Do you want to start a business but don’t know where to begin or the best business ideas to venture into? Start here.

Having the right business idea is a crucial step to take if you want to succeed and achieve financial independence in the long term.

So what are your options in 2024? There are lots of business ideas that you could start with under $1,000 that can help you earn money even if you don’t have a huge capital or much prior experience.

Consider the examples of these renowned business leaders who all started their businesses with less than $1,000:

• In 1980, John Paul DeJoria and Paul Mitchell started John Paul Mitchell Systems, the famous hair care brand, with a loan of $700.

• Michael Dell started his eponymous company Dell Technologies with exactly $1,000.

• William Redington Hewlett and David Packard started Hewlett-Packard from a car garage with an original investment of $538.

• Founders of Burt’s Bees, Roxanne Quimby, and Burt Shavitz started with only $200.

• The largest chewing gum company in the world, Wrigley started with $32 belonging to William Wrigley Jr. in 1891. In today’s price, that is worth $924.88.

What you choose to do depends on your personal preferences, situation, and financial resources.

You might want to just make a little extra money in your spare time or maybe start a full-time business that can enable you to quit your job and be free forever.

No matter the idea behind you choosing to start a business, it all leads to the same goal: to turn as much profit as possible and enjoy wealth.

Hence, below is a carefully curated list of business ideas you can start with under $1,000.

*note: data on yearly median income and projected growth rate is from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.

1. Accounting

If you are well-versed in accounting, you could become a freelance accountant. Not just the bookkeeping aspect now but the full range of accounting services: tax issues, financial legal compliance, business reporting, etc.

Also, you can decide to specialize and become a financial, cost, or management accountant, depending on your skills and experience. Of course, you need to be knowledgeable in the use of popular accounting software programs too. 

Accountants make a yearly median income of $73,560 while the projected growth rate for the profession is 4%.

2. Affiliate Marketing

It is a performance-based marketing model where you earn a commission off promoting other people’s products and services. A budget of around $500 would get you started as an affiliate marketer.

First, you need to create and host a website or landing pages. You also need to invest in tracking tools to monitor the performance of your pages.

3. Airbnb Hosting

You can earn some passive income by listing your home online and becoming a host on Airbnb, particularly if it’s already nicely furnished.

If it is not furnished, then you would probably be spending a lot. However, furnished or not, the cost to ‘brush up’ your home/or room for Airbnb service is usually less than $1,000.

4. App Development

This is another way to apply your coding skills if you have any. In February alone, about 88.5 thousand apps were released on Google Play Store and that was even the lowest monthly figure in a year.

Connect with businesses and organizations that want to build apps and hone your skills. You can learn to code for free online. 

5. Baking

This is a business you can start from your kitchen. Bake cakes, donuts, cookies, pastries, rolls, bread, etc. for individuals, events, corporate bodies, etc.

All you need are ingredients and utensils (most of which you would already have if your kitchen is well-stocked). 

Then you only need to figure out how and where to sell your baked goods. You can offer your baked goods to stores or sell them directly online.

Baking has a median pay of $29,400 per year and its projected growth rate is 5%. 

6. Blogging

Blogging requires a lot of effort, but in terms of financial capital, all you need is a domain name and a hosted website. Some platforms such as WordPress, BlueHost, Wix, etc. allow you to build a fully functional blog based on prepared templates for a small subscription.

Bloggers make money by publishing paid posts, displaying Google Ads, or through affiliate marketing.

7. Editorial Services

If you hate to see typos and know what correct writing should be, then you can channel your passion towards the provision of proofreading and editorial services online.

For this, you need to have sufficient knowledge of grammar, be an avid reader, and a proficient writer yourself. If these are checked, you can provide freelance services from platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr. This costs no dime.

Otherwise, you can invest a small sum into setting up your business and a website to publicize your services. Editors make a yearly median pay of $63,400.

8. Business/Management Consulting

If you have a marketable skill or a wide range of experience in a certain field, you can leverage your knowledge to provide consulting services to people.

To start a consulting business, the bulk of your investment would go into personal branding. That is, improving your public outlook as a credible authority in the field.

Software like Gumroad allows you to publicize your consulting service and present yourself as a professional.

The yearly median pay in this field is $87,660 and the projected growth rate is 11%.

9. Cake Decorating

It is one thing to bake a cake; it is another to design it. Cake decoration is a great way to showcase your design and artistic skills.

Cake designs can be used for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, etc. Of course, if you don’t bake, you might have to collaborate with a baker.

10. Candle Making

Candles typically belong in the past, before electricity. But specialty candles have a huge market now. And you can make a living making scented candles in various forms.

You can make candles right from your kitchen. Being a little more artistic and creative with your candle designs would help you make more sales.

If you are running it out of your home, your main budget would be candle-making materials, which are inexpensive.

11. Chatbot Building

If you have some knowledge and experience in coding, you can apply them to creating chatbots for local business websites.

Chatbots help service-based businesses, in particular, to communicate with their customers better.

With your coding knowledge, all you probably need in terms of financial investment is a website to display your portfolio.

12. Child Care

In this fast-paced world of work and business, babysitting is an essential service for new parents. You can list your services on childcare websites and meet clients from there.

Besides the basic soft skills that apply, you also need some knowledge in providing essential first aid and CPR to children.

Childcare workers have a yearly median pay of $25,460 and a projected growth rate of 2%.

13. Cleaning Business

There is no formal education required for this business. You just need to invest in adequate cleaning supplies and be good in these skills: time management, attention to detail, versatility, organization, proactiveness, discretion, etc.

Workers in this field record a median pay of $29,080 and the projected growth rate is 4%.

14. College Application Consultant

Colleges take applications every year. You can make a living by guiding students on how to make applications, write letters, pay fees, etc.

You need a good understanding and experience with the education system. Connection with the admission officers in various colleges is an advantage too.

15. Copywriting

Beyond normal writing, you can help companies write copies for marketing materials. There are immense opportunities in copywriting as long as you understand the basics of the profession, are very creative with words, and write very well professionally.

16. Currency Trading

If you are willing to take very high risks, then you could try out currency trading. It can be very rewarding once you learn the ropes and get comfortable in the currency market. However, be ready to take some losses on the way too.

17. Custom Tailoring

Even today when most people tend to just shop for clothes online, you can still carve a niche for yourself through custom-tailoring. This is particularly common among the elites.

You can partner with local boutiques and stores to display your collections or even sell them online. The main expense here is a sewing machine, which you can get as cheaply as $200.

Tailors and custom sewers record a yearly median wage of $32,640.

18. Cybersecurity/Information Security Analyst

There has been a rising spate of cybersecurity incidents globally, particularly against small businesses and especially since the advent of COVID-19.

With the global shortage of talent in this field, you can arm yourself with cybersecurity knowledge and establish a business based on this, enabling companies and individuals to expose and close vulnerabilities in their systems.

Workers in this field earn a yearly median pay of $103,590 and the profession is projected to grow at 31%.

19. Dance Instructor

If you have great dancing skills, you can put them to commercial use by organizing dance lessons for children and/or adults. Better still, you can teach niche dancing styles such as ballet, disco, folk, ballroom, breakdance, etc.

You can also get signed by schools to teach dance to students. Otherwise, dance classes can be organized in your home if you have enough space. If not, you can rent a space (more expensive) or partner with public outfits such as a community center, a gym/fitness center, etc. to use their space (lower cost).

20. Delivery Service

Well, this qualifies as a <$1,000 if you already have a vehicle and are simply looking for ways to put it to profitable use. You can simply set up a delivery service and courier goods and documents for clients safely.

People in this field make a yearly average of $34,340 while the projected growth rate is 5%.

21. Digital Marketing

Digital marketing has a very wide range of opportunities and a low barrier of entry, as against traditional advertising.

As a digital marketer, you can offer general marketing services or specialize in search engine optimization, social media marketing, content marketing, PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, etc.

Digital marketing requires creativity as well as the ability to maintain relationships. Primarily, you need to be able to creatively engage people.

You can acquire these skills via free courses such as the Google Digital Marketing Course. You can start with just your phone and laptop.

22. DJ

If you are into music, then you can become a DJ. This may even be a form of side hustle, where you DJ at small home parties and events. You can get a decent DJ mixer and turntable for less than $500.

23. Dog Walking

The pet business is huge in the United States. If you love dogs, then you should consider walking them as a business.

Many people own and love their pets but are too busy to exercise them as required. Fill in this position for them. As long as you have pet insurance, you are good to go.

Animal care services, in general, record a yearly median pay of $26,370 and the projected growth rate is 22%.

24. Domain Flipping

This is a simple low-cost business where you buy several creative domain names (they usually cost no more than $12) and sell them at higher rates to businesses that need proper branding for their names. Different websites allow you to sell the domain names in your possession.

25. Drone Aerial Videography/Photography

Anyone invested in taking quality pictures or videos has most probably considered taking cinematic shots from the sky. That’s where you can come in by purchasing a drone with a camera which you can rent out to people to shoot business or event videos.

You can get a standard drone with a camera for $700 – $800. To build your business, you need to establish fruitful partnerships with photographers, videographers, event planners, etc.

26. Dropshipping

Build a fully functional retail store online. You can achieve this by creating your website or by selling through platforms like Amazon, Shopify, eBay, etc.

27. Body Piercing

Body piercing started as a fashion fad but has now become a full-fledged business sector in its own right. Nevertheless, this is a business you can run for a small amount of money.

You only need money for the piercing equipment (inexpensive, really) as well as jewelry for adornment. You can get started at home or otherwise, partner with a tattoo parlor or hair salon if you can’t afford your own space yet.

28. Event Caterer

Events are always happening; they represent a good opportunity for you to make some money by cooking. Basic utensils may not cut it, especially for large events, but you can always rent utensils per event.

29. Event Planning

This is about managing physical and virtual events including choosing themes, food selection, etc. The necessary skills include interior design, organization, networking, budgeting and finance management, multitasking, attention to detail, etc.

Also, you need to pay for rent and office equipment. There is a projected growth rate of 8% between 2019 and 2029 for the event planning business. Workers in this field earn a yearly median pay of $51,560.

30. Exterminator/Pest Control Expert

No one wants to deal with roaches, spiders, bugs, and other unwanted pests in their homes. But you can do so for them.

Being an exterminator does not even require any extensive training, besides the fact that you can start with limited capital. You need a license, though.

You can run this business out of your home. In that case, your main cost would be equipment and pest control gear. As always, if you start basic, you can always expand in the future.

This job is projected to grow at 8% and its professionals make a yearly median of $37,820.

31. Financial Planner/Advisor

If you have good accounting skills, you can set up a financial planning/advisory business. Financial planners/advisors help individuals and businesses to organize their finances, prepare budgets, and make well-informed financial investments.

Personal financial advisors make a yearly median pay of $89,330; the projected growth rate is 4%. 

32. Florist

Flowers are a huge feature in Western culture. They are used as decorations, gifted to loved ones, used in wedding proposals, etc.

If you have some knowledge of caring for flowering plants, you can turn the space in your compound into a garden for growing and selling beautiful flowers.

33. Freelance/Personal Chef

A personal chef cooks for busy families, corporate lunches, and small special events. If you have great culinary skills, this business is low-cost as you can always use utensils and equipment provided by the client.

You can use word-of-mouth marketing while also showcasing your culinary skills via social media.

Chefs can make a yearly median pay of $53,380 and the projected growth rate is 6%. 

34. Freelance Writing

Get paid to write articles, poems, stories, etc. Freelance writing is a wide field. As long as you have excellent writing skills, you can choose any genre or niche you have a good knowledge of and start writing.

You can set up a profile for free on freelance platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer.com, etc. However, first, you need to have written a couple of works that you would use to showcase your skills to prospective clients.

Also, you need to learn how to pitch publications and editors to get published on their platforms.

35. Gift Basket Service

In this business, your main target is not just for the holiday season. It could also be for companies looking to pack corporate gifts for business partners and clients.

You use your creative abilities to find relevant gifts and package them for your clients. There is little to no financial investment here since the client covers the cost of purchasing the gifts.

36. Graphics Designing

Design fliers, visual identity, packaging materials, etc. for clients.

If you have a computer already, a month’s subscription to the most common graphics design platforms typically is around $20.99 (Adobe Photoshop), or even as low as $9.99 (Canva).

Since the advent of social media, the demand for graphic designers has remained high.

Graphics designers earn a yearly median pay of $53,380.

37. Greeting Cards

Greeting cards are most sought-after during holiday seasons, but they are always in style for different purposes: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, ‘get well soon’, etc.

If you are a creative designer, consider designing greeting cards. You can use platforms like Canva and Photoshop to create impressive card designs. The main cost is your inventory, which can be as large or as small as your budget is.

38. Hairstyling

You don’t have to start with your salon if you can’t afford the rent and all that. Many hairstylists offer home services to clients.

Of course, you are going to need your tools and equipment.

Many of the basic tools you need are relatively cheap. They include a professional blow dryer (<$50), curling iron (<$30), comb kit (<$10), brush kit (<$15), sectioning clips (<$7), various hair care products (shampoos, conditioners, sprays, gels), and so on.

If you stick with the basics, your home service hairstyling business could be ready with less than $1000.

Professionals in this field earn a median pay of $27,630.

39. Home Maintenance and Repair

This is like home cleaning but on a much more detailed level.

You are responsible for handyman duties including repairing broken amenities. You most probably won’t spend up to $1,000 setting up a personal toolbox.

Americans spend up to $43 million on home maintenance and repairs yearly.

General maintenance and repair workers earn a yearly median average of $40,850 while the profession is projected to grow at 4%. 

40. Home Tutoring

Do you know how to break down concepts and ideas for kids? Then you have a good chance to be a great home tutor.

Children are always being enrolled in schools and as a home tutor, your efforts would mostly complement their teachers’. More so, many parents are beginning to explore the path of home tutoring for their kids as against elementary schooling.

You can also coach high schoolers on taking specialized exams such as the SATs.

You don’t need to be an experienced teacher or even a licensed one, although some experience and a license may help you convince parents better.

Costs to start up are virtually nothing unless you need to buy your teaching aids.

41. Image Consultant

Image consultants provide services to their clients, who are mainly public figures and senior professionals, on how to present themselves in public.

This may include fashion styling, public relations, beauty makeovers, public speaking training, etc.

42. Insurance Brokerage/Underwriting

Insurance brokers interface between clients and insurance companies to work out a policy that best suits their client’s needs.

The main expense in becoming an insurance broker is getting the license, which may cost up to $500 depending on the state requirements. Also, you need to take the necessary courses to be well-versed in brokerage.

Insurance underwriters earn a yearly median wage of $71,790.

43. Interior Design/Decor

This is a low-cost business since the cost of the decor materials would be supplied by the client. Your role is to provide creative and artistic direction and also help set up the interior (home or office) functionally and appealingly.

Interior designers earn a yearly median wage of $57,060.

44. Interior Landscaping

Eco-friendliness is a rising trend among many people these days, particularly the millennial generation.

As an interior landscaper, you will help people to organize and care for their indoor plants. This is the perfect job for a plant lover.

You need a working knowledge of plant care and interior design to pull this off. Your customers could be residential or corporate.

Your initial financial investment would mostly go into plant care materials and tools.

45. Jewelry Making

If you are very creative and love crafts, you can easily make jewelry for sale. Your jewelry pieces do not have to be made of gold or diamond; most people can’t afford those anyway.

Whatever your pieces are made of, what’s most important is the creativity and beauty that they exude.

Jewelers earn a yearly median wage of $41,900.

46. Knitting

If you currently knit as a hobby, then you should consider turning it into a business because there is a rising demand for hand-knitted clothes and other materials.

From sweaters to stuffed animals, there is a market to sell to. It is a very low-cost business idea as the things you need are no more than yarn, needles, crochet hooks, scissors, and the like.

Craft artists in general earn a yearly median wage of $49,120.

47. Language Tutoring

Do you have excellent proficiency in a foreign language? Then you can tutor people online or physically who want to learn foreign languages like French, Spanish, German, Chinese, etc.

These languages are in high demand. If you have a laptop, with your video conferencing app, you can deliver personalized language lessons to clients and be invested in their progress in gaining proficiency in that language.

48. Laundry Service

You can put the laundry machine in your home to good use by washing, drying, and ironing people’s clothes for a fee, as well as delivering it to them.

You can find a portable washer for $700 – $800 online and that would be your main expense in starting up.

49. Lawn Care Service

This is taking care of lawns. You need pieces of equipment like a lawnmower, trimmers, edgers, blowers, weed eater, a small trailer, etc.

The main investment would probably go to a lawnmower, of which you can find a decent one for about $200 – $300.

People in this field earn a yearly median wage of $51,010 and the projected growth rate is 11%.

50. Life Coach

You can start helping people achieve progress and live more fulfilled lives. The skills you need are communication, awareness, active listening, emotional intelligence, etc.

In terms of financial commitment, you need at least a virtual meeting space subscription (Zoom, WebEx, Hangouts, etc.), and professional liability insurance.

In addition, you should probably get a life coaching certification and focus on one niche (fitness, wellness, productivity, career, finances, etc.)

51. Make-Up Artist

The face styling business is a huge industry. The major investment in starting a makeup business is a professional makeup artist kit. The highest quality ones go for a few hundred dollars.

You can start with the basics, to save money. Many professional kits go for under $200 or even under $100 and still get the work done.

52. Marriage/Relationship Counselling

People face relationship issues now and then. While the problems people face in relationships are not exciting, you can help them get back on track with their partners and in life.

You should review the legislation for this kind of business in your state; sometimes, a license is required.

53. Massage Therapy

In some states, massage therapists have to be licensed. Otherwise, you are good to go. However, you still need some kind of training, formal or informal, to be able to provide great massage services.

We live in a fast-paced world where everyone is stressed in some way. You can help them relieve that stress.

You can begin your massage therapy business by offering home massages at first, and then expanding to a convenient space when you have made impressive financial gains.

In the former case, all you need are scented oils, some towels, and maybe music. Beyond that, you might need other facilities such as a massage chair or table and so on.

Massage therapists earn a yearly median income of $43,620 and the projected growth rate is 21%.

54. Meal Planner

If you have some experience in dietetics or nutrition, you may consider offering your services to clients as a meal planner, designing custom meal plans included with nutritional information to improve their diet.

55. Meals-To-Go

Many people are embracing homemade meals now but don’t have the time or the will to make them themselves. That’s where you come in, making meals-to-go from your kitchen to supply to people in your neighborhood.

This can be a very small business that doesn’t require any commercial kitchen. You can even rent a shared kitchen if your kitchen is not sufficiently equipped.

56. Medical Billing/Patient Billing Advocacy

Medical bills can be often overwhelming, especially when someone needs to know what they are paying for and what insurance should cover if they have one.

As a medical billing advocate, you need a good understanding of the healthcare system to be able to help people review their bills for errors, unreasonable charges, overcharges, and fraud, as well as insurance statements.

Medical billing advocates make money by claiming a percentage of the savings won for their clients.

57. Mobile Car Wash

A full-service car wash business requires a hefty startup capital. But a mobile car wash business is far less costly. Of course, you still need basic equipment as well as insurance if you decide to go this route.

58. Mobile Public Notary

As a public notary, you can help people put an official seal on certain documents such as wills, property deeds, certificates, and other legal documents.

Depending on your location, becoming a public notary should cost no more than $150 in fees to the government per year.

59. Motivational Speaker

Are you passionate about helping people to improve the quality of their lives? Then putting out motivational materials can help you win public speaking gigs to motivate people into doing better with their lives and time.

60. Music Teacher

If you are versatile in the use of musical instruments, you can teach those skills to people, including children and adults.

You can even go around schools teaching students. Most musical instruments cost well under $1,000; so, on the finance side, you are good to go.

61. Mystery Shopper

Being a mystery shopper is like being an undercover customer of a store. You shop incognito at the store (or dine, in a restaurant), collect data about the quality of the products and service, and report back to the leadership of the business so that they can improve their service delivery.

Mystery shopping has immense benefits to the customer service divisions of many companies. In some states, you need to be licensed as a private investigator, though. Otherwise, the major investments you need are not financial.

62. Online Ads Manager

Make a living by helping companies to run ads on platforms like Facebook and Google.

You need a good understanding of how ads work on both platforms as well as how to ensure the maximum returns on the available budget.

If you can demonstrate these skills to willing businesses, you are ready to go.

Advertising and marketing managers, in general, earn a yearly median pay of $141,490 and the projected growth rate is 6%. 

63. Online Teaching

Skills acquisition is beyond the purview of traditional educational institutions. You can earn money as an instructor by registering on digital learning platforms such as Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, etc.

As long as you have a marketable skill and some knowledge of teaching, the critical investment would be going towards video equipment for recording lessons.

64. Package Designer

With a good knowledge of design, you can sell your services to entrepreneurs who need to design product packages and labels.

The aim is to represent their brand in the best way possible while also complementing the packaged product.

65. Painting

Painting is a great way to channel your artistic talent. Your main investment would go into buying materials to make paintings that primarily showcase your work or may be sold later.

Once your painting is established, individuals and organizations that hire you to do commissioned pieces would cover the cost of the tools and materials you would need. All you need is to be creative enough to design pieces that catch people’s fancy.

Workers in this field earn a yearly median average of $42,130

66. Personal Shopper

If you love shopping and have a keen sense of style, then you can make good money by taking shopping errands for people who are too busy to do their shopping or simply need to have professional eyes pick out styles for them.

This can include general shopping or shopping for special events such as anniversaries, wedding ceremonies, holidays, etc.

As a personal shopper, you could also be on the train of an interior designer or a fashion stylist. Being a personal shopper requires little to no financial investment besides the cost of putting yourself out there.

67. Personal Fitness Trainer

If you are very fit yourself and can motivate people to improve themselves, you can make a living helping other people to regain and maintain their fitness.

You don’t even need to have any equipment yourself. Personal trainers usually offer home services or they may partner with health clubs and gyms to find clients.

Personal training does not deal with weight gain/loss only; some clients may need help finding their fitness if battling specific muscle problems such as arthritis or even physical injury.

You might need some training for that. Therefore, many personal trainers have some certification and even perhaps a college degree in physical therapy or related fields.

Fitness trainers earn a yearly median average of $40,510 and the profession’s projected growth rate is 15%.

68. Pet Care

This is a $99 billion industry where the median pay is $24,990 per year. It also has a 22% projected employment growth rate.

You would need to be skilled in animal CPR and pet aid, animal health, pet grooming, pet food specialist, networking, etc.

Also, you should get liability insurance.

Animal care services, in general, record a yearly median pay of $26,370 and the projected growth rate is 22%.

69. Photography

The major investment required is a DSLR camera which you can purchase for around $500 – $600 for a basic one.

Then other photography equipment such as tripod stands, etc. As the business expands, you can buy more powerful cameras and equipment.

Some people even launch their photography with their smartphones; if your smartphone has an excellent camera, then you should consider this. Then you can learn the details of photography (angles, lighting, etc.) online.

Photographers earn a yearly median pay of $41,280.

70. Pizzeria

Even if you can’t make a pizza right now, you can learn. A pizzeria business can emerge from your kitchen

Trying to be creative with your recipes would even bring more people through your doors in search of your special homemade pizza.

71. Plant Nursery

This is a business where the competition is low and there is a huge potential to make a profit. 

Setting up a plant nursery business is growing plants to sell them later. The plants are not just ornamental plants, although they could be. 

Also, you could focus on a niche. Particularly, you can make even more money growing certain rare plants and selling them at high prices to customers. 

If you have a garden already, setting up a plant nursery becomes a far less capital-intensive project. 

72. Podcasting

You can generate revenue from podcasting by seeking out advertisers. eMarketer estimates a podcast ad growth of 41% to $1.28 billion in 2021.

You can set your podcast for success in this area. Many low-cost audio recording tools can help you get your podcast up and running.

73. Print on Demand

You can build a successful business by printing custom designs on common items such as t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, etc.

However, while you only supply the materials, you partner with suppliers to print the designs on your items each time an order is made. Then you can sell these online.

74. Product Tester

Do you have a keen sense of observation and attention to detail? Can you easily spot what’s wrong with a product and give a critical unbiased review?

Then you can become a product tester for companies, reviewing their products (physical or digital) and giving feedback based on your objective judgment.

75. Professional Organizer

If you are repulsed by clutter and have a knack for organization, why not turn that into cash by helping people organize the clutter in their physical and digital spaces?

76. Property Management

Become an accredited real estate broker for a small fee and you can start helping people find their dream homes as well as manage their real estate properties, facilitating sales, rents, and leases, as necessary.

The real estate business relies on a lot of connections. Professionals in this field earn a yearly median pay of $59,660.

77. PR Professional

If you have a lot of experience in a field or have managed to gather several connections, then you should absolutely consider becoming a PR manager for companies, government agencies, etc.

You can start independent practice before transitioning into a full-fledged agency. PR specialists earn a yearly median pay of $62,810 and the profession’s projected growth rate is 7%.

78. Resume Writing Service

People are always in search of jobs. You can be the expert that helps them to polish their resumes and land interviews.

Most people can format their resumes, but nothing beats having a professional touch on them.

There is virtually no investment required to start writing resumes for people unless you don’t have a personal computer. Besides that, you only need to be able to sell your services well. But the most important of all is that you have excellent writing skills.

More so, resume writing is easily scalable as you can seamlessly add other services like cover letter writing and career consulting to your suite.

79. Self-Defense Training

The rising spate of violence has made it imperative for everyone to know how to defend themselves in the face of harm.

More so, even as you can train anyone from young students to government officials, you can also train security professionals such as guards, etc.

Of course, you need to build your credentials in fields such as martial arts, law enforcement, street fighting, arms handling, etc.

80. Care Services for Older People

Many elders require assistance with their day-to-day activities including cleaning, cooking, dressing, and running errands. You can reasonably earn a living by taking care of elders.

81. Social Media Influencer/Content Creator

If you have a massive following on social media, you should consider becoming an influencer in your chosen niche. That means brands would pay you money to create promotional content to reach your followers.

The most important investment in this business is your social capital, that is, the number of followers you have on the social network.

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok have amazing opportunities for social media influencers and content creators.

Even if you don’t have that many followers (hundreds of thousands), you can become a micro-influencer and grow from there.

82. Social Media Management

Social media is a whole new terrain for many businesses. With a background in marketing and social media relations, you can manage the social media accounts of different companies to enable them to gain more impressions and followers and engage said followers better.

Advertising and marketing managers, in general, earn a yearly median pay of $141,490 and the projected growth rate is 6%.

83. Special Needs Care Provider

Parents of special needs children need all the support they can get to provide appropriate care for their children, and they are willing to pay for this.

If you are passionate about and knowledgeable in helping special needs children to live fulfilling lives regardless of their challenges, then this can be a good business for you.

You might consider taking some certificate programs depending on the specific needs for which you would be providing care.

84. Staffing Agency/Talent Matching

Every industry has open jobs; you can pick a sector where you have sufficient experience and start a talent-matching outfit to help companies fill their open positions.

85. Tech Support

Do you have tech or computer engineering skills? You can apply these skills to provide various tech support services to clients.

Almost every business and household has a computer today, and not many people are tech-savvy, so this is indeed a massive market.

Individuals need to fix their faulty/broken gadgets, as do organizations. Organizations may also call you for routine maintenance, setting up their computers and network infrastructure, etc.

Your biggest initial expense in starting this business is getting a powerful computer for yourself which you can get for less than $800.

Support specialists earn a yearly median pay of $55,510 and the expected growth rate of the profession is 8%.

86. Tour Guide

You don’t have to live where there are notable tourist destinations before becoming a tour guide.

Local tour guides take visitors around restaurants, hikes, and other cool spots frequented by locals.

This is a business that can be run from home and even part-time. To get started, you need to be familiar with the area very well, have a lot of personal contacts (that’s where most referrals would come from), and connect with organizations.

You can set up your home office and a website for less than $700.

87. Translating

This is a great way to apply your skills if you are good in a foreign language: become a freelance translator.

Yes, there are different translation apps such as Google Translate and the like but algorithms aren’t as smart as humans yet when it comes to the nuances of language translation.

Interpreters and Translators earn a yearly median pay of $52,330 and the projected growth rate for this profession is 20%.

88. Uber Car Rent

This only applies if you already have a car that meets Uber criteria. The idea is to rent it to a driver who remits a percentage of the revenue on the car to you. This is a good business for a passive income.

89. Uber Driver

You can sign up to become an Uber driver for less than $1,000. You don’t even need a car of your own.

Uber partners with various companies that provide cars for rent. You can do this hourly or weekly.

Renting a car for a week starts from $150. And, depending on how efficient your work is, you can comfortably make more than thrice that amount weekly.

Ride-hailing drivers in general earn a yearly median income of $25,980 and the projected growth rate is 20%.

90. Vending Business

Retail is even better when you don’t have to supervise your ‘store’. Simply buy a vending machine and set it up at a notable location. You don’t even need employees.

More so, there is a very wide range of items you can sell on a vending machine, depending on the size and form of the machine.

There are different types of machines for various purposes: drinks, snacks, fresh food, groceries, etc.

The main investment here is in the machine itself. More so, if the type of machine you’d love to purchase is expensive, you can rent or lease one for a smaller fee.

91. Video Editor

With a laptop and the appropriate video editing software, you can hone your skills and creativity to turn raw visuals into fantastic videos for various clients.

Who knows, that could even be a stepping stone into Hollywood. Professionals in this field earn a yearly median pay of $61,900 and are in high demand as the projected growth rate is 18%.

92. Virtual Assistant Business

If you are well versed in a niche, you can provide virtual assistance services to various business leaders.

Virtual assistants do administrative work, personal task management, travel arrangement booking, some content creation, etc.

There is not much capital needed to fulfill these responsibilities. The most important things you need are a computer, a smartphone, and a high-speed internet network.

93. Virtual Bookkeeper

If you are skilled in the use of online accounting software such as QuickBooks or FreshBooks, you can make a living helping companies, particularly startups to record their transactions accurately and prepare financial statements.

Normally, bookkeepers earn a yearly median average of $42,410.

94. Voice Coach

Turn your singing talent to cash by helping (aspiring) singers and musicians brush up their techniques for performances.

Besides having excellent voice control yourself, you need to be well-versed in aspects of music theory.

95. Voice Over Acting

If you have a great voice, then you should consider a career in voice acting.

You have an opportunity to be part of television and radio broadcasts or perform in animated movies, amongst other exciting career opportunities, especially if you can mimic different personalities with your voice.

As a voice-over actor, your main investment would go into training your voice. Other costs might include union fees (if you decide to join one) and the like.

96. Web Design

Web design is one business that can function entirely remotely. You don’t need to meet clients physically.

The skills you would need mainly include coding, SEO, and design creativity.

Businesses continually spring up and a well-designed website is one of the critical elements for running a business today. Therefore, there is always a market for web designing.

Web developers and designers earn a yearly median wage of $77,200 and the projected growth rate is 7%.

97. Website Developer

Today, the expectation is that every business and organization must own a website.

Even individuals who are independent professionals in the field now need websites to showcase their work.

You can hone your web design and code writing skills in this way. By the way, you don’t need a college degree in computer science, even though it helps in its way. You can learn to code and develop websites via online courses.

Web developers and designers earn a yearly median wage of $77,200 and the projected growth rate is 7%.

98. Wedding Planner

People are always getting married. Becoming a wedding planner is a great way to be part of couples’ love stories.

As a wedding planner, your responsibility is to advise and plan with couples on the details of their wedding events. It requires organization and attention to detail.

Wedding planning is event planning but the niche focus makes the title more appealing in terms of weddings specifically.

A wedding planner also handles the budget for the wedding, ensuring that the resources are allocated and used properly, while also collaborating with photographers, videographers, caterers, bakers, etc.

You need very little financial investment or even nothing to start a wedding planning event. 

There is a projected growth rate of 8% between 2019 and 2029 for the event planning business. Workers in this field earn a yearly median pay of $51,560.

99. Yoga Instructor

One year of personal experience practicing yoga is good enough to start instructing others on how to do it well.

More so, you can take courses and get credentialed as a yoga teacher. Many people are looking for practices like yoga to meditate better, keep fit, and improve their wellness overall.

There is no equipment needed except your yoga mats (your students will bring theirs).

You can use some space in your house or partner with a gym or sports center close by. Alternatively, you can even teach yoga online.

100. YouTube Creator

If you have an idea for a vlog, YouTube is the best place to start. There is no limit to what you can create on YouTube.

Some YouTube creators post videos of themselves building candle crafts and lighting them on fire. And then you can monetize your video and earn revenue.

Creating a YouTube channel is free. All you need is equipment for recording yourself.

You can start with a standard DSLR costing about $600-$700. That would most likely be the main cost of starting up the business.

Conclusion

With such a huge number of options in front of you, it can be overwhelming to pick the right niche to start a business.

However, reading this article fulfills the first step in starting a successful business: arming yourself with knowledge of opportunities available to you.

Therefore, it is up to you to review your options and pick one idea that gives you the best potential to scale.

If you are just starting, don’t be intimidated by the fact that many successful entrepreneurs already have existing businesses that they are working on.

As long as you are committed to taking action, and have the right business idea for your situation, you can still become successful no matter what you decide to do. No really, it is possible!

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