Establishing your own business for the first time can be a daunting but rewarding experience. But one thing is sure – if you have a dream, don’t be afraid to go for it. Choosing the right one is important, and there are many easy-to-start options with great potential for success.
Let’s dive into some of the easiest businesses to start that do not entail high costs and offer promising opportunities for growth, impact, and scale.
Defining An “Easy to Start Business”
Before we get into the easy businesses you can start, let’s define what is considered an “easy business”. The ease of starting a business can be a relative concept. However, we’ll try to break it down to a few attributes.
First, an easy-to-start business typically requires minimal startup capital. This allows entrepreneurs to leverage their existing resources. Usually, these businesses operate in markets with fewer barriers to entry. Also, you typically do not need extensive specialized knowledge or training.
Secondly, easy-to-start businesses usually have lower regulatory hurdles. This means they can be set up and run without navigating through a lot of permits and licenses. Market readiness is also another factor that makes a business easy to start. Essentially, this is when a sector already has customers ready to purchase a product or service. This is unlike many startups that have to find and educate their customer base on what they do and what problems their company solves. Finally, an easy-to-start business often aligns with the founder’s passion and expertise.
Lawn Care and Landscaping
If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty starting a yard and landscaping business is an excellent option for those with a green thumb and a passion for outdoor work. It entails minimal startup costs since you probably already have the initial tools and equipment needed to complete the job.
Yard and landscaping businesses offer a simple and clear service model, where you can offer a variety of services such as lawn mowing, weeding, trimming, mulching, and planting. You can either offer all these services or specialize in one or two areas. Do a bit of research so you also know about other similar businesses already present in your area.
The great thing about this is that there is a steady demand for landscaping services throughout the year. As a business owner, you can also set your hours and be flexible with your work schedule. Remember, it’s better to start small and then grow as you gain more clients and earn a bigger income.
Freelance Services
The ‘gig economy’ is booming and freelancing is one of the easiest and fastest ways to get started. If you have skills and expertise in a particular area, you can offer your services to clients on a freelance basis.
Whether it’s writing, virtual assistance, consulting, accounting, web development, legal counsel, or whatever else your expertise is, freelancing allows you to leverage your skills and build a clientele without significant upfront investment.
If you’re interested in starting a freelance business, there are three things you need to focus on:
- Choose a particular niche so you know what services to offer: Dig deep into what you are passionate about and what you’re good at.
- Create a strong portfolio and market your services: Showcase what you’ve done in the past and the results you’ve garnered. Then let people know that you are available for freelance work by networking, using social media, or even creating a simple website.
- Ensure excellent customer service: Your business is reflected in how you deal with your clientele. Make sure that you build good relationships and deal with potential, current, and past clients with respect. Word-of-mouth goes a long way.
Discover what else you need to know before starting an online business here.
Clothing Reseller
Do you have a closet full of clothes that you no longer wear? If so, you can make some money by selling them online. This is a great business idea for anyone with a passion for fashion and a keen eye for trends and details. It’s easy to start and has the potential to grow over time.
What you’d need to do is create an account on an online selling platform such as eBay or Poshmark. Then slowly start listing the items you want to sell. Don’t forget to take high-quality photos of your clothes and write detailed descriptions.
Promote your business by sharing your listings on social media, networking with other resellers, or even running paid ads. Here’s an article on how to start a Poshmark business that can help you kick-start this venture.
Etsy Shop Owner
Etsy is a good way to start your online selling business. It’s a platform that provides you the opportunity to sell handmade, vintage, and unique products. If you’re crafty and enjoy one-of-a-kind items, starting an Etsy shop can be an exciting and easy way to enter the world of entrepreneurship.
Utilizing this platform means low startup costs. Etsy has low fees, and you don’t need to invest in a lot of inventory to get started. You can also set your own schedule and work from wherever you want.
Pet Sitting
If you love animals, pet sitting is a fun and rewarding business opportunity. It’s relatively easy to start and has the potential to be quite profitable. Offering services such as dog walking, pet feeding, and overnight stays can be a rewarding way to earn money and spend time with animals.
The great thing about this is that it offers you the flexibility to run it on your schedule, entails low startup costs, and can become a very fulfilling business venture in the long run. Check out our article about pet-related businesses for more ideas.
Vlogging
If you’re passionate about video creation and storytelling, then a good business idea you can venture into would be vlogging or creating video content for online platforms such as YouTube. You can start building an audience and monetize your content with minimal equipment requirements. You just need to make sure you have an engaging niche.
The benefits of starting a vlog boil down to four main points:
- Low startup costs. You don’t need expensive equipment to get started. You can use your smartphone to record and edit your videos as you begin the journey.
- Flexible schedule. You own your hours, and you can work from anywhere you want.
- Creative outlet. Vlogging is the best way to express creativity and share your stories with your audience.
- Potential to earn money. While it may not come immediately, once you build a following, you can monetize your vlog through advertising, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.
Social Media Management
Social media management covers the process of managing someone’s online presence. This is done by strategically analyzing audiences, creating and scheduling content for their profiles, monitoring performance, arranging collaborations with social media influencers, etc., to create opportunities for growth in the number of followers and increase income using marketing strategies.
When many people hear “social media management”, they often think that this is an overly complex job requiring a team and expensive software. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Social media management comes with varying levels of difficulty and responsibility.
As a new business, a social media manager can simply post content on a business’s Instagram page and engage with its followers. They can also just take the time to schedule those posts using a scheduling tool like Planoly or Hootsuite. Turns out, many small businesses don’t need an expensive and expansive social media campaign. They just need to outsource their social media responsibilities to someone who will be active on the platform for them.
Mobile Detailer
Image by prostooleh on Freepik
Everyone loves walking into a car that looks and smells nice. That is why the detailing business seems to never run out of customers. Mobile detailers are specialists who travel to wash and detail car owners’ vehicles.
This business has a very low startup cost and very little overhead. However, it is a business that can do well for the owner if they build a reputation for quality. Auto detailing is a $371 billion industry. Also, the sector is expected to grow by 9.1% over the next 10 years.
While this business is easy to start, a new business needs to look into its city and county regulations office to see if any special permits are needed for a mobile business or for water discharge.
Cleaning Service
There are tons of people who just hate cleaning. Then others don’t hate it but just don’t have the time to do it as often as they’d like. This is great news for anyone exploring the potential of launching a cleaning service. This type of service is essential to people’s lives, both at home and work. It is also one of the easiest types of businesses to start.
There are two types of cleaning services a business can offer: commercial and residential. Commercial and residential cleaning companies offer the same benefits, but their needs differ regarding supplies, customers, and marketing. If you’re just starting, it is best to focus on residential customers. Usually, they do not have a lot of demand and you can focus on building a client base when starting. Commercial customers usually have higher demands and requirements. For example, some clinics require a higher level of sanitation due to the nature of their industry.
For a new cleaning business, this could be a lot of pressure as you may need extra equipment and help with labor to stay on schedule and do a good job.
Selling Baked Goods
If a person one day dreams of owning their own bakery business, but is turned off by the cost of supplies, rental space, and other headaches that come with starting that type of business, an easier route is to sell baked goods from home. Selling baked goods this way is one of the easiest ways to jump into the baking business without needing some of the things that many perceive as necessary.
For example, many people feel they need to have some sort of formal training or fully master fondant, sugar art, and themed designs. This is just a myth. For this business to start, all that is needed is the ability to create great-tasting sweets that can be sold and delivered to customers directly or shipped.
Just like any business, however, this does take some planning. The challenge is knowing how much product you will probably sell and buying enough ingredients. But even with that, this is one of the easiest food businesses a person with a love for baking could start.
Conclusion
Starting a business does not always need to be complicated or financially burdensome. You just need to do a bit more research, find out what you want, and start. You can also check out our article on the different types of business models that can lead your business to success.
For aspiring entrepreneurs who want to get out of their 9-5 jobs or are aiming to earn extra money, the key is to choose a venture that aligns with your interests and offers a straightforward path to success.
The businesses we outlined above provide an accessible entry point to becoming entrepreneurs, enabling you to take the first steps toward building your business empire. Explore these options, choose the one that resonates with you, and take the first step towards building your dream business.
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