Do you have the itch to create your own business? Are you dreaming about being your own boss and leaving a legacy? For some, it all starts with a great idea. But what to do when you have the determination, but don’t know what type of startup is right for you?
If you go onto YouTube, there are thousands of scammy people telling you how to earn ‘big money’ with no effort. But let’s get real. A genuine business takes hard work and perseverance to make it in the long run. And just as importantly, it also needs to fill market demand.
This guide explains the most proven and future-proof business ideas for you to explore. These niches are consistently in demand, so they offer the best potential for long term success, if you’re willing to put the effort in.
And if you're looking to bringing new ideas to life without any cost barrier, check out the Business Starter Kit – get all this for free: LLC registration, a .com domain, business email, easy website builder, SEO tool to get found online, and social media tool to for fast posts to grow your reach. What’s stopping you?
Before we dive in, we’ll first clarify the small business ideas that are not worth trying, because AI can do them more efficiently.
But don’t let that make your heart sink, because the bottom line is this shift with AI assisting us will put a growing emphasis on business ideas that rely on human-centered skills, creativity, nuance, and emotional intelligence. Basically, the fun stuff.
These are the services going the way of the dinosaur:
These businesses listed are being phased out in their basic, mechanistic form. But this is not to say that if you take the time to find a niche angle, or have more complex skills, that you can’t still find a way to make them work.
After all, many people are still happy to pay more for artisan, hand-crafted products, or services that have the personal touch. So don’t be intimidated by AI, there will always be a place for genuine, caring, creative, innovative businesses in most sectors.
Amidst AI-driven automation of basic tasks, offshore software development offers a strategic alternative for entrepreneurs. By tapping into skilled developers worldwide, this type of outsourcing enables the creation of advanced software solutions that remain in high demand and resistant to automation.
Most people don’t have a big nest egg set aside so they can drop everything and fully focus on starting a new business, as well as hiring full-time employees. It’s often the case that you’ll need to keep your usual job, but begin building a separate revenue on the side.
It may also be the case that you’re not sure whether you’re cut out to be your own boss, taking all that responsibility on board and dealing with lots of new challenges.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of small business ideas that let you dip your toe in to start building leadership skills. These options also offer flexible working hours, and are easily accessible i.e. you don’t need lots of money, or a steep learning curve with learning new skills.
If you enjoy one of these avenues, it can be fairly easily turned into a full-time business, that has the potential for major growth. So let’s dive in, to see what floats your boat:
Multi-tasking is a myth. These days businesses and entrepreneurs are realizing the need for help with a variety of tasks, like scheduling, email management, and customer support. These things seem small, but added together they easily eat up too much time, so it’s best to outsource them.
Some entrepreneurs are also looking to outsource things like graphic design and social media management, but without paying for full time personnel.
All of these factors mean virtual assistants are in high demand, and not replaceable by AI, because you need the human touch to navigate them well. If you have a knack for organization, becoming a VA could be the perfect fit.
Tips for success:
You’ll want to settle on a fee that’s competitive, but pays the market rate for your level of skills and experience. It’s a good idea to charge hourly for one-offs, but also offer package rates to encourage long-term customers.
VA rates can vary widely based on your experience, location, and services. But these are the typical market rates:
Here’s a free web class to get some more insider information from an experienced VA, and there’s lots more on YouTube.
In summary, being a VA offers lots of flexibility and diverse opportunities, but you’ll need to be strong on self-motivation, client management, and financial planning to juggle jobs.
Both drop shipping and print on demand involve setting set up an eCommerce platform, and partnering with suppliers who handle the product inventory and shipping for you. That means you only have to worry about having an appealing site, and the marketing to drive people towards it.
Drop shipping is about reselling ready-made products under your own brand. With print on demand, you’ll create your own visual designs, that the PoD company will then add to whatever merchandise people choose to buy, from cups to clothing. You can even use PoD to sell your own books.
Tips for success:
Check out the Tools & guides section at the end of this article, to learn more about creating a great website and getting the word out.
As an affiliate, you’ll promote the products or services of companies that run programs that pay commissions for every sale your website sends their way.
As with drop shipping and print on demand, affiliate marketing is about building an appealing platform and sending people (traffic) to it with effective marketing. You can do this by writing quality articles, making YouTube videos, using social media channels, or a combo of these three.
Affiliate marketing has the benefit of low startup costs and your time is entirely your own, but to make it profitable you’ll need to consistency spend time driving traffic to your sales pages.
Tips for success:
The income you earn from affiliate marketing will depend on your chosen niche, marketing strategy, and experience. Here’s a general breakdown:
In general, an affiliate commission is considered ‘good’ when you get a strong return relative to the effort you put in, and don’t have huge competition in that niche. Here are some commission guidelines:
If high ticket products and services were as abundant as low hanging fruit on trees, everyone would be making bundles on money. Finding these lucrative affiliate programs involves a mix of targeted research, networking, and gaining experience in evaluating potential for high commissions.
For creative people, selling handmade products like art, jewelry, art, or crafts can be both fulfilling and profitable. It’s also easier than ever before, with platforms like Etsy giving you a ready-made audience.
The global handicrafts market reached $830 billion in 2023, and is expected to reach
$1,864 billion by 2032. There are a couple of reasons for this growing popularity:
Once you build up a good amount of stock, and take appealing photos to showcase each item to its fullest, go ahead and sign up to Etsy and other artisan platforms, and away you go.
If your business takes off, you could scale up by spending more on marketing to reach a wider audience, and hire people to help you make more stock.
If you’re skilled at a specific subject or language, this is a flexible, low-cost business that you can do either part-time or full-time to see if you like it.
Use platforms like Wyzant or iTalki to connect with students when you’re starting out, then if it’s working for you, create a website and start marketing it as your own branded business.
Tips for success:
By doing this, clients can increase their investment of time and money as they grow more comfortable. Use tools like Google Classroom or Moodle to help you create these types of programs. Also offer free on-demand resources, like recorded sessions and email support, so people feel they’re getting good value.
Hourly rates can range from $20 to $100+ per hour, depending on your experience, skills, and specialization. Monthly subscriptions are popular, as many clients understand that consistent progress is the way forward. These tend to be priced between $200 and $800 per month, depending on frequency and session duration.
It’s also a good idea to add discounted packages to your offering, like 5 sessions at $45/hour instead of the standard $50. Industry rates for packages vary from $200 ato $500 for 5 to 10 sessions.
Last but definitely not least, there will always be demand for hands-on businesses, like building, cleaning, repairs, and plumbing. These services may not be glamorous, but they will always be high value, because everyone needs them.
If you’re willing to put in the work to create a professional service and grow a loyal client base, you could build a team and even end up franchising. For those who like to work with their hands and enjoy solving problems, this could be a fulfilling and profitable business idea.
Unsure about what business industry to choose that will be in high demand over the long run? These are your best bet – retailing eco-friendly products, and health coaching.
These two sectors will continue to boom, because they’re grounded in sustainability, technology integration, location flexibility, and health. In other words, they’re always going to be very popular because they match the trends of human evolution.
As environmental consciousness becomes increasingly important to people around the world, consumers are looking for sustainable alternatives for every type of product.
A 2024 research report showed that 85% of people polled are shifting toward eco-friendly choices, and 60% said they’re willing to pay a premium for sustainable products.
Tips for success:
Collaborate with influencers and Green brands to help your reach a wider audience. Another idea to raise your profile and build credibility is to donate a percentage of sales to eco projects like reforestation, or local clean-up efforts.
Check out the Tools & guides section at the end of this article, to learn more about creating a great website and getting the word out.
As mentioned, it’s best to start off with a niche product line and build a reputation for quality, before adding more products. Here are some niche ideas to help you stand out from the crowd:
This market is projected to reach approximately $17.37 billion in 2024, with a continued expected annual growth rate of 8.91%.
Services include mental health support, nutrition coaching, fitness guidance, chronic illness management, and lifestyle optimisation. general wellness. People are enjoying adaptable solutions for their wellness needs.
There are a number of reasons for this surge of popularity:
Many people who have gone through difficult life experiences and come out stronger on the other side are turning their knowledge into lucrative coaching businesses that help people experiencing similar challenges.
Tips for success:
Accreditations can boost your credibility with potential customers. These programs also give you insights on how to come across professionally.
Here are some of the most popular certification companies to have a look at:
To learn more about how get customers for your new business, read: Need-to-know marketing strategies for small business startups.
These guides have been written specifically to help new small businesses succeed, so give them a read:
And if you’re feeling a bit daunted by starting a new business, here are some affordable tools that do most of the heavy lifting for you. They’re designed to simplify things:
If you want more of a steer on the right tools for you, including a short Quiz that offers recommendations based on what stage your business is at, check out the Build & Grow Hub.
Many people dream of building their own business, but never get started because it’s a big commitment. They’re not sure what direction to go in.
In this guide, we’ve done our best to remove this obstacle, with a comprehensive list of the most in-demand ideas. These have also been chosen because they’re accessible, you can try them out around your other responsibilities, to see if it’s a good fit before spending larger amounts of money.
We’ve also explored the two ost in-demand industrie, with no slowing down in sight. You can’t go wrong with creating a website selling eco-friendly products, because who doesn’t want to show love for our planet? Or, if you’re a people person, there’s never going to be a loss of interest in services that help us feel well, so we can live our best life.
Both industries hold the potential for both a highly profitable business, and a meaningful one that makes the world a better place.
Lastly, if you think it’s all doom and gloom with AI taking jobs, our main takeaway is to understand that it can never replace human warmth, originality, and creativity. So if you focus on these strengths, there will always be a space for you to offer value.
And if you're looking to bringing new ideas to life without any cost barrier, check out the Business Starter Kit – get all this for free: LLC registration, a .com domain, business email, easy website builder, SEO tool to get found online, and social media tool to for fast posts to grow your reach. What’s stopping you?
What are some easy small business ideas?
No-matter how much influencers hype up ‘easy business ideas that give you a six figure income fast’, the fact is if this were true, there would be no world poverty. Any successful business is going to take discipline, commitment, and consistency.
Even if you start a dog walking business, there will still be days when the weather is bad or an unco-operative dog, or various other challenges. And you will still need to find ways to market your business to find customers, no matter how simple your business is.
That said, the easiest business will involve something you’re interested in or have skill in. Basing a business around this will give you the most potential for success. Have a look at the options in this article to see which idea is a good fit.
What are the best startup business ideas?
This guide has been designed to give you the best business ideas, with high demand in the marketplace, both now and in the future. We’ve also made sure these ideas are accessible to everyone, so you can try them out around your current job. Take a look at the options listed above to see which idea will be the optimal fit for your individual tastes
What side-hustles pay the most?
This question is impossible to answer, because it all depends on your individual circumstances, like your experience, skills, and how much time you’ll have to dedicate to your business.
Any business, whether a side-hustle or a full time, will give back what you put in. Anyone selling a get-rich-quick scheme is not being genuine.
Also know that any business takes time to get off the ground, unless you have a large existing fanbase who would instantly want to buy what you’re selling. It takes time to build trust and establish yourself in the market.
How to create a successful small business?
Once you find the business idea that floats your boat, learn about the mindset, logistics, and the marketing steps to get customers: Three pillars of a successful startup: Ultimate guide for small businesses.
The success of a business ultimately comes down to your marketing, because that’s what brings in customers. This guide walks you through the know-how: Need-to-know marketing strategies for small business startups.
Another key factor is to use tools that will simplify your marketing and do much of the heavy lifting for you. For help with this, check out the Build & Grow Hub.
What to sell as a small business?
If you’re looking for ideas on what you could sell if you become a business owner, the two most in-demand industries are wellness and sustainability. Within these two main categories, the possibilities are endless, from heath supplements to organic cosmetics.
This article covers a range of options to help you narrow down your choices. Be sure to start with one or two products that you specialize in, rather than trying to cover too big a range. This will help you stand out, and you can add new products to your range once you build a customer base.
What is digital health and wellness?
This simply means selling health and wellness products or services online, from a website and YouTube information, to paid ads on social media and Google.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is an umbrella term for the use of electronic technologies to offer health care services remotely. It can include:
How to use telehealth?
This generally involves either buying a wearable health device that transmits your information, and/or setting up a call with a health specialist. A call would generally involve you making a booking on their website, and the practitioner sending you a link for the call at the agreed time.
From starting up to creating your site, here’s everything you need to make big splash online.
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