What would you do if you had $2,000 sitting in the bank? Would you blow it on something totally frivolous like a new video game? Or would you put it towards your future and use it to launch or further your small business idea? Top 30 Best Small Business Ideas (Daily Earn $500)
For me, I’d probably blow it on the newest iPhone.
But all jokes aside, starting a small business is the best way to grow your wealth and earn passive income. And if you’re just about ready to start putting money away for your future, I’ve compiled a list of 300+ business ideas that you can get started with today.
small business ideas list
The great thing about these businesses is that they’re all “micro-businesses.”
In other words, they require a low investment to get started, and a small amount of time to manage. You won’t have to quit your day job or put your life on hold while you try to grow these businesses either. Each idea has been broken down into the start-up cost, the hourly wage (if appropriate), and the time commitment to manage it.
These businesses are perfect for anyone who wants to earn a little extra income on the side, or even quit their day job altogether one day. And if you’re worried about not finding a business that’s “perfect” for you, just remember that I put this list together for you, so you can choose something that works for your lifestyle.
To get started, click on one of the links below to go directly to these 30+ small business ideas:
Top 30 Best Small Business Ideas
1 Book Publishing/eBooks
Self-Publish Books for Amazon Kindle
Average start-up cost: $0
Average time commitment: 20 hrs/month
A number one on the list of the top 300 best small business ideas is publishing ebooks. When you publish a book on Amazon’s kindle, it reaches a number of people. If you have a blog, or some writing you did online somewhere, try getting it published on Amazon’s Kindle and get paid for your work.
small business ideas list
2 Sell Ebooks Online
Average start up cost: $10 – $50
Average time commitment: 5 hrs/month
Selling ebooks is an easier and less cost-intensive form of publishing than the traditional way of getting a book published. If you have done some writing, or even if it is just an idea that you would like to write about, this might be for you.
3 Publish and Sell Children’s Picture Books
Average start up cost: $0 – $10
Average time commitment: 4 hrs/month
If you have children, this could be a fun way to get your creative juices flowing. Writing and illustrating picture books for young children can be a rewarding process! If you don’t want to do the work yourself, consider hiring someone online who is looking for work and will do the illustration and writing for you.
4 Sell Photos Online (either your own or stock photos)
Average start-up cost: $10 – $30
Average time commitment: 8 hrs/month
Do you have any photography skills? If so, you can sell photos online. There are a number of sites that will allow you to upload your photos and sell them as prints or digital copies.
5 Sell Your Art Online
Average start up cost: $0 – $10
Average time commitment: 4 hrs/month
If you have any artistic skills (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.) then why not try selling your art online? There are many sites that will allow you to upload pictures of your artwork for others to see and buy.
6 Sell Crafts to the Public Online (Etsy is a great place to start)
Average start-up cost: $10 – $50
Average time commitment: 8 hrs/month
If you like crafts, then consider selling some on Etsy. You can set up an online store with them for free and reach a large number of potential buyers. Many times people are looking for unique items that they cannot find in stores, so having an item made just for them is a big plus.
7 Sell Your Crafts Locally
Average start up cost: $10 – $50
Average time commitment: 4 hrs/month
If you like crafts and want to sell them, but don’t want the hassle of having an online store, then consider selling locally. Put an ad on Craigslist and spread the word to your friends and family. Chances are good that they know someone who would be interested in having you make them something unique.
8 Sell Homemade Cleaning Products
Average start up cost: $10 – $30
Average time commitment: 8 hrs/month
If you enjoy cleaning, consider selling cleaning products that you have homemade. Put together a few recipes and offer them to friends, family, or local community members. You can create your own website or even post on sites like Craigslist for free.
9 Sell Homemade Cookies/Candy
Average start up cost: $0 – $50
Average time commitment: 4 hrs/month
If you are a whiz in the kitchen, you might consider selling homemade cookies or candy. Just make some of your favorite items and offer them to family, friends, or even people at work. You can also set up an online store using sites like Etsy.
10 Sell Homemade Food Online (check out sites like Craigslist)
Average start-up cost: $10 – $25
Average time commitment: 5 hrs/month
If you are a gourmet cook, consider selling your homemade food to people in the area. Check out Craigslist for sales sites in your area and post an ad with your contact information. People are willing to pay a premium for homemade food, so this would be a great way to make some extra money.
11 Sell Your Crafts at Local Fairs/Festivals
Average start-up cost: $10 – $50 (for the initial investment in materials)
Average time commitment: 4 hrs/month (hourly when working fairs)
If you like crafts, then consider selling them at local fairs or festivals. You can often find these events posted on Craigslist for free so check there often. If you don’t want to work full-time, just sell your wares on the weekends. Also, consider donating part of your proceeds to a good cause (like a local charity).
12 Sell Your Own Designs on CafePress
Starting cost: $15 – $150+
Time commitment:
variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only selling the occasional item then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time making items and/or promoting your shop.
More Business Ideas Click Here
If you have any artistic skills (designing t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, etc.) then why not try selling them on CafePress? You can set up an online store using their free services and start earning money from your items. This can be a great side-job and you can even make some nice extra income if you put the time into it.
13 Sell Your Crafts on eBay (if you don’t mind putting in the time and effort)
Average start-up cost: $0 – $75 (for fees and reserve price)
Average time commitment:
variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only selling the occasional item then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time making items and/or promoting your shop.
If you have a lot of time to put into selling things online then consider selling crafts on eBay. This is not a simple task and it can take some time to make items to sell. You will also need to keep up with auctions and set-up fees if you go the auction route (or reserve price fees if you choose a straight sale). But if you are willing to put in the time, this can be a good way to make some extra money.
14 Sell Your Crafts on Etsy (if you don’t mind putting in the time and effort)
Average start-up cost: $0 – $75 (for fees and reserve price)
Average time commitment:
variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only selling the occasional item, then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time making items and/or promoting your shop.
If you have a lot of time to put into selling things online then consider selling crafts on Etsy. This is not a simple task and it can take some time to make items to sell. You will also need to keep up with auctions and set-up fees if you go the auction route (or reserve price fees if you choose a straight sale). But if you are willing to put in the time, this can be a good way to make some extra money.
15 Dropshipping Business
if you don’t mind putting in the time and effort)
Average start-up cost: $10 – $500+
Time commitment: variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only dropshipping a few items per week/month then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time sourcing/listing items and promoting your shop.
If you want to start an internet business that’s more involved than just selling on eBay or Etsy then consider starting a dropshipping business. This means that you basically become the middleman between a supplier (usually in China) and the end-buyer. You buy items from suppliers and then sell them to buyers for a markup. It’s not as easy as it sounds and this will take some time to set up. But if you are looking for something with potential, then consider giving dropshipping a try.
16 Buy and Sell Domain Names
Average start-up cost: $0 – $5,000
Time commitment:
variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only buying and selling a few domain names per week/month, then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time on research and negotiations.
Buying and selling domain names can be quite lucrative if done properly. You will need some general knowledge about internet business (or the general idea of how websites make money). But if you know what you are doing then buying and selling domain names can be a good way to make some extra money on the side.
17 Sell Old CDs/DVDs/Blu-Rays
Average start-up cost: $0 – $10 (for free software)
Time commitment:
variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only trying to sell a few things per week/month, then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time on research and listings.
I used to buy old DVDs at thrift stores just so I could sell them for more on eBay. There is a good demand for old movies, so you can sell them as-is or as part of a bundle. This does require some time to source the DVDs and do research. But if you want something that can take up your time, then consider selling old DVDs on eBay.
18 Sell Old Video Games ( Average start-up cost: $0 – $10 (for free software)
Time commitment:
variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only trying to sell a few things per week/month then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time on research and listings.
I used to buy old video games at thrift stores just so I could sell them for more on eBay. There is a good demand for old video games, so you can sell them as-is or as part of a bundle. This does require some time to source the items and do research. But if you want something that can take up your time, then consider selling old DVDs on eBay.
profitable home business ideas
19 Rent Out an Extra Room
Average start-up cost: $0 – $1000+
Time commitment:
variable, depending on how much time you want to put into it. If you are only trying to rent out a few nights per week/month then this will be less time. But if you are trying to make money from this site, then you will need to spend a good amount of time on research and marketing.
If you have an extra room in your apartment or home, then consider renting it out for some extra cash every month. This can be quite lucrative if done properly. You will need to do some research on the market price for renting out your room (make sure that you are competitive with other listings). You will also need to do some marketing, otherwise, no one will know that your listing is available.
20 Sell Stock Photography
Average start-up cost: $0 – $1,000
Time commitment:
low (if you are already taking pictures) or medium (if you need to take the photos). You can also buy/license stock photos that were taken by other photographers. But if you want to sell your own photos, then this will take up more of your time.
There is quite a bit of money to be made from stock photography if you can get your photos in the right places. You will need to take quality pictures, but this will vary depending on what type of photographer you are (for example, some photographers specialize more in nature/wildlife). There are many different websites that allow you to sell stock photography, so you will need to do your research and see which sites work best for you.
Top 30 Best Small Business Ideas
21 Sell Used Books
Average start-up cost: $0 – $50
Time commitment:
low If you have a lot of old books that you no longer use, then consider selling them online. This can be quite lucrative if you are selling books that other people want (for example, rare or collectible books), depending on the book’s value. You can also sell other items that go hand-in-hand with books (like bookmarks). But if you just have old textbooks lying around, then this will probably not be very lucrative for you.
22 Sell Old Music
( Average start up cost: $0 – $1,000
Time commitment: low to medium
If you have some old CDs or LPs that are no longer listenable/in good condition, then consider selling them. This can be quite lucrative if you are selling music that other people want (for example, rare or collectible music), depending on the album’s value. You can also sell other items that go hand-in-hand with music (like old concert tickets). But if you just have old CDs lying around, then this will probably not be very lucrative for you unless you sell them as part of a larger lot (so check out #15 on this list).
Top 30 Best Small Business Ideas
23 Sell Your Own Art
Average start-up cost: $0 – $1,000
Time commitment:
medium to high If you are an artist with some paintings that you no longer want or need, then consider selling them. This can be quite lucrative if you are selling art that other people want (for example, rare or collectible art), depending on the artist’s value. You can also sell other items that go hand-in-hand with art (like old sketchbooks). But if you just have old paintings lying around, then this will probably not be very lucrative for you unless you sell them as part of a larger lot (so check out #15 on this list).
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Top 30 Best Small Business Ideas
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