Are you hoping to start a business but worried about the investments? Then, you should think about starting a business which only needs a low investment but has the potential for a high profit. Here listed 10 such business ideas for your ease to choose from with examples, success stories and even recommended courses for success.
1. Personalised Gift Creation
Believe it or not, custom-made gifts are in high demand these days. Personalised mugs, photo albums, and even handcrafted jewellery are at the centre of attention. All you have to do is invest in materials needed to create them and use your creativity to produce them. There are online platforms like Etsy and Shopify where you can sell this service. Focus more on social media marketing and consider having seasonal promotions too for a high profit.
Example: Create a line of custom photo books for special occasions like weddings and birthdays. Highlight customer testimonials and showcase your designs on Instagram.
Success Story: Christina Scalera turned her calligraphy hobby into a successful personalised stationery business, scaling her business through Etsy and social media marketing.
Recommended Courses:
- Udemy: How to Sell on Etsy
- Skillshare: Introduction to Hand Lettering
2. Mobile Car Wash and Detailing
How about starting a mobile car wash? You can buy equipment like high-pressure washers and cleaning supplies in a low budget and find a vehicle to transport them and start this business. People will love this as they do not have to waste their time driving to a car washer anymore. You can uplift your profit by offering your service as a package and including services like car detailing to this package. Further, to promote your business, create a website and optimise it to attract more customers.
Example: Offer a subscription service for regular car cleaning and maintenance, targeting busy professionals in urban areas.
Success Story: Spiffy, a mobile car care company, started with minimal investment and grew into a successful business by focusing on convenience and eco-friendly products.
Recommended Courses:
- Udemy: Car Detailing – How to Start Your Own Car Detailing Business
- YouTube: Detail King – Auto Detailing Training Videos
3. Tutoring Services
If you are much into academics or have excelled in a particular subject area, the easiest business to start is tutoring. There are numerous online platforms that you can utilise to offer virtual sessions of teaching and practical. There is high demand for subjects like Math, science, languages and also for classes for standardised test preparation.
Example: Develop a niche in SAT or ACT prep, offering personalised study plans and practice tests.
Success Story: VIPKid, an online education platform, connects tutors with students in China, allowing tutors to earn substantial income with flexible hours.
Recommended Courses:
- Coursera: Learning How to Learn
- Udemy: How to Become a SuperStar Tutor
4. Subscription Box Service
Or you can start a cool business which delivers niche products with surprises for the customer. Subscription box service is a new method used in product distribution. You can choose a market, whether it is food, beauty, health, or even fitness. Then partner with product suppliers and get discounts for their products. At that point you can create unique themed boxes with those products and deliver them according to the orders. This business can generate recurring revenue which is great for cash flow.
Example: Curate a monthly box of artisanal snacks from around the world, offering a new theme each month.
Success Story: Birchbox revolutionised the beauty subscription box market, offering personalised samples and growing into a multi-million-dollar business.
Recommended Courses:
- Udemy: Start and Scale a Subscription Box Business
- Cratejoy: Subscription School
5. App Development
Another lucrative business is app development. This needs computer literacy and skills like coding to be successful. What you can do is identify technological gaps within the market or common problems that do not have technological support and develop an app as a solution to it. you can sell these apps to those who need it or rather you can directly offer your service to businesses that need the service. Remind that success is a gradual process and start first with small projects.
Example: Create an app that helps users track their fitness goals with personalised workout plans and progress tracking.
Success Story: Instagram started as a simple photo-sharing app and grew into a global social media platform, ultimately being acquired by Facebook for $1 billion.
Recommended Courses:
- Udacity: Android Basics by Google
- Coursera: iOS App Development with Swift
6. Health and Wellness Coaching
Guess what, health and wellness coaches are also in demand these days. People get exposed to different kinds of mental disorders and health hazards due to lifestyle practices and busy work schedules. This has opened up the conversation of health and wellness. You can become a coach with necessary certifications and specialisation in fitness, nutrition, or mental health. This service can be provided online or in person as group workshops, or even one-on-one coaching sessions. You can market this service through social media using success stories and by sharing tips to be healthy.
Example: Offer online wellness programs that include meal plans, workout routines, and mental health exercises.
Success Story: Kayla Itsines built a fitness empire with her Bikini Body Guide (BBG) workout program, leveraging social media to reach millions of followers.
Recommended Courses:
- ACE Fitness: Health Coach Certification
- Udemy: Become a Health Coach
7. Home-Based Food Business
People also find home baked foods and meals like varieties of cakes, desserts like ice cream, and breads tastier and refreshing. If you love baking and cooking, you can try a home-baked food business. This can be anything from homemade jams to meal prep services. An easier way to market this business is through social media. You can share your baking experience of different foods, about personalised orders and customer satisfaction videos on Facebook and YouTube. Use the local market as well and consider home-delivery services and subscription meal plans too.
Example: Create a line of gluten-free and vegan baked goods, catering to health-conscious consumers.
Success Story: Ben & Jerry’s started as a small ice cream business in a renovated gas station and grew into an internationally recognized brand.
Recommended Courses:
- Udemy: Start Your Own Home-Based Food Business
- Skillshare: Building a Home-Based Food Business
8. Online Marketplaces for Handcrafted Goods
Are you good with your hands and have creative eyes? Try making handcrafted goods and sell them easily on online platforms like Etsy where there is a strong market for handcrafts. If your products are exceptionally made pottery, candles, cloths or anything, you can sell it here. Make an online store using high-quality photos of your products and describe them to attract customers.
Example: Offer customised pottery with unique designs, targeting home decor enthusiasts.
Success Story: Three Bird Nest, started by Alicia Shaffer, became one of Etsy’s top sellers, generating over $80,000 a month by selling handmade accessories.
Recommended Courses:
- CreativeLive: Build a Successful Creative Business
- Udemy: Etsy for Beginners
9. Digital Marketing Services
If you are talented in social media marketing, content creation, email marketing and SEO, you can offer these services by starting an agency or as a freelancer. These services are valued by every organisation as managing their online presence is important for marketing purposes. Try to build networks with local businesses to sell your service. Platforms like LinkedIn will help you to find more clients.
Example: Specialise in helping small businesses optimise their websites for local SEO to attract more customers.
Success Story: Neil Patel, a digital marketing expert, built a multi-million-dollar consulting business by providing SEO and online marketing services.
Recommended Courses:
10. Eco-Friendly Products
There is special demand for eco-friendly products in the world by now. As a result of environmental issues, the market is growing constantly. People are looking for reusable items like bags, bottles, domestic straw products and even organic skincare products to buy. You can easily market your products using sustainability goals and reach a wider audience through eco-conscious influencers.
Example: Develop a line of biodegradable cleaning products that are safe for the environment and effective for household use.
Success Story: The Honest Company, co-founded by Jessica Alba, focuses on eco-friendly and non-toxic products, growing into a billion-dollar business by appealing to environmentally conscious consumers.
Recommended Courses:
- Udemy: Eco-Friendly Business Strategies
- Coursera: Sustainable Business Strategy
Conclusion
Although starting a business sounds difficult, as these listed businesses only need a minimum investment to buy necessary equipment or rather can start without any investment only with creativity, you can reach a high profit with planning, determination and commitment. Utilise every opportunity you get like social media and different online platforms to reach your product to a diverse range of customers. Think of the needs and wants of people when building your business for it to be successful in minimal initial cost. decide your path and research thoroughly to understand the target market. Be flexible and up to date. With these approaches you can easily achieve your entrepreneurial goals smoothly with time.
