Start an online business in 2026: From €0 to €10,000/month in 90 days with AI

The truth: Starting an online business has never been easier than in 2026. Thanks to AI, you don't need a team, an office, or a big budget. Just a laptop, internet access, and the right strategy.

In this ultimate guide, I will show you exactly how to build your profitable online business in 90 days and earn €10,000/month.

Why 2026 is the best time to start an online business

The numbers don't lie:

• E-commerce will grow to $8.1 trillion by 2026
• 73% of Germans buy online (trend increasing)
• AI reduces startup costs by 90%
• Remote work is the new standard – you can work from anywhere.
• The barriers to entry are lower than ever.

The 7 most profitable online business models of 2026

1. Service-based business (Fastest start)

What you sell: Your skills as a service

Examples:

• AI automation for businesses
• Social Media Management
• Content Creation
• web design
• Copywriting
• Virtual Assistant Services

Advantages:

• ✅ No starting capital required
• ✅ Start immediately
• ✅ High margins (80-90%)
• ✅ Fast cash flow

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Time for money (limited scalability)
• ❌ You must work actively.

Earning potential: €3,000 - €25,000/month

Time until first euro: 7-30 days

2. E-commerce store (scalable)

What you sell: Physical or digital products

Models:

• Dropshipping: No warehouse, supplier ships directly
• Print-on-demand: T-shirts, mugs, posters produced on demand
• Private Label: Own brand, products from China
• Handmade: Products made by hand

Advantages:

• ✅ Highly scalable
• ✅ Passive income possible
• ✅ Sellable (exit possible)

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Starting capital required (€1,000 - €5,000)
• ❌ High competition
• ❌ Marketing skills are essential

Earning potential: €5,000 - €100,000+ per month

Time until first euro: 30-90 days

3. Online Courses & Coaching (High Margins)

What you sell: Your knowledge as a course or coaching.

Formats:

• Video courses (create once, sell endlessly)
• 1-on-1 coaching (premium pricing)
• Group coaching (scalable)
• Membership/Community (recurring revenue)

Advantages:

• ✅ 90%+ margins
• ✅ Create once, sell forever
• ✅ Positioning as an expert
• ✅ Fulfilling (you help people)

Disadvantages:

• ❌ You need expertise
• ❌ Content creation is time-consuming
• ❌ Essential Marketing

Earning potential: €5,000 - €50,000+ per month

Time until first euro: 30-60 days

4. Affiliate Marketing (Passive)

What you do: You recommend other people's products and receive a commission.

Strategies:

• Niche website with SEO content
• YouTube channel with reviews
• Instagram/TikTok with affiliate links
• Email list with recommendations

Advantages:

• ✅ No need for your own product
• ✅ Passive income
• ✅ Low risk

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Takes a long time to become profitable (6-12 months)
• ❌ Dependent on platforms
• ❌ Commissions often low (5-20%)

Earning potential: €1,000 - €30,000+ per month

Time until first euro: 90-180 days

5. SaaS (Software as a Service) - Highest potential

What you sell: A software solution as a subscription model

Examples:

• AI tools for specific problems
• Automation software
• Productivity tools
• Niche CRM systems

Advantages:

• ✅ Recurring Revenue (predictable)
• ✅ Extremely scalable
• ✅ High ratings (exit potential)
• ✅ Automatable

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Technical know-how required (or budget for developers)
• ❌ Longer development time
• ❌ Higher starting capital (€5,000 - €50,000)

Earning potential: €10,000 - €500,000+ per month

Time until first euro: 120-180 days

6. Content Creators/Influencers

What you do: Create content, build an audience, monetize

Platforms:

• YouTube (Ad Revenue + Sponsorships)
• Instagram (Brand Deals)
• TikTok (Creator Fund + Sponsorships)
• Podcast (sponsorships + affiliate)

Advantages:

• ✅ Creative & fulfilling
• ✅ Multiple revenue streams
• ✅ Build a personal brand

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Takes a long time (12-24 months)
• ❌ Consistency is essential
• ❌ Algorithm-dependent

Earning potential: €2,000 - €100,000+ per month

Time until the first euro: 180-365 days

7. Agency Model (Scalable & Profitable)

What you do: Build a team, offer services to companies

Niches:

• Social Media Marketing Agency
• SEO agency
• Content agency
• AI Automation Agency
• Web design agency

Advantages:

• ✅ Highly scalable
• ✅ Recurring Revenue
• ✅ Sellable (exit possible)
• ✅ Team takes over work

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Team management required
• ❌ Higher complexity
• ❌ Cash flow management is critical

Earning potential: €15,000 - €200,000+ per month

Time until first euro: 30-60 days

The 90-day plan: From €0 to €10,000/month

Days 1-30: Foundation & Setup

Week 1: Choose a business model

Days 1-2: Self-reflection

• What are you good at?
• What interests you?
• How much time do you have?
• How much starting capital?

Days 3-5: Market research

• What problems do people in your niche face?
• How much do they pay for it?
• Who are the competitors?
• Where is the gap?

Days 6-7: Making a decision

• Choose ONE of the 7 models above
• Define your niche (specifically!)
• Write down your offer on (1 page)

Week 2: Skills & Tools

Days 8-10: Skill Building

• YouTube tutorials (free)
• Online courses (Udemy, Coursera)
• ONLINE.BROS Membership (€97/month)
• Study 4-6 hours daily

Days 11-14: Setting up tools

• Website/Landing Page (Shopify, WordPress, Webflow)
• Email marketing (Klaviyo, Mailchimp)
• CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive)
• Project management (Notion, ClickUp)
• AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney)

Week 3: Create an offer

Days 15-17: Product Development

• Service: Define packages & pricing
• E-commerce: Sourcing/creating products
• Course: Curriculum writing
• SaaS: Defining MVP Features

Days 18-21: Marketing Assets

• Create a landing page (with AI in 2 hours)
• Setting up social media profiles
• Content plan (30 days)
• Writing email sequences

Week 4: Launch preparation

Days 22-25: Beta Testing

• Offering 3-5 beta customers a 50% discount
• Collect feedback
• Optimize your offer
• Get Testimonials

Days 26-30: Launch

• Official Launch
• Social Media Announcement
• Email to network
• Run your first ads (100€ budget)

Days 31-60: Customer Acquisition & Cash Flow

Weeks 5-6: Outbound Sales

Daily:

• 20 LinkedIn connection requests
• 50 Cold Emails (personalized with AI)
• 10 comments on relevant posts
• 2-3 Discovery Calls

Goal: 5-10 paying customers

Weeks 7-8: Content Marketing

Daily:

• 1 LinkedIn post
• 3 Instagram/TikTok posts
• 1 YouTube video per week
• 1 blog post/week

Goal: To build organic reach

Days 61-90: Scaling to €10,000/month

Weeks 9-10: Optimizing processes

What you do:

• Write SOPs for recurring tasks
• Setting up AI automation (Make.com, Zapier)
• Creating templates
• Halve working time per customer

Weeks 11-12: Scaling

Strategy 1: More customers

• Increase your ad budget (€500 - €1,000/month)
• Double outbound traffic
• Start referral program

Strategy 2: Higher prices

• Increase prices by 30-50%
• Offer premium packages
• Upselling & Cross-Selling

Strategy 3: Building a team

• Hire your first freelancers (VA, designers, etc.)
• Learning delegation
• Focus on Sales & Strategy

Goal: €10,000+ revenue/month

The best AI tools for your online business

Content creation:

• ChatGPT Plus (€20/month): Texts, emails, scripts, code
• Claude Pro (€20/month): Long analyses, strategies
• Jasper (€49/month): Marketing copy, ads
• Midjourney (€30/month): Images, graphics, designs

Automation:

• Make.com (€9/month): Automate workflows
• Zapier (€20/month): App integrations
• Bardeen (€10/month): Browser automation

Marketing:

• Klaviyo (€20/month): Email marketing with AI
• Buffer (€6/month): Social Media Scheduling
• Canva Pro (€12/month): Design with AI

Productivity:

• Notion (€8/month): Organize everything
• ClickUp (€7/month): Project management
• Loom (€8/month): Video messages

Legal aspects: Online business in Germany

Step 1: Business registration

When: As soon as you earn money (even €1)

Where: Trade office of your city

Cost: €20-60

Duration: 15 minutes

Step 2: Tax Office

What happens: The tax office sends you a questionnaire for tax registration.

Important: Check the small business regulation (no VAT for revenue up to €22,000/year)

Step 3: Controls

Which taxes?

• Income tax: Progressive up to 42%
• Trade tax: From €24,500 profit/year
• Value Added Tax: 19% (except for small businesses)

Tip:

Tax advisors are recommended for businesses with a turnover of €3,000 or more. They cost €100-200 per month, but save you thousands.

Step 4: Insurance

Duty:

• Health insurance: Public or private (400-800€/month)

Optional but recommended:

• Professional liability insurance: €20-50/month
• Legal protection: €30-60/month

The biggest mistakes (and how to avoid them)

❌ Mistake #1: Perfectionism

Problem: You wait until everything is "perfect". You never start.

Solution: Done is better than perfect. Start with 80%, optimize as you go.

❌ Mistake #2: Niche too wide

Problem: "I do social media marketing" is too broad.

Solution: "Instagram marketing for fitness coaches" is perfect.

❌ Mistake #3: No marketing budget

Problem: You think organic growth is enough. It takes months.

Solution: Minimum €500/month for ads. ROI is 3-10x.

❌ Mistake #4: Prices too low

Problem: You think cheap equals more customers. Wrong.

Solution: Premium pricing. Better to have 10 customers at €1,000 each than 100 at €100 each.

❌ Mistake #5: Fighting alone

Problem: You try to figure everything out yourself. You waste months.

Solution: Join the community (ONLINE.BROS), find a mentor, learn faster.

Success stories: They made it

Lisa, 26, Content Agency (€18,000/month)

"I started with €0 and a laptop. Today, 14 months later, I run a content agency with 8 employees and €18,000 in monthly revenue. AI was the game-changer."

Markus, 34, online course (12,000€/month)

"After 15 years with the company, I quit. I created a course on Excel automation. Today I earn more than before – working 20 hours a week."

Sarah, 29, E-commerce (€25,000/month)

"Dropshipping store for sustainable products. Start-up capital: €2,000. After 8 months: €25,000/month revenue, €8,000 profit."

Your next step: Start NOW

You now have everything you need:

• ✅ 7 profitable business models
• ✅ 90-day plan
• ✅ All Tools & Resources
• ✅ Legal basics
• ✅ Error prevention

The question is: Will you implement it?

How ONLINE.BROS can help you:

Option 1: Done-For-You Business Setup (€999)

We build your entire business in 24-48 hours. Website, offers, initial customer acquisition – everything is ready.

Option 2: 4-week bootcamp in Pattaya (€14,997)

Intensive training with Gerd Brako. 4 weeks, guaranteed profit, lifetime community access.

Option 3: ONLINE.BROS Membership (€97/month)

All courses, weekly calls, 2,300+ community, templates & tools.

Ready to launch your online business?

👉 Start now with Done-For-You Setup

FAQ: Starting an online business

How much start-up capital do I need?

Minimum: €0 (service business). Optimal: €1,000 - €5,000 for tools, ads, website.

Do I need a business plan?

For a start: No. A one-page strategy is sufficient. A business plan can be developed later for investors/loans.

How long will it take to become profitable?

Realistically: 30-90 days until first payment. 6-12 months to €10,000/month.

Can I start part-time?

Yes! 10-20 hours per week are enough to start. Switch to full-time later.

Which business model is best?

For beginners: Service business (fastest cash flow). Long-term: SaaS or agency (scalable).

Conclusion: 2026 is YOUR year

The chances have never been better. AI makes it easier. Demand is huge. The tools are available.

You have two options:

1. Keep dreaming and regret not having started in 5 years.

2. Start NOW and have your own profitable online business in 90 days.

The decision is yours.

Gerd Brako & the ONLINE.BROS team

PS: If you're serious about starting an online business, check out our Done-For-You setup . You'll be live in 48 hours.