These businesses are necessary because most businesses have a need for data entry, information tracking, organization, and analysis. Popular websites offer jobs that can be bid on by data entry businesses, which then enter data for any company that needs it. Most large companies contract with independent data entry companies for either part-time or full-time data entry needs.
You may also be interested in additional side hustle ideas.
Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.
Northwest ($29 + State Fees)
DIY: How to Start an LLC
We have put together this simple guide to starting your data entry business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Data Entry Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
The cost involved in starting a data entry company is minimal. That’s because they can be run from home, or operated out of an office on a larger scale. Today’s data entry businesses operate mostly or entirely online.
All that’s needed is a computer and an Internet connection. These costs can range from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on the computer purchased.
Ongoing expenses for this type of business are low and limited to utility costs for running the business, computer maintenance, repair, and replacement, rent, and insurance. These ongoing costs can be as little as a few hundred dollars per month to several thousand dollars, depending on the size of the business.
Preferred customers are larger corporate clients or those with ongoing data entry needs. The worst types of clients for this business are smaller accounts or businesses that have sporadic cash flows and cannot afford to pay for ongoing data entry services.
A data entry company makes money by charging clients for data entry services.
Data entry companies typically charge customers an hourly rate or a “Full-Time Equivalent” (FTE) rate. FTE rates are usually a flat fee per month for services.
Rates for services can also vary depending on specific services. For example, catalog management, data entry, scanning, and data mining services may fit on one “tier” of services, which the business can charge $7-$10 per hour for.
A company may also decide to offer FTE rates of between $1,000 and $2,000 per month for ongoing services.
More advanced data manipulation and management services may warrant higher charges of between $10 and $20 per hour, or $3,000 to $6,000 per month.
A data entry business can have a high profit margin. However, it all depends on how quickly your employees can finish jobs. Profit margins of 5% or less may be typical for a startup with little experience. However, those margins can grow to over 20% if processes are streamlined.
Making a data entry business more profitable usually means either specializing in one sector or niche or offering more value for the money. For example, a data entry business that specializes in the healthcare industry may be able to charge its clients more money because the company needs specialized knowledge of its customers’ industry — knowledge that isn’t widely available in the general data entry market.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your data entry business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they're a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business's debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business's liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your data entry business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We've negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.
Note: If you're interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a data entry business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits .
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Data entry businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a service agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example service agreement.
Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your data entry business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.
A data entry business may be run out of an office. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.
FInd out what types of insurance your Data Entry Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Data Entry Business.
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.
Recommended: Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
Promoting your data entry business will involve a combination of strategies and tactics. Most data entry companies can start out using direct mail or online pay-per-click advertising. As word of mouth grows, companies don’t need to rely as much on paid traffic to websites and can instead leverage organic reach and referral marketing, including email marketing.
Differentiating your services from others in your space is difficult. This is an industry known for its sameness across competitors. Stand out by offering more value rather than lowering price.
Another way to differentiate yourself is by specializing your company and services. Some firms choose to specialize in certain industries. This allows them to charge more for certain services, create a customized menu of services for clients in a specific industry, and offer value that general data entry companies cannot.
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.
This business is best suited to business owners with strong managerial skills. If you plan on owning a one-person business, you should also be comfortable using a variety of popular spreadsheet and word processing programs. Running a data entry business is typically a “9-to-5 job,” but may also include weekends and nights based on the project.
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
Day-to-day activities of a data entry company include processing requests from customers and, of course, data entry. Most of an employee’s time is spent working at his or her desk organizing, sorting, entering, and manipulating data.
The owner of the company may be involved in marketing, so most of his or her time would be spent managing client relationships and attracting new clients.
Data entry companies require specialists who are skilled in typing and data entry, scanning, manipulating documents and data, organizing, and other office-related skills. Proficiency in a variety of spreadsheet and word processing applications is usually a must. Good communications skills are necessary as is the ability to meet tight and changing deadlines.
A data entry company can remain small, with just one or two people operating the business. These kinds of businesses typically take on a handful of clients and establish a relationship with them that lasts for years. A lot of businesses stay small like this forever.
As the client base grows, however, some companies decide to hire staff to assist with the workload. These companies can scale easily as long as they continue hiring data entry specialists, HR support, and management that is sufficient to handle the growth of the company.
An example of a large data entry company would be ARDEM Incorporated or Invensis. These companies are global, working with international corporations. So, the theoretical upper limit is huge.
Not sure if a data entry business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.
For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.
