50 Online Business Ideas: Product Ideas You Can Sell Online

Looking for online business ideas and product ideas that you can sell online? You’ve come to the right place. We have our ear to the ground when it comes to all things ecommerce, so we have an idea of what’s selling well online and what kind of products are currently on the upward swing.

Whether you’re looking for online business ideas without investment or online business ideas to run from home, there are some great options on this list. Even if you’re looking for online business ideas for students or simply just the best online businesses to start this year — you’ll find some great ideas that you can turn into successful online businesses.

Not only will this post give you lots of great online business ideas, but if you’re looking to actually source some of these product ideas so you can start selling them online, then take the next step and check out our directories. This is where we got some of the ideas for this post — from the suppliers that are currently already making these products available to business owners.

• Dropshipping Suppliers Directory
• Clothing Manufacturers Directory
• Manufacturers Directory
• Wholesale Suppliers Directory
• Private Label Manufacturers Directory

Interested in 50 great online business ideas you can sell online right now? Let’s jump into it.

50 Online Business Ideas: Product Ideas You Can Sell Online

Planners & Journals

One of the online business ideas you can launch this year are planners, journals, and notebook products. This product tends to peak around July when people begin searching for planners for the upcoming year. Whether you create a gratitude journal or a work planner, there’s an abundance of the types of products you can create in this niche.

• To learn all about how to start a planner business, click here to check out our full blog post on it

Fragrances

North America is the largest global market when it comes to fragrance products and in 2021, the global fragrance market was worth 33.5 billion — by 2027 it’s estimated to be worth over 47.6 billion (Source). With more and more small brands creating their own fragrances, it’s not just a product left for celebrities and superbrands to develop — anyone can create their own fragrances with the right know-how.

If you’re looking for a product idea in the personal care industry, consider creating perfumes, colognes, home fragrances, or hair fragrances (yes, that’s a thing!). Just be aware that shipping some fragrances like perfumes and colognes can come with challenges as they may not be able to ship by air, so make sure to do your due diligence to ensure you can ship worldwide if you want to sell to the global market.

• For an introductory look into perfume notes and how to make perfumes, check out The Easiest Way to Make Perfume by WikiHow

Niche Food & Beverage Products

Whether it’s your famous hot-sauce recipe or grandma’s favorite cake recipe, you can make your own food and beverage products and sell them to the masses. Find a food manufacturer to turn your bespoke products into sellable items, or even source food and beverage products from wholesalers and private labelers. The world’s your oyster with this home business idea! (No pun intended.)

• Check out the FDA’s website for helpful information about how to start a food business

Sustainable & Earth-Friendly Products

The topic of sustainability is big right now, and consumers are looking for products that will help them live a more eco-friendly life. Whether it’s reusable bags, non-plastic straws, biodegradable single-use coffee cups, or even beeswax “plastic” wrap, consumers are open to trying new and innovative products if it will mean living a more sustainable life. Think of all the products you use on a daily basis that aren’t sustainable or reusable and find a way to make a similar product that is. Not only do eco-friendly online business ideas have a profitable market to tap into, but you can feel good about working towards a good cause.

• Check out Spocket’s post on the Top 10 Sustainable Products to Sell

Sunglasses & Glasses

Sunglasses are the type of product ideas that are relatively easy and inexpensive to source and they’re small to ship which means you’ll incur less in shipping costs. Plus, they’re also highly brandable which makes them a great contender for entrepreneurs looking to start a new business. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with this business idea, you can just take the technology that already exists for sunglasses and glasses products and create cool frame designs that will appeal to your target market. Online business ideas like sunglasses are a good seasonal niche product as they’re often purchased in spring and summer. Many sunglasses businesses choose to sell other accessories or winter seasonal products so that they can capitalize on sales year round. Remember, that you can always start with a single product and expand into other verticals as your sales grow.

• To kick off your sunglasses brand, try your hand at designing sunglasses products first! Check out this Free Sunglasses Designing PDF Kit to get started

Haircare Products

Haircare is a personal care sector that’s picking up steam right now as consumers are becoming more aware of the types of products they’re using in their haircare routines as well as the types of ingredients that are in their products. There are so many different consumer niches within the haircare industry — like consumers with color-treated hair, curly hair, thin hair, or struggling with hair loss, etc. — that you can pick a niche and create hair care products specifically for that niche if you’re looking for online business ideas related to the hair industry.

• Check out this WikiHow article on How to Create a Haircare Line to learn the basics of hair product manufacturing

Protein Bars & Energy Bars

Online business ideas like protein bars and energy bars have been growing in popularity for years. They tend to peak around the new year when people are investing in their health and fitness full-force. However, they’re still popular nearly the whole year except December, according to Google Trends. Product ideas you can create include sugar-free protein bars, diet-based bars, such as keto, paleo, gluten-free, and flavored based on consumer’s favorite snacks, such as cookies and cream.

• Create your own protein bars or energy bars with YouBar!

Homewares

There are so many different types of homeware products you can sell online, including pillows, towels, bedding, throws, vases, lamps, dishes, furniture, tiles, etc. so if you’re looking for home-related online business ideas, look no further. You can manufacture your own homewares, find wholesale suppliers, or even dropship some homeware products!

• For a wide range of different homeware products you can dropship, check out Gooten

Fake Flowers

While flower shops typically sell online locally, you can also choose to sell fake flowers as your online business idea. Whether you sell luxurious silk, plastic, or fabric flowers is up to you. Consider making bouquets or centerpieces for weddings as 2022 is set to be the ‘biggest year in the wedding industry.’ You can also choose to sell items, such as artificial flower petals, which can be sold around Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or for special events like proposals or weddings. You can expand your fake flower business by selling DIY items, arts and crafts products, or wedding accessories. The possibilities are limitless.

• Source custom fabric flowers from industry experts M&S Schmalberg

Everyday Carry Products & Small Leather Goods

Everyday carry (EDC) products and small leather goods (SLGs) are those small items you carry with you every day that you don’t usually think about but are actually really useful. Think wallets, keychains, laptop bags, pocket knives, bottle openers, money clips, etc. There’s a passionate niche around these products and consumers look to spend good money on high-quality, beautiful, and well-designed versions of these items.

• Work with local craftspeople and leatherwork shops in your area to create bespoke products for your business

Phone Cases

Phone cases are a stable online business idea you can invest in with low product costs and good retail value. Whether you’re creating custom designs or re-selling popular designs via dropshipping, the opportunities for selling phone cases are abundant. You can sell phone cases dropshipped using Spocket or design them yourself using Printful. These small products are easy to ship, making them a simple product idea you can launch today.

• Head over to our How to Make Phone Cases to Sell Online article to learn more.

Pet Products & Accessories

People spend a lot on their pets, and there are so many different kinds of pet products out there that you can sell online. Whether you want to design your own pet products like our readers Tuft & Paw do (head over to our case study on Tuft & Paw to learn about their pet product business), or create pet accessories like collars and leashes, or even dive into the pet food industry — there are lots of different pet product online business ideas out there. Think about what pets use and need, or what products would make pet owners’ lives easier. In the past couple of years, 3.2 million pets were bought making this online business idea a viable option.

• Check out our article on How to Make Pet Products for more information

Books & Stationery

Books and stationery products aren’t dying out yet — even though the online world has impacted these industries slightly, people still like reading physical books and writing things down on paper. If you’re passionate about books or stationery products, manufacture your own goods or find wholesale or dropshipping products related to these industries.

• Check out our article on How to Make Ebooks if you want to keep things digital

Art, Prints & Posters

Art is an in-trend online business idea. As more people invest in their home renovations, home decor is becoming more popular. One of the most popular products to sell in the home decor is art. Using unique photographs or even stock photos, you can sell wall art using a website like Gooten, which also ships your art directly to your customers. Whether you’re a graphic designer, photographer, or have a knack for finding great designs or photography, starting an online art business is within your reach.

• Check out Printful to get your art, prints, and posters made and distributed to your customers, and check out our article on How to Sell Photos and Art Online for more information

Fabrics

Not only can your art be printed onto canvases or posters, but it can also be printed onto fabrics. This is a pretty niche business idea, but there’s a market for fabric-buyers out there whether they’re looking to make clothing products, home goods, or anything else that requires fabric, so conduct your due diligence and see if there’s potential for your designs in the fabric world.

• Check out this post on the basics of how to make different types of fabrics

Fitness Products

The fitness industry is booming right now and consumers are looking for fitness-related products to meet their exercise demands. Products like fitness bands, mats, gloves, towels, water bottles, running shoes, gym bags, athletic gear, etc. are all in-demand right now and they’re products you can manufacture, wholesale or dropship. Fitness products are most commonly purchased around January when the resolutioners are prioritizing their health goals. You can partner with fitness influencers, bloggers, and other fitness enthusiasts to promote your products.

Camping, Outdoor, & Safety Gear

There’s a steady market for camping gear, outdoor products, and safety gear, so if that’s a niche market you’re interested in then find online business ideas based around what you would want to see exist. Products like tents, sleeping bags, portable solar panels, outdoor cooking wares, camping apparel, outdoor shoes, first-aid kits, and more are all viable products to sell online within this niche.

• Source camping products from suppliers in our Dropshipping, Manufacturers, or Wholesale Suppliers directories

Makeup

The easiest way to spot popular online business ideas is to look towards what celebrities and influencers sell. Many popular celebrities have been creating makeup lines. Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and many popular YouTubers have created their own lines. While the makeup industry is highly competitive, it also means that there’s a large audience as well. The makeup industry is expected to be worth $716 billion by 2025 up from $483 billion in 2020.

• Makeup kits and lip kits tend to be the product ideas with the most potential

Clothes

Clothing is always a popular business idea and the clothing industry isn’t going anywhere soon. You can manufacture your own clothing products or you can curate clothing products from different wholesale suppliers to create your own online boutique, or you can even dropship clothing products (and other products!) like t-shirts, leggings, dresses, shorts, and swimwear from suppliers like Printful.

• Check out our How to Start a Clothing Line blog post for more information

Crystals

Crystals are definitely a trending product right now, but they’re majorly in-demand by people interested in their healing properties and/or decorative appeal. Selling crystals in their raw form is one business idea, or thinking of ways to incorporate crystals into other products or accessories.

• To get started, educate yourself on the different types of crystals and the different healing qualities they’re believed to have

Personalized Products

Consumers love personalized products, and personalizing all types of products from water bottles to pens holiday accessories like ornaments or stockings are all in-demand at the moment. Think of the products that consumers in your target market would love to have personalized and find a way to make that a reality for them.

Jewelry

Starting a jewelry business can be extremely lucrative, and there’s so much freedom to create the kind of products you want to exist. Either make jewelry products yourself, source them from wholesale suppliers, or work with a manufacturer to create your specific designs for you.

• Our article on How to Start a Jewelry Business has everything you need to know to get started

Skincare

Skincare is a huge business, and niche skincare brands that meet consumer demands have a lot of potential to build a passionate audience. You can source skincare products through manufacturing, private labeling, and wholesaling but if you’re interested in creating skincare products, make sure to research and understand the laws and regulations both in your area and globally so you meet all the requirements. Shipping skincare products can also come with some special rules and regulations, so be sure to look into that, too.

• To develop or source skincare products, check out suppliers from our Dropshipping Suppliers Directory, Manufacturers Directory, Wholesale Suppliers Directory, or Private Label Manufacturers Directory

Shapewear

Sara Blakely recently sold a majority of her shapewear company making her a billionaire. Kim Kardashian has also recently created a shapewear brand called SKIMS. Shapewear has been a popular product for a few years making it a viable option for anyone looking to invest in helping women showcase their silhouettes.

• Learn How to Source Products from Chinese Manufacturers if you’re looking to try out this online business idea

Shoes

Another steady online business idea that’s not going anywhere, if you have shoe designs that will appeal to your target market, then why not create a shoe brand! There are all types of shoe products out there that you can create your own versions of with a manufacturer, or source shoes via wholesalers or even dropshippers to sell directly to your customers.

Hair Extensions

Hair extensions are a popular hair accessory that give the appearance of longer and fuller hair. This online business idea has great margins allowing you to earn a sizable profit. You can promote this online business idea by creating YouTube videos around hair tutorials, selling your brand to local salons, or partnering with influencers who highlight your hair extensions with their followers on social media.

• Check out this StarterStory on how Private Label Extensions started a $650k/month hair extensions business

Board Games & Card Games

There’s a passionate market of board game lovers out there and the great thing is that there’s usually always room for another board game or two in everyone’s collection. Taking the time to make up a board game that appeals to a niche or target market can be a lucrative business idea.

• Check out this StarterStory on how the founder of Facade Games turned his love of games into a successful online business idea

Cardboard

The term “cardboard” gets approximately 229,000 monthly searches around the world according to Ahrefs. With ecommerce sales drastically growing and expecting to grow in coming years, product packaging sales will also be on the rise. Selling cardboard boxes can be a highly viable industry for those looking to capitalize on the ecommerce trend. Beyond ecommerce, cardboard can also be used for packing boxes when people move or store items.

• To learn more about this check out The Ecommerce Guide to Shipping Boxes: Shipping Boxes and Mailing Envelopes 101

Watches

This is another home business idea that’s becoming more and more saturated as time goes on, however, there’s still potential to break through and become a top player in this industry if you listen to your target audience and make the kind of watch products they’re looking for. Consider everything that your niche audience wants from their watches and create watches that meet their needs.

• For everything you need to know to get started, check out our post on How to Start a Watch Brand

Swimwear

Swimwear is a steady market that has the potential to be “niched down” to appeal to targeted consumer groups. If creating swimwear products appeals to you, think about how the designs, fabrics, appearance, and functions of your swimwear products can be created to appeal to certain consumer demographics. Since swimwear is a highly saturated industry, narrowing your focus will help you stand out and survive in the marketplace. This seasonal product can be supplemented with winter accessories so you can sell products year round. You can also create an accessories, clothing, or beach-themed store, so you can expand your store into other verticals.

• Design your own swimwear and dropship it to your audience with Printful’s swimwear range

Snacks & Candy

Consumers love to snack, we don’t have to tell you that! New snacks and candy are always welcome in the food industry, and snacks that meet dietary preferences or restrictions have the potential to build passionate followings around them. Also, consider whether your snack or candy products could be made with local ingredients to increase the appeal within your local area.

• Reference the Food & Beverage section of our Manufacturers Directory to find suppliers that develop snacks and candy products

Cleaning Products

With cleaning products picking up steam all over the world, the growing interest in this market is calling for new and innovative products to meet consumer demand. Pay attention to what consumers want from their cleaning products and look at cleaning products and trends in other parts of the world to see if you can bring those product ideas or trends to your area. There’s so much potential in this industry and if it’s something you’re interested in, there are lots of online business ideas to be brought to life here.

• Learn how to make cleaning products with this WikiHow article

Home Improvement

Home sales keep climbing and so do renovations. Selling home improvement is a great online business idea for 2022. You can sell popular product ideas such as wood, drywall, door knobs, light switches, floor boards, tiles, and much more.

• Also think about complementary product ideas that go along with home renovations, such as mirrors for home gyms, fireplaces, shower and bathroom fixtures, and more

Kids Toys

Toys are an online business idea that is here to stay. Consumers are most likely to search for toys around November and December during peak holiday shopping. However, there are always new trending toys that go viral on TikTok and Instagram, such as slime. Your toy store can be divided by different age groups as many parents shop for toys based on their child’s age. Promoting your toys using influencers or viral content can help you capitalize on sales during the holiday rush.

• Check out our Manufacturers Directory, Wholesale Suppliers Directory, or Private Label Manufacturers Directory to find toy manufacturers and suppliers

T-Shirts

Starting a t-shirt business is a great first step if you’re looking to get your feet wet in ecommerce and learn the ropes — that’s how so many entrepreneurs started their first online businesses. It’s a pretty saturated market so you’ll have to have a passionate audience or really unique designs to stand out.

• If you’re looking to start a t-shirt business, read up on how our founder started and launched his t-shirt business in 24 hours here.

Handbags, Bags & Backpacks

This is another steady market that has so much potential for different designs and product variations. Plus, there are so many different innovations that can be made to these products to suit different types of users so take that into consideration when making or manufacturing your own handbag, bag, or backpack products.

• See Printful’s assortment of bag products you can customize and sell online here

Tools, Automotive Parts & Accessories

Household tools like hammers, nails, and screwdrivers or automotive parts and accessories are items you can sell online. If this is an industry you or your audience is interested in, either work with manufacturers to create your own innovative or user-friendly products or find these types of products via wholesalers.

• Find tool and automotive suppliers in our Manufacturers Directory, Wholesale Suppliers Directory, or Private Label Manufacturers Directory

Socks

Socks are another steady market that can be made to suit so many different consumer niches, so if you have interesting artwork or innovative sock designs, you’ll be well on your way to competing in this saturated market. These cozy accessories are most commonly sold during November and December and make great stocking stuffers (pun intended). Given their small size and low cost to manufacture, this can be a lucrative and easy business to run from home.

• Check out Printful to design and print your own custom sock products

Digital Products

One of the online business ideas you can invest in is digital products. That can take the form of ebooks, teacher resources, budget spreadsheets, online courses, stock photography, graphic designs, and so much more. Digital products typically cost your time instead of a financial investment, allowing you to earn more profitably. 

• If you’re interested in learning more, consider reading this How to Sell Digital Products Online guide

Gardening & Outdoor Products & Accessories

There are all sorts of gardening-related and outdoor product ideas you can sell online such as plant pots, gloves, watering cans, hammocks, umbrellas, chairs, etc. so if you’re looking for seasonal products to sell to plant-enthusiasts or outdoor-loving consumers, this could be a niche area to look into further.

• Find suppliers of gardening and outdoor products in our Manufacturers Directory, Wholesale Suppliers Directory, or Private Label Manufacturers Directory

Gift Wrapping

This might be a niche product idea and one that’s often overlooked, but it’s no secret that the gift wrapping industry is a big one and consumers spend money on gift wrapping that appeals to them. Think about your target audience and what they’re drawn to aesthetically — is it bold colors, sleek designs, neutrals, patterns, etc.? — and create gift wrapping products that they’ll love.

• For a complete look at the gift wrap manufacturing process, check out this post

Holiday Decorations

If you live in the suburbs, you might notice that neighbors decorate the outside of their homes for Halloween and Christmas. Selling holiday decorations, such as lawn stakes, lighting, inflatables, or even indoor accessories for the home, such as Christmas trees, can be an excellent online business idea.

• Check out this list by Curated Interior on a list of Christmas decorations you could sell

Luggage & Suitcases

With the major success that has been Away suitcases, this business idea had to be featured on this list. Consumers are interested in traveling in style, so creating practical luggage that meets the needs of consumers is a viable market to get into right now. Think about how you can innovate within the luggage space to make traveling easier for consumers.

• After a few years of being unable to travel, many believe 2022 will be all about ‘revenge travel’ making luggage a great product idea.

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

The non-alcoholic beverages market is on the upswing right now as consumers become more interested in consuming less or no alcohol, so as a result, non-alcoholic beverages like alcohol-free beer, wine, and cocktails are on the rise. The good news about this from a business perspective is that there’s likely much less red-tape surrounding the sales and shipping of non-alcoholic beverage products than there is around the alcoholic kind, which means it’s easier for you to do business.

• Reference the Food & Beverage section of our Manufacturers Directory to find suppliers to create non-alcoholic beverages

Organizational Products

As consumers lean into minimalism and strive towards more organized spaces, products that help them achieve that are in-demand. Organizational products like drawer organizers, cupboard organizers, organizational systems, desk organizers, standing organizers, stacking boxes, etc. are all product ideas that consumers are using to make their spaces clutter-free and more functional.

Belts

A solid product idea that’s stood the test of time, belts are a steady business idea to think about selling if you’re interested in the accessories market. It’s definitely a saturated market so you’ll have to create a product that stands out in consumers’ minds but if you can create a unique, high-quality, or functional belt product then you have a chance at measuring up to the competition.

• Find local leatherworkers and craftspeople in your area to create belt products for your brand

Hats

Hats are a tried-and-true accessory and there are so many different variations out there whether it’s beanies, toques, fedoras, ballcaps, bucket hats, etc. — there’s a hat product to suit any niche. Work with manufacturers to create your own hat designs from scratch or source hats from wholesalers or dropshippers to bring your hat online business ideas to life.

• Check out Printful’s wide selection of print-on-demand hat products here

Greeting Cards

This is another major industry that’s often overlooked and if you’re an artist or graphic designer, it’s a great business option for you to pursue. Create your own greeting cards with a printing manufacturer or get a local printer to print your designs for you so you can start selling greeting cards online. From birthday cards to holiday cards, there are many different styles that you can sell. Inspirational cards are also a popular product idea you can sell.

• Print your own greeting cards with Gooten

Beach Products

This is a seasonal product industry in many places around the world where it’s not sunny and warm all year long, so if you want to sell beach products online think about the seasonality swings you may incur. When selling globally, however, you may be able to navigate seasonality more smoothly if you strategize properly but it’s still worth taking into consideration. As for beach product ideas, think beach towels, beach games, umbrellas, beach toys for kids, sun-blocking tents, etc.

• Create print-on-demand towel products with Printful

Ties, Bowties & Pocket Squares

Product ideas such as ties, bowties, and pocket squares are definitely part of a saturated market, but if you create the right designs for your niche or have innovative ideas, you have the potential to stand out within the market. Create your own ties, bowties, and pocket squares from scratch with a manufacturer or source them via wholesalers or dropshippers to sell directly to your customers.

• Create your own print-on-demand ties with Gooten!

Niche Subscription Boxes

Subscription boxes can be extremely lucrative as users sign up to your service and pay monthly or quarterly to receive their subscription box so if you can devise a theme for your boxes and curate products to put in them, you have great business-building potential. We suggest choosing a specific niche subscription boxes theme so that you can stand out amongst all the other subscription boxes that are available on the market, and so you can build a dedicated following of consumers interested in that theme. Meal delivery kits are also a popular subscription box product idea, particularly for specialized diets, such as keto, paleo, and more.

• Cratejoy is a platform you can use to launch and sell subscription boxes online

Stickers

Stickers are definitely a niche product, however, there’s a passionate market of sticker enthusiasts who use them for decorating their stationery products, or for teachers who use them for their students, and there’s even a growing market of “stickers for adults” that say funny things or reference pop-culture memes. There’s a lot of potential in the sticker market so if it interests you, it’s worth looking into.

• Use Sticker Mule to make your own stickers to sell online

Start a Marketplace

Another online business idea that works for so many different industries is to create an online marketplace where sellers and consumers converge to buy and sell goods. If you’re unsure of what marketplaces are and how they work, we recommend checking out our How to Start an Online Marketplace blog post for all the details, but some popular examples include Etsy and Amazon. Digital products can also be sold via online marketplaces like they are on Creative Market and Filtergrade (see our Filtergrade Case Study here to learn more about how it was founded). If you don’t necessarily want to be the one selling products yourself, you can always create an online marketplace where sellers can sell their goods and you can earn part of the profits from each sale.

Conclusion

There you have our roundup of 50 online business ideas so you can sell products online! If this gave you all the inspiration you needed to put the gears in motion to start your online business, then head over to our Online Store Set Up blog post and our Launch Checklist to learn about the next steps to get your store up and running.