100 Small Business Ideas to Kickstart Your Journey

Looking to start a small business? Let’s explore a few small business ideas

Entrepreneurship is one of the most challenging journeys in life. It takes creativity, resourcefulness, and a healthy dose of courage. Here’s our list of over 100 small business ideas. Our list is designed to offer inspiration and insights to your entrepreneurial spirit. 

Starting your own business can be overwhelming. For most people, there are several elements that concern them. Will I be able to make a sale? How long is it going to take to turn a profit? Is my business idea feasible? These are questions that will relentlessly plague your mind. You may not have all the answers but what you have is a dream that you want to transform into reality. 

Arts & crafts

1. Artwork 
2. Blankets 
3. Custom designed clothes/ T-shirts 
4. Crafts

Administrative

Attention to detail, meticulous, and always gets the job done. If that’s you, we have a few suggestions that could help. 

5. Data entry 
6. Accounting and bookkeeping 
7. Human resources and payroll 
8. Virtual assistant 
9. Paralegal 

Health & wellness

If you believe in living a healthy lifestyle, get paid to show others how to do the same. You will require training and certification before you can start. The current climate is health and fitness focused. A forecast predicts that in 2022, there will be over 86 million health and fitness app users in the United States alone.  

This makes these small business ideas profitable when executed well. 

10. Fitness training 
11. Nutrition and health 
12. Chiropractor services 
13. Yoga or Pilates studio 
14. Gym 
15. Spa 
16. Therapy 

Food

Passionate about what excites the taste buds? The food & beverage industry is your jam (pun intended). You will require some training and certification in this area. If food drives your world, these small business ideas below are worth considering. 

17. Restaurant 
18. Food truck 
19. Catering 
20. Beverages (Boba tea, smoothie shop etc.) 
21. Bar 
22. Private chef 
23. Baked goods 
24. Canned items 

Home improvement

Want to make a career out of making homes and commercial spaces better? Check out our list of options. You might need a team of employees or a partner to work in this area. 

25. Cleaning/janitorial 
26. Flooring 
27. Roofing 
28. Electrical services 
29. Lawn care and landscaping 
30. Window cleaning 
31. Plumbing 

Organization

This is for people who love being organized in their personal and professional lives. 

32. Event planner 
33. Property manager 
34. Executive/personal assistant 
35. Home/office organizer 

Consulting

There are several small business ideas where you get paid to offer your services. You might require some type of education, training, and experience. Most professionals in this category have a portfolio of work. In addition, customer ratings help establish credibility. 

36. Social media management 
37. Marketing 
38. Website design and management 
39. Copywriting 
40. Graphic design 
41. Photography 
42. Career specialist 
43. Translator/interpreter 
44. Tax preparation 
45. Coding 

Classes

If you’re an expert in a field, get paid to show others some tricks and tips.  

46. Tutoring/test preparation 
47. Culinary 
48. Languages 
49. Music 
50. Dance 
51. Pottery 
52. Paining/crafting 
53. Etiquette 

Pet services

Do you love animals and enjoy taking care of them? There are a few ways you could make money by working with your furry friends. 

54. Groomer 
55. Breeder 
56. Dog walker 
57. Pet daycare and boarding 
58. Obedience training 

Children and childcare

 Monetize your child rearing skills by delivering services that are highly sought after by parents. 

59. Daycare services 
60. Summer camp 
61. Special ed and caregiving 

Online selling

Reselling products is a good way to make money. Several sellers have successfully used it to replace their full-time jobs. Our small business ideas below are bound to intrigue you. 

62. Amazon seller 
63. Etsy seller 
64. eBay seller 

Farm to table

If you have the ability and resources to raise farm animals, there is a demand for farm fresh everything. 

65. Meat 
66. Eggs 
67. Fresh produce 

Beauty

We all want to look our best. People shell out large sums of money to attain their ideal look. You will require training and licenses for opportunities in this field. Want to help people look their best? We have a few small business ideas compiled for you. 

68. Aesthetician 
69. Nail technician 
70. Lash technician 
71. Hairdresser 
72. Makeup artist 
73. Microblading 

Independent contractor

These are individuals who sign up under a company and get paid to do certain tasks. They can usually set their own schedules and work whenever they want.  

74. Content creator (YouTube, Tiktok etc.) 
75. Rideshare driving (Uber, Lyft etc.) 
76. Food delivery (Doordash, Ubereats, Postmates) 

Renting

A lot of people prefer renting over buying. It is a practical alternative to spending a small fortune on certain items. 

77. Home/commercial space 
78. Venues 
79. Equipment  
80. Costume/tuxedo etc. 
81. Cars/vehicles 

Automotive

Everyone used some type of automobile to commute to places. That is why there are several products and services in the auto industry. Auto services deserve their place on our list of small business ideas. 

82. Car wash 
83. Detailing 
84. Parts 
85. Oil/tyre change 

Security

We all like to protect ourselves and those important to us. Be it your home or your data, there are solutions for every threat. Starting a small business with a focus on security takes a sharp eye and attention to detail.  

86. Private security 
87. Cybersecurity 
88. Equipment & installation 

Travel & transport

A culmination of hospitality, tourism, and good old transport! These small business ideas are perfect for individuals that love helping others.  

89. Tourism company/travel agency 
90. Hotels/motels 
91. Trucking 

Tech & machinery

Several small business ideas require training and certification. The technology and machinery business is one of them. They play a major role in many industries. 

92. IT services 
93. Equipment repair 

Others:

These are our small business ideas that don’t quite fit into any of the above categories. We’ve lumped them together. Take a look. 

94. Real estate company 
95. Caregiving services (seniors, special needs etc.) 
96. Entertainment management 
97. Public relations firm 
98. Air BnB hosting 
99. Dropshipping
100. Day trading 
101. House flipping 
102. Publishing (Books, magazines, newspaper etc.) 
103. Media company 
104. Antique dealing 
105. Tattoo Parlor 
106. Staffing agency 
107. Call center/telemarketing 

Wow! Now that is one heck of a list! We hope we’ve set into motion several plans in your mind. This is to get you started on a journey of discovering what you’d want to do.  

Each idea comes with its own levels of viability, profitability, and challenges. It requires research on your part to pinpoint what training or certifications you need. 

We believe that the American economy is largely dependent on our small businesses. Our aim is to offer sound advice to small businesses and budding entrepreneurs. There is untapped potential everywhere. Take your time to realize which of these small business ideas fit you the best. Good luck!