It’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times before.
Plenty of people are passionate about the idea of starting a small business themselves — and enjoying all the perks that come with it. They want to start a small business and make money, but they don’t know what business to start.
Common concerns include:
- Not knowing what kind of business is right for them
- Worry about having no appropriate skills
- Struggling to form ideas
Plenty of individuals lack confidence in their abilities and see starting a business as something not meant for them. They don’t believe there are opportunities suited to them. But this self-doubt should be cast aside. There are plenty of small business ideas you can draw upon to create a profitable enterprise — different types of business that can open up to so many people.
Don’t talk yourself out of starting something life-changing if you have the drive and determination to see it through. In this blog, we look at some of the best business ideas that can translate into viable opportunities for almost anyone.
1. A Website
Online marketing is fast becoming one of the most valuable industries in the world. Why? Because websites are big business. Small business ideas that are seeing increasing interest in modern times are online store enterprises, niche service websites, and affiliate platforms.
But what are these exactly, and how can this information help you develop small business ideas?
A website can be anything you want it to be. It’s a platform you can use to convey a message. Anyone can start a website, even on a small budget and with limited technical experience. Platforms like Wix and Squarespace make quick work of website development. They’re designed to be usable by anyone.
So, anyone can start a website, but a website alone isn’t a business — it’s what you do with it that makes it a business. The diverse range of online businesses you can create using just a website is pretty staggering and would require their own article, so we’re just going to cover some basic business ideas that anyone can start through a website:
- Product Sales — eCommerce websites are very simple setups, and you’ll have seen hundreds of them before. They simply list products and sell them. You can set this kind of business up yourself and sell goods online using your own online store.
- Educational Platforms — Do you have valuable skills or knowledge? Industry experience or qualifications that you can share? Websites can become training resources. Sell information through a website designed to offer training, consultancy, webinars and other resources.
- Blogging Affiliation and Adverts — Popular blogs can generate thousands of monthly visitors. While blogs aren’t usually sales platforms in themselves, they can be powerful business ideas. Let’s say you have a blog about gardening. You can sell advertising space for gardening products on your blog to product suppliers. You can also use affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates to make money if readers buy products you recommend in your blogs.
The important thing to know about website business ideas is you have to generate traffic to make a profit. When creating a website, you’ll need to think about marketing your small business, such as using SEO and social media.
2. User Testing and Reviews
You are a consumer of goods and services, and that gives you value.
Individuals are customers, and businesses need customers to make money. As part of any good business plan, a company developing a new business idea will test and gather feedback on their goods. They want to get an accurate representation of user opinion and to understand flaws in their product if they exist.
You will see user testing and review systems in place for all kinds of businesses. Major Hollywood movies go through screen tests, while technology like video games establish alpha and beta testing to work out bugs. No good business idea gets the green light without proper checks.
If you want to set up your own business, consider starting a company that offers feedback services to other businesses, allowing them to hone their products and make them market-ready. You can do this by registering for services that put you in touch with companies, like Pinecone. Or, you can start your own brand as a tester and advertise to small businesses directly.
3. Product Retail
Start selling something tangible — a thing.
Retail makes up a huge chunk of the modern consumer market with customers lapping up products. There are plenty of “things” you can sell, based on your skills. You can sell food and baked goods, for example. Farmers markets, local fetes and shopping mall stalls are excellent opportunities for new businesses in retail to access a promising space. Related ideas for business include buying and selling goods sourced elsewhere for profit markups. How are these related? Because many people find great success selling at local events or community spaces, and even car boot sales.
Other retail items you could sell can come from a personal creative flair. You can use artistic traits to design t-shirts, jewellery, graphic design posters, household items or other goods. Many people take to sites like Etsy or eBay to sell their unique items and find it to be a great way to make money.
Product retail is a great way to get started in business. But remember, a product doesn’t have to be something you can hold. It can be so much more. You might want to go into retail through the sale of other assets that aren’t actually physical objects. Copywriting, images, and video content creation are things you can sell as products, for example. You could write blog posts for businesses, or you could design adverts and sell them to companies.