The following are the best online businesses that you should start in 2012 according to research on business trends that are emerging.

Learn more about best online business to start in 2012

Apparently medical transcription offers one of the best opportunities for starting an online business in 2012. Many physicians are outsourcing their transcription work rather than pay employees to do it. It is cheaper for the physicians since they will not be required to pay Medicare and other taxes that go with hiring employees. This business is easy to start since it requires a desk, computer and a tape recorder only. Also it requires very little space.

Another very good and promising online business to start in 2012 is becoming part of the numerous affiliate programs for big companies that are carrying out direct marketing on the internet. This online business opportunity does not require one to purchase products or carry inventory. One can easily start a lucrative affiliate marketing business by just finding products on the internet then joining the company's affiliate program and marketing those products online.

Though web design businesses have been around for some time, they still remain a sure bet for starting a lucrative online business in 2012. Websites are a prerequisite in modern business climate, even for traditional businesses. Online shopping and information dissemination is a requirement and companies are jumping onto the web in droves thus requiring an excellent website designer to undertake the process. There are very many components in web design and creating a web presence such that it is hard to start without some assistance. For people with skills in html programming, SEO, CSS, or WYSIWYG editors, website design is a gold mine. Much of the work can be done after doing other domestic chores, and this makes this opportunity convenient for all-day parents.

Starting an online shopping portal provides one of the best online business opportunities for 2012. E-commerce is a $305 billion industry, and according to research, there is still more potential. There are many companies on the web that allow businessmen and entrepreneurs to buy a web portal and make money from sales that are generated through the web portal. Most of these online companies pay owners for purchases made on their websites and for the purchases made on the websites of other people that they have personally referred. This is a form of an affiliate program. This business has a lot of growth potential, and companies that are also capitalizing on environmental activism will benefit even more. Recent reports and studies have shown that online shopping is more efficient and less harmful to the environment than traditional shopping.