11 Creative Consulting Business Ideas to Inspire You In 2023

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So you want to start your own online consulting business? Well, I guess you have come to the right place.

There are 4 types of consulting businesses that perform really well. They are Website consulting, Publishing consulting, Time management consulting, and marketing consulting. Each of these consulting businesses can help you earn anywhere between $35,000 to $100,000 per year.

That’s really amazing. Isn’t it?

Previously, starting a business was always seen as a capital-intensive process, but now it’s not the case. Today starting your own business is much easier than it was before.

And why is it so?

It’s because the internet has allowed people from all walks of life to start their online businesses. The number of digital nomads and consultants makes up a large part of the gig economy, and it just keeps on growing every year.

Actually starting your online business has both its pros and cons. For instance, if you ever decide to leave your 9 to 5 job and start your own business, you will lose insurance benefits and a stable monthly income.

But this won’t mean that becoming a consultant is a bad thing. Actually, you will be able to set your own schedule, choose which jobs to do, have the flexibility to create your own path, and focus on the goals that are only important to you.

If you think well, the pros of starting your Consulting business far outweigh the cons.

who is a consultant?

A consultant is an expert in a particular field who gives advice and finds solutions for a specific problem or to improve results in someone’s life.

Usually, business owners are busy people and don’t have time to tackle every problem they face, so they will need the services of consultants to be able to grow their businesses faster.

And you can become that person. Can you imagine how your life can change if you can become a consultant?

So, if you have a lot of knowledge in a specific field, it’s time to turn that knowledge into an online consulting business.

Below, I have compiled a list of some of the best online consulting business ideas that will help you choose the right one.

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I am sure you are. So let’s get started.

Bonus Tip:

best consulting business ideas

1. Website designer

Well, we all know that it is a bit difficult to build a website. But many people want to have a website and don’t want to be involved in the process.

So they prefer to hire a Web designer.

So, if you can build websites, then this is definitely for you.

Skills that are required as a web designer:

Good knowledge of web designer platforms such as WordPress or DreamWeaver.
An understanding of scripting languages such as JavaScript or PHP.
Strong creative skills.
Up-to-date skills with technology and software developments.
Ability to work to tight deadlines.

Web designers earn quite a good income as there is a high demand for their skills, especially in 2022.

Web designers can earn anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000 per year depending on their popularity and their overall network.

So many people think that since nowadays it’s easier to start a website, web designers are not in demand.

I beg to differ.

People who have money WILL pay a web designer. Only people who have a limited budget will build their own websites.

2. Graphic designer

Often a small business owner may be tempted to cut corners while starting a business. But soon, they may realize that skimping on their branding and marketing materials can be a costly error.

This is where a graphic designer might help.

A good graphic designer will know the best approach to create a fantastic design that will attract people’s attention as per the client’s requirements.

Skills that are required as a graphic designer:

Having IT skills, especially with design and photo-editing software.
Being creative and innovative.
Having time management and organizational skills.
Having attention to detail.
Have an understanding of the latest trends.
Be able to meet deadlines.

The average income that a Graphic designer can earn is between $40,000 to $60,000 per year.

3. SEO Expert

Online businesses are being noticed more and more nowadays. And many companies know the importance of having an active online presence to reach more clients.

As such, SEO experts are in high demand right now. For business owners, having a high ranking on Google is a must. They all want to increase their rankings on search engines to be able to generate more sales for their products and services.

And the reason is that anyone who is doing a search on Google is more prone to making a purchase.

So if you have in-depth SEO knowledge, don’t you think it’s the right time to become an SEO consultant and create your own business.

Skills that are required as an SEO expert:

Technical & Programming Skills.
Speaking & Writing Ability.
Critical Thinking.
Social Skills.
Analytics Skills.
Drive, Motivation & Adaptability.
A Sense of Humor.

This is a very lucrative business model as some SEO experts are earning $200,000 per year. The average income someone can generate by becoming an SEO expert is around $50,000 up to $100,000.

4. Copywriter and Writing Consultant

The average person reads only 20% of the words on any page. So, copywriting needs to be clear and specific. Business owners are looking for copywriters to increase their ROI(Return on Investment).

In this competitive era, writing skills are a must to get more clients to engage with brands.

Professional writers are trained to understand as much as they can about different industries. They write quality content where readers can understand the message of the company.

If you have excellent writing skills, being a copywriter and writing consultant can help you create a profitable business. There are demands in every niche for copywriters. So, what are you waiting for?

If setting up a business for you seems risky for the time being, you can register on Fiverr as a copywriter. It might just help you out in your journey when you are just starting out.

As and when you are booking more work and building a reputation as a writer, you can start your own company.

Skills that are required as a Copywriter and Writing Consultant

A good grasp of spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Familiarity with different Content Management Systems.
Be creative with image software.
Having a bit of SEO knowledge.
Be able to promote Yourself.

The annual income of a Copywriter is between $35,000 to $70,000.

If you really want to create better content the easiest way is to use Grammarly. It’s really an awesome platform that will take your writing to the next level.

It has both a free and paid version. In the beginning, you can try the free version and see how it is.

Create your free Grammarly account.

5. Book Editor

Many editors think they can self-edit their work, and of course, they can.

But do you think that is enough to guarantee the quality? They need another pair of eyes and sometimes a third of their work before the book can be published.

A book editor will look through the book in a powerful way to produce fantastic work. Also, that will save the author a lot of time. This time can be used to find better ways to promote the book once it is published.

If ever you want to find some work before trying to open a Consulting firm, you can find a place online where you can practice and get better at it.

You can find some work at Upwork or Balance Careers. This will help you build an online reputation that can fuel your own business.

Skills that are required as a Book Editor

Reading skills.
Writing skills.
Interpersonal skills.
Be detail-oriented.

The annual income of a Copywriter is between $35,000 to $100,000.

6. Fitness Consultant / Personal Trainer

A fitness consultant/ personal trainer leads, instruct, and motivates a single person in exercise activities such as cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and stretching. They also help people to set realistic goals.

Fitness and nutrition consultants work with clients of all ages, social backgrounds, and fitness levels.

If you are a fitness freak, maybe becoming a Fitness consultant will be just what you have been looking for and boost your confidence.

Skills that are required as a Fitness Consultant / Personal Trainer

Customer service skills.
Listening skills.
Communication skills.
Motivational skills.
Physical fitness.
Problem-solving skills.

The annual income of a Fitness consultant/Personal trainer is between $40,000 to $80,000.

7. Wedding Planner

A wedding planner is a person who assists with the design, planning, and management of a client’s wedding.

If you are a great listener, have a caring personality, and love to help people, a wedding planner can be an incredible career for you.

Does it sound interesting to you?

Skills that are required as a Wedding planner

Be very calm and know how to handle challenging situations.
Be charming.
Negotiation skills.
Budgeting skills.
Ability to stay organized.
Being resourceful.
Being knowledgeable.
Having a positive mental attitude.

The annual income of a Wedding planner is between $30,000 to $75,000.

8. Dating Consultant

A dating consultant works closely with singles to learn more about their preferences and requirements. They meet every client personally and the sessions can vary from 45 mins to 1 hour or even more sometimes.

If you are great at human interactions and have been helping people get into relationships, then being a dating coach sounds pretty cool. Isn’t it?

You will surely love this job if you have a passion for it.

Skills that are required as a Dating Consultant

Ability to understand people’s psychology.
Ability to convince people.
Giving Clean and Easy Dating Advice.
Integrity.
Honesty.
Being a smart business person.

The annual income of a Dating coach is between $40,000 to $60,000.

9. Life Coach

Like a dating coach, a life coach meets all his clients to know their strengths and weaknesses. He helps his clients identify their goals and develop an actionable plan to achieve them.

Life coaching is distinct from giving advice, consulting, counseling, mentoring, and administering therapy.

Skills that are required as a Life coach

Effective Communication skills.
Awareness skills.
Having the ability to take action.
Listening skills.
Being able to be well-composed.
Being able to keep silent.
Being able to ask the right questions at the right time.

The annual income of a Dating coach is between $30,000 to $50,000.

10. Career Counselor

A career Counselor helps his clients to know and understand themselves and the world of work to make career, educational, and life decisions.

Won’t you find yourself fulfilled by helping people to achieve their goals?

Skills that are required as a Career Counselor

Being able to show compassion.
Interpersonal skills.
Listening skills.
Speaking skills.
Being non-judgmental.
Ability to be patient.

The annual income of a Career consultant is between $50,000 to $100,000.

A Social media marketing consultant reaches out to and engages with the customers using social networking channels on behalf of their customers.

With the increase in social media users, Social media marketing consultants are in high demand right now. If you love social media and love to engage with people, you can try social media marketing consulting.

Skills that are required as a Social Media Marketing Consultant

Be able to form strategies.
Having tactical execution skills.
Understand how contents work on social media.
Be able to optimize content.
Have a creative mind.
Good writing skills.
Having good analytical skills.
Leadership and communications skills.

The annual income of a Career consultant is between $30,000 to $60,000.

how to build an online consulting business- Vital steps

1. Try to figure out what services are missing in your area or industry

Doing market research is actually very important to be able to launch a successful campaign. It really doesn’t matter where you live, you will always find opportunities.

Actually developing an eye to see opportunity is a skill that will help you your whole life. It’s not that difficult to develop this skill. Let me give you a simple example.

For instance, whenever you hear people COMPLAIN about a product or service, it means there is an opportunity there.

If you can solve problems for these people, you have just started a business out of nothing. Given that word of mouth is a POWERFUL tool for marketing, you will definitely get recommendations IF you did a good job.

That being said, this is actually a simple way to earn money even if you don’t have any business plan.

And if things start to flourish, you can scale up and build a business around it.

2. Start networking from day 1

Networking will allow you to connect with people in your industry. It’s really important to stay in touch with some key people to be able to get some new clients.

So, whenever you meet someone at an event try to get their phone number or email address. This will help you to contact them and keep a good relationship.

You can also use your social media profile to spread the word about the services you are offering. LinkedIn can be a good start to getting really good prospects.

But, if you already have a business, you can use Pinterest to attract the right people for your business.

3. Create systems for your business

For any business to flourish, there must be a system in place. This is something that a lot of people fail to understand.

Having a system will help you to leverage your business. No one ever built a successful business all by themselves.

For instance, in the beginning, you can create simple templates that will answer common questions that your potential client can have.

I am sure, you don’t want to spend time answering the same questions over and over again. Right?

Next, try to create a price list that will make your life easier. For each additional service, add an additional cost.

From there, if your business starts to take off, hire at least 1 person to take care of the simple and mundane tasks that consume your time and energy.

Your main task as a business owner is to find new clients and grow your business. Never forget that.

Final Thought: Online consulting business ideas

I hope that this list will help you decide which online consulting business is for you.

Building a successful consulting business doesn’t need to be complicated. You just have to start somewhere.

And now is the right time. There is no perfect time to start your business. There is only today. if you keep on postponing, you will be soon consumed by procrastination.

How many times have you heard people you know telling you that they deeply regret not having taken the chance? They regret that they kept saying to themselves”Maybe next year” till they are old and don’t have the energy to actually do anything meaningful.

I am sure you don’t want to have any regret when you are old. Right?

Look we are now in an era where, with hard work, we can indeed create an online business that we are passionate about.

What greater happiness can we feel when we are making a difference in people’s lives.

So go ahead, take the chance and make it happen. You have only one life. So why not do something that fulfills you?

If you liked this post, please don’t forget to share it so that others can benefit from it.

See you soon!