If you’re thinking about starting a new business, you might want something with little competition but that you can start without spending a fortune. Maybe you want a new side hustle to make up for rising costs, or you need to supplement what you’re making while laid off or on strike from work. Finding new business ideas is easy, but sticking with them is what can bring success.
We’ve come up with a selection of common and unique entrepreneurship ideas, businesses to start on a shoestring budget, and others requiring a bit of capital. Discover our 31 favorites!
Some Considerations for Starting a Business
First, you should think about what your skills are and what you’re passionate about. The Small Business Administration estimates that there are approximately 36.2 million small businesses in the United States. While the number changes a bit from year to year, it has been on an upward trajectory since the pandemic.
Unfortunately, only about 34.7% of small businesses survive the 10-year mark and roughly 20% close during the first year. Figuring out how to navigate the challenges and come out on the other side requires starting with the right idea in the first place.
You’ll want to seek an industry that isn’t overcrowded in your area. Invest only what you can afford to lose. Join local chamber of commerce groups and plug in to the small business community in your area before figuring out the new business ideas most appealing to you.
1. Print on Demand
Print-on-demand is an e-commerce business model that allows entrepreneurs to create and sell unique products like t-shirts‚ mugs‚ posters‚ and promotional items without keeping any inventory․ Products are only printed and shipped to customers when an order is received‚ which drastically reduces the business risk for the seller․ POD can be a valuable option for designers‚ marketers‚ and other creatives to monetize their work․
Alongside the creator economy and the niche and personalized products trend‚ POD provides services for branded merchandise for creators and brands‚ including custom clothing for small business․ This allows you to test designs‚ refine your offerings and expand your catalog without overstocking․
According to a guide on launching a printing business written by technology company Fujifilm, on-demand printing technology has enabled small business owners to start print businesses quickly and maintain quality with streamlined production systems, creating low overhead and the ability to provide specific services or products.
2. Personal Chef
If you love cooking for friends and family, then a culinary business may suit you. You’ll need to check the food business laws in your state and contact your local health department about requirements before starting a personal chef business.
You may need to rent a commercial kitchen or pass an inspection. Most state laws allow you to go cook in a client’s home. If you live in a state with generous cottage food laws, you may be able to cook a meal in your kitchen, box it up and deliver it to your clients, so they have a warm dinner ready when they get home from work.
3. Children’s Party Character
If you do well with children and enjoy performing, you might enjoy dressing up as a favorite character and attending children’s parties for a fee. Think about something unique that no one else is doing. If you can get a few friends to join in, you might go as Nintendo’s Mario, Luigi, Peach and Daisy.
Create themed activities to lead in-character. A knight might read fairy tales and teach the kids how to safely duel. A Disney Princess could sing songs from their film, allowing party guests to sing and dance along.
The key to success with a character business is to personalize the experience for each client. Home in on a theme or two, instead of trying to play every role possible. Your business may grow with word-of-mouth bookings.
4. App Developer
If you’re a bit technical, you could learn how to develop new apps. Consider what isn’t available that could improve people’s lives, and create an app for it. As your skills grow, you can likely pick up some business clients who’ll hire you to create an app for their customers.
Sites like Codecademy and Udemy offer courses to lead you through the basics and help you create your first programs.
5. Daycare
Taking care of other people’s children while they work isn’t a new concept. However, it is a business you can start almost immediately. If you have children of your own, you’ll be able to stay with them rather than spending time apart. Some daycares become quite lucrative.
Some things to keep in mind are licensing and rules in your state. You may be limited to a certain number of children if running the daycare out of your home. It’s smart to take out an umbrella insurance policy that covers the business to protect your personal assets. You can always hire helpers and find a commercial location later as your daycare brand grows.
6. Mobile Dog Groomer
If you love working with pets, you may want to take some certified courses in dog grooming. Make sure you invest in learning the necessary skills because the last thing you want to do is accidentally nick someone’s pet or botch their cut because you don’t know what you’re doing.
Once you’ve gained the skills, buy a used van and convert it into a mobile grooming station. You can charge more to go to people’s homes and work on their pets.
Mobile dog groomers often stick to smaller breeds, pointing to the fact that they often have less space to work and must pick the animal up and place it on a table. The work is back-breaking if you have to lift a 90-pound critter.
7. Clothing Boutique Owner
If you love unique and fun clothes, you might want to open a clothing boutique. You can sell the items online or in a retail shop. The key is to find things no one else offers.
One local children’s boutique owner, called “Tootsie’s Children’s Boutique,” uses a unique approach. She shares upcoming finds on a Facebook group. People say if they want to order the item and state what size or other details. Then, she sends an invoice, orders the clothing and ships it or lets people pick it up at her home.
By using an online pre-ordering system, you can get started but avoid the overhead of buying inventory and retail space. The key is to find seasonal items people can’t get anywhere else.
8. Tour Guide
If you live in an area with a lot of fun sights or unique things, turn yourself into a tour guide and hire out your services to groups. Take visitors on a ghost walking tour of the town, or host a hike through the local forestry and teach them how to forage. Think about what you love most about your area and turn it into a business.
Being a tour guide often goes hand in hand with a travel agency, where you book the entire trip to your area for clients. You can partner with a travel agency that handles the legwork, or you can offer your planning services.
9. Environmentally Friendly E-commerce Store
Starting an e-commerce store is likely one of the easiest new business ideas you can try. You can sell nearly anything you might imagine, including digital goods. Find something you enjoy selling and then consider how to give it a green edge.
For example, if you sell clothes, sell bamboo options made of high-quality, soft fibers. If you offer cooking utensils, seek those made ethically and without toxic materials.
An increasing number of consumers are willing to pay more for goods or services from companies that are ethically and environmentally responsible. This has made eco-commerce financially viable for businesses. If you start a business, build customer trust and loyalty through greater transparency in sourcing‚ packaging and production․
10. Custom Clothing Designer
If you know how to sew and want to create fashion, become a clothing designer. With the popularity of online shopping and platforms such as TikTok, you can create beautiful designs and share them with the world from even the smallest town imaginable. You can expand your offerings by offering clothing alterations, such as hemming prom dresses, or taking on custom projects for clients.
11. Organic Vegetable Grower
For those with an organic vegetable garden, one new business idea is to grow a few varieties of plants and sell the fruit and veggies. Try growing things that bring higher profits, such as ginseng, garlic or items that aren’t easy to find in the grocery store.
Create a social media profile to advertise your products, or set up shop at local farmers’ markets.
12. Dog Walker or Sitter
A low-overhead business you can start is dog walking, dog sitting or both! Many people need someone to walk their dogs in the middle of the day while they work, or to stay with their pets when they go out of town. Boarding isn’t a good option for every pet.
You can list your services on a site such as Rover, or you can create flyers and put them in mailboxes around town until you get enough clients to make it worth your while. Make sure you’re bonded and insured to protect you and the client.
13. Elderly Errands Companion
Older people often have a hard time getting out and going shopping alone, but their family isn’t always available to help. Enter the companion, who can take them to the grocery, drug store or wherever they’d like to go. Charge by the hour and provide a valuable and compassionate service to help people in their elder years.
If you are driving the older individual in a personal vehicle, ensure it is accessible and comfortable for them. This may include ensuring there is enough space to store a mobility aid and providing water bottles.
14. Mobile Windshield Repair
Buy a kit and learn how to repair windshields. You’ll need some training, as it could create liability if you fix a window and then it breaks while the person is driving. You can also buy into a franchise and combine windshield repair with a replacement location for those pesky cracks that can’t be repaired.
15. Car Detailing
Buying just a handful of items can help you start a quick car detailing business. Detailing is a great side hustle because you can take on as many or as few clients as you’d like. You can also offer the cleaning in the evenings or on weekends to work around a full-time job.
16. Dog Pooper Scooper
People who own dogs don’t always scoop their poop when they have a fenced backyard. It piles up, and then they need it gone. No one likes doing the job, except someone getting paid to do it. With a scooper, some plastic bags and gear such as plastic gloves, you can start this business and make a tidy profit.
17. Window Cleaning
Window cleaning costs very little to get into. Spray bottles, soft rags and squeegees are all you need. You can do whatever jobs come your way or specialize in commercial or residential properties. Like other entrepreneurship ideas that require you to work on someone else’s property, get properly insured and bonded.
18. Office Catering
If you enjoy making bento boxes for your kids’ lunches, you might like putting together a personalized charcuterie board. Sell to companies for their meetings or take orders on a specific day and deliver to office workers.
Again, check your state’s food safety procedures and laws. You may also need a business license and to collect tax on food orders.
19. Professional Cuddler
Huffington Post found people need around eight to 12 hugs per day for stability and growth. A mere four hugs helped with depression. People need hugs, but some have no one in their lives to give them.
Hugging someone doesn’t have to be creepy. Just make sure to lay out the ground rules and vet people carefully for your protection. It’s not for everyone, but if you need some hugs, too, you might want to consider starting a professional cuddler brand.
20. Tree and Plant Doctor
You can take courses through your local college extension and get certified to be a tree or plant doctor. Then, clients can call on you when they aren’t sure what to plant or are worried about a tree’s health.
A tree doctor assesses the situation and determines what might help the plant thrive. They can also decide if something is beyond help, so it can be removed and replaced.
21. Aerial Photography and Videography
Aerial photography and videography is a great gig for drone enthusiasts. Capture special events and images of real estate properties. You will need to invest in a drone that can either carry a high-resolution camera or take excellent images. Ideally, you’ll add more than one, but you can start with a single drone and build your business from there.
22. Box Subscription Service
If you have a great idea for a box subscription service, you can start sending monthly selections to a mailing list. The great thing about a box subscription is that the money rolls in every month. You might need to replace clients as they leave, so keep up with advertising. However, the initial costs to get started are small.
A subscription gives you stable recurring revenue‚ allowing you to build a base of customers and sales month after month․ You also have longer-term relationships with customers․ By subscribing‚ your customers choose you and become much more invested in your brand․
If the box subscription business begins to grow beyond what you can handle on your own, hire a few high school students to help you fulfill orders.
23. WordPress Theme Designer
Web designers probably know how complex it can be to find the perfect WordPress theme to meet a client’s needs. If you have a bit of coding experience, you may want to create themes and sell them or offer a free and professional version to users.
E-commerce companies have greatly expanded the demand for customizable and high-performing website themes․ The total value of worldwide retail e-commerce sales was estimated at over $3․6 trillion in 2025‚ with near 80% of global retail website visits coming from smartphones․ Given those numbers‚ particularly for smaller businesses‚ the need for professionally designed themes that are fast‚ user-friendly and mobile responsive will remain strong․
Themes that cater to niche markets or specific user needs have the opportunity to stand out. Consider creating themes that are conversion-optimized for e-commerce stores‚ or themes that focus on visuals for portfolio websites.
24. Organizational Consultant
A store, doctor’s office or community building may thrive with better organization. Turn your great organizational skills into a side hustle or full-time business by offering your skills to local companies.
Offer a free consultation and then a free solution to one thing they can change to become more efficient. Once they see the value of what you do, they might want the full plan and hire you to overhaul everything from procedures to the way employees interact with customers.
Consistency in visuals, messaging and tone plays a major role in audience growth, and understanding the fundamentals of brand identity can significantly improve engagement.
25. Online Influencer
Do you have a great personality or inside knowledge no one else has? If you can pick up a camera and come across as interesting and authoritative, you can build a large enough following to get paid to promote products or per-view.
Find a niche that makes sense for you and start creating content for social media platforms, such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. You can start without any money as long as you have a phone with a high-resolution camera. You’ll only need to invest your time and effort at first.
26. Home Inspector
If you know a lot about how things work inside the home, becoming a home inspector may be the job for you. Maybe you can spot a foundation problem a mile away. Being a home inspector lets you help people find their dream home without the risk of buying a money pit.
As a home inspector, you should create a checklist so you don’t miss any crucial points. If you don’t know one area as well as others, take the time to train in that area.
27. Mortgage Specialist
A mortgage specialist might work with a number of underwriting companies to help home buyers find financing. You’ll need to be good with numbers. Know what options are available for first-time home buyers, low-income and military.
Find the companies that will take a chance on those with less-than-perfect credit scores. Bend over backward to help your clients qualify for the home they want, and you’ll develop a reputation in the industry for being a miracle worker.
28. Gravesite Cleaning
Cleaning old tombstones requires knowledge of the materials they’re made of and a few cleaning supplies. You’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish with a little soap and elbow grease. Sell a gravesite cleaning service package in which you return once or twice a year to freshen the site. You can also add in some extras, such as placing new flowers at the site.
29. Wheel Repair for Bikes and Wheelchairs
If you’re good at fixing things, you may want to become a repair person for bike and wheelchair wheels. When the economy fluctuates, you’ll have a recession-proof business. Most people won’t want to spend extra on a new chair or bike, so they’ll happily pay you to fix the problem.
30. Unique Delivery Business
You might be able to help people deliver a unique experience to their loved ones for a birthday or another special occasion, beyond just a singing telegram. Be the person who fills the yard with pink flamingos and a birthday banner.
31. Plant Waterer
If you have a green thumb, you might want to start a business caring for houseplants. You’ve likely seen them in shopping malls, doctors’ offices and professional buildings. Offer to routinely water, fertilize and care for others’ plants for a small fee.
How to Choose the Right New Business Idea
Choosing a good business idea is a key part of starting your business․ Start by assessing your skills and interests․ Businesses that build on your strengths are likely to perform better and last longer․ Next‚ consider market demand, including where you notice gaps in your area or on the web. You also want to consider how much startup cash you have versus what you can expect for your return․
Finally‚ try to think about scalability․ A good business idea has the potential to scale as your business gets larger‚ which could include adding more services‚ customers or automated processes․ If you can plan your strategy effectively from the start‚ your chances of long-term success will increase․
More New Business Ideas
Check out our graphic designer salary series, which is ideal for those with a design degree and seeking new ways to use it. Take the time to apply smart principles to your new entrepreneurship idea. No matter what type of new business idea you embrace, you’ll need the basics of running a small business to succeed.
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