How to Make Money Online: Buying and Investing in Digital Businesses

1. Buy a Fully Established Business With Existing Revenue

This is the most expensive, but also the most secure option. You acquire a project that:

• already has customers,
• working business processes,
• financial history and stable cash flow.

✅ Pros: lower risk, immediate income, faster return on investment.
⚠️ Cons: higher entry price, strong competition for good deals.

2. Acquire a Tested Business Model and Co-Develop With the Founder

Sometimes projects already have a proven business model but haven’t scaled yet. In this case, you can:

• buy a share of the company,
• co-develop the business together with the founder,
• contribute capital to accelerate growth.

This option is cheaper than buying a fully profitable company and allows you to benefit from the founder’s experience and vision.

3. Invest in a Business Ready to Scale (Best at Seed Stage)

If you have sufficient capital, you can invest in projects that are ready to grow — ideally at the seed stage. At this point:

• the product is already developed,
• the first users are onboard,
• the team is preparing to scale.

Such investments carry risk, but they also offer the highest growth potential. Entering early often means acquiring equity at a much lower valuation, with the possibility of significant future returns.

4. Leverage Your Competitive Advantage (e.g., Marketing)

If you are strong in marketing, sales, SEO, or other skills, you can acquire a business in a niche where your expertise becomes the key growth driver.

Example: a company with a solid product but poor promotion. By applying your skills, you can dramatically increase sales and profitability. This is essentially about buying an undervalued asset and unlocking its potential.

5. Acquire a Business in a Market You Specialize In

If you already have expertise in a specific industry — fintech, education, health, logistics — acquiring a company in that space gives you an immediate edge.
You’ll understand clients faster, evaluate risks more accurately, and identify growth opportunities more clearly than outsiders.

6. Start Almost From Scratch With an Experienced Project

There are also opportunities to join projects that are close to launch but already have a professional team and strategy in place. This combines the upside of a startup with the foundation of an experienced venture.

For example, at Opilato.com, we are preparing to launch Rillino, a fintech company with strong growth potential. This is an opportunity to enter a promising market with an experienced team.

7. Keep an Eye on Business Marketplaces

Another way to discover opportunities is by following updates on business marketplaces. On platforms like Opilato.com, entrepreneurs can submit their companies for audit, and once reviewed, we add them to our catalog.

This allows investors and partners to explore a curated selection of businesses that are either for sale or seeking growth capital.

Conclusion

There are multiple ways to make money online through business acquisitions:

• Buying a fully profitable company.
• Co-developing a tested model with the founder.
• Investing early at seed stage.
• Leveraging your competitive skills (like marketing).
• Acquiring a business in your area of expertise.
• Joining an experienced team at the pre-launch stage.

The key is to choose the strategy that matches your strengths, resources, and long-term vision. The online economy is massive and still expanding, which means the best time to enter is right now.

And don’t forget to follow the latest business listings on marketplaces like Opilato.com, where new opportunities are regularly reviewed and published.