10 Small Business Ideas

By: Ivan Widjaya

Is your inner entrepreneur begging to come out?

You’re not alone. In the next few years, an increasing number of employees will pack up their desks and place their bets on self-employment and the profits and personal accomplishment that it brings.

Does it mean that everyone will succeed? Of course not! Any decision to start a business must be well-grounded in reality. And the reality is that markets change, so what’s hot today could be as cold as the Artic tomorrow.

There’s no ironclad way pick your next business venture, but there are ways to protect yourself from an unwise decision. To do this, you’ll have to pay close attention to demographic shifts in society.

Start with market research. It’s boring and seemingly a waste of time when you want nothing more than to get the exciting task of building your business. But with proper research, you’ll know how best to leverage your talents and knowledge to build a profit-pulling business.

There’s no substitute for research, not even the 10 great business ideas I’m about to list below. But these ideas should get you thinking so you could get started down the path to success. The business ideas are based on trends of what’s hot today and will probably remain that way for the foreseeable future. So whip out your notepad and let’s start digging into our top 10 small business ideas.

Virtual Assistant: One of the fastest growing industries among women, virtual assistants provide administrative support services, event planning, personal management and a host of other services over the Internet. They are not constrained by time or distance since technology facilitates communication and exchange of data.

Blogging: Blogging has grown significantly in the last few years. There are now thousands of professional bloggers who make a full-time income by firing up their home computers on a daily basis. Income is primarily earned through advertising. Some specialty niche bloggers are paid to publish content for industry blogs.

Home Staging Business: Nowadays, sellers have to use every trick in the book in order to sell their homes. Home staging is a relatively new trend used to improve the appearance of a home to attract offers and make a sale. Take a few courses in home staging to build on your natural designing skills. You’ll also need to network with real estate agents who will call you in when they have a home that needs staging.

Daycare: Childcare is an industry that is not going away anytime soon. With both parents working, someone has to keep an eye on the children. That someone might as well be you.

Handcrafted Items: Online shops like Etsy.com provide a place to sell your handcrafted items. Kick your love for making crafts into high gear, and start making profits doing something you love.

Niche Online Store: What if you’re not good at handcrafting? You can still setup an online shop, and maybe sell your perfectly round cookies, or gourmet cupcakes. Get your products photographed by a professional, upload them to your site, promote, and start selling.

E-learning Service Provider: Don’t throw your special knowledge or skill out the window just because you’re leaving your job. Setup a paid subscription based service and start teaching your expertise to anyone who wants to learn. Paid membership sites earn huge monthly revenues when they’re promoted to the right audience.

Specialty Reviewer: Set up a blog where you can write reviews for a particular industry. People often look for honest reviews online before they purchase a product or service. So if you dine out a lot, start reviewing the restaurants in your area and have your readers pay you for the tip. You can also earn money through affiliate recommendations.

Writing: If you’re a natural writer and you don’t mind deadlines, then you can earn a living by writing for magazines, local newspapers and online publications. You’ll have to market your writing business, but it’s another way to make a living by doing something you love.

Catering: Do you love to cook? If you’re the go to person for melt in your mouth baked goods or mouthwatering entrées, then it might be time to outfit your kitchen and open a catering business. You can book events or set up a storefront – whatever works best for you.

Ivan Widjaya is the Founder/Editor of Noobpreneur.com, BizPenguin.com and several other business blogs.