The best small business ideas come from a combination of your own personal skills/hobbies and proper analysis of whatever market you're thinking about entering. Here is a short list in no particular order of cool stuff that might jog your bring you a couple of steps closer to your eureka moment:
- Learn how to code with cool web tools like CodeAcademy and create/sell stuff like website designs and WordPress themes.
- Start a blog. Identify something that you're knowledgable about and start posting interesting and informative content on a regular basis. Build an audience and watch the google adclick money roll in.
- Craft something unique and handmade and sell it through an online storefront like Etsy.
- If you have the technological know-how (or you just have an insanely awesome idea) then you might consider building a mobile app. Keep it simple, unique, and useful and sell it for a reasonable price.
- Start an online t-shirt company.
- If you make a great sandwich and you live in a heavily commercial area, make yourself a tray of 30-50 Sandwiches and hand out free samples. Include menus with your samples and wait for the orders to start rolling in.
- Do your research on vintage clothing and accessories then get to thrifting. Vintage clothing has never been more popular, and the ability to identify classic threads will make you a hefty chunk of change. Also, you'll look great.
- Discover a new hobby that works great as a small business. Soap is pretty easy to make and everyone hates the phosphates in name-brand products. Handmade products sell great both locally and online.
- Become an e-book publisher. Anyone can now publish their work, but a discerning eye is required to help readers connect with the fiction of their dreams.
- Consider becoming the middleman. Identify prices, local products, and possible clients. Then sell them the hard-to-find products they need at an unbeatable price.
- Do something weird. You don't hear about artisanal popcorn too often, but I'm sure if you brought some delectable kernels to your local farmers market then you'd find a curious and eventually satisfied audience.
When it comes to the world of small businesses, the world really is your oyster. It's important to keep in mind that the most successful entrepreneurs start their businesses from a place of love. This means that making a huge amount of money shouldn't be your #1 priority (although it's definitely a pretty good bonus). Small business ownership is about the journey, not the destination, and I wish you luck on your quest.
