THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG

This is the first in a weekly series of lists with the aim of inspiring people to start their own business.  

The first list is a selection of business ideas that can be started with almost zero capital. 

20 Small Budget Start-Ups 

1. Assembly Service – If you are good with tools, provide a service that offers to assemble flat-pack furniture. Ask local furniture stores to hand out your business cards.
2. Pet Walker – If you love animals, taking other people’s pets for a walk or looking after them for some time would be a fun way to earn extra money. Distribute a flyer advertising your service.
3. Start a Website – If you have a subject that you are passionate about then start a website dedicated to it. Once you have a readership you can make money through advertising or merchandise.
4. Mail Order – Find a product to sell and offer it via mail order. Advertise your services online.
5. Parking Lot Pickup – Offer to clean the car parks of local businesses at the weekend or overnight. Charge an hourly fee or per lot.
6. Move-In Service – Partner with moving companies to offer a cleaning service that goes into a house that is about to be moved into and leaves it looking spotless.
7. Errand Service – Offer a general service that runs errands for anyone – from over-stretched small businesses to busy single parents.
8. Junk Disposal – Offer a service that removes unwanted items from people’s homes or gardens and disposes of them at the local recycling centre. This will be useful for anyone who does not have a car and needs to get rid of large items.
9. House Cleaning – There is always demand for cleaning services. Once you have generated good word-of-mouth about the work you do your customer base will soon expand.
10. Delivery Service – Work with small businesses to handle the logistics of a delivery service. They will likely not have one of their own and will be very happy to outsource it because it helps them compete with larger stores.
11. Sell Something – Find a product you want to sell at a wholesaler and concentrate on marketing it. There are numerous ways to sell products ranging from street trading to door-to-door sales.
12. Sell Something Online – Find a product you want to sell at a wholesaler and use online marketing techniques to shift large quantities of it.
13. Garage Cleaning – Many people have very untidy garages and lack the time to properly clear it out. You could offer a service that would do this for them.
14. Garden Services – If you are green-fingered offer a gardening service to clients which will cut lawns and remove weeds. You could even offer a landscaping service.
15. Concierge Service – Local businesses and community groups may need the help of a temporary concierge for special events. You could be responsible for organising a day out for a retirement home or arranging the travel plans of a busy small business owner.
16. Inventory Service – It can be important to make a full inventory of possessions for insurance reasons but many people do not have the time to do it. You can provide this service to people for a fee.
17. Boat / Car Detailing – If you have a love of automobiles or boats then you could start your own detailing business.
18. Holiday Decorating – If you have a passion for decorating you could offer a seasonal decoration service to small businesses
19. Meal Delivery – Many people would pay to have their food collected from local restaurants. Make sure that you are able to keep the food insulated somehow.
20. Vacation Filling – Some SME owners feel they can never take vacations because there is no-one to run the business while they are away. You could cover for the owner so that they can take a holiday and be available to answer the telephone and deal with emergencies.

Email this · Subscribe to this feed · Share on Facebook · Retweet · Permalink