The internet is a powerhouse when it comes to business in this 21st-century era. There are currently over 4 billion internet users across the globe. That number continues to surge at an astronomical average growth rate of 1 million users daily. In Zimbabwe, approximately 7 million people use the internet which is quite a significant number. This presents enormous, endless possibilities and opportunities for making money through the internet. Professional services, digital products and information products are some of the areas of Internet-based business endeavours. Starting an internet-based business is something I highly recommend due to the relative ease and low startup funds one would need. Herein I’m discussing 10 such businesses that you can start in Zimbabwe.

E-Commerce

This is definitely the future for Zimbabwe; especially considering that we are still lagging behind in this aspect. The approaches to take are quite diverse namely, online shops, auctioning platforms or advertising platforms. You can either create a platform for others or for your own products or services. With the widespread adoption of mobile money payments (which are now easily incorporable on any website), e-commerce sites are now easy to set up locally. Take a cue from the fact that the richest person in the world right now is an e-commerce titan.

Social Media Influencing

Social media influencing is now being done through many avenues. Plus you need not necessarily be a celebrity to be a social media influencer. The key is in coming up with engaging content that can lead to significant followership on social media or the internet. Blogging and vlogging are some of the most common social media influencing strategies. You can set up accounts on the various social media platforms, bolster your followership by exceptional content generation and ultimately make big bucks. Brands will scramble to tap into your followers base and they will pay good money for that advertising space. Remember that influencing is about conversions not just following; your ability to turn your followers into sales matters more than the number of followers.

Web Development

This is definitely a lucrative business venture whose services are in demand. People are increasingly embracing the need for one to have a website. Thus, starting this business will earn you huge returns on investment. Plus gone are the days where you had to be a guru in HTML, JavaScript and the like to do web development. You can effectively start this business with very minimal knowledge of programming or coding. Popular web development platforms such as WordPress or Wix now come with easy to use drag-and-drop site builders.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is now the hotspot for business marketing. You need only acquire the skills and knowledge to effectively come up with powerful digital marketing strategies or campaigns. You can even scale up to become a digital marketing agency – the business is highly scalable. You must have in-depth knowledge of the inner-workings of social media sites and websites. You must also be well-read on the art of creating engaging content.

Social Media Management

Many individuals, groups or institutions now appreciate the need to be active on social media. However, most of them don’t have time or the expertise to come up with strategic social media campaigns or approaches. You can start a business focused on managing social media platforms for various types of clients. Services can range from tutoring, crafting strategies or the actual full-time running of their accounts.

Online News Services

You need only search for local news online to see how widespread online news media sites are now. Nevertheless, this is a business initiative that I highly recommend. With the so many day-to-day events that unfold in Zimbabwe and information asymmetry, there is an insatiable appetite for news items. You can make a name for yourself by developing a site that delivers timely, current and factual news articles. This would be more like blogging but with a sole focus on news reporting. The trick is to be reputable by being known to serve factual and not fake news.

Freelancing

If you have specialist expertise in any field then this is for you. You can set up a website or even leverage social media to publicize your diverse set of skills. The thrust will be to have interested people to hook up with you so that you do pay related work for them. You’ll be amazed at some of the easiest tasks that people would be willing to pay for you to do for them.

Graphic Design

If you’re a graphic designer you can make lots of money on the internet. The services graphic designers offer are now needed in virtually any industry you can think of. Remember digital marketing is now prevalent and graphic design plays a key role in its efficacy. With just social media profiles and past projects portfolios, you can get clients from anywhere in the world whilst seated in your home.

Software Development

With just simple things such as coding skills, a laptop and internet connection and you’re good to go. Thanks to cloud computing you can now easily share any type of files over the internet. This means without any physical meetups (but rather using virtual communications) with clients you can run a successful software development business.

Online Courses

In other countries, many people have become millionaires through this type of business. In Zimbabwe, this is something I’m seeing raking in tonnes of money for those who will dare do this. You can use social media as the click-through platform; you could also use email lists. Then you develop a website which will be the landing page. People can subscribe for modules, webinars, podcasts or purchase documents, audios or videos.

So the internet is a must-go for anyone looking to venture into entrepreneurship nowadays. Internet-based businesses involve high client reach and relatively low overhead costs. If we are to foster the growth of digitalization in Zimbabwe then we must occupy the domain of internet-based businesses. The more they sprout, the more people will appreciate them and the more we will close the gap between us and other already digitally advanced nations.