There are plenty of reasons you may be thinking about starting a business.
Maybe you’ve had a great business idea for a long time, are tired of the daily grind, or are just looking for a change.
Regardless of your reason, there are more small business ideas out there than ever before.
You can start a more traditional business based around a physical location, or you can sell a service remotely.
Whatever you choose, the web has created the opportunity for small businesses to scale by reaching customers across the globe.
Related: Best LLC Formation Services
Consulting
If you have expertise in something and love doing it, then consider becoming a consultant.
Many companies don’t want to hire full-time employees for work that may not last in the long term.
That leaves the door open for consultants that come in on a part-time basis and don’t require a lot of the overhead involved with full-time labor.
Other benefits of this small business idea are more control over your work-life balance and a higher hourly wage.
Just keep in mind that higher wage is often offset by having to pay for benefits, and less total hours worked.
Online Courses
One of the trends that have been growing for years in education is online courses. The global e-learning market is expected to be valued at $499.1 billion by 2027.
From Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platforms to individual creators, online courses are everywhere. And just like consulting, if you have an in-demand skill, you can command a good price for your course.
While opportunity exists in this space, be aware you have to produce quality content. Because there is so much competition, not just any course is going to sell at a worthwhile price.
You need to produce great content that delivers real value. If you do, you can make a great living in the online course space.
Related: Best Online Course Platforms
Podcasting
If you haven’t been paying attention, then you might not know the world of podcasting is exploding.
According to eMarketer, there will be 117.8 million monthly podcast listeners in 2021. Also for the first time, advertising dollars spent will surpass the $1 billion mark, up to $1.28 billion.
If you want to do well in the podcasting space, you again will need to have great content. You will also need to be effective at presenting that content.
Whether you are conducting interviews, or simply providing knowledge, podcasting is one of the best small business ideas if you can get an audience.
WordPress Developer
The power of the web has only increased since its meteoric rise in the 1990s. And it shows no signs of slowing, which is why WordPress is so powerful.
WordPress is the dominating force behind much of the website creation in the world. It accounts for approximately 40% of all websites on the internet today.
Because it does not always require extensive knowledge of coding, being a WordPress developer is accessible to those with limited knowledge.
WordPress has many different easy-to-use page builders that require no coding knowledge at all.
There’s still a learning curve that many business owners want nothing to do with. That leaves the door open for your small business as a WordPress developer.
Social Media Manager
Mastering the world of social media is a complicated task these days. Many business owners don’t have the time or don’t see the value in using social media for their business.
If you are a social media wiz, consider helping other businesses leverage social media to get new customers and build their brand.
It’s a marketing segment with enormous potential if businesses can hone in on their target market and get the right conversions.
It’s much trickier than other forms of digital marketing like CPC. Because of this, a great social media manager can drive significant value for a company.
Photography
One of the best small business ideas for many years has been photography.
It’s an area that always seems to have demand because of the special occasions they help document.
And because you are often hired to document occasions, people are often ready to spend top dollar. think about weddings, family reunions, birthdays, and more.
The average photographer brings in $66,709 per year according to salary.com.
That’s not too shabby especially if you have a passion for the job and get to make people happy in the process.
Graphic Design
If you are a talented graphic designer, you can turn those talents into a successful small business idea.
Whether that’s designing graphics for a website, mobile app, or print material, the demand is high.
Like consulting and other service-oriented businesses, graphic design can give you much more flexibility than a traditional job. You can typically do design work from any location and complete the work any time of day so long as you meet client deadlines.
Massage Therapist
The population in the United States is getting older by the minute. With the majority of baby boomers now in their 60’s and 70’s, that means there are a lot of people out there with aches and pains.
That, coupled with the trend for more holistic health treatment, has many people looking for ways to naturally reduce pain.
This increasing demand makes becoming a massage therapist one of the best small business ideas out there today.
Personal Trainer
Another great idea that fits right in with today’s health trends is a personal trainer.
If you love staying fit, then consider turning your passion for health into a business.
Because you are working with individual clients, it’s a business that has a lot of flexibility. You set th
Bookkeeping
Most large companies have an in-house accountant to do this work, but millions of small businesses don’t have the budget.
If you have accounting skills, one of the best small business ideas for you is bookkeeping.
This is another business that you can do from anywhere for most small businesses. That gives you the flexibility to work from wherever you want. And in most cases, you can choose your hours since you’re not needed on a daily basis to provide consent financial guidance.
Daycare
Parents across the country are in need of daycare more now than ever. With the growing trend of dual-parent working households, daycare is a necessity.
And they are willing to pay a pretty penny for these services. According to the Center for American Progress, the average cost to provide center-based childcare for an infant in the United States is $1,230.
While this creates a significant opportunity, starting a daycare is not for everyone. Watches children every day comes with a lot of challenges and frustrations as any parent knows.
But if children are something you truly love, then starting a daycare might be a great idea.
Data Analyst
This is a great business idea because data is one of the hardest topics in the world today.
Businesses around the world depend on data to help drive decisions in their businesses. That’s why if you’re a talented data analyst you can sell your services to thousands of companies across the globe.
Even if you aren’t an expert data analyst yet, there are plenty of courses out there that can help you learn the skills. Just check out companies like University, DX, and Coursera. They all offer extensive Courses in the area of data analytics and more detailed data-driven skills.
Personal Trainer
Becoming a personal trainer is a great business idea for anyone who loves to stay physically fit.
Not only will you be able to help other people stay fit, but you’ll be able to spend a good portion of your day keeping fit as well.
Not only that, but many personal trainers have a significant amount of flexibility in their day. You’re not working a standard 9 to 5, but instead helping clients only at times that you schedule with them.
Youtuber
This doesn’t seem like a legitimate business idea to many in the baby boomer and Genx Generations. It is to the newer generation.
That’s because it’s only been the last 10 years or so that you can make a significant amount of money running a business on YouTube. If you are great at making videos and love sharing information with others, you might sustain a business using YouTube.
In today’s world of influencers across different social media platforms, businesses pay those with a large following a handsome sum for advertising.
While that may sound fun to many, it’s a tough thing to do and build a successful business.
Much like an actor or actress, many who attempt to earn money making videos on YouTube find it difficult to compete with the sheer volume of content on the platform.
But if you can gain a following, this can be a rewarding and exciting business idea to pursue.
Catering
If you are a great cook one of the best small business ideas is to become a caterer. Some of the most well-known chefs in the world have either started their careers or ended up in the catering world.
As a caterer, you won’t be married to one single location or restaurant. You’ll get to travel to different locations and cook for different groups of people. Any type of special event There’s a potential for business in the catering world. Are there’s a potential for business in the catering world.
Again, this is not an easy business to thrive in unless you have great cooking skills. There’s plenty of competition out there in the form of restaurants and other private caterers. So if you want to compete in the space you’ll need to bring your “A” game.
Real Estate Agent or Broker
Becoming a real estate agent or broker is another business idea that can leave you making a lot of money and also having a lot of flexibility.
Real estate brokers and agents list houses on the market and help clients find new homes to purchase.
If you have a great personality and are a good salesperson, you may be able to make a business in real estate.
Becoming a broker is more complex, becoming a real estate agent can be done in a matter of weeks taking some fairly straightforward classes.
As a real estate agent, you can then affiliate yourself with an established broker, and run a relatively independent business using that broker’s name.
Regardless of which route you choose, if you love real estate and consider becoming a real estate agent or broker as a business idea.
Search Engine Optimization
If you’re a veteran of the tech world chances are you know what search engine optimization is. With the rise of search engines like Google and Bing, came the profession of an SEO who helps clients get their websites to the top of search engine ranking.
Being at the top of those rankings brings significant value to companies because customers will find their websites first.
Because of the increasing importance of search engines in today’s information-seeking world as he owes can command a high price tag if they are good at what they do.
This is another business idea that requires skills but those skills can be learned without a formal four-year degree. Companies like Google offer training courses on their tools and there are plenty of online courses where you can learn SCO skills as well.
That means if you put some time and effort into learning Ezio skills, you can start a consulting business in this area without investing a ton of money.
Homecare
As the baby boomer generation continues to approach their 60s and 70s, their need for home care is greater than ever.
If you enjoy helping people who are elderly or have specific Health needs then a home care business is a great idea for you.
This type of business isn’t for everyone however, you need to have a significant amount of patience as some clients and situations can be challenging.
Just like the skills needed to be a nurse or work in any type of healthcare facility, owning a home care business requires a high level of compassion and desire to help those in need.
If this description sounds like you, Then a home care business might be a great idea to consider.
Food Truck
The idea Of a food truck exploded about a decade ago as they started to appear in more cities across the country.
They were also spurred on by a host of famous chefs who got their start with a Food truck.
Rightly so, many talented chef’s started to see a lower cost option to showcase their cooking talents. Rather than start restaurants with a huge amount of overhead, they could make a minimal investment and start a food truck.
If their concept was a hit, it then became much easier to find investors to start A full-fledged restaurant.
So if you have a great cooking concept but don’t have the cash to start a restaurant, a food truck is one of the best small business ideas for you.
Landscape Service
If you love spending time outdoors then a landscape business might be perfect for you. You’ll need some other skills like an understanding of plants and flowers, along with decent design skills.
If you have some of these capabilities and are good at what you do a landscape service can earn you a lot of money.
Well, the simple task of cutting lawns is difficult to make money at because of a high level of competition, a full-service landscape business has more opportunities.
From cutting out new garden beds to installing brick pavers landscaping can entail some privacy projects.
If you find yourself operating one of these businesses in an area with people willing to pay the price you can find yourself with a very successful small business.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping business is one where you sell products but don’t actually deal with the inventory. A third-party supplier or wholesaler call’s inventory and ships it directly to your customers.
This is a very enticing business model to many who don’t want to deal with the hassle of inventory management. That said, you need to be very careful that these third parties aren’t the ones making all the money.
Oftentimes drop shippers find themselves making very slim margins on their products because there’s so much competition in the market. And the only ones actually making money for the manufacturers and wholesalers
This can still be a successful small business, but your main job is to ensure you find the right suppliers To drop ship your products at a reasonable cost to you.
If you manage to find the right relationships drop shipping can be a great way to start a business with less hassle.
Dog Walker
Another business that’s great for people who like to spend their time outside is a dog walker.
It’s not likely that you’re going to become a mega-millionaire in the dog walking business but I can offer a great work-life balance.
Dog walkers get to spend most of their time outside with man’s best friend. So if you love animals, especially dogs, then becoming a dog walker is an idea to consider.
The Bottom Line on Small Business Ideas
Starting a new business is hard work, but it can be more than worthwhile if you love what you’re doing.
So finding the best small business ideas suited to your skills is absolutely critical.
The good news is that starting your own business is easier than ever in today’s world of technology.
In many cases, you can work from wherever you want and do the work on your own timelines.
You also have limitless access to customers via web-based businesses like eCommerce, online courses, podcasting, and many more.
So if you’re looking for a change and interested in working for yourself, think about starting your own small business.
These are just a few ideas to kickstart your brainstorming.
Leave a comment below if you have other great small business ideas to suggest.
