Ever woken up in the middle of the night with a bright idea bound to make you rich/famous/successful or all of those things at once or in succession?

It does not take magic to run an online business in Australia. Starting one might be tough, but it's still no rocket science. The tricky part is finding the right type of business to run.

Wondering how to find a profitable niche and get your online business off the ground? Here are some ideas that will help you get some clarity.

Begin with a list

The first thing to do is make a list of things you are passionate about, good at, or keenly interested in. Try to think of at least five things to put on that list. The more, the better, but try to limit the number to ten, not to spread yourself thin.

At this point, it all comes down to identifying the niche. Don't be a perfectionist at this point. Excessive perfectionism can nip certain things in the bud.

Be prepared to start small and learn in the process

If you feel you cannot pull it off on your own, even though you like the niche, just ease into it. Say you're passionate about gambling - that's, by the way, an excellent example of niche.

Affiliate work is a great way to start. You can learn the ropes in the process to arrive at something more significant (and your own). There are hundreds of casinos out there to partner with, but clearly, you need the best ones aimed at Aussie players.

A good idea in this situation would be to visit a place like Lords of Blackjack, where players find top casinos. Those casinos are all aimed at Australian players, offering convenient payment methods, AUD, and exclusive promos.

Many successful online businesses started small. Affiliate work could be your path.

Evaluate how profitable your niche is

Any business is mostly about profit. It's crucial to evaluate realistically the money-earning potential of the branch you have your eyes set on. Niche research helps avoid disappointment later down the road.

Make sure to do some browsing and see how monetized your niche is. If it isn't, that might be a reason to reconsider or make some adjustments.

Also, keep in mind you don't have to do everything yourself. These days there are plenty of collaboration opportunities that allow focusing on getting the business off the ground while delegating other aspects and sharing the workload. These days it's easier than ever.

Think about your potential clients

Next, try picturing your customers. No matter the niche you are thinking about, you need to start by thinking about the problems you can solve. This is what makes a business successful - and profitable.

There is a lot more information to learn, though. Here are some specifics:

- Do research. Google some local Australian forums and see what the folks are discussing there. You may come across something that catches your eye and makes the puzzle complete.

- Get personal. People love being asked for opinions and feedback. Use that to your advantage - get a word out and conduct interviews with your target audience. You can even start from those very forums discussed above.

- Use more advanced tools. There are various tools, namely Google Trends and Google AdWords', that can help you get familiar with the keywords related to your niche. You might end up discovering new sides to your potential online business.

Study the competition

It's not enough to find your niche; you also need to be unique in some way. In most cases, there is always someone doing or trying to do the same.

While competition should not scare you off, you need to analyze it thoroughly. You have a chance to do things better and learn from the mistakes of others, which is a great thing. Your competitors might not have had the same advantage.

Try to understand how you can stand out if you choose this niche. By offering something unique and different from your competitors, you are giving yourself much better chances of succeeding.

You might beat the competitors by offering high-quality content, creating a brand that has a memorable identity, or using paid promotional services to your advantage. If they are not doing it, this might be your chance.

Final thoughts

As a future business owner, keep in mind that knowing how to find a profitable niche and actually getting down to it are two different things. Be bold and persistent, pursuing your dream, and make sure to avoid getting stuck in the planning phase.