Small businesses that can leverage digital advancements and relatively low startup costs have seen a boom in India’s entrepreneurial landscape. A Digitally literate entrepreneur can set up their businesses easily without investing a hefty sum—like with earlier business models. Digital and e-commerce services are helping build the most profitable businesses in India with unique selling propositions.
Introduction
Since 2015, India has been on a path to exponential growth. Rapid digitisation has transformed India into a thriving hub for small businesses with amazingly diverse and opportunistic government support programs—like Make in India.
As a curious entrepreneur, I have kept a watchful eye over the sea of budding entrepreneurial spirit—and it is now the perfect storm for people looking to go digital with their businesses. That’s where digital marketing comes in to tame the storm.
As the digital hub grows, so does the quantity of content and its consumers. Without proper guidance, businesses can get lost in the eye of the storm with no sails to guide them back—but all figurative language aside…small business ventures are going to struggle big time without a proper pathfinder.
The best way for small ventures to stay afloat in these competitive times is with the help of experienced digital marketing teams to support their legacy and vision on a global platform.
However, before we dream that grand—let’s take a look at what type of small venture businesses are primed to take over their industries in modern times.
What are Small Businesses and How to Start One?
Definition
A small business in India is often defined as one that employs fewer people and has less capital than medium-sized and large businesses. Small businesses, especially digital service-based businesses, can be set up at nearly zero cost.
Registering your business makes your product and service more authentic, and being tax-compliant makes your brand more accountable.
Starting a Small Business in the Digital Age
In the past 19 years (since 2005), the number of active internet users has shot up by more than 400%. It is now more important than ever for businesses to go digital to stay afloat in an ocean of rapid changes.
This is exceptionally true for small businesses that are in their infancy—the ones trying to find their footing in this large and expanding world of online shopping and retail.
So, if you are someone who runs or intends to run a small business, here’s a quick look at how you can make your brand a contender in the online marketplace.
1. Identifying Your Niche Equals to Your Business Idea
- Begin by thoroughly researching current market trends and consumer behaviour. Seek gaps where you feel you can contribute to your customer with a solution. Ensure that the resolution you found aligns with your skills and passion.
- If you are someone with capital and are confident that you can hire a team to execute a solution for your customer, then you can opt for it. In this situation, you need not be concerned about the resolution aligning with your skills and passion; you will need to possess good managerial skills.
- Use tools like Google Trends to understand social media insights and SEO analysis. Understand the inherent demand for your products and services by conducting surveys, focus groups, and online testing platforms.
💡Did you know that Digital Scholar offers Digital Marketing Courses with Generative AI training that opens an arsenal of 50+ AI tools useful for your businesses? |
2. Choose a Business Model
After identifying your niche, you need to set up your business model accordingly. The question to ask at this phase is, “How do I sell this service?”
Here are a few examples of business models and effective ways that you can sell your business to your intended consumer base.
- Digital Service – You provide a digital solution like SEO consultancy, social media management, and graphic design. This requires running online Ads and posting samples of your work on social media and other platforms.
- E-commerce – You are aiming to sell physical or digital products online. This will require you to set up a website or listing your product on popular e-commerce platforms.
- Subscription Services – We all know about platforms like YouTube, where your favourite content creator offers exclusive content, newsletters, or subscription boxes that give you access to services that are restricted to the general user. This could be an online consultancy, an online class, etc.
- Freemium/Ad-supported Model – This model works well for apps and content-based websites where users access free content, and businesses earn through Ads or premium versions. This could be blog writing or hosting a YouTube channel where you get paid for the Ads being run.
Your content has to be engaging enough to keep the audience on the app despite the ads, and the ads have to be relevant to your user base. If you can get them to click on the ads, that’s even more revenue to your bottom line. On the other hand, if your product is engaging enough—they may even subscribe to skip the ads and get right to the content.
3. Establish an Online Presence using Digital Marketing Tools
- Website and Ecommerce Platform: There are numerous platforms available today to build your first website. Platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, or Wix help you create user-friendly and mobile-optimised e-commerce platforms.
- Social Media Profiles: Set up your business page on all relevant social media platforms, such as Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Post engaging content with your audience, share updates and build brand loyalty. These platforms offer premium services that will help you reach your target audience faster.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Once your website and social media handles are ready, implement SEO strategies to improve your visibility on search engines. Learn or hire people who can build you a strategy, execute on-page optimisation link building, and use keyword research to increase organic traffic to your website and social media handles.
Check out our 4-month online digital marketing course to become a master at website building, social media management, SEO, and beyond.
4. Plan Your Digital Marketing Strategy
- Content Marketing: Content creation can be in any form. You can start by adding a simple blog section to your website using SEO strategies to increase traffic to your website. You can also create videos or use infographics to educate and engage your audience on social media handles and consistently produce high-quality content to improve credibility and attract traffic.
- Social Media Marketing: Share valuable and engaging content on social media using strategic hashtags to increase visibility. Run targeted ad campaigns on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to expand your reach. Formulate a plan to consistently post on all platforms, and make sure you don’t break the streak.
- Email Marketing: Craft an email list from your website visitors and social media followers. Regularly create engaging newsletters, promotions, or content offers to keep your audience engaged. This helps build brand loyalty.
- Influencer and Affiliate Marketing: You can collaborate with influencers who specialise in your niche and work out promotional content. Setting up an affiliate program can broaden your reach and gain credibility. Hosts who have your affiliation earn in return for every click or purchase of your product.
Don’t struggle to figure out what digital marketing strategy works best for your business. I have handpicked the best strategies that work depending on the industry, and I will be teaching them along with my team in our Online and Offline Digital Marketing Courses.
“Investing in Upskilling regularly is the key factor in coping with the growing digital marketing trends.” – Sorav Jain, Founder (Digital Scholar) |
Profitable Business Ventures in 2025
1. SEO Consultancy
As a digital marketing entrepreneur, I have seen SEO make a huge difference for small business ventures that are ready to take the leap into digital marketing.
Growing your website’s visibility and search engine rankings requires the strategic thinking of a technical expert.
An SEO expert enhances organic search engine optimisation by combining technical expertise, strategic thinking, keyword research, on-page optimisation and technical SEO. A top consultant who has an exceptional track record for providing business solutions is always in high demand.
If you possess the expertise and knowledge to provide SEO solutions, then it is the right time to start your own consultancy. The advantage of running a consultancy is that you can hire and train people to work under your supervision to meet your client’s needs.
Speciality consultancies have been known to yield better results than package deals. SEO consultants understand the business, its objectives, and its target audience better and, hence, provide guaranteed results.
Want to get started on SEO? We cover SEO in detail in our Digital Marketing Course. Register now.
2. Digital Marketing Management (DMM) Agency
Fun Fact: Facebook still holds the record for the online platform with the largest number of active users worldwide.
The average digital marketer has to have a deep understanding of the number of active users on each platform. If you are a DMM—it’s exceptionally important to note exactly how each of these platforms works in order to fine-tune your strategies to get the best results per platform.
If you understand the technicalities of this position and possess skills in marketing, analytics, advertisement, social media marketing, strategic thinking, and project management, then this post is for you.
Companies are on the lookout for dedicated DMMs who can run campaigns and increase their product’s visibility and sales—but that’s just the tip of this fun iceberg.
Starting your own digital marketing management firm gives you the advantage of working with multiple clients and increasing profits. You can hire a team that is dedicated to running campaigns and monitoring digital aspects for a select number of clients.
As a Digital Marketing Manager (DMM), you will be providing services to almost all areas of digital marketing, such as SEO, social media campaigns, customer data analysis and many more. You will have to provide data-based proven results and ensure they are reflected in conversions.
3. Social Media Management (SMM) Agency
This is a service-based business where a professional helps companies and individuals grow their online presence by managing social media platforms.
An SMM entrepreneur is responsible for creating, scheduling and monitoring content on channels like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to engage with audiences to promote brand awareness and achieve marketing goals.
If you have clear organisational and communication skills, you can run multiple brands’ social media platforms. You need to have excellent digital skills in designing engaging posts, images, videos, and stories aligned with the brand’s message and objectives.
4. Online Store (Bakery, Boutique etc)
Do you have a unique product that could do well when sold online? Then, this is the perfect time to launch your online store.
You can sell your unique product through an e-commerce platform. Running your own online store comes initially with minimal cost, but you can always hire a team as demand increases.
You might be familiar with boutique stores that run using social media platforms such as Instagram. Similarly, any product can be sold using digital platforms and digital tools.
One of the greatest advantages of an online store is that people can browse, purchase and receive products from any part of the world. Platforms like Shopify, Wix, and WordPress make it simple and seamless for businesses to set up and manage their own online stores.
Online stores save you a lot of cash as compared to a traditional store. It also helps you reach a wider global audience.
Click here to start your online store by mastering the art of building engaging websites.
5. Online Class Teacher
Fun Fact: According to Devlin Peck, online education has really taken off since its inception in 2005. The industry has grown by 900% and is expected to be valued at over 370 Billion USD by 2026.
We were all witness to the massive lockdown that occurred in 2020. The pandemic had a huge impact on the explosive growth that we saw in the online education industry. It opened the doors up for educators who provided classes on virtual platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, etc.
The greatest benefit of online tutoring is the wide-scale at which it can be accessed. Platforms like Udemy and Coursera make it easier to create and manage classes.
You can also provide recorded classes for students who want to learn at their own pace. Recorded classes can act as a source of extra income where you only have to design and record the session once, and it will forever be available for interested candidates to purchase at a nominal fee.
6. Influencer Marketing Agency
Authenticity, niche engagement and trust are the new currencies in Digital Marketing. Unlike earlier days when celebrities and flashy endorsements helped make sales, today, people are more drawn towards influencers who make them feel more connected as a person.
But how does a brand or business get connected to an influencer?
Most influencers have representation in the modern age for communicating with interested businesses. An influencer marketer helps pair brands with relevant influencers that cater to the consumers that they are targeting.
You can work as an influencer manager, as an individual or as an agency model. As the bridge between two parties, you will be responsible for overseeing campaign strategy, contract negotiation and management, content management and performance analysis.
As your business expands, you can hire members to deal with individual clients and their prospective influencers to oversee their projects.
7. Domain Name Specialist
Domain name specialists help businesses, individuals, and organisations to choose, acquire and manage domain names for their websites.
You should be an expert in selecting memorable domain names that are SEO-friendly and brand-appropriate. In this capacity, you will be assisting with domain registration, renewal and transfer processes.
Usually, a domain name specialist can help budding businesses find brand-appropriate domain names at affordable prices.
It also has its perks. When you buy a highly sought-after domain name and buy and resell it, you can pocket a considerable profit. Large corporations are constantly on the lookout for domain names for future business.
8. Virtual Assistant(VA)
This is a remote job opportunity where an individual provides administrative, technical or creative support to businesses and individuals.
Virtual assistants are often hired to handle tasks such as email management, scheduling, data entry, customer service, social media management, and content creation.
Virtual assistants (VAs) can assist multiple entities or clients simultaneously. They can take on projects for several businesses or individuals at once as a freelancer or on a contractual basis to manage different tasks and schedules as needed.
This flexibility allows VAs to diversify their income by working for a variety of clients across industries. If you have adequate digital skills, you can offer your services as a Virtual Assistant. This position exposes you to various industries, and you can build a network for future business references.
Build Your Small Business with Digital Scholar
Keep implementing what you learn, and keep learning from industry experts. It is the core philosophy at Digital Scholar. Our mission is to equip you with top-tier digital marketing skills enhanced by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). We strive to keep pace with the changing trends of Digital Marketing & AI, ensuring our training methodology incorporates the latest and most effective digital domain strategies. In addition to the dual certifications regarding digital marketing and AI, we aim to elevate your qualifications in this fast-evolving industry. I am excited to welcome you aboard and kickstart your journey into digital marketing and AI courses with us. – Sorav Jain, Founder & CEO, Digital Scholar |
Building your small business is easier if you are well-informed about the necessary Digital Marketing tools. That is why I founded Digital Scholar—to offer you a platform to kickstart a hands-on understanding of the various tools and techniques needed to run your small business.
Our advanced courses are accessible for any expertise level, ranging from homepreneurs to professionals.
Together with my co-founder, Rishi Jain, Digital Scholar has succeeded in training 4,00,000+ students in a wide range of digital marketing territories.
99.9% of students at Digital Scholar have succeeded in landing expert job positions across various industries. Digital Scholar is specific about each student, and helping them to achieve target goals and placements remains our top priority as digital marketing coaches in India.
We have also built a Digital Scholar community that offers unwavering support through the student portal for any kind of support they may need. The positive impact of Digital Scholar has encouraged 100+ students to venture out to launch their own small businesses, employing the training they received.
As passionate digital marketing trainers in India, my team and I have crafted the following courses under the banner of Digital Scholar to help you upgrade your skills and launch your dream businesses,
1. Advanced Online Digital Marketing Course with AI
A full-stack course for both beginners and intermediate-level students who wish to gain a deep insight into digital marketing forms and techniques.
2. Digital Marketing Training with Gen AI (DGMA) Course-Offline in Mumbai
This dual certification course in Digital Marketing and AI is a flagship program primarily focused on entrepreneurs, professionals and coaches. Students master 50+ premium digital tools that help enhance their businesses.
3. Digital Marketing Courses in Chennai with AI [Advanced Modules]
This dual certification course trains you in 40+ premium tools that will equip you to be the digital leaders of tomorrow. Equally tailored to suit professionals and entrepreneurs, this course is also part of their flagship offline program.
We have also prepared a huge roster of pre-recorded, short-term courses to upgrade specific skills. Some of the courses we offer are Copywriting Mastery Course, Canva Mastery Course, Cold Email Marketing Course and many more.
Learning digital marketing online at Digital Scholar has been an outstanding experience. The curriculum is thorough and well-structured, covering everything from SEO and content marketing to social media strategies and PPC advertising. The live classes are particularly impressive, offering real-time interaction with industry experts who bring valuable insights and practical knowledge to every session. 🎓📈 The live classes make the online learning experience feel incredibly engaging and interactive, allowing for immediate feedback and personalized guidance. The hands-on projects and case studies have been instrumental in applying theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, enhancing my understanding and skills – Nahila Nullwala |
Takeaway
- India has seen a thriving hub for small businesses with government support programs like Make in India.
- Digital Marketing has opened plenty of opportunities for small-scale businesses to thrive with the help of digital tools and platforms and reasonably low investment.
- A small business is one that employs fewer people and has less capital than medium-sized and large businesses.
- Some of the major profitable business ventures are SEO Consultancy, Digital Marketing Manager(DMM), Social Media Management, Online Store, Online Class Teacher, Influencer Marketer, Domain Name Specialist, and Virtual Assistant(VA).
- Digital Scholar helps small business owners by training them to use competent Digital Marketing tools to establish their businesses successfully.
- Enrolling on a Digital Marketing course supports small business owners in the long run by helping them save money on marketing and handling digital marketing in an informed and efficient manner.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which sector will be booming in India in 2025?
Some of the booming business sectors in India are E-commerce and Retail, Information Technology and Software Services, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Renewable Energy and Fintech.
2. What is the cheapest and most profitable business to start?
Social media management services are the most affordable and profitable business startup.
3. What small business is the most successful?
A business is most likely to be profitable if it is in a high-growth industry with minimal initial costs, little competition, and a promising long-term outlook.
4. Which business will boom in the next 10 years?
Digital Marketing Agency is the most promising business that is likely to boom in the next 10 years.
5. What is an easy AI business to start by certified Digital Marketing experts?
An AI business that can monitor real-time customer sentiment for brands can be a helpful tool that can be managed by Digital Marketing experts.