Web, Blog, App, SW Testing, Tech Support, Podcast, Graphics, Crowd-Funding, Research, Coaching, Translator, Tutor, IT, Planner, Marketing, AirBnB, Shopper, Influencer + 75 more.
Over the past two years, we’ve seen a record number of people leave the corporate workforce in favor of gig work, freelancing, or starting a small business. And let’s be honest, everyone has at least thought of quitting their job working for The Man at least twice or thrice (a month?).
That’s why we dove in to find the best small business ideas for those of you who are looking to get out of your mundane 9-5 job, or just want something new to invest your time and brain power into. In this post you’ll learn:
- The 25 best businesses to start in 2022
- Details and salary information
- 60 more great small business ideas to inspire you
How do you find the best Business to start? (maybe here)
The most successful businesses solve a problem for a specific group of people. When you’re looking to start a small business, not a big corporation with investor funding, look for a niche that you, and you alone, are the best person to step into. It’s okay if you don’t know what your passion is yet! Don’t put pressure on yourself to figure it all out on day one. These ideas are meant to be just that, ideas. Iterate on them, make them your own, and we can’t wait to help you succeed.
The best small businesses to start in 2022:
Knowing that people have different motivations for starting their own business, we searched for the best small business ideas in four different areas: stability, profitability, ease of starting, and creativity. Before we get into each one, let’s cut to the chase and give you our prize-winners for each category:
- Best small business to start from home: Web developer
- Best profitable small business: Event planner
- Most creative small business: Travel planner
Small Business Ideas from Home
Remote work is all the rage, for good reason. Why leave your house to make money when you don’t have to? No more commute, no more expensive lunches and inescapable coworkers. We have the best small business ideas that you can make happen right from the comfort of your home.
1. Web Developer
Learning to be a web developer does require training and upfront schooling costs. However, there are plenty of boot camps that will get you up to speed. And the best thing about web development is that you can choose a plethora of specialities, from focusing on marketing websites to e-commerce to blogs…basically anything you can browse on the internet.
If you’re not looking to actually be a web developer, consider starting a small business to manage them. Freelance web development is in high demand!
2. Blogging
Contrary to what you might think, blogging is still one of the best online business ideas in 2022. Because so many businesses have a blog, it’s easy to forget how many businesses started as a blog. Blogging can help you establish authority in your subject while earning money in a variety of ways.
3. Build Apps
If you are or can be an app developer, look no further. There is an almost unlimited market for new mobile applications. There are a few ways to approach starting an online business building apps:
- Build and market your own app ideas.
- Partner with people who can bring ideas and marketing skills.
- Developing apps on a contract basis for other businesses.
4. Software Testing
Every software, website, and tech product needs to be tested for faults or bugs. This is where your business can come in: test other’s software, find bugs, report on usability, and get paid. There are crowd-testing platforms where you can apply to be a tester. There’s also potential in creating your own platform or service business to perform quality control and testing.
5. Virtual Tech Support (only for Nerds)
Many customer support teams are fully virtual since it can often be done by email and chat. If you work in tech support or customer service, why not go freelance and start a tech support business? This is a very scalable online business idea. You can add to your team as the workload increases and you get more clients.
6. Start a Podcast
Just like a Blog or YouTube channel, a Podcast can be a great way to get your voice out there and build a following. All you need is some gear and interesting topics to talk about.
Not sure where to start? You can make money with sponsorships, or build a business around products and services your audience needs. Podcasting is a competitive and rewarding space if you can find a gap in the marketplace and find your audience. To do that, you need to position your podcast to succeed.
7. Digital Marketing Services
Digital marketing is a catch-all term for everything about creating a presence and making sales online. It could include creating websites, Email marketing, SEO, and copywriting. Of course, it’s very much in demand. If you already do this type of work for your employer, you could be running your own online business.
8. Job Search consulting & Resume Writing online business
Help people find job opportunities, write resumes, and prepare for interviews. This idea will be more successful if you focus on an area of expertise, or an industry where you have experience hiring (or being hired). In return, you’ll get plenty of referrals and happy customers while living your remote work dream.
9. Editing & Proof-Reading
Of all the home business ideas included in this list, editing and proofreading is a great way of getting started. With so much content being published every day, there is plenty of demand. You can turn it into a full online business in a few different ways:
- Use platforms like Upwork and Fiverr to find clients.
- Partner with a marketing or content creation agency.
- Set up a website and offer a monthly service.
10. Graphic Design
If you’ve got an eye for details, graphic design is always in demand. You can start your graphic design business easily with freelancer platforms like Upwork, Fiverr or PeoplePerHour by displaying an awesome portfolio. The first thing you need to do is get your work in front of potential clients, and Instagram is a great place to get started. Why not create some motivational quotes or other easily shareable images and land your first client this weekend?
11. Sound Editing & Post-Production
If you know your way around editing software, monetize it and start an online business that’ll help everyone’s music or videos shine.
You’ll find gigs for editing podcasts, audio tracks for video, mixing and mastering music, and more on freelance sites. Your first jobs will help you build up a portfolio and land regular clients.
12. Crowd-Funding Consulting . . .
has become a very popular means of financing projects. But with so many ideas fighting for attention on platforms like Indiegogo & Kickstarter, success is far from guaranteed. Startups need advice on how to launch a successful crowdfunding campaign. This is where you come in — as a digital consultant specializing in crowdfunding campaigns. If you’ve been instrumental in crowdfunding projects in the past, you can leverage your knowledge with a consultancy business. In fact, Indiegogo has a list of recommended advisors, so you can be sure there is a demand for this service.
Always-good small Business ideas
What do we mean by “good” small businesses? We mean evergreen, stable businesses that provide a service people will always need. Anecdotally, my grandfather heard Hoover promise to put a chicken in everyone’s pot. People will always eat chicken. So he started a chicken business. Don’t worry, these small business ideas don’t require plucking feathers.
13. Online Research
There’s never been more content online, and it takes an expert to research it successfully. Some people will complain about the glut of content online, but someone with an entrepreneurial mindset will see this is an opportunity — where there are problems there are opportunities for online business ideas.
Depending on your interest and knowledge, here are some online research business ideas to consider:
- Market research, specializing in your industry.
- Private Investigator research
- Academic research for writers and publishers
- Research for digital content creators
14. Business Coaching
Similarly to life coaching, business coaching means working with business owners to help them achieve growth and success. This can be a very lucrative online business idea. In fact, I’ve lost count of how many entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed who are currently working full time with a business coach. If you’re a good communicator with past successes in your industry, consider offering your services as a business coach.
15. Virtual Executive Assistant
As the economy experiences massive growth through tech, there are plenty of up-and-coming c-suite executives who somehow never learned to schedule meetings (shots fired). But really, being an executive assistant can take place from the comfort of your home at a remote company, and if your executive is looking for part-time help, you can take on more than one. And there you have it, a burgeoning small business from home!
16. Dating Coaching
We all just want a chance at true love, and sometimes that means work. People who are too busy, or don’t know where to start, turn to dating coaches for help. Dating coaches help people put their best foot forward, find a match, and work through the ups and downs of dating. You can make money online as a dating coach in a few different ways:
- Coaching services
- Creating effective profiles for dating sites
- Blogging or Writing books
- Creating online courses
17. Teaching Languages
The old saying goes “The more languages you speak, the more of a person you are.”
This is true even today, which is why you can start a small business online by teaching through platforms like DaDaABC.
Using Skype, you can privately tutor people who want to learn English (or another language you know) from anywhere. You can even create passive income teaching languages through online courses, like Go Natural English.
18. Translator
As the world becomes more global, the need for translation services continues to rise. Some of that involves translating emails, documents, and content, but others are more service-oriented, like accompanying groups or business leaders on international trips. It’s important to note that you’ll not only need conversational translation skills but also grammatical and structural understanding of a language.
19. Tutor
If you’re an adult who has graduated from high school and/or college, you likely have something to teach kids. If you have an affinity for teaching, try out tutoring first. Not only can you tutor multiple students, you can dabble in different subject matter, like SATs or remedial Spanish. The time commitment stays according to what you want and small tutoring businesses are in high-demand, even remotely.
20. IT consulting
This is a small business that is always needed by other small businesses. If you know your way around an IT stack and know how to fix it when it breaks, make a website and start collecting payments because you’re in high demand. IT professionals are well-compensated by job or by the hour.
21. Online Advertiser
At this point, to say that digital marketing is an ever-growing industry is to say that the sky is blue. It’s a fact and businesses that want to survive must invest in online marketing strategies, but small business owners wearing many hats don’t have time to learn or keep up with the ever-changing platforms. Consider starting an advertising gig for small businesses. You might even end up starting your own agency. If you want to learn about online advertising, you’re in the right place, my friend (both on this blog and in this post). Here are our best recommendations:
Small – but Profitable – Business Ideas
Why start a business if you’re not sure you’ll make money? We all work to live (hopefully), and these small business ideas will make you the most money to keep your bank account plump and your vacations fancy.
22. Event Planner
This may fall into creative small businesses, but it is also a fairly steady job (despite the pandemic). People will always celebrate birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays, and need help with planning the events. If you are hyper-organized, can herd cats with the best of them, and have attention to detail, consider planning events!
23. Transcriptionist (if U can figure out this word, you’re qualified)
With video content becoming more popular by the year, transcription services become even more important. In fact, I was desperately searching for transcriptions just last week. Now, I’m referring to casual marketing video transcription but for a legal or court transcriptionist or medical, you’ll need certifications that are fairly affordable to get.
24. Affiliate Marketing . . .
is a very simple online business idea: someone needs their products advertised, and you’ll do it – for a cut of the profits. If you already have an audience through a blog, podcast, or social media channel, affiliate marketing is an easy monetization strategy to try. Just remember only to pitch products you trust, so you can feel good about recommending them. If you can learn how to write a product review that converts, the earning potential can be sky high.
25. Antiquities renovation
Okay, it’s likely you’ve never heard of this one, and it likely mostly applies to people who live in historic areas. However, there is a niche market for people who are able to restore and reinstall original fixtures in old homes, from cabinet pulls to bricks and old window panes. In fact, I just bought 200 year old bricks specific to my town to place in the house I’m renovating. So if vintage charm is your style, this small business may also be.
Easy small business ideas
Looking for a side hustle that doesn’t take too much effort? Same. We found the easiest small businesses to start that will also be (we hope) fun too!
26. Proof-Reading/QA Specialist
I’m pretty stoked on this one. Yes, being a Proofreader and QA specialist are different…but also very similar. If you are a good writer and have a knack for noticing tiny details, these jobs might be for you. They are always in high demand, because who has time to check their own work these days, and you can easily pick up work on UpWork or a number of other freelance sites until your portfolio is ready to launch your small business.
27. Short-term Rental manager (ie, AirBnB)
Once upon a time, my parents rented out half of their house on AirBnb. They made a killing in their little hotel-less town with grandparents visiting family, families in between homes, and business people staying for a consulting project. Eventually they stopped Airbnb because it was too much work for my mom to clean and sanitize after every guest.
Point of the story: rental managers are largely successful and becoming even more so with the rise of home rentals. Reach out to local Airbnb and VRBO hosts to see how you can help manage their rentals acting as a sort-of superintendent for guests. Rental manager salaries are dependent on where you are located, but most profitable in urban centers.
28. Personal Shopper
Being a personal shopper is the dream of so many fashion students. Imagine being able to shop for the perfect jewelry, clothing, furnishings, and not actually having to pay for any of it! With the expansion of online ecommerce stores, most of this job can be done remotely. And personal shoppers are well-compensated, earning about $60,000 per year.
Creative Small Business Ideas
Want to start a small business to lean into your creative juices? Maybe you work in a corporate environment and excel sheets have dried up your brain. I’m all for having a creative outlet, and if you can make money off of it, even better. Here are our creative small business ideas.
29. Gift-Kit creator
Ever receive a box in the mail full of customized snacks, wine, gadgets, and knick-knacks? I’ve been loving the gift boxes I receive now that I’m working fully remote. And you better believe I love working with gift kit creators, who search markets far and wide to curate the perfect batch for their audiences. Gift kit businesses don’t require too much upfront, as you can ask the buyer to pay before purchasing and drop shipping any items.
30. Travel Planner
This is my dream job. Travel planners get perks galore, from discounted hotel rates to inside info about airlines and tour guides. It can be the most creative small business through planning trips in a niche–maybe your specialty is South America or Iceland trips for college kids or seniors! Even better, this business can be run from home…or anywhere in the world.
31. Influencer
While some people might not consider being an influencer a creative business, I certainly think the trendsetters of the world would differ. There are plenty of courses to take that will help train you to be an influencer in this brave new world of social media. Being an influencer comes with a lot of scrutiny and variable pay; this is truly a pick-your-own-adventure type of gig. Influencer or not, the fact that influencers exist speaks to the power of social media marketing, so make sure you’re using it for whatever business you start!
32. Thrifting reseller
Thrifting, altering, and upselling vintage goods was the way NastyGal got their start—and has now become somewhat of an online business. If you have an affinity for spotting diamonds in the rough, hit your local goodwill, grab some clothes, make an eBay account, and get selling. You can be your own boss, designer, brand, or whatever you please with this creative small business.
Even more great small business ideas
At the end of the day, the best small business for you to start depends on your motivation for starting a business. Is it to work from home? Monetize a hobby? Start a nonprofit? Spice up your life? Here are some more great small business ideas to consider.
At-home small business ideas
Here are some at-home small business ideas for the introverts, the homebodies, or the home bound who want to have to leave your home!
- Publicist
- Voiceover-er
- Grant writing
- Photographer
- Accountant
- Dropshipping store
- On-demand printing
- Social media manager
- Online advertiser
- Freelancer (write, code, design, video)
Always-good small business ideas
There are tons more evergreen needs out there to give you small business ideas. Here are just ten:
- Home inspector
- Snow clearing
- Online therapy
- Elder care
- Senior move manager
- Junk removal
- Bicycle repair
- Credit repair specialist
- Career coach
- Ecommerce store for sustainable products
Small profitable business ideas
Aside from our five above, ten more of the best small profitable businesses to start are:
- Caterer
- Auto repair
- Food truck
- Carwash
- Electronics repair
- Interior designer
- Virtual assistant
- Locksmith
- Real estate brokerage
- Electrician
more EZ small Business ideas
If you want to run a side gig, here are some easy small business ideas for you:
- Resume writer
- Pet care
- Proofreading/quality assurance
- Notary
- Short-term rental manager
- Personal shopper
- Affiliate marketing
- Jam seller
- Data entry
- Menu planning
Creative small Business ideas
Art is everywhere! These creative small business ideas afford you endless outlets of expression!
- Landscaper
- Gift kit creator
- Travel planner
- Influencer
- Thrifting reseller
- Photographer
- Baker
- Professional organizer
- Jewelry designer
- Homemade natural beauty & cleaning products
Cool small business ideas (ie, for Sumr)
Last but not least, here is an eclectic mix of interesting small business ideas to get you intrigued…
- Hot air balloon operator
- Home staging
- Drone trainer
- Christmas tree farmer
- Online dating consultant
- Tour guide
- DJ
- Herb farming
- Mobile anything (pet grooming, hair stylist, bike repair)
- Freelance bartender
Comment: If you know any other Ideas, you’re welcome to share them.
from B2C & other Digital sources 4-22 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4.biz
For similar Posts, click on Startup Ideas.