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.
Behind every business success is planning, execution, endurance, and consistency. However, the biggest factor of all is passion. You need to be passionate about what you seek to accomplish with your business. The easiest way to approach this is to identify what you’re good at and also enjoy doing.
Some people reject the idea of a traditional 9-to-5 in favor of being their own boss. Others like to have an uncapped earning potential which most regular jobs do not offer. For some others, it is the flexibility to open and close shop whenever they please. Whatever your reason is to want to start a small business, we have a ton of small business ideas for you.
Are you ready to take your side-gig full time?
For the sake of simplicity, we have picked out a few broad categories and listed examples of small business ideas under each of them.
Arts & crafts
- Artwork
- Blankets
- Custom designed clothes/ T-shirts
- Crafts
Administrative
Attention to detail, meticulous, and always gets the job done. If that’s you, we have a few suggestions that could help.
- Data entry
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Human resources and payroll
- Virtual assistant
- 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.
- Fitness training
- Nutrition and health
- Chiropractor services
- Yoga or Pilates studio
- Gym
- Spa
- 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.
- Restaurant
- Food truck
- Catering
- Beverages (Boba tea, smoothie shop etc.)
- Bar
- Private chef
- Baked goods
- 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.
- Cleaning/janitorial
- Flooring
- Roofing
- Electrical services
- Lawn care and landscaping
- Window cleaning
- Plumbing
Organization
This is for people who love being organized in their personal and professional lives.
- Event planner
- Property manager
- Executive/personal assistant
- 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.
- Social media management
- Marketing
- Website design and management
- Copywriting
- Graphic design
- Photography
- Career specialist
- Translator/interpreter
- Tax preparation
- Coding
Classes
If you’re an expert in a field, get paid to show others some tricks and tips.
- Tutoring/test preparation
- Culinary
- Languages
- Music
- Dance
- Pottery
- Paining/crafting
- 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.
- Groomer
- Breeder
- Dog walker
- Pet daycare and boarding
- Obedience training
Children and childcare
Monetize your child rearing skills by delivering services that are highly sought after by parents.
- Daycare services
- Summer camp
- 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.
- Amazon seller
- Etsy seller
- eBay seller
Farm to table
If you have the ability and resources to raise farm animals, there is a demand for farm fresh everything.
- Meat
- Eggs
- 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.
- Aesthetician
- Nail technician
- Lash technician
- Hairdresser
- Makeup artist
- Microblading
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.
- Content creator (YouTube, Tiktok etc.)
- Rideshare driving (Uber, Lyft etc.)
- 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.
- Home/commercial space
- Venues
- Equipment
- Costume/tuxedo etc.
- 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.
- Car wash
- Detailing
- Parts
- 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.
- Private security
- Cybersecurity
- 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.
- Tourism company/travel agency
- Hotels/motels
- 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.
- IT services
- 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.
- Real estate company
- Caregiving services (seniors, special needs etc.)
- Entertainment management
- Public relations firm
- Air BnB hosting
- Dropshipping
- Day trading
- House flipping
- Publishing (Books, magazines, newspaper etc.)
- Media company
- Antique dealing
- Tattoo Parlor
- Staffing agency
- 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!
