100 Small Business Ideas to Kickstart Your Journey

Looking to start a small business? Let’s explore a few small business ideas

Entrepreneurship is one of the most challenging journeys in life. It takes creativity, resourcefulness, and a healthy dose of courage. Here’s our list of over 100 small business ideas. Our list is designed to offer inspiration and insights to your entrepreneurial spirit. 

Starting your own business can be overwhelming. For most people, there are several elements that concern them. Will I be able to make a sale? How long is it going to take to turn a profit? Is my business idea feasible? These are questions that will relentlessly plague your mind. You may not have all the answers but what you have is a dream that you want to transform into reality. 

Arts & crafts

1. Artwork
2. Blankets
3. Custom designed clothes / T-Shirts
4. Crafts

Administrative

Attention to detail, meticulous, and always gets the job done. If that’s you, we have a few suggestions that could help. 

5. Data entry
6. Accounting and bookkeeping
7. Human resources and payroll
8. Virtual assistant
9. Paralegal

Health & wellness

If you believe in living a healthy lifestyle, get paid to show others how to do the same. You will require training and certification before you can start. The current climate is health and fitness focused. A forecast predicts that in 2022, there will be over 86 million health and fitness app users in the United States alone.  

This makes these small business ideas profitable when executed well. 

10. Fitness training
11. Nutrition and health
12. Chiropracter services
13. Yoga or Pilates studio
14. Gym
15. Spa
16. Therapy

Food

Passionate about what excites the taste buds? The food & beverage industry is your jam (pun intended). You will require some training and certification in this area. If food drives your world, these small business ideas below are worth considering. 

17. Restaurant
18. Food truck
19. Catering
20. Beverages (Boba tea, smoothie shop, etc.)
21. Bar
22. Private chef
23. Baked goods
24. Canned items

Home improvement

Want to make a career out of making homes and commercial spaces better? Check out our list of options. You might need a team of employees or a partner to work in this area. 

25. Cleaning / janitorial
26. Flooring
27. Roofing
28. Electrical services
29. Lawn care and landscaping
30. Window cleaning
31. Plumbing

Organization

This is for people who love being organized in their personal and professional lives. 

32. Event planner
33. Property manager
34. Executive / Personal assistant
35. Home / office organizer

Consulting

There are several small business ideas where you get paid to offer your services. You might require some type of education, training, and experience. Most professionals in this category have a portfolio of work. In addition, customer ratings help establish credibility. 

36. Social media management
37. Marketing
38. Website design and management
39. Copywriting
40. Graphic design
41. Photography
42. Career specialist
43. Translator / interpreter
44. Tax preperation
45. Coding

Classes

If you’re an expert in a field, get paid to show others some tricks and tips.  

46. Tutoring / test preparation
47. Culinary
48. Languages
49. Music
50. Dance
51. Pottery
52. Painting / crafting
53. Etiquette

Pet services

Do you love animals and enjoy taking care of them? There are a few ways you could make money by working with your furry friends. 

54. Groomer
55. Breeder
56. Dog walker
57. Pet daycare and boarding
58. Obedience training

Children and childcare

 Monetize your child rearing skills by delivering services that are highly sought after by parents. 

59. Daycare services
60. Summer camp
61. Special ed and caregiving

Online selling

Reselling products is a good way to make money. Several sellers have successfully used it to replace their full-time jobs. Our small business ideas below are bound to intrigue you. 

62. Amazon seller
63. Etsy seller
64. eBay seller

Farm to table

If you have the ability and resources to raise farm animals, there is a demand for farm fresh everything. 

65. Meat
66. Eggs
67. Fresh produce

Beauty

We all want to look our best. People shell out large sums of money to attain their ideal look. You will require training and licenses for opportunities in this field. Want to help people look their best? We have a few small business ideas compiled for you. 

68. Aesthetician
69. Nail technician
70. Lash technician
71. Hairdresser
72. Makeup artist
73. Microblanding

Independent contractor

These are individuals who sign up under a company and get paid to do certain tasks. They can usually set their own schedules and work whenever they want.  

74. Content creator (YouTube, Tiktok ect.)
75. Rideshare driving (Uber, Lyft ect.)
76. Food delivery (Doordash, Ubereats, Postmates)

Renting

A lot of people prefer renting over buying. It is a practical alternative to spending a small fortune on certain items. 

77. Home / Commercial space
78. Venues
79. Equipment
80. Costume / tuxedo etc.
81. Cars / Vehicles

Automotive

Everyone used some type of automobile to commute to places. That is why there are several products and services in the auto industry. Auto services deserve their place on our list of small business ideas. 

82. Car wash
83. Detailing
84. Parts
85. Oil / tyre change

Security

We all like to protect ourselves and those important to us. Be it your home or your data, there are solutions for every threat. Starting a small business with a focus on security takes a sharp eye and attention to detail.  

86. Private security
87. Cybersecurity
88. Equipment & installation

Travel & transport

A culmination of hospitality, tourism, and good old transport! These small business ideas are perfect for individuals that love helping others.  

89. Tourism company / travel agency
90. Hotels / motels
91. Trucking

Tech & machinery

Several small business ideas require training and certification. The technology and machinery business is one of them. They play a major role in many industries. 

92. IT services
93. Equipment repair

Others:

These are our small business ideas that don’t quite fit into any of the above categories. We’ve lumped them together. Take a look. 

94. Real estate company
95. Caregiving services (seniors, special needs ect.)
96. Entertainment management
97. Public relations firm
98. Air BnB hosting
99. Dropshipping
100. Day trading
101. House flipping
102. Publishing (Books, magazines, newspaper ect.)
103. Media company
104. Antique dealing
105. Tattoo Parlor
106. Staffing agency
107. Call center / telemarketing

Wow! Now that is one heck of a list! We hope we’ve set into motion several plans in your mind. This is to get you started on a journey of discovering what you’d want to do.  

Each idea comes with its own levels of viability, profitability, and challenges. It requires research on your part to pinpoint what training or certifications you need. 

We believe that the American economy is largely dependent on our small businesses. Our aim is to offer sound advice to small businesses and budding entrepreneurs. There is untapped potential everywhere. Take your time to realize which of these small business ideas fit you the best. Good luck!