Searching for some ideas for your startup but clueless about where to begin? Don’t worry. Many entrepreneurs and beginners go through the same stage. However, you are in luck as I’m here to present you with so many options that you will have several ideas on what to start by the end of the article. In this guide, I’ve listed more than 33 best business ideas in various categories to show you a path. So, sit tight and read along to explore them all. Let’s Begin!
Online Businesses
Starting online has been among the best business ideas for over a decade. It starts with a minimum investment, including a PC or laptop and an internet connection. Although the field has become competitive today, it still has a high potential for startups to thrive and propel. Here are a few ideas to start your online business.
Freelancing
When we talk about online, the first thing that pops up in mind is freelancing. It may seem a great idea, but today, this one word is a whole new world in itself. Either starting part-time or developing a full-time career, freelancing is a broad category with sub-domains. For instance, you can provide your freelancing services in:
- Web Development
- Graphic Designing
- Content Writing
- Marketing
- Virtual Assistance
- Programming
- SEO
- Advertising, and many more
Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is an excellent way to monetize your website or blog if you publish review articles on different products or services. What makes affiliate marketing one of the best business ideas is its almost zero investment. Since you already have a website, you can write for others’ products or services.
For this purpose, join an affiliate program (like Amazon or ShareASale) or pair up with some other websites. Remember, it will not be promotional content (unless you tell your readers from the start). Start reviewing products and inform your readers about various services while linking back to products. If they purchase/subscribe to it by following your link, you will get a commission. Pretty simple, right?
Drop Shipping
Drop shipping is a great option if you don’t want to invest heftily but want to start an ecommerce business. In this business, you won’t own the inventory you sell. Instead, you purchase the product from a wholesaler in bulk, store it in a warehouse, pack it, and send it to the customer. In this way, you profit by purchasing cheap in bulk and selling it at market rates.
So, it is indeed one of the best business ideas with high online potential. On average, you can earn up to $3,000 to $4,000 per month. However, the model requires high marketing and management skills. Moreover, you need to have good SEO for your product to compete with the same dropshippers.
Content Creation
As social media channels explode in popularity, they also become a great platform to start a business. Multiple people earn a handsome living after becoming an influencer or content creators. You can start it too, as a YouTuber, Instagram Influencer, TikTokker, or podcaster.
However, starting won’t be easy since you will require huge followership. You can ask your friend and family to be your initial followers, but only depending on them won’t be enough. The only way to do so is to provide quality and unique content. Once you gain enough followers, the rest will be the snowball effect.
Print-on-Demand Products
Printing on-demand products is pretty underrated but still among the best business ideas with high potential. You only have to invest in a great printer (a sublimation printer will be best) and the bulk of plain inventory with no additional design.
In this business, people will order you to print custom designs on products according to their preferences. These can be shirts, mugs, tote bags, phone covers, hats, etc. You just need to print the designs on the products, pack and ship them to the location. That’s all!
Interestingly, you can also partner with a third-party POD provider. Some will ask for a subscription, while others mostly ask for a cut in sales. But in this case, you can completely focus on your website and marketing while they will handle the printing work.
Best Small Business Ideas
As a startup, of course you start small. According to Gallup, 60% of startup owners use their personal savings. Initially, you don’t have much investment and require time to build up an enterprise. And only due to the lack of dedication and management, several startups fail.
So, if you remain true to your business, you can begin a business on a small scale, which can grow exponentially over time. Below are some best business ideas that start on a small scale but are not hard and have a high potential to grow.
Small Boutique
Starting your own boutique is a dream of several women, and you can also pursue your passion if you have a spark. It requires some investment, but not that much if you begin locally. The first step demands some hard work, like getting and managing products, creating a social presence, marketing, finding a store, and building it.
One option is to only go online, which means you get the products in a storage space (like a warehouse). In this case, you will need to have excellent marketing, social media pages, and digital advertisement since these will be the only ways to expand your business. Anyways, the task is not complicated as it sounds.
Personal Fitness Training
Fitness training has always been among the best business ideas since everyone wants to enjoy great health. If you are a fitness freak or at least know how to bulk up or lose weight, you can sell your knowledge by helping others. Your responsibilities will include exercising sessions, creating a diet plan, charting, and scheduling, providing consultations, planning a routine for maximum output, and others.
Social media, especially Instagram, will be your significant booster for this, where you can post free quick videos, pro tips, inspirational and motivational posts, and some protein shake ideas. When you start getting enough clients, pair up with other fitness trainers, and hence, you can begin your own agency of training professionals.
Consultation
The word consultation packs several career paths and some of the best business ideas in itself. You can start as a life consultant, career coach, educational consultant, love guru, business advisor, legal or financial advisor, anyone. If you have a deep knowledge of a specific field and are confident enough to help others with their problems, this is the right step.
However, the consultation business is not just giving advice. Some categories also include hands-on training, which you can add to your profile to gain maximum clients and customers. But first, make sure you have a certification in that field to assert some authority, legitimacy, and professionalism.
Event Planning
Event planning is an amazing business and fascinates multiple people due to its creativity, productivity, teamwork, and awesomeness. It can start small, but proper dedication can lead to a well-established business in a couple of years. Though the career is stressful too, and event planners remain pretty much busy, they also enjoy the dynamics of the work.
What’s exciting is that this business is always in demand. In this era, where everything is going online, event planning cannot go digital. In fact, AI (which is affecting several fields and businesses) cannot automate the process since it requires creative minds and actual manpower. So, if you can build up a professional team, this can be your best pick.
Local Guide
Everybody loves tourism and wishes to explore their visiting place properly. If you live in a region that mostly has tourists throughout the year, you can assist them by becoming a local guide. Reminder, you will need extensive knowledge of your city. It means you don’t just show them the most interesting places but also underrated yet exciting places that may make their visit remarkable.
You can also provide your services in a sub-domain, like guiding them to the best restaurants in the area, historical places, exciting sites, and modern structural marvels; the list is wide. You can become an individual guide with a proper website or join a team of professionals to gain experience and then start your own agency.
Work From Home
After the outbreak of Covid-19, we have seen a new genre in businesses, remote working. While the pandemic has closed many companies (for that time only), it has also opened new opportunities on the other hand. Here, I will discuss some best business ideas you can start and run from the ease of your couch.
Programming
If you are familiar with programming or coding, then what are you waiting for? In this digital era, where technology is taking over everything, you are wasting your knowledge and skill. Remember I mentioned freelancing earlier? Well, the field also supports programmers with high-income margins.
You can work for multiple clients and develop applications, software, websites, games, or plugins. With more technical knowledge, you can also fix errors, bugs, and glitches or remove viruses from their digital products. Each development and repair work costs a great value in the online world. Or you can also join a company or well-established business remotely and solve their programming issues with a handsome salary.
Voice Over
Voice over has bloomed significantly in recent years, and today considered one of the best business ideas due to its demand. Since many people are converting to YouTube or Podcasts, they look for a great voice for their videos or audio. If not, multiple brands search for voice-over artists to give life to their amazing advertisements.
If you have a charming voice, soothing for the ear, have deep bass (for males) or sweet and melodic (for females), you should give this career a try. You only have to read a provided script for the videos or talk for some time in a recording. However, make sure to invest in a great mic for the best quality, and you are set to go.
Rent a Room
If both of the above professions look tedious (due to the learning curve or mic investment), you can also convert to a passive income source. Let’s say the back room, which nobody uses in the house, can earn you money. Clean it up, better if you renovate it a little and place an ad about renting that space.
Several people are willing to rent a room that is clean and comes under their budget. So, show them their place, interview them in the meantime, and generate a passive income. Here, selecting the right candidate is also essential since living with a stranger initially can be irritating. But once you both fine-tune each other’s habits, you will start enjoying their company.
Selling Handicrafts
But living with a stranger is not acceptable for everyone. If you are one of those and value your personal space, then I still have a couple of best business ideas you can start at home. One of them is selling handicrafts. Choose a category, handbags, hats, dresses, shoes, decoration pieces, tapestry, you name it. Gather the materials, and start a homemade items business locally.
The idea requires some hard work for great inception. You will have to invest in tools and materials and invest time to either create the first batch in sufficient numbers or a few products with excellent quality. But once it takes off, you will never know when hiring assistants and workers becomes inevitable.
Home Massage
And the last one is starting a home massage parlor. Although people have dedicated places, you can get a few clients of your own if you are good at massage. The skill is also easy to learn; it just requires some practice. You can create a banner and place it in front of your home, create social media pages, and advertise locally.
Remember to offer affordable rates so people don’t hesitate for a trial. The investment is also low, only suitable oils. However, it will be best if you get a short course or certification for authenticity. After that, start giving your client relief after a hard day, soothing their muscles and relaxing their mind. Soon you may need to take your business outside your home due to several customers.
Best Business Ideas in Small Towns
Sometimes, you start small in your area, and it gradually becomes popular in the region. Small-town businesses have a high potential to grow, but they mostly don’t spread far away due to the dynamics and (perhaps) work requirements. However, these businesses are a need of every community and can bloom if managed well. Below are such best business ideas for small towns.
Pet Care
Several people love to adopt a pet, and they (of course) take great care of them. However, they occasionally need to leave their pet at home because of an urgent call or need assistance for their daily strolls due to a busy life. That’s the field to shine for you. If you love pets and are confident you can look after them easily, become a pet sitter.
You can advertise yourself for afternoon or weekend petting. Definitely, a prior experience with cats, dogs, or other domestic animals is important. But if you have spent enough time with them, you can add other services, like grooming or training to your profile. You can also check if the field is right for you by taking a friend’s pet for some time.
Daycare Center
Daycare or childcare centers are a need of every society, town, and community. Although the trend of nannies is getting more popular, it is also creating a void of local daycare centers. So you can give parents the satisfaction that their kids will enjoy more in the company of other kids too.
You will need to comply with a few regulations like licensing, hygienic environment control, safe rooms (without objects by which kids can harm themselves), and proper inspection. Moreover, it is better to start slow and care for the children of family, friends, and neighbors. Once confident enough, start expanding your daycare center with more kids.
Local Food Provider
The introduction of food delivery services, like Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Postmates, opens a new window for startups. You can list yourself on these platforms as a food provider and cook delicious recipes in your area. Multiple people have started as successful home chefs and are earning a great amount due to finger-licking taste and a wide menu.
There’s another option in this business. If you have a means of transportation, you won’t need to rely on food delivery platforms. Take orders from your customers, deliver to their homes (free delivery for nearby locations will attract more), and keep all the earnings.
In this way, you don’t need to pay a cut to the platforms. However, you must know how to manage the expenses of cooking materials and fuel. Read more about the problems startup business face like these and others in our other guide. You will also learn how you can solve them for the best outcomes.
Garden Expert
Gardening is also a hobby of many people, but only a few know how to execute it well. Several people end up with dead plants after starting a great garden. So, if you have a keen interest in gardening, along with expertise, this is one of the best business ideas which high demand but minimum competition.
You can offer services like tips for taking care of or maintaining the garden and for designing it. Make some samples or mockups to convince people you will give their garden a new look and convert it into a relaxing paradise. A certification will act as a cherry on top of your expertise.
Handyman
Several house chores that are somewhat technical but not tricky enough leave people in misery. These usually include tasks like:
- Plumbing: Fixing leaks, replacing faucets, repairing or reinstalling pipes, changing showerheads
- Installations: Cabinets, countertops, floor planks, dishwasher, electrical appliances
- Electrical Work: Replacing outlets, installing fans, rewiring
- Repairs: Roof vents, woodwork, wooden wall dents, doors, and many more.
Normally, people call experts or hire others only for the tasks they can do themselves, only with a little bit of technical knowledge. You can cash out the opportunity in your area and offer these services at affordable rates. Slowly expand your business and then charge for the quality work. However, remember you will need certification or licensing for some tasks. So, do your homework first.
Side Hustles
Starting a new business if you already have a job can sometimes be daunting. New businesses always start slow, but you may also want to earn some extra cash in addition to your fixed salary. In this case, you can start a side hustle or part-time job which won’t take your time. Below are a few ideas for such small jobs or businesses that you can work in your free time.
Virtual Assistant
Many business owners seek a personal assistant to streamline their meetings or administrative tasks. Mostly, they seek virtual assistants as they are affordable and flexible. So you can help them with regular operations like scheduling meetings, formatting files, etc. What’s exciting is that you can perform it from your office since you will be working remotely.
However, many freelancers are earning a handsome amount only from VA work all day. I am not saying quit your job immediately and start VA services. Get a couple of clients first, then slowly start expanding it. Once you get enough clients, start developing a team of other virtual assistants and convert it into a VA provider agency.
Writing a Book
Becoming an author is also among the best business ideas you can start in your free time. Write ebooks in your free time. Luckily, you don’t need to worry about publishing due to platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Barnes & Noble Press, Kobo, etc. Just think of a niche, such as fiction, non-fiction, novel, educational piece, history, or personal thoughts. Do some research and write it down.
One thing to remember here is you won’t become a best seller in a day. The field requires some dedication. However, if you have the ability to entertain your readers and engage them in your book, the chances of becoming a successful author are high enough.
On the other hand, I’d recommend hiring an expert for proofreading and editing if you have no prior experience. This little investment may greatly impact and increase the possibility of greater sales. Also, don’t forget to create an attractive cover to invite people to read it.
Digital Products
Besides ebooks, you can also start a business of digital products. No, I’m not talking about an ecommerce store. If you have a website, you can sell software and digital tools which users can download into their devices. But if it is getting technical, go for a simpler alternative. Present journals, design templates, digital prints, illustrations, and photos, and set a price for downloading.
If you are creative enough, charge for your amazing art & craft templates. You can design them from multiple sites (one honorable mention is Canva). But if the digital products are meant for printing purposes, remember to factor in aspects like paper size, pixels per inch (PPI), standard margins, etc.
Online Course
If you are good at a specific niche, create courses on the topic and start selling them. And there are multiple ways to monetize what you know. First, create a course based on videos, PDFs, quiz sheets, and all. Then publish your courses on platforms like Udemy, Coursera, EdX, Teachable, etc.
However, these platforms also keep a cut of your earnings. So, you can create a WordPress website and sell your courses there. One effective way to increase its sales is to make a free version with a part of your course and engage people with what they can learn if they purchase the full version.
Interestingly, you can create an online course even if you don’t have a certification or degree. Just develop an immense grip on your skill, and provide proof of your best work. Although certifications and degrees will be great, this business requires pure expertise.
Transcription & Podcasts
You can utilize your free time with podcasts too. As I mentioned earlier in the “voice over” section, you can voice for people’s podcasts; why don’t you also start your own podcasts? Create a channel and talk on different topics. However, giving the service of podcasts to others solely has high potential too. The choice is yours. You can either pick one or choose both.
Another vaguely similar field is transcription. Here, you listen to the audio and type it out so others can read what they are listening to. The niche usually incorporates writing subtitles for videos. But you can also get audio files and convert them into written forms. On the other hand, some transcriptionists also write out one language into another language text (most popular in writing English subtitles for non-English videos).
Best Business Ideas for Low-Earners
Though I’ve mentioned the best business ideas for small businesses, they still need decent investment to start and set up. So, for those people who don’t have much to begin with, don’t worry; I’ve got you covered. Below are some businesses and careers you can pursue with minimum to zero investment.
Translating
People who are bilingual or proficient in multiple languages are wasting their talent. If you can understand, read, write, and speak two or more languages (of course, other than English as you are reading this article), you can start a business of translating. Multiple people seek translation services to convert a piece into another language (mostly English to another or vice versa).
However, make sure you have an immense grip on both languages since you may also face idioms, proverbs, or figures of speech that may not be found in another. So, you will need to either come up with a suitable example or explanation. However, it is not as complex as it sounds. In fact, you can easily find a client online on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, LinkedIn, social media, and others.
Tuition
Tuitions have always been among the best business ideas for decades. It doesn’t require much investment, it is flexible, it is simple, and (more importantly) it creates a sustainable community. I’d like to mention here tuition doesn’t just mean you can adopt the field only if you are a bachelor’s degree holder, a mathematician, a science wiz, or an Einstein (part two); you get the idea.
Anyone proficient enough in a field, skill, or expertise can become a tutor. Of course, having expertise in math or science helps, but it isn’t confined to these standards anymore in this evolving and modern world. Think it is selling an online course but in person. It only requires a comprehensive teaching style that your student can grasp well. And you are ready to train people in your domain.
Choose a format, like calling students to your home or going for home tuition. And if you are not that good in a field, you can at least teach kids up to grade 6, right? Advertise among your friends and family, create social media pages, and get ready to become an inspiring teacher.
Blogging
Another great option is blogging. Unlike the above two, it requires a small investment (worry not; it’s not that much). Select a topic or niche you love the most, and there is a roaring community outside who want to read about it and start writing on it. Write down your thoughts, opinions, reviews, and knowledge in that field, make blogs on it, and publish it on your website.
The business is diversified, and with proper research and a bit of hard work, you can monetize your blog in around 5-6 months. The investment will be purchasing a domain and hosting (which usually cost between $40-$50 annually). You also need to understand some SEO (ranking your blog so it reaches the right audience). Once you are set, start blogging.
Personal Chef
You can also provide your services as a personal chef, where people will hire you to cook delicious food in large quantities. You can start your business as a chef for BBQ parties, grill gatherings, weekend meals, feasts, etc. Once you get enough clients and build a business, you can offer greater services like batch lunch boxes for workplaces.
Initially, you don’t even need to invest in the ingredients. The local family or your client will provide it all. However, when you expand your business, you can charge for the ingredients after delivering the order.
Here’s another idea, you can target a particular sector if you know special dishes for them. For example, vegetarians, seafood lovers, spice seekers, and non-vegies. Although such experimentations require high skill and cooking passion as you don’t want to lose your clients, it can be a great practice to grow your business by impressing with what you can offer.
Product Reviewing
Product reviewing may not pay you well, but it gives you multiple free products to review. Usually, this method is best for social media influencers with vast audiences, but you don’t need to be an influencer. A significant number of followers in your friends and family circle (with a bonus if you get some other audience too) will be enough to sign you in.
Since the influencers demand a high cost to review products as they know how much sales they will provide to the business, companies look for an affordable option. That’s where you can start your business. Join a program or online site that delivers products for review, and enter the correct details.
Later you will start receiving the products at your doorsteps. Give your honest feedback and spread the word on their platforms, the company’s site, or your social media channels (this depends on the program you enroll).
Over time, you will gather a huge amount of free products, which you can later sell on listing platforms like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Craigslist, etc. But don’t tell anyone about it, especially the manufacturer (it is your little secret).
Best Business Ideas With Maximum Potential
Till now, we’ve discussed the best business ideas that usually target low earners, small businesses, or online working. These usually have a low improvement curve and require hard work to boost rapidly. So, below are the business ideas that have a high chance to build up soon and immensely benefit you in the long run.
Although they also require a significant investment, they will expand in no time once they get the right headstart. However, such businesses may bounce back unexpectedly. So, you should be cautions not to make a big mistake. Read here the top 11 startup mistakes people make and how you can avoid them. Otherwise, continue to the below ideas.
House Cleaning
It may sound a little odd, but the business has a high potential to bloom when it starts to grow. Moreover, the competition in the field is also next to none. It requires some investment in professional cleaning equipment. However, you can charge your clients great for the service. But remember to start small to build up a business and attract your initial clients.
Once it takes off, you can hire some professionals who can use advanced cleaning machines and offer your services to business buildings, factories, or mansions. Thanks to the pandemic, people are more concerned about hygiene. So, you can earn a lot only through small work.
Social Media Management
Coming back to online businesses, becoming a social media manager is extremely rewarding. Since multiple businesses and companies have gone online in the last few years, social media platforms have seen a surge in multiple micro to medium startups. Almost every such account requires a manager who can engage with the audience and manage posts.
So, you can start advertising yourself as a social media manager. Even if you don’t know how to do it, the learning curve is not that complicated. In fact, it is one of the easiest and quick starting careers. However, the field has also become competitive, and finding clients is not that easy. But you can invest in advertising yourself. What can I say, if you yourself market well, it will also reflect your campaign handling, which may call in more leads.
Interior Designer
Interior designing is also among the best business ideas due to its influence in the market. The business is not in demand of low-scale earners. Your clients will mostly consist of high-end earners or elites. So, the paycheck is also high. Moreover, the industry will always remain in demand. Of course, everyone wants to live in a beautiful house.
You can design your client’s layouts, present renovation ideas, plan the interior structure, or make aesthetic amendments to the infrastructure of amenities like electric work or plumbing for an aesthetic visual. Yes, the field demands creativity, unorthodox planning, out-of-the-box thinking, and unique constructional strategies. But if you feel like you can give your clients the best interior designs, this is one of the highest potential businesses you can start.
Coffee Shop
One of the businesses with the maximum investment on the list, starting a coffee shop can be time-consuming. However, it also has an immense potential to become successful in a short time. You cannot deny the necessity of such places too, since it is one spot that people stop at most, especially in the morning.
It is even more amazing if your area doesn’t have many coffee shops. You can give your customers the caffeine booze they miss with some additional supplements. I’d advise hiring experts who can make beautiful designs with whitener. Furthermore, add various types along with add-ons to grab the audience of many preferences.
Local Gym & Yoga Center
Last but not least, you can invest in some weights, barbells, fitness machines, and other equipment to start your own gym. The upfront cost is basically all that stings, but it can soon convert into a profitable business later. The maintenance requirements and costs are also low. Moreover, the monthly membership plans keep the money flowing since people concerned about their health always try to join in. So, I can say it is among the safe startups.
On the other hand, you can maximize your earning potential by introducing yoga time in the morning. In fact, you can put the gym tools purchase on hold and start with a yoga center from the beginning (converting it into a gym later on). The world is full of fitness freaks and yoga lovers. So, you may pick up the pace quite easily.
Takeaways
Starting your own business is always a great thought, indicating that you have a productive and progressive mindset. However, many people get blank on what startup they should go with or where to begin. Since now you’ve known the best business ideas in multiple categories, it won’t be challenging for you.
With more than 33 options in front of you, pick the one that excites you the most and is relatively easy according to your investment plan. Take baby steps and gradually convert it into success with pure dedication and hard work. Best of Luck!