deliver lectures and interact with your students over Skype, making online tutoring one of the easiest online businesses to start.  

7. Greeting Cards

Greeting cards are always in style, so if you have a good eye for design or just love showcasing your artwork on physical items, this is one of the best creative business ideas for you. Before you can start looking for clients, you’ll need to have a handful of designs ready to go. Tools like Photoshop and Canva make it easy to create custom card designs. Additionally, you’ll need to stock up on supplies required to create greeting cards (ink, paper, etc.). Here’s a pro tip: if you want to keep costs low, buy your supplies wholesale. Once you have the inventory sorted, start generating revenue by marketing your business on Facebook, Etsy, and other similar platforms. 

You should also consider creating an online store to help you sell.

8. Content Writing

Almost every company with an internet presence needs help with creating content for product pages, blogs, etc. As such, starting a content writing or copywriting company could be one of the most profitable business ideas for you. Popular websites for finding those first few customers include Remote.co, Problogger Jobs, and BloggingPro.

You can also join content writing groups on Facebook to get more exposure for your business. There are lots of ways you can make a good impression on clients, such as by offering keyword optimization or custom graphics as part of your services. 

9. Career Coaching

With rising unemployment and a saturated job market, there’s no shortage of people needing help with finding jobs. If you have a talent for helping your friends and family find suitable employment, you can probably help others too. Consider starting a career coaching business where you help others figure out what is the best career for them, how to nail an interview, what traits define a good candidate, and more. You can look for clients in Facebook groups or on platforms like Coach.me. The best thing about this business is that you can make money by conducting 4-5 hourly sessions a month. Plus, you can coach multiple clients in a single session. If you’re looking for good business ideas that won’t occupy too much of your time, career coaching may be the right option for you. 

10. Meals-to-go

Seriously, there’s no end to the line of people who struggle to find time to cook nutritious and healthy meals. This has led to a rise in meals-to-go-businesses offering all kinds of cuisine options. You can capitalize on this trend by starting your own meals-to-go business in your city, state, or neighborhood. Contrary to the popular belief, you don’t actually need to invest in designing a large commercial kitchen. A meals-to-go business can also be managed from home.

11. Website Testing

Did you know that brands with a digital footprint hire real people to give feedback on their websites? The opinions allow them to address issues that their developers may have failed to identify. You can hire a bunch of people on a freelance basis and create your own website testing company. During projects, your employees will receive a set of questions that they need to answer as they navigate a company’s website. Through video, they’ll communicate their initial thoughts on the current user experience and how the site could be improved. You can find work through websites like UserTesting, Ferpection, and TryMyUI. 

12. Stock Photographer

If you have the ability to capture great candid moments or recently did a portrait shoot of a relative, you can become a stock photographer by registering a sole proprietorship under your name. Companies like Shutterstock, Adobe Stock and the like are always on the search for enticing images. You can get started by listing a few of your existing photos on these platforms. Once you’ve submitted your photographs, wait for people to download them. Most stock photography websites pay you a royalty for every download on their platform. Another option is to launch your own photography website and sell images directly to people, which is only viable if you have the resources to invest in marketing. 

13. Virtual Dance Studio

The upsides to a virtual dance studio are pretty obvious: you don’t need to rent a big space and it’s convenient to record, publish, and share the choreography at your own discretion. It’s even possible to give dance classes from home, making it one of the best home based business ideas to consider. Plus, there’s no limit to the number of students you can enroll in your class. To start a virtual dance studio, you’ll need to invest in a video conferencing software such as Zoom. You’ll also need high-speed internet to ensure there are no lags or buffering during the live stream. Make sure to arrange enough classes per month so that your students learn their routines fast. If you have a passion for creating your own unique choreography, you may also find opportunities to partner with dance schools to give their students access to your content on a membership basis. 

14. Instagram Consulting

If you know the secrets to Instagram engagement, consider becoming an Instagram consultant. Clients will pay you for creating engaging captions, responding to comments, creating attractive bios, and more. You can monetize these services by charging a specific rate per hour or by the project. This is the perfect business idea for digital nomads as the whole thing can be managed from a smartphone. To become a sought-after Instagram consultant, master the skill of creating killer Instagram ads that get people to engage and buy from businesses. You can get your first clients by marketing your business on Upwork and other social media platforms.

15. Video Production

According to video marketing statistics, 85% of internet users watched online video on their devices. With more and more video being watched than ever before, there’s certainly a need for people who can record, edit, cut, and publish videos. Starting a video production company, therefore, might turn out to be a lucrative business idea for you. The initial investment in this business is a basic lighting set, wireless microphones, one to two cameras (and lenses), and editing software like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro. See if you can find second-hand varieties for some of this equipment in order to reduce startup costs. You can offer to produce video content for companies’ YouTube channels, manage graduation and wedding videography, and more. While there’s no restriction to the types of projects you can do, specializing in a niche makes it easy to stand out in a busy marketplace. 

16. Software Education

Do you have acquaintances who lack proficiency in computer software? If so, you can set up your own software education business and enroll students on a monthly basis. Pupils might include entrepreneurs looking to build on their IT skills, or other small business owners looking to master software like Excel and PowerPoint. If you have the expertise, you can lead from the front by teaching most of the classes. As your business grows and more people sign up to your programs, you can hire freelance software experts to teach students based on their area of expertise. Although you can rent out space for classroom lectures, consider hosting virtual classes to keep costs low and expand your business to international markets. 

17. University Preparation

Helping high schoolers get accepted into university is a booming business worldwide. According to IBISWorld, the market size of the testing & educational support industry is $17.9 billion in 2021, so there’s a lot of money to be made if you can gain a foothold in the market. To start, pick a certain area of uni prep you’d like to run your business around. For instance, you can offer tutoring, help students brush up on practice admission essays, etc. Once you’ve narrowed your focus, it’s time to register and introduce the business to students.

18. Niche Staffing Agency

Nearly every industry has open jobs, and the employers are keen to hire the best people for their companies. Your task as a niche staffing agency is to match employees to employers in your sector of choice. Figure out what type of roles you’ll be staffing (junior? Mid-level? C-level?) so that you’re able to identify the right candidates for the position. Additionally, consider the employment terms that your agency will share with potential candidates. You can be a temporary, temporary-to-permanent, or long-term staffing agency based on the needs of the market.

19. Digital Event Planning

One of the best small business ideas is to open up a digital event planning company. In this business, you’ll plan, organize and report on digital events like webinars and online summits for different companies. Money can be made by charging an hourly fee for your service, selling sponsorships, and other things. If you ever dreamed of becoming an event planner, but never quite got time to organize anything, you can still channel your inner facilitator by planning digital events for businesses.

20. Online Surveys

Market research is critical to many companies, and hence they are willing to pay money to help them garner insight into their customers as well as their product offering.

There are many websites online which will pay you to complete tasks such as taking online surveys, playing games, watching videos, reading emails and shopping online. You can use a website like InboxDollars to find these micro-tasks to do for money.

Conclusion