Starting a business is no joke, but it is not a walk of thorns either. With the help of the internet, the world is a small place now; and you shall have no problem in finding a way to earn money. But if you want to start right at the comfort of your home or open a shop in your area, then you should look for proper business ideas that have been tried and tested.
Do not worry even when you are a complete novice- you just need the drive and passion to succeed. Here are 50 proven business ideas so that you can initiate the journey of entrepreneurship. These business models are only for the ones who are willing to take some risk and work with utmost consistency.
All the ideas that we are going to mention here are totally low cost, so you do not have to burn a hole into your pocket.
1. Accountant
Pre-requisite knowledge incorporates training, licensing as well as a bit of experience.
At first, you have to create a proper flier so that there is a detail of all the services available. You need to mention all the services you should be providing. Ask yourself whether you wish to do bookkeeping and start a business of the same.
The proper level of accounting shall incorporate income statements, balance sheets as well as other financial statements monthly as well as annually. You can also indulge in tax accounting, which requires huge potential work.
2. Bicycle Repair
In many countries, this is a seasonal business model, but there are always some methods to make quite some money out of it. You can take a storage space for rent and store people’s bicycles in the winter season or which you can charge some amount. After the season ends, you can tune the cycles to perfection and charge some more! An even better approach should be the road race bikes that need to be trained through snow, and the darkest of nights.
Some of them work on their bicycles, but most of the riders don’t so you can be the one to help them out. Make sure that you keep the shop open on Saturdays so that the bicycling enthusiasts can stop by now and then.
3. Boat Cleaning
This is another type of business that will need training, licensing, and experience. The hull of a boat that is pulled out of the water for the winter or even for mid-season repairs will need to be cleaned. It’s also a good time to clean everything else on the boat, including the decks, sleeping quarters, head, and hold. That again depends on the type of boat you are working on.
Start with approaching the houses where a boat is parked in the yard. Or you could even go for online adverts and wait for potential clients to knock you. You may also sell your services to the marina and ask them to hire you to clean their clients’ boats.
4. Business Plan Service
This will need a lot of creative approaches on your behalf. If you want to upscale your profit margin, there can be nothing better than offering business ideas to other people. You can plan on your research with efficiency and give them the add-on services.
Plan their plain narratives as well as the financial statements and you can also ask what your client would want as an additional service. You can also keep the entire business plan in the file, and include the one that you are already doing! Tweak it according to your convenience and make sure that your client leaves with a satisfactory note.
5. Driver With Ride-Sharing Facility
Getting paid to drive in your spare time is a terrific way to supplement your income. It won’t be able to replace a full-time income, but it can be a lucrative side hustle. According to Nerd Wallet, an Uber driver who gives a share ride facility can make 50000 dollars as compared to the Lyft driver who has to give 83.76 rides to make the same money.
If you drive well, you could give this business idea a thought. This is quite an easy way to make money on weekends, especially if time constraint is never a matter for you.
6. Cleaning Services
Remember the pandemic times when we were all scooped up in our homes? During those times, we were taking care of all the cleaning matters. But now that office work is resuming, people can hardly get time for that. That is the reason why you can start your own deep cleaning service business and it can be a great source of loyal clients.
Make sure that you have competitive and reasonable rates and within no time, your brand is going to skyrocket for sure. Build a team that can manage the workload even if you get a corporate cleaning contract. Just a few adverts are enough to create the client base that you need.
7. Children’s Party Planner
You might not believe it, but the children’s party business is a multi-million dollar industry. So why not be a part and parcel of that business model? You can start your own party planner business and use your instincts to be successful in the same. But make sure that you do some research like insurance costs and food and beverage prices.
Finally, use your creativity to make the party a success, and clients will follow you for word-of-mouth reputation. Make the event unforgettable and incorporate every idea that your customer asks for. Referrals will follow for sure.
8. Consultant
The word consultant can incorporate varied niches, but you can be one in the field of your expertise. For example, if you are good at career advisory, you can open up your own office and make connections with HRs of big and small companies. Make use of the communication skills and expertise to guide the students.
You can also try consulting in the beauty industry as well as garments and accessories. It has a huge possibility of expansion and you can make a considerable amount of money as well.
9. Dog Walking
Ever thought this could be a proper career option? In America, dog walkers make a lot of money and they take out the pooches to walk individually or in groups. That is because most of the dog owners are working individuals and they can hardly take time out of their busy schedules. So they hire these dog walkers and the business is gradually booming.
You can even give add-on services like feeding the pets as well as taking care of the dog the entire day.
10. eBay Assistant
Do you have stuff in your house that you no longer need? They must be in good condition so that you can sell them off and make some money. You can easily put an auction for each of these items on eBay and you will be the one deciding on the price. Ensure that the selling tag that you put up is reasonable enough so that the bidding goes well.
You can also decide on the time frame by which the auction shall last. The website has easy navigation and will give you a guide to help with new businesses.
11. Editorial Services
If you want to have a business setup from your own home, nothing can beat editorial services. It incorporates various services like copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, as well as indexing. You can also start making money with content writing and if you want, you can outsource the work as well.
Get connected with some clients and writers, and be the mediator to grab some easy money. Apart from the services we have just mentioned, you can go for book doctoring, ghostwriting, copywriting, etc. If you want to take it a bit far, you can also hire writers who can do some creative fictional work and send it over to your clients.
12. Electronic repair
Now and then, people tend to have electronic gadgets in their homes which get damaged. You can grab this chance to turn it into a great business where you can take care of all sorts of electronic equipment. We are not talking about computers only, and you should be prepared for every customer who brings their projects to you.
It is a low-cost business model that you can have easily at home but you will need a specific skill set and expertise to repair the broken parts. You can also browse old electronics from your customers so that you can reuse their parts with efficiency.
13. Event planning
This is a business model which has a great expansion possibility and it will take a creative approach for you to become successful. You can plan events like birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings, but we would recommend you to take baby steps at the beginning. Start with finding out venues, and learn about the available dates.
You can also get in connection with caterers and decorators so that the customers can have a seamless experience.
14. Witness service
In most legal cases, a witness can be of great use. You can provide expert witness service by advertising yourself to the attorneys. Your work is to be the mediator so that you can find witnesses for legal cases and make things easier for the lawyer.
If you can find suitable witnesses for big shot cases, and he or she testifies well, you can earn a massive amount of money. Make sure that your database comprises every nook and corner of the country, and you have the proper experience and license to do it.
15. Financial Planning
People hardly know how to save money and invest in the best places so that they can have better ROI. You need to be a certified financial planner to start handling other people’s money because it needs immense expertise to do so. Showcase all the reasons why people will choose you over others as their financial planner.
16. Flea market
This is also known as thrifting and is quite a popular trend nowadays. Most people love to spend their leisure time going through other’s stuff and unwanted items looking for something they might need.
You can improvise your inventory now and then so that all the items seem noticeable enough. You can also go to the thrift stores and buy something after which you can put it out for sale.
17. Golf Coach
If you know how to play golf well, it is time for you to get hold of a golf training course. After you get the certification, you can let all the local golf courses know about your coaching capabilities. Connect with the staff and tell them to repair your name to all the potential customers out there.
But before that, you might have to give proof that you are better than all the average golfers. Your teaching tactics should be good and you should know how to encourage aspiring golfers. If you have what it takes to become a golf trainer, you do not have to look back to make money.
18. Home energy auditor
Almost all of us have the problem of not keeping track of the utility bills. Therefore you can be the home energy auditor and take the responsibility of keeping tabs on expenses. You should have the proper experience and license to do it and tell the clients how they can save heating and electrical use.
The audit should be complete with proper calculations and efficiency ratings. If you begin on a good note, you can get a word-of-mouth reputation.
19. Home inspection
This is a business segment in which you need to have great connections and update your knowledge daily.
New products are always up and about in the market and you need to have proper grass on the subjects like materials and building techniques. Try to have at least two to three years of experience and a registered license before you start inspecting homes.
20. Organising
Most homeowners look for units that can help in organizing their houses. Create a portfolio of various organizational schemes and scenarios and show them to your client. They should choose what they want and even make customizations according to their preference.
Your work will be to follow them and start implementing what they want. Ask as many questions as you want so that the outcome is satisfactory.
21. Exporting and importing solar energy
If you have proper work experience in exporting and importing you can start providing information to others. You can get paid a lump sum amount from the seminar that you hold and even get a stable customer base. Keep acquiring as much knowledge as you can and create your own export-import business.
22. Interior decorator
It is the primary interest of the homeowner to make their interiors as appealing as possible. You can grab the chance by advertising as an interior decorator and giving them their dream home. After proper training and licensing, you can create a portfolio and give your customers an array of choices.
Ask the homeowner whether they have pets and what kind of lifestyle they would want to maintain. Complete the decoration with utmost perfection and you can create a great base of customers soon.
23. Jewellery Making
If you have trust in your creative instincts, you can start the business of jewelry making. Working with numerous materials like glass, plastic, and beads, you can make cool jewelry and sell them online. If you want to work on metal however you will need licensing and experience.
Also, the jewelry that you can make with non-metal staff can be done at home and does not require a separate workstation. You can create amazing costume jewelry and sell it for hundreds of dollars.
24. Marketing copywriter
If you have the expertise to write something about the products in a way that gets people excited, your ideal business model will be the marketing copywriter.
If you are not very experienced in the copywriting field, you can also take a course. Thereafter you can create brochures, catalogs, and online advertisements according to your comfort level. If any brand identifies you as a great marketing copywriter, other brands will follow.
25. Notary public
To set up this business, you need high levels of training experience and a license. In most American states, a notary public is required to attest and witness the legalities of documents. You can do it simply by checking the original documents with the photocopies but remember that it will only give you a negligible amount of money.
Another option for you can be a justice of the peace who generally performs wedding ceremonies. It is a big money-making affair, and you can also get hourly rates for additional services. In case of any special request, you can charge extra than what has been already decided.
26. Personal Concierge
Most people might not know about this but a personal concierge is a person who can make things happen. If an individual has a project in hand and cannot figure out how to do it, you can be the person to help them out. Remember that a personal concierge has to go through a lot of working hours so time constraints should not be an issue.
27. Personal trainer
Everyone wants to be fit nowadays which is why personal trainers can be a really good business perspective. Showcase your services in places like restaurants and departmental stores where everyone goes once in a while.
You can also set up a website or blog and even a YouTube channel where you can give free tutorials. If you want to have a detailed fitness program, they will follow your website and know how to contact you via email or call.
28. Property Management
If you have great observation skills and experience, property management can fetch you a lot of money. You can spend your management time making sure that the flats and apartments are well maintained. You can also look around for damages and other detailed issues so that there is no quality problem.
Most real estate businessmen want to have a property management unit so that there are no loopholes for complaints. You can also check the security system so that there is no privacy breach.
29. Small Engine Repair
Most of the colleges will provide small engine repair courses that you can sign up for. After completion, you can take a part-time job in a repair shop or even open up your own. But keep in mind that you should be prepared to do a lot of errands like repairing wood chippers as well as snowblowers.
Advertise using a catchy line and repair small engines like a pro. If you want, you can also hire other people who are good at repairing small engines. Then you can take up bulk work and outsource it to make some extra money.
30. Solar Energy Consultant
What does it take to be a solar consultant? In this case, you can conduct a proper inspection of the home and provide details where the solar panels can be fitted. Talk to the homeowner about solar lighting systems and how they can be energy efficient. It is highly recommended that as a solar consultant, you should have a varied knowledge of different solar products instead of endorsing just one brand.
31. Tax Preparing Consultant
For all the working individuals out there, taking care of the taxes can be a humongous task. Therefore, they want professionals who can handle taxes on their behalf. But if you want to be the one doing it, you need proper experience and expertise.
You should have every possible knowledge so that you can save your clients money as well. Keep a keen watch on their taxes and relieve the burden. This way, you can also make some money; and online adverts are enough to get you a client base.
32. Music Lessons
Extracurricular activities are trending right now, which is why you should start music classes. Your music skills can make you a lot of money- as much as $50 an hour.
If you want, you can also teach on Zoom so that more than one student can learn simultaneously. If that seems hassle-some, you can contact local music schools and offer services as a part-time teacher.
33. Upholstering
If you have a hobby of sewing and embroidery, upholstery is your cup of tea. You can start small with some old furniture and remove scraps of clothes from them. Then you can start repairing the broken parts and put beautiful stitched covers on them. Within no time, it will look as good as new, and then you can sell it online.
Prepare a list of the upholstered items and put them up for auction on platforms like eBay. Another way is to hire other people to do the work for you and sell them at a much higher price. You can pay a specific amount to the one working on it, and keep the rest of the money.
34. Used Book Selling
There are a lot of people who like to hoard books but never read them. Thereafter, when they are shifting, they look for places to stash them. You can also find some books like these in your home and you can try selling them to make some money.
Talk to other people who have this kind of book, and buy them for low prices. Then if you want you can set up your own shop to sell them. As an advance service, you could also provide binding to the books which seem to be a little damaged.
35. Wedding Planner
To make money in the business of wedding planning, you need to be updated on the latest trends and fashion as well as the updated wedding venue decorations.
You should offer your customers an array of options to choose from- starting from the wedding venue, dress, flowers as well as the caterer. You need to gain ample knowledge and know every aspect of this business before you even think of starting it.
36. Appliance repair
Do you think you have the expertise of repairing small and large appliances in your home? Then why should you keep this skill confined to yourself instead of helping others? You could start as a good business model because every household needs a person who can maintain their appliances.
Start with baby steps and slowly build your customer base with referrals. We would recommend you to start in your neighborhood and tell them to spread your name.
37. Computer training sessions
Even today’s date, there are a lot of people out there who do not know how to run computers. If you are efficient in PC and Mac, it is the perfect thing for you to start with so that you can make money.
You can help senior citizens learn how to do simple things like email and send pictures and messages. But make sure that you do not overload them with information as they cannot understand the technicalities.
38. Desktop publisher
This is an offbeat system of starting and entrepreneurship and it is very simple. You can create easy-to-make things like magazines, books, newsletters as well as other marketing elements. Content creation for desktop publications fetch a lot of money and you can even ask a writer to create the perfect content.
39. Fence Installation
Most homeowners love to have fences around them, but they do not last forever. So you can be the one to repair them and make them as good as new. It is recommended that you use vinyl material so that the durability can be very high.
You can also use wrought iron; especially when it comes to fencing in an urban environment. There are numerous vintage-looking wrought iron fences that you can shop for and they will give an aesthetic look to the homes.
40. Graphic designer
If you want to start with the freelancing process, you can take a course on graphic designing and setting up your portfolio on Fiverr or Upwork. You can design newsletters, magazines, and logos, and make sure that your client leaves satisfied. If you sell online, there is no better business module than freelance graphic designing.
41. Gift Basket Service
If you think that you have a good choice of gifts, you can start this creative approach by making amazing gift baskets. Talk to people with different interests and ask what they would love as a gift. The more ideas you can get there, the more you can customize your gift hampers.
For example, a makeup lover would like ok hand soaps, lotion, as well as skincare items.
42. Graffiti removal
Create a stock of various cleaning products that can remove anything out of the walls. There are a lot of homeowners who do not like Graffiti on their walls and want them to be removed. You can produce a subscription-like agreement in which the clients will have to sign up and pay you for the service. You can also charge a monthly or quarterly system of payment and it will make things easier for you as well as the client.
43. Hair Stylist
Hairstyling is one of the most trending businesses that you can follow and it needs proper experience and licensing. If you want to have a career in cosmetology then you can start with hairstyling first. You can also start by working in a salon and then start your own shop.
44. Herbal Farm Stand
There are a lot of people who want to have herbs at home. If you have a collection of herbs at home, you can sell it in the form of live plants or in packets in the dry form. Always remember that herbs are very delicate and it needs proper packing if you want to send them through courier.
If you are going to sell live herb plants, you can give your address to the interested customers and they can pick it up.
45. Landscaper
The best part about being a landscaper is that you do not need a degree. You can take care of the backyards which are covered in grass and you can also help in cleaning the leaves after fall. There are a lot of things that you can do in the yard like decorating them and it will create a beautiful landscape. As surprising as it might sound, it can make you quite a lot of money.
46. Massage therapist
Due to an unhealthy lifestyle, a lot of people are suffering from backaches and other muscular pains. Therefore, it is a good chance for you to make money by being a massage therapist. You should take up a course in human anatomy and physiology therapy before you become a masseur.
If you want you can also set up a center where you can hire good massage therapists who will leave the clients satisfied.
47. Moving service
Packers and movers are quite expensive and most people are looking for such units at reasonable prices. So you can start a local business of moving service and later on you can provide intercity services. Try to convince people with the help of online and offline advertising and give them reasons to choose your brand among others.
48. Photographer
Every individual wants to keep memories which is why they are looking for efficient photographers. Good camera setup and photography talent are all that you need to become a professional photographer. You can also take up a course and explore various niches of photography. You can be a wedding photographer, or even the one taking photos of pets, homes, and a lot more.
49. Franchise Owner
A lot of people are looking for other individuals to whom they want to delegate the work. That is when the franchise owner comes to the rescue. You can do the marketing of a specific brand by taking ownership of their franchise and in some cases, it can be a zero investment method as well.
The best part about it is that you know what the business model is capable of and therefore you can make the preparations accordingly.
50. Rug cleaning
Rug cleaning is the most gruesome task that no one wants to do at home. Therefore, you can start a dry cleaning business and take care of valuable carpets and heirlooms. Get specialized training on handling each of the materials so that you do not damage them. Know how to take stains and repair small tears and you can make a considerable amount of money.
