The Small Business Ideas List


Now that you’ve decided you’re ready to start a business let’s dig into the list of 40 best small business ideas for beginners. Below, you’ll find ideas about anything from being a virtual assistant to owning a specialty supermarket. By the time you’re finished, you should have plenty of inspiration to get started on the right track to owning a thriving business.

1. Virtual Assistant

If you have strong organizational skills and a knack for detail, consider becoming a virtual assistant, as it is an easy way to get a business started. As a VA, you can support business owners who are too busy or don’t have the time to do everything themselves. You can perform tasks such as managing schedules, booking travel, answering emails and more.

2. Childcare

If you’re good with children, starting a childcare business could be the right choice. It requires minimal startup costs and is easy to get started—usually, all you need are some educational certificates or training in early education development. You can begin by offering daycare services for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged kids and even special needs children.

3. Social Media Consultant

Knowing the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can lead to this lucrative service business. Here, a consultant acts as a social media manager to help enterprises develop their social media accounts and execute a social media strategy. This could include helping create or manage profiles on various platforms, developing and implementing campaigns and more.

4. Instagram Influencer

If you have a large following on places like Instagram, consider becoming an influencer. As an Instagram influencer, you can promote products and services to your followers in exchange for money. You’ll typically be paid per post or by commission for the products you sell. Be sure you read up on the FTC’s Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers before starting one of these online businesses though.

5. Etsy

An Etsy shop is a great business idea if you have a creative flair. For the uninitiated, Etsy is a platform where artists and crafters can sell their handmade or vintage items. You’ll need to create a profile with photos of your products, set up payment and shipping information and write a description of your items. Then, when someone buys something from your shop, you’ll need to ship it out.

6. Hairdresser

Do you have a passion for hair and styling? If so, starting your own hair salon could be the perfect business venture for you. It’s relatively easy to start a hair salon—you just need to invest in some basic equipment and supplies. Plus, plenty of online courses are available to help you get started.

7. Yoga Teacher

If you’re a yoga teacher, you can build a yoga business to make money while doing something you love. It’s important to note that starting a yoga studio can be expensive—you’ll need to invest in equipment and rent or purchase space. But if you have the right connections and are willing to put the time and effort into it, you could be looking at a profitable business venture.

8. Professional Photography Business

If you have some starting capital, consider investing in equipment and offering photography services online. Areas you can go into include concert photography or LinkIn professional photos. Also, you can upload pictures to photo-sharing sites for royalties and sell them as prints or on products like phone cases, T-shirts etc.

9. Visual Artist

This is the best business for graffiti artists and spray paint artists. You won’t be a starving artist if you’re good, and both options allow you to obtain gainful employment. While it will be a challenge to get as rich as artists like David Choe and Banksy, visual artists can make anywhere from $16 to $70 per hour by mastering their spray cans.

10. Landscaping Business

A landscape business is a profitable small business to start if you’re good with your hands and have a love for nature. As a landscaper, you’ll be responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining landscapes and gardens. Tasks you’ll be doing could include mowing lawns, planting flowers, trimming trees and more.

11. SEO Consultant

A consulting business is one of the more lucrative ideas on this list. And if you are knowledgeable about search engine optimization, being an SEO consultant is an excellent small business idea. An SEO consultant analyzes a client’s website and makes recommendations for improving its search engine rankings. You can provide your consultation services to businesses who need them, or you could even start an agency offering these types of services.

12. Web Development

For online business ideas, you really can’t beat web development. A web developer designs websites, creates content for them, tests their functionality and ensures they function properly. Web development makes for a great side business, especially if you like tech. But, of course, it is a great business to own and do as a full-time job too.

13. Digital Marketing

Another up-and-coming business is digital marketing. Business owners here are responsible for building and promoting websites. Here’s what you do: You build a website, promote it on channels like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc., use SEO to improve its ranking in search engines (Google/Yahoo), manage online advertising campaigns, update company collateral with new messages that fit the online branding and so on.


14. Dog Walking Business

Many people find themselves with more time on their hands than money. However, if you enjoy the company of dogs, dog walking is an easy way to get some extra cash and be your own boss while doing it!

15. Event Planning Business

Consider starting your own event planning business if you love to plan events. As an event planner, you’ll be responsible for all aspects of the event planning process, from budgeting to coordinating vendors to designing invitations.


Start Setting Up Your Own Small Business and Use this Guide for Inspiration

There you have it—15 small business ideas to get future small business owners started! Meanwhile, if you want more chances to enjoy a successful business, it’s important to create a business plan and get your business finances in order before you launch it.

However, if you’re still having difficulty deciding what type of business to start, consider using this guide as inspiration. These businesses are all relatively low-cost and easy to start, so you can rest assured that you won’t be breaking the bank. And who knows? With a little bit of effort, you just might find your next million-dollar idea!