new business ideas for 2021

Learn more about choosing the right structure for your business from the Small Business Administration.

6. Create a business bank account.

Once you have a legally formed business and have been issued an Employer Identification Number (EIN), open a bank account specifically for your business. Having a business bank account is essential for keeping your personal and business finances separate which can help you gain an accurate picture of your business’s cash flow and financial health.

Additionally, keeping your personal and business finances separate makes bookkeeping and tax preparation easier.

Many banks offer business checking and savings accounts. Business checking accounts typically do not have a limit on the number of transactions that can take place, and issue a debit card that can be used for making business purchases. However, these checking accounts do not accrue interest.

Business savings accounts typically earn interest over time but have a limited number of transactions that can occur each month. When you’re just starting out, look for a business bank account that does not have a minimum balance requirement so you are not penalized for having low funds as you work to build your business.

7. Determine if your business idea works well from home.

Ask yourself whether your business idea will work well from home. Some businesses simply aren’t suited to be based from home. If you want to run a dog boarding center but live in an apartment without a backyard, you might want to consider a dog walking business instead.

8. Set up an office.

If your business idea is well-suited for being run from home, it’s still important you have a designated workspace. While a home office might not be possible, consider setting aside a corner in your living room or putting a desk in your bedroom for a space that inspires you and creates the conditions for success.

Need a more professional space? If you conduct client-facing work requiring you to be on video calls, no one wants to see your rumpled sheets in the background. Check out local coworking spaces for memberships that earn you access to conference rooms, desk space, and more.

9. Get to work!

You’ve put in the hard work, but I’ve got bad news — it’s only going to get harder. But most entrepreneurs will agree that the payoff of being your own boss, making your own hours, and working on projects that you’re passionate about will pay dividends for the rest of your life.

What are the types of small businesses?

The types of small business structures are sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and corporations.

• Sole Proprietorship — The simplest type of business structure is a sole proprietorship, which is also the easiest to start. As a sole proprietor, you are personally responsible for the business's liabilities and profits, and you have complete control over your business. If you are a solopreneur, you are automatically considered a sole proprietor.
• Partnership — A partnership is a business model involving two or more individuals who agree to share the business‘s profits and liabilities. Each partner contributes to the business and shares the risks and rewards. It’s essential to have a partnership agreement that defines each partner's roles and responsibilities to ensure clarity and prevent potential misunderstandings.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC) — An LLC, or limited liability company, is a common option for small businesses because it protects its owners by separating personal assets from the company's liabilities. To form an LLC, the business owner must file the required paperwork with the state.
• Corporation — A corporation is an independent legal entity distinct from its owners. It provides limited liability protection to its shareholders, who are not held personally accountable for the company's debts. Corporations have formal requirements and often raise capital by issuing stocks or shares.

Which business type is best?

The best business type is a limited liability company (LLC). Operating as an LLC means that your personal assets are separate from your business assets. If your business goes bankrupt, your personal holdings won’t be affected. That said, it’s also one of the costlier types, requiring a fee paid to the state.

The easiest business type to start is a sole proprietorship. The main downside is that there’s no differentiation between you and your business.

It's crucial to seek advice from legal or accounting professionals to determine the best business structure based on your unique needs and objectives. Each structure has advantages, legal requirements, tax implications, and flexibility considerations.

How do I create a business idea?

To create a business idea, determine your skill set, work preferences, startup budget, and available resources. It’s important to strike the right balance between what you can feasibly offer and what you can feasibly afford in the short and long term.

We recommend starting with your skill set so that you can easily determine the niche in which you can effectively compete. For instance, if you have ample experience as a writer, you might consider starting a freelance writing business. But if you know you’d prefer to work with clients face-to-face, you might choose to start a ghostwriting business instead. That’s why it’s so important to take your work preferences into account, as well.

After that, take a look at your budget and determine the type of business you can start based on the resources at your disposal. For instance, you might not be able to afford a physical office or location, so a location-based business will likely not be a good fit. In that case, starting an online business is your best option.

What resources or tools can I use to refine and validate my business ideas during the brainstorming process?

Online market research tools like Google Trends, Keyword Planner, and SEMrush can provide insights into market demand, competition, and keyword trends related to your business niche. Industry reports and market analyses from reputable sources such as IBISWorld, Gartner, Statista, and industry-specific publications can offer valuable data and trends to inform your decision-making. Ensure you know the industry risk before embarking on your small business venture.

→ Download Now: Market Research Kit [Free Download]

Additionally, joining entrepreneurial communities, forums, and social media groups can provide opportunities to seek feedback, network with like-minded people, and gain insights from experienced entrepreneurs. Finally, consider conducting surveys or interviews with potential customers to gather feedback and validate your business concept before investing significant time and resources.

What are some of the most successful small businesses?

Every small business has the potential to be successful and profitable, provided it’s backed by a strong product-market fit and a robust business plan . These two elements are essential. Maybe postnatal services are one of the most successful small businesses to launch, but if you live in an area with declining population or a large elderly population, then that small business idea won’t yield a high return on investment.

Think carefully about the market where you’re launching your business, and you’ll be more than likely to see lasting success.

What are the top growing small businesses?

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The Best Small Business Opportunities for 2021

Susan Ward wrote about small businesses for The Balance for 18 years. She has run an IT consulting firm and designed and presented courses on how to promote small businesses.

Looking to launch a business this year? Welcome to our list of the best small business opportunities for 2021 chosen from across a variety of industries. To make the list, these businesses must: 

• Have the potential to be profitable now and for many years in the future. 
• Be resilient in uncertain economic times.
• Not require a Ph.D. or decades of experience. Some require trade school training, a university degree, or an apprenticeship, while others need only some prior experience and a passion for the industry.
• Not demand large amounts of startup capital, but only what every startup business requires: dedication, hard work, perseverance, and a desire to succeed.

Here are our picks for the best small business ideas based on current trends in business and demographics, in no particular order. 

Fulfillment by Amazon Sales

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E-commerce is booming and expected to grow. While retail sales increased by 6.9% in the last quarter of 2020, e-commerce (online) sales increased by 32.1% from the previous year.

The Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program allows sellers of products to market their wares through Amazon, the largest online retail platform in the world.

Amazon takes most of the headaches out of running an online retail business. In exchange for fulfillment and monthly storage fees, it handles storage, packing, shipping, returns, and customer service queries.

Sellers are responsible for shipping their products to an Amazon fulfillment center and creating their product listings on their Amazon store. Once listings are live and sales are made, the seller begins receiving their portion of the proceeds on a weekly basis.

FBA sellers source products for their Amazon stores in a variety of ways, including:

• From original product ideas that the seller gets manufactured to specifications.
• From local or national wholesalers.
• From overseas bulk discount suppliers such as Alibaba.
• By arbitrage—purchasing discounted items online or from retail stores and reselling them for a profit.

If you wish to start a product sales business, the Amazon FBA program is an ideal way to get into the online retail marketplace.

Skilled Trades

While some people may have the wrong impression that skilled trades professionals are poorly paid, that couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, skilled tradespeople are generally well paid and enjoy satisfying careers.

As the baby boomers retire from skilled trade jobs, the manufacturing sector is struggling to find new workers to fill these jobs. Such shortages have caused small and medium-sized manufacturers to turn away work due to the lack of skilled workers to complete the work.

These shortages reach across many sectors and create a huge demand for talented workers in trades such as:

• Carpentry and general construction
• Plumbing, pipefitting, and steamfitting
• Electrical and electronic control systems
• Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC)
• Machinists and metalworkers
• Steelworking

The nature of skilled trades makes them ideally suited for self-employment.

• Many have fairly high salaries and strong demand for experienced tradespeople in most locations.
• Most trades can be operated as home-based businesses as the work is performed at the customer job site.
• Compared to many businesses, startup capital costs are relatively low for most skilled trades, and most cannot be automated to any degree, ensuring future job security.
• Demand exists everywhere. Some experienced tradespeople take advantage of opportunities in remote or overseas locations to command much higher levels of compensation.

Software Engineering and Development

Software engineers and developers create, test, and maintain software on a variety of platforms, from mainframes to mobile devices. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for software developers is expected to increase by 22% through 2029, and they earned a median annual salary of $110,140 in 2020.

The nature of the software development industry makes it ideal for  contract employment . Many software engineers start out as salaried employees and eventually become self-employed contractors. Cloud computing and ease of remote access make software development an ideal home-based business.

Other high-demand, well-paid opportunities in the information technology sector include:

• Systems analysts
• Hardware and software technicians
• Network engineers
• Security specialists 

Meal Kit Sales and Delivery

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Meal kit services are becoming increasingly popular with busy people who don't have the time to shop and prepare healthy meals and wish to lower their environmental footprint by reducing food waste. The meal kit industry in the U.S. is expected to reach $11.6 billion in sales by 2022.

Customers select recipes online, and meal kits with pre-chopped and measured ingredients, along with instructions for cooking and final preparation, are delivered to their homes on the chosen date. Listed information such as calorie counts allows consumers to adhere to dietary requirements.

Meal kit suppliers often avoid large wholesalers and source ingredients from local farms, creating business opportunities for small to mid-size growers, ranchers, and seafood suppliers. Opportunities may also be available for delivery-service providers to collect ingredients from producers and deliver the end product to customers' homes.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) represent a huge leap forward in immersing the user in a realistic sensory experience. Hardware and software vendors are working furiously to bring new VR products to the marketplace, and the industry is growing rapidly—the global market is expected to expand by 18.0% from 2021 to 2028.  

The potential uses of virtual reality for business or pleasure are practically limitless. For example:

• 3D movies : Movies are being developed in 360-degree VR.
• Real estate marketing : Imagine searching for a new home and being able to take an online VR walkthrough of an advertised house from the comfort of your desk chair.
• Gaming : VR is revolutionizing the gaming industry, with new VR titles being released on an almost-weekly basis.
• Team-building exercises : Shake up team building events with a group VR experience.
• Social media VR interaction : Friends will be able to interact in a virtual online space.
• Training : VR can inject a much higher degree of realism into training scenarios. Businesses such as UPS are launching new delivery driver training programs using VR.
• Meditation : VR is ideal for customized meditation. 

VR "escape rooms" and lounges (where groups of people get together to play VR games or go on VR adventures or solve group puzzles) are experiencing phenomenal growth. If you are tech savvy and interested in the technology, virtual reality could be the business opportunity for you.

Self-Storage Units

The self-storage industry continues to be a booming business across North America, fueled by a more transient workforce, downsizing homeowners, the general trend for people to accumulate more possessions, and the continued popularity of reality shows such as "Storage Wars." The amount of households renting storage units has risen steadily over the past 10 years, with 10.6% of U.S. households renting storage units in 2020.

The trend for businesses to reduce or eliminate storefront space has also contributed to the demand for storage space. Plumbers and electricians, for example, can store tools and equipment in self-storage at a much lower cost.

Modern self-storage requires a climate-controlled environment, lighting, and security. Initial capital costs for land and building construction are high but can be easily financed from rental income, assuming there is a steady demand for storage space in your area.

Trachte Building Systems has free  web-based calculators  for determining the profitability of self-storage based on demand, estimated capital expenses, operating expenses, and rental income.

Home Renovations

skhoward / Getty Images

Remodeling contractors are hard to find, and the good ones are always busy. Home renovation is one business that always seems to do well, even in uncertain economic times. If construction is in your blood and you think you would enjoy making clients' home renovation dreams come true, why not turn it into a business?

According to HomeAdvisor, homeowners spend an average of $8.305 per year on home improvements. That's a lot of business for carpenters, painters, electricians, plumbers, drywallers, roofers, tilers, and other tradespeople.

The home renovations business is ideally suited to self-employed individuals for a number of reasons:

• Most renovations are performed on a contract basis.
• Startup capital investment for tools and machinery is typically much less than required for new construction.
• Business premises are not required as the work is performed at the customer location.

Remodeling contractors typically provide services individually or as subcontractors. They can also specialize in a particular area, such as bathroom or kitchen renovations, or niches such as restoring historic structures, improving energy efficiency, or solar installations.

To be a successful renovation contractor, you should have:

• Extensive experience in building construction, with hands-on expertise in at least one of the trades and knowledge of the others.
• Good contacts within the industry, so if needed you can call in subcontractors to get specialty work performed in a timely fashion.
• Up-to-date knowledge of the local building codes and safety regulations.
• Licensing and certification if required in your jurisdiction.
• Good organizational skills.

Bike Sales, Service, and Rentals

Given the health and environmental benefits, it's no wonder that bicycling has become one of the Top 5 outdoor activities in America by frequency of participation. According to the activity app company Strava Metro, there was a dramatic uptick in bike trips that coincided with the arrival of the coronavirus to the U.S. In Los Angeles, for example, bike trips increased by 93%.

Anything that’s healthy, popular, good for the environment, and heavily promoted by the government is a pretty good business bet. In addition to traditional pedal-powered bikes, e-bikes have become very popular. E-bikes can be pedaled without electric power or use electric power to assist, and sales are expected to rise to over 40 million units by 2023. Regular pedal bikes can even be converted to e-bikes with a special kit.

If cycling is your passion and you want to become an entrepreneur , this may be the perfect business opportunity for you.

Senior Care Services

Senior care services continue to rank as a great small business opportunity. The first baby boomers hit age 65 in 2011, and the entire baby boomer generation will reach age 65 by 2030. By 2050, seniors will make up a quarter of the entire U.S. population.

As the number of baby boomers increases, so does the need for senior services and care givers. The need for home health care workers increased 27% from 2018 to 2020.

For the most part, baby boomers are willing to pay for the services necessary to maintain their lifestyles. This includes continuing to live at home in their own communities. According to research by Aging In Place, 90% of seniors plan to stay in their home for at least the next five to 10 years.

Some seniors experience various health and mobility issues and are increasingly in need of assistance with daily activities including driving. They may find it difficult or impossible to take care of household chores such as landscaping, cleaning, cooking, or caring for their pets. Those who haven't experienced a decline in mobility may wish to travel extensively and require house sitting, pet sitting, and property maintenance services.

A wealth of opportunities exist for entrepreneurs who want to work with seniors. If you're not interested in starting your own business from scratch, various senior care franchise opportunities are available, too.

Gourmet Coffee

Think an independent coffee shop serving espressos, lattes, and cappuccinos can't compete with Starbucks? Think again.

The market for gourmet, high-end specialty coffee continues to grow, making plenty of room for independent shops. Seven in 10 Americans drink coffee at least once a week, while 62% report drinking coffee every day, according to the National Coffee Association. Perhaps you can find a niche in this market.

Facilities Support Services

Facilities support or management services are catch-all terms that encompass the full range of facilities services for businesses, including cleaning, security, building maintenance, painting, and moving.

The industry is expected to grow by 10.6% from 2020 to 2025. If you have a background in maintenance or construction and good organizational skills, why not consider a business as a facilities support services coordinator?

Markets on Wheels: Food Trucks

Food trucks have expanded far beyond the confines of fast food in recent years, and they show no signs of stopping. The food truck sector is expected to grow 2.4% in 2021, bringing in an expected $3.9 billion.

For example, enormously successful Clover Truck of Boston ran a fleet of trucks that provided a seasonally changing menu offering vegetarian meals made from mostly locally sourced, organic ingredients (and actually, they do serve french fries). It was so successful they've converted the business into all brick-and-mortar locations now.

GMonkey runs an "eco" food truck that uses biodiesel for fuel and serves delicious vegetarian fare to residents of Durham, Connecticut. If you've got a wild idea, there's probably a food truck concept to fit it.

Gain the Necessary Education, Skills, and Training

There are no shortcuts to starting your own business . You'll have to acquire the necessary credentials, skills, and training to take advantage of some of these opportunities. Working as an employee or apprentice in your chosen field can give you the training, business skills, and experience necessary to start your own business. It can also help you make a name for yourself and develop a list of clients and customers ready to patronize your new business.

Develop a Solid Business Plan

Having a solid business plan is crucial when starting a new business. The work involved in writing your business plan, which includes examining your market, will tell you whether your business idea is feasible in your locale. A business plan is also essential if you need startup capital such as  debt financing  from a bank or  equity financing  from investors. 

If your goal in life is to become very wealthy, chances are you won't get there as a small business owner. But you'll have a chance to generate a healthy income, be your own boss , and make all the decisions. You could potentially have a more flexible lifestyle. Building something from the ground up can make  starting a business  very rewarding. 

Coming up with a great business idea is just the first step in launching your business in 2021, but it's an important one. Without a winning concept, all the planning in the world won't make your business successful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good business to start with little money.

The best businesses to start with little money are those that don't require a large inventory or a dedicated space you'll need to pay for. Businesses you can start with a small upfront investment include online resale, drop shipping, online teaching, virtual assisting, home care and pet sitting, and transcription services.

How do I get a business startup loan?

There are several places you can look for money to start your business . You can start by considering how you can contribute to your own success by using money you have saved away. Friends and family may also be able to help with this. The Small Business Association offers loans for small business owners, and you can also find investors looking for viable startup companies in which to invest. Government grants are also available.

How do I calculate startup costs for a small business?

It's essential to calculate startup costs early on in your business planning by:

• Identifying your expenses and how much they will cost.
• Adding your expenses up.
• Using this number to come up with a realistic startup cost figure.
• Including this cost in any loan or grant you apply for.

A startup cost calculator can help walk you through figuring out how much money you need to start your business.

How do I value a startup business?

To come up with a value for your business, you will need to come up with your earnings after taxes and consider several other factors including tangible assets and intangible assets such as branding. You'll also factor in the profitability of the business along with any liabilities. If you are in the position of selling your company, a professional valuation is in order where an accountant will ascertain how much money your business is worth. You can help the process by keeping documents such as tax filings, profit and loss statements, and proprietary documents safe and available.

U.S. Census Bureau News. " Quarterly Retail E-commerce Sales, Fourth Quarter, 2020 ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

Amazon. " Category Fulfillment Fees ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

The Manufacturing Institute–BKD. " Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers Survey. " Accessed May 8, 2021.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook. " Software Developers ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

Statista. “ Value of the fresh-food meal-kit delivery service market in the United States from 2016 to 2022 .” Accessed May 8, 2021.

Grand View Research. “ Virtual Reality Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Technology (Semi & Fully Immersive, Non-immersive), By Device (HMD, GTD), By Component (Hardware, Software), By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2021-2028 .” Accessed May 8, 2021.

Spare Foot. " U.S. Self-Storage Industry Statistics. " Accessed May 8, 2021.

Home Advisor. " State of Home Spending 2020 ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

Strava. " Strava announces Strava Metro, the largest active travel dataset on the planet, is now free and available to cities everywhere ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

Outdoor Industry Association. " 2020 Outdoor Participation Report ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

Deloitte Insights. " Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Predictions 2020 ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

United Health Foundation. " America's Health Rankings ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

U.S. Census Bureau. " An Aging Nation: The Older Population in the United States ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

Aging In Place. " Aging In Place Vs. Assisted Living ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

National Coffee Association. " NCA releases Atlas of American Coffee ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

PR Newswire. " Global Facility Management Market (2020 to 2025) - Growing Trend of Outsourcing Facility Management Operations ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

IBIS World. " Food Trucks in the US - Market Size 2005–2026 ." Accessed May 8, 2021.

10 Future Businesses Ideas for 2021

January 7, 2020 nici pillemer, what is a future business idea.

Times are a’changing. What may have been a great business idea last decade may not necessarily be one of the best businesses to start in 2021 .

Ten years ago many of the hottest new business ideas for 2021 may not have even existed! For example Instagram was just in its infancy, but now it’s a social media marketing and business goldmine.

We predict that the next decade will be all about technology – the Internet of Things (IoT), wearables, virtual reality, 3D printing to name a few. But there’s good news too for those of us who aren’t that technologically savvy – there’s always a market for traditional business ideas, as long as you cater to your target market’s needs.

Who are the next decade’s top spenders?

Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are aging while Millennials are on the cusp of their spending peak ( CB Insights ). The growing influence of the Millennial generation is starting to impact which will be the top industries of the next decade. Furthermore, Gen Z are growing up and reaching a point of having more significant spending power.

The key for business success in the next decade is to cater to the wants and whims of these two powerful generations: Millennials and Gen Zers.

Best Traditional Business Ideas for 2021

1. fitness center.

Gone are the days of the gym chains dominating the fitness industry, so us little guys have a chance of starting a fitness business in 2021. Millennials have proven to prefer boutique fitness studios over large, impersonal gyms – and aren’t afraid to spend money for such a sense of community and personalization.  According to a CB Insights study, 76% of Millennials exercise at least once a week, and collectively spend almost $7 billion per year on gym memberships (Gen Xers and Baby Boomers spend half of that).

You can start out small, offering classes in your area of expertise such as yoga, boxing, pilates or more. Once you start expanding, you could get an equipment loan or an unsecured business loan to help you grow into a fully-equipped boutique fitness center.

2. Food truck

The foodie trend for this decade is fast, casual, healthy food. Almost 40% of Millennials ( CB Insights ) eat takeout food and, in line with their fit lifestyles, generally prefer healthy options.

A food truck with healthy menu options gives Millennials the convenience, ambience and nutrition they crave. You could even cater to a niche market by offering, for example, vegan food or specialty dishes. If you decide you want to grow your business, you could always apply for a commercial vehicle loan , purchase a few more food trucks, and expand to various prime locations.

3. Micro-mobility services

Millennials are 21% more likely than Gen Xers to purchase homes in city centers. This growing trend towards urban living has birthed one of the most popular transportation options today – electric scooters.

Even if you can’t (understandably) afford to compete with the likes of Bird and Lime, don’t be discouraged. You don’t have to have your own line of electric scooters to get into the micro-mobility industry! Think of the bigger picture – accessories, branding of scooters, and scooter services.

If you have a knack for enterprising you could offer a full service solution including recovery and collection of scooters, charging them, maintaining them, and redeploying them to prime locations during the course of the day. If you’re willing to work at unusual times of the day, have basic handyman skills, and prefer not to sit in an office all day, this could be one of the best business ideas for 2021  for you.

Best Online Business Ideas for 2021:

The world is moving more and more online so it’s no surprise that some of the best future business ideas are web-based:

4. Instagram consulting

Even those who use Instagram in their personal life – posting photos, tagging friends, sharing stories – probably don’t know the quirks and nuances of managing a business Instagram account and turning it into a successful marketing platform.

Simply by learning a few tricks of the trade online, you could start an Instagram consulting business in 2021 and help clients grow and manage their accounts. Master the art of hashtags, influencers, product and geographic tagging and you could become a pro in no time.

5. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing may not be a new concept but it’s one of our top business ideas 2021 because it’s tried-and-tested and, if you do it right, can bring you lots of success in the next decade. Starting an affiliate marketing business involves the following steps:

• Find a niche
• Utilize a website builder (build a website)
• Create amazing content
• Master SEO to rank in Google Search
• Find partners or sellers
• Add their banner ad or link to your website
• Receive revenue each time your partner makes a sale, gets a lead or receives a visitor from your site (pay per click) – this depends on your agreement with your partner

6. Pet portal

With Millennials driving the economy, money is being pumped into their ‘pet’ preference – their pets. According to the US Chamber of Commerce , Millennials see their pets as their ‘starter kids’ and expect to spend more on their dog over its lifetime than they would on their own medical care. Tapping into the pet market is a potential goldmine for the next decade.

It’s also the perfect way to combine an online business with traditional services. You could source pet products and sell them online, or you could serve as an affiliate for pet product sellers. But aside from the retail element, you could offer a full pet services solution including dog walking, pet sitting, grooming, and even doggy daycare. You could expand your business by creating a portal matching dog sitters or walkers with pet owners.

7. Freelancing

You can join the gig economy and start a freelance business in 2021 based on your area of expertise. If you don’t specialize in any one thing, such as graphic design or social media, you can always start a Virtual Assistant business which often just requires basic admin and organizational skills. Freelancing requires very little startup costs and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

Best Ecommerce Business Ideas for 2021

The difference between online business ideas 2021  and ecommerce business ideas for 2021  is that the latter involves selling products online, instead of being service-based.

And our top ecommerce business ideas for 2021 are…(drumroll please):

Side note: If you’re seriously considering eCommerce as the right route for your new business in 2021, then you’ll want to get caught up on all of the recent eCommerce trends .

8. Box subscription services

At Become , we eagerly await our monthly box subscription from Universal Yums, which sends us a mystery box each month, containing various treats from a different country. Subscription buying has become a hot trend and is a good way to secure a consistent monthly stream. The convenience and cost savings are of huge appeal to customers. You could get creative and build your box subscription business around anything including beauty boxes, healthcare boxes and more. Don’t be afraid to ‘think outside the box’!

9. Educational courses

Got knowledge to share? Write it down, or even better yet, create a podcast. Here are some key tips for launching and promoting your educational course :

• Research your target market
• Make your course interactive including checklists
• Use text, video, audio and imagery
• Decide on a format, for example PDF, Powerpoint and SCORM
• Choose the right eLearning platform
• Create a website and/or landing page
• Promote using content, SEO and social media best practices

10. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is an eCommerce model whereby the dropshipper doesn’t own the goods at any point – it simply acts as a go-between for the customer and the supplier. All you need to set up your dropshipping business is a good strategy, an SEO-optimized website, a dropshipping platform, and a reliable supplier base with competitive prices.

Back to the Future: 2021 and Beyond!

There you have it! All the top future business ideas for 2021, both offline and online. Here’s a quick recap:

Top 10 business ideas for 2021:

• Fitness center
• Micro-mobility services
• Instagram consulting
• Affiliate marketing
• Freelancing
• Box subscription services
• Educational courses
• Dropshipping

Some of these new business ideas are easy to set up and have low startup costs. But if your dream business for the next decade requires an initial cash outlay, don’t let that deter you. There are many startup business loan options available for budding entrepreneurs.

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25 Small Business Ideas for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned everything upside down, leaving small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs searching for new and emerging markets, innovative services, and previously unknown business opportunities . These trends can be hard to identify at first, and even harder to capitalize on, because although some small business fundamentals remain the same, remote work, Zoom calls, and e-commerce, have rewritten the rules.

Whether you’re an established entrepreneur or whether you’re embracing the pandemic as an opportunity to start the business you’ve always dreamed of, this article presents 25 pandemic-proof small business ideas for weathering whatever the future may have in store, because one thing’s for sure: The economy will recover, but the world of small business will never be the same again.

Rather than simply presenting the same old business ideas we’ve all heard a thousand times before, Business Pundit took it one step further. Before writing this article, we polled small business owners from all over the country, asking them how well their established businesses fared in this new world and what kind of business they’d start if they had it to do all over again. 

With a mix of that feedback and our own research, the following startup ideas you’re about to read are not just pandemic proof, they’re likely to be successful no matter what our new normal happens to be.

Coming up next are 25 of the best small business ideas for the COVID-19 era and beyond. 

Small Business Ideas in the COVID Era: Pandemic-Proof Entrepreneurship

From virtual assistant services to selling live crickets on the internet, here are five of the very best pandemic-proof business ideas according to small business owners. 

Virtual Assistant Services

First on our list of the best pandemic-proof business ideas is a virtual assistant service. The entails performing common administrative duties for businesses of all sorts, including responding to emails and scheduling meetings but also possibly blog post writing and managing social media accounts, among other tasks. 

Even before the pandemic, virtual assistants found work on sites like Upwork , FreeUp , and PeoplePerHour , among others, and the trend toward virtual assistant services is likely to grow. In 2020, in fact, Intuit estimates that 40% of the entire U.S. workforce were freelancers, such as virtual assistants. 

And who would better understand the value of a virtual assistant than an expert in parenting twins? 

Jeanne Visser of Have Twins First , an online source of advice for parents expecting and raising twins, recently quit her job in chemical manufacturing to become a virtual assistant. Pretty much anyone can become a virtual assistant, she says. She also runs her own website.

According to Visser, virtual assistants help business owners in a variety of ways, like answering and making phone calls, data entry, and building websites. And those are just some examples of things a virtual assistant could choose to specialize in, “all while working from home,” she says. 

Holly Zorbas, assistant editor at Credit Donkey , a personal finance website publishing reviews, deals, and tips to help readers make better financial and money management decisions. 

Like Visser, Zorbas says if she were starting a business in 2021, she’d become a virtual assistant, calling it one of the most promising business ideas in spite of these hard times. 

“Everyone from large companies to sole traders needs assistance with day-to-day activities,” she says, and strong organizational skills are a defining characteristic of someone well suited for the work, she adds.

“People are still searching for reliable virtual assistants,” she tells Business Pundit, “so this is a tried-and-tested business model.” 

Travis Blanchard, founder of Splash Bytes , a leading online source for all things related to watersports, also recommends a virtual assistant service as the best pandemic-proof business concept. 

“If you love being organized and helping others organize their life, then being a virtual assistant is a perfect business for you,” he says. 

According to Blanchard, although many virtual assistants find work on websites like Upwork, it’s also possible to launch your own virtual assistant service website, 

“By establishing a website and having a good strong brand partnered with a willingness to network,” he says, “you can run a client’s email and voicemail accounts, and perform other digital duties from the comfort of your own home.”

Website Flipping 

Maybe you’ve heard of real estate flipping, but have you considered website flipping? 

Website flippers invest in an already profitable website, make improvements in traffic, search engine optimization (SEO), and then flip the site for a profit. The average starting price of a website for sale on an online marketplace like Flippa is around $2,000, studies show. But with some hard work and good luck, some sites can be resold for as much as $10,000, if not more, and that’s a decent profit. 

Tanner Arnold, who buys and sells used metalworking machinery, is president and CEO of Revelation Machinery . He calls website flipping an innovative business idea, sparking the interest of everyone from stay-at-home moms to recent graduates. 

“There are a number of places where you can profitably purchase and sell websites,” Arnold explains, such as Shopify’s Exchange Marketplace , where entrepreneurs can purchase eCommerce websites, boost them through content marketing, SEO, and other strategies, and then list a site for sale on that same marketplace. 

Daniel Roberts is CEO of Think Impact . He provides detailed research into trends and statistics in education. He also suggests website flipping as a great pandemic-proof business concept. 

“You don’t need to do any part of the job other than negotiating prices with potential website buyers in a ready market on several social media groups,” Robert explains, because once you’ve gathered a quality team of web developers, content creators, and SEOs—or search engine optimizers—all that’s left for you to do is sell. 

And once your team is paid, creating, growing, and flipping websites for money, “can make you over $70,000 every year,” Roberts continues.

Cricket Farming

From pet food to human food, raising and selling cricket and other insect proteins is turning into a lucrative business, able to be established and run successfully from your own backyard, shed, or barn. 

The global market for insect protein, in fact, is expected to reach $1.4 billion by 2026, according to GlobeNewsWire . Crickets thrive in warm, humid, shaded areas, with temperatures ranging from 60 to 90 degrees, the warmer the better, and with nothing more than some plastic totes, potting soil, water and food, your cricket farm can be up and running. 

Keep in mind, female crickets lay up to 10 eggs a day , so, when it comes to crickets, supply and demand are rarely an issue, and once grown, crickets sell for about $12 for 250 crickets to pet stores and bait shops.

Selling grown crickets to national pet supply chains can be particularly lucrative, but it’s also possible to sell crickets from your own site, like Jeff Neal from The Critter Depot, who first began selling crickets, roaches, superworms, and other creepy-crawlies as a side business.

“I would come home from work, rotate some bins, feed and water the crickets, and ship out some orders,” he says. After COVID, his sales really started picking up because many local pet stores were closed. 

“I am now to the point where I need additional help on the weekends to keep pushing out the orders,” Neal explains, “so far things are going well and looking good this year, too.”

WordPress Support

According to Search Engine Journal , an estimated 40% of all websites are powered by WordPress, up from 35% in 2020. For these reasons, WordPress support is in demand now more than ever. 

Known as a content management system, WordPress is free and open source. Many users become experts on their own or take courses in WordPress offered locally at community colleges or virtually from tutorials offered directly from the WordPress website . 

Once trained, and like virtual assistants, WordPress support professionals find clients on freelance websites like Fiverr , among many others. 

Damien Knight is CEO of Workever , a field and job management software solution for tradespeople. “Almost every WordPress website owner wants assistance in some way,” Knight explains, “so, if you know your way around this site, you’ll have a lot of opportunities to make money.”

Once WordPress is mastered, typical services offered by WordPress support freelancers may include CSS support, a programming language common in websites, as well as finding and fixing security holes, among other tasks.

“Although you can get your first clients through platforms like PeoplePerHour and Upwork,” Knight says, “I suggest that you build your own website and list your services there.” Doing that will help you cultivate high-quality client relationships without losing the commissions taken by websites like Upwork. 

“Offering WordPress help is, without a doubt, one of the most unique business ideas to pursue in 2021,” Knight continues.

Short-Term Rental Homes

Although the short-term rental market declined in the early months of the pandemic, it came back somewhat in the second half of 2020, and that growth is expected to continue throughout 2021, according to Forbes . 

In the short-term rental market, private property is rented out through websites like AirBnB , Booking.com , or Vrbo , among others, at rates that are sometimes more affordable than mainstream hotels chains. These rental periods vary in length from as short as one night to as long a month, but rentals lasting longer than a month are typically considered long-term rentals.

Hannah Frankhauser, founder of Uni Art Gallery , where she sells posters and wall art of all shapes and sizes, began supplementing her income with short-term rental properties shortly before the pandemic hit in March of last year. 

Surprisingly, though, her business began to blossom around that time, and now, she says, “I’m adding more homes.” 

Managing a short-term rental business is a combination of brick-and-mortar and remote work, according to Frankhauser, but it is possible to make it mostly autonomous. Frankhauser, for example, works primarily from home. 

Frankhauser is so successful, in fact, she even began coaching others who are interested in the short-term rental market while also teaching them how to remotely manage their business. 

And despite what it might seem, “this business does not require a big investment,” Frankhauser continues. Many began their short-term rental business with a small and affordable studio apartment. “The rental home may seem like a big business idea,” Frankhauser says, “but it’s not like it sounds.” 

Best Small Business Ideas to Start from Your Couch

Pandemic or not, many small startups operate entirely from home. Here are five of the best small business ideas to start from your couch. This information is based on small business owners who have found success in their industry of choice. And with their advice, maybe you can, too.

Blogging 

But wait, isn’t blogging for money like, internet 1.0? Turns out, with a little hard work and a clever concept, blogging can be as profitable as ever. Blogs, in fact, continue to gross big money, anywhere from $7,500 to $25,000 per month, according to Semrush.com , an online visibility management and content marketing SaaS platform, otherwise known as “software as a service,” or centrally hosted software delivered on a subscription basis.

Bloggers themselves earn an average monthly salary of around $8K, according to Semrush, with 25% of WordPress bloggers making a full-time living from their blogs. The primary sources of income for bloggers being affiliate links and digital advertising, Semrush says.

After becoming a stay-at-home mom in 2017, Saranya Ramanathan of One Fine Wallet , a blog providing money-saving tips and work-from-home job opportunities, started researching flexible ways to earn money from home. 

“That’s when I found blogging to be one way to do it,” she tells Business Pundit in an email. “I started my blog and have never looked back”

Ramanathan says blogging is flexible and, and for introverts like herself, a perfect way to live the laptop lifestyle. 

Brittany and Kelan Kline are the co-owners behind the personal finance blog The Savvy Couple , offering personal finance tips and money-saving advice among other topics. The couple started blogging 2016, and within two years, they were able to take their monthly income from $0 to $10,000.

Although there’s a learning curve, because of the low upfront cost, Kelan Kiline says, “I strongly feel that blogging is one of the best businesses you can start.”

And what starts as an informational blog, may evolve into another business concept. At least that’s what happened to Tom Saxon of Batch , a coffee blog that became a coffee subscription service during COVID. 

“Although it requires us to fulfill the coffee boxes once every two weeks, which we do so from a nearby unit, the rest of the time is spent marketing the business from my ‘couch,'” Saxon says — a lot like blogging.

With low start-up costs, “it wouldn’t hurt to give it a go and see if it’s well worth the time and effort,” Ramanathan continues.

 “After COVID, almost anyone I talk to is trying to find ways to diversify their income, and what better way to do it than to start a blog and work from home,” she continues. If you have a passion to write and an eagerness to learn, “this is definitely a business to consider,” she says. 

Virtual Consulting and Coaching

As the world went virtual as the pandemic progressed, business meetings went online, and that trend seems unlikely to go away anytime soon. For these reasons and more, virtual professional consulting and coaching businesses are proving to be a profitable business model. 

Many virtual consultants find work in these fields through websites common in the gig economy, such as Upwork, but also consulting sites like Virtual-Consulting.net or Toptal.com . Many others list their services on Linkedin or build and market a virtual consulting and coaching website on their own using services like Yondo . 

Business coach Kim Trathen specializes in advising female entrepreneurs who work completely online. Trathen says the best thing about a virtual consultant-type business is that it’s easy to start while still working a day job. 

“Plus, the sky’s the limit for what you charge, since your fees are based on the value you bring to your clients, not the time you spend with them,” she says, and that’s why many online entrepreneurs make a lot more money in their businesses than they did at their corporate jobs.

As well as being a business model that’s easy to start from your couch, Trathen continues, working as a virtual consultant or coach is a vocation that’s particularly resistant to market disruptions like a pandemic. 

“While we watched businesses around the world struggle to stay in business or adapt to the new virtual requirements,” McMillan explains, “online business owners were collectively like, ‘We got this. We’ve been doing this for years.'”

Chatbot Services

Although the next small business idea in our ranking could require some background programming and computer science, starting a chatbot service or agency is easier than ever these days—and sometimes, very little previous computer experience is necessary. 

If you’ve engaged with a website’s customer service lately, chances are you dealt with a chatbot or an AI interface programmed to provide the information you require through simulated conversation rather than an actual human being. Some chatbot services and agencies contract with multiple websites, providing online customer service to a diverse group of clients. 

The market for chatbot services is only expected to grow across all industries. According to SmallBizGenius . In fact, 90% of customer interaction with banks in particular is expected to be automated by 2022, with 85% of all customer interaction conducted without human agents by 2021. In addition, 50% of businesses plan to spend more money on chatbots than on mobile apps in coming years. 

In light of these numbers climbing year after year, Benjamin Rose, co-founder of Trainer Academy , which provides training material for leading personal trainer certifications in the sports and athletics industry, calls launching a chatbot service a great business idea to start in 2021. 

Although you may need a strong programming background to start a company of this sort, Rose says “you can target your market by creating a niche that you are familiar with. You might, for example, build a chatbot that caters directly to financial advisers and assists prospective clients in navigating their websites,” he says. 

Print-On-Demand Artwork

What kind of business can you start from a couch selling products without having any product at all or, rather, no product until someone actually orders it? 

Although that sounds like a riddle, it’s actually a print-on-demand (POD) service. Offering everything from custom-made art to pre-printed mugs,print-on-demand services are thriving, and with the pandemic pushing more people toward ecommerce, Forbes predicts the print-on-demand sector will only grow across a broad range of products. 

Shad Elia is founder and CEO of WeBuyHousesHere.com , a real estate investment firm based in Massachusetts. Elisa has more than 20 years of experience in running successful businesses and is an expert on property investments, house flipping, construction, and commercial and residential rentals. 

Those who print artwork on demand—whether that is on mugs or posters—don’t actually print the artwork, Elia says. 

“Instead, you work with suppliers who will print your design on the product and box and send it to your customers, so you don’t have to think about logistics. Furthermore, you are only paid after the items have been sold.”

Creating a Shopify store and installing a POD app like Printify is one of the easiest ways to get started with a print-on-demand business, he continues, and in terms of marketing, partnering with Instagram influencers to promote your POD products is a successful way to target viewers.

“Considering this hard time, people are looking online to shop, and there isn’t a better time to start this business but now,” Elia adds.

Pinterest Virtual Assistant

A bit earlier on we told you all about the booming business for virtual assistants, but a unique twist on the concept comes from Joni Gonzales, owner of Life Unflaked , an organization blog focused on helping busy moms reduce chaos in their lives: a virtual assistant specifically for bloggers who hate dealing with Pinterest. 

“Pinterest is a headache for most bloggers—even ones who aren’t earning their own incomes yet!,” she says, and many are more than happy to pay someone for relief. 

“Pinterest can be an excellent source of traffic for bloggers in any field with a visual component,” Gonzales says —think organizing, fashion, graphic design, lifestyle, camping, and crafting, among other topics. 

But Pinterest is not really social media, so it’s not a matter of launching pins, or visual elements as a way to promote your client’s product or services when your audience is online, like a Tweet or a Facebook post, she continues.

Instead, it’s a visual search engine,”and [users] change their search and feed algorithms constantly,” Gonzales explains. “Not only that, it’s a huge time suck for bloggers who have so many other tasks demanding their attention. It requires not just daily pinning but pinning several spread-out times per day,” she says. 

According to Gonazles, here’s how working as a Pinterest personal assistant works.

“A Pinterest VA learns the best methods to increase their clients’ overall click-through rate on Pinterest,” she says. While it’s a job that requires pinning at odd times, she says, “a large portion of it can be done directly from your phone with your infant on your lap and your 5-year-old begging for more Paw Patrol .”

It’s easy to get started as a Pinterest VA directly from your couch, Elia continues, with training and certification programs available online , teaching not only how to succeed on Pinterest, but also how to find clients. 

There is also a proliferation of blogging Facebook groups, where bloggers are practically begging other group members to help them find VAs to help them with Pinterest, Gonzales says, adding, “A good Pinterest virtual assistant should have no problem finding work.”

Brick-and-Mortar Businesses Still Worth Starting

Are all the businesses of the future online? Nope. Here are five brick-and-mortar businesses still worth starting in 2021.

Staffing Agency

What does a business fulfilling online orders from a warehouse have in common with a local grocery delivery service? Each one requires staffing. Why not make small business staffing the business of your small startup? 

Though staffing agencies require considerable capital to get off the ground, especially when compared to many other small business ideas in our article, it is possible to get one going, catering to niche industries. 

According to GrowThink.com , staffing start-up costs can range anywhere from about $60,000 to $130,000, with operating capital anywhere between $80,000 and about $140,000. No small sums. The most important aspect of a staffing agency though is, of course, human capital. With no guarantees of success, GrowThink says staffing agencies also need a thorough and comprehensive recruiting plan.

Furthermore, this business model also offers a nice hybrid between brick-and-mortar and an online business, even extending into the world of software development in some instances.

Because although job-seekers can submit their applications to staffing agency online, and perhaps even complete a preliminary interview, according to Yvonne Chavez, CEO of Painting Kits , an online source for custom paint-by-numbers kits among other painting products, it’s important for any staffing agency to maintain a strong brick-and-mortar presence. 

That’s because for the recruiting process to be completed, she says, the candidate must come in for a face-to-face interview. 

“A recruiting agency without a brick-and-mortar office cannot be fully trusted,” she continues. 

Staffing agency business models can also sometimes evolve beyond just helping other businesses recruit staffing.

Eropa Stein is founder of Hyre , an HR software company helping shift managers in industries such as hospitality, logistics, and long-term care manage their staffs’ schedules and overall HR needs. 

After the COVID-19 pandemic hit Hyre was forced to evolve from the hospitality industry to health care, Stein says, and the company’s story serves as a roadmap for other entrepreneurs seeking a middle ground between a staffing agency and software. 

Once the hospitality industry evaporated during COVID, Hyre searched high and low for another industry in need of its services, Stein says. 

“We found that health care was in dire need of workforce management, so we adapted and evolved to the health care industry,” she says, which included developing additional software to help manage vendors. 

“It was tough, but we made it in the end. We are working with some of the largest names in the health care industry. We can happily state that we are once more on the rise, and we will continue to evolve,” Stein says. 

Food and Grocery

Although the grocery industry is dominated by corporate chains, there’s always room for the next brick-and-mortar business in our article: specialty food and grocery, including locally based online grocery delivery services. 

But although there has been some progress in selling groceries online and providing delivery services, most customers prefer to go to the store, according to Mark Kensington, dietitian and owner of Tastierr , an online source of healthy and nutritious air fryer recipes, with extensive knowledge of the food and beverage industry. This is particularly true when purchasing specialty meats and cheeses, he says, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. 

It’s also vital to have access to stores in case of an emergency purchase, such as running out of milk or a quick shop that’s faster than ordering anything online and waiting for delivery, he continues.

And for these reasons, Kensington says there will always be a place in the market for specialty grocery services, with some potential for a hybrid brick-and-mortar business model.

“The grocery store, whether it’s a small-town supermarket or a big chain, will continue to survive as a brick-and-mortar establishment,” he says.

Kensington’s assertions are backed up by data from Spend Me Not , an online source of statistics related to finance in business, which estimated that in 2020, 70% of all consumers could be buying their groceries online, and locally owned delivery services such as Shipt and Green Truck Grocery are popping up everywhere. 

Even though markets are a nearly $700-billion industry, according to Spend Me Not, there’s still room for brick-and-mortar and hybrid grocery, making it one of the best small business ideas in 2021.

Pop-Up Art Gallery

If you’re looking for a way to combine your interest in business with your love for the visual arts? Consider the next small business idea in our ranking: a pop-up art gallery. 

Los Angeles-based interior designer John Linden from MirrorCoop , which sells designer mirrors and wall fixtures, says that when they’re done correctly, pop-up art galleries are a simple brick-and-mortar idea that can net big numbers selling high-end pieces. 

According to WideWalls , a leading online source of news and information related to the art industry, it’s important to temper your expectation when starting a pop-up art gallery. First, establish a budget, choose the correct date and time, and market yourself appropriately. 

All you need otherwise to start your pop-up gallery is an affordable space, Linden continues, which can be in an empty storefront or rented event facility. 

“This avoids a lot of the downside associated with a long-term lease,” he continues, helping landlords make some money back, as many have lost long-term renters during the pandemic. And this provides gallery owners, even the sort who host a series of pop-ups, an environment for bigger ticket sales that can be hard to accomplish online. 

Coffee or Ice Cream Shops

Even in a world of online commerce, will there ever be a time when we don’t want to drop into our favorite coffee or ice cream shop for a sweet treat or a morning pick-me-up? And best of all, a coffee or ice cream shop can be brick-and-mortar or it could be operated from a food truck.

According to Deals on Health , a leading source of statistics related to health and diet, there are in fact 2.25 million cups of coffee consumed on a daily basis all over the globe, making the global coffee industry worth roughly $100 billion. 

In America alone, there are 24,000 coffee shops, Deals on Health continues, and the average American consumes three cups a day. 

Statistics aside, a brick-and-mortar coffee or ice cream shop comes recommended by Charles Leduc, from Mold Buster , a Canadian mold removal service, based on the evidence of his own two eyes. 

“Every time I stop in at my local coffee shop,” LeDuc tells Business Pundit in an email, “it is filled to its restricted capacity with people working from their laptops,” many working remotely, he continues. And since many businesses will continue to operate remotely beyond COVID, opening a brick-and-mortar business that caters to this remote workforce will easily be successful. 

“Even before quarantine, there was a very strong appeal toward being around others while working despite being able to do so from home. Once more people are vaccinated and restrictions are lifted, I would have to assume that even more people will be looking to work from public spaces, and businesses will open to fill that demand,” LeDuc continues.

Private Mailbox Rental

With the rise of e-commerce, more people than ever have packages arrive regularly at their home. But accompanying this trend is an increase in so-called “porch pirates” stealing those deliveries off porches. 

For this reason, it’s never been a better time to own and operate a brick-and-mortar private mailbox rental service, offering customers the ability to rent a mailbox, or have a safe and secure place for their packages to be delivered behind a locked door and under the watchful care of the proprietor. 

Private mailbox services also offer a convenient place to ship back those online orders if necessary, according to Robert Dow of Remarkable Land LLC , an online platform for buying and selling land. 

“Mail isn’t going away,” Dow says, especially in an era of online delivery and subscription services sending us everything from toothpaste to underwear, “and returning online orders is a pain,” he continues.

Besides, who wants their mail piling up at the house while they’re away on vacation?

“There’s an amazing opportunity right now to take advantage of the confluence of the need for a physical mailbox with the simultaneous virtualization of the same mailbox,” Dow says. 

And although there is competition from existing incumbents like The UPS Store and Earth Class Mail, he continues, “it’s a large and highly fragmented market with ample opportunities to differentiate your brand and service with clever marketing and superior service,” Dow says.

Best Low-Investment Small Business Ideas

Gotta a lot of ambition but not a lotta money? Here are five of the best low-investment business ideas for the post-COVID era.

Online Fashion Boutique

From buying and selling vintage clothing to filling a fashion niche, owning and operating a fashion boutique is a great low-investment business idea, according to Akram Tariq Khan, who co-founded the online boutique YourLibaas in 2014 with an initial investment of $1,000. 

Supporting OptinMonster , a leading email marketing service, the online shopping market hit nearly four trillion shoppers in 2020, with 300 million online shoppers in the U.S. expected by 2023, but despite that overly saturated market, Khan says an online boutique can be successful for anyone with an intuitive sense of fashion and some experience running a digital storefront.

Some additional keys to success, according Khan, include sourcing unique raw material, such as sustainable fabrics, one-of-a-kind designs, ideally something you’ve designed on your own, and competitive prices, but that can be difficult to achieve without volume. 

To get started, Khan recommends Google’s basic course in online marketing , 

“Then, signing up for a Shopify demo and experimenting with designing a store is the next best step,” he says. 

BA Jenkins from Ruthless Marketing , with a specialty in marketing small businesses like an online clothing boutique, has some additional pointers: “Develop your brand,” he says, extending beyond just the name of your company—but also colors themes, taglines, and your target audience. 

Next, make sure your company is legally protected, and then source items from wholesalers, and don’t forget to consider your ecommerce site subscriptions and social media handles.

To build the company to the next level, Jenkins says, “find social media influencers below 50,000 followers and build PR campaigns around the influencers that ties in your business.”

“Ideally you want influencers with a 60% engagement rate and are great content creators,” he continues, and this helps with user-generated content as well. “Just be sure to have influencer contracts in place,” he says. 

Online Pet Business

Pet-related businesses like pet sitting, dog walking, grooming, or even selling custom-made pet supplies, is the next low-investment small business idea in our article.

In 2019, in fact, e-commerce took in 20% of total sales in the pet industry, according to Compare Camp , a trusted online source for statistics across broad-ranging industries. Compare Camp projects that number to grow to 26% of pet product sales by 2023. 

Alexandra Seagal, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Animalso , an online source for tips, advice, and information related to dog ownership, recommends an online pet business. 

“During the pandemic,” she says, “pet products have a larger market than ever before,” due to an uptick in pet ownership.

One unique niche in the online pet industry, particularly for those who already have their degree in veterinary medicine and are looking for a change of pace, is to become a relief vet. Fully credentialed relief vets work at, or even manage someone else’s practice for short periods of time, covering staffing shortages, maternity and sick leave, or vacations. 

In other words, relief vets are a little like freelance veterinarians.

Dr. Caren Carney of Holiday Vet , works as a relief vet. “The pros of being a relief vet,” she says, “are that you can take back control of your life! You set your own hours and determine your rates. The cons are finding clinics that you like to work with and filling your schedule.”

Rameez Usmani is the marketing manager at GSD Lovers , a website dedicated for pet-lovers, and he says for those without a DVM, the startup costs for launching an online pet business are relatively low. 

If it’s a dog-walking business, for example, you may need some basic pet supplies like leashes, “but most pet owners will have their own supplies,” he says. There’s also no need for a storefront. 

“Your home and the car you use to drive to your clients will most likely be your center of operations, and, in the instance of a dog-walking business, for example, “the majority of your work will be done at their homes or in public places where you take their pets,” Usmani says. 

And best of all, your home office will most likely be tax deductible, Usmani continues. 

Design and Sell On-Demand T-shirts

If you have a knack for graphic design and a passion for fashion, the next low-investment small business idea, designing and selling your own T-shirts on-demand, could be right for you. Selling print-on-demand T-shirts can be profitable because you only print what you’ve already sold, and shops are easy to establish on e-commerce platforms like Shopify . 

Even though, at this point, the market is somewhat saturated, there is still plenty of room for clever ideas and great artwork to have an impact. According to Grandview Research , in fact, the custom, on-demand T-shirt printing market was estimated at $3.6 billion in 2020, and that number is expected to grow to $3.9 billion in 2021.

For these reasons and more, Marques Thomas, CEO and founder of QuerySprout , helping customers with consumer-related queries, calls designing and selling print-on-demand T-shirts one of the best business ideas in 2021.

“Certainly, what is on-demand now will be buried eventually,” he says, or out of fashion, “but there will always be concepts that are on-demand” that can be easily capitalized on with very little overhead. And though there are no shortcuts, establishing an on-demand T-shirt business for a designer with some experience in the fashion industry is relatively simple.

Self-Publish Your Book

Are you going to finally write that book or do something with that manuscript you’ve had saved on your hard drive for your years? 

Self-publishing your book is not only a great way to tell your story, it makes a lot of sense financially. Colin Palfrey, CMO of Majesty Coffee , selling world-class coffee equipment, has self-published several e-books in his career.

If you are creative, have ideas to put out in the world, self-motivated, willing to work hard, can bring different aspects of a project together, and value freedom, then self-publishing is for you,” Palfrey says.

Whether it’s an e-book or a paperback, there are a lot of advantages to self-publishing your book through services like Amazon or IngramSpark . For example, self-published authors maintain total control of the content, length, cover, and design of their books. Authors also dictate how and where their book is marketed. Though very few self-published authors see a big return on their investment, self-publishing’s financial potential is better than traditional publishing.

“You get higher royalty fees—up to 70% compared to traditional publishing houses that average around 15%,” Palfrey explains. 

In addition, self-published books arrive faster than they would from a traditional publishing house, where authors often wait months. 

Unbelievably, “the timeline from finishing and editing your manuscript to publishing your book can take as little as six hours—even less!” Palfrey says. And for an e-book, it can take anywhere from 24 hours for print-on-demand services to two weeks tops, he adds.

According to Palfrey, however, there are also some cons associated with self-publishing. “The financial cost of publishing is higher.” 

You also pay for all the costs associated with publishing—editing, design, printing, marketing, promotion, distribution, Palfrey continues, and self-published authors receive no monetary advance for their work, unlike traditional publishing houses that pay some money to their authors in advance. 

“Distribution can be more challenging, as you have to do the marketing, promotion, and distribution yourself. You won’t have the luxury of having the established distribution channels that publishing houses have. You need to do all the legwork for marketing your self-published book to make it more visible,” Palfrey said. 

To get started with self-publishing, Palfrey suggest getting in touch with self-published authors and learning from them or enrolling in a writing course.

“The most important, though, is to get writing,” he says. “Write everyday.” It’s also beneficial to get a mentor who can guide you in the writing and self-publishing process, he continues. 

It’s not going to be a smooth ride, Palfrey says, and self-published authors should expect bumps and potholes along the way. “Just keep your goal in sight. Pick yourself up again and carry on,” he says. 

Monetize Your Audience 

If you already have a strong following on Youtube or on some other social media platform, it may be possible to turn those viewers into income. Best of all, monetizing your audience can happen with nothing more than a little hard work and an internet connection. 

If you’re interested in becoming a YouTuber, for example, you can upload content like video-game play or even personal fashion shows. It can take a while to build your audience, but when you have, consider using Google AdSense to monetize your following.

Once that’s accomplished, YouTubers can make anywhere from $.01 to $.03 cents per view, with an average of $.18 cents per view, or an estimated $5 per 1,000 views, according to Mint.Intuit , a global technology platform specializing in finance. 

While it can take some time to gross these kinds of numbers, and there are no guarantees, some top YouTubers make as much as $5,000 for 1 million views!

But Adsense is not the only way YouTubers make money. Additional methods for monetizing your audience across a broad range of platforms include:

• Affiliate Links : Whenever a YouTuber mentions a product and a viewer follows the link to buy the product, the YouTuber makes a small commission.
• Merchandise : When you selling T-shirts or mugs supporting the brand you’ve built as a vlogger, writer, podcast host.
• Sponsorship : Once your audience reaches a certain level, brands many not only want to partner with you, they’ll pay you to do so. 

For writers specifically, another great way to monetize your audience is Substack , a platform for readers to pay writers directly for their work on a broad range of topics and in a wide variety of styles. 

According to BackLinko , a leading SEO marketing industry website, there are an estimated 500,000 paying subscribers on Substack, and although it will take quite some time for new users to reach these kinds of numbers, the top 10 authors on Substack collectively make about 10 million a year!

Best Small Business Ideas for Beginners

Have extensive knowledge in some areas but less so in the world of business? Here are five great ideas for people skilled in their area of expertise but who are beginners in the world of business.

Website Design

In our online world, websites are everywhere, and if you have experience designing them—but perhaps little experience running a business—website design is a great small business idea for beginners. 

According to IBISWorld , a trusted source of data on broad-ranging industries, the market size for the web design services industry was nearly $41 billion in 2021, and that number is expected to grow at a rate of 3.1% in 2021, meaning there’s plenty of room for startups.

Byron Ingraham of Azure Media , a digital marketing firm for small business, agrees that web design is a great business to be in in 2021, even if you don’t have any technical know-how. 

Instead, he suggests, “Partner up with a developer/designer who understands the technical aspect.” Doing so, he continues, “provides you with the freedom to focus on gaining clients as your primary role,” he says.

And the prevalence of ready-made templates and easy-to-setup content management system platforms like WordPress make web design an even easier business to get into for those with very little programming experience, says Akram Tariq Khan of the online fashion boutique YourLibaas.

“Website design makes sense” for anyone with just good sketching or creative skills, he says, but especially for anyone who is good with programming and “able to deliver a seamless experience working on the back end for dynamic websites,” he says. 

To get started in website design, Ingraham suggests offering your services to a business you already have a relationship with. “This will allow you to generate testimonials” that can be used to attract other clients, he says. 

Content Creation

Content creation can take many forms—from freelance writing to podcasts—and there’s money to be made in this industry, often for those with very little experience. With nearly half the world’s population online, according to Fortune Business , there’s more need than ever for content like audio, text, graphics, images, and animation. 

Leanne Scott is a blogging coach and founder of Passive Income Superstars , offering traffic affiliate marketing strategies for bloggers. 

She says content creation, anything from promotional video production to writing blog posts, can be a great way to earn money online, and it is particularly suited for creative types “who are capable of thinking outside the box and coming up with new ideas for how to promote products and companies,” she says.

“There are various ways you can monetise your online content,” she tells Business Pundit in an email. “You can arrange a sponsorship directly with a company” or become an affiliate, earning commissions on sales. 

“Or you can use content to promote your own digital products like e-books or online courses,” she continues. 

The best part of being a content creator, Scott explains, is that every day is different, and it often leads to fantastic opportunities. “For example, I worked with a travel company on a campaign to promote group tours and spent two weeks travelling around Sri Lanka—all expenses paid!” she says. 

On the flipside, “content creation can be an unreliable form of income,” she cautions, recommending that anyone interested in trying it should have enough in savings to get you through the times when less work is available. “For example, when the pandemic hit, most professional travel content creators lost their income overnight,” she says. 

“It can also take a long time before your blog gets enough traffic or you have enough engaged subscribers to make a considerable income,” she adds. “But if you are prepared to put the work in, being a content creator can be a great way to earn money online,” she says. 

Build a Mobile App

Building a mobile app is another great small idea for a beginner. At first, it might seem like you’d need quite a bit of technical expertise, but with the rise of no-code app platforms that allow users to turn their app idea into reality with very little technical know-how, it’s easier than ever to launch a mobile app business. 

Nick Chernets runs a digital marketing business called Data For SEO . 

“Building a mobile app can be a very creative process, and businesses that provide such a service are in high demand right now,” he says, either for your own business or for a client.

Whether you do it on your own or assemble a team of experts to complete the work faster, Chernets continues, “mobile apps are very popular and a lot of businesses that switched to remote work want to find the best way for their audience, and mobile apps are definitely one of them,” he says. 

Once your app is created, it’s important to market it thoroughly, which can include reaching out to influencers on social media, getting the app featured on relevant blogs, and listing it for sale in alternative app stores until you’re able to get it into major apps stores, among other tactics. 

Since building a mobile app isn’t a quick or easy job (but nothing worth doing is easy), there are some drawbacks anyone considering launching their own app-building business should be aware of, according to Chernets. 

First of all, it can be time consuming to build an app, depending on the complexity. “Even the simplest one can take a lot of time and energy,” Chernet continues. “Also, trends in IT change on a daily basis and you need to be up to date with them in order to build a good, relevant app. The job is low investment, but you will need to fully focus on it, at least until you manage to outsource some of the activities,” he says. 

Online Tutoring

During the pandemic, education all over the world moved online, and with it, online tutors found their businesses booming. Listing their services on sites like Wyzant and Kajabi , among others, online tutors build and offer courses on a variety of topics. 

Grandview Research reports that the global online tutoring services market size was worth an estimated $4.8 billion in 2019, and that number is expected to grow at a rate of 16.1% between 2020 to 2027, reaching $16 billion by 2027. And according to Glassdoor.com , online tutors make nearly $40k year, with very few operating expenses beyond a lesson plan, an internet connection, and their own expertise.

All things considered, there’s no time to like the present for both out-of-work educators or anyone simply seeking a way to share their knowledge and skill with a wider audience. 

Mark Hayes is the head of marketing at Kintell , a one-to-one video chat platform connecting experts with people wanting to learn a variety of different topics. 

“It’s always fulfilling to build your career in a way that helps and supports other people,” Hayes comments, and online tutoring is one of the best ways to do so, he says. “People from all walks of life need mentorship in one way or another, myself included.”

“By seeking the help you need in a convenient, digestible format, you can build great working relationships with others and spread your knowledge further than you might imagine,” he continues. And online tutoring has great potential as a small business idea in 2021, he says. 

Grant Aldrich is CEO of Online Degree , an educational platform with tuition-free classes, says online tutoring is an especially great idea for teachers who already have a network of students. “Online tutors can also set their rates, he says, “and gradually increase them with experience and demand. The one downside to online tutoring is that there will always be someone willing to tutor for lower rates,” he continues. 

To get started with online tutoring, Hayes from Kintell recommends making yourself known on a variety of platforms. Ubiquity fosters trust, he says, “so make sure that you have at least a rudimentary presence on each social media platform like Instagram, Facebook, and possibly even TikTok. This gives people the trust and comfort they need to get started with you, book that first lesson, and begin learning,” he says. 

And to stay competitive, Aldrich from Online Degree says you need to offer a memorable experience to students. “Instead of just copying lesson plans you’ve seen online, adapt them to your teaching style with your personality and games. For example, if you’re an English tutor, you could make your classes more engaging by talking about philosophy,” he says.

Charles McMillan, founder of Stand With Main Street , an online guide matching business owners to business services related to the formation of an LLC, agrees that virtual services of this sort are likely here to stay. 

“Many schools and universities are focusing on virtual teaching,” he says, and many parents are struggling to monitor their children’s academics because of their jobs, and some of them are looking for trusted individuals to help them out. “Also, there are lots of older students who are seeking extra support for their studies to understand their lessons better,” McMillan continues. 

To start a tutoring service specifically, McMillan says you should establish your subject of expertise and then “consider whether you would want to work with parents with young children or with a high school or college student,” he says.

Product/Business Reviewer

You spend all your time surfing the internet, so why not make money as a product or business reviewer? 

Sites like Swagbucks and Vindale Research will pay you for your opinion. Vindale Research pays as much as $75 per review, with a $2 bonus just for signing up. Some professional product or business reviewers launch their own blogs, earning affiliate commission among other methods of monetizing their traffic, and a particularly lucrative niche for reviewers of this sort are on parenting and mom-related topics through sites like Tastemaker Mom , among many others.

Samiksha Rawool of Yummy Tummy Recipes , a site that reviews and promotes recipes, food products, and food-industry services. The blog, which began as a side hustle and now has about 7,000 unique monthly visitors according to Rawool, is monetized through ad revenue and affiliate rebates. From one specific affiliate agreement, Rawool tells Business Pundit in an email, he earns as much as $100 a day.

I would say that my online business has helped me stay occupied, motivated, and financially stable,” he adds. “Because I work in a location-independent fashion, I was able to travel a lot while making a decent income.”

Nothing is guaranteed, but what’s for certain is that — although businesses may not look, operate, or behave the same ever again — small enterprise is at the core of America, and will remain so going forward, even after the pandemic.

Furthermore, the shift to virtual meetings and online school opened up new possibilities for aspiring entrepreneurs. There are no shortcuts in business, but with any of the small business ideas we’ve included in this ranking and a little hard work, you can realize your dream of owning a successful — and possibly pandemic-proof business — perfectly suited to your skillset and and otherwise, with very little overhead.

Written by Will Kennedy

William Kennedy is a freelance writer for Business Pundit. He lives in Eugene, OR with his wife, daughter, and 2 cats, who all politely accommodate his obsession with Doctor Who and The Smiths.

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Find your idea. write your plan. start your business., the top 10 business ideas for 2021.

While this article presents the top 10 business ideas for 2021, the big question of course is: What is the #1 top business idea for you?

There are so many fabulous business ideas to choose from it was hard for me to narrow down this list just to the top 10. But I did it!

These business ideas offer robust and growing demand and high profit potential. They are also generally low cost and easy to start businesses. They are practical and proven businesses that many people are starting and succeeding at every day – including people without prior business experience.

I chose these top 10 business ideas based upon a number of factors including upside profit potential, ease of starting the business, popularity and a desire to give you a diverse mix of businesses.

My name is Bob Adams. I am a Harvard MBA serial entrepreneur. I have started 17 businesses including one business that I began in my basement apartment with just $1500 and later sold for $40 million.

I can tell you if you want to start a great business you should start with a great idea! So give these top ideas a good look over.

Here are The Top 10 Business Ideas for 2021:

#1 – Senior companion

A senior companion service is an excellent repeat customer, steady income business. Check any licensing requirements before getting started.

#2 – Subscription box

Skincare, socks, candles… You can sell virtually anything in your subscription box. For this business, your packaging, website, and marketing really matter.

#3 – Moving service

You can start this business with no money by renting vans or trucks as you need them. You should charge by the hour rather than by the job.

#4 – Import/export

Buy products from overseas and sell them back in your home country! Source your products by traveling abroad or using websites like Alibaba.

#5 – Pet sitting business

People want someone to take good care of their pet while they are away. To succeed, always go the extra mile and send cute pictures and videos.

#6 – Online store

Amazon and other websites make it easier than ever to sell online. The key to success is developing a solid plan before setting up your store.

#7 – Home staging business

Find furniture and design ideas to help people sell their house faster and at a higher price. Meredith Baer built a $100 million home staging business in LA.

#8 – Tutoring business

The demand and growth potential of this business is huge. You can tutor anyone, on any subject, and from virtually anywhere if you do it online.

#9 – Cleaning business

This is a great repeat customer, steady income business. To make more money you should develop a specialty such as cleaning offices or industrial sites.

#10 – Start a blog

A blog is a great business that you can start and grow at your own pace. Make sure to choose a niche, let your personality shine, and learn SEO.

Would you like to see more business ideas?

Check out my most popular article, The 300 Best Small Business Ideas . This comprehensive multi-page article offers expert advice on every single business idea (including all the ideas on this top 10 list). Includes home based, online, steady income, low cost, product and service ideas.

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Small Business UK

Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

Five successful small business ideas for 2021

Do any of these business ideas appeal to you?

James Birch of Colour Graphics shares five successful business ideas to launch, including businesses you can run from home.

Starting a business takes a lot of courage, persistence, hard work and imagination. The current economy means firms in general are struggling to hit their bottom lines, but the world still needs new business ideas, innovative concepts and people with the nerve to take the risk and try them out.

If you’re one of these people, you need to know that you aren’t alone in your dreams of starting a business. More than three-quarters of all businesses in the UK are single-person enterprises and self-employment has nearly doubled in the last 20 years.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most successful small business ideas that we have seen in 2021.

>See also: One in five Brits say they want to start a business in 2021

Best Small Business Ideas

1. teaching online.

The pandemic has created a significant demand for online education. As children couldn’t attend school for months, parents sought ways to boost their child’s progress. The government is investing a lot of money in tutoring to help young people get back on track. While having a teaching qualification is usually essential for working for established companies, you could easily offer your services to your network and train as you work.

Online teaching is an intermittent source of income, but there is a healthy supply of people looking for additional help. While it does not offer the same security as working in a school, it can provide a stream of income.

2. Dropshipping

Dropshipping allows you to supply products but means you don’t have to get involved in the manufacturing or storing of the items you sell. It is a great place to start in eCommerce, as you can build up your online store without the risk of having a large inventory. You do not need much of a budget to get started, but you need a chunk of imagination to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

Before you get started, do your market research and write a business plan. Decide which niche you want to focus on and what will make your business better than your competitors. Then, communicate this message to your target audience.

People dropship all sorts of products, including clothes, jewellery, beauty products, accessories, home furnishing, healthcare products, artwork and more. To get started, choose your product, find the cheapest supplier and build your website. Remember, you need to work with people who will ship the items directly to your customers to be as easy as it sounds, but this will take some negotiation, and there is some hard work involved.

3. Cleaning

People will always want cleaners and setting up a cleaning business could help meet this demand. If cleaning is one of those tasks you positively enjoy, then you could make your love of sparkling satisfaction into a business. You can target business and commercial markets to make a significant business move, which might mean employing others. Alternatively, you can start by offering domestic cleaning and build your client base up organically.

If you are wondering why we suggest cleaning as a great business, the turnover in the sector has increased by 28 per cent since 2013. You might want to be a part of that increased income. It is also, as yet, an easy-to-enter profession that hasn’t been overtaken with automation and robots; there is still a significant need for the personal touch. Consequently, it is a secure business proposition that doesn’t need too much training or qualifications.

4. Graphic designing

If you have a talent for art and design, then there is an excellent opportunity to work from your home and build a base of clients. You might need to start small and collect some testimonials and invest in increasingly sophisticated technology. However, many clients who are looking for logos, posters and brand guidelines cannot afford to go to the big firms.

To get started, sign up to freelancing websites that act as a go-between for clients and potential professionals to complete the work.

5. Content writing

As with graphic design, if you have a talent, you can maximise it and sell your skill by becoming a freelance writer. There were 85,000 retailers new to the internet in 2020, and these companies are battling for prime real estate on the internet. The best way to do this is to hire a quality content writer who can push you up the rankings on search engines. Again, freelancing sites such as People Per Hour, Upwork, Fiverr, and more could offer a steady flow of work.

Avoiding common mistakes

If you have seen the opportunity for yourself, then it is time to act. However, before you do, let’s learn the lesson of those who have gone before and made some pretty common mistakes. For instance, you need to avoid underpricing and overpricing. You need to know your worth if you are offering a service – and you need to understand the market value of your product. If it’s too expensive, you will never get off the ground. If you are too cheap, you will never make enough money to earn a living. Do your research.

It is also common for people to lose heart and become impatient. Starting a business takes time, and you will hit a few hurdles along the way. It is easy to give up, but success comes from keeping going. Look for the small victories and hold on to these as you grow. However, to make sure you have the resilience to overcome these hurdles, you need a plan that you can keep coming back to. Make sure you know this plan and your financials back to front. You don’t have to stick to this plan 100 per cent – some flexibility and agility are vital for success. However, having a solid framework to move forward from can keep you on track.

More than anything, you need to be sure of your audience, your message to that audience and the brand’s ethos. If you stay true to this, your clients will come back repeatedly and you will flourish.

Get started with your small business idea today

So, there are many ways to start a business that do not take much time, money or qualifications. With a well-thought-through plan and the willingness to work hard through the difficult start-up period, you will be able to run your business and be your own boss.

James Birch is sales and marketing manager at Colour Graphics .

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Top 20 Ecommerce Business Ideas for 2021

Molly Burke

March 2, 2021

Amazon Product Ideas , Amazon Seller , Entrepreneurship , Jungle Scout Culture , News , Product Research , Seller Resources , Seller Strategies , Uncategorized

In 2021, second-shift digital entrepreneurship isn’t exactly a new phenomenon—but it is more popular than ever. According to Google Trends , online interest in “side hustle” has grown steadily since 2016—and reached an all-time high as 2020 drew to a close. 

What is new is consumers’ increased appetite for online shopping , and that means big opportunities for ecommerce businesses . But spend five minutes wading through the sea of product offerings on Amazon.com and you’ll realize that getting ahead as an ecommerce seller takes a bit of effort. 

To be successful in the long term , you need to find product niches with enough room for newcomers to thrive. Typically, that means selling products with sufficient demand, but relatively little competition that would otherwise drown out your chance to profit—or creating a brand-new product that consumers didn’t even know they needed. 

So how, exactly, do you find these unicorn niches? By keeping up with consumer trends, tracking the competition, and doing some good old product research. Fortunately, Jungle Scout’s tools , industry research reports , and in-depth seller guides convey all of this information, so you can discover your winning business idea with ease. 

To help you get started, let’s go over some of this year’s top ecommerce business ideas. We’ll highlight popular product categories and offer specific examples of profitable products based on what people are buying and selling in 2021. Then, we’ll discuss the product research methods we used to find them, and how consumer and seller behaviors might change in the future. 

The top 20 ecommerce business ideas for 2021

Here are our top business ideas for ecommerce entrepreneurs. We’ve analyzed them by product category, ranked according to what consumers plan to buy online in 2021. Screenshots of Jungle Scout’s Chrome Extension and Opportunity Finder tools in action reveal each product niche’s recent performance on Amazon. 

1. TikTok clothes

Not all young people have the disposable income to buy clothes—but that hasn’t stopped TikTok, a video sharing app most popular among users aged 10-29 , from dominating fashion in 2020 . Like Instagram before it, TikTok is driving online clothing sales via viral posts about styling lookbooks and clothing “hauls,” posted by everyone from hobby fashionistas to influencers to high-fashion brands. With its launch of TikTok Shops , the social media platform invites brands and affiliates to market their wares directly to the billions of users who follow hashtags like #fashion on TikTok.   

Keep an eye on the kinds of clothes that are trending on TikTok, and try listing those that rank well on Amazon. Who knows—your listing could be seen by hundreds of thousands of social media users. 

2.   Vaccine-related gear

Selling clothing

Pros: Clothing is the top category for online shopping in 2021 —49% of U.S. consumers plan to buy their clothing on Amazon or from other online retailers this year. People may be leaving home less frequently, but they still want to feel good in what they’re wearing. This has opened the door to a massive loungewear trend , with relaxed cuts and inclusive sizes that are easy to execute for new ecommerce sellers. 

Cons: It’s the top consumer category, meaning lots of other sellers will jump on board to take advantage of its popularity—and that’s not even addressing existing clothing sellers. You can succeed in selling clothes on Amazon, but it’s imperative that you find a unique angle.   

3.   Books on nutrition and diet

Consumers’ interest in their physical health and well-being has jumped in the past several months. This means they’re looking for advice on what to eat, as evidenced by the sales performance of nutrition books on Amazon. 

4. Books on self care

The same goes for their mental health—nearly half of all consumers have made it a focus area in 2021. Selling high-converting titles on wellness and spiritual solutions to self care is a profitable move. 

Selling books

Pros: At Jungle Scout, we’re big fans of selling used books on Amazon. It’s one of the easiest ways to get started with ecommerce, because you can find best-sellers hiding on your shelves at home. Fiction books tend to sell for super cheap if they’re used, so nonfiction titles will be your best bet. Given consumers’ interest in health and wellness and spirituality in 2021, it should be no issue to sell used books covering nutrition, cooking, and religion. 

Accumulating inventory of used books also isn’t as difficult as it might sound at first. Once you’ve exhausted your home library, try browsing secondhand sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace, where you can find entire lots of used books for low prices.   

Cons: You’ll have to do some research to make sure you’re listing books that actually sell well online. You can do that by checking a given title’s Best Sellers Rank on Amazon—the higher the rank, the more sales the listing earns. 

5. Stylish cat trees

I think I speak for many people when I say that standard-issue, carpeted cat tree/jungle gym/climbing towers are unforgivably ugly. There’s a market for sleeker versions for design-conscious pet parents, but the offerings tend to be expensive. 

6. Natural pet toys and treats

There’s a new trend toward “natural” pet toys and treats that use “clean” or unusual ingredients, unbleached cotton and BPA-free plastics. Here’s an example: these yak milk chew toys. Despite being visually unappealing to everyone except the dog, they’re selling like hotcakes.   

Selling pet supplies 

Pros: Not only are pet products lucrative, they’re fun to product-test (if you like petting cute, fuzzy animals, that is). One third of U.S. consumers consider their pets a priority in their lives, and 50% of these pet lovers plan to buy supplies like food, toys, and beds on the internet. 

Cons: Lots of other people also want to sell pet products. The good news is that the sheer variety of pets and their individual entertainment and maintenance needs translates to many sub-niches.   

7. Acrylic nail art 

Former nail salon regulars are taking on complicated nail art at home. This includes acrylic, or “fake” nail treatments. Try listing kits that include UV lights and fans, or sell your own holiday-specific nail stickers for a seasonal sales boost.

8. Home hair dye

People are also skipping their hair appointments in favor of DIY dye jobs. Reselling popular brands of home hair dye, like L’Oreal or Garnier, is a great opportunity for retail arbitrage . 

Selling beauty & personal care items

Beauty and personal care products run the gamut from facial moisturizer to hair scrunchies to nail files. This is a broad category with lots of room for newcomers and plenty of demand: 43% of U.S. consumers will shop online for beauty products in 2021. 

Pros: As with fashion, beauty and personal care brands benefit from social media’s viral marketing power . Thanks to Instagram, TikTok, and Zoom meetings, there will never be a time when people don’t care about looking good—and now, many beauty routines that historically take place in salons and spas are happening at home. Combine that with consumers’ increased focus on health in 2021, and you’ve got a winning proposition for an ecommerce business. 

Cons: Because of the breadth of this category, there are seemingly endless product options to choose from. To avoid analysis paralysis stalling your product research before it even starts, pick a body part—hair, skin, or nails—and go from there.

9. Bath mats

In 2021, shoppers want to spice up their everyday home routines with appealing decor. Take for example this cute, peach-themed mat, which has sold 837 times in the past 30 days. 

10. Woodsy decor

If you pay attention to home decor trends, you may have noticed a surging interest in the “cottagecore” aesthetic. Similar to “shabby-chic” or “rustic” trends of the past, cottagecore evokes idyllic rural life and cozy, vintage comfort. A popular motif within the trend is foraging in the woods, which is reflected in the demand for mushroom-themed home decor.

Selling home & kitchen products

A curious thing happens when you’re homebound: you begin to notice all the ways your living space isn’t quite as welcoming as you’d like it to be. The solution? Online shopping for furniture, appliances, and decor. 

Pros: If you’re passionate about interior decorating, this is your time to shine. 43% of consumers will shop online in 2021 for home and kitchen products, which include everything from coffee makers to couches. Ecommerce sellers can easily jump into this category by listing textiles like sheets and shower curtains. 

Cons: This category includes some heavy or otherwise unwieldy products that can be difficult for small businesses to source and ship—think large furniture or delicate, handmade glassware. Assess packaging costs with your supplier before going all-in on an oversized or fragile product.   

11. Dietary restriction-sensitive protein powder

Vegans, the religiously inclined, and people with IBS want sick gains, too. Maybe that’s why plant-based, halal, and low-FODMAP protein powder listings are doing so well on Amazon. 

12. Sleep aids

Everyone knows sleep does wonders for physical and mental health. A lesser-known fact is that sleep-related products sell incredibly well online. 

Melatonin gummies may be old hat at this point, but these chocolate and chamomile melatonin candies are picking up steam.

Selling vitamins & dietary supplements

Pros: 2021 is all about the personal wellness journey, which for many people involves a check-in on how “balanced” their breakfast really is. Selling vitamins can be a profitable business move, especially since 43% of consumers will purchase them online in 2021. Thanks to the tenacious popularity of “superfoods,” sellers can list fun-sounding ingredients like moringa, “functional mushroom powder,” and blue algae in addition to steady favorites like fish oil capsules and whey protein isolate.  

Cons: The supplement industry is notoriously scam-ridden: see the public outcry surrounding “flat tummy tea.” Customers will notice if your product doesn’t live up to its claims, and will take out their frustrations on your product reviews . Don’t make grandiose promises on your product packaging if there’s no chance that they’ll come true.

13. Funko Pop collectibles

The resale market for pop-culturally relevant bobbleheads is booming. If you can get your hands on a limited-edition Funko figurine, you’re in business. 

14. Movie character toys

With the right cuteness quotient, an animated character’s toy likenesses will continue to sell well after its silver-screen premiere. Just take Baby Yoda , the minions from Despicable Me, and Elsa from Frozen. Keep an eye out for kids movies slated for 2021—between the Tom & Jerry reboot, Cruella, and a handful other talking-animal features , you’re bound to find toy merch that’ll sell well through retail arbitrage. 

Selling toys & games

Pros: Kids and adults alike need entertainment, making this an age-inclusive category in which 43% of consumers plan to shop online in 2021. When thinking about toys to sell , it can also be helpful to consider kids’ needs at different stages of growth, as this helps further specify a niche. A ten-year-old won’t want to play with toddler toys, so there’s lots of room for variety. 

Cons: Popular characters tend to sell well, but are obviously protected by licensing laws. So you won’t be able to list your own version of a best-selling Pixar character action figure. However, there are plenty of examples of high-performing toy listings from brands that aren’t household names.    

15. Office chair seat cushions

It’s a sad truth: the coolest-looking office chairs are often the least comfortable. Your new line of ergonomic memory foam office chair cushions are just what stylish remote workers need. 

16. Fidget devices  

The fidget spinner may be old news, but demand for handheld stress-relief doo-dads is still strong. This is true for adults as well as kids; fidget toys can be marketed as toys and office supplies, and perform well in both categories on Amazon. 

Try selling fidget toy product bundles like the one pictured below—the variety of colors and shapes make your listing more appealing.  

Selling office supplies

Pros: Newsflash: remote work is here to stay. That means home office supplies are likely to be a continuous source of revenue for brands that shine in this category. 

Cons: If you want to sell office electronics , you’re up against tech titans like Apple, Dell, and Samsung. But that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed. Consider Anker, a brand that started out selling batteries and charging cables on Amazon and is now a publicly-traded company with around $1 billion in sales for 2020.

17. Cricut-compatible items

Cricut is a line of “smart” cutting machines that can chop paper, fabric, leather, and other materials into a variety of patterns and shapes. It’s now easier than ever to cut vinyl sheets into complicated floral motifs—and to make a profit on vinyl sheet bundles online.

18. Pottery products

Handmade pottery is super popular online—even big brands like Crate & Barrel and Target are trying to bank on the rustic-look trend. Plenty of people are trying their hand at DIY ceramics, and are looking to buy everything from clay to sculpting tools online. 

Selling arts, crafts & sewing products

Pros: Consumers are leaning into their hobbies, which often include handicrafts like knitting, painting, and scrapbooking. Two in five consumers will buy products in this category online. 

Cons: Thanks to Pinterest, crafting hobbies can get wildly popular very quickly, which can mean an overnight influx of competition in a formerly low-competition niche. Keep your brand ahead of the pack by accumulating plenty of great customer reviews .    

19. Vinegar-based all-purpose cleaner

Top household cleaner brands are innovating by rebranding a cleaning ingredient that’s been around forever. Try creating your own line of gentle but effective cleaners. 

20. Innovative spray bottles

Offer customers a spray bottle that provides an edge—say, super-fine mist, continuous spray, or fun shapes and colors—and you could make six-figure monthly sales. 

Selling cleaning supplies

Pros: Unsurprisingly, this is the second-most popular product category among consumers in 2021, with 39% of consumers making online purchases. If you can’t or don’t want to sell the hard stuff (bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and other harsh cleaners), you can take advantage of the demand for “eco-friendly” solutions and recycled or biodegradable tools. 

Cons: Cleaning supplies can be tricky to sell on certain ecommerce platforms like Amazon. Selling a product that could be considered a pesticide, or could contain pesticides, will get your listing suspended on the Everything Store. Amazon has also cracked down on sales of COVID-related products like disinfectants and masks. 

How to Discover a Product Opportunity: Product Research 

How did we arrive at these ecommerce business ideas? We did some research of our own into consumer behavior and seller trends to assess market demand and competition in popular product categories. 

The products consumers want to buy change all the time. While some offer flash-in-the-pan success, others are worth building an ecommerce business around. A careful analysis of what people will buy online in 2021, factoring in how existing retailers are capitalizing on product trends to meet these needs, helped us reveal profitable ideas for new ecommerce sellers. The below insights are from our Consumer Trends Report , which we update on a quarterly basis, as well as our 2021 State of the Amazon Seller Report . 

Consumer trends

In the new year, U.S. consumers are increasingly focused on their physical and mental health, their families (including pets), and their spirituality. Many have also had time away from their normal social lives to slow down and take stock of their situations, and are now thinking more seriously about their careers, education, finances, and civic engagement. 

Since COVID began, people have made big changes to their everyday lives, including working and learning remotely, and finding ways to exercise and entertain themselves at home. Many of these changes are likely to remain even when social distancing ends. 

These shifting values and needs mean new niche interests for ecommerce sellers. But how willing are U.S. shoppers to spend money on new products? 

Between social distancing, financial uncertainty, and supply-chain disruptions,  consumers have been through a lot in the past year. More than half of consumers are concerned about having enough money for retirement and emergencies, as well as suffering a loss or reduction of income. At least 43% say they are putting off major financial decisions for the time being. 

But while many consumers tightened their belts in response to the changing economy, that hasn’t stopped them from shopping in general. 

On the contrary, many U.S. consumers have simply shifted from in-store to online shopping. There’s evidence that this shift from brick-and-mortar to online shopping was accelerated by COVID-19; more consumers now report that they’re shopping at online retailers like Amazon than in months prior. Since October 2020, at least 74% of U.S. shoppers have searched for a product online, and many are now buying more products in certain categories (essential and health-related items like groceries, cleaning supplies, and vitamins, for instance) than before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Furthermore, the number of consumers who report increased overall spending jumped 20% from September to December 2020—ditto a noteworthy increase in online spending. This indicates further growth in consumer spending on the horizon, and a boon for ecommerce. 

To summarize, consumers’ biggest focus areas in 2021 will be: 

• Their families
• Physical health
• Mental health
• Personal finances

Consumers are most likely to shop online in these product categories: 

• Electronics
• Beauty & Personal Care
• Home & Kitchen
• Vitamins & Supplements
• Toys & Games
• Office Supplies
• Arts, Crafts, & Sewing
• Cleaning supplies

And in terms of what consumers are generally buying more of in 2021, here’s the breakdown: 

• Over-the-counter medicine

The intersections of these values and in-demand product categories are the best places to look when starting an ecommerce business in 2021. 

Niche competition and profitability 

Consumer behavior can’t be your only consideration when finding a product to sell. You’ll also need to think about niche saturation—in other words, how many other people have already jumped on the idea with their own line of products. 

This goes for the competitiveness of the ecommerce platforms themselves. Amazon currently has as many as 2.6 million third-party sellers. While they’re competing for sales from a bountiful 300-million-strong customer pool, that’s still a quite dense concentration of sellers. By comparison, eBay hosts around 800,000 stores , and Walmart’s online marketplace has an estimated 50,000 sellers . So while Amazon’s customer reach is larger than these other sites, it can be lucrative to take advantage of relatively lower competition elsewhere. 

Jungle Scout’s Opportunity Finder tool allows ecommerce sellers to search specific keywords within a product category to find out what’s selling, or related products that are likely to sell. And while the sales data used to reveal opportunities is specific to Amazon, the insights are transferable to other ecommerce platforms. That’s because Amazon captures data on the majority of U.S. consumers’ shopping habits—it’s the most popular retailer in the country, even beyond traditional retail giants like Walmart and Target. 

According to Jungle Scout’s 2021 State of the Amazon Seller Report , and perhaps unsurprisingly, Amazon sellers tend to concentrate in consumers’ preferred product categories, like Home & Kitchen, Toys & Games, and Beauty & Personal Care. While it’s important to note that more sellers in a given niche will mean a tougher road toward the top of Google or Amazon search results, there’s always a new, specific need to fulfill, whether it’s changing the look of a product to suit design trends or adding extra functionality. 

By identifying products with high demand and relatively low competition on Amazon, you can strike gold—by creating a new product or modifying product ideas that need work to suit consumers’ needs. 

Sometimes, pinpointing profitable improvements to an existing product niche is as easy as reading customer reviews. Thanks to customer-submitted photos and videos, you can literally see how a product is lacking, and how you could provide a superior alternative. 

Launch your ecommerce business idea in 2021

If you’ve made it this far, you now have some great ecommerce business ideas, plus pointers on which tools will help you optimize your product. For more information on how to launch a product online, see Jungle Scout’s in-depth guides: 

• How to Sell on Amazon  
• How to Sell on Walmart
• How to Sell on eBay
• How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace

As you grow your brand, you’ll also want to check out our helpful guides on marketing, getting reviews, and fulfillment optimization:

• Amazon Advertising Guide
• How to Get Reviews on Amazon
• How to Sell on Shopify
• How to Integrate Amazon FBA with Shopify

Do you have a great idea for an ecommerce business? Tell us about it in the comments. 

Molly is a writer on the Jungle Scout team, focusing on research and data-driven content. Before joining Jungle Scout in 2020, Molly was a food blogger and recipe developer. Her background is in nutrition and public health policy.

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39 Green Business Ideas for Sustainable Entrepreneurs

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An eco-friendly business, or "green business" is one that demonstrates a commitment to an environmentally sustainable future. Green businesses strive to have a positive impact on the environment and their community. This can be achieved through many practices and strategies, from recycling to sourcing local products to promoting energy efficiency.

Sustainable and green business ideas combine your commitment to the environment with your goal of starting a business. Beyond that, they also deliver on revenue and profit. A study by Nielsen revealed that 66% of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. If you want to launch a green business, get started with this article containing our top sustainable and green business ideas.

39 green business ideas

Here are 39 sustainable business ideas for you to consider if you want to go green.

1. Energy auditing and green consulting

Work with businesses or individuals to help them implement strategies to reduce their carbon footprint.

2. Garden planning

Landscape eco-friendly, sustainable gardens for families and businesses to feed themselves.

3. Environmental law

Provide legal services to protect the environment or hold entities accountable for violating environmental laws.

4. Composting business

Provide a service to pick up compost or a place to drop it off.

5. Green cleaning

Use eco-friendly products to clean homes and businesses.

6. Air duct cleaning

Dust and dirt can easily accumulate in air ducts, preventing the air conditioning system from working properly and thereby increasing energy consumption. Start an eco-friendly small business that serves to regularly clean air ducts to reduce energy consumption.

7. Fundraiser or grant writer

Many environmental organizations could use help getting funding . Start a career as a freelance grant writer to help them out.

8. Eco-friendly food supplier

Deliver food from local sources to people or businesses who need them. Farm-to-table restaurants are some of the businesses that you could help supply.

9. Eco restaurants

Open a restaurant that uses only locally sourced food and sustainable products and processes.

10. Organic nutritionist

This is a powerful sustainable business idea. Help people eat clean — it’s better for their health and our earth.

11. Wind power development

Build wind farms that produce sustainable energy.

12. Geothermal developer

Build power plants that use steam produced from reservoirs of hot water found a couple of miles or more below the Earth's surface.

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We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

13. Solar panel manufacturer

Produce the energy-saving panels for homes and businesses.

14. Plant delivery service

Start an eco-friendly small business that sources and delivers plants to people or businesses that will help clean the air around them.

15. Open a used bookstore

Recycle old and gently books for a fraction of the price. You could do this either online or in-person with a brick-and-mortar location.

16. Green gift shop

As mentioned earlier, green products are a selling point. Why not open a store full of them?

17. Sell bicycles

One way to reduce carbon emissions is to reduce the number of people driving cars. One way to do that is by encouraging more people to ride bicycles.

18. Sell scooters

While scooters do emit carbon dioxide, they are much more energy-efficient than cars.

19. Energy-efficient car sales

Of course, people still want to drive cars. Why not sell more environmentally friendly car options?

20. Open a consignment or thrift store

How many clothes do you get rid of each year? Recycling old clothes is a great way to reduce the carbon footprint of each clothing item so they don’t go to waste.

21. Manufacture or sell eco-friendly fashion design

Many designers are making clothing from sustainable materials. You could be one of them, or you could sell them.

22. Environmental blog

Publish information and news about climate change and subjects of interest to the environment. Reap advertising payouts from your visitors while informing the public.

23. Advertising agency specializing in green business

With all the new green businesses and initiatives forming, they’re going to need someone to know how to bring all the good they're doing to a large audience, you could start a green business advertising agency.

24. Give bicycle tours

This is a great sustainable business idea for bicycle enthusiasts! Bike tours in your city are way more environmentally friendly than big ole bus tours or long joy rides.

25. Eco-travel planner

Plan eco-friendly travel destinations and activities for tourists.

26. Sustainable events planner

Offer event planning services that guarantee a reduced carbon footprint from the event.

27. Open an organic spa

Harsh chemicals are bad for your skin just as they are for the environment.

28. Recycled furniture and home goods

Use recycled materials to build furniture and home goods people use in their everyday lives. Or open an antique shop reselling older furniture or refurbishing it and reselling it.

29. Eco-friendly kids toys

A great eco-friendly small business idea for parents. Mainstream children’s toys use a ton of unsustainable materials. Why not give parents an environmentally conscious option for their kids.

30. Handmade clothing

If you've got a knack for sewing you can sell your handmade clothing online. A bonus if it’s from recycled materials.

31. Green remodeling

Green remodeling is the perfect green business idea for the handy entrepreneur. Take a worn down home and make it something new using sustainable materials and updated appliances that reduce carbon footprints.

32. Green architecture

Design new homes using sustainable methods.

33. Solar panel installation

Install solar panels for sustainable energy in homes or businesses.

34. Start a cooperative

Communal living easily reduces the carbon footprints of those living in them because everything is shared and the values of the building uphold sustainability.

35. Green venture capitalist

Invest in helping other people get their green business ideas off the ground.

36. Green financial planning

Sell “green bonds” to those looking to add environmentally conscious businesses to their portfolio.

37. Software

Build software programs made specifically to help businesses or individuals with environmental activities and initiatives.

Develop mobile apps designed to help people with environmentally friendly functions, like finding recycling centers or learning about the environmental practices of different brands.

39. Refurbish/recycle tech

Take people’s old and unused technology and recycle the parts or make something new.

Hopefully, these green business ideas have you excited about the possibilities — not only for profit but the pleasure of running a business that helps people lead greener lives and combining what you do with what you believe in. A value-led company is attractive to consumers — why not create one?

Benefits of starting a sustainable business

Green and sustainable business ideas deliver more than profits. Beyond the feel-good impact that comes with making the world a better place, environmentally conscious and green businesses cater to a rapidly growing market.

“Despite the fact that millennials are coming of age in one of the most difficult economic climates in the past 100 years,” according to a recent Nielsen global online study, “They continue to be most willing to pay extra for sustainable offerings — almost three-out-of-four respondents in the latest findings.”

Generation Z does not want to be left behind either: The rise in the percentage of respondents ages 15 to 20 who are willing to pay more for products and services that come from companies who are committed to positive social and environmental impact hovered around 72%.

Start Your Dream Business

Businesses that establish sustainable or green values or practices have an opportunity to grow market share and build loyalty among consumers now and in the future.

Now is the time to pursue your sustainable business idea

There's never been a better time to launch a green or sustainable small business. We’ve undoubtedly seen a ton of change in the last year toward climate solutions and policy, especially as the implications of the Paris Agreement reverberated through businesses, industries, and investors.

“Companies continued to ratchet up their commitments and achievements on renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable supply chains, water and land stewardship, the circular economy, and other aspects of a sustainable enterprise,” according to GreenBiz . “Technology continued its inexorable march, accelerating sustainability solutions in energy, buildings, transportation, food, and just about everywhere else.”

However, global indicators continue to trend in troubling directions. Concentrations of carbon dioxide are unprecedented compared with the past 800,000 years according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, even after accounting for natural fluctuations. Global temperatures continue to rise, and other metrics — on coastal flooding, heat-related deaths, wildfires, polar sea ice, biodiversity, and more — are just as harrowing.

Suffice it to say that we have a major challenge on our hands. Of course, no one is going to solve climate change on their own. But if you’re looking for green business ideas you can do your part and start an environmentally conscious business.

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Start » startup, looking for a new business idea here's where to start.

If you’re looking to start a business, here are some ideas based on industries that have thrived during COVID-19.

Difficult times can lend themselves to new and prosperous opportunities. Despite the pandemic and tense social climate, many businesses and industries made a quick pivot and defined the oft-mentioned "new normal" for entrepreneurs and consumers alike.

If you're looking to start a business this year, start by exploring ideas in these industries that have been successful during COVID-19.

[Read: 10 Businesses You Can Start During a Pandemic ]

Industries that have thrived during COVID-19

Brick-and-mortar retail took a hit in 2020, but online sales have gone through the roof. In the first half of the year, e-commerce sales were up more than 30% from the same period in 2019. By creating an e-commerce shop , you can engage with and sell to customers anywhere, from the comfort of their homes. Simply choose niche products you’d like to sell (or hand-craft your own!) and start growing your brand .

With so many people unable or hesitant to leave their homes, the delivery industry boomed during the pandemic. While titans like Instacart and Uber Eats have a strong hold on grocery and food delivery services, there is still a high demand for other types of delivery and errand services that you may be able to meet.

Commercial cleaning

With health and safety on the forefront of everyone's minds, commercial cleaning services play an important role in keeping brick-and-mortar establishments like restaurants, gyms and salons clean and sanitized. As corporate offices begin to reopen and bring remote workers back on-premises, they'll also be looking for a commercial cleaning service to disinfect their workstations.

[Read: 7 Service-Based Business Ideas That Will Be in High Demand ]

Having that entrepreneurial drive is a good first step, but how do you narrow down your options to find the best business idea for you?

Health and wellness

The coronavirus has led many to value their health in ways they hadn't before, causing them to reconsider their diet, exercise routine and other health habits. This increased spotlight on health has led to many different types of business opportunities in the industry, including virtual services (for instance, a certified personal trainer, nutritionist or health coach) and selling wellness products online.

Creative services and consulting

Marketing has gone almost all-digital in the COVID era, and reaching consumers through social media, email marketing, blogs and other digital channels has become a top priority for many businesses. There's plenty of room for creative professionals and consultants who want to help these brands nail their messaging and communications. Depending on your areas of expertise, you can offer direct services as a copywriter, social media manager, graphic designer, SEO specialist or web designer, or simply offer consulting services to help businesses plan their strategies.

How to choose the right business idea for you in 2021

Having that entrepreneurial drive is a good first step, but how do you narrow down your options to find the best business idea for you? You can start by asking yourself a few key questions:

• What industry experience do I have? While previous experience in an industry is not a prerequisite for launching a successful business, knowing the field well can give you an advantage.
• What am I most passionate about? The thing you're good at isn't necessarily the thing you love to do. Consider what business idea and type of work excites you and makes you feel fulfilled.
• What does current and future market demand for my idea look like? Do your research and figure out how other companies in your field of interest are faring and what their demand might look like in a post-COVID world. Businesses that are seeing a current surge and will likely have sustained interest even after the pandemic are the best ones to pursue right now.
• Do I know anyone who has started this type of business? Getting advice from other entrepreneurs who have been there can help you understand exactly what's involved and whether you'll be able to meet the potential challenges of launching this type of business.

Once you've answered these questions, you'll likely have a better picture of which business idea is the most feasible, not only in terms of market demand, but also your own passion, skills and interests.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

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More From Forbes

The 10 Biggest Business Trends For 2021 Everyone Must Be Ready For

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While there are many who can't wait to bid adieu to 2020, there's no doubt the coronavirus pandemic and the ways businesses had to adjust to ensure their survival changed the trajectory of what 2021 will look like and what businesses should do to get ready for the upcoming year. As a futurist, I help companies understand the latest trends and technologies and offer guidance on how to prepare their businesses for them. Here are the top 10 trends that will drive every business in 2021. I believe every business around the world needs to be ready for these trends.

Work from Home. . .For Real!

When employees were under lockdown orders due to COVID, companies had to quickly adapt operations to a remote workforce. Now that there are some distance and lessons learned from that initial experiment, most businesses are now rethinking their entire business model. Are offices still needed? Some companies experienced an increase in productivity when their workforce went remote. However, working from home wasn't ideal for others. Therefore in 2021, businesses need to reimagine their own workspaces as well as provide the proper support for people working from home, such as outfit them with the right office equipment, mental health support, and more so everyone can work from home comfortably.

Data as an Asset

Over the last few years, data volumes have grown massively. The businesses that leveraged this data to better understand their customers and to improve their decision-making are clearly the ones that are outperforming everyone else. Cloud solutions allow us to access data from anywhere. Businesses need to protect and secure data just as they would any other asset. Another important thing for businesses to consider is how to boost data literacy in their company in 2021 in order to glean decision-making insights from it. This also requires an investment in systems that can efficiently and effectively process, analyze, and store the data streaming into the organization.

Business Model Innovation

In 2021, every business leader needs to reflect on what they're offering customers and how they operate as a business. There were lots of industries that were completely transformed in 2020, such as the hospitality and events industry. The businesses that are currently thriving even during a pandemic are those that reacted quickly to the changes. For example, restaurants that pivoted to enable expanded take-out abilities or Formula 1 companies that were producing ventilators altered their typical operations to ensure survival. Although businesses have always had to think about how the market is shifting and what transformations that means for business, it will be more important in 2021 to innovate your business model.

Another top business trend in 2021 will be automation. Businesses will evaluate their business processes to see where they can take people out of the process when they aren't adding any true value. There have already been quite a few shifts in this direction from warehouses, supply chains, autonomous vehicles, trucks, and ships, as well as chatbots that automatically take over customer service inquiries. In 2021, I expect that white-collar automation will be a trend as we consider what bits of a lawyer, doctor, or other white-collar professional's jobs can be given over to computers and smart robots and delivered through automated interfaces.

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Decentralized Finance

As a result of the economic turmoil COVID-19 left in its path, capital markets continue to be nervous. This creates a challenge for businesses that want to raise capital to expand or start a new business. One solution for raising capital has been crowdfunding, blockchain technology, and other decentralized finance options. This will be a big trend in 2021 that will allow businesses to acquire capital easier than through traditional channels. 

Virtual Interfaces

As companies raced to find new ways of delivering service to customers that were not walking into stores, they began to consider how to deliver some of the services in digital forms using technology such as augmented reality, virtual reality , and mixed reality. To comply with stay-at-home orders, people would use virtual avatars to "try" on make-up, eyewear, and clothes. Ultimately, this "try before you buy" with virtual interfaces will transform how businesses offer their services.

Going from Global to Local

In 2020 there were a lot of reasons to begin to think more locally rather than globally—COVID-10 disrupted international supply chains, there were increasing tensions between the U.S. and China, and Brexit was delivered. Companies began to rethink where they were sourcing and selling their goods because international turmoil could disrupt business. More localized manufacturing and selling are also appealing for environmental awareness.

Purposeful & Meaningful

There's a trend to have more purpose and meaning in our jobs. Younger generations that are entering the workforce want to connect with a purpose or work for a company that has real meaning. Companies that don't have a clear or meaningful purpose will struggle to attract talent and customers.

Sustainability

Sustainability has been a concern for some time, but during the pandemic, things shifted in emphasis. As disruptive as the coronavirus was to business, companies are recognizing the environmental crisis could be much more damaging to the world as well as the bottom line than the pandemic. Therefore, every company needs to rethink operations, environmental impact, and their products and how they are being used. This trend of sustainability links closely to the previous trend of a meaningful purpose as companies work to reduce their carbon and water footprint.

Social Engagement

During the pandemic, brands relied on engaging with their customers and potential customers across social media. In 2021, there will be a big push toward a more authentic presence on social media and one that's less curated by social media experts, such as real behind-the-scenes looks at a company. Along with this will be engaging influencers and micro-influencers in your industry—those key people who are driving conversations and engage with your customers.

If you would like to learn more about technology trends, then have a look at my new books: Tech Trends in Practice: The 25 Technologies That Are Driving The 4th Industrial Revolution and The Intelligence Revolution: Transforming Your Business With AI .

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56 Small Business Ideas To Make Money in 2024

The entrepreneurial landscape brims with potential and vibrancy. No longer do you need massive capital or a brick-and-mortar store to kick off a business. Today, with just a sprinkle of creativity and a dose of determination, you can launch a new venture.

If you’ve landed on this page, you’re probably searching for a good business idea —an idea that’s light on the pocket but heavy on returns, promising both a fulfilling journey and potential profit. Below, we’ll explore 56 small business ideas tailored just for the budding entrepreneur of today.

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56 small business ideas to pursue in 2024

1. dropshipping.

Are you looking to sell products online but lack the funds for inventory and storage? Consider dropshipping. Dropshipping is an ecommerce business model where you don’t manage any physical products.

All you need to do is establish an online store and partner with suppliers. These suppliers will handle the storage, packaging, and shipping of orders to your customers. Get started by creating your online store via Shopify and using a dropshipping app to source products.

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2. Print on demand

If you’re searching for promising online business ideas, print on demand (POD) is worth considering. In this model, you design items like phone cases, mugs, or t-shirts, but you don’t handle the manufacturing or fulfillment. Your suppliers take care of printing, packaging, and shipping, and you pay only after a sale—meaning no initial costs.

Ready to kickstart your POD journey? Get started by creating a Shopify store and integrating a POD app, such as Printify .

3. Translation

Multilingual individuals are always in demand. If you’re proficient in two or more languages, consider launching a small business to capitalize on these skills. Begin by seeking clients on platforms like Upwork and Flexjobs to establish your portfolio. As your client base grows and you collaborate with more companies, consider expanding by hiring other translators with expertise in different languages.

4. Data entry

If you are proficient with spreadsheets or skilled in organizing systems and processes, running a data entry business could be a perfect fit for you. Since every business relies on data, data entry clerks are vital for compiling, storing, and managing large amounts of information.

Get started by reaching out to local companies to offer your expertise. You can also join freelance platforms such as Upwork and Fiverr to find clients.

5. Website flipping

Website flipping is gaining traction, especially among recent graduates and individuals working from home. The concept is simple: Acquire an existing website, refine its design and content, and then sell it at a markup.

You can find websites in need of a revamp on platforms like Flippa . Once finished, focus on enhancing the site’s design, content, and SEO. You can then list it for sale on the same platform to potentially make a profit.

6. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products or services through affiliate links. When someone clicks on your link and makes a purchase, you earn a commission.

Before joining an affiliate marketing program , consider various factors to find the best fit for your needs. Evaluate the commission rates, payment terms, and cookie duration offered by each program. Taking these things into account will help you choose the most suitable program to maximize your earning potential.

7. Home-based catering

If you have a knack for cooking and view it as a creative outlet, launching your own business in home-based catering could be a fulfilling venture. Your initial investment will vary. For instance, if you focus on smaller events you can manage yourself, costs may be more modest.

To kick things off, most home-based caterers set up a website , get involved in local food markets, or join platforms that let culinary experts earn from their skills.

8. Financial organization service

Launch a service that guides entrepreneurs in separating their personal and business finances. First, assist them in setting up distinct bank accounts and adopting software to monitor business expenses. Then, explain the tax and legal upsides to keeping finances apart. With your guidance, they’ll learn to maintain financial order effortlessly.

9. Dog walking

It can be difficult to keep up with a furry friend, particularly high-energy breeds with limited outdoor access. As a professional dog walker, you’ll be helping pet owners in the community keep their dogs happy, healthy, and well exercised.

You can establish a presence for your dog walking business on a number of platforms, including Wag! , Rover , and Care.com . Offer promotions for new clients and build a positive reputation by requesting reviews from those you’ve worked with in the past.

10. Virtual assistant

One of the most successful business ideas is offering virtual assistant services. Everyone from large enterprises to solopreneurs needs help with the day-to-day management of their business. You can use your excellent organizational skills to take some weight off their shoulders. 

Land your first few clients by responding to listings on platforms like FreeUp , PeoplePerHour , or Virtual Assistant Jobs . This is a proven business model, as people are always looking for efficient virtual assistants. 

11. Voiceover services

Voiceover artists provide professional narration for a variety of projects, such as podcast intros/outros, explainer videos, and audiobooks. Begin by refining your voice and recording skills through online tutorials and practice sessions. Develop a portfolio demonstrating your versatility across different genres and styles. Then, promote your services on freelancing platforms or by creating a website to attract potential clients.

Coding has long been a monetizable skill across industries. You can acquire foundational knowledge through courses, but true mastery comes from practical experience. Consider building a website to showcase your abilities, reach out to brands you admire for potential collaborations, and develop a portfolio featuring your work in website and app development.

13. Online reselling

Online reselling involves buying products cheaply from manufacturers or wholesalers and then selling them at a higher price to make a profit. To kick things off, focus on items you’re familiar with or that are in demand. Use platforms like eBay , Amazon , or Etsy to reach buyers. Quick tip: Take great photos and write clear descriptions to boost your sales.

14. Personal shopping

Do you have a knack for identifying fashion trends? If friends and family often seek your clothing advice, consider turning that talent into a personal shopping business.

Personal shoppers select clothing for clients who lack the time or inclination to shop. This involves assessing the client’s current wardrobe, browsing various online boutiques, and choosing items that fit their style. The variety of products in online stores means you don’t always have to shop in-person.

15. Car detailing

Contrary to popular belief, you can turn car detailing from a hobby into a thriving small business . Clients typically pay anywhere from $50 to $400 per vehicle, so with a consistent client base, you stand to earn a substantial profit.

Your marketing strategy holds the key to your success in the car detailing business. Create a website or utilize social media platforms to promote your services, and always encourage happy clients to leave reviews. Consider offering introductory discounts or package deals to entice new customers.

16. Boat cleaning

Here’s a unique idea that might interest you: boat cleaning. This service focuses on boats docked for off-season storage or those in need of repairs. Start by offering your services to individual boat owners with vessels parked at their homes.. You can also partner with marinas to provide your services as an added value to their customers.

17. Online tutoring

If you’re an expert in art, math, or another subject, consider starting your own small business in online tutoring. A bachelor’s degree in the subject you plan to teach is usually a must. Sites like Skooli and Tutor.com are great places to connect with students in need.

It’s beneficial to teach topics you’re passionate about and knowledgeable in, ensuring you provide real value. And with tools like Zoom, conducting online sessions is a breeze. Online tutoring not only taps into your expertise but also stands out as one of the more accessible small businesses to kick off.

18. Greeting cards

Greeting cards are always in style. So, if you have a good eye for design or just love showcasing your artwork on physical items, consider making greeting cards to sell online.

Before you start looking for clients, you need to have a handful of designs ready to go. Tools like Photoshop and Canva make it easy to create custom card designs. Additionally, you’ll need to stock up on supplies required to create greeting cards (ink, paper, etc.). 

19. Content writing

Almost every company with a web presence needs help creating content for product pages, blogs , etc. As such, starting a content writing or copywriting company could be one of the most profitable business ideas for you. Popular websites for finding those first few customers include Remote.co , Problogger , and BloggingPro . 

You can also join content writing groups on Facebook to get more exposure for your business. To make a good impression on clients, consider offering keyword optimization or custom graphics as part of your services. 

20. Newsletter

A newsletter lets you talk straight to an audience that’s already interested. If you’ve got internet savvy and know things others want to learn, think about launching a newsletter . You just need an email service and a plan to get subscribers. Then, you can earn by selling spots to sponsors, or by selling your own products or services right through the newsletter. Or, if you gather enough subscribers, start charging for your newsletter.

21. Makeup artist

If making people look their best with makeup is what you love, starting a makeup artist business could be your calling. Focus on weddings, photoshoots, and special events. You have the choice to cater to local clients or travel for a broader clientele. To get started, advertise on local Facebook groups, and don’t forget to launch a website and distribute flyers.

22. Online dating consultant

For those passionate about matchmaking, offering online dating consulting services can be a great business idea. This type of service involves assisting clients with all aspects of their online dating journey, from creating attractive profiles to providing personalized guidance for finding compatible matches. Offer it to some friends first and leverage their success stories to promote your business to other singles.

23. Homemade products

If you’re skilled in making unique crafts like soap, drinks, or baked goods, consider turning it into a business. You can sell your creations at local farmers markets or online platforms like Etsy to reach a wide audience.

To really make your mark, think about adding a personal touch to your products. For example, you could offer custom flavors for drinks or personalized labels for soaps and baked goods.

24. WordPress support

A lot of websites out there are hosted on WordPress, and almost every WordPress website owner requires support in some form. So, if you’re familiar with the ins and outs of this platform, you’ll have several opportunities to make money. 

Clients may contact you to fix their CSS, find and address security holes, and more. While you can use platforms like PeoplePerHour and Upwork to get your first clients, we recommend creating a custom website and listing your services there. That way, you’ll be able to avoid high commissions and build high-quality relationships with your clients.

25. Career coaching

With rising unemployment and a saturated job market, there’s no shortage of people needing help finding jobs. If you have a talent for helping your friends and family find suitable employment, you can probably help others too. 

Consider starting a career coaching business where you help people figure out what the best career is for them, and teach them how to nail an interview, what traits define a good candidate, and more. You can look for clients in Facebook groups or on platforms like Coach.me . 

26. Email marketing

Are you good at writing emails? Have you cracked the code for crafting subject lines that people can’t help but click? If so, you can step into entrepreneurship and make money by launching an email marketing business.

You can find companies that need help with their email strategy on platforms like PeoplePerHour and Upwork , as well as via cold outreach. Once you show your expertise in engaging recipients, clients will see the value in your services and many may agree to the price you quote them. Major brownie points if you can help grow their email list.

27. Contract cleaning

Not everyone has the time or skills to clean on a regular basis. By becoming a professional cleaner, you can assist home and business owners with scrubbing, dusting, vacuuming, and more, all while enjoying flexibility in your working hours due to the ongoing demand for cleaning services.

Startup costs for household cleaning businesses are extremely low. Cleaning supplies and materials usually cost less than $100, though you might also consider investing in specialty equipment like steam vacuums or carpet cleaners. Setting up a website or social media page can be an effective and low-cost way to promote your services.

28. Meals to go

There’s a growing demand from those who struggle to find the time to cook nutritious and healthy meals. This trend offers a perfect opportunity to start your own local meals-to-go business.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to invest heavily in a large commercial kitchen. A shared rental kitchen can efficiently cater to a meals-to-go business. These spaces come equipped with essential supplies and can be rented by the month, day, or hour. You can find shared-use licensed commissary kitchens on websites like The Kitchen Door .

29. Landscaping services

Are you passionate about gardening and yard work? Starting a landscaping business could be the perfect avenue to transform your hobby into a profitable venture. Landscaping services encompass a wide range of jobs, from mowing lawns to planting flowers and shrubs. Depending on your local climate, the demand for these services may vary seasonally.

To secure your initial clients, you might consider going door to door in your community or utilizing platforms like TaskEasy . Websites such as HomeAdvisor can also connect you with potential clients in your area.

30. Charity business

Have you ever dreamed of making a difference through your business? Now’s your chance. Infuse your company with a mission and allocate profits to a cause you care about. Partner with nonprofits or directly contribute to social good while staying transparent about your efforts.

You can also utilize tools like the Give & Grow Donations Shopify app to seamlessly incorporate your mission into your business and engage customers in supporting meaningful causes at checkout.

31. Website testing

Did you know many digital brands hire real individuals to provide feedback on their websites? These external insights help them pinpoint and rectify problems that internal developers might have overlooked. You can leverage this demand by assembling a team of freelancers and establishing your own website testing company.

For each project you undertake, your team would be provided with a set of questions to guide them as they navigate a client’s website. They’d then share their impressions on the site’s user experience and potential improvements through video feedback.

You can find work through websites like UserTesting , Ferpection , and TryMyUI . 

For each project you undertake, your team would be provided with a set of questions to guide them as they navigate a client’s website. They’d then share their impressions on the site’s user experience and potential improvements through video feedback. You can find work through websites like UserTesting , FerpectiFerpectionon , and TryMyUI . 

32. SEO 

Do you have experience in generating backlinks and improving the search engine visibility of a website? If yes, then there’s an opportunity for you to cash in on your skill set. 

Site owners worldwide require the services of SEO experts, so opening a business in this field could turn out to be one of your best decisions. To attract clients, target a niche audience, leverage past experiences, and highlight your success stories. With monthly retainers of $500 to $1,000, selling SEO services is one of the best business ideas to make money in 2024.

33. App development

App development is one of the best profitable small business ideas, since so many companies require an app. The cost of starting this venture has also drastically gone down due to the growth of tools and affordable developers.

Today, you can use software like OmniGraffle or Sketch to create the wireframes and mockups before you decide to publish the app. There’s also the opportunity to earn passive income by creating apps for the general audience.

34. Virtual dance studio

The upsides to a virtual dance studio are pretty obvious: You don’t need to rent a big space, and it’s convenient to record, publish, and share the choreography at your own discretion. It’s even possible to give dance classes from home, making it one of the best home-based business ideas .

To start a virtual dance studio, you’ll need to invest in video conferencing software, such as Zoom . You’ll also need high-speed internet to ensure there are no lags or buffering during the livestream. Make sure to arrange enough classes per month so that your students learn their routines fast.

If you have a passion for creating your own unique choreography, you may also find opportunities to partner with dance schools to give their students access to your content on a membership basis. 

35. Stock photography

If you have the ability to capture great candid moments or recently did a portrait shoot of a relative, you can become a stock photographer by registering a sole proprietorship under your name. 

Most stock photography websites pay you a royalty for every download on their platform. Another option is to launch your own photography website and sell images directly to people, which is only viable if you have the resources to invest in marketing. 

36. Instagram consulting

If you know the secrets to Instagram engagement , consider starting an Instagram consulting business. Clients will pay you for crafting engaging captions, responding to comments, creating attractive bios, and more.

You can monetize these services by charging a specific rate per hour or by project. This is the ideal business model for digital nomads , as all tasks can be managed from a laptop or smartphone.

37. Video production

The initial investment for this venture includes a basic lighting set, wireless microphones, one to two cameras (and lenses), and editing software such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro . Consider sourcing second-hand equipment to cut down on startup costs.

You can offer to produce video content for companies’ YouTube channels, manage graduation and wedding videography, and more. While there’s no restriction to the types of projects you can do, specializing in a niche makes it easy to stand out in a busy marketplace. 

38. Software education

Are there people in your circle struggling with computer software? If so, starting a software education venture could be lucrative. Your students might range from entrepreneurs enhancing their IT capabilities to small business owners mastering tools like Excel and PowerPoint. As the primary expert, you can spearhead most of the training sessions.

As enrollment grows, consider bringing onboard freelance software experts to cover specialized topics. While renting a space for physical classes is an option, virtual classes could reduce costs and broaden your reach.

39. College preparation

The business of assisting high school students in securing college admissions is thriving. As IBISWorld notes, the testing and educational support industry’s market size was a staggering $17.9 billion in 2023

Initiate your venture by choosing a specific aspect of college prep, like ACT tutoring or admission essay coaching. Once your niche is clear, register your business and start reaching out to students.

40. Niche staffing agency

Nearly every industry has open jobs, and employers are keen to hire the best people for their companies. Your task as a niche staffing agency is to match employees to employers in your sector of choice. 

Figure out what type of roles you’ll be staffing (Junior? Mid-level? C-level?) so you can identify the right candidates for the position. Additionally, consider the employment terms that your agency will share with potential candidates. You can be a temporary, temporary-to-permanent, or long-term staffing agency based on the needs of the market.

41. Digital event planning

One of the best small business ideas is to open up a digital event planning company. In this business, you’ll plan, organize, and report on digital events like webinars and online summits for different companies. 

Money can be made by charging an hourly fee for your service, selling sponsorships, etc. If you ever dreamed of planning a wedding or exhibition, but never quite had the time to organize anything, you can still channel your inner facilitator by planning digital events for people and businesses.

42. Personal training

Being a personal trainer transcends simple exercise instruction. Personal trainers craft tailored plans, providing both motivation and consistent accountability. Clients invest not just in workouts, but in the comprehensive expertise a personal trainer offers.

This expertise isn’t confined to gym walls. The surge of virtual training sessions allows personal trainers to tap into a global clientele. For those deeply passionate about fitness, establishing a personal training business stands at the intersection of profit and passion.

43. Child care

If you love working with children and can obtain the necessary licenses, starting a child care business might be a great opportunity for you. The increasing need for child care services and the lack of enough providers create an ideal situation for launching a new business. To differentiate your venture, consider offering personalized care options or engaging activity programs tailored to children’s ages and interests.

44. Home enhancement

Got an eye for aesthetics and space management? Consider getting into home enhancement, where you transform everyday spaces into showpiece properties. Initially, you can magnify the appeal of homes using the owner’s existing items, keeping startup costs low. As you gain momentum, many professionals in this field curate their own collection of versatile furnishings.

45. Tour guide business

Another small business idea is starting a tour guide business. Sure, there’s a lot of competition out there. But you can differentiate yourself by offering unique experiences. Consider crafting specialized tours that cater to niche interests, such as historical walking tours of your town’s most haunted spots, or curated food tours that showcase the city’s culinary delights.

46. Life coaching

Life coaches guide individuals through career shifts and help them create lives they adore. If you’re skilled at decision-making, communicate well, and like steering people toward their dream lives, this might be your calling. Get a qualification first. Then, grab clients through social media and local ads, and, eventually, word-of-mouth will do its magic.

47. Furniture upcycling/restoration

Furniture upcycling has become popular as people look to refresh their living spaces. If you’ve developed skills in restoring furniture and enjoy giving a new lease on life to well-loved pieces, think about starting a business in furniture restoration or upcycling. Search for hidden gems in local charity shops or reclamation centers to refurbish and sell, or offer your services to update people’s existing furniture.

48. Board game customization

Personalized board games are becoming popular as people look for unique, custom-made entertainment options. This business caters to everyone: single players, families, and companies who want special games. To start, think about if you want to make the games yourself or hire a specialist to do it. If you decide to make them, look at YouTube videos and online guides to learn how.

49. Massage therapy

Massage therapists offer a service many seek for relief and relaxation. Here’s how you can run your massage business:

• Go to clients’ houses to provide massages.
• Open a center where clients can visit you.
• Team up with a chiropractor, salon, or acupuncturist and work together.

First, you need to get certified. After that, you can start adding more services, like beauty treatments or relaxation therapies.

50. Personal storage help

Dealing with excess belongings is something a lot of people struggle with. They sometimes even end up needing extra space to store their stuff. As a personal storage helper, you step in to sort this out. You help decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to store. This job revolves around being organized and assisting people in decluttering their spaces.

51. Coffee shop

Turn your coffee enthusiasm into your own coffee shop. You can either join a franchise or start from scratch. Once your shop is up and running, make it a go-to place by organizing events, offering deals, and becoming a vital part of the community.

52. Food store

If you’re an expert in a certain type of food—or simply have a deep love for a specific product—consider opening a dedicated food store. With a clear business plan, transform your passion into a niche hub for cheese, wine, craft beers, or specialty olive oils, drawing in those with similar tastes.

53. Food truck

Starting a food truck is more affordable than opening a restaurant, since all you need is a vehicle and cooking gear. To do well, pick a certain type of food or cuisine because space is tight. If buying a truck is too costly, consider leasing one through a company such as the Food Truck Group. This way, you can start small and, if things go well, possibly open a restaurant later.

54. Vending machines

Vending machines provide convenient access to a variety of products without the need for human interaction. They cater to individuals seeking quick purchases in high-traffic locations like hospitals, schools, and community centers. To start this business, research and secure agreements with property owners for strategic machine placement.

55. Eco-friendly refill shop

As people become more eco-conscious, refill stations for everyday products like laundry detergent and cooking oil are gaining traction. These businesses appeal by helping customers reduce plastic waste and promoting sustainability. To get started, create a functional setup with clearly labeled bulk dispensers for various products.

56. Interior design

Many people can buy furniture and décor but don’t know how to pull a room together. That’s where you come in. Start by decorating friends’ homes to match their vision with your flair. Great interior design mixes client dreams with your know-how. Document your work, share it online, and watch your fanbase grow.

Start a small business today

There you have it—a list of 56 small business ideas that will make you money in 2024. To give yourself the best chance of success, focus on one idea at a time until you find one that aligns with your abilities. 

Thousands of entrepreneurs have implemented these business ideas to make money, so you can be sure that you’re putting your time and effort into something viable and proven. Whether you’re a college student, a work-at-home parent, or simply someone looking to start a business , remember there are plenty of opportunities to earn a sizable income. 

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The next normal arrives: Trends that will define 2021—and beyond

Businesses have spent much of the past nine months scrambling to adapt to extraordinary circumstances. While the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet won, with a vaccine in sight, there is at least a faint light at the end of the tunnel—along with the hope that another train isn’t heading our way.

2021 will be the year of transition. Barring any unexpected catastrophes, individuals, businesses, and society can start to look forward to shaping their futures rather than just grinding through the present. The next normal is going to be different. It will not mean going back to the conditions that prevailed in 2019. Indeed, just as the terms “prewar” and “postwar” are commonly used to describe the 20th century, generations to come will likely discuss the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 eras.

2021 will be the year of transition. Barring any unexpected catastrophes, individuals, businesses, and society can start to look forward to shaping their futures rather than just grinding through the present.

In this article, we identify some of the trends that will shape the next normal. Then we discuss how they will affect the direction of the global economy, how business will adjust, and how society could be changed forever as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

How the COVID-19 crisis and the recovery are shaping the global economy

The return of confidence unleashes a consumer rebound.

There are lines outside stores, but they are often due to physical-distancing requirements. Theaters are dark. Fashions are in closets rather than on display. If the Musée du Louvre were open, the lack of tourists might even create the opportunity for an unobstructed view of the Mona Lisa. In these and other ways, consumers have pulled back.

As consumer confidence returns, so will spending, with “revenge shopping” sweeping through sectors as pent-up demand is unleashed. That has been the experience of all previous economic downturns. One difference, however, is that services have been particularly hard hit this time. The bounce back will therefore likely emphasize those businesses, particularly the ones that have a communal element, such as restaurants and entertainment venues.

That isn’t to say that consumers will act uniformly. McKinsey’s most recent consumer survey, published in late October, found that countries with older demographics, such as France, Italy, and Japan, are less optimistic than are those with younger populations, such as India and Indonesia. China was an exception—it has an older population but is conspicuously optimistic.

But China’s profile proves a larger point. The first country to be hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was also the first to emerge from it. China’s consumers are relieved—and spending accordingly. On Singles Day, November 11, the country’s two largest online retailers racked up record sales. That wasn’t just a holiday phenomenon. While manufacturing in China came back first, by September, so had consumer spending. Except for international air travel, Chinese consumers have begun to act and spend largely as they did in precrisis times. Australia also offers hope. With the pandemic largely contained in that country, household spending fueled a faster-than-expected 3.3 percent growth rate in the third quarter of 2020, and spending on goods and services rose 7.9 percent. 1 Jamie Smyth, “Australia’s economy powers out of COVID-19 recession,” Financial Times, December 1, 2020, ft.com.

How fast and deep confidence will recover is an open question. In late September, for example, the US consumers surveyed were more optimistic than before but still cautious, reporting that they planned to buy holiday gifts for fewer people and keep an eye on discretionary spending. 2 “ Survey: US consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis ,” December 2020. Only around a third had resumed out-of-home activities, compared with 81 percent of consumers in China, 49 percent in France—and just 18 percent in Mexico. New lockdowns and, critically, the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines have and will affect those numbers. The point is that spending will only recover as fast as the rate at which people feel confident about becoming mobile again—and those attitudes differ markedly by country.

Leisure travel bounces back but business travel lags

People who travel for pleasure will want to get back to doing so. That has been the pattern in China. The CEO of one major travel company told us that, beginning in the third quarter of 2020, business was “pretty much back to normal” when referring to growth. But it was a different normal: domestic travel was surging, but international travel was still depressed given pandemic-related border restrictions and concerns about health and safety. In China as a whole, hotel occupancy and the number of travelers on domestic flights were more than 90 percent of their 2019 levels at the end of August, and over the October Golden Week holiday, more than 600 million Chinese hit the road, around 80 percent of last year’s figure. 3 Anniek Bao, “Travel rebounds over China’s national day holiday,” Caixin Global, October 9, 2020, caixinglobal.com; Monica Buchanan Pitrelli, “More than 600 million people traveled in China during ‘Golden Week’,” CNBC, October 9, 2020, cnbc.com; Guang Chen, Will Enger, Steve Saxon, and Jackey Yu, “ What can other countries learn from China’s travel recovery path? ,” October 2020. Because of confidence in the country’s health and safety measures, domestic travel is almost back to the level seen prior to the pandemic, and high-end domestic travel is actually ahead of it.

By definition, leisure travel is discretionary. Business travel is less so. In 2018, business-travel spending reached $1.4 trillion, which was more than 20 percent of the total spending in the hospitality and travel sector. 4 World Travel & Tourism Council, wttc.org. It also brings in a disproportionate share of profits—70 percent of revenues globally for high-end hotels, for example. During and after the pandemic, though, there is a question about business travel: Exactly when is it necessary? The answer is almost certain to be not as much as before. Video calls and collaboration tools that enable remote working, for example, could replace some onsite meetings and conferences.

The larger context is also informative. History shows that, after a recession, business travel takes longer than leisure travel to bounce back. After the 2008–09 financial crisis, for example, international business travel took five years to recover, compared with two years for international leisure travel.

Regional and domestic business travel will likely rebound first; some companies and sectors will want to resume in-person sales and customer meetings as soon as they safely can. Peer pressure may also play a part: once one company gets back to face-to-face meetings, their competitors may not want to hold back. All told, however, a survey of business-travel managers found that they expect business-travel spending in 2021 will only be half that of 2019. 5 Seth Borko, Wouter Geerts, and Haixia Wang, The travel industry turned upside down: Insights, analysis, and actions for travel executives , September 2020. While business travel will return at scale, and global economic growth will generate new demand, executives in the field think that it may never recover to the 2019 level.

In short, leisure travel is driven by the very human desire to explore and to enjoy, and that has not changed. Indeed, one of the first things people do as they grow more prosperous is to travel—first close to home and then further afield. There is no reason to believe that the rise in global prosperity will reverse itself or that human curiosity will diminish. But the effective use of technology during the pandemic—and the economic constraints that many companies will face for years after it—could augur the beginning of a long-term structural change in business travel.

The crisis sparks a wave of innovation and launches a generation of entrepreneurs

Plato was right: necessity is indeed the mother of invention. During the COVID-19 crisis, one area that has seen tremendous growth is digitization, meaning everything from online customer service to remote working to supply-chain reinvention to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve operations. Healthcare, too, has changed substantially, with telehealth and biopharma coming into their own.

Disruption creates space for entrepreneurs—and that’s what is happening in the United States, in particular, but also in other major economies. We admit that we didn’t see this coming. After all, during the 2008–09 financial crisis, small-business formation declined, and it rose only slightly during the recessions of 2001 and 1990–91. This time, though, there is a veritable flood of new small businesses. In the third quarter of 2020 alone, there were more than 1.5 million new-business applications in the United States—almost double the figure for the same period in 2019. 6 “Business and industry: Time series/trend charts,” US Census Bureau, December 15, 2020, census.gov.

Yes, many of those businesses are single-person establishments that could well stay that way—think of the restaurant chef turned caterer or the recent college graduate with a cool new app. So it’s intriguing that the volume of “high-propensity-business applications” (those that are likeliest to turn into businesses with payrolls) has also risen strongly—more than 50 percent compared with 2019. Venture-capital activity dipped only slightly in the first half of 2020.

The European Union has not seen anything like this response, perhaps because its recovery strategy tended to emphasize protecting jobs (not income, as in the United States). That said, France saw 84,000 new business formations in October, the highest ever recorded, 7 Valentina Romei, “Pandemic triggers surge in business start-ups across major countries,” Financial Times, December 30, 2020, ft.com. and 20 percent more than in the same month in 2019. Germany has also seen an increase in new businesses compared with 2019; ditto for Japan. Britain is somewhere in between. A survey published in November 2020 of 1,500 self-employed people found that 20 percent say they are likely to leave self-employment when they can. 8 “Hours and incomes of self-employed workers stayed low over summer,” LSE, November 10, 2020, lse.ac.uk. At the same time, however, the number of new businesses registered in the United Kingdom in the third quarter of 2020 rose 30 percent compared with 2019, showing the largest increase seen since 2012. 9 Andy Bounds and Chris Tighe, “Starting a business in the midst of a pandemic,” Financial Times, November 26, 2020, ft.com.

On the whole, the COVID-19 crisis has been devastating small business. In the United States, for example, there were 25.3 percent fewer of them open in December 2020 than at the beginning of the year (the bottom was in mid-April, when the figure was almost half). 10 Opportunity Insights Economic Tracker, November 30, 2020, tracktherecovery.org. US small-business revenue fell more than 30 percent between January and December 2020. 11 Gwynn Guilford and Charity L. Scott, “Is it insane to start a business during coronavirus? Millions of Americans don’t think so,” Wall Street Journal, September 26, 2020, wsj.com. But we’ll take good news where we can get it, and the positive trend in entrepreneurship could bode well for job growth and economic activity once recovery takes hold.

Digitally enabled productivity gains accelerate the Fourth Industrial Revolution

There’s no going back. The great acceleration in the use of technology, digitization, and new forms of working is going to be sustained. Many executives reported that they moved 20 to 25 times faster than they thought possible on things like building supply-chain redundancies, improving data security, and increasing the use of advanced technologies in operations. 12 “ How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever: McKinsey Global Survey results ,” October 2020.

How all that feeds into long-term productivity will not be known until the data for several more quarters are evaluated. But it’s worth noting that US productivity in the third quarter of 2020 rose 4.6 percent, following a 10.6 percent increase in the second quarter, which is the largest six-month improvement since 1965. 13 “Productivity and costs: Third quarter 2020, revised,” US Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 8, 2020, bls.gov. Productivity is only one number, albeit an important one; the startling figure for the United States in the second quarter was based in large part on the biggest declines in output and hours seen since 1947. That isn’t an enviable precedent.

More positively, in the past, it has taken a decade or longer for game-changing technologies to evolve from cool new things to productivity drivers. The COVID-19 crisis has sped up that transition in areas such as AI and digitization by several years, and even faster in Asia. A McKinsey survey published in October 2020 found that companies are three times likelier than they were before the crisis to conduct at least 80 percent of their customer interactions digitally. 14 Laura LaBerge, Clayton O’Toole, Jeremy Schneider, and Kate Smaje “ How COVID-19 has pushed companies over the technology tipping point—and transformed business forever ,” October 2020.

The COVID-19 crisis has created an imperative for companies to reconfigure their operations—and an opportunity to transform them. To the extent that they do so, greater productivity will follow.

That evolution has not always been a seamless or elegant process: businesses had to scramble to install or adapt new technologies under intense pressure. The result has been that some systems are clunky. The near-term challenge, then, is to move from reacting to the crisis to building and institutionalizing what has been done well so far. For consumer industries, and particularly for retail, that could mean improving digital and omnichannel business models. For healthcare, it’s about establishing virtual options as a norm. For insurance, it’s about personalizing the customer experience. And for semiconductors, it’s about identifying and investing in next-generation products. For everyone, there will be new opportunities in M&A and an urgent need to invest in capability building.

How businesses are adjusting to the changes prompted by the COVID-19 crisis

Pandemic-induced changes in shopping behavior forever alter consumer businesses.

In nine of 13 major countries surveyed by McKinsey, at least two-thirds of consumers say they have tried new kinds of shopping. 15 Surveyed countries were Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States. The countries where fewer than two-thirds of respondents had tried new shopping behaviors were the United Kingdom (63 percent), France (56 percent), Germany (50 percent), and Japan (30 percent). And in all 13, 65 percent or more say they intend to continue to do so. The implication is that brands that haven’t figured out how to reach consumers in new ways had better catch up, or they will be left behind. We expect that, in developing markets—Brazil and India, for example—the pandemic will accelerate digital shopping, albeit from a low base. Consumers in continental Europe have bought more online but aren’t as enthusiastic as those in Britain and the United States to continue doing so.

Specifically, the shift to online retail is real, and much of it will stick. In the United States, the penetration of e-commerce was forecast in 2019 to reach 24 percent by 2024; by July 2020, it had hit 33 percent of total retail sales. 16 Eric Lamarre and Kate Smaje, “ Accelerating digital capabilities to recover from the COVID-19 crisis ,” July 21, 2020. To put it another way, the first half of 2020 saw an increase in e-commerce equivalent to that of the previous ten years. 17 Arun Arora, Hamza Khan, Sajal Kohli, and Caroline Tufft, “ DTC e-commerce: How consumer brands can get it right ,” November 2020. In Latin America, where the payments and delivery infrastructure isn’t as strong, e-commerce use doubled from 5 to 10 percent. In Europe, overall digital adoption is almost universal (95 percent), compared with 81 percent at the start of the pandemic. In normal times, getting to that level would have taken two to three years. Strikingly, the biggest increases came in countries that had previously been relatively cautious about shopping online. Germany, Romania, and Switzerland, for example, had the three lowest online-penetration rates prior to the COVID-19 crisis; since then, usage increased 28, 25, and 18 percentage points, respectively—more than in any other markets.

Dig a little deeper, though, and there are some cautionary notes, such as the conspicuous lack of brand loyalty among online buyers. Perhaps most telling, in a recent McKinsey survey, only 60 percent of consumer-goods companies say they are even moderately prepared to capture e-commerce-growth opportunities. 18 Arun Arora, Hamza Khan, Sajal Kohli, and Caroline Tufft, “ DTC e-commerce: How consumer brands can get it right ,” November 2020. As one executive told us, “when it comes to selling directly to consumers, we don’t really know where to start.” That concern is certainly valid. Direct-to-consumer selling requires the development of new skills, capabilities, and business and pricing models. But the trend is clear: many consumers are moving online. To reach them, companies have to go there, too.

Supply chains rebalance and shift

Think of it as “just in time plus.” The “plus” stands for “just in case,” meaning more sophisticated risk management. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed vulnerabilities in the long, complicated supply chains of many companies. When a single country or even a single factory went dark, the lack of critical components shut down production. Never again, executives vowed. So the great rebalancing began. As much as a quarter of global goods exports, or $4.5 trillion, could shift by 2025.

Once businesses began to study how their supply chains worked, they realized three things. First, disruptions aren’t unusual. Any given company can expect a shutdown lasting a month or so every 3.7 years. Such shocks, then, are far from shocking: they are predictable features of doing business that need to be managed like any other.

Second, cost differences among developed and many developing countries are narrowing. In manufacturing, companies that adopt Industry 4.0 principles (meaning the application of data, analytics, human–machine interaction, advanced robotics, and 3-D printing) can offset half of the labor-cost differential between China and the United States. The gap narrows further when the cost of rigidity is factored in: end-to-end optimization is more important than the sum of individual transaction costs. That’s one reason why agencies such as the US Department of Defense are diversifying their networks of suppliers for essentials, such as in healthcare manufacturing and microelectronics.

And third, most businesses do not have a good idea of what is going on lower down in their supply chains, where subtiers and sub-subtiers may play small but critical roles. That is also where most disruptions originate, but two-thirds of companies say they can’t confirm the business-continuity arrangements with their non-tier-one suppliers. With the development of AI and data analytics, companies can learn more about, audit, and connect with their entire value chains.

None of those things means that multinationals are going to ship all or most of their production back to their home markets. There are good reasons to take advantage of regional expertise and to be in place to serve fast-growing consumer markets. But questions on security and resiliency mean that those companies are likely to be more thoughtful about the business cases for such decisions.

The future of work arrives ahead of schedule

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the idea of remote working was in the air but not proceeding very far or fast. But the pandemic changed that, with tens of millions of people transitioning to working from home, essentially overnight, in a wide range of industries. For example, according to Michael Fisher, president and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, there were 2,000 telehealth visits recorded at the organization in all of 2019—and 5,000 a week in July 2020. 19 “ Making a daily ‘to be’ list: How a hospital system CEO is navigating the coronavirus crisis ,” McKinsey Quarterly , July 23, 2020. Fisher thinks telehealth could account for 30 percent of all healthcare visits in the future. In Japan, fewer than 1,000 institutions offered remote care in 2018; by July 2020, more than 16,000 did.

The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) estimates that more than 20 percent of the global workforce (most of them in high-skilled jobs in sectors such as finance, insurance, and IT) could work the majority of its time away from the office—and be just as effective. Not everyone who can, will; even so, that is a once-in-several-generations change. It’s happening not just because of the COVID-19 crisis but also because advances in automation and digitization made it possible; the use of those technologies has accelerated during the pandemic. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella noted in April 2020 that “we’ve seen two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months.” 20 Jared Spataro, “2 years of digital transformation in 2 months,” Microsoft, April 30, 2020, microsoft.com.

The McKinsey Global Institute estimates that more than 20 percent of the global workforce could work the majority of its time away from the office—and be just as effective.

There are two important challenges related to the transition to working away from the office. One is to decide the role of the office itself, which is the traditional center for creating culture and a sense of belonging. Companies will have to make decisions on everything from real estate (Do we need this building, office, or floor?) to workplace design (How much space between desks? Are pantries safe?) to training and professional development (Is there such a thing as remote mentorship?). Returning to the office shouldn’t be a matter of simply opening the door. Instead, it needs to be part of a systematic reconsideration of what exactly the office brings to the organization.

The other challenge has to do with adapting the workforce to the requirements of automation, digitization, and other technologies. This isn’t just the case for sectors such as banking and telecom; instead it’s a challenge across the board, even in sectors not associated with remote work. For example, major retailers are increasingly automating checkout. If salesclerks want to keep their jobs, they will need to learn new skills. In 2018, the World Economic Forum estimated that more than half of employees would need significant reskilling or upskilling by 2022.

Evidence shows that the benefits of reskilling current staff, rather than letting them go and then finding new people, typically costs less and brings benefits that outweigh the costs. Investing in employees can also foster loyalty, customer satisfaction, and positive brand perception.

Workforce development was a priority even before the pandemic. In a McKinsey survey conducted in May 2019, almost 90 percent of the executives and managers surveyed said their companies faced skill gaps or expected to in the next five years. 21 “ Beyond hiring: How companies are reskilling to address talent gaps ,” February 12, 2020. But only a third said they were prepared to deal with the issue. Successful reskilling starts with knowing what skills are needed, both right now and in the near future; offering tailored learning opportunities to meet them; and evaluating what does and doesn’t work. Perhaps most important, it requires commitment from the top that inculcates a culture of lifelong learning.

The biopharma revolution takes hold

The announcement of several promising COVID-19 vaccines has been a much-needed shot of good news. There will be challenges to rolling out these vaccines on the scale needed, but that does not lessen the accomplishment.

Unlike previous vaccines, many of which use an inactivated or attenuated form of a virus to create resistance to it, the vaccines created by Moderna and the BioNTech–Pfizer partnership use mRNA. This platform has been under development for years, but these are the first vaccines that have secured regulatory approval. The “m” is for “messenger” because the molecules carry genetic instructions to the cells to create a protein that prompts an immune response. The body breaks down mRNA and its lipid carrier within a matter of hours. (WHO lists 60 candidate COVID-19 vaccines that have advanced to clinical trials; many don’t use mRNA.)

Just as businesses have sped up their operations in response to the COVID-19 crisis, the pandemic could be the launching point for a massive acceleration in the pace of medical innovation, with biology meeting technology in new ways. Not only was the COVID-19 genome sequenced in a matter of weeks, rather than months, but the vaccine rolled out in less than a year—an astonishing accomplishment given that normal vaccine development has often taken a decade. Urgency has created momentum, but the larger story is how a wide and diverse range of capabilities—among them, bioengineering, genetic sequencing, computing, data analytics, automation, machine learning, and AI—have come together.

Regulators have also reacted with speed and creativity, establishing clear guidelines and encouraging thoughtful collaboration. Without relaxing safety and efficacy requirements, they have shown just how quickly they can collect and evaluate data. If those lessons are applied to other diseases, they could play a significant role in setting the foundation for the faster development of treatments.

The development of COVID-19 vaccines is just the most compelling example of the potential of what MGI calls the “Bio Revolution”—biomolecules, biosystems, biomachines, and biocomputing. In a report published in May 2020, MGI estimated that “45 percent of the global disease burden could be addressed with capabilities that are scientifically conceivable today.” 22 “ The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies, and our lives ,” McKinsey Global Institute, May 13, 2020. For example, gene-editing technologies could curb malaria, which kills more than 250,000 people a year. Cellular therapies could repair or even replace damaged cells and tissues. New kinds of vaccines could be applied to noncommunicable diseases, including cancer and heart disease.

The potential of the Bio Revolution goes well beyond health; as much as 60 percent of the physical inputs to the global economy, according to MGI, could theoretically be produced biologically. Examples include agriculture (genetic modification to create heat- or drought-resistant crops or to address conditions such as vitamin-A deficiency), energy (genetically engineered microbes to create biofuels), and materials (artificial spider silk and self-repairing fabrics). Those and other applications feasible through current technology could create trillions of dollars in economic impact over the next decade.

Portfolio restructuring accelerates

The COVID-19 crisis provoked divergent, even dramatic, reactions, with some industries taking off and others suffering badly; the effect was to shake up historic norms. When the economy settles into its next normal, such sectoral differences can be expected to narrow, with industries returning to somewhere around their previous relative positions. What is less obvious is how the dynamics within sectors are likely to change. In previous downturns, the strong came out stronger, and the weak got weaker, went under, or were bought. The defining difference was resilience—the ability not only to absorb shocks but to use them to build competitive advantage. Over the course of a decade, companies can expect losses of 42 percent of a year’s profits from disruptions. 23 “ Risk, resilience, and rebalancing in global value chains ,” McKinsey Global Institute, August 6, 2020.

In October 2020, McKinsey evaluated 1,500 companies by “Z-Score,” which measures the probability of corporate bankruptcy. The higher the score, the stronger the company’s financial position. The research found that the top 20 percent of companies (the “emerging resilients”) that had improved their Z-Scores during the current recession had increased their earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization by 5 percent; the others had lost 19 percent. 24 Cindy Levy, Mihir Mysore, Kevin Sneader, and Bob Sternfels, “ The emerging resilients: Achieving ‘escape velocity’ ,” October 6, 2020. The emerging resilients, the evidence shows, are pulling away from the pack.

The implication is that there is a resiliency premium on recovery. Top performers won’t sit on their strengths; instead, as in previous downturns, they will seek out ways to build them—for example, through M&A. That’s why we expect to see substantial portfolio adjustment as companies with healthy balance sheets seek opportunities in a context of discounted assets and lower valuations. In fact, that may already be happening: deal making began to pick up midyear.

A second factor that tilts the odds in favor of portfolio restructuring is the availability of private capital. Special-purpose acquisition companies, which merge with a company to take it public, are “having a moment” in 2020, as McKinsey recently noted. 25 Kurt Chauviere, Alastair Green, and Tao Tan, “ Earning the premium: A recipe for long-term SPAC success ,” September 23, 2020. Through August 2020, they had accounted for 81 out of 111 US IPOs.

Much more important is private equity (PE). Globally, PE firms are sitting on almost $1.5 trillion of “dry powder”—unallocated capital that’s ready to be invested. The COVID-19 crisis has hurt in some ways, with global deal value down 12 percent compared with the first three quarters of 2019 and deal counts down 30 percent. 26 Alex Lynn, “Asia’s dealmakers spend big during pandemic, get little back,” PEI Media, November 23, 2020, privateequityinternational.com.

On the other hand, global fundraising has stayed strong—$348.5 billion through September 2020, on par with the previous five years—and deal making in Asia has more than doubled. 27 Alex Lynn, “Covid-19 adds fuel to India’s private equity explosion,” PEI Media, November 30, 2020, privateequityinternational.com; Carmela Mendoza, “Flight to familiarity intensifies with fewer funds,” PEI Media, October 19, 2020, privateequityinternational.com. The PE industry has a reputation of zigging when others are zagging, making deals in difficult times. And it has history on its side: returns on PE investments made during global downturns tend to be higher than in the good times. Put it all together, and we don’t think the PE industry is going to keep its powder dry for much longer; there are simply going to be too many new investment opportunities.

Green, with a touch of brown, is the color of recovery

All over the world, the costs of pollution—and the benefits of environmental sustainability—are increasingly recognized. China, some of the Gulf States, and India are investing in green energy on a scale that would have been considered improbable even a decade ago. Europe, including the United Kingdom, is united on addressing climate change. The United States is transitioning away from coal and is innovating in a wide array of green technologies, such as batteries, carbon-capture methods, and electric vehicles.

To cope with the 2008–09 financial crisis, there were substantial government stimulus programs, but few of them incorporated climate or environmental action. This time is different. Many (though by no means all) countries are using their recovery plans to push through existing environmental policy priorities:

• The European Union plans to dedicate around 30 percent of its $880 billion plan for COVID-19-crisis plan to climate-change-related measures, including the issuance of at least $240 billion in “green bonds.”
• In September 2020, China pledged to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2060.
• Japan has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050.
• South Korea’s Green New Deal, part of its economic-recovery plan, invests in greener infrastructure and technology, with the stated goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
• While campaigning, US president-elect Joe Biden pledged to invest $2 trillion in clean energy related to transportation, power, and building.
• Canada is linking recovery to climate goals.
• Nigeria plans to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies and to install solar-power systems for an estimated 25 million people.
• Colombia is planting 180 million trees.

The imperative for businesses is clear along two fronts. First, businesses need to respond to the sustainability concerns of investors. It’s possible, albeit speculative, that the COVID-19 crisis foreshadows what a climate crisis could look like: systemic, fast moving, wide ranging, and global. There is a case, then, for businesses to take action to limit their climate risks—for example, by making their capital investments more climate resilient or by diversifying their supply chains.

More significantly, the growth opportunities that a green economy portends could be substantial. BlackRock, a global investment company with around $7 trillion in assets under management, noted in its 2021 Global Outlook that, “contrary to past consensus,” it expects that the shift to sustainability will “help enhance returns” and that “the tectonic shift towards sustainable investing is accelerating.” 28 Philipp Hildebrand et al., 2021 Global Outlook , BlackRock, 2020, blackrock.com. Green growth opportunities abound across massive sectors such as energy, mobility, and agriculture. Just as digital-economy companies have powered stock-market returns in the past couple of decades, so green-technology companies could play that role in the coming decades.

How the COVID-19 crisis could change society

Healthcare systems take stock—and make changes.

Healthcare system reform is difficult. While caution is necessary when lives are involved, one consequence is that modernization is often slower than it needs to be. Learning from the experiences associated with COVID-19 can show the way to build stronger postpandemic healthcare systems.

Consider the case of South Korea. When the MERS virus struck in 2015, resulting in the deaths of 38 Koreans, the government was stung by widespread public criticism that it had not responded well. As a result, it took action to improve its pandemic preparedness—and it was ready when COVID-19 hit in January 2020. Large-scale testing, as well as tracing and quarantine measures, began almost immediately. And it worked. While the country began seeing a significant increase in new cases in December, fewer than 1,000 South Koreans died from COVID-19 in all of 2020.

No doubt, governments all over the world will set up task forces, inquiries, and commissions to examine their actions related to the COVID-19 crisis. The key is to go beyond the temptation simply to assign blame (or credit). Instead, the efforts need to be forward thinking, with an emphasis on turning the painful lessons of COVID-19 into effective action.

Being better prepared for the next pandemic, on both national and international levels, has to be a high priority. Too often, investments in prevention and public-health capabilities are undervalued; the experience of COVID-19 demonstrates how costly, in both lives and livelihoods, such thinking can be. An upgrade of public-health infrastructure and the modernization of healthcare systems, including the wider use of telemedicine and virtual health, are two areas to address.

Business will also have a role. Employers should take the opportunity to learn from the pandemic how to redesign workplaces, build healthier work environments, and invest effectively in employee health.

The hangovers begin as governments tackle rising debt

The scale of the fiscal response to the COVID-19 crisis was unprecedented—and three times bigger than seen for the 2008–09 financial crisis. In the G-20 alone, fiscal packages are estimated at more than $10 trillion. Few question the humanitarian and economic cases for strong action. But even in an era of low interest rates, the reckoning could be painful.

In February 2020, Janet Yellen, who is Joe Biden’s choice to become Secretary of the Treasury, said that “the US debt path is completely unsustainable under current tax and spending plans.” 29 “Debt, inequality and the coronavirus: A conversation with former Fed Chair Janet Yellen and the World Bank’s David Malpass,” Marketplace, February 4, 2020, marketplace.org. Since then, the US federal government has allocated trillions in COVID-19-crisis relief. That has put the country into new fiscal territory, with the US public debt projected to be bigger than the economy in fiscal year 2021—the first time that has been the case since shortly after World War II.

Canada is projecting a deficit of 343 billion Canadian dollars—an increase of more than 1,000 percent over the deficit in 2019—pushing national debt above 1 trillion Canadian dollars for the first time. In China, the $500 billion fiscal stimulus will raise the country’s fiscal deficit to a record 3.6 percent of GDP. In the United Kingdom, debt rose to more than £2 trillion, a record and more than 100 percent of GDP. In the eurozone, the combined budget deficits in October were 11.6 percent of GDP, compared with 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2020; total debt hit a record 95 percent of GDP. That looks comparatively trivial compared with Japan, which has the world’s highest debt-to-GDP ratio, at more than 200 percent. And while debt repayments from 73 poor countries have been frozen, the obligations still exist.

As the pandemic recedes, governments will have to figure out how to address their fiscal difficulties. Although interest rates are generally low, that could mean raising taxes or cutting spending—or both. Doing so could risk slowing the recovery and stimulating political backlash. But high levels of public debt carry their own costs, crowding out private debt and limiting the resources available to governments as they service their debt.

As the pandemic recedes, governments will have to figure out how to address their fiscal difficulties. Although interest rates are generally low, that could mean raising taxes or cutting spending— or both.

While interim measures, such as improving government operations, monetizing assets, and reducing fiscal leakages, can be helpful, the long-term answer is growth and productivity. That’s largely how the United States managed to reduce its national debt from 118 percent of GDP in 1946 to a low of 31 percent in 1981. 30 Kimberly Amadeo, “US national debt by year compared to GDP and major events,” Balance, October 9, 2020, thebalance.com. Promoting growth will require supportive regulation, well-trained workforces, and the continued diffusion of technologies. Most of all, it will require individuals, businesses, and governments to be willing to embrace change.

Paying down debt isn’t exciting to do. But for economic stability—and in fairness to future generations—it needs to be taken seriously, not kicked down the road.

Stakeholder capitalism comes of age

The idea that businesses should seek to serve the interests of consumers, suppliers, workers, and society, as well as shareholders, isn’t new. The American chocolate maker Milton S. Hershey put it this way more than a century ago, “business is a matter of human service.” In 1759, capitalism’s philosopher king Adam Smith noted in The Theory of Moral Sentiments that the individual is “sensible too that his own interest is connected with the prosperity of society, and that the happiness, perhaps the preservation of his existence, depends on its preservation.” 31 Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, London, United Kingdom: A. Millar, 1759. Moreover, the free market itself has been a positive social force, fueling the economic growth that has brought dramatic advances in health, longevity, and general prosperity around the world.

Even so, there is widespread distrust for business as usual, as a number of surveys and elections have shown. That’s where stakeholder capitalism comes in—as a bridge between businesses and the communities of which they are a part. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the interconnectedness of business and society. “It will be a true inflection point,” says Rajnish Kumar, chairman of the State Bank of India. 32 “ How the State Bank of India is learning from crisis ,” McKinsey Quarterly , July 24, 2020. “And whatever we learn through this process—it must not go to waste.”

The increasing prominence of the idea of stakeholder capitalism is more than just talk (although there is admittedly still a good deal of talk). For example, companies that become certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the interests of all stakeholders in their decision making, including by changing their governance structures to that effect. The first B Corporations were certified in 2007; now, there are more than 3,500 of them.

None of that means that companies should eschew the pursuit of profit. As some of our colleagues recently noted, “There is a term for an enlightened company with the most perfect intentions that does not make money: defunct.” 33 Vivian Hunt, Bruce Simpson, and Yuito Yamada, “ The case for stakeholder capitalism ,” November 12, 2020. Instead, it’s an argument to infuse profit, a readily measured metric, with a sense of purpose—something that humans naturally seek.

We do not believe there is a conflict between the two. In a study that looked at 615 large- and midcap US publicly listed companies from 2001 to 2015, MGI found that those with a long-term view—something that’s a core of stakeholder capitalism—outperformed the rest in earnings, revenue, investment, and job growth. And a McKinsey Global Survey in February 2020 found that a majority of the executives and investment professionals surveyed said they believed that environmental, social, and governance programs already create short- and long-term value and will do so even more five years from now.

Stakeholder capitalism isn’t about being the most woke or about fending off pesky activists. It’s about building the trust—call it the “social capital”—that businesses need to keep doing business. And it’s about recognizing that creating long-term shareholder value requires more than just focusing on shareholders.

In March 2020, some of our McKinsey colleagues argued that the COVID-19 crisis could be the “imperative of our time.” 34 Sven Smit, Martin Hirt, Kevin Buehler, Susan Lund, Ezra Greenberg, and Arvind Govindarajan, “ Safeguarding our lives and livelihoods: The imperative of our time ,” March 23, 2020. A month later, we noted that it could bring a “dramatic restructuring of the economic and social order.” 35 Kevin Sneader and Shubham Singhal, “ Beyond coronavirus: The path to the next normal ,” March 23, 2020; Kevin Sneader and Shubham Singhal, “ The future is not what it used to be: Thoughts on the shape of the next normal ,” April 14, 2020. We stand by those assertions. The COVID-19 pandemic has been an economic and human catastrophe, and it’s far from over. But with vaccines beginning to roll out, it’s possible to be cautiously optimistic that the next normal will emerge this year or next.

And we believe that, in some ways, that normal could be better. With good leadership, from both business and governments, the changes we described—in productivity, green growth, medical innovation, and resiliency—could provide an enduring foundation for the long term.

This article was edited by Cait Murphy, a senior editor in the New York office.

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Today, I’m in over 200 affiliate programs and make over $100,000/month from this blog promoting SaaS software with a profit margin of 88%.

So how do you get started?

First, you must reject blogging advice and learn to blog like a business from day one.

A lot of advice from successful bloggers (who all started 5-10 years ago, mind you) is to “write about your passions” so that you can make a decent side income within a few years.

I never liked this generic advice. I always felt that it was written to appeal to the broadest possible audience, and it never gave tactical step-by-step guidance on how to grow from zero.

Simply put: I started this blog in 2019 to prove that most blogging advice is outdated and you can make life-changing money in months, not years.

You need to scale and treat it like a business.

If you’re interested in starting a blog and following the exact formula that made me a million dollars in under two years , check out my ultimate guide to learning how to start a blog .

Some of the steps I cover in my 15,000+ word blogging guide include:

• Choosing your blog’s niche based on four primary business factors, not your passions.
• How to choose your domain name and set up web hosting for as low as $2.95/month with a company like Bluehost .
• How to install a simple WordPress theme and all the relevant plugins bloggers need.
• Getting to know SEO tools and performing keyword research to generate traffic to your site.
• Becoming well-versed in search engine optimization (SEO) writing to help your content rank.
• Scaling your guest blogging and link-building strategies to build Domain Authority.
• Monetizing your blog with the right tactics at the correct stage of your blog’s growth.

If you’re ready to start now, I recommend you sign-up with Bluehost for $2.95/month, which is 63% off their regular price.

Blogging is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward business idea.

With a low barrier to entry and high profits, it’s a great idea, even while working full-time from home.

2. Online Courses and Coaching.

Sharing your knowledge or expertise via online course platforms is easier than ever. If you are a subject matter expert or passionate about something, you can convert it into a substantial income.

Small business owners can offer online coaching classes to students and build a community to help while building an online coaching business. You can set up a Facebook page or podcast to reach out to people looking for online coaching classes. These coaching and training-based business models can be done at a low cost and at home.

Creating your course can play to your strengths, as it will be personalized to your knowledge and experience. You can take a course on anything from business coaching to cooking, social media marketing, and more!

Whether you’re a woman looking for business ideas to start at home, a stay-at-home dad that wants to earn a little bit of extra income, or anyone in between, having an online course as part of your business model is a great way to do it!

Several online platforms, including Thinkific and Teachable, help you get started quickly. You can register on these platforms and start coaching right away.

With my link below, you can get started today with a one-Month Free Trial of the Thinkific Pro Plan

3. Start an Ecommerce Business.

With COVID accelerating ecommerce by 4-6 years, retailers are moving online faster than ever before. With ecommerce, there are multiple routes you can go – Amazon FBA, dropshipping, or full-fledged manufacturing your products and selling them on your website.

When starting an ecommerce business , dropshipping is a good option for beginners. You don’t have to fulfill orders, ship them yourself, or have an actual store.

Dropshipping is one of the most profitable business ideas. It is a process where online retailers post products from wholesalers, but the dropshipping suppliers manage all of the shipping. The retailer must generate online orders and send the shipping information to the wholesaler.

Here’s a breakdown of how dropshipping works :

For a list of business ideas in drop shipping, you first need to do some market research and identify products in high demand. You can also check top-selling products on sites like Amazon and Google Shopping to get ideas.

You can learn more about dropshipping in my ultimate guide to dropshipping.

If you want to build a website to do this, you can take a few routes. If you’re starting from scratch, I recommend you get started by creating a Wix website.

They are the easiest-to-use ecommerce platform and come with all the marketing tools you need.

Selling products online is a simple process:

• Choose your ecommerce platform.
• Upload or add product information to your store.
• Choose a theme and design your web pages.
• Set up settings for taxes and shipping.
• Test your shopping cart functionality and do final QA checks.
• Launch your ecommerce site.
• Start a business (It’s that simple)

While it’s easy to launch an ecommerce site, the challenge becomes how to get website traffic.

I wrote a complete ecommerce marketing guide that includes the top eight strategies to drive traffic and sales.

You can start a Wix ecommerce site today for just $13-22/month.

If you’re a physical retail business (or plan to have a storefront), your best option is to go with Square Online .

They are the best ecommerce platforms for small businesses looking to move online. Square Online syncs with its popular Square POS system and offers many unique features for small businesses, like booking appointments, online food ordering for restaurant websites, and tools for in-person retail.

You can get started with Square Online for free and only pay transaction fees. Upgrading to a paid plan will give you your custom domain.

4. Start a Podcast.

Podcasting is one of those great business ideas witnessing a meteoric rise. In 2006, only 22% of adults in the U.S. listened to podcasts. Now that number is over 75%.

You can make big money too. Just take Joe Rogan, who was paid $100 million to move his podcast exclusively to Spotify.

So how do you start your business?

The first step is to plan your podcast episodes and get your podcast software and equipment .

Next, you need to sign up for podcast hosting . A podcast host is a service that stores your audio files and distributes them to major podcast networks like iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, Spotify, etc.

You can read about all the equipment you need to get started and the best podcast hosts in my guide to podcast hosting.

You can sign up with Buzzsprout and get a free $20 Amazon gift card.

5. Sell Custom Printed Products.

Another option for ecommerce is to create a brand and sell custom products like T-shirts, mugs, stickers, bags, and more.

There are a lot of websites that take care of the logistics for you.

For example, here’s how the process goes with a company like Printify:

• Pick one from over 200 products you’d like to sell.
• Use a mockup generator to apply product designs based on images and graphics.
• Order samples to ensure your products have the quality and feel you’re looking for.
• Publish your products and sync them automatically with an ecommerce platform like Shopify .
• When you make a sale, your product is put into production, and you don’t have to manage any manufacturing or shipping.

To succeed with a custom-printed product business, you need excellent designs, a strong brand, and good marketing skills to generate sales.

6. Graphic Design.

Companies always look for graphic designers to help them with their brand image.

The opportunities are vast, from designing marketing collateral like banners, posters, and logos to designing landing pages and websites.

You can pitch your design skills to small businesses owned by individuals who aren’t giving the proper attention to how things look. Graphic designers can also join freelance websites like Flexjobs to find relevant work.

Getting new clients should be relatively easy if you have prior knowledge in this field. However, learning graphic design basics from scratch is also simple, with many online courses and tutorials available.

First, you leverage graphic design software like Adobe InDesign or Photoshop to learn the foundation of graphic design.

Alternatively, you can use other user-friendly online tools like Visme to further hone your graphic design skills.

Here are some fantastic graphic design courses that will give you a great head start in this career:

• Fundamentals of Graphic Design ( Coursera )
• Graphic Design Fundamentals: Getting Started ( Creative Live )

I recommend you get started with Adobe Photoshop as part of Creative Cloud. 

7. Web Development.

Front-end web development is a valuable skill to cater to the surging demand for launching new websites.

You can start by developing websites for your friends and family to polish your skills. While many website builders can help small businesses create their websites, developers are needed for more custom jobs (and new companies are always looking for efficient coders at cost-effective prices).

You can kickstart your career by offering competitive prices for your services and slowly transform it into a more lucrative business plan by solidifying your portfolio.

Every web developer must have basic coding skills in computer languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Several free or cheap online courses, including Treehouse, the Web Developer Bootcamp on Udemy , and Codecademy .

These platforms can help you learn to code and get started with web development.

8. Instagram Influencer.

With the rise of social media channels like Instagram, consumers are increasingly turning to niche influencers to get product advice.

The truth is most influencers have trouble influencing purchase decisions. Sure, we like to look at their photos, but will we buy a product they recommend? Most often, no.

That’s why you should cater to a small, engaged community. It’s not all about follower counts but engagement.

First, you have to choose your niche. It can be anything from tech gadgets and marketing to beauty or fitness. Make sure to select a niche you’re passionate about and can create a lot of content for.

Next, you must build a solid Instagram following by posting engaging content and discussing relevant things with your target audience.

There are a lot of social media marketing tools to help you schedule posts in advance so that you’re not constantly struggling to come up with new posts.

Once you build a strong following, you can get paid to promote products via sponsored content.

It requires a lot of hustle, and not everyone can make it as an influencer.

But people with the right marketing skills and know-how (and thousands of Instagram followers) can earn anything from $500 to $6,000 per post. And if it can publish a few sponsored posts a week, it can be a profitable business.

Check out my complete guide to making money on Instagram for more tips.

9. Phone Case Business.

There are more than 2.5 billion smartphone users worldwide, and the number is increasing daily.

Since pretty much everyone has a smartphone, smartphone cases are one of the top-selling mobile phone accessories. As a result, some mobile case sellers can rake in 6 or 7-figure incomes by selling a high volume of cases.

The competition is fierce, but you can test your phone case ideas with Amazon FBA before creating a full-fledged website.

When designing your cases, choose unique designs that cater to a specific audience.

You must be creative and innovative to create a collection of smartphone cases your audience would purchase. One popular Etsy store sold handmade cases worth $60,000 in its first year.

The idea is to find your unique niche.

You can easily list your collection of new products on ecommerce giants like Amazon and eBay. Once you start making some money, you should then look into launching your ecommerce website on a platform like Shopify to improve your profit margins.

10. Affiliate Marketing.

It’s been a buzzword in the marketing arena for quite some time.

Many people automatically envision affiliate marketing when someone asks how to make passive money online. Brands that want to sell products online create new affiliate programs and allow affiliates (publishers and bloggers) to promote their products and earn commissions.

According to one blog income report study , bloggers making between $7,500 — $25k per month make 38% of their income from affiliate marketing.

In simple terms, it’s a proven business model where bloggers and influencers recommend services or products they like or find helpful and earn a percentage of profit for each sale that follows. It is an excellent form of passive income and the perfect business model for bloggers.

Here’s a rundown of how affiliate marketing works :

Register with networks like ShareASale, Awin, Rakuten, Clickbank, or Skimlinks to start making money from the content published on the website. The income will gradually grow along with the growth of your website – Sky’s the limit here.

To get more detailed insights, check out this blog post of mine about the best affiliate programs to join this year.

11. Virtual Assistant.

You can use your excellent organizational skills to start your business and create an extra income stream as a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants (VAs) are in high demand by corporations, freelancers, and businesses.

It is also an excellent opportunity to know successful and influential people from different fields while building your professional network and learning from experts. At the same time, it also allows you to work from anywhere in the world while developing your professional skills.

While it’s typically a lower-paying home business, it can hone your digital skills and be the first step in starting a more lucrative freelance career.

People are always looking for virtual assistants on freelance job websites like Flexjobs .

12. Social Media Manager.

Billions of people are on social media – naturally, there are jobs and businesses to be sprung from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you have experience with social media marketing and know how the ad network operates, you can start a consulting business on social media.

Everyone from small businesses to large corporations needs help getting their message on social media.

There are a ton of different responsibilities and services a social media manager can provide:

Create content for brands.

Create custom ad campaigns and track ROI.

Integrate content with other email marketing and PPC strategies.

Analyze results, A/B test, and tweak campaigns.

You have to stay ahead of trends in this constantly-changing landscape too. For example, TikTok is a massive opportunity for major brands; many don’t even have an account or post regularly.

LinkedIn is also a growing platform for digital marketing to businesses and connecting with new clients.

If you’re looking for a job to gain social media experience, Flexjobs, CareerBuilder, and Fiverr offer many social media management opportunities.

Once you have the necessary skill set, you can start your own consulting business and charge either a performance fee or a monthly retainer for your work.

13. Travel Business Consultant.

While it doesn’t seem like there may be a lot of jobs in travel, it’s still a lucrative industry.

While travel agents are virtually gone, people are now looking for help managing their Airbnb listings and increasing their rental income from vacation properties.

It takes a lot of marketing skills to help property owners increase their booking rates.

Airbnb and VRBO bookings aren’t just going to happen without visibility, professional photography, and helpful customer service.

Create a website and build pages on social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram to promote your business and connect with people who want to increase their rental income.

When you develop a solid customer base, you can collaborate with travel agencies to cut exclusive deals for your customers.

To make it a full-time career, you can also consider earning a certification in travel consulting .

14. Interior Designer.

Over the years, people have become more tasteful about every little detail of their home’s design.

There is always the need for interior designers who can create visually pleasing and functional living spaces.

Plus, people that hire interior designers are usually on the upper end of the income bracket.

And there are plenty of opportunities to get into corporate interior design, where large businesses pay you to design hotel lobbies, corporate offices, resorts, and more.

To start, check out some ideas on Pinterest, which offers plenty of interior design ideas to take inspiration from.

Then use your own personal and professional network to build a business around your design skills.

A portfolio is essential, so you may consider taking free work and working with home developers and realtors to stage homes before leaping into full-time entrepreneurship.

Here is the list of free interior design courses for a formal education.

15. Wedding Photographer.

The price of wedding photography has increased over the years, and it is a good option for an artist who needs to make an income.

Professional wedding photographers can charge anywhere from $2,500 – $10,000+ for each photoshoot.

First, you can build your clientele by searching online and registering on aggregators like MyWed to gain clients.

You can create business accounts and reach out to potential clients through Facebook and Instagram.

To hone your skills, you can take online wedding photography classes.

You can also look into this list of wedding photography gear you need to start your wedding photography business.

This business idea also requires a solid portfolio.

So choose a website theme for photographers and work on building your inbound traffic and referrals through word-of-mouth marketing.

16. WordPress Website Consultant.

WordPress is the go-to platform for small businesses and budding bloggers to start their websites. If you are well-versed in setting up WordPress websites, use this skill to build a business.

Apart from WordPress consulting, you can also offer digital marketing services to your clients to diversify your revenue streams.

If you build a successful small business as a WordPress website consultant, you can transform your business into a full-fledged digital marketing agency.

You can learn more about building websites, web design software, and WordPress through courses on Skillshare. You can also provide a free business plan template with WordPress to get clients in through the door.

17. Drive an Uber or Lyft.

Driving an Uber can help you earn a decent amount of side money when having your own business. Apart from driving, it would be best if you had a comfortable and clean vehicle and the ability to deal with many different personalities.

Any person with a vehicle and a valid license may be eligible. There is currently no background check, and you can see all the requirements on Uber’s website to know if this small business is right for you.

However, before making your final decision, make sure to factor in the costs of gas, wear and tear, toll charges, and maintenance to identify actual profits per month. You can use this helpful calculator to calculate your earning potential.

18. Become an App developer.

There is an app for anything and everything – and it may seem like a saturated market.

However, there are still many ways to create ideas for new apps or improve the user experience for a current app.

One benefit is that you don’t need super-advanced coding skills to build certain types of apps.

A lot of market research needs to be done to have an app seen in the app store.

Research the most successful apps in your niche, look into their marketing strategies, and every other detail – their description, cover art, reviews, etc. You may be able to find a unique app idea that people are looking for.

19. Buy and Sell Domain Names.

Buying and selling domain names is one of the original online business ideas, and some customers are still looking to buy.

Trading domains is a tactic almost as old as the Internet itself. The domain name Insure.com was bought for $16 million in 2009. Even though old, valuable domains are mainly taken, if you get lucky and jump on a trending domain name, you can flip it for extra money.

The key is to identify interesting blog names that have the potential to sell later. Buy them with cheap hosting plans and place them in an auction.

However, the long-term viability of this business is debatable. Hence, it is better not to go full-time with this idea. This Investopedia article explains more details about domain trading.

20. Freelance Content Writing.

Content writers are in huge demand. If you have a knack for crafting engaging stories and writing articles, you can turn your skills into a lucrative freelance writing business .

You can write content for various purposes, from website copy and sales pages to blog posts and email newsletters. Experienced freelancers earn anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000 per week. You can also take up editing and proofreading work and use the latest grammar tools to help clients publish and upload error-free work.

Freelance copywriting allows you to earn money from any location. Check out my article on freelance writing jobs  to polish your skills further.

If you are starting, you can find work on websites like FlexJobs .

Once you build your portfolio, you can launch your website and generate inbound leads. Another option is connecting with potential clients on social media platforms like LinkedIn and offering anything from content writing to SEO writing.

21. Data Analysis.

Online businesses need to be data-driven to make more informed decisions. Talented data analysts, who can make sense of big data and develop actionable insights, are in high demand. This business is for you if you’re great at crunching numbers and have sufficient digital marketing knowledge.

Get comfortable with analytics tools like Google Analytics and data visualization tools like Tableau to improve your resume.

The data analyst industry offers good pay for full-time jobs as well. An average data analyst earns around $60,000 per year .

You can learn more about data analysis by taking online courses from edX and Coursera. Once you build your data analytics expertise, you can find remote data analysis jobs on platforms like Flexjobs. Develop your skills, and you can then build a profitable data consulting business.

22. Airbnb Host.

You can make the most of your unused space by listing your property on Airbnb . It has become a lucrative business for millions of homeowners who want to earn some extra side income by renting out their space.

Aside from renting out your room or apartment, it also provides an excellent opportunity to meet different people worldwide. However, you might need to be available on call to help your guests with local requirements.

You also have the option to enhance this business by offering food, personalized experiences like city tours, errand services, welcome gift baskets, and transport on a chargeable basis. This article from Fundera talks in detail about calculating your earning potential from Airbnb.

Start earning money as an Airbnb host today. 

23. Wellness Coach / Personal Training Business.

Being a personal trainer is always in high demand. If you’re into fitness and know the technicalities of workout and diet plans, you can make some extra money by helping people become physically fit.

Once you find the right clients and build a stellar reputation, the job is physically and financially beneficial. With many temporary gym closures and social distancing, starting an at-home fitness business may be beneficial when you travel to the client’s locations or work out outside.

There’s also the option of starting your fitness blog to share your fitness tips with a wider audience and position yourself as an authority in your niche.

Strive to learn more about fitness training and earn certifications to add credibility to your profession. You can also become a wellness or mental health coach and offer continuing education credits like Core Wellness .

24. Create a YouTube Channel.

With the rise of live streaming and video-on-demand, YouTube has matured from just a video platform to a content-on-demand powerhouse.

While the market has become saturated, there are still plenty of opportunities to start a YouTube channel and make money on YouTube .

First, pick a niche you’re passionate about to create engaging and unique videos. And, of course, the more entertaining content you post, the more views and subscribers you’ll gain over time.

Many wildly popular YouTubers earn millions by posting videos. However, an average YouTuber makes around $3 to $5 per 1,000 views.

Before starting your YouTube channel, learn about YouTube guidelines so that you can monetize your content. Also, invest in a good camera and microphone to make quality videos for greater earning potential.

25. Translator.

Your expert knowledge of another language can help you earn some money. Translators are always in demand, but many high-quality translators are rare.

26. Tour Guide.

If you live in a tourist hotspot and love interacting with new people, you can quickly become a tour guide and work your hours. However, to offer this service, you must also have extensive knowledge of your surroundings and their history and culture.

You can launch your own tour guide company to help tourists get the best experience during their travel. On top of that, you can offer something extra by arranging vintage vehicles or unique local food for travelers to stand apart from other travel agencies.

Tour guides also earn handsome tips if they delight their clients with their services. Read this detailed article to discover the qualities you need in a tour guide.

27. Stock Photographers.

From websites and banners to social media and marketing, stock images are used everywhere. If you have a DSLR and decent photoshop skills, you can quickly sell your images to stock photo websites, including Pexels, Unsplash, and Shutterstock.

Every time a client uses your photo, you get paid with a markup amount. You can later build your website to secure better corporate projects.

Before considering the profession and learning about the type of equipment and initial investment, you would need to start stock photography. I recently compiled a list of the best photo editing software for photographers, which might come in handy while building your stock photography business.

28. Ghostwriter.

Ghostwriters might not get the credit for their writing, but they make a lot of money. Jeff Hadden has made millions just by writing for famous and successful people. He started writing as a side gig and made a lucrative career out of it.

You can secure ghostwriting gigs on FlexJobs . Beginners can expect to earn anything between $15 to $30 per hour, depending upon their quality of work. Once you gain experience and develop a portfolio, your remuneration can increase exponentially.

Learn the ethics and rules of ghostwriting before entering the arena.

29. DJ-ing.

If you know the art of mixing beats and have a taste for music, you can become the DJ of your next local gig. Famous DJs earn thousands of dollars per month by doing gigs.

However, it is not that simple. You need to learn the basics of sound mixing, design, and music production before cutting to the professional scene.

I’d suggest you first take an online DJ course to understand the nuances of art to build a successful career as a DJ.

30. Tailoring.

Style and fashion are always a topic of discussion. Naturally, being a good tailor is a great business opportunity. Your expertise in designing and making designer clothes within a limited budget can help you access many customers.

According to Entrepreneur.com, the business of alteration and tailoring requires a minimal investment of $2,000. But you always have the option to start small and build your business gradually.

You can take an online fashion designing course from Oxford Home Study to gain more technical expertise in clothing and styling.

31. Baking.

Baking can make you a lot of money and seems like an easy small business idea.

If you had a knack for making delicacies, you could sell them at premium prices. People always give more value and preference to hand-made and gourmet baked products.

Stocking up on some essential cooking equipment to start would be best.

You can start by cooking something as simple as your mom’s recipe for cookies to perfect your skills. Later, you can master niche recipes to create your USP and command premium rates on your products.

You can find free baking classes on Skillshare to master your baking skills further.

32. Freelance Content Marketing.

Startups, small businesses, and influencers always want to increase their online presence by promoting high-quality, engaging content.

Your expertise in providing highly effective content marketing strategies can help you get high-ticket clients. Once you start building a portfolio of established clientele, you stand a chance to earn thousands of dollars per project.

You can start looking into your existing network to find out about the companies seeking content marketers to build their brands.

Content marketing is a dynamic skill set, and as technology keeps on evolving, you need to be on your toes to stay updated. Keep following top content marketing blogs to stay in the groove.

33. Freelance eBook Writing.

Access to cheaper or even free self-publishing tools has made writing and publishing a book more accessible. With around 89 million Americans reading e-books, it’s a lucrative opportunity.

However, it would be best if you did not go full-time with this profession, as only established authors earn more than $10,000 a year through e-books. Instead, start small, keep writing for others to make a name, and then probably foray into writing your eBooks.

You can leverage it as your boutique side business for extra income until you hit the sweet spot. Meanwhile, keep researching the right strategies to write an eBook.

34. Invest your Money.

You might consider investing in more lucrative schemes if your money remains unused in banks and earns minimal interest. Warren Buffet is the most prominent example of a savvy investor who has made a fortune from his intelligent investing habit.

You can start small with short-term trading while learning the ropes of the stock market. Invest smartly in value stocks to grow your wealth steadily.

You can also take online stock market courses to understand better other financial investment options like cryptocurrencies and blockchain or retirement vehicles like Roth IRAs, index funds, or gold IRAs.

I recommend you get started with M1 Finance and begin investing today.

35. Build a Niche Website.

You can always find readers willing to read about the subject you are passionate about. For instance, if you start a blog about solo travel, you can write valuable content about your personal travel experience that readers find helpful. Make it engaging and informative to offer value to your audience.

However, you need to invest time in building your audience. You can also do market research to identify whether or not your niche is feasible in the long run as a money-making gig. Sift through the internet to find ideas to build a profitable niche website.

I recommend you get started with Bluehost for $2.95/month, which is 63% off their regular price.

36. Car Washing and Detailing.

Most car owners never get the time to wash their cars and keep them squeaky clean. With the increasing number of car owners, earning a handsome income in your free time is a great business idea.

You need a sponge, car shampoo, a hose, and networking skills to get the business. A mobile car wash service has the potential to generate revenue of up to $1 million a year .

37. Carpet Cleaning Business.

Every home has at least one carpet, and they are bound to get dirty. People are always searching for a reliable carpet cleaner to eliminate allergens, dust, bugs, and stains.

To launch this business, you must invest in a good vacuum cleaner, cleaning agent, and carpet brushes. Do market research on prices to offer the best options. You can start by asking your neighborhood for house cleaning service requirements.

Keep learning about new carpet cleaning services and techniques to upgrade your knowledge.

Further down the road, you can hire many carpet cleaners and launch your own carpet cleaning company.

You could even offer pressure washing and laundry services in addition to carpet cleaning.

38. Child Care.

Single parents and nuclear families are always short of time to take care of their children. Hence, there is always a demand for compassionate childcare professionals. It is a lucrative career and small business option if you love being around kids.

No one wants to leave their children with someone they don’t trust, so be dependable, caring, and honest. And before taking the plunge, be sure about the age group of the kids you are willing to look after.

As you gain experience, you can open your daycare center to look after the kids and expand your business. To increase your chances of success in this arena, you might want to earn formal certification in childcare and learn about local requirements.

39. Computer Repair.

Given the high repair costs at authorized service stations, you can earn money by offering cost-effective repair services. If you’re a handyman, you can start by approaching small businesses and neighboring homes to get computer repair projects. Gradually you can expand your team to take more orders from medium or larger enterprises.

This field has immense opportunities, from learning to fix networking issues to replacing the crashed hard drive.

There are more than 1 billion computers in use right now – no wonder the market for credible computer repair services is vast. And according to surveys, the computer repair industry earned $19 billion in 2018.

40. Modeling.

This gig is for you if you have the attitude and body for the modeling business. Marketers and fashion designers always hunt for fresh models to launch their products.

However, it is vital to assess what you are subscribing to. Talk to people already in the industry, find a mentor who can help early in your career, and make the right contacts. The job may look glamorous, but it demands a lot of commitment and hard work to reach the top.

41. Dog Walking Business.

If you are a dog lover, you can help dog owners while earning a handsome amount. Many dog owners don’t have the time to take their dogs out for a walk or need a pet sitter. As per AVMA , more than 50 percent of households have pets.

You can also take the help of mobile applications such as Wag to connect with dog owners.

Here’s the application process to apply:

Once you understand this side business, you can start your dog walking and pet business. Expand it further by offering dog grooming, playdates, pet sitting, and other related services.

42. Real Estate Broker.

The real estate market is booming. And people want to avoid the hassle of getting the paperwork done themselves and all of the legal requirements. Enter the real estate broker.

As a broker, you facilitate housing deals to help buyers and sellers connect and process transactions. It takes a lot of work, but you can build a healthy pool of clients by assisting them in buying and selling commercial and residential properties.

First, do proper research on how to become a real estate broker , take up required real estate courses, pass the examination with good grades, and start marketing yourself to get started in your real estate career.

43. Custom Furniture Supplier.

Custom-made furniture is in high demand. If you have an eye for creativity and are good at building furniture from scratch, you can convert your craft into a great money-making opportunity. People are ready to pay a hefty premium for a great degree of personalization and customization.

The number of people who want to make their homes look authentic is growing exponentially, and so is the business opportunity. You can get business by contacting local homes and listing your products on platforms like eBay and Amazon.

44. Handmade Jewelry Business.

Hand-made jewelry is here to stay. In a world of fast-fashion, people are looking for handmade items that are unique and full of character. That’s what makes this such a good business idea!

Teenage entrepreneurs, including M3 Girl Designs’ Maddie Bradshaw and Bella Weems of Origami Owl, have raked in cash by selling handmade jewelry.

There are considerable opportunities in the industry, with its growth projected at 5-6% per year. With no big corporate players, entry into this segment is also easy.

You can start selling online to earn a name, and if you become a household name, you can open up a brick-and-mortar storefront.

Get a diploma or opt for online courses to understand the nuances of jewelry design and its making.

45. Human Billboard.

If you have no problems parading around promoting stuff and grabbing eyeballs from strangers, you can make good money as a human billboard.

You can earn from $5 per day to $7,000 for a contract of five years. However, the business idea is quite radical and might appeal only to a small handful of people – but it pays.

The average human billboard salary can be as high as $50,242 per year.

The job of a human billboard is most suited for students who want to earn a quick buck to meet their tuition fees and other daily expenses.

46. Purchase a Website.

If you have an eye for spotting the right business for investment, you can purchase an existing website. Several websites on the internet have great potential but need an expert to make it possible.

You can buy a website at a discounted price and build its audience and business to sell at a more significant premium later.

Here are the places where you can buy a website:

• Empire Flippers

Website trading is accurate, and people make money through it. The prices of a website usually depend on its traffic, domain name, revenue, and potential to scale up.

47. Mobile Laundry Service.

Laundry services are worth more than $40 billion in the US alone. Clothes are pretty recession-proof. People will never stop wearing clothes, so they’ll continue to require laundry services.

Several home pickup laundry services have mushroomed over the years. However, there is still potential to open a reliable mobile laundry service for locals by offering better services at a lower cost.

You can take a course in retail laundry and cleaning to understand the proper usage of chemicals and fabrics.

48. Junk Removal Service.

Well, it is not a conventional business idea that you usually pitch to your peers, but it has great potential. You get the opportunity to clear the junk and make it accessible to recycling units for a sustainable future.

You can also get a franchise from big companies like JunkLuggers to kickstart your business. You need proper equipment like a truck, shovels, garbage cans, a sledgehammer, and more to get started.

Once you set up your junk removal business, go through this helpful guide to get an idea of how to make money with your new endeavor.

49. Wedding Planner.

Weddings have become more plentiful, organized, and resource-intensive. To manage all aspects of the wedding efficiently, couples nowadays look for credible wedding and party planners willing to pay good money.

You can immediately jump into the wedding planning business if you have contacts with professionals like good caterers, florists, performers, travel agents, photographers, DJs, and more. Or use your social media accounts to create relationships.

The process is time-intensive and capital-intensive but can bring abundant rewards. An average wedding planner earns around $40 per hour for their services. You can also get a diploma in wedding planning to take your skills to the next level and prove your credibility in the industry.

50. Personal Chef.

Becoming a personal chef can help you earn big bucks for your exemplary cooking skills. Most people are too busy with their profession and get little time for themselves. You can help such professionals by preparing their choice’s delicious food.

The personal chef job market is expected to grow by 5.2% between 2016 and 2026. The demand for chefs capable of cooking healthy and delicious meals is only increasing with time.

You can learn how to make new dishes on YouTube or take a certification in personal cooking to make yourself more employable.

With these skills, you can start a catering business, become a party planner, or open up your brewery , restaurant, bar, or coffee shop where your culinary skills are displayed to the public.

51. Contract Customer Service (CSR).

Many organizations cut down their costs by outsourcing customer service to freelancers. You can easily take customer service jobs if you communicate well and have sufficient management skills.

Freelancing websites, including UpWork and Fiverr, offer many contract-based customer services. If you already have the relevant experience, you can build a virtual team and start your customer service agency.

52. Pet Grooming.

Pet grooming has become a thriving small business idea in areas where affluent pet owners reside. From spa and foot massage to haircut and massage therapists, people are spoiling their pets with no end in sight.

To set up a pet grooming business, you need around $2,000 and can earn an average of $48,000 per year. Find clients in your neighborhood or look for them on Facebook and WhatsApp groups.

You can also enroll in a dog grooming course to better understand the job.

If grooming isn’t your thing, you can start by setting up a pet-sitting business, which requires little startup costs.

53. T-Shirt Printing Business.

T-shirts with exciting graphics and funky logos are in high demand. The T-shirt retail business is worth millions of dollars and relies on efficient t-shirt printers to meet the ever-increasing supply.

Several suppliers are already in the business, but there is enough room for new players. You can take orders from multinational brands or local businesses or launch your line. Moreover, this industry allows you to work on your terms, i.e., you can either choose to work from a small room or start with a big factory-based production.

Take a print production course from LinkedIn Learning to understand the dynamics of dyes and printing technology.

54. Mobile Cleaning.

Whether you work in an office, school, healthcare setting, or even work from home, every person wants a clean space to get things done. Starting a mobile cleaning service can be done relatively quickly and with lower overhead than other small businesses.

Focusing on a specific type of cleaning will also help you stand out. For example, using safe products, focusing on a niche, or specializing in allergen removal may help attract more business.

55. Bookkeeping.

People will always need assistance with their personal and business finances. Starting your bookkeeping or accounting business is an attractive option if you are an accountant.

Finances can be worked remotely or in an office setting, and many people are willing to pay higher rates, making it a very profitable small business. It is also a relatively low-cost home business that most accountants are already qualified to run.

56. Resume Writer.

Writing a good resume is not something that comes easily to every person, especially now with automated reviewers and the use of keywords within job descriptions. Resume writing is one of the few online business ideas if you know how to create professional and unique resumes that land jobs.

This small business has plenty of clients; start with word of mouth, reach out to your people, and utilize social media accounts. Your small business could be just a few clicks away, with barely any startup costs.

List of Business Ideas for Food Lovers

57. ice cream shop..

Another one of the proven and successful business ideas that you can try is one for foodies. Have you ever considered starting your ice cream shop? Let’s face it people love ice cream, and you will have plenty of customers with the right product and a solid business plan. 

You have quite a few options for your sweet new business. Start your new shop, buy a franchise from a  popular chain, or take over a current shop. 

An ice cream food truck is another great small business idea. Being mobile may be the future wave for most food, and offering catering services will help you find new customers. 

58. Homemade Popcorn Business.

It seems like a straightforward small business idea, but creating homemade popcorn may be a great starting point for your retail or mobile catering business. Plus, who doesn’t love tasty popcorn?

You will need to create some homemade recipes, but luckily the startup costs could be substantially lower than other food businesses. Popcorn is cheap; one batch could sell for up to $20. 

Once you’ve come up with some creative popcorn recipes, get your name out using your social media accounts, and use digital marketing as an inexpensive way to spread the word. You will also want to connect with a party planner or two, restaurants, and other food-related businesses to offer your product as an add-on to their services. 

59. Brand Designer.

Image Source

A brand is a message and image a company presents to its client base, and a skilled brand designer is often in charge of bringing the brand to life.

So, if you have solid creative skills, then this business idea can be a rewarding career for you.

As a brand designer, you’ll work from the client brief to conceptualize ideas and design solutions that meet the client’s goals and objectives.

You may also work with other copywriters and account managers to complete projects. 

In some cases, you may work independently.

However, that calls for excellent organizational, time-management, and communication skills so you can work effectively as part of a team.

One of your first and most crucial tasks will be designing the company’s logo.

The logo is usually the most important and recognizable element of the brand’s public image.

So the logo must be instantly recognizable and inspire trust in customers.

You can easily create logos with tools like HubSpot’s Free Favicon Generator , which lets you design and download icons without installing design software.

Besides creating the brand’s logo, you’ll also be responsible for other visual designs the business may use. So, a background in graphic design can be helpful when venturing into this career.

Validate Your Business Idea: Do Customers Even Need This?

Starting an online business is a great idea, but starting a business without understanding your customers will lead to disaster.

A lack of understanding can lead to vital aspects being missed out on, such as whether or not they have money to spend on the product that you’re offering them.

Understanding your customers is vital, but how do you do that?

After all, they aren’t likely to walk up to you on the street and tell you what stops them from buying your product.

The way that many people are going about understanding their customers better is by using surveys.

Survey software is readily available online, with some companies even offering free top-quality software for people.

Research is vital in finding out what your customers want, but you should remember to ask them the right questions at the correct times.

If your survey is too long, you will lose customers as they become bored of answering the same question repeatedly .

Start with just one or two questions, then see what kind of response you get from them.

Be interested in what the people you’re surveying are interested in, and remember that even if you don’t think the product is right for them, they might know someone else who would be curious – so do ask for a referral.

Defining Your Target Market

When starting a business, it is essential to have a clear understanding of your target market.

This includes defining who your ideal customer is and what needs or desires they have that your business can address.

Creating a successful marketing strategy will be challenging without a clear understanding of your target market.

It is also important to remember that businesses must constantly adapt to stay relevant.

Even if you provide value to your customers, you need always look for ways to improve or expand your business.

This could involve anything from adding new products or services to improving your marketing or operations.

By constantly adapting, you will be able to keep your business relevant and thriving in the long run.

List of Business Ideas FAQ.

If you don’t have any startup capital, there are still plenty of business opportunities. Most of them are ways to make money online by offering digital services. Here are some of the best ones: 1. Start a blog and make money with affiliate programs, ads, online courses, and digital products. 2. Become a freelance writer. 3. Join a platform like Fiverr and offer graphic design services. 4. If you have coding skills, start a business and develop websites and apps. 5. Become an online business coach and sell 1:1 coaching. 6. Join a high-end freelancing site like Upwork and become a social media marketing consultant. 7. Offer other digital services like SEO consulting, PPC management, or content marketing services.

If you’re looking to create a startup this year, there are plenty of options. With almost 70% of entrepreneurs starting a business from home, here are some of the best startup ideas: 1. Start a dropshipping business to sell products online. 2. Create a SaaS application and build monthly recurring customers. 3. Invest in real estate and co-working spaces. 4. Start a blog and make money with ads, online courses, and affiliate programs. 5. Start a podcast and sell online ad slots after building your audience. 6. Start a digital agency and sell anything from web development and site management to social media and SEO consulting. 7. Start a food truck business and find a great location to generate sales.

The most successful small businesses have substantial revenue and profit margins. Here are some of the types of small businesses that are most successful: 1. Legal services. 2. Accounting, bookkeeping, taxes, and payroll services. 3. Real estate leasing and sales. 4. Dental offices. 5. Outpatient care businesses. 6. Custom design services. 7. Warehouse and storage companies. 8. Mineral quarrying and mining. 9. Medical laboratories. 10. Secondary schools and education.

With the rise of the digital economy, starting an online business and working from home is easier. Here are some excellent options: 1. Freelance writing. 2. Graphic designer. 3. Web developer. 4. Photographer. 5. Social media specialist. 6. Home tutoring. 7. Speaking and coaching. 8. Podcaster. 9. Airbnb host. 10. Virtual assistant.

If you want to be your own boss, follow these steps: 1. Determine what you want to do and which small business ideas are best for you. 2. Evaluate the market and competition. 3. Make sure you have enough money to start your new venture and set aside capital. 4. Create a business and marketing plan. 5. Choose your business name and create your brand identity. 6. Start your business by choosing the best LLC service to form the right type of company. 7. Get your finances in order by hiring a bookkeeper or using small business accounting software. 8. Set up a business bank account. 9. Start marketing your business online by building a website and creating a social media presence.

There are many options if you need to make money fast and don’t have time to wait for profits. Here are some of your best options: 1. Refinance your debt to get a lump sum of cash. 2. Sign up for an online survey site like Survey Junkie to make money by filling out surveys. 3. Use investment apps that pay you back every month. 4. Utilize an ecommerce platform to sell products online and get traffic quickly by using Google and Facebook ads. 5. Sign up for a gig economy app like Fiverr and sell digital services online. 6. Create an account with an app like Turo or Spinlister to rent your stuff. 7. Write and publish an eBook to make money on Amazon. 8. Call your bank and see what account bonuses you can get. 9. Build an online course and sell your knowledge to students. 10. Become a freelance writer. 11. Host a podcast and make money selling ad slots.

1. Find a business that is not overly saturated. 2. Start a business based online. They are only growing in popularity. You can start an Etsy online store, consult virtually, or do freelance writing business. 3. One based on a trend. Every industry has emerging trends, so a key factor is finding a business idea on an upward trend.

Now it’s your turn.

All the small business ideas mentioned above can help you earn a decent income even with a low startup cost.

Ultimately, I recommend you start something online like a blog, ecommerce business, or consulting firm, as these are less susceptible to market shifters like Covid-19.

Did you miss any of your picks of the best business ideas? Let me know in the comment section below.

Further Reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Here’s my ultimate guide on starting a blog .

Editorial Process:

Our reviews are made by a team of experts before being written and come from real-world experience. Read our editorial process here .

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to us at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. These are products we’ve personally used and stand behind. This site is not intended to provide financial advice. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy .

Adam Enfroy

We test and review software products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. If you use our links to purchase something, we earn a commission. Read our editorial process and disclosures .

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85 comments.

nice content….this article is helpful for those people who are looking for new business ideas…thanx.

This post is very interesting. The “workers” can use their talent and maybe hobbies to earn money. Most of these jobs offer them freedom to manage the tasks. *jealous* 😀

Great article, surely helps other who are looking for new business ideas. Thanks for sharing such a valuable post. Keep writing in future.

Such a great Post. Thanks for sharing.

ice content….this article is helpful for those people who are looking for new business ideas

Hey, i was too looking to start a new business in 2019, but my eyes opened after reading this post, Thanks for share this kind of valuable post.

I think the best idea to build a photography business or image editing business.

Laying foundation of a new business in this competitive world is a difficult task. One needs to think a lot while laying their path. Going through informative posts like these really boosts your confidence and is a big help. keep up the good work!

Hey, great article, thank you!

Just wondering, for the blogging business – what kind of business structure works best for that? Like what is the most popular? incorporated company or a sole trader type business. I am based in Australia.

Thanks again

Laying foundation of a new business in this competitive world is a difficult task. One needs to think a lot while laying their path.

Human Billboard seems very interesting and i don’t there is a lot of competition in this one.

Very nice information. Thanks for sharing

Hi Adam, all the ideas for doing business is the best and with the help of these ideas one can easily earn money. As I am fond of making pieces of jewelry, I have decided to start business by making and selling jewelry. Thank you for the useful article.

Hi, Adam Thanks for sharing this list of business ideas I don’t know which business I choose and then start because I have less money to start a new business but I’ll be sharing guide to friends hope they like…

Nice Information. This article is very helpful for those people who want to start a new business in 2020. Keep sharing this type of information.

This is a very interesting blog, I like your ideas. I left my job and I want to start my own business, but have not yet decided which sphere to choose …

Thanks for the list. Really helpful for those who are looking to start a business or like me to expand their wallet.

I own a eyebrow threading shop and I make pretty decent, it’s a pretty easy start up business with less investment, Threading is an awesome career

Such a Great article, I am sure this article helpful for other businesses. Keep writing and am waiting for a new post.

Hey man. thank you for all these business ideas. I liked your site very much as you have shared great information with us. once again thanks

Great post Adam. Business ideas mentioned by you looks impressive. Anyone who is thinking to start a new business will get so much help from your blog. Because the most confusing part about starting a business is to find out which business you should start and the second step is to make a proper action plan for the business to achieve the goal. Thanks for sharing such an informative post. Keep sharing.

No problem Noah – thanks for your comment. 🙂

I read your article and implemented it in my online shopping website.

Fantastic advice and tips how to start a business successful business!

AMAZING article Adam once again. Many people like me who are planning to go-off business, will get a clear vision after reading your blog. I always loved your content. For this post the reason is that all these business ideas are digital, as the world is also becoming digital.

Once again THANK ADAM.

I loved the wedding planing

I love photography should I try this ? man I need to get a cam

Best share and need to remember by every startup’s owner.

Great Content…!

There is not one business in there that doesn’t revolve around humanity. I am passionate about helping the planet survive us! Hit me with something interesting! – and worthwhile, for the good of the earth! Please!

SMH… if your so passionate about it, figure it out yourself. He gave a bunch of great ideas. At least something to get the brain churnin’, and that makes it very helpful. If none is useful to you, then help your own self out. Please!

Great post, this is my first time I am posting a comment here and I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially thank you for the post.

Thanks Frank! I’m glad you’re finding my content interesting. 🙂

Very Nice Article!

This business ideas are very helpful for the people who want to start their own business and confused that which business they should start. They can easily choose one of them which you provide. Thank you for sharing.

No problem – thanks Tony. 🙂

Your advices are very helpful, valuable, stimulating and motivating. I have already picked up some few biz ideas upon which to conduct further research and make final decision Extremely thanks

Thanks for sharing this informative blog with us. inspired by your very first idea I have started my own blog.

Pls I want to start blog bussiness

I want to start food business But no idea weather i should do restaurant coffee shops bakery am confused

Go with a coffee shop as youth prefer their own time with cup of coffee

The website you’ve provided is an excellent starting point for those brainstorming ideas to approach today’s world “new economy “. Since the most recent global pandemic (Covid-19) the recent layoffs many will be forced to revert to self employment. Thanks for sharing!

Very insightful. A must read for anyone looking for a startup

Like any other business, startups begin with an idea. The future results depend on how successful, timely, and well-implemented this idea is. So thanks for theses amazing ideas

Thank you, Adam! This is great information. I have been thinking about starting my own business.

Great post Business ideas mentioned by you looks impressive. Anyone who is thinking to start a new business startup essentials will get so much help from your blog.

Thanks Aaron!

Great post, inspiring, and plenty of knowledge for the beginners like me.

very helpful blog

I thought you wrote this topic just for me 🙂 and then made it public 🙂 Many thanks for your effort and input.

Great information!!

Omg this is so helpful, thank you so much for sharing. I know this is are different times because of the covid pandemic, but there are still some ideas that can be shaped to make it work anyways. Greetings!

In business, there is a rule that if you stand still and get obese. You have to grow and enter new markets to be able to constantly follow the trends and new things, otherwise the competition will overtake you.

Thanks for this great post Adam. Very informative really and useful. Keep up the good work

Thank you for sharing such an informative content. This content would be helpful for those who are looking for a startup.

Thank you Adam.

nice and helpful content … keep it up… thanks for sharing

Mindblowing. After reading this post I am realizing that life has given us the opportunities to earn a lifetime. We just need to analyze what we are good at and where we can invest our time, energy and skills. Thank you for the educative post.

thank you so much for this, I really needed it

Really loved the way you explain your content. Really a good list.

Very amazing contents. Really helpful for the people want to start working online,

Thank you, this is quite an important information. I decided to pick the ecommerce and dropshipping business idea.

These all business ideas are very nice. All ideas are very useful. thanks for shairng.

Loved thisssss! Thank you so muchhh for sharing!

All of the ideas mentioned in this post are great, but regardless of what you choose to do, you will need to put in the time and work hard if you would like to see any semblance of success.

Hey there !! Just wanted to thank you for this awesome blog post. Excellent work done by you. i loved it. Thanks again. Have a great day.

Nice, I’ve been on the fence about drop shipping and starting a bakery/deli, maybe both? This article helps inspire those such as myself that there are possible money makers out there, we just gotta try. Thanks

True but some of these already have cut throat competition

Digital marketing plays a vital role in the development of all types of business. Nice post keep it up.

Great list of business ideas, I found online coaching and courses is best suited for me among all. Thanks for sharing and giving me idea to showcase my skills on online platform. I guess it require little investment also.

Thank you for sharing the great information. I finally decided to start a Dropshipping business. I read online, this business has low-profit margins. Is it true? What type of business you recommend for a beginner.

Dropshipping does have lower profit margins than a traditional ecommerce business because you are a retailer and losing some margin compared to getting a wholesale rate. I typically recommend blogging as a great online business model because there are no products to sell yourself and you can focus exclusively on marketing, creating courses, and building affiliate relationships.

Are you always fixing things around the house? Woodworker. Online dating consultant. Sewing and alteration specialist. Freelance developer. Personal trainer. Freelance graphic designer. Life/career coach.

Great tips. The nice thing is you can do them in a different order. I started off with the web presence and logo, and I’m about to put together my business plan and incorporate soon ??

These ideas are really amazing. 2020 is about to end and i wish i found this list earlier as these ideas look good to start in 2020 and some of these might even work in 2021. I am looking forward for a list of business ideas in 2021 as well. Good luck 🙂

Hey Adam, This is an enormous amount of great information in one place. Great work!

Fantastic advise Adam! Thank you for the insight!

I agree with point #2. Online course and coaching has been definitely become relevant. Whether you are teaching or being coached, they provide you a platform to explore your interests. Thanks for the creative ideas! This was a good read.

Great article, there is something here for everyone

Great ideas! Most of them are for everyone. Thank you for sharing the great information, really love the idea of dropshipping!!

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Innovation That Matters

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Innovation Snapshot

21 Sustainable Business Ideas for 2021

Our favourite sustainable innovations from the past year that we hope will inspire businesses around the globe to do more to help protect our planet in 2021..

We are firm believers of the idea that addressing the climate crisis and pursuing other sustainable initiatives is a win-win situation for businesses. Aside from the increased brand loyalty that accrues from aligning with activist values, climate change is poised to cost businesses an estimated €85 billion in the next five years.

Also, consider the B Corporation movement. This rigorous certification process ensures that organisations meet rigorous social and environmental standards that represent a genuine commitment to goals outside shareholder profit. But reaching such goals has numerous benefits as well, even adding much-needed resiliency for businesses weathering tumultuous times like the ones we’re in now. 

According to one study, B Corps were 63 per cent more likely than other businesses of a similar size to make it through the last financial crisis. PWC also found that UK B Corps have reported average revenue growth of 14 per cent year-on-year since 2015.

With all of this in mind, we’re sharing 21 of our favourite sustainable innovations from the past year that we hope will inspire businesses around the globe to do more to help protect our planet in 2021 — and, in turn, help themselves.

1. TRULY COMPOSTABLE TAKEAWAY BOWLS 

Due to consumer awareness of the problem of plastic waste, many restaurants have started to move towards more sustainable options, such as compostable fibre packaging. However, it was recently discovered that the moulded fibre food packages contain poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which, when used to coat the paper-like surface, remain persistent in compost and can potentially end up in the soil, water or food. As a solution to the problem, restaurant chain Sweetgreen has partnered with Footprint, a company aimed at eliminating single-use plastic packaging, to launch new compostable to-go bowls. Sweetgreen explored other options for PFAS-free packaging but eventually decided to work with Footprint, making them the first restaurant chain to use the company’s packaging.

2. AN APPLIANCE RENTAL SERVICE MODEL

A product design student at London’s Southbank University has developed a model for an online platform, called Upkeep, that allows users to rent large household appliances. Of course, renting appliances has a long history, and is available almost everywhere, but the Upkeep rental service would operate on a subscription model, which is more unique. The designer, Dominika Ptach, proposes three levels of subscription – “Neo” for new appliances; “Denovo” for certified refurbished appliances; and “Care” to allow repair or safe disposal of users’ existing appliances.

3. A FULLY CIRCULAR RUNNING SHOE

French company Salomon has designed a pair of running shoes that are 100 per cent recyclable. The thread used to sew the shoes is the same material as the rest of the upper. The shoe’s upper, itself made from recycled polyester, can be recycled again into new thread for fabric, and the foam sole can be ground up and used in the brand’s ski boots. Thus, nothing ends in the landfill. In the future, it may even be possible to make soles out of recycled PET, so that the whole shoe would be made of a single material and would be even easier to recycle.

4. DESIGNER MANUFACTURES CLOTHING AS IT SELLS

Nigerian-born designer Lola Faturoti is known for her colourful, African-inspired designs. She had long wanted to produce denim clothing but was put off by the large order sizes needed, and the huge amounts of waste involved in printing on denim. Now, she is partnering with Resonance, a garment manufacturing company that is working to eliminate inventory in fashion, creating only the pieces that will be purchased. Faturoti uses Resonance’s cloud-based platform to print her designs on organic and biodegradable denim, using 40 per cent less ink and 50 per cent less water than conventional methods. Savings are made from the item being produced only after a customer has placed an order, eliminating the manufacturing of items that never sell.

5. ZERO WASTE GROCERY DELIVERY

US-based Zero Grocery has committed to only providing plastic-free groceries – the company buys in bulk and packs the food and other products into glass jars, boxes and reusable containers. Zero charges a delivery fee or a monthly membership. The company collects any empty containers from previous deliveries, which are sanitised and reused — a bit like a milkman for groceries. 

6. NET-ZERO LIQUOR

The sustainable liquor company Mermaid is supporting carbon positive projects to offset its emissions. The first project actively promotes Blue Carbon initiatives, which are ocean-based projects to mitigate climate change by preserving carbon-capturing ecosystems. Mermaid gins and Mermaid Salt Vodka are already presented in plastic-free bottles which are 100 per cent recyclable: the stopper is made from sustainably sourced cork and wood and even the seal is plant-based and biodegradable.

7. A PAPER BOTTLE FOR ADULT BEVERAGES

Diageo, the company behind drinks brands such as Smirnoff, Guinness, Tanqueray and Captain Morgan, has joined with Unilever and PepsiCo to make a major investment in sustainable packaging technology. The rival companies have joined with venture management company Pilot Lite to launch sustainable packaging technology company Pulpex Limited, which has designed and developed a scalable and fully-recyclable paper-based drinks bottle. It is made from food-safe and sustainably sourced pulp. To prevent leaks, the contents are protected by a liner made from resin, which disintegrates once the bottle is empty. The cap will be made of aluminium, which can be recycled.

8. FOOD LABEL CHANGES PRICE AS EXPIRATION NEARS

As groceries reach their expiration date, supermarkets often relabel them with discount stickers – 20 per cent off, 40 per cent off, etc. But this relabelling can be time-consuming for staff and often leads to mistakes. To prevent this, three grad students at the National Taipei University of Technology have designed a better system. The Barcodiscount concept consists of colour-changing stickers, which display different discounts based on the timing of the expiration date. For example, when a packet of meat is 48 hours from expiration, the words 20 per cent off appear on the label, and when the meat is 24 hours from expiration, this is automatically replaced with the words 40 per cent off.

9. ENHANCED SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING TECH FOR RETAILERS

Finland-based MetsäBoard specializes in producing packaging solutions with the least possible environmental impact. The company’s paperboards, folding boxboards and white kraft liners, are all plastic-free, lightweight and easily recyclable — and said to consume less raw materials, reduce transport weight and produce less waste. The products are made of pure fresh fibres sourced from sustainably managed Northern European forests. 

10. BREWERY BUYS A FOREST TO OFFSET CARBON

Scottish craft brewer BrewDog took a bold step towards becoming not just carbon neutral, but carbon negative. The company purchased 2,500 acres of forest in the Scottish Highlands. The land is currently used for grazing livestock, but BrewDog hopes to restore the area to native forest, allowing it to sequester around 300,000 tons of CO2.

11. BLOCKCHAIN MARKETPLACE RESCUES FABRIC FROM LANDFILL

Sales platform Queen of Raw uses blockchain and artificial intelligence to divert tonnes of those usable materials to other individuals and brands. Businesses wanting to work more sustainably use the company’s material exchange programme, MateriaMX, to identify areas of waste within supply chains. That stock is then automatically added to the Queen of Raw marketplace, ensuring that not only do businesses waste less, but they earn more.

12. COMPOSTABLE PLANT-BASED HOODIE

London-based clothing startup Vollebak has designed a hoodie from eucalyptus trees that is fully biodegradable and compostable within eight weeks. Made from pulped eucalyptus and beech wood that has been sourced from sustainably managed forests, the plant-based jumper achieves a mossy hue from being dyed with pomegranate peel. 

13. BOOKING PLATFORM OFFSETS ALL CARBON FROM HOTEL STAYS

The Denmark-based, hotel booking platform Goodwings offers subscription-based access to more than one million hotels worldwide at wholesale rates. However, Goodwings is more than the average booking site, the company is a B Corp–certified member aiming to turn the hotel industry into a catalyst for sustainable change. With Goodwings, all hotel stays are 100 per cent carbon compensated, supporting people and the planet for free.

14. HANDBAGS THAT CONSUMERS ASSEMBLE AT HOME

Japanese studio, Nendo, has designed a collection of handbags for the startup Italian online platform, Up To You Anthology, which customers can self-assemble at home. Each bag in the Mai collection is made from single sheets of laser-cut leather, in a net-style format. Its name comes from the Japanese word “ichi-mai”, which translates to “one-sheet”. This straightforward design has simplified the manufacturing process and minimised the inventory and shipping costs.

15. RECYCLING COMPLIANCE PLATFORM FOR E-COMMERCE

Ecosistant, a Berlin-based consulting agency for recycling compliance, has launched a platform enabling online retailers to perform EU-wide packaging licensing digitally. An algorithm-based process makes it swift and simple to fulfil packaging compliance obligations, with greater financial appeal compared to conventional CSR consultants. The development is led by company founders Andreas Landes and Johannes Kohlmann.

16. TRAINERS MADE FROM RECYCLED TIRE SOLES

The French startup, Off the Hook (OTH), is a unisex, sustainable, trainer brand. These unique shoes have soles made from recycled, world-travelled tires. Moreover, each pair is tattooed with GPS coordinates referring to an unusual place. One tire is recycled for every three pairs of shoes produced by OTH.

17. PLATFORM HELPS MERCHANTS CUT FOOD WASTE

Phenix has created a real-time, reliable connection between supermarkets and organisations in need of food donations. While originally a purely digital platform, Phenix has grown in line with the increasing demand of their partnered stores and charities. There are benefits for both too — shops using the platform not only reduce their waste disposal costs but also gain a tax deduction on the food they donate – from which Phenix collects a commission.

18. BREWERY BURNS IRON AS A GREEN FUEL ALTERNATIVE

A new green fuel alternative has emerged that involves burning metal powder. When iron powder is ground very fine, it burns readily at high temperatures and releases energy as it oxidises. No carbon is emitted in this process — only iron oxide, which is regenerated back into iron powder when electricity is applied. Netherlands-based Swinkels Family Brewers have recently become the first business in the world to put this process to work at an industrial scale.

19. CARBON OFFSETTING PLATFORM PROVIDES FULLY TRACEABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

New Zealand technology company CarbonClick recently introduced its e-commerce platform for businesses. Rather than require every business to research, build and track its own carbon offsetting programme, CarbonClick provides high-quality, internationally-vetted and fully traceable projects that support the work to reverse climate change. Businesses add a CarbonClick option to their checkout processes, allowing customers to decide how much of their purchases to offset. Individuals can set up a monthly subscription to cover the cost of the carbon emissions of their regular activities.

20. SMART PACKAGING BOX HANDLES 1,000 SHIPMENTS ON SINGLE CHARGE

Smart, sustainable packaging company, LivingPackets, has partnered with ePaper technology business, E Ink, to provide E Ink displays for their invention: THE BOX — a connected delivery box made of an incredibly rigid material and that is designed to be used over and over again. THE BOX can run for up to a 1,000 shipments on a single charge before it gets refurbished and sent out for another 1,000 shipments. The paperless label makes addressing shipments quick and easy and allows businesses to accommodate last-minute amendments to delivery locations.

21. PLATFORM ESTIMATES CARBON EMISSIONS OF PLANNED BUILDINGS

Architecture and design studio Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) is working to make this easier with their development of a free tool called FCBS Carbon, which helps architects to estimate the whole-life carbon emissions of a planned building. Whole-life carbon emissions refer to the CO2 emitted during the entire lifespan of a building. Knowing the whole-life emissions can allow architects to fine-tune their designs in order to produce fewer emissions. The FCBS Carbon tool helps architects to quickly and easily produce a spreadsheet of a building’s potential environmental impact.  Architects can then see how changes to plans and materials affect the carbon footprint.

15th December 2020

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Table of Contents

If you are thinking about starting a business , you should be considering whether your idea fills a need in the way people live their lives and approach their work. If you can identify an unmet need and a target market, then you might just have a business idea with legs. But how can you come up with a good small business idea in the first place? This list of business ideas includes 26 great types of business to help you find success.

• How To Start A Business: Step By Step
• 11 Things To Do Before Starting A Business
• Tax and Business Forms You'll Need To Start A Business
• 20 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting A Business

26 great small business ideas

This list of 26 great business ideas will help you get started on your entrepreneurial journey. Note that many of the ideas below only require you to have a credit card processing partner to get started, so you can keep upfront expenses relatively low.

Read on for some inspiration into the many types of businesses that could launch you to success.

1. Online reselling

If you’re interested in clothing and sales, you might consider starting an online reseller business . Although it takes time, dedication and an eye for fashion, you can start your business as a side hustle and turn it into a full-time resale business. You could start by using online store websites like Poshmark and Mercari to sell your unwanted clothing and items, then expand to your own resale website.

Consider shopping estate sales and flea markets for hidden finds at a low cost and then listing them for a profit online. You may be able to collect a substantial inventory of items that are in good shape for very little overhead if you’re diligent enough and search the right places.

2. Pet sitting

About 70% of U.S. families have a pet . When these families go away for extended periods, your pet-sitting small business can give them peace of mind. As a pet sitter, you’ll watch over your clients’ dogs, cats or other pets at their house. As part of the job, you’ll need to feed them, give them water, play with them, and (with dogs) walk them as needed. To help keep clients satisfied, you’ll need to regularly update them on how their pets are doing.

If you have other sources of income that require nothing more than an internet connection and a laptop, pet sitting may be an especially apt small business idea. Almost all pet owners will be glad to let you work on your laptop while you spend time at their home with their pets, meaning that you can run two income streams simultaneously.

3. T-shirt printing

If you have a sense of fashion (or humor), you might enjoy launching a T-shirt printing business. You can also license someone else’s designs and screenprint them onto a blank tee. Either way, if you have space for a T-shirt printing setup, you can easily acquire the necessary tools to get started.

4. Cleaning service

If you like to clean, you can easily turn that into a business. With a few staff members, a host of cleaning supplies and transportation, you can offer cleaning services to homeowners, apartment complexes and commercial properties. Most cleaning services charge $25 to $50 per hour. Cleaning services are straightforward businesses that require relatively little overhead; you simply need planning, dedication and marketing to attract customers.

If you’re looking to differentiate yourself from other cleaning services, consider adding premium options like floor waxing or exterior power-washing for an additional fee. These services could be the deciding factor between your new cleaning service and seasoned companies that maintain too large a client list to provide that level of cleaning.

5. Online teaching

The demand for online education has opened up possibilities for entrepreneurs. Since this is an online venture, you can choose any subject you know about and teach a course regardless of location. If you don’t have advanced knowledge in any particular subject, consider teaching English as a foreign language online to students overseas.

6. Online bookkeeping

As with education, technology allows many bookkeeping services to be performed online. If you are an accountant or bookkeeper who wants the freedom and autonomy of running your own business, take advantage of modern technology to start your own online bookkeeping service.

7. Consulting

If you are knowledgeable and passionate about a specific topic (like business, social media, marketing, human resources, leadership or communication), consulting can be a lucrative option. You can start a consulting business on your own, then grow your business and hire other consultants over time.

8. Medical courier service

If you have a reliable vehicle and good time management skills, consider creating your own courier service – more specifically, a medical courier service. As a driver, you would be responsible for transporting medical items like lab specimens, prescription drugs and equipment. You could start your courier business on your own or hire other drivers to work for you.

9. App development

If you are knowledgeable and experienced in technology, you may want to consider a career in app development. Smartphones are an everyday accessory for many Americans that has increased the demand for mobile apps. Similarly, virtual reality software has become popular in recent years, so there is also a demand for VR app development. 

10. Transcription service

If you have a good ear and can type quickly, a transcription service would allow you to work from home with a flexible schedule. Medical transcription services are especially needed as voice recognition technology proliferates for healthcare provider dictation. 

You can accept as few or as many transcription jobs as you’d like. This flexibility can be especially beneficial if you’re not looking to start all at once or if you have a day job you would like to keep for now. To boost your business prospects and justify charging more, consider becoming a certified transcriptionist and delving into a few specialties.

Medical transcriptionists typically charge 6 to 14 cents per line of transcription, which adds up quickly. The typical turnaround time for transcription work is 24 hours, so it’s important to stay on top of the jobs you accept. However, the ability to accept only a few requests at first means you can scale up as you are ready. Best of all, there is very little startup cost and overhead. You only need a computer, the appropriate software and a secure messaging service.

11. Professional organizing

Looking for a small business idea that can really spark joy? Professional organizers, like Marie Kondo, help people declutter and minimize for a living. In an age of materialism, many people are desperate to downsize and take control over their possessions. Minimalism is becoming extremely popular, but people often find it hard to part with things they’ve owned for a long time. Part of being a professional organizer is helping clients develop a system for downsizing.

If you’re a highly organized person who enjoys making spaces functional and comfortable, you might be good at coaching others to do the same. People will pay you to help them devise a method of minimizing their possessions and maintaining an organized space. To promote your business, ask if your clients will let you take before-and-after photos of the areas of their homes you’ve organized. If so, you can use those to create a portfolio that you can put on social media to attract more clients.

12. Freelance copywriting or content writing

If you’re a natural wordsmith with a bit of marketing knowledge, you can establish yourself as a freelance copywriter or content writer. Whether you write blogs, web content or press releases, plenty of companies will pay for your services. Increase your value by using SEO knowledge to help clients craft a strategy around specific keywords that their target audience is already using in their online searches.

Freelance copywriting is a great business to run because as long as you have an internet connection, you can work. It’s a business that you can operate from the comfort of your own home or even from the road if you travel. If you establish a large enough network and gain referrals from satisfied clients, you could even make freelance writing your full-time job .

13. Home care service

A background in care and hospitality can go a long way to support housebound seniors who require in-home care. It’s also a service for which demand is only going to grow. According to the Population Reference Bureau, between 2020 and 2060, the 85-and-over population is projected to triple from 6.7 million to 19 million. The global number of centenarians (those over age 100) has already reached nearly 600,000. Many will need care and assistance, often in their own homes.

Luckily, you don’t need a background in healthcare to help seniors and grow a successful business at the same time, although those skills will be in demand as well. Many seniors need help with all kinds of tasks, like errands or repairs around the house. With some experience, you could consider growing your business to help seniors transition from their homes to assisted living facilities, offering services such as packing, transporting, setting up, or storing their furniture and possessions.

14. Translation service

According to research from IBISWorld, the translation services industry saw a decline in 2020, as did many industries; however, IBISWorld forecasts a “major uptick” for the industry over the next five years. That projected growth isn’t surprising, as the internet has opened up entrepreneurs in other countries to English-speaking markets, and vice versa.

This trend has created an opening for multilingual speakers to offer specific services, such as document translation and the translation of website information into languages for use in other markets. If you’re fluent in multiple languages, you could be successful in carving out a niche in the translation services industry.

15. Digital marketing

The importance of the internet grows with every passing day, but it also becomes harder for businesses to cut through the online clutter and properly market themselves. Digital marketing services are always in demand. Yet, many small and midsize companies would rather outsource them than establish a costly in-house team. If you have chops in SEO, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, web development or social media management, you could seize a business opportunity that allows you the freedom to work from home.

Digital marketing is an important part of any brand, so you’ll need to respond to developments in your clients’ marketing strategies. Social media management entails watching for comments and messages around the clock, not just scheduling posts with a set-it-and-forget-it mindset. If you enjoy strategizing and implementing marketing plans meticulously, digital marketing could be the right business for you. You may also consider becoming an affiliate marketer, which is another form of digital marketing.

16. Owning a food truck

Food trucks come in all shapes and sizes, serving up a wide range of snacks and cuisines. Take your favorite style of food on the road, and sell your culinary passions directly to hungry customers. Sure, you’ll be working, but you’ll be in a space you’re passionate about, with a chance to connect to people who have similar interests. 

Starting a food truck is a great small business idea for entrepreneurs with a taste for the culinary. The overhead and upkeep for a truck is significantly less than for a restaurant, and you have the added benefit of mobility. [Check out our recommendations for POS systems for your food truck.]

17. Lawn care service

If you grew up with a lawn, chances are your parents made you maintain it. For many, lawn care is bothersome, but for some it offers a sense of peace and serenity. Working outdoors with your hands to tame and beautify the natural landscape can be a rewarding experience, but since so many people find the work tedious, it can also be profitable.

Lawn care services require little more than some basic equipment, a trailer and perhaps some staff, depending on how many clients you have and how big the jobs are. You can grow a small lawn care service into a full landscaping company by offering premium services and establishing a reputation as a brand that does a thorough job with a smile. If you like working outdoors and creating elegant landscapes, this could be the business for you.

18. Rideshare driving

If starting your own business seems daunting or too much of a risk, you can always use your car to become a rideshare driver. The overhead and responsibility of running the company fall on the rideshare service, giving you the freedom to work as much or as little as you want. Rideshare applications such as Uber and Lyft allow people to start side hustles that pay well and require little more than a willingness to drive people to their destinations and make occasional friendly conversation.

Rideshare drivers have the independence of a small business owner without the heavy workload required to manage behind-the-scenes logistics. If any of the other business ideas seem to require too much effort or upfront capital, ridesharing might be the way to dip your toe into the world of entrepreneurship.

19. Real estate

For many people, navigating the housing market is overwhelming. As a real estate agent, you can help people find their dream home at a price that fits their budget. In many states, you only need to complete a few months of classes and pass an exam to qualify as a real estate agent. Keep in mind that even with a certification, you’ll need strong social skills, so if you’re not a people person, this might not be the route for you. [Read related article: How to Become a Real Estate Agent ]

20. Graphic design

Corporations, small businesses and sole proprietors all need eye-catching promotional materials, but not everybody has an eye for what looks good. If you have an artistic streak and know how to organize content into a visually pleasing format, start a graphic design business to provide flyers, digital ads, posters and other engaging visual materials. Graphic design requires few physical tools beyond a laptop and a desk.

21. Dropshipping

Not all companies that sell goods store them on-site. In drop-shipping, people who run e-commerce sites go to a third party to fulfill all orders. The third party is likely a wholesale retailer or other entity that runs a warehouse and shipping operation. The minimal inventory and tools needed for drop-shipping make it an especially great startup idea if you’re worried about overhead costs and physical space.

22. Personal training

If the gym is like your second home, you might want to share some of your expertise and help others reach their fitness goals. As a personal trainer, you can offer in-home training sessions that cater to each of your clients’ exercise capabilities. You can also help clients build customized nutrition and meal plans so their diets complement their physical goals.

Many personal trainers start their client acquisition process with social media pages that detail their experience in the gym along with some motivational quotes. While a certification can help expand your customer base, you aren’t legally required to have any specialized training to start this type of business.

23. Resume writing

People are always applying for jobs, whether they want to make a career shift, increase their pay or switch work environments. Of course, most job applications require candidates to submit resumes to detail their professional background. As a resume writer, you can help job applicants’ resumes stand out from their competition.

You’ll also help your clients create cover letters and portfolios that show off the best of their work. Plus, you don’t need any special schooling to be a resume writer – just some basic organizing and proofreading skills. If you know what makes resumes appear professional and ready for employers’ eyes, you’re already off to a great start.

24. Host a podcast

Podcasts have become extremely popular, with more than 100 million active podcast listeners in the U.S. alone. Best of all, you can start a podcast on any topic that interests you, from business to history to pop culture and more. Starting a podcast requires consistency and dedication, as well as a basic understanding of audio editing (and video editing if you want to start a companion YouTube channel for subscribers to follow).

Once your podcast has built up a substantial following, you can sell time to advertisers or establish partnerships with companies that generate revenue. As your brand expands further, you may even be able to charge to speak at events or moderate panels on topics your podcast focuses on. Of course, in order to get to that level, you need to come up with a unique small business idea that you’re passionate and knowledgeable about, and then make sure you can relate to your target audience . 

25. Launch a newsletter

If podcasts aren’t your thing but you like the idea behind building a robust list of subscribers and then selling space to advertisers and partners, consider creating an email newsletter. More than 90% of Americans subscribe to email newsletters . This means if you can capture the attention of a particular audience, you could build a substantial following and monetize it. 

To do so, come up with an umbrella topic you can write about at length, and then work to establish a brand voice and mission. Explore the best email marketing software that can help you manage your subscriber list and email sends, and then you’re ready to get started. Solicit feedback from your audience over time to give them more of what they want and less of what they don’t. After all, their continued engagement with your newsletter is what will help you build it into a successful business. 

26. Event catering

Do you have a passion for the culinary arts? If so, event catering may be a great business idea for you. There’s no shortage of people who need delicious food to serve their guests, whether that’s at parties, weddings, fundraisers, or family reunions. If you have a knack for cooking or baking and love to serve hungry guests, event catering could be a fun and lucrative way to do just that.

To get started, you’ll need to set up a menu and price sheet, as well as obtain all necessary permits and licenses. Start small to get the word out about your catering service, but when your food speaks for itself don’t be surprised if your business grows by leaps and bounds through word of mouth alone.

What are the most successful small businesses?

Small businesses that involve website design, a subset of digital marketing, are among those that make the most sales and bring in the most profit. People learn about businesses on the internet more often than via other avenues, so finding clients and a steady income stream isn’t as difficult. Cleaning services and real estate businesses also have high success rates, which makes sense – all people need homes, and they prefer them to be clean.

What would be a good small business to start?

If you want to maximize your profit while minimizing your workload, try any of the small business ideas that most frequently prove successful. However, if you’re more interested in pursuing your passions while earning enough money to live, start a small business that fulfills you, requires you to use your skills and offers you a good work-life balance . There are so many great business ideas – and you know better than anyone what small business ideas will bring you happiness, success and stability.

How can I start my own business with no money?

You don’t need money to become a small business owner. The first step in starting a business with no money is to keep your current job and launch your small business as a side pursuit at first. Then, develop your business plan and analyze your consumer base, market and potential challenges. 

Near the final stages of planning, you’ll better understand how much money you need to make your business a full-time job. You can find this money through crowdfunding platforms and investors . Consider taking out a business loan only as a last resort.

You should also work with reliable professionals, including an attorney and an accountant. Most of the businesses on this list require particular permits or licenses, and legal counsel can help you make sure you do it all by the book. Meanwhile, an accountant is critical for managing finances properly, especially in the early days when you’re still establishing your revenue stream. While these professionals represent an upfront cost, they’re well worth it and can help you build a healthy business.

How do I start a small business from home?

Home-based businesses tend to be the most convenient and manageable ones. That said, not all great business ideas are suited for home offices, so make sure your business can be conducted from home – jobs with on-site needs and heavy in-person demands might not be suitable. In your business plan and budget, incorporate any office supplies and tools that make your online business ideas feasible, such as a separate business computer, a suitable desk, high-speed internet, filing cabinets and a business website.

What makes for a good work-from-home small business idea?

A good work-from-home small business idea boasts the following traits:

• Minimal inventory and supplies: Presumably, your home isn’t a mansion (yet), and you have only so much space in which to store inventory and supplies. That means lawn care service is probably a no-go if you’re looking to work from home. The same might be true for T-shirt printing if you don’t have space to store your prints. Copywriting and graphic design, on the other hand, require little more than a laptop and a working internet connection, and you probably already have those.
• Low startup costs : A viable work-from-home business shouldn’t cost much to launch. With minimal storage space, it’s not like you can pile up raw materials and inventory. You might need to buy some software or obtain licensure for certain small business ideas, but your financial obstacles should be few and far between.
• Computer-based, online work: Many of the above small business ideas require the use of a computer with an internet connection. Drop-shipping, digital marketing and translation are all great examples. An exception to the rule is pet- sitting if you watch over pets at your house rather than the owner’s home. Then, all you need is a pair of watchful eyes and open ears. You can even do computer-based work while watching the pets.
• Flexible schedule: Traditional office jobs often demand a rigid 9-to-5 schedule from employees. This schedule can feel less important to adhere to if you’re working from home , especially when you’re your own boss. As such, the best work-from-home small business ideas allow for a flexible schedule. If you do your best app development work at 3 a.m., who’s to stop you?
• Modest collaboration needs: Although remote team collaboration is easy to achieve, working from home goes more smoothly when you’re almost fully independent. A small business in which you answer to just a handful of clients and one or two colleagues (if any) leads to greater independence. Then you can truly work on your own terms and see your small business idea through to full fruition.

What is the step-by-step process for starting a business?

Starting a business takes work, but with the right tools and guidelines, your company will be up and running in no time. Although your specific business journey will be unique to you, we identified a few steps that entrepreneurs can take to start their businesses.

• Choose a business idea and find your niche
• Analyze the current market
• Create a business plan
• Assess your finances and raise money as needed
• Determine your legal business structure
• Register your business with the government and IRS
• Choose the appropriate business insurance policies
• Hire employees and build your team
• Choose your vendors
• Market and advertise your business

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6 ways AI can help launch your next business venture

For technology professionals with a working knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI), opportunities for new business launches abound. You can build and leverage AI for an employer or use the technology on your own, either as a new venture or as a side hustle.

AI is at the core of the next generation of startups, offering a nimbleness and disruptive advantage by moving new business ideas from ideation to market at a vastly accelerated rate. Tech professionals can play a vital role in building and launching this new generation of AI-enhanced businesses.

Also: This year's top 8 use cases for AI

We're at a point where innovation driven by AI is taking off, and this shift means a world of opportunities for startups delivering AI services, said   Sarah Wang and Shangda Xu , both with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. 

"We believe that AI startups [that] build for enterprises' AI-centric strategic initiatives while anticipating their pain points, and move from a services-heavy approach to building scalable products will capture this new wave of investment and carve out significant market share," they predicted.

Examples of AI products or services that startups can offer include "tooling that helps with fine-tuning, to model serving, to application building, and to purpose-built AI native applications," they said.

Here are some considerations, shared by industry leaders, for professionals who want to build a business using AI.

1. A deeper understanding of the customer

An AI-fueled startup can understand the customer more deeply . For startups or new business ventures delivering more mainstream services -- such as manufacturing, health products, or travel assistance -- AI plays a vital role in the most important function of all: understanding the customer.

First and foremost, there's the customer who provides the reason for the business venture in the first place. "Understanding and engaging with customers is key to business success. AI-driven analytics provide deep insights into customer behavior, enabling businesses to tailor their products and services to specific needs and outcomes," Bob Lamendola , senior VP of technology and head of Ricoh's North America digital services center, told ZDNET.

Also:  6 ways ChatGPT can make your everyday life easier

"AI can play a significant role in developing new business concepts that can lead to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, which are critical components toward building relevance in a competitive market."

2. A digital management consultant

Typically, startups can't afford management consultants who charge vast sums to dispense advice on finances, marketing, or distribution. AI-based agents may provide low-cost assistance that draws upon learning across industries. 

Also:  How ChatGPT became my virtual assistant for a data project

"Think of AI as your digital management consultant," DataGPT co-founder and CEO  Arina Curtis , whose own business launch involved a conversational AI tool, told ZDNET. "It's fantastic for digging through vast amounts of online data, pulling out critical insights, and suggesting strategies. This is valuable, especially in well-established industries, where one can use AI to dissect and understand what the top players are doing."

3. A tech assistant for startup founders

Startups no longer require large collections of tech talent to piece together AI support -- at least not at the start. "The most striking aspect is how AI enables founders to launch businesses with fewer hires and resources," Kian Katanforoosh , lecturer at Stanford University and the CEO and founder of Workera, told ZDNET. 

An entrepreneur -- technical or non-technical -- can launch a business without the need to search for technical talent and partners. Product or service design can now be conducted using natural language processing through generative AI "rather than code," Katanforoosh added. This approach helps reduce the need to acquire valuable technical talent and cut the demand for seed capital or personal investments before conceiving and marketing an offering.

4. A way to think big 

AI can direct everything from production-level control systems to executive decision-making . "It's not just about automating tasks," Curtis said. "It's about creating new opportunities, redefining roles, and reshaping industries." 

Also:  4 generative AI tools your enterprise can leverage to boost productivity

AI "is more than just a technological upgrade; it's a strategic overhaul," Curtis said. "AI is enhancing operational efficiency and revolutionizing customer experiences. We're talking about creating products, services, and business models that were unimaginable before AI came into the picture."

5. An idea generator

ChatGPT has become a popular tool for entrepreneurs "for its capability to generate internet-savvy business ideas," Antonio García , TXI's chief innovation and strategy officer, told ZDNET. "Imagine an entrepreneur deciding to start a print-on-demand T-shirt business. With AI like ChatGPT, they can transition from idea generation to practical execution, receiving guidance on design, marketing language, and even production intricacies."

AI goes even further. Garcia cited advanced ideation platforms, such as MIT's Supermind Ideator , which "exemplifies AI's potential to not just generate ideas but to refine and deepen them, acting as a digital incubator for nascent business concepts and other challenges. AI, in this context, is more than a tool; it's a collaborative partner in the entrepreneurial process."

Right now, generative AI is "akin to an enthusiastic, highly capable intern -- quick to engage but still learning the nuances of complex problems," he said. AI's "true power lies in its ability to rapidly generate a plethora of business ideas, critically evaluate existing concepts, and align new ideas with vast repositories of existing knowledge."

6. A rapid path to automation

Automation has long offered ways to offload time-consuming mundane tasks and save labor costs. AI takes this capability to the next level, enabling startups to scale as rapidly as larger organizations. 

"Automation through AI not only slashes operational bottlenecks but also levels the playing field for budding entrepreneurs," 5app Chief Learning Officer Steve Thompson  told ZDNET. "From automating routine tasks to facilitating advanced data analytics, AI empowers startups with the efficiency and adaptability crucial for navigating the complex business landscape."

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19 Best Suits for Women, According to a Style Editor

By Paula Lee

When creating a workwear capsule, the best suits for women are valuable wardrobe essentials . The blazer and pants (or skirt) combo is a shortcut to looking professional and pulled together at the office. Plus, the ready-made outfit makes getting dressed in the morning so much easier.

With tailoring a top fashion trend of late, there have never been more stylish suiting options. Chic blazers come in single- and double-breasted variations, fitted and oversized, as well as various materials. Ponte, crepe, and even some wool blends are the most versatile year-round and will serve you for years to come. Don’t overlook linen as a great breathable option when temps rise, either. Whether you layer the suit blazers over crisp button-downs for business casual or atop T-shirts and spring dresses off the clock, it’s a definite power player. Complete your suit with wide-leg work pants or create a skirt suit with a shapely pencil skirt (many of the blazers on this list have matching pants or skirt sold separately).

Ahead, we found the best suit options from reliable workwear brands that will elevate your weekday grind (note that most of the below come in black so you can find your perfect black suit)—and when you break apart the pieces, they’ll take you beyond the normal 9-to-5.

The best suits for women, at a glance

• Best Black Blazer : Madewell Single-Breasted Blazer, $178
• Best Amazon Suit : Prettygarden Fall Jacket and Wide-Leg Pants , $61
• Best Ponte Blazer : Banana Republic Everywhere Ponte Blazer , $200
• Best Crepe Blazer : Abercrombie & Fitch Premium Crepe Blazer , $140
• Best Wool Suit : Theory Etiennette B Good Wool Suit Jacket , $345
• Best Machine-Washable Suit : M.M. LaFleur The Moreland Jacket in Origami Tech , $325
• Best Plus-Size Blazer : Vince Camuto Notch Collar Blazer , $108

All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Best Black Blazer: Madewell Single-Breasted Blazer

Madewell Single-Breasted Blazer

Notched lapels, shoulder pads, and a single-button closure are the classic details that make this black blazer a versatile piece that works with just about everything, from the matching flared ankle pants to straight-leg jeans and a T-shirt. It has a slightly oversized fit that comes about mid-thigh for a borrowed-from-the-boys feel.

• Size range: 00–16
• Color: Black
• Materials: Polyester, viscose, elastane

Best Amazon Suit: Prettygarden Fall Jacket and Wide-Leg Pants

Prettygarden Fall Two Piece Outfits Blazer Jacket

Found: An affordable two-piece suit set. Available in colors ranging from neutral to jewel-tone, this relaxed pantsuit can take you from work to weekend with a switch of accessories. The long and oversized jacket is more drapey than fitted (you can layer it over a thin sweater come fall), coordinating well with the wide-leg pants (which some reviewers say run a little on the short side, making it more appropriate for petites). Reviewers also appreciated the lightweight fabric that felt comfortable to wear all day.

• Size range: S–XXL
• Colors: Available in 15 colors
• Materials: Polyester, elastane

Best Oversized Blazer: Everlane The Tencel Oversized Blazer

Everlane The Tencel Oversized Blazer

Though it takes its inspiration from menswear, this oversized Everlane blazer is updated and tailored for the female form with a closer fit in the arms. Reviewers say the roominess allows for layering but suggest sizing down if you want a more fitted look. The jacket’s made with a Tencel and cotton blend that’s soft and lightweight, making it ideal for transitioning into warmer weather. In addition to the flap pockets in the front, an interior pockets provides a place to stash valuables. Team it with the matching high-waist wide-leg bottoms or tapered ankle-length pants for a full suit.

• Colors: Ash brown, black, navy, white
• Materials: Tencel, cotton

Best Plus-Size Blazer: Vince Camuto Notch-Collar Blazer

Vince Camuto Notch Collar Blazer

Whether you wear the double buttons open or closed, this plus-size black blazer holds a tailored shape thanks to the stretchy suiting fabric. Flap pockets and buttoned cuffs polish off the timeless silhouette. Make it a full suit with the high-waist cuffed pants and you’ll have a reliable work outfit.

• Size range: 14–24
• Materials: Polyester, spandex

By Sam Reed

By Héloïse Salessy

By Daniel Rodgers

Best Linen Blazer: J.Crew Helena Blazer

J.Crew Helena Blazer

If you need lighter fare for the warm summer months, try this stretch linen blazer from J.Crew. It takes its style cues from collegiate jackets, with its boxy yet fitted silhouette, the patch pockets, and a row of buttons on each sleeve. Try it with the matching flares for a chic set or throw it over a floral dress for a polished daytime look. The navy is classic, but it also comes in pastels and creamy shades.

• Size range: 000–24; also available in petite and tall
• Colors: Navy, black, white, ivory, sage green, periwinkle
• Materials: Linen, polyester

Best Ponte Blazer: Banana Republic Everywhere Ponte Blazer

Banana Republic Everywhere Ponte Blazer

Banana Republic

The name says it all: Wear this knit ponte blazer for any occasion. With the comfy stretch, it won’t tug or restrict your movement when you’re typing or reaching for something. Pair it with the coordinating cropped flares or skinny pintuck pants for a full pantsuit. Plus, reviewers like the flat front pockets for the bulk-free look that easily fits a phone.

• Size range: XXS–XXL; also available in petite
• Colors: Navy, black
• Material: Viscose, nylon, elastane

Best Machine-Washable Suit: M.M. LaFleur The Moreland Jacket

M.M. LaFleur The Moreland Jacket

M.M. LaFleur

New York–based M.M. LaFleur is known for its thoughtfully designed and wearable workwear selection. One of their best sellers is this suit jacket that is, yes, classic, but the real draw is the fabrication. Constructed of a material that is lightweight, wrinkle-resistant, and machine-washable, it’s perfect for the everyday commuter and business traveler. Zippered side pockets are another convenient on-the-go feature. Reviewers note that they like the absence of shoulder pads and the flattering hourglass shape the single-button design creates. Build your office looks around this blazer–just add the coordinating pencil skirt or straight-leg pants .

• Size range: 00–20
• Colors: Charcoal, black, olive, wine, light orchid purple
• Materials: Polyester blend

Best Budget: H&M Linen-Blend Blazer

H&M Linen-Blend Blazer

Long and lean, this linen-blend jacket can work with its matching straight-leg trousers for a relaxed summer suit option or dressed down with jeans and some gold jewelry. It has a relaxed and fluid fit that captures the ease of the season and we like the single buttons on the cuffs for a minimalist finish.

• Size range: XS–XXL
• Colors: Light beige, white, light pink, khaki green
• Materials: Linen-rayon blend

Best Crepe Blazer: Abercrombie Premium Crepe Blazer

Abercrombie Premium Crepe Blazer

Abercrombie

Nothing beats a straightforward classic-fit black blazer that you can rely on for all occasions, all seasons. Smooth crepe gives this black blazer its structure and polish. The single-button front, the slit pockets, and the button-free sleeves keep it fuss-free. Get the matching wide-leg pants or try it with Abercrombie’s best-selling tailored pants with the perfect amount of slouch for a black suit you’ll wear on repeat.

• Size range: XXS–XL
• Colors: Black, white
• Material: Polyester

Best Long-Length Blazer: The Drop Blake Long Blazer

The Drop Blake Long Blazer

For something with an elongated silhouette, consider this affordable Amazon find. The single-breasted style has a longer cut that offers butt and hip coverage (though reviewers say the length might not suit petites). Offered in a plethora of colors and patterns, it’s an easy choice. Complete the look with the coordinating pants options, either the flat-front straight-leg pants or the relaxed-fit pleated trousers .

• Size range: XXS–5X
• Colors: Available in 17 colors

Best Boyfriend Blazer: Open Edit Relaxed Fit Blazer

Open Edit Relaxed Fit Blazer

Nordstrom’s in-house Open Edit line has trendy and versatile pieces that are decently priced when you’re looking for a closet refresh. They can also be relied on for blazers and work pants that don’t feel stuffy. Our pick is this relaxed boyfriend blazer that drapes nicely on—as one reviewer says: “It’s stylish without trying too hard to be.” Style it with baggy denim when you’re off duty.

• Colors: Black, tan, light blue, blue, red
• Materials: Rayon, polyester

Best Fitted Blazer: Mango Fitted Suit Blazer

Mango Fitted Suit Blazer

If crisp and classic is what you need for the office, this navy suit jacket and coordinating pants delivers. Tailored with a close-to-the-body straight fit, it hits at the hips for the just-right length. Structured shoulders and notched lapels emphasize the structure.

• Size range: 1–22 (check brand sizing guide)
• Colors: Navy, black, taupe, pink, sky blue

Best Tuxedo Blazer: Zara Combination Satin-Effect Blazer

Zara Combination Satin Effect Blazer

What’s chicer than a sleek tuxedo blazer? For your next evening occasion, swap the expected dress for a full tux look and watch the compliments roll in. This version has wide satin lapels and covered buttons that define the style, while padded shoulders balance the fitted waist. Snag the matching trousers to complete the effortless mood or style it over a silky slip dress.

• Size range: XS–XL

Best On-Trend Blazer: Anine Bing Kaia Blazer

Anine Bing Kaia Blazer

Pinstripes have an old-school menswear-meets-banker influence that instantly elevates everything. The pattern gets a modern and trendy refresh in this boxy double-breasted silhouette with a higher collar, wide padded shoulders and three-pocket front. Mid-weight and nonstretch Italian wool blend upholds the streamlined design. When paired with the matching pants, it definitely gives major boss vibes.

• Size range : XXS–XL
• Color: Gray pinstripe
• Materials: Wool, polyester, viscose

Best Two-Piece Set: Reformation Taryn Two-Piece Set

Reformation Taryn Two Piece

Reformation

Rethink the humble suit and try a very of-the-moment sleeveless iteration. This vest and wide-leg pants combination wouldn’t be out of place at a creative office and can take you from desk to dinner. Adjust the fit of the top with the back ties. The suiting fabric is lightweight, too, making this one you can keep in the summer rotation.

• Size range: 0–12
• Colors: Wine, cream
• Materials: Tencel

Best Oversized Set: Nordstrom Relaxed-Fit Blazer

Nordstrom Relaxed Fit Blaze

Done in muted neutrals like this creamy tan, this quintessential blazer and matching wide-leg pants make for a great addition to your workday capsule. The smooth front is free of any darts, with the single tortoiseshell-effect button, two flap pockets, and a welt pocket on the chest being the only adornments. Stretchy woven twill lets you move freely and comfortably.

• Size range: XXS–XXL
• Colors: Tan, black, navy, green
• Materials: Polyester, rayon, spandex

Best Cropped Blazer: Ann Taylor The Cropped Two-Button Blazer

Ann Taylor The Cropped Two Button Blazer

Oftentimes suit jackets tend to be longer, but this slim-fitting Ann Taylor one is slightly cropped and hits right at the waist—but don’t worry about it fitting funny, as it’s offered in regular, petite, and tall sizing. It has a two-button design for a pulled-together shape and is rendered in soft stretch-cotton blend for spring-to-summer wear. Don’t miss the other coordinating pieces: There’s a pencil skirt , ankle pant s, and a sheath dress to extend the sartorial possibilities.

• Size range: 00–18; available in regular, petite, and tall
• Colors: Light pink, dark navy
• Materials: Cotton, rayon, spandex

Best Wool Suit: Theory Etiennette B Good Wool Suit Jacket

Theory Etiennette B Good Wool Suit Jacket

For a designer investment that will last for many years, you can’t go wrong with Theory’s suiting separates. Take this minimalist jacket. It’s cut with high-quality, wrinkle-resistant Italian wool that’s breathable, moisture-wicking, and anti-odor. Then there are the little design details such as the nipped-in waist and cutaway front that come together to create sharp and clean lines. Add the matching cropped pants for a full wool suit.

• Size range: 00–18
• Colors: Black, charcoal, navy
• Materials: Wool, elastane

Best Splurge: Reiss Hazel Stretch-Wool Blazer

Reiss Hazel Stretch Wool Blazer

This Reiss jacket reads “I’ve got my act together.” (FYI, Kate Middleton wears blazers from the British brand.) Sharp-peak lapels and a double-breasted design mean business and work for any formal office setting. Light wool with a hint of stretch holds its structure for a full day of meetings, while the subtle crosshatch pattern is a nice year-round alternative to fall’s houndstooth or plaid. You could easily mix and match this with black bottoms or the coordinating full-length pants .

• Size range: 0–14
• Colors: Oatmeal

By Brie Schwartz

By Jake Henry Smith

By Andrea Navarro

Apple pulls iPad ad that it says 'missed the mark'

• Apple is facing backlash for an iPad ad showing analog art tools getting crushed.
• It apologized for the ad Thursday, and Ad Age reported Apple wouldn't run the ad on TV as planned.
• It wasn't even an original idea — LG used the same concept 15 years ago.

Apple apologized Thursday for a widely panned iPad ad showing time-tested artistic tools — paint, a piano, camera lenses — getting crushed in a hydraulic press.

Cribbing a viral trend , the commercial was supposed to tout the creative promise of Apple's new iPad Pro . But many viewers were just plain pissed.

"Our goal is to always celebrate the myriad of ways users express themselves and bring their ideas to life through iPad," Tor Myhren, the company's vice president of marketing communications, told Ad Age in a statement. "We missed the mark with this video, and we're sorry."

Apple no longer plans to run the spot on TV as previously planned, Ad Age reported — though it's still available on the hardware giant's YouTube channel (with the comments turned off).

Earlier this week on X, Apple CEO Tim Cook's post sharing the ad was flooded with criticism.

One commenter said the ad ironically represented how tech giants were squashing human creativity with artificial intelligence. At the same time, the Y Combinator cofounder Paul Graham suggested Steve Jobs never would have OK'd the ad.

Related stories

But it turns out, the ad wasn't even an original idea.

Fifteen years ago, the Korean electronics company LG used almost the same concept in a UK spot for its Renoir camera phone.

In that ad, musical instruments, computer monitors, studio lights, and paints are all crushed in a press — before the sleekly intact Renoir is revealed.

Of course, there's no evidence Apple — known for its unique marketing prowess — copied LG's creative. It's more likely that the concept of crushing a bunch of different devices down into one product is a bit basic.

It's also safe to say that back in 2008 — when technology felt more like a galvanizing opportunity than a looming threat — the ad probably didn't ignite nearly the same firestorm.

Some YouTube commenters of yesteryear even seemed to really like it.

"Love this advert for some relly wierd reason," one viewer wrote in 2008.

Another added at the time: "Anyone who has this phone, is really that good or just an excellent ad?

Neither LG nor Apple immediately responded to a request for comment.

Watch: What can Apple's new VR headset do?

• Main content

Tesla retreat from EV charging leaves growth of U.S. network in doubt

Sudden layoffs this week left Tesla construction vendors uncertain whether to carry on with the charging projects they were building.

Tesla’s abrupt decision to lay off its electric-vehicle charging team and reduce its investments in public charging is a blow to the U.S. network, which has long relied on Elon Musk to build the bulk of the country’s fast chargers.

The sudden layoffs this week left Tesla construction vendors uncertain whether to carry on with the charging projects they were building, though one vendor said the company has since confirmed that existing projects should continue.

Tesla owns and operates nearly two-thirds of the fast charging ports in the United States and deploys more chargers each year than all other providers combined, according to the data firm EVAdoption. An unexpected retreat by Tesla could undermine the Biden administration’s pledge to rapidly expand the U.S. network.

Many other automakers and companies are investing in U.S. charging, but none so far at the scale Tesla had been pursuing, analysts said.

“If Tesla slows down, these other companies will pick up some of the slack but not all of it. Because Tesla just deploys charging stations at another level,” said Loren McDonald, chief executive of EVAdoption.

Asked about Tesla’s decision this week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said more than 40 companies have announced new investments in charging infrastructure under the Biden administration. “This is an evolving and competitive market where multiple companies are playing leading roles here. It’s not just one company,” she said.

The administration championed legislation in Congress that allocated $7.5 billion over five years to fund construction of public charging stations. Tesla has won funding for more sites than any other company — 69 to date — and captured about nine percent of the money awarded so far, according to EVAdoption.

Tesla chief executive Musk did not address the layoffs directly in a post on X, but he said the company “still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations.”

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment or publicly confirm the layoffs, but several affected employees confirmed details.

In a social media post, Lane Chaplin, a former employee of the charging unit, said he learned “in the middle of the night” that “the Tesla Charging org is no more.” One former employee, who spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, said roughly 500 people on the team were laid off.

The former employee said the layoff notice arrived around 12:30 a.m. Pacific time, while many workers were asleep. Workers awoke to see their jobs had been cut.

“As part of our effort to reduce costs and head count globally your position has unfortunately been eliminated,” the email from the company read. The former employee said it was workers’ understanding that Musk had met privately this week with Tesla’s senior director of EV charging, Rebecca Tinucci. A layoff of this magnitude would not have been Tinucci’s idea, the person said, adding that Tinucci was no longer with the company. Tinucci didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

One contractor who installs and maintains charging stations for Tesla said his team heard about the layoffs as they were heading to a worksite this week. A laid-off Tesla employee told the contractor that workers should go home and that the company would be in touch, Andrés Pinter, co-chief executive of Bullet EV Charging Solutions, said by phone. A flurry of Bullet emails to Tesla contacts bounced back.

About 24 hours after the laid-off Tesla employee reached out, a different division of Tesla got in touch and assured Bullet that work would resume on active construction sites, and that “they have every intention of paying us for the work we have done,” Pinter said. Tesla also indicated that it intends to move ahead with sites it has ordered from Bullet where work has not yet begun, in Texas, California and Colorado, he said.

The news casts confusion on the deals Tesla has been striking to open part of its charging network to drivers of other brands, including Ford, General Motors, Volkswagen and others. Tesla did this to become eligible to tap some of the $7.5 billion in federal funding for new charger construction.

“If you fire the whole team, now all of a sudden when GM or Stellantis or VW want to start enabling Supercharging for their customers, there is nobody at Tesla making sure the lights stay on,” said Sam Abuelsamid, a charging expert at Guidehouse Insights.

U.S. drivers say that a dearth of reliable public charging is one of the main factors holding them back from buying EVs. Gabe Klein, who is helping oversee the federal charging push as executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, says the administration remains committed to its goal of building 500,000 public charging ports by 2030. There are 183,000 today, and Klein said providers are adding thousands each month.

One of the biggest new investors is Ionna, a consortium of seven automakers that plans to add 30,000 fast chargers in urban areas and along highways. With all the Tesla layoffs, there is now a slew of charging expertise available for other providers to snap up, said Nick Nigro, founder of Atlas Public Policy.

Tesla’s charging layoffs come at a tumultuous time for the company, which has been struggling with falling sales, stiff competition from China and overall uncertainty over its business outlook. Last month, Tesla notified employees that it was shedding 10% of its staff worldwide, stoking concerns about the prospects of a company that is considered a bellwether for the state of the EV market.

In its first-quarter earnings report last week, the company posted a steeper-than-expected 55 percent plunge in profit, which Musk largely attributed to cooling demand in the EV industry overall. Musk attempted to calm investors by declaring a flurry of bold commitments, including a ramped-up production timeline of a more “affordable” car, doubling down on the creation of a fully autonomous robotaxi and outlining nearly $1 billion in cost savings from job cuts.

Musk told investors that he expects sales to rebound later this year, and that he is confident autonomous and electric vehicles “will ultimately dominate the market.”

“In the future, gasoline cars that are not autonomous will be like riding a horse and using a flip phone,” he said.

But the dramatic staff reductions have stoked skepticism over how the company will execute on its ambitious promises. The cuts announced last month affected more than 14,000 workers from departments including sales, engineering and policy. More than 3,300 of those cuts were in California alone, according to state filings.