21 great small business ideas

If you’re ready to run your own Business, consider any of these business areas.

1. Consulting

If you are knowledgeable and passionate about a specific topic (like business, social media, Marketing, human resources, leadership or communication), consulting can be a lucrative option. You can start a consulting business on your own, then grow your business and hire other consultants over time.

2. Online reselling

Those passionate about clothing and/or sales may consider starting an online reseller business. Although it takes time, dedication, and an eye for fashion, you can start as a side hustle and turn into a full-time resale business. You could start by using online store websites like Poshmark and Mercari to sell your unwanted clothing, then expanding to your own resale website.

3. Online teaching

The demand for online education has opened up possibilities for entrepreneurs. Since this is an online venture, you can choose any subject you know about and teach a course regardless of location. If you don’t have advanced knowledge in any particular subject, consider teaching English as a foreign language online to students overseas.

4. Online bookkeeping

As with education, technology allows many bookkeeping services to be performed online. If you are an accountant or bookkeeper who wants the freedom and autonomy of running your own business, take advantage of modern technology to start your own online bookkeeping service.

5. Medical courier service

If you have a reliable vehicle and good time management skills, consider creating your own courier service – more specifically, a medical courier service. As a driver, you would be responsible for transporting medical items like lab specimens, prescription drugs and equipment. You could start your courier business on your own, or hire other drivers to work for you.

6. App development

If you are knowledgeable and experienced in technology, you may want to consider a career in app development. Smartphones are an everyday accessory for many Americans, which has increased demand for mobile apps. Similarly, virtual reality software has become popular in recent years, so there is also a demand for VR app development. 

7. Transcription service

If you have a good ear and can type quickly, a transcription service would allow you to work from home with a flexible schedule. Medical transcription services are especially needed as voice recognition technology proliferates for healthcare provider dictation. If you’re not looking to start all at once, or if you have a day job you would like to keep for the time being, you can accept as few or as many transcription jobs as you’d like. To boost your business prospects and justify charging more, consider becoming a certified transcriptionist and delving into a few specialties.

Medical transcriptionists typically charge 6 to 14 cents per line of transcription, which adds up quickly. The typical turnaround time for transcription work is 24 hours, so it’s important to stay on top of the jobs you accept. However, the flexibility to accept only a few requests at first means you can scale up as you are ready. Best of all, there is very little startup cost and overhead. You only need a computer, the appropriate software and a secure messaging service.

8. Professional organizing

Looking for a business idea that can really spark joy? Professional organizers, like Marie Kondo, help people declutter and minimize for a living. In an age of materialism, many people are desperate to downsize and take control over their possessions. Minimalism is becoming extremely popular, but people often find it hard to part with things they’ve owned for a long time. Part of being a professional organizer is helping clients develop a system for downsizing.

If you’re a highly organized person who enjoys making spaces functional and comfortable, you might be good at coaching others to do the same. People will pay you to help them devise a method of minimizing their possessions and maintaining an organized space. To promote your business, ask if your clients will let you take before and after photos of the areas of their homes you’ve organized, and use those to create a portfolio that you can put on social media to attract more clients.

9. Cleaning service

If you like to clean, you can easily turn that into a business. With a few staff members, a host of cleaning supplies and transportation, you can offer cleaning services to homeowners, apartment complexes and commercial properties. Most cleaning services charge $25 to $50 per hour. Cleaning services are straightforward businesses that require relatively little overhead; you simply need planning, dedication and marketing to attract customers.

If you’re looking to differentiate yourself from other cleaning services, consider adding premium options like floor waxing or exterior power washing for an additional fee. These services could be the deciding factor between your new cleaning service and seasoned companies that maintain too large a client list to provide that level of cleaning.

10. Freelance copywriting or content writing

If you’re a natural wordsmith with a bit of marketing knowledge, you can establish yourself as a freelance copywriter or content writer. Whether you write blogs, web content or press releases, plenty of companies will pay for your services. Increase your value by using SEO knowledge to help clients craft a strategy around specific keywords that their target audience is already using in their online searches. Most freelance copywriters charge $40 to $50 per hour, but those with expertise in a given vertical could charge even more.

Freelance copywriting is a great business to run because as long as you have an internet connection, you can work. It’s a business that you can operate from the comfort of your own home, or even from the road if you travel. If you establish a large enough network and gain referrals from satisfied clients, you could even make freelance writing your full-time job.

11. Home care service

A background in care and hospitality can go a long way to support housebound seniors who require in-home care. It’s also a service for which demand is only going to grow. According to the National Institute on Aging, between 2010 and 2050, the 85-and-over population is projected to increase 351% globally, and the global number of centenarians (those over age 100) is projected to increase tenfold. Many will need care and assistance, often in their own homes.

Luckily, you don’t need a background in healthcare to help seniors and grow a successful business at the same time, although those skills will be in demand as well. Many seniors need help with all kinds of tasks, like errands or repairs around the house. With some experience, you could consider growing your business to help seniors transition from their homes to assisted living facilities, offering services such as packing, transporting, setting up, or storing their furniture and possessions.

12. Translation service

According to research from IBISWorld, the translation services industry saw a decline in 2020, as did many industries; however, IBISWorld forecasts a “major uptick” for the industry over the next five years. That projected growth isn’t surprising, as the internet has opened up entrepreneurs in other countries to English-speaking markets and vice versa.

This trend has created an opening for multilingual speakers to offer specific services, such as document translation and the translation of website information into languages for use in other markets. If you’re fluent in multiple languages, you could be successful carving out a niche in the translation services industry.

13. Digital marketing

The importance of the internet grows with every passing day, but it also becomes harder for businesses to cut through the online clutter and properly market themselves. Digital Marketing services are always in demand, and many small and midsize companies would rather outsource them than establish a costly in-house team. If you have chops in SEO, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, web development or social media management, you could seize a business opportunity that allows you the freedom to work from home.

Digital marketing is an important part of any brand, so you’ll need to respond to developments in your clients’ marketing strategies. Social media management entails watching for comments and messages around the clock, not just scheduling posts with a set-it-and-forget-it mindset. If you enjoy strategizing and implementing marketing plans meticulously, digital marketing could be the right business for you. You may also consider becoming an affiliate marketer, which is another form of digital marketing.

14. Owning a food truck

With indoor dining limited in many locations right now, aspiring restaurateurs might find more success with a food truck. Food trucks come in all shapes and sizes, serving up a wide range of snacks and cuisines. Take your favorite style of food on the road and sell your culinary passions directly to hungry customers. Sure, you’ll be working, but you’ll be in a space you’re passionate about, with a chance to connect to people who have similar interests. 

Food trucks might sound like a wild idea, but the industry is growing. The overhead and upkeep for a truck is significantly less than for a restaurant, and you have the added benefit of mobility. [Check out our recommendations for POS systems for your food truck.]

15. Lawn care service

If you grew up with a lawn, chances are your parents made you maintain it. For many of us, lawn care is bothersome, but for some, it offers a sense of peace and serenity. Working outdoors with your hands to tame and beautify the natural landscape can be a rewarding experience, and since so many people find the work tedious, it can also be profitable.

Lawn care services require little more than some basic equipment, a trailer and perhaps some staff, depending on how many clients you have and how big the jobs are. You can grow a small lawn care service into a full landscaping company by offering premium services and establishing a reputation as a brand that does a thorough job with a smile. If you like working outdoors and creating elegant landscapes, this could be the business for you.

16. Rideshare driving

If starting your own business seems daunting or too much of a risk, you can always use your car to become a rideshare driver. The overhead and responsibility of running the company falls on the rideshare service, giving you the freedom to work as much or as little as you want. Rideshare applications such as Uber and Lyft allow people to start side hustles that pay well and require little more than a willingness to drive people to their destinations and make occasional friendly conversation.

Rideshare drivers have the independence of a small business owner without the heavy workload required to manage behind-the-scenes logistics. If any of the other business ideas seem to require too much effort or upfront capital, ridesharing might be the way to dip your toes into the world of entrepreneurship.

17. Real estate

For many people, navigating the housing market is overwhelming. As a real estate agent, you can help people find their dream homes at a price that fits their budget. In many states, you only need to complete a few months of classes and pass an exam to qualify as a real estate agent. Keep in mind that even with a certification, you’ll need strong social skills, so if you’re not a people person, this might not be the route for you. [Read related article: How to Become a Real Estate Agent]

18. Graphic design

Corporations, small businesses and sole proprietors all need eye-catching promotional materials, but not everybody has an eye for what looks good. If you have an artistic streak and know how to organize content into a visually pleasing format, start a graphic design business to provide flyers, digital ads, posters and other engaging visual materials. Graphic design requires few physical tools beyond a laptop and a desk.

19. T-shirt printing

Just like with graphic design, you might enjoy launching a T-shirt printing business if you’ve got a sharp artistic sense – or if you enjoy taking someone else’s designs and screenprinting them onto a blank tee. Either way, if you have space for a T-shirt printing setup, you can easily acquire the necessary tools and get started.

20. Dropshipping

Not all companies that sell goods store them onsite. In dropshipping, people who run e-commerce sites go to a third party to fulfill all orders. The third party is likely a wholesale retailer or other entity that runs a warehouse and shipping operation. The minimal inventory and tools needed for dropshipping make it an especially great startup idea if you’re worried about overhead costs and physical space.

21. Pet sitting

About two-thirds of U.S. families have a pet. When these families go away for extended periods, your pet-sitting small business can give them peace of mind. As a pet sitter, you’ll watch over your clients’ dogs, cats or other pets at their house, making sure to feed them, give them water, play with them, spend time with them, and (with dogs) walk them as needed. You’ll also need to regularly update your clients on how their pets are doing