Starting a business can be tricky, and you might not know where to start. The first thing you need to figure out is what kind of business you want to build.
There are so many different ideas for businesses that it can be overwhelming to figure out which idea is right for you.
You know you want a low-cost business idea with the potential for high profits, but where is that happy medium for the perfect business?
We’ve done the research and put together this article listing 35 unique business ideas for entrepreneurs.
Whether you want to start an online store or an offline brick-and-mortar shop, we have something here for everyone.
35 Unique Business Ideas For A Hopeful Entrepreneur
1. Blogging
If you love writing and are passionate about sharing your knowledge with others, blogging can be a very lucrative business idea. Check out this article about our best blogging resources.
All you need to do is set up a website and write an article about a topic that interests you. Then, drive traffic to your site by writing more search engine optimized (SEO) articles. This FREE SEO masterclass from Stupid Simple SEO will teach you everything you need to know.
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2. Flea Market Flipping
Flea market flipping is one of the most unique business ideas, and it’s a great way to make money fast. All you need is some basic knowledge about valuable antiques or furniture refurbishing- or be a master at using Google to find out!
If you can identify items that are can be cleaned up and then re-sold for a higher price, you can buy them cheap at flea markets and resell them for profit. You can also flip items you find at garage sales and thrift stores.
Want a free workshop to learn more about flipping stuff for profit? Check out Flea Market Flipper Workshop!
3. Proofreader
Proofreading is one of the best online business ideas for anyone with an eye for detail and a passion for grammar. It’s also an excellent side hustle you can do from home.
As a proofreader, you are responsible for reviewing and editing documents for spelling and grammar mistakes. You can test your grammar skills by taking some proofreading tests!
You could work as a freelance proofreader or offer your services to businesses.
Take this FREE 76-minute Proofread Anywhere workshop to learn how to become a professional proofreader and start your own freelancing business.
4. Freelance Writer
Another great business idea for someone passionate about writing is starting a freelance writing business. For example, you could write blog posts, articles, or other web content.
To get started, you’ll need a portfolio of your writing samples and a website to market your services. To build your portfolio, you can offer to write an article for a blog you’re familiar with.
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5. Bookkeeper
Looking for business ideas and love using spreadsheets? Bookkeeping might be one of the best small business ideas for you to get started, especially if you want to work from home.
As a bookkeeper, you would be responsible for tracking the financials of small businesses and individuals. You could work as a freelance bookkeeper for other business owners.
Not sure if you could make money as a bookkeeper? Take the FREE workshop from Bookkeeper Launch to learn more about starting your business and making more money.
6. Landscaper
If you love plants and enjoy working outdoors, starting a landscaping company could be one of the best profitable business ideas for you. Homeowners and commercial businesses are willing to pay a lot of money to keep their plants looking healthy.
You don’t need any experience to get started with this business idea. You have to have a green thumb and some gardening knowledge. This is the best business to start if you would rather work outside than in an office.
7. Moving Company
There is always a high demand for help moving, which makes a moving company one of the best unique business ideas to start right away.
You’ll need to be licensed and insured to start a moving company. You’ll also need a moving truck or van, some boxes and supplies, and some workers to help with the move.
You can start your own moving company by advertising your services online or in the local classifieds.
8. Specialty Coffee Shop
Running a specialty coffeehouse could be the right type of business for you if you love coffee and have a passion for making delicious drinks.
You would be responsible for creating unique coffee drinks and providing excellent customer service. You’ll need to invest in some quality coffee brewing equipment and learn how to use it.
To make your business stand out in your town, give your coffeehouse a theme! You could theme it around a decade, and TV show, or a region of the world for example.
9. Junk Removal
Junk removal is a business that would fit anyone who doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty and helping others declutter their homes.
You’ll need a suitable vehicle, some tools to take things apart, and a lot of heavy-duty garbage bags to get started.
You could even make a little money on the side if you remove items like books and CDs that you could sell on a marketplace like Decluttr instead of throwing them away.
10. Craft Business
A craft business allows you to sell these homemade items online on Etsy, your own Shopify site, or at local stores.
For example, you could make homemade macrame, knitted clothing, or other items that many people would be interested in buying.
You’ll need to invest in high-quality supplies if you want your items to look professional. You’ll also need to get online to market your products to potential buyers to have a successful craft business.
11. Jewelry Maker
This takes skill and an eye for design, but if you’re creative, consider making jewelry.
You can make and sell bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry pieces. You’ll need to invest in quality jewelry-making supplies and learn how to use them.
To make your business stand out, you should specialize in a specific type of jewelry, like beaded bracelets or wire earrings. Maybe also create seasonal collections to keep things fresh.
12. Wood Crafter
Wood crafting is a unique and popular hobby that can be turned into a profitable business. Starting your own woodworking business can be a great way to make money if you have woodworking skills.
You can craft furniture, decorative items, or even custom built-in cabinets. If this was a hobby, you’ll probably already have the woodworking tools and supplies.
You can also work on your business full-time or turn it into a lucrative side hustle when you’re not busy with your current job. It might be interesting to post videos of your woodworking process online to grow an audience and customer base.
13. Social Media Marketing
Social media is a powerful marketing tool, and businesses realize this. If you’re good at using social media and know how to generate leads, you can start your own social media marketing consultancy.
Many businesses don’t have the time or knowledge to use social media effectively, so they would be willing to pay you to build their online presence. This might mean creating images for Instagram, or videos for YouTube, or sharing an article on someone’s LinkedIn.
Some businesses may want you to run Facebook ads to get more customers. Learn more about successfully running Facebook ads with the Facebook Side Hustle course.
14. Graphic Design
Graphic design is a fast-growing industry and a unique job that pays well.
If you’re good at creating logos, websites, brochures, and other marketing material, starting your own graphic design business might be the idea you’ve been looking for.
You can either work on projects with clients one-on-one or make designs to sell in your online store.
To get started, buy high-quality graphic design software and make a portfolio of your previous work.
15. Seamstress (Sewing or Alternations)
Seamstresses need to be skilled at sewing and alterations. This way, you can help your customers tailor their clothing to their height and shape.
You may even be able to create custom pieces, such as wedding dresses, using your skills. You’ll need some basic sewing tools and patterns, a good understanding of fabrics, and how to work with them.
16. Tutoring Company
Do you have specialized knowledge of a school subject? Then you might want to become a tutor to help students excel in their classes.
You can work with children and young adults one-on-one to help improve their grades in various subjects such as math, reading, and writing.
17. Clothing Boutique
For fashionistas, starting a clothing boutique could be the perfect way to become an entrepreneur. It will be fun to go shopping for high-quality clothing and accessories to sell in your store.
You can choose a specific clothing type to sell or develop a unique boutique style that sets you apart from the competition.
You should also find a retail space and create an eye-catching storefront, but you can also open an Etsy shop for unique clothing.
18. Cleaning Service
Starting a cleaning business might be the way to go if you’re obsessed with keeping things clean and orderly.
You could offer general cleaning services or specialize in a certain type of cleanings, like window washing or carpet cleaning. You’ll need some basic supplies and equipment, such as vacuum cleaners, mops, and rags, but those items are relatively inexpensive.
Don’t forget to take before-and-after pictures demonstrating your good work.
19. Consignment (Thrift) Store
If you love vintage clothing, starting your own consignment store is a unique business that will let you combine your passion with making money. Online flea markets are even growing in popularity!
Stock your store with high-quality clothing and accessories in great condition at affordable prices. Customers can also come in and consign gently-used items, meaning you will earn a percentage of the sale price if you sell them.
20. Painter
Talented painters can definitely make a business selling their artwork. You’ll need to build a portfolio of your work and create a website showcasing it.
You may also want to teach art classes in person or online if you think that will help you generate more interest in your work. Often, artists will make money by creating commissioned paintings for customers.
21. Amazon Seller
Amazon is one of the biggest retailers in the world, so you can make some serious money by selling products there.
Research what items are in demand and list them using Amazon’s online tools. You may also want to consider getting a fulfillment service to handle the shipping and handling for you.
To make sure this business is profitable for you, keep track of your income and expenses with Mint or Empower (formerly Personal Capital).
22. Flower Shop
Florists should be crafty and love working with plants. You can purchase flowers in bulk from wholesalers and then design creative arrangements to sell to customers. You may also want to offer a delivery service to make it more convenient for customers.
Having a retail space would make it easier to reach your customers. Creating floral arrangements for events and weddings is a great way to have a profitable business.
23. Personal Assistant
If you’re organized, efficient, and have a good eye for detail, starting your own personal assistant business might be a great unique business idea for you.
Personal assistants help their clients with everyday tasks such as travel planning, calendar management, and emails. You may want to consider specializing in a certain area such as event planning or document editing.
This business idea has the lowest start-up costs because all you need is a computer!
24. Property Management
If you have some experience in real estate, you can start your own property management business.
You’ll need to create a system for tracking rent payments, repairs, and other important information. Some property managers specifically manage residential properties, while others focus on commercial real estate.
You can manage other people’s real estate or you can invest in your own properties. Keep track of how your real estate investments fit into the rest of your investment portfolio using Empower.
25. Photographer
Becoming a photographer is an interesting creative business to start. Having an eye for composition and lighting will help you succeed.
By building a website to showcase your portfolio, you can reach more potential clients. Then you can start offering photography services like family portraits and wedding photography.
You can also sell your photos to a stock photo site, so you have a few ways to make money from your photos.
26. Mechanic
Are you really interested in cars and how things work? Then starting your own mechanic business might be the perfect business idea for you.
To start your own mechanic’s garage, you will need to rent a workspace and purchase some professional-grade tools. The great thing about this business is that people will always need their cars worked on, so it’s recession-proof!
27. App Designer
You can run this business while you travel around the world. All you need is your laptop and some software to get started, so you can design apps while sitting by the pool.
Apps have become a hugely popular form of entertainment and business. If you have a good idea for an app, you can make a lot of money. Or you can offer your services to people or businesses that have an idea but don’t know how to design an app.
28. Masseuse
Want to leave your day job and start your own successful side business? Consider going to massage school and becoming a masseuse.
Many people turn to massages as a way to relieve stress and pain, so it’s easy to see why this can be a successful business.
You’ll need to complete some massage courses and licensing before you can start offering your services. A massage studio will also be helpful when you first get started.
29. Bed & Breakfast Inn
How cute are bed and breakfast inns? If your home is quaint and cozy, you can rent out rooms as a B&B. Or you can find properties that are up for sale by searching through listings on Craigslist or other sites.
You should check out the rules for B&Bs in your area, as you may need to purchase a B&B license from your city or county clerk’s office before accepting guests. Then, post up your listing on the Airbnb app to start getting business.
30. Food Truck
Are you passionate about cooking? Starting your own food truck business might be the perfect way for you to become an entrepreneur.
Food trucks are becoming increasingly popular, so there is a lot of potential for success in this industry. To start your business, all you have to do is come up with a menu that stands out from the competition and find a good location to park your truck.
31. Personal Trainer
Gym lovers who want to become business owners should consider becoming personal trainers. This is one of those unique business ideas that keeps you very active throughout the day.
You’ll need to complete some training and certification before you can start offering your services. You may also want to consider partnering with a gym for resources like showers, towels, and fitness equipment.
If you want to turn this into an online business, start taking videos of your workouts and offer to write an article or two about fitness tips for major websites to get your brand out there. You can even develop a fitness course!
32. Caterer
There are quite a few benefits to starting your own catering company, including flexible hours and the ability to utilize local ingredients.
Catering is one food service job that is always in demand for events like parties and weddings.
Startup costs include purchasing supplies and equipment, catering permits, and insurance coverage. But if you want to start small, you can cater small events by cooking food in your home kitchen.
33. Certified Home Baker
What if you could sell your homemade baked goods for profit? Your friends and family might be the beginning of your customer base, and then your business will spread by word of mouth until you become a successful business.
Your certified home baker business may need to be inspected to ensure that your home kitchen meets local health standards. Then you can have a bakery stand with cakes, cupcakes, or cookies at local farmer’s markets or fairs. You can even take videos of your baking recipes to share online.
People who love baking will wonder why they didn’t start this business years ago!
34. Wedding Coordinator
Starting a wedding planning business is the perfect idea for anyone who is organized and enjoys planning parties.
As a wedding planner, you will help couples plan and coordinate every detail of their big day. Having relationships with local vendors and venues will ensure that you have a successful wedding coordinator business.
35. Doggy Daycare
Many people will pay to have you care for their pet while they’re away at work. You just need to have a pet-friendly area at your home for dogs to play and relax.
It’s good to have experience with dogs, whether you have a pet yourself or if you’ve cared for other people’s pets in the past. This is a great pet-centric business idea for animal lovers to start.
Making Hobbies Into A Business
A good business is one that you are passionate about and willing to put in the work for. That means if you’re looking for ideas to turn into a new business, the best place to start is by checking out your hobbies.
If there’s something you like to do in your free time that you could turn into a unique business and earn money, you should try it! You never know – it might be your next successful venture.
It’s surprising how many hobbies can be turned into successful small businesses that earn you money. For example, if you like to knit, woodwork, paint, or make jewelry.
Maybe you can teach a skill in classes or take videos of you doing it to share on YouTube. Or, market your crafts and creations to interested customers.
Financial Planning
Startup costs for these unique business ideas include an investment in supplies, tools, equipment, and advertising. Some businesses require more up-front cash than others do, which is why financial planning is important.
The first thing you should do is come up with a business plan that outlines how you are going to make money and what your startup costs are. Then, you can save money or get a loan to raise the capital you need.
If you need to get a loan in order to get started in your business, you’ll need to have a pretty good credit score. Check your credit score for free at Credit Karma.
If your credit score isn’t great, you can use a Chime credit-building account to improve it!
But if you do have a high enough credit score for a business loan, decide what lender to go with, which may be your local bank or a company like Discover.
Our Key Takeaways
It’s natural to have a lot of questions about starting a business, including which business to begin to be successful. There are many different types of businesses out there where you can work from home and so many ways to make money.
For example, you could pick one of our online business ideas like graphic design or freelance writing. Or, if you’d rather get started working offline, you could start a successful landscaping business or doggy daycare.
We hope that this article helps you feel more confident about starting a business and taking the next step in your entrepreneurial journey. Pick the small business idea you like the best, and get started today!