Online Business Ideas for Australians in 2025

These days, it seems like almost everyone has a side hustle, whether it’s to earn extra income or to start building a way out of the 9–5. Starting an online business is one of the easiest ways to make extra income. It’s also a great way to test a passion project before leaving your day job, building a career you can do from just about anywhere.

In this article, we’re going to share some practical online business ideas you can start in 2025, from ecommerce products to service-based models. We’ll also look at what businesses are finding success in Australia and give you a simple roadmap to get started.

Running an online business doesn’t have to mean shipping boxes from your garage. In 2025, there are smarter, leaner ways to sell online, from digital-first storefronts to creative side hustles that don’t require physical products at all. Here’s a concise look at the ideas we’ll cover in this article.

1. Digital product templates
2. Australian travel content creation
3. Zero-waste starter kits
4. Self-paced online courses
5. Seasonal event boxes
6. Selling Australian native plant grow kits
7. Ghostwriting for founders
8. Sensory toys or tools
9. Stylish pet furniture or gear
10. Aussie baby products

Create and sell ready-to-use templates for resumes, pitch decks, Notion planners, Figma templates, or Canva kits. These are simple to make if you have an eye for design and can be sold repeatedly with zero shipping or inventory required. Many people sell these products on Etsy. These templates offer a high margin and are in demand for job seekers, startups, and content creators.

Tip: Start with one niche, like a marketing manager's brand-building kit, and expand your catalogue as demand grows.

If you know how to write well, you can monetise destination guides, custom itineraries, or affiliate partnerships through a blog, newsletter, or downloadable PDFs. This is a great income source for digital nomads or content creators with regional knowledge. It can also be lucrative as travel content can earn through affiliate links, sponsored posts, or digital product sales.

Tip: Focus on untapped regions or experiences, such as pet-friendly getaways or regional food trails.

Sell bundled sets with items like beeswax wraps, reusable straws, and shampoo bars, which are ideal for beginners looking to cut waste. It’s often hard to find all the right products in one place, so offering them as a curated kit simplifies decision-making and creates great upsell potential.

Tip: Always walk the talk when you’re selling sustainable products. Use plastic-free packaging, highlight your materials and sourcing, and make sure your values show through in every part of the customer experience.

Package your skills into a simple online course. Focus on the skills you already have and what skills people might pay to learn. For example, you might look into teaching a specific coding language, hosting it on your own site or a platform like Teachable. Once created, courses can run on autopilot and generate passive income.

Tip: Keep it simple – you don’t need a full curriculum. Start with one topic and do it to completion.

Curate themed boxes around moments like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or even local events (e.g. State of Origin snacks box). Seasonal urgency drives sales, especially around the holidays, when people struggle to find thoughtful, well-presented gifts. People will pay a premium to have this problem solved for them.

Tip: Plan and market your boxes in advance. You’d be surprised how many people forget upcoming holidays like Mother's Day. A nudge in their inbox a month prior with a final order date can lead people to act.

Bundle native seeds (like kangaroo paw or lemon myrtle) with instructions and eco-friendly packaging. Market to gardeners, renters, or people buying gifts. This is uniquely Aussie, low-cost, and has a high perceived value, tapping into a growing desire for sustainability.

Tip: Include QR codes for care videos to add value for your customers, without adding cost to your business.

Offer ghostwriting services for LinkedIn posts, newsletters, or long-form content for busy founders or execs who want a voice but not the workload. This can be lucrative as you can charge high hourly rates, get repeat work, and get new clients through happy client referrals.

Tip: Once you’ve got some positive results for a founder, ask them if they have connections that also could use your services.

Sell products designed for stress relief, like textured putty, kinetic sand, or desk toys. These kinds of items are popular thanks to the rise of sensory video trends on TikTok and YouTube , where millions of viewers watch satisfying clips like slime poking, soap cutting, or paint mixing simply to relax.

Tip: Creative concepts and themes stand out in this space. For example, create a putty line themed to match a popular TV show.

Design pet products that fit modern homes, like minimalist cat towers, raised dog bowls, or colour-coordinated harnesses. These days, many pet owners see their animals as part of the family and are happy to invest in quality items that look good and last.

Tip: Partner with interior design influencers or pet lifestyle creators for launch buzz.

Design baby products suited to Australian conditions, like sun-safe hats, breathable swaddles, and insect-safe covers. Bundling essentials makes them ideal for baby showers or new mum gifts.

Tip: Emphasise Australian design, safety certifications, and climate-specific features on your site.

If you’re planning to launch an online business in 2025, you need to know what’s shaping the way Australians shop. These five trends can help give you a competitive edge or help you avoid wasting time building a business in the wrong direction.

People are shopping directly through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Products that appear in feeds and feel instantly buyable are winning, especially when paired with content that entertains or educates.

Customers are actively looking for eco-friendly options, and brands that can back up their claims are being rewarded with loyalty. Green-washing will also be punished by savvy consumers.

Even if you're fully online, customers still expect smooth, consistent experiences across emails, social media, websites, and (if relevant) in-store experiences. Once your business takes off, you might want to consider doing some fun pop-ups that align with your brand.

With platforms like Temu, Shein, and Amazon flooding the market, it’s more important than ever to focus on differentiation and brand experience. You’ll stand out if you can champion that your business is local and more sustainable.

Consumers are also wary of brands secretly doing dropshipping. If you aren’t dropshipping, making that crystal clear to customers will build brand appeal with people who are looking for quality. There is a place for dropshipping, but if you are looking to generate customers that will provide a high lifetime value, your best bet is to focus on offering quality over cost.

Starting any business can sound overwhelming, but it’s much more doable when you break it down into a few clear steps. Here’s a simple process to help you start an online store, going from idea to launch without overcomplicating it.

Find your potential clients by figuring out what people actually want. Ask your friends, run a poll on Instagram, browse Etsy, or look at what’s trending on TikTok Shop or Facebook Marketplace. If you find you have an idea that satisfies an existing demand that isn’t being met online, you’re off to a fantastic start.

Next, do some market research and develop a business plan to make sure your idea is sound.

Decide whether you’re operating as a sole trader or company, register for an ABN, and get clear on how you’ll manage your finances. This is also a good time to open a separate business bank account to keep things clean from day one.

This doesn’t have to be a full-blown website straight away. You can start with a marketplace listing, a Shopify trial, or even a Linktree with order form links. The key is to make it easy for people to see what you’re offering and buy or get in touch.

Don’t wait for perfection. Get your offer in front of people, test what works, and improve it over time. You’ll learn more by doing than by planning behind the scenes.

There isn’t one way to start an online business, but starting small and learning as you go is a great place to begin. Whether you're building a side hustle or aiming to go full-time, the demand for online shopping and the tools to get started are out there.

When you're ready to level up, Salesforce Commerce Cloud makes it easier to manage all your sales, marketing and service in one place and helps you grow confidently.