Becoming a business owner can seem like a real feat, but there are a number of small business ideas that you can get started on right away without the need for huge investment or hiring a team.
Today, you can start a business with as much as your own skills, a computer and the money it takes to set up a website.
In this article, we look at 5 different business ideas you can get off the ground today.
1. Teaching/Coaching/Consulting
What was once something that had to be done inside four walls of a school or office, can now all be done through video services such as Zoom or Skype.
One thing we’ve learned from the pandemic and working from home is that the physical need to be in a room with each other no longer applies. Not only did offices become remote but even our children were taught by teachers who were on the other end of a camera.
If you’ve got a set of skills or experience in a particular field that you think people would pay for, you can get yourself set up fairly quickly.
2. Sell your homemade items
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a home craft maker or have skills in designing and making clothes, pottery, candles etc. why not turn this into a business? You may have always had a hobby or, like many recently, taken up a new hobby or craft during lockdown or whilst on furlough.
Take Lucy, founder of Goods of May – she started out just making a few hand-knitted accessories and selling to friends and family during lockdown while she was on furlough. She’s since grown her business and now sells internationally and is stocked in stores across the UK. Check out her full story in the video below.
3. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing is essentially selling products and websites for other people and then making a bit of commission on each sale that is made through your bespoke link.
There are a number of affiliate marketing platforms out there that you can sign up to and then start sharing your unique link with your friends, family, social followers etc.
How much commission you can make depends on the company and the offer you sign up for.
4. Freelance writing
If you’ve got writing experience behind you, why not pick up some freelance writing for other businesses?
There are a lot of businesses and newspapers/magazines that are always on the lookout for writers to produce content for them.
It tends to work where you can either do a stint at a place for a certain period of time and work on a contractual basis or where they will add you to their roster of writers and reach out whenever they have articles, brochures, campaigns they need copy for.
There are also a number of magazines and editorial institutions that allow writers to pitch articles and they’ll pay you for the piece if they like your idea and work. This tends to lead to you getting more regular work (and extra cash) from them too.
5. Start a second-hand e-commerce business
Where do you buy your clothes? ASOS? Depop? Vinted?
Whether it’s one of the big stores or a reselling site, everyone started somewhere. The beauty of sites such as Depop and Vinted is that you can literally start making money by selling your no longer wanted clothes, straight from your bedroom.
A go-to for Gen Z and millennials, buying second-hand, or ‘preloved’ clothing is becoming a huge part of the industry and one that we can all tap into.
All you have to do is snap yourself or your partner, housemate or mannequin in the clothes and get them onto your chosen platform. You might have to do a bit of promotion to cut through the waves of people also trying to sell their clothes, but once you start making sales it’s easy to keep momentum.
Feeling inspired by some of these ideas? Why not check out our other blogs on setting up your business and why you might need a separate business account.
