Today we look an an online business that can be mostly run from anywhere. An online platform is a digital service that facilitates interactions between two or more distinct but interdependent sets of users (whether companies or individuals) who interact through the service via the Internet. We usually define these sets of users as connecting buyers and sellers and I use the term buyers and sellers very loosely. Because a job board that connects employers […]
If you are reading this in 2022 from the ANC’s South Africa then most of the businesses that we’ve looked at before will likely be redundant unless you have significant capital. If you are unemployed or underemployed then your best strategy going forward is either to do as the foreigners (Zimbabweans, Somalians, Bangladeshi) do that setup shop here and live super lean: live in your workplace or work in your living place and live 20 […]
A dark store is a retail distribution center or outlet that caters exclusively to online or app shopping. It is the shop equivalent of a ghost kitchen, it does not have a shopfront and has industrial type shelving rather than shopfitting and caters exclusively to online shopping and is often a warehouse-type operation that acts as a delivery depot but can also be used as a collection point. We use this to refer to a “pure-play” […]
In recent years computer programming, software, and web development have been widely promoted as a good skill to have to the point where the message has been watered down. For some, it means the difference between poverty and having money to others the ability to work from anywhere means the difference between being a refugee and a tourist. If the country you live in (let’s say South Africa) goes to shit, if you have this […]
Today we are looking at Mr Price’s ~R460m (“1% of Mr. Prices market cap when deal was announced”) deal to buy Yuppiechef and what we can learn from it. Often times I speak about these lessons in separate places but today we can see them all together and how they lead to success. Yuppiechef is a 15-year-old “omnichannel” (multiple sales channels) kitchenware business: e-commerce retail (70% of sales) + wholesale (15% of sales) + 7 brick […]
An e-commerce company sells products over the internet via a website. Today I will look at starting this business retailing a physical product to consumers within the South African context. High-level overview Think of a website as a TV show or a radio program. The more popular: eyeballs/visitors you have the more money you can make. In the case of a website, this can be the same as a TV/Radio shows such as advertising alongside […]
The tourism sector contributes around 2.9% (around R125.1 billion) to South Africa’s GDP. This is a huge number, because for comparison the agricultural market brings only 2%. This is because our country is among the top three most visited destinations in Africa. Therefore, starting your own online travel agency is a chance to rely on tourism as an important sector of the economy and invite foreign tourists to our country without the overheads of a brick and mortar agency. […]
On average a South African full time WordPress developer makes hundreds of thousand per year. А well-qualified expert can also offer his services online and charge R300 to R600 per hour. This article will help you learn what WordPress is, what a WordPress developer does, and how to become one. What is WordPress? WordPress is a popular free “content management system” that allows you to easily publish and manage websites by organizing text information and images so that […]
A job board or employment website connects job seekers with employers. If executed correctly this can be a lucrative endeavor. Getting Started Before you set up your job board website you need to ask yourself whether you want to a free (advertising supported) or a paid job site as well as how technically savvy you are. This will determine the software to use. A free job site does not charge for job listings while a paid […]
I know SideBusiness.co.za is all about having a sideline business alongside your main job but I want you to hear me out especially if you have a menial job and is earning minimum wage. By taking some time to learn a skill, especially one as in demand as computer programming (whether front-end design or back-end development) you will make your life much easier, it will open options to you like few other physical businesses can. […]
I often cover ideas that involve manufacturing or retailing products, but one of the best ways to get employed, start your own business and climb your way out of poverty is to learn a skill, whether the skill is operational / management, digital or a trade skill. Today we look at one of the most lucrative modern skills to possess: web and app development. Introduction Any worthwhile skill will take time and effort to master, […]
Accommodation websites showcase various types of short-term rentals and holiday accommodation from hotels to self-catering guesthouses and get a commission each time a booking is made through the website. Here is how to get started in this business in South Africa. The landscape If you’ve ever done a search for “accommodation in {area}” you might have gotten links to websites such as booking.com, SafariNow or SleepingOUT (let’s call them “1st tier websites”), what these websites […]
Websites like Flippa facilitate the buying and selling of websites but it is heavily slanted towards popular domain suffixes such as .com, .net and .org (well mainly .com) as well as popular developed countries. There exists an opportunity in most countries to operate a marketplace to buy and sell country specific top-level domains and other web assets. The opportunity Many countries does not have a very good platform to sell internet assets and needs some liquidity in […]
A DIY contest website is an interesting business. It allows you to partner with companies that makes products that can be used to make other things. Here is how to build a contest website like Instructables using WordPress and some simple plugins. The Business Plan How the website will work The website allows people to publish and share their do-it-yourself projects. At the end of each month the person with the most points (for that […]
Unsplash is a website offering high-quality stock photos to use for free – even for commercial purposes (public domain). It releases 10 new photos every 10 days. It serves 600 million images a month and even helped kick start its parent company. Here is how to build your own Unsplash like website. Today we will be building a website like Unsplash using the popular WordPress content management system (CMS). The basics Unsplash is a website that allows you to download free […]
A lot of people want to build their own houses from scratch for which they will need a lot or plot of land. Build a local app which does the following: Curate listings of plots currently for sale A deed search for an empty piece of land to find out who the owner is (and if owner is willing to sell) View zoning laws around plot Monetisation methods Sell ads to architects, builders and building supply companies […]
I take and publish a lot of photos on my WordPress powered websites. With Adblockers eating into advertising revenue I have recently opened a new revenue stream: licensing photos. I am not talking about operating a stock photo website nor am I even talking about selling and licensing artistic images. I am talking about day-to-day functional images found within the article – images that will be cheaper for people to license than to go out […]
There is a need for an accurate local (or at least major cities) parking app which shows you free, cheap and safe parking spots. Each parking spot must be able to be reviewed as well: A free parking spot is no good if you are parking in a dodgy area where your car is going to get broken into when it would have cost you a R5 for secure parking. Features to include Pricing Parking […]
Many cultures around the world have their own homegrown games to play to pass the time, if you don’t have the will to make and sell physical board games why not develop a virtual one? While traditional board games such as Snakes & Ladders and Backgammon are well represented in the app stores there is an opportunity in taking an indigenous board game and taking it global in the form of an app. You might […]
people almost expect you to have a website even if it’s only a brochure type site. Help businesses get online by running a web hosting business. This idea needs some expertise in the IT field and because it’s such a crowded field you are going to have to make your money by offering value added services such as domain name registration, web design and online advertising. Process You will not be hosting the websites yourself […]
