You just can’t do it anymore. Not another day. Not another waking hour of the torment and torture. Not another moment of being belittled in front of your coworkers. It’s just not worth the money. And it’s certainly not worth your sanity. Everyone reaches that point eventually in life. It’s a point of no return. And that moment is right here and right now for you.
The truth is that you’ve been toying with the idea of quitting your job and starting a business for ages now. But where do you start? How do you begin? What do you sell? How do you find customers? What if you can’t make enough money to survive? While there are many businesses you can start, these small business ideas will help you maximize your income.
The truth is this. Deep down you know you were meant for something more in life. You were put here to do more and be more. To fulfill your higher purpose. To live life to its fullest. And to be your own boss and set your own schedule. Right now life seems meaningless. You’re stuck repeating the same routine day in and day out. That’s why it’s time for a change. It’s now or never.
What Is A Small Business?
If you’ve reached that point, you’re not alone. After all, it’s not fun running around trying to please a boss who barely notices your existence. But it’s also not easy building a small business that can generate enough money for you to survive. Especially if you have bills to pay and mouths to feed. It takes hustle. Grind. Effort. Sleepless nights. You already know that, right?
However, launching a small business isn’t the hard part. That’s not tricky at all. At least not here in the United States. In the US, you can launch a small business within days. You can set up the LLC or incorporate online using many sites that do everything for you. You can also request an EIN and set up a bank account almost instantaneously. That’s the beauty of the US. It encourages people to start small businesses.
Small businesses are companies that are independently owned and operated. Typically they are owner-operators. Meaning that the owner of the business is also the one who is operating that business. In the United States, the US Small Business Administration (SBA) sets the criteria for small businesses. And it states that it must have fewer than 500 employees.
How To Start A Small Business
Let’s pretend for a moment that you’ve quit your job and made the decision to start a business. What small business do you start? And how do you actually make money with that business? Which products or services do you sell? Do you build that business to make money online and operate the whole thing virtually? Or do you open a physical location?
The hard part isn’t starting the small business. The hard part is making money with that business. As a business owner you have many obligations. And the reason it’s hard on small businesses today is because you’re so busy working in your business instead of working on your business. You spend so much time with the day-to-day operations that you struggle to grow the business.
Why is it so hard? Because people rush into business with the idea of starting a specific type of business. They might see someone crushing it with apparel and think that’s the best small business idea for them. Or they might see someone making a lot of money on Shopify and think that e-commerce is a great idea for a small business. And so on.
However, that’s not how you start a small business. That’s how you chase fads. To start a business that makes real money you have to solve problems. The bigger the problem you solve the more money you can make. And some businesses are capital-intensive while others don’t require much money to operate at all.
What Are The Best Small Business Ideas?
There are so many choices in front of you. Do you launch a product business? Is that product physical or virtual? Do you provide services? Will you operate virtually? How will you get customers and grow your business instead of feeling trapped and overwhelmed? Look, the best small business ideas begin small. You don’t need a complicated operation. All you need is an idea to solve a problem and the mentality that you will get it done no matter what.
If you’re low on cash and want to start a small business, it’s always best to begin with services. You won’t have the overhead of creating products, storing them and shipping them. All of that costs money. If you have some capital, by all means you can start a product business. But always begin with a problem in mind. The best ideas for small businesses solve specific problems. And the bigger those problems are the more money you can make.
What kinds of problems can you solve? There are so many kinds. For example, you can solve problems for other businesses. Businesses need more traffic, customers, and sales. They need to find ways to decrease expenses, reduce tax burdens, and optimize their sales channels. If you’re helping individuals, figure out what problems they’re struggling with and solve those.
#1—Design Sales Funnels
Sales funnels are like websites. Except they’re much better. And they solve a very specific problem that most businesses face. You see, here’s the thing. Websites convert poorly. That’s because there are too many choices when you visit a site. Too many choices lead to overwhelm. And overwhelm leads to people leaving that website almost as fast as they arrived. That’s not good, right?
That’s why companies turn to sales funnels. Sales funnels convert better than websites. On average, it’s roughly 137% better. Why? Because sales funnels are specific. They have only one path forward. There are no choices. You either move forward or you don’t. It’s a predefined journey you take customers on. And that’s precisely why more and more companies are building sales funnels.
The best? You can build and design a sales funnel with no prior technical knowledge. You don’t need to be a coder or a web developer. You don’t even need to know Photoshop or any other popular graphics program. All you need to do is use premade templates and a drag-and-drop editor to design sales funnels that you can sell in our marketplace. That’s it.
#2—Social Media Manager
Social media has taken over the world. If you’re not using social media to grow your business then you’re wasting your time. Why? Because social media is one of the fastest ways to grow and scale a business. Yes, it requires you to be in front of the camera. While you can possibly pull this off without showing your face, it’s much harder.
Many small businesses know they need to use social media to grow online. But they don’t know the first place to start. That’s why they usually hire a social media manager to help them. All you need to do is ensure you create a solid profile with great posts. Then, create a link into a lead generation funnel with a solid lead magnet that addresses the core problem of visibility.
You can also link directly into an application funnel where people fill out an application to work directly with you. Make sure that you post great content consistently that addresses the core problem you’re aiming to solve for small businesses. Yes it takes work. But on social media it is very well worth all the struggles you’ll go through in the beginning.
#3—Online Courses
If you have trouble with one-on-one sales and don’t want to be a pushy salesperson, consider creating online courses. Online courses are one of the best small business ideas you can start with little to no money at all. It’s also a great source of passive income. But it does take time to get your online course off the ground. And it’s not just about launching the course. You must market and promote the course.
That’s why your online course should address a big problem that people face. That problem could be in dating or relationships. It could be the wealth or finance niche. For example, teaching people different ways they can make extra money online. It could also be in the health niche where you provide an entire online fitness course. But you must address the problem as the core tenet of the course.
You can create and launch your entire online course with our course builder. You can also build your online course and promote it on various other platforms such as Udemy, Teachable, Kajabi and others. Depending on the platform you pick, you’ll either have a lot of technical work or very little. Remember the hard part is always getting people to know about your online course.
#4—Event Photography
Another great small business idea is event photography. There are so many local events that require photography all of the time. Think about it. How many weddings, anniversaries, birthday celebrations, or other events are going on around you at any time? You could even niche down and only do photography for a specific type of event.
To succeed with event photography, you need a sales funnel designed to generate leads for your photography business. This is a simple lead generation funnel that should have a powerful lead magnet. A lead magnet helps you generate leads. If you want to learn how to build a powerful lead magnet, then read this. There are many lead magnet ideas you can use. But the point is that you need one.
Here’s how this works. Someone may discover you on social media and see that you’re a photographer. They click a link in your profile that takes them to a landing page where they can download your lead magnet. The title uses curiosity to pique their interest. As long as you have a great lead magnet, this is an easy way to generate leads for your business.
#5—Real Estate Wholesaling
Real estate wholesaling is a great way to make money in real estate because it requires little to no capital upfront. When you wholesale real estate, you flip paper. That’s the best way to describe it. The tricky part is finding sellers to negotiate with and getting properties for at least 30% less than market value (minus any repairs that need to be made).
It works like this. You search for distressed sellers using public records or a website like PropStream. You can search for homes that have tax liens, owners going through a divorce, probate, and other distressed situations. If you drive around your neighborhood, you can spot most distressed properties by looking for overgrown lawns and homes that are in serious need of exterior repairs.
Once you find a seller, you negotiate a low price. Yes, some owners will get offended. However, the selling point is that they don’t need to make any repairs, and you’ll buy it in as-is condition. Then, you turn around and flip that contract to a cash buyer. You can locate cash buyers on PropStream by looking for cash buyers of homes in that vicinity. Most people don’t know this but 34% of homes in the United States are purchased in all-cash deals.
#6—Paid Ads Agency
Companies need paid ads to grow. But most companies struggle to run paid ads. That’s where you come in. You can offer to help companies run their paid ads by launching a paid ads agency. If you have experience running ads on Facebook, Google, TikTok, and other platforms, you should consider doing this professionally.
Paid ads agencies can make a lot of money or no money at all. It all boils down to how good you are with paid ads. As long as you can make money for clients you have nothing to worry about. If your ads falter and fail then your paid ads agency won’t go far. Make sure that you rack up some real experience before trying to launch this type of small business.
To promote your agency you should use an application funnel. Application funnels turn the tables and make your prospective clients fill out an application that makes them justify why they’re a good fit to work with you. You’ll use concepts like scarcity by saying you only work with a certain number of new clients each quarter. But whatever tactics you use, remember that you have to be good at what you do.
#7—Copywriting
Copywriting is one of the most important aspects of a business. You must write copy that is compelling and drives people to take action. That action might be to generate a lead, make a sale, get them to spend more money, and so on. Killer copywriting can transform a business overnight. And your ability to connect with a prospect on a deeper level by writing great copy can make all the difference in your small business.
This small business idea can work for you if you have a penchant for writing. Don’t try to become a copywriter and charge people for work if you’re not a good writer. You must understand basic human psychology and be able to write drool-worthy copy that drives prospects to start begging you to take their money.
You can build out a copywriting service and charge companies to write great copy for them. You can write copy for emails, landing pages, sales funnels, sales letters, VSLs, ads, and more. Good copywriters are hard to come by. So if you have solid writing skills consider launching a copywriting business either as a side hustle or as your primary source of income.
#8—Cleaning Business
Another idea for a small business is to start a cleaning business. You can clean homes, businesses, motels, cars, and anything else. People always need cleaners. Especially people who are operating businesses like Airbnbs, motels, retail locations, and so on. All you need to do is approach businesses by cold calling them and asking them if they need a cleaner.
This is not a complicated business to start. The only part that people struggle with is customer acquisition. Once you get good at acquiring customers, you can grow and scale this business fast. You can add cleaners to your crew and expand the number of locations you service. Of course, you have to do a good job so that you retain your clients and they refer you to other people they know.
#9—Vacation Rental Manager
Vacation rentals are very popular around the world. And vacation rental managers make a lot of money by managing the entire process. If you live in a vacation destination, you could help other vacation rental owners manage their rentals. You can help them prepare the home for rent, list it on popular vacation sites, manage check-ins, and clean the property for the next rental.
Vacation rental managers make anywhere between 20% and 40% of the gross rental rate. That’s a lot of money when you’re dealing with high-end rentals. Some guests are willing to pay $2,000 to $10,000+ per night for the best properties in the most sought-after locations. That doesn’t mean you’ll make money instantly. The industry is highly competitive. But there is a lot of money to be made here.
#10—Landscaping
Landscaping is a great small business idea if you’re looking for low-friction work with recurring revenue. Landscape clients will typically hire a landscaper and not hire another one for years and years. They might even stick with the same landscaper for the entire time they own the home. Why? Because it’s a simple job to do as long as you don’t cut corners.
To find clients, you can cold-call or door-knock homes. You can also prefer an irresistible offer for homeowners to try to win them over. You can scout properties and look for deficiencies from other landscapers. Then, you can make your pitch. You can also create a sales funnel to promote your landscaping business.
#11—Accounting
Every business needs accounting. Every single one. So why not start an accounting business? You don’t need to have a degree in accounting. And you can do this if you’re not a CPA. Accounting simply means that you’re keeping the books updated for a business. You’re tracking their expenses and income every single day to help them better analyze and understand their bottom line.
You can find accounting clients for your small business by building out a lead generation funnel with a lead magnet. That lead magnet could be about “5 Dangerous Tax Mistakes Small Businesses Make (And How To Fix Them)”. This creates curiosity and it leads people away from pain. They’re far more likely to trust you when you take this type of approach. Everyone will want to know what these 5 dangerous tax mistakes are. It’s an easy way to generate leads.
#12—Personal Trainer
Another small business idea you can try is to become a personal trainer. If you’re into fitness, you can do this at your existing gym. All you need to do is strike up a deal with the gym to offer your services to existing members who don’t have trainers. You’ll need to work out a split where the gym gets a percentage of the profits.
Personal trainers can make anywhere from $50 per session to hundreds of dollars per session. It all depends on the location and the quality of the clients at the gym. If you’re in an upscale area, it’ll be easier to get high-paying clients. You can also build a lead generation funnel for this business to supercharge your results.
#13—Daycare
You can start a daycare business in most places around the world. People always need daycare and it’s hard to find reliable small businesses that provide high-quality daycare. You can either start an official daycare business or you can use apps like Care and SitterCity to find babysitting or daycare jobs in your local area.
If you love working with children then this is a great small business idea. It’s also a very good way to make money because parents are willing to pay a lot of money for daycare. After all, if both parents are working, they have no choice, right? Depending on where you live, this could mean thousands of dollars of revenue per child per month.
#14—PR Consultant
PR consultants make a lot of money. Especially if you can find the right clients. If you’re interested in PR and have contacts in the media, this could be a great fit for you. However, you must know how to pitch ideas to media personalities that ensure the highest take rate. This is as much of a relationship game as it is an idea game. The stronger your relationships in the media, the more likely you’ll succeed.
However, writers for big media are always looking for great ideas. Most of them struggle to come up with new and fresh ideas consistently. That’s where you come in. You can also use websites like HARO that help reporters out. It’s not guaranteed but if you’re going into the PR business you should use every available resource there is.
#15—Web Development
Web development is a great way to make money online and it’s a small business you can start from anywhere. That’s because people always need a web developer. And if you’re the best of the best, this small business idea could make you a whole lot of money. However, the window for web development won’t be open for that long. The rise of AI systems will likely make this field obsolete soon.
However, there’s still time to learn web development and make money as a web developer. You can use popular platforms like Upwork, Freelancers, and others to find paying jobs as a web developer. You can also use Indeed to find longer-term work. Plus, you can always build a lead generation funnel with a lead magnet targeting some pain points that people have around web developers or the web development field.
#16—Vending Machines
Vending machines offer a simple small business approach to making money. Most businesses would love for you to place a vending machine at their location. And you won’t even need to pay most businesses a commission on your sales. They’ll just want to ensure that you maintain the machines and keep them fully stocked.
To start a vending machine business, you will of course need the vending machines. But you’ll also need to find locations with owners willing to let you place your machines there. This is really about getting out there and visiting as many businesses as possible. Vending machines are a win-win for the business and for you, so it’ll only be a matter of time for you to find your first location.
#17—Video Editing
Video editing is a vital part of business today. Everyone needs a video editor, especially with the rise of short-form videos on platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube Shorts and others. But it’s not just about short form. So many companies around the world need video editing for their YouTube videos, Vimeo videos, Voomly videos and more.
This requires you to know how to use popular video editing software like Premiere Pro, Final Cut and others. If you’re already good at video editing, this small business idea is viable for you. If you don’t already know it, take a few online courses and learn how to edit videos. Then, you can approach businesses to help them with videos on their social media, YouTube channels and more.
#18—Sell Print-On-Demand
Print-on-demand (POD) is a popular small business idea that most creators use. That’s because POD does not require you to do any of the work to manufacture, store or ship the products. You simply upload a design and you can start selling it right away. This is very similar to how Amazon does its POD books through its KDP program.
POD allows you to get up and running with very little time or money invested. You can link your POD products to many of the most popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Amazon FBA, Etsy and other places. This makes it simple to make money because you just get a cut of each product based on the price you sell it for. If you can sell it for more, you’ll make more money.
#19—Shopify Store
Shopify has grown in popularity. Lots of businesses are using Shopify from around the world and it’s an easy-to-use platform to sell just about anything. If you’re interested in starting a physical product business then Shopify could be the right move for you. Plus, there are so many apps that integrate into Shopify that allow you to fully customize, analyze, and track your store.
Shopify also easily integrates into many of the most popular third-party logistics (3PL) platforms for easy shipping once an order is placed. However, if you’re going to sell products on Shopify, make sure that the product is expensive enough for you to make a profit after acquiring the customer. For example, things like ice baths and red light therapy wands have enough margin to give you a buffer for acquiring customers profitably.
#20—Email Marketing
Every business needs to do email marketing. After all, email marketing offers the highest return on investment for marketing activities behind search engine optimization. It’s the most powerful form of marketing you can possibly do. And the interesting part is that most businesses fail to market through email channels or to even build an email list in the first place.
If you’re a skilled writer, you can charge companies to help them with their email marketing. You can follow the Soap Opera Sequence that’s outlined in this book. This is the best way to build rapport with a prospect after they’ve subscribed to an email list. You can work with the founder or owner to help create stories that help them sell more products and make more money in