Are you tired of working for someone for the same salary, the same boss and the same incentives?
Working at a job can be exhausting and unsatisfactory as no matter how much you work hard for it, there’s a limit which you won’t cross such as salary limit or your job position.
Having your own small business will give you perks that a job can’t. Perks such as being your own boss, profits which can be higher than your salary and the freedom that comes along with it. However, starting your own business isn’t easy, especially in this economy.
Business owners must take into account the fact that their business may not be a success and they could end up losing more than what they stand to gain. Doing a job is safe and easy whilst owning a business is risky, taxing and highly rewarding.
In this article, we’re going to list 20+ small business ideas which are easy to start, require less investment and could be done from your home.
Small Business Ideas for Young Entrepreneurs
Starting your own business won’t be easy and shouldn’t be done unless you’re absolutely sure that it’s what you want. Being a business owner requires patience and perseverance.
If you want to be a business owner but just can’t find the right small business idea, then here’s a 20+ small business ideas list which you may find intriguing and worth your time –
1. Candle making –
Candles are always in demand. Aromatherapy candles, scented candles, two wick candles there are many varieties found and things to try when you love candles.
Candle making is one of the best online small business idea if you want to start your small business journey on a low budget.
Starting your own candle business requires an initial investment of about ₹20,000-30,000/- which will include wax, moulds, aromatic oils, threads, pots, thermometer, colors, etc.
You can use the power of social media to build an online presence and start selling on Amazon, Flipkart and other online selling portals.
2. Handmade premium chocolates –
Making your own chocolate is art and fairly easy to make. Be it sweet or bitter, if you have the basics ready, you can make handmade chocolates at home, box them up and sell them to your target audience.
You can make a variety of chocolates with a variety of colors, flavours, dry fruits, etc. The possibilities are endless. The initial investment cost will include the cost of moulds, chocolates, colors, fillings, boxes etc.
Again marketing this across social media handles are easy and can be done from the comfort of your home.
3. Catering business –
If cooking is your passion then consider starting your own catering business. You can initially start by cooking tiffins and doing deliveries to your neighbouring areas and eventually expand to doing parties and big events.
The food industry will never die down as people are always looking out for places where they can get good food deliveries from.
4. Soap making –
Handmade soaps are gaining popularity and can be sold as zero-waste bathroom products for customers who are trying to live a zero waste lifestyle. Soap making is easy and the ingredients can be found online without too much difficulty.
To start a small herbal soap business you will require investing in raw materials such as glycerin, moulds, herbs, essential oils, microwave, packaging material, etc.
You can start this business from home or from another small space such as a spare room or anything that’s accessible to you. You can start selling your soaps on your website, through social media handles, from Amazon, flipkart, etc.
5. Crafting –
If you like crafting and making handmade decorative pieces of jewellery, furniture or anything that can be sold, then consider starting your own crafting company.
You can sell your one of a kind unique pieces online by using social media strategies, on your website or through online selling portals.
Customised items are like unique prized possessions which are when done right can be marketed off as high end items. It is one of the trending small business ideas from home.
6. Renting your free room –
If you live in a tourist destination and have a house or have a spare house where you can easily spare a bedroom or two, then listing your home on airbnb is logical, convenient and easy to do.
Based on your location and amenities you can charge an x amount of money per day. This is a great idea for a side business hustle for anyone who’s interested.
7. Thrift stores –
Thrift stores are stores which sell clothing items such as jewellery, clothes,etc which are second hand. People are looking at second hand or refurbished items as something that’s economical and a better choice so what better time to start your own thrift store online than now?
You can sell clothes which are in perfectly good condition that you just don’t use anymore and you can even source your clothing from your friends and relatives.
Thrift stores are gaining popularity everyday and is still a niche market so you really have the time and the opportunity to capture the market and to make huge profits whilst establishing your own brand.
8. T-shirt printing business –
If you’ve got a strong artistic sense and love designing your own clothes then you can start your own t-shirt printing process. You can either create simple designs or make complicated artwork based on your skills.
Since these are hand printed instead of being machine printed, they’ll add a touch of uniqueness to your brand and help you gain popularity.
9. Professional dog walker –
If you love animals then you can seriously think of becoming a professional dog walker. Those of us who live a busy lifestyle may or may not have the time to walk our dogs everyday which is why hiring a professional dog walker is the easier thing to do.
You can find clients in your area and start walking them once or twice in the day for an hour or two.
Based on your dog handling skills you can choose to walk either one dog or multiple dogs. Dog walking charges usually vary from your location, city, experience etc.
10. Graphic designing –
If you love designing and are already a professional designer for brands then you can start your own graphic designing company. You can start by building your own portfolio online and gaining clients this way.
You can approach small business owners and work for them on a per project basis. Build a strong online presence and showcase your art online for others to see and the kind of work which you do and if they think that your work can resonate well with their brand, then they may end up hiring you.
11. YouTuber –
Starting your own youtube channel is easy and doesn’t require investment. Whatever your field of interest, if you can record a video and post it on YouTube, it can become a great source of income.
YouTubers get paid in lakhs based on the number of views and followers they have on their channel. All you need to monetize your account is an Adsense account, more than a 1000 subscribers and 4000+ watch hours in a year.
12. Influencer –
Influencers are individuals who have a large following on social media platforms. They have the power to influence your purchasing decisions as they’re also marketing your products and services which you may or may not find interesting.
You can choose to be a fashion influencer, food influencer, lifestyle influencer whatever that you fancy.
You may have to use some sort of paid promotions on your social media handles and otherwise to gain popularity as influencers are gaining popularity everyday and the competition is getting fierce.
13. Affiliate marketing –
Affiliate marketers are individuals who market a company’s product/ service on their blogs, websites, social media handles and get paid every time a sale is made using a unique link provided to them by the brand.
There are a few affiliate marketing programs which you can join such as the Amazon affiliate program, Flipkart, reseller club, yatra affiliates, etc.
This is one of the small profitable business ideas which can lead you to making huge money in short span.
14. Videographer –
If you have experience in how to work with a camera and can do a good job at recording videos then consider becoming a professional videographer.
Youtubers, influencers, brands are always on the lookout for those who can shoot their videos professionally so that they can be uploaded on their portals making it a lucrative business idea.
15. Photographer –
Similar to videographers, content creators are also always looking for photographers who can do professional photoshoots for them for their brand so if you are a photographer, then this could be a great business idea for you.
To gain clients make sure that you have a strong website and social media handles so that potential clients can come see your work and hire you per project basis as a freelancer or as an employee.
16. Digital marketing –
If you already work in the digital space and are familiar with how the advertising world works online, then you can start your own digital marketing firm online.
To become a successful digital marketer, you must first work on your own brand because if your own online presence isn’t great, how will businesses trust you to do a good job on their brand? You can use digital marketing tools to gain popularity and acquire new clients.
17. Translator –
If you are fluent in more than one language then you can become a translator. You could translate for companies, for books, articles and much more.
However, to do so it’s much more beneficial if you have a few working certificates or degrees in the languages you know. This will help build credibility and help you look professional in front of your clients.
18. Tutoring –
If you know a dance form, an art or are well versed with our Indian education system, then you can start your own online classes for students.
You can do so in your own free time or part time based on your interest. These days taking an online class is fairly easy and can be done using apps such as Zoom, Google meets etc and require low investment.
19. Audio and video editor –
Podcasts, Vlogs, Influencers are gaining popularity these days and there are thousands of podcasts and videos just waiting to be edited.
Youtubers, influencers, podcasters all of them require audio video editors and you can work for them either on a per project basis or as an employee as not everyone is well equipped with these softwares and may find it best to outsource editors who can do a better job than them.
20. Web designing –
If you are well versed with how to design and build websites then now is the perfect time to become a web designer. Start by building your own smart website which is easy to navigate and convenient to use.
Promote your website by using SEO, PPC tools which are available at your disposal. With a lot of businesses now entering the digital space requires well equipped people to build their websites which are easy to use and navigate.
21. Freelance writer –
If you love writing then you can easily become a freelance copywriter and write for blogs, articles, websites, social media handles, the possibilities are endless.
To gain work in this space, write and publish as much content as you can so that your potential customers will see the kind of work that you do and if they can resonate with your work then they might hire you on a per project basis or permanently to write for them.
In Conclusion –
More and more people are starting to believe in the ideology of supporting small local businesses and local stores and would actually prefer buying from a small store than a big retail brand.
This gives you an ideal business environment to start your business in. These small business ideas in India are most preferred and will definitely help you to start your entrepreneurship journey.