61 Best Small Business Ideas You Can Start In 2023

Hoping to start a new business venture but not sure where to begin? These small business ideas are sure to get your entrepreneurial cogs whirring.

This is a detailed guide. So to help you sort through your options, we’ve split the ideas up into different business categories. 

We’ll start with what we think are the very best small business ideas, then explore both online and offline business ideas, arty business ideas for creative souls, business ideas for drivers, and business ideas for kids and teens.

Below each idea, you’ll find a brief guide on how to get started.

Ready? Let’s get started!

The best small business ideas

Here are our favorite small business ideas. All these businesses have the potential to be very lucrative if you get them right.

1. Open an ecommerce store

There’s more demand for ecommerce businesses than ever before. The online retail industry has been growing rapidly, and US customers spent a whopping $791 billion online in 2020 alone.

Now’s the perfect time to open your own ecommerce store and claim your share of those sales. And the good news is, it couldn’t be easier. 

Unlike physical retail stores, there are very few startup costs when you open an ecommerce business. You don’t need to pay for physical premises or expensive shopfitting fees.

All you have to do is choose some products to sell, find a wholesale supplier, create your website, and start selling! Your profits will depend on your margins, sales volumes, and overheads, but if you get it right, you could be making six- or even seven figures in yearly revenues.

How to get started

The first step in starting an ecommerce store is coming up with a business plan. 

You’ll need to research the market to find a profitable niche and identify products you think will sell well. Then, you’ll need to figure out your profit margins, put together a marketing strategy, etc.

After you’ve got your business plan, you’ll need to build your ecommerce storefront. We’d recommend using BigCommerce for this, but you can also check out our roundup of the best ecommerce platforms to explore other options.

2. Sell digital products online

Another excellent small business idea: if you don’t fancy selling real products through your ecommerce store, why not sell digital products instead? I’m talking about things like ebooks, online courses, music, and other digital downloads.

The great thing about selling digital products is that your profit margins are much higher. You don’t need to keep any stock or worry about things like logistics and shipping. And the higher profit margins mean you’ll have more money to spend on marketing and driving sales.

Selling digital products online is one of the most profitable business ideas on this list.

How to get started

You can sign up for Sellfy to get started. It’s a beginner-friendly ecommerce platform geared towards businesses that sell digital products. It makes it super easy to build your website and start selling. You can also use it to sell physical and print on demand products.

Sellfy Storefront Example

You can also check out our roundup of the top platforms to sell digital products for more options.

3. Grow and monetize a blog

Blogging is still a great way to make money—but it’s getting harder. There are over 6 million blog posts published every day, so you’ll need to be smart if you want to cut through the noise and make a profit.

To start a successful blogging business, you’ll need to find a lucrative niche and publish high-quality blog posts that drive traffic. 

Then, you can monetize that traffic by running ads, or by signing up for affiliate programs and promoting your affiliate offers within your blog posts.

How to get started

First, you need a website. Sign up for a hosting provider, register your domain, and use WordPress or another CMS to build the foundations of your site.

From there, you can use a keyword research tool to uncover traffic-generating topics and start writing articles around those keywords. You’ll need to spend a lot of time on SEO to make sure your blog posts rank.

Once you have some traffic, you can monetize it. Sign up for an affiliate network to find a program that’s a good fit for your audience, and take it from there.

For more advice, check out this in-depth guide on how to start a blog.

4. Sell social media management services

Another small business idea is to look at creating services which brands need and you can supply.

Pretty much every brand has a social media presence these days. In fact, over 69% use social media to build brand awareness. And many of those brands outsource the day-to-day management of their social media channels to third-party companies.

Now’s the perfect time to cash in on this demand by opening your own social media management business. You could start out as a freelance social media manager and as you grow your client base, scale up and expand your services to become a full-fledged social media marketing agency.

How to get started

The first thing you’ll need is a powerful social media management software solution like  Agorapulse. These tools help you manage your client’s accounts, schedule posts, track campaign performance, etc.

You’ll also need a website to sell your services through and a solid marketing strategy to find clients. You could try running Google Ads or bidding for jobs on freelance marketplaces like Upwork.

5. Start a graphic design business

Got an eye for design and the tech skills to go with it? If so, why not start your own freelance graphic design business? 

Graphic design businesses sell custom design services to clients and produce things like business logos, branding elements, book covers, merchandise designs, etc. You could go at it solo or hire a small team to help.

How to get started

The first thing you’ll need to start your graphic design business is a portfolio of your work to show potential customers. 

After that, you can throw up a website, build some high-converting landing pages, and then launch a marketing campaign to drive traffic to those pages and turn that traffic into leads and clients.

To build your landing pages, we’d recommend using one of these landing page builders. Also, check out these lead generation tools to find customers.

6. Sell content writing services

84% of businesses have a content marketing strategy in place—and all of those businesses need writers to help them produce that content. As such, the demand for content writers has never been higher.

If you think you’ve got what it takes, you could cash in on that demand by opening your own small business selling content writing services. As a content writer, you’ll be producing blog posts, articles, landing pages, and more for all kinds of businesses.

How to get started

First, you’ll need a website to sell your services on. Again, you can use a platform like WordPress or Squarespace for this. You’ll also need a portfolio of work to show clients. 

Before you start selling your services, it’s worth investing in content writing tools to help you with the SEO side of things. 

Once you have everything in place, you can launch your marketing campaign to start making sales. You can also bid for jobs directly on freelance job websites.

7. Become a freelance photographer

If you have a passion for photography, you could start your own photography business and make a career out of your hobby. As a freelance photographer, you can offer all sorts of services, including:

• Event photography (weddings, birthdays, etc.)
• Editorial photography
• Advertising photography
• Portrait photography
• Fashion photography
• Product photography
• Restaurant and hospitality photography
• Corporate photography
• Etc.

How to get started

Each of these photography business ideas are simple to set up. You’ll need to build a website to advertise and sell your photography services. We’d recommend using WordPress and choosing one of these WordPress photography themes.

From there, you can start driving traffic to your website to generate sales. One way to get traffic is to start a photography blog, but you could also run ads, launch a social media marketing campaign, etc.

8. Sell stock photography

Another small business idea which involves photography, is to monetize your photography skills is to start a business selling stock photography. The idea is to take great photos that people need and sell the license to use them for a fee.

How to get started

You can list your photographs for sale on these stock photo websites. Or if you want to go even bigger, make your own stock photo website and cut out the middleman!

9. Start a storage business selling your unused space

Got space in your property that isn’t being used? If so, you can start a storage business and rent out your spare room, driveway, garage, shed, etc. to paying customers. It’s a super easy business idea and could earn you a few hundred dollars per month for next to no effort!

How to get started

Simply sign up for Neighbor.com (the Airbnb of storage) and list your space to get started. You have full control: Choose what you’re happy to store and approve/deny rental applications as you see fit.

10. Develop an app or game

There’s a lot of money to be made selling mobile apps and games, so why not start your own game/app development business? There’s a big initial investment involved in developing apps (both time and money) but once you’ve built the product, you can sell it again and again without any manufacturing costs and make a fortune.

How to get started

You’ll need to be a qualified developer who’s well-versed in programming languages for this one, or have the funds to hire qualified developers to do it for you. Aside from that, you’ll need to research the market carefully and find a gap that you think you can fill.

Online business ideas

Next, let’s take a look at some business ideas for small businesses that you can run entirely online.

11. Start a YouTube channel (and monetize it)

There are tons of independent creators and businesses out there making a tidy profit through YouTube. In fact, the number of YouTube channels earning six figures a year has grown 40% YOY.  If you want to be one of them, there’s no time like the present to get started.

How to get started

First, you’ll need to make your YouTube channel. After that, start creating video content you think people will enjoy. Choose something that you’re passionate about, whether that’s vlogging, making gaming videos, starting a cooking channel, etc. 

You can leverage these YouTube marketing tools to grow your subscribers quickly. Once you’re getting tons of views per video, you can monetize your channel with ads, affiliates, and more.

12. Become a Twitch streamer

Got a passion for gaming? Enjoy chatting with others? If so, consider Twitch streaming. Successful streamers on Twitch make a lot of money. In fact, the live streaming industry was predicted to be worth a whopping 70.05 billion last year.

How to get started

First, sign up for Twitch and create your live streaming channel. Then, start streaming consistently at set times, and focus on creating great content. You can network with other streamers to promote your channel and grow your audience. Then, monetize that audience through donations and other sources.

13. Start a podcast

55% of Americans listen to podcasts. You can tap into that huge listenership by creating your own podcast, then monetize it to turn it into a profitable business.

How to get started

First, you’ll need to do your research to find your perfect niche. You should choose a theme and format for your podcast that there’s demand out there for and that you enjoy. For example, themes like true crime investigations tend to be super popular. 

Then, invest in some recording equipment to create your pods, and distribute them to directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

And if you’re not sure how to host your podcasts, check out our post on podcast hosting sites.

14. Start a business offering virtual assistant services

Virtual assistants (VAs) are professionals who carry out admin tasks for clients remotely. There’s a lot of demand for VAs these days, so it could be worth starting your own small business offering VA services.

How to get started

If you want to start out freelance, it’s worth searching on job boards like Upwork for roles. When you’re ready to scale up, open your own VA business website and run ads to find clients, then outsource VA tasks to your employees.

15. Become an online life coach

Life coaches help others to reach their full potential and become the best version of themselves. If you think you can do that, set up your own life coaching business and start selling your services!

How to get started

You might want to start by getting certified. There are various study programs out there you can use to get qualified. From there, choose a niche, price your services, create your business website, and start selling!

16. Set up a dropshipping business

Dropshipping is a specific type of retail business in which businesses sell products without having to keep stock. Instead, you accept orders and push them to your supplier, who handles the fulfillment for you. Because you don’t hold stock, you don’t need a warehouse or any other physical premises, which makes it the perfect online small business idea.

How to get started

You’ll need to build an ecommerce store with dropshipping functionality. The easiest way to do this is to build your store on Shopify and then integrate it with Spocket, which lets you source dropshipping products from AliExpress, and other suppliers. 

Using Spocket’s AliScraper Chrome Extension, you’ll be able to find products to sell quickly.

17. Start an online tutoring business

Another business idea is to start an online tutoring business.

There are tons of people out there that need tutoring services. You could set up your own online business offering remote tutoring sessions. Depending on what route you want to go down, you could focus on the ESL industry, or tutoring in specific subjects like Maths, Science, etc.

How to get started

There’s a lot that goes into setting up an online tutoring business and there may be legal and financial aspects to think about. Check out this guide on how to start an online tutoring business to get started.

18. Start a business selling web design services

If you have the required tech skills, you could start your own business selling web design services. Pretty much every business on the planet needs a website, so there’s a huge demand for this right now.

How to get started

You’ll need some basic web design skills to get started. You should know how to use modern CMS platforms like WordPress and ideally have some coding knowledge. If you already have that, you can set up your own website and start advertising your services.

19. Start a digital marketing agency

Do you know how to drive traffic and generate leads for businesses? If so, open your own digital marketing agency and sell your services.

How to get started

Decide on what type of digital marketing services you want to offer. For example, you could offer SEO audits, content writing services, link-building services, etc. Then open a business website and start advertising your services to potential clients.

20. Start a SaaS business

SaaS stands for software-as-a-service. If you run a SaaS business, you sell monthly or annual subscriptions to people that want to use your software. Because there are no physical products involved, you don’t have to factor in manufacturing costs or logistics. As a result, profits are sky-high.

How to get started

First, research the market to find a gap you think you can fill. Then, start developing your software tool. You can drive sales through affiliate marketing, ads, SEO, etc.

21. Become an online dating consultant

Think you’re pretty good when it comes to love and romance? Another good business idea is to start a consulting business – specifically in the area of dating.

Set yourself up as a relationship guru and offer online dating consultancy services.

How to get started

Like most other online businesses, it all starts with a website. Build your website using a platform like WordPress and advertise your services. Make sure you sell yourself and explain why people should come to you for dating advice.

22. Become a video editor

Think you know how to edit videos professionally? If so, start your own small business offering video editing services! 

How to get started

You’ll need professional video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro to get started. Then, you can bid for jobs on freelance marketplaces like Upwork, or sell your services through your business website.

23. Become a voiceover artist

Has anyone ever told you you’ve got a wonderful voice? If so, monetize it by setting yourself up as a professional voiceover artist!

How to get started

Put together a portfolio of voice samples to show off your voice. Then, sign up for a marketplace like Fiverr and start making sales.

Offline small business ideas

If you’re not so tech-savvy and would prefer to run a small business offline, here are some business ideas worth considering.

23. Convert and sell vans

Ever heard of van life? It’s a huge movement right now and there are thousands of people looking for converted vans that they can live in full time. Cash in on that demand by opening your own small business that converts and sells vanlife conversions.

How to get started

You’ll need a lot of practical DIY skills in order to be able to convert vans, including woodworking, electrical knowledge, etc. You’ll also probably need to rent out a workshop and invest in tools and materials.

24. Become a personal trainer

Personal trainers get paid to help people achieve their fitness goals. That includes devising custom exercise programs, helping them to plan their diets, instructing them on how to do specific exercises in the gym, etc. 

How to get started

You can start out freelance and sell your services at your local gym. Alternatively, you might want to setup a website and sell your services directly to clients.

25. Open your own gym

If you have money to invest, you could set up a gym and start your own business selling gym memberships. It’s an easy small business that provides a consistent recurring monthly revenue for little effort, but there are hefty start-up costs involved.

How to get started

First, you’ll need to secure your business property. Look for a commercial space in a popular area where you can build your gym. Then, you’ll need to purchase all the equipment you need, including free weights, cardio equipment, etc. You’ll also need to think about the legal and financial side of things, like tax and liability insurance.

26. Start a landscaping business

Landscaping companies offer various services including lawn care and maintenance, tree cutting, landscape design, sprinkler installation, etc. You could start your own landscaping business offering landscaping services in your local area.

How to get started

Check out this in-depth guide on Forbes on how to start a landscaping business. You’ll need to create a plan, register your business, think about tax, set your prices, purchase equipment, and launch a marketing campaign.

27. Run your own Airbnb

Here’s another easy business idea pretty much anyone with a spare bedroom or holiday home can do. You can sign up for Airbnb and rent out the property you’re not using to holidaymakers. If your property is in a popular tourist area, you can make upwards of $1000 per month.

How to get started

Just visit the Airbnb website and sign up as a host. Then, list your property and wait for the bookings to roll in.

28. Open your own cafe

Think you know a thing or two about coffee? Then why not open your own cafe? Of course, you’ll need some cash to invest to get started, and plenty of business acumen too if you want to make it work!

How to get started

As with all small businesses, the first step is careful planning. You’ll need to research the market and come up with a marketing and sales plan, plus financial projections. You will probably also need to think about things like licenses and permits. Here’s a detailed guide on how to open a cafe to point you in the right direction.

29. Start your own food truck business

If you don’t fancy being stuck in a cafe all day, consider buying a food truck instead! A food truck business is essentially mobile restaurants/cafes on wheels. You can take them to wherever your customers are, and cook, serve, and sell food out of them. 

How to get started

Here’s a brief guide on how to open a food truck business worth checking out. Again, the first step is careful planning to validate your business idea before you take the plunge.

30. Start a valeting service

Passionate about cars? Start your own car valeting business that offers professional car cleaning, polishing, waxing, and detailing services. If you can offer consistently high-quality work at a fair price, you could make a fortune.

How to get started

Start by researching the market to make sure there are potential clients in your area. Look at your competition and use your research to come up with a business plan. You might want to go mobile or set up shop. You’ll also need to think about rules and regulations, tax, equipment, etc.

31. Become a massage therapist

Another option is to start your own massage business. Massage therapists manipulate muscles and soft tissues to relax their customers, alleviate tensions, relieve pain, and help rehabilitate sports injuries.

How to get started

You’ll need to get qualified to become a massage therapist. There are lots of offline and online courses out there you can complete in 6 months or so. After that, you can start putting together a business plan and take it from there. You could offer mobile massage therapy services and go to your customers, or operate from your own home or a separate facility. 

32. Start a catering business

Fancy yourself a chef? If so, why not start your own catering business? Successful catering businesses can earn upwards of $100,000/year—so it can be a very lucrative business if you get it right.

How to get started

To start a catering business, you’ll need staff, equipment, and a solid marketing plan. You’ll also need to carry out research to make sure there’s demand in your area, decide what kind of events you want to cater to, set your prices, etc.

33. Start a cleaning business

Sometimes we forget that an everyday remedial task such as dusting or hoovering can become a business idea to start making money.

Cleaning services are always in demand, so why not start your own cleaning business? You could target either the residential or commercial market. Residential or domestic cleaners service people’s homes, whereas commercial cleaners service business premises.

How to get started

Starting a cleaning business involves many of the same steps as other businesses. You’ll need to register, think about tax and insurance, put together a business plan and marketing strategy, etc. Here’s a guide to help you get started!

34. Become a tour guide

Love spending time outdoors? Know a lot about a particular place of interest and its history? If so, start your own business as a tour guide and show visitors around! Some tour guides offer their services for free and make their money through tips, while others charge a set fee for paid tours. It’s up to you which route you go down!

How to get started

First, you’ll need to plan your walking tour, make sure you’ve registered your business correctly, and that it’s compliant with all local laws and regulations. Then, you can list your tours on sites like Airbnb Experiences and Viator, or set up your own website.

35. Start an event planning business

Event planners structure and coordinate events to make sure everyone has a good time. As an event planner, you’ll meet with clients to discuss their vision and then help them bring it to life. That might involve researching and booking appropriate venues, setting up event spaces, booking catering and entertainment, etc.

How to get started

The first step is to get qualified. There are courses out there you can take to become a certified event planner. Here’s a more detailed guide on how to start an event planning business.

36. Buy a vending machine

This one’s a super easy business idea that anyone can do with a bit of starting cash. All you have to do is purchase a vending machine and place it in the right location (make sure you’re aware of local laws and regulations) for an easy source of income.

How to get started

Start out with a single vending machine. Think carefully about the products you want to stock and make sure you choose the right location for those products. For example, vending machines in busy commuter locations would probably be better off selling things like coffee and water. 

If all goes well, you could consider expanding your vending machine business and purchasing a fleet of machines to increase profits.

37. Rent out hot tubs

Renting out hot tubs is another easy offline business idea that pretty much anyone can do. The idea is to buy a hot tub and then rent it out for summer parties and social gatherings. You can purchase a hot tub for a few thousand dollars and rent it out for $500+ per weekend, so you can potentially make your money back in a few weeks and then anything else is pure profit!

How to get started

The basic steps to starting a hot tub rental business are to research the market, set up your business structure, get the appropriate licenses and permits, then launch your marketing campaign. Here’s a guide you can follow.

Artsy small business ideas

If you like arts and crafts, you’ll love these artsy small business ideas.

38. Sell your own artwork online

Now you don’t necessarily need experience to create art, art is subjective. However, it’s an easy business idea to get creative and put together some artwork. Whether it be a painting, or an abstract piece with feathers and glitter, you can create a successful business.

If you fancy yourself an artist, you can start your own business selling prints or original copies of your artwork.

How to get started

You can sell your artwork through your own artist website or through online POD marketplaces (which we’ll look at next). If you want to sell art through your own artist website, we’d recommend using Sellfy.

39. Sell print-on-demand products

Print-on-demand is a business model in which products aren’t printed and shipped until a customer makes an order, so you don’t need to hold inventory. If you’re good at art or graphic design, you can sell printed t-shirts, mugs, posters, and other merch with your designs – this is a very hands off business idea.

How to get started

Sign up for print-on-demand marketplaces like Zazzle and list your designs for sale. When a customer orders a product featuring your design, the print-on-demand company will print and fulfill the order for you, and you’ll take a cut of the sale price in royalties. You can also sell your POD merch directly through your own website using Sellfy or Printify.

Sellfy Print On Demand

40. Start a business selling upcycled furniture

Upcycling is when you breathe new life into old, discarded products. The idea is to take things that people have thrown away, fix them up, and then sell them at a profit.

How to get started

To start an upcycling business, you’ll probably need a workspace (like a garage or warehouse) to operate out of, and plenty of tools to help you fix up products.

Once you have all that, start looking for free old furniture on marketplaces like Craigslist or Gumtree and unleash your creativity on them. You could sell your unique, one-of-a-kind upcycled creations out of your own boutique furniture store.

41. Open an Etsy store

Etsy is an online marketplace where you can sell vintage, handmade, or custom-made products. It’s like Amazon for independent crafters and artists. You can start your own Etsy business by selling your handmade goods through the platform.

How to get started

Sign up for an Etsy seller account and list your products for sale. It helps to research the market beforehand to find lucrative product niches.

42. Start your own clothing line

Got a passion for fashion? If not, why not create your own clothing line and start a fashion business? You never know, you could be the next Vivienne Westwood.

How to get started

You can start by developing a business plan and researching your target market. Then, start designing and take your product to clothing manufacturers. You can start out small and sell your product in market trading spaces, and online through platforms like Etsy and Facebook Marketplace. If all goes well, open your own retail store to scale up your business.

43. Start a woodworking business

If you’re a skilled carpenter, you could start your own small woodworking business and build cabinets, custom furniture, frames, boats, or anything else that you think you can sell!

How to get started

Obviously, you’ll need woodworking skills before you can get started. If you’re already a qualified carpenter, great. If not, look for a training course or consider an apprenticeship. Once you’re qualified, you can plan your business and open up shop. Here’s a detailed guide to help you get started.

44. Start your own home-based travel agency

Love planning your next vacation? If so, turn your passion into a business by opening your own travel agency from home!

How to get started

The travel market is full of established agencies that are hard to compete with. To break through the noise, it’s best to focus on a very specific niche. For example, you might specialize in organizing stargazing trips, or in pet-friendly travel.

Small business ideas for drivers

Love to drive? Here are some great business ideas to turn driving into a successful small business.

45. Become a delivery driver

With so many people shopping online nowadays, delivery drivers are in high demand. All you need to do to get started in this game is find a local courier service and start working freelance. Many companies allow you to set your own hours on a freelance basis and some will even provide you with a van if you don’t have one. 

Alternatively, you can deliver food and groceries using apps like UberEats and DoorDash. All you need is your own car to make the deliveries

How to get started

Check out job listings for popular courier services like Amazon Flex and UPS. Find a role that’s suitable for you and apply! If you want to deliver on a more casual basis, sign up for Uber Eats or DoorDash and get started.

46. Open a mobile pet grooming business

Love cats and dogs? Then pet grooming might just be the small business idea for you. Mobile pet grooming is super popular as it allows pet owners to stay home while their furry friends get their hair done. It takes a little investment to set up a mobile pet grooming business but there is definitely money to be made in the industry. 

How to get started

Purchase a van and convert it into a mobile pet grooming salon. Create a website, or Facebook page for your business and start sharing your services. You may even want to invest in a Facebook ad campaign to get some initial bookings. These Facebook advertising agencies can help.

47. Offer removal services

Becoming a removals person is a great way to earn some extra cash on a flexible basis. If you have a van or large car, you can help people move to their new homes and get rid of old belongings. 

Large removal firms often charge high prices for their services, so many people search for small, local businesses to help with their removals, making it the perfect small business idea for drivers. 

How to get started

Purchase a suitable vehicle for removals if you don’t already have one. List your removals services in local newspapers or community Facebook groups. Make a website and Facebook page for your business to secure new clients and gather reviews. 

48. Become a taxi driver

If you enjoy hanging out in your car and driving then why not earn some extra money by taxiing people from place to place. It’s easier than ever to become a taxi driver thanks to online services like Uber and Lyft, so you can really get this business started quickly. 

How to get started

Check out local laws and regulations for taxi drivers. Then sign up for apps like Uber and Lyft and start taking passengers

49. Open your own driving school

Want to teach the next generation to drive? There’s a ton of money to be made in this industry and huge demand. All you need to get started is your own car and driving license. 

How to get started

Check local laws and regulations relating to driving instructors in your area and make any vehicle modifications required. Create a website or Facebook page and start looking for students.

50. Rent out your parking space

If you have extra space on your property that you’re not using, then you could make a quick buck by renting it out. Parking spaces are in high demand, particularly in bigger cities, so be sure to make the most of the space you have. 

How to get started

List your empty spaces on parking apps like ParkingForMe or StashBee and start taking bookings.

51. Sell advertising space on your vehicle

Another great way to make some extra cash without doing much is to sell ad space on your vehicle. Companies will pay you to feature ads on the sides or the windows of your vehicle. 

How to get started

Use services like Carquids.com to find advertisers looking for vehicles to advertise on.

52. Offer chauffeur services

Got a nice car that people would want to ride in? You could use it to start your own chauffeur business. Chauffeur services are like upscale taxis, but they’re usually booked in advance and require higher levels of professionalism and class. Chauffeurs also make a lot more money that taxi drivers per ride. 

How to get started

Create a website and Facebook page to market your services. You can also try listing yourself on apps like MyDriver or Uber as an executive car. 

Small business ideas for teens & children

Looking for a way to earn some extra money when you’re not at school? Here are some of the best small business ideas for teens and kids. 

54. Offer lawn care services

If you’re particularly green-fingered then lawn care might be the perfect small business idea for you. Particularly in the summer months, there is a huge demand for lawn care services so there’s no better time to start offering your services around the neighborhood. All you need is a mower and some basic garden tools and you can offer lawn mowing, de-weeding, and more to your clients. 

How to get started

Borrow or purchase a lawn mower and garden tool set. Create a Facebook page and share it locally, or go door-to-door offering your services. 

55. Start a dog-walking or dogsitting business

Dog sitting and dog walking is a fun and enriching way for teens and kids to start their own business venture. If you’re a responsible pet lover, then you have everything you need to start your pet sitting or dog walking business. You can offer your services locally or list your services online.

Although you won’t be able to decide on your own hours, many dog-walking and dogsitting jobs are usually during the day, perfect if you have an evening job.

How to get started

Create some leaflets and hand them out in your neighborhood. Then, create a Facebook business page and share it in community Facebook groups and wait for the booking to roll in. Also, if you’re 18+, you can make use of dog walking apps like Wag!.

56. Start a window cleaning service in your neighborhood

Window cleaning is another great business venture suitable for kids and teens. All you need is some cleaning equipment and you can start offering your services in the local area. The great thing about this business is that there is usually a lot of demand. Well, every house has windows, right? 

How to get started

Purchase your supplies and practice your cleaning skills at home first. Then, when you’ve mastered your technique, go door-to-door offering your services. You can also create a Facebook business page and share it in community groups to get more clients.

57. Offer babysitting services

If you’re responsible and reliable then you’re likely to be able to start your own babysitting empire in your local area. Parents are crying out for a helping hand when it comes to childcare, so there’s no better time to start offering babysitting services. You can start by offering services to families that you know in the local area, and you can also look for new babysitting gigs online. 

How to get started

Create a Facebook page that you can share with families in your area. You can also use it to gather reviews of your services. You can also list your services on babysitting apps that allow teens like Bambino.

58. Sell your second-hand clothes on marketplaces

Here’s another small business idea, sell your second-hand clothes!

There’s tons of money to be made selling second-hand clothes, so if you have a closet full of old clothes you no longer wear, get online and get them sold. There are tons of marketplaces online where you can make good money for your old clothes, and the best part is you can do it all from the comfort of your own home. 

Alternatively, you could also search your local thrift stores for affordable branded clothes to sell. If you can find some bargains at the thrift store then you may be able to turn a profit online.

How to get started

Create accounts on second-hand marketplaces like Depop and Vinted. Take some good pictures of your items and list them, then wait for the money to roll in. 

59. Clean cars

If you’re looking for a great way to make money and stay busy over summer vacation, car cleaning is a great business idea to choose. You may need a little money to purchase some cleaning supplies but you’re sure to make back your investment after cleaning just a few cars. 

How to get started

Purchase some cleaning supplies and make some promotional leaflets. Go door-to-door in your neighborhood offering your services, or try your luck at local parking lots. 

60. Open a street stall

Opening a street stall is a great business idea if you live in a busy neighborhood. For example, you could sell homemade lemonade on a hot day or sodas and snacks to passers-by. You could also sell items from your home that you’re no longer using. But be sure to ask your parents before selling any of your belongings.

How to get started

Choose a product and set up a table for your stall. Create some eye-catching signs to draw customers in and start selling!  

61. Tutor your peers

School is a great place to earn a little extra money if you’re a teen. If you know of friends or younger students that are struggling with their studies, why not offer tutoring services to help them improve their grades? You can use your own study notes and knowledge to help them and offer in-person or Skype or Zoom sessions. 

How to get started

Post an ad on the bulletin board at your school. Alternatively, you could share information about your services on your school website or social media groups. 

Small business ideas FAQ

How to start a small business

Here’s a very brief step-by-step guide you can follow to start a small business:

1. Choose your small business idea from the list above
2. Research the market and local laws/regulations to validate your idea
3. Put together a business plan outlining your strategy and financial projections
4. Decide on your business structure and register (e.g. as an LLC or sole proprietorship). Check out our guide on how to form an LLC for help.
5. Make sure you’re legally compliant with all regulations and have the appropriate permits, insurance, etc.
6. Set up your business bank account
7. Invest in the tools and software you need to run your business
8. Launch your marketing campaign and start making sales

Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that. It might be worth speaking to a business advisor before you get started to make sure you set off on the right foot.

How do I do a business plan?

A business plan is a document that describes your business and covers things like your strategies, financial forecasts, objectives, etc. It’s a comprehensive roadmap that outlines where your business is now, where you want it to be in the future, and how you plan to get there.

A good business plan will be very comprehensive and makes sense for your business needs. There’s no exact template to stick to, but typically, it will include the following sections:

• Executive summary
• Company description
• Business organization and management
• Market analysis
• Marketing and sales strategy
• Service or product line plan
• Financial projections (cash flow, monthly projections, etc.)

Can I start a business with no money?

There are many businesses on this list that you can start with no money (or at least, very little money).

For example, opening a dropshipping or POD ecommerce business costs very little as you don’t need to buy any stock before you make sales. Likewise, you can start a service business selling your own freelance writing services, photography services, etc. with no upfront investment.

Launching your own ecommerce store is another good option since operating overheads are low. You’ll still need to purchase stock, but you won’t need to open a physical store.

You could alternatively forgo launching your own store entirely and opt for selling on a platform like eBay. Purchasing Amazon returns pallets is a good way to source products to sell but it can be risky.

If you want to start a small business that requires some initial investment (e.g. opening your own gym), you also have the option of applying for a small business loan.

Also, it’s important to remember to keep your personal and business finances separate when it comes to running a business.

Start your own small business today

Hopefully you can use one or more of these business ideas to start your own small successful business – it can be as a side hustle for extra income or to eventually replace your current job.

Whether it’s starting a dog walking business or a consulting business, working online or offline there are plenty of business ideas to suit anyone.

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