If you want to start a business, you should think about whether your idea meets a need in the way people live their lives and approach their work. If you can identify an unmet need and a target market, you may have a viable business idea. But how do you generate a good idea in the first place? This list of business ideas includes 23 excellent business types that will help you succeed.

This list of 23 fantastic business ideas will assist you in starting your entrepreneurial journey. Many of the ideas below only require you to have a credit card processing partner to get started, so you can keep your initial costs low.

Continue reading for ideas on the various types of businesses that could propel you to success.

1Consultation

Consulting can be a lucrative option if you are knowledgeable and passionate about a specific topic (such as business, social media, marketing, human resources, leadership, or communication). You can start a consulting business on your own, then expand and hire other consultants as your business grows.

2Reselling on the internet

If you like clothes and/or sales, you could start an online reseller business. You can start your business as a side hustle and turn it into a full-time resale business with time, dedication, and an eye for fashion. You could begin by selling your unwanted clothing on online store websites like Poshmark and Mercari, then expand to your own resale website.

3Distance education

Entrepreneurs now have more options thanks to the increased demand for online education. Because this is an online venture, you can teach a course on any subject you know about from anywhere. If you lack advanced knowledge in any subject, consider teaching English as a foreign language to students in other countries online.

4Bookkeeping online

Technology, like education, enables many bookkeeping services to be performed online. Take advantage of modern technology to start your own online bookkeeping service if you are an accountant or bookkeeper looking for the freedom and autonomy of running your own business.

5Medical transport service

Consider starting your own courier service if you have a reliable vehicle and good time management skills. As a driver, you would be in charge of transporting medical items such as lab specimens, prescription drugs, and equipment. You could start your own courier service or hire other drivers to help you.

Did you know? The healthcare industry is expanding, which bodes well for the stability of medical courier service jobs. Hospitals, nursing homes, labs, and private practices are just a few of the clientele your company can serve.

6App creation

If you have knowledge and experience in technology, you should think about a career in app development. Smartphones have become an everyday accessory for many Americans, increasing the demand for mobile apps. Similarly, because virtual reality software has grown in popularity in recent years, there is a demand for VR app development.

7Service of transcription

A transcription service would allow you to work from home with a flexible schedule if you have a good ear and can type quickly. Medical transcription services are becoming increasingly important as voice recognition technology for healthcare provider dictation spreads.

You are free to accept as few or as many transcription jobs as you want. This flexibility can be especially useful if you don't want to start all at once or if you want to keep your day job for the time being. Consider becoming a certified transcriptionist and delving into a few specialties to boost your business prospects and justify charging more.

Medical transcriptionists typically charge between 6 and 14 cents per line of transcription, which quickly adds up. Because the average turnaround time for transcription work is 24 hours, it is critical to keep track of the jobs you accept. The ability to accept only a few requests at first, on the other hand, means that you can scale up as you are ready. The best part is that there is very little initial investment and overhead. All you need is a computer, some software, and a secure messaging service.

PRO TIP: While not required, obtaining a medical transcription license can help your company gain a competitive advantage while also broadening your customer base to include larger corporations. Some service providers prefer certified transcriptionists.

8Professional organization

Looking for a business idea that will make you happy? Professional organizers, such as Marie Kondo, make a living by assisting people in decluttering and minimizing their possessions. In this day and age, many people are desperate to downsize and regain control of their possessions. Minimalism is becoming increasingly popular, but many people find it difficult to part with possessions they've had for a long time. As a professional organizer, I assist clients in developing a downsizing system.

You could be a good coach if you're a highly organized person who enjoys making spaces functional and comfortable. People will pay you to help them develop a system for minimizing their possessions while keeping an organized environment. Ask your clients if you can take before-and-after photos of the areas of their homes you've organized to promote your business, and then use those photos to create a portfolio that you can share on social media to attract more clients.

9Cleaning service

If you enjoy cleaning, you can easily turn it into a business. With a small staff, a variety of cleaning supplies, and transportation, cleaning services can be offered to homeowners, apartment buildings, and commercial properties. Most cleaning services charge between $25 and $50 per hour. Cleaning services are simple businesses with low overhead; all you need is planning, dedication, and marketing to attract customers.

Consider charging more for premium services like floor waxing or exterior power washing if you want to stand out from the competition. These services might make the difference between a seasoned company with too many customers for that level of cleaning and your brand-new cleaning service.

10Copywriting or content creation as a freelancer

If you have a knack for words and some marketing knowledge, you can establish yourself as a freelance copywriter or content writer. Many companies will pay you to write blogs, web content, or press releases. Assisting clients in creating a strategy centered on particular keywords that their target audience is already searching for online will increase the value of your services. Most freelance copywriters charge between $40 and $50 per hour, but those with industry expertise may charge even more.

Freelance copywriting is an excellent business to start because you can work from anywhere with an internet connection. It's a business you can run from the comfort of your own home or even while traveling. You could even make freelance writing your full-time job if you build a large enough network and get referrals from satisfied clients.

11Home care assistance

Helping seniors who are housebound and require in-home care can benefit greatly from someone with a background in care and hospitality. It's also a service that's only going to get more popular. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the 85-and-over population is expected to triple from 6.7 million to 19 million between 2020 and 2060. The global population of centenarians (people over the age of 100) has already surpassed 600,000. Many will require care and assistance, often in the comfort of their own homes.

Fortunately, you don't need a background in healthcare to help seniors while also growing a successful business, though those skills will be in high demand. Many seniors require assistance with a variety of tasks, such as errands or home repairs. After gaining some expertise, you may want to think about expanding your company to help seniors move from their homes to assisted living facilities by offering services like packing, transporting, setting up, or storing their furniture and belongings.

The key takeaway is that senior home care is a rapidly expanding industry. As a senior care provider, you can enter this market by providing seniors with high-quality care and assisting them with daily tasks.

12Translation service

IBISWorld research indicates that, like many other industries, the translation services industry experienced a decline in 2020. Nevertheless, IBISWorld forecasts that the industry will experience a "major uptick" over the following five years. Given how the internet has connected business owners in other nations to English-speaking markets and vice versa, the projected growth is not surprising.

Due to this trend, multilingual speakers now have the chance to offer specialized services like document translation and website information translation into languages spoken in other markets. If you are fluent in multiple languages, you may be able to carve out a niche in the translation services industry.

13Digital marketing

With each passing day, the internet's importance grows, but it also becomes more difficult for businesses to cut through the online clutter and properly market themselves. Given the ongoing high demand for digital marketing services, many small and midsize businesses would choose to outsource those services rather than hire an expensive in-house team. If you have expertise in SEO, content marketing, PPC, web development, or social media management, you might be able to take advantage of a business opportunity that lets you work from home.

Because digital marketing is an important component of any brand, you'll need to respond to changes in your client's marketing strategies. Instead of just scheduling posts and letting them go, social media management involves continuously checking for comments and messages. Digital marketing could be the ideal career choice for you if you enjoy carefully planning and executing marketing strategies. You might also think about becoming an affiliate marketer, which is a type of digital marketing.

14Having your own food truck

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people have gotten used to dining options other than eating inside. As a result, aspiring restaurateurs may find greater success with a food truck.

Food trucks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, serving a variety of snacks and cuisines. Take your favorite cuisine on the road and sell it directly to hungry customers. Sure, you'll be working, but you'll be doing so in an area that interests you, with the opportunity to network with others who share your passion.

Food trucks may appear to be an outlandish concept, but the industry is growing. A truck has much lower overhead and upkeep than a restaurant, and you have the added benefit of mobility.

Pro tip Starting a food truck business can be lucrative. But there are some startup costs to think about, like paying for a food truck and modifying it to comply with local laws. If you want to serve up smiles with a food truck, read a guide to starting a food truck business for more information.

15Lawn maintenance service

If you grew up with a lawn, chances are your parents forced you to keep it up. Lawn care is a chore for many of us, but for others, it provides a sense of peace and serenity. Working with your hands to tame and beautify the natural landscape can be a rewarding experience, and because so many people dislike the work, it can also be profitable.

Depending on how many clients there are and how big the jobs are, all that is really needed for lawn care services is some basic equipment, a trailer, and perhaps some staff. Offering premium services and establishing a reputation as a brand that does a thorough job with a smile can help you grow a small lawn care service into a full landscaping company. This could be the business for you if you enjoy working outside and designing beautiful landscapes.

Tip: Some states require landscapers, particularly those who use pesticides, to be licensed. Check your state's requirements to see if you need to obtain a license for the services provided by your business.

16Ride-sharing driving

If starting your own business appears too difficult or risky, you can always use your car to become a rideshare driver. The rideshare service bears the overhead and responsibility of running the company, allowing you to work as much or as little as you want. Rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft enable people to start side hustles that pay well and require little more than a willingness to drive people to their destinations and engage in friendly conversation on the side.

Rideshare drivers gain from the independence of working as independent contractors without having to manage the logistics of managing a small business. If none of the other business ideas seem to require too much time or money upfront, ridesharing could be a good way to get your feet wet in the world of entrepreneurship.

17Real estate

Navigating the housing market can be difficult for many people. As a real estate agent, you can assist people in finding their dream homes at an affordable price. In many states, becoming a real estate agent is as simple as taking a few months of classes and passing an exam. Even with a certification, you'll need strong social skills, so if you're not a people person, this might not be the path for you.

18Graphic design

Businesses of all sizes, including corporations, small businesses, and sole proprietorships, need to produce eye-catching promotional materials, but not everyone is talented in the arts. Start a graphic design business if you have an artistic streak and know how to organize content into a visually appealing format. You can provide flyers, digital ads, posters, and other engaging visual materials. Aside from a laptop and a desk, graphic design requires few physical tools.

19T-shirt printing

If you have a sharp artistic sense - or if you enjoy taking someone else's designs and screenprinting them onto a blank tee - you might enjoy starting a T-shirt printing business. In any case, if you have the space for a T-shirt printing setup, you can easily obtain the necessary tools and get started.

Did you know? T-shirt printing can be a lucrative e-commerce venture. You can accept online orders from customers and sell T-shirts in bulk. You can sell to customers all over the country and even the world this way.

20Dropshipping

Not all businesses that sell goods keep them on-site. People who run e-commerce sites use dropshipping to outsource all order fulfillment to a third party. Most likely, the third party is a wholesaler or another business that runs a distribution center. Dropshipping low inventory and tool requirements make it an especially good startup idea if you're concerned about overhead costs and physical space.

21Animal care

Approximately 70% of American families own a pet. When these families go on extended vacations, your pet-sitting small business can provide them with peace of mind. As a pet sitter, you will be responsible for your client's dogs, cats, or other pets at their home. Feeding, watering, playing with them, spending time with them, and (with dogs) walking them as needed are all part of the job. To keep clients happy, you should keep them updated on how their pets are doing on a regular basis.

If you already have other sources of income that only require an internet connection and a laptop, pet sitting may be an especially good small business idea for you. Almost all pet owners will be happy to let you use your laptop while you visit their animals, enabling you to manage two income streams at once.

22Personal training

If the gym is your second home, you might want to share some of your knowledge and assist others in reaching their fitness goals. You can provide in-home workouts as a personal trainer that are suited to the fitness level of each client. You can help clients create personalized nutrition and meal plans so that their diets reflect their fitness objectives.

Numerous personal trainers start their client-acquisition process by creating social media pages that include motivational quotes and details about their gym experiences. While certification can help you expand your customer base, you are not legally required to have any specialized training to start this type of business.

23Writing a resume

People are constantly applying for jobs, whether they want to change careers, increase their pay, or change work environments. Of course, most job applications require applicants to submit resumes outlining their professional experience. As a resume writer, you can assist job applicants in making their resumes stand out from the crowd.

Along with helping them create portfolios and cover letters that highlight their best work, you'll also help your clients. Furthermore, no formal education is required; all you need are some fundamental organizational and proofreading skills to become a resume writer. You're already halfway there if you know what makes resumes look professional and ready for employers' eyes.

Which small businesses are the most successful?

Small businesses that use website design, a subset of digital marketing, are among those with the highest sales and profits. People learn about businesses more frequently on the internet than through other channels, so finding clients and a steady income stream isn't as difficult. Cleaning services and real estate businesses also have high success rates, which makes sense given that everyone needs a place to live and prefers it to be clean.

Key takeaway: The most profitable business ideas are website design, cleaning services, and real estate.

What kind of small business would be a good place to start?

If you want to maximize your profit while minimizing your workload, try any of the following small business ideas. If you're more interested in following your passions while making enough money to live, start a small business that makes you happy, challenges you to use your skills, and gives you a good work-life balance. There is no objectively correct response to this question because there are so many excellent business ideas. You are the best person to determine which small business ideas will bring you happiness, success, and stability.

How can I start my own business if I don't have any money?

You don't need money to start a small business. The first step in starting a business with no money is to keep your current job and initially launch your small business as a side project. Then, create a business plan and examine your customer base, market, and potential challenges.

Near the end of the planning process, you'll have a better idea of how much money you'll need to make your business a full-time job. This money can be obtained through crowdfunding platforms and investors. Take out a business loan only as a last resort.

Tip Pick a small business idea with a low startup cost. If you still don't have enough money, consider crowdfunding or finding investors to fund your business idea.

How do I start a home-based business?

Home-based businesses are usually the most convenient and manageable. However, not all great business ideas are suitable for home offices, so make sure yours can be run from home. Jobs with on-site requirements and heavy in-person demands may not be suitable. Include in your business plan and budget any office equipment and supplies that you'll need to turn your online business ideas into reality, such as a dedicated work computer, a suitable desk, fast internet, filing cabinets, and a company website.

What characteristics characterize a good work-from-home small business idea?

A good work-from-home small business idea includes the following characteristics:

Minimal inventory and supplies: Assume your home isn't a mansion (yet), and you only have so much storage space for inventory and supplies. As a result, lawn care service is probably out if you want to work from home. If you don't have enough space to store your prints, the same could be said for T-shirt printing. Copywriting and graphic design, on the other hand, require little more than a laptop and an internet connection, both of which you most likely already have.

Low initial investment: A viable work-from-home business should not be expensive to start. Stockpiling raw materials and inventory is impossible with a small amount of storage space. Your financial challenges should be few and far between, though you may need to buy software or obtain licenses for some small business concepts.

Working online and on a computer involves: The use of a computer with an internet connection is necessary for many of the small business concepts mentioned above. Examples include dropshipping, digital marketing, and translation. Pet sitting is an exception to the rule if you watch over pets at your home rather than the owners. Then all you need is a pair of alert eyes and ears. You can even do computer work while keeping an eye on the pets.

Flexible Schedule:Employees in traditional office jobs are frequently required to work a 9-to-5 schedule. This schedule may seem less important to follow if you work from home, especially if you are your own boss. As a result, the best work-from-home small business ideas allow for scheduling flexibility. Who's to say you can't do your best app development work at 3 a.m.?

Minimal collaboration requirements: Although remote team collaboration is simple, working from home runs more smoothly when you're almost completely self-sufficient. A small business in which you answer to only a few clients and one or two colleagues (if any) allows you to be more independent. Then you will be able to work on your own terms and see your small business idea through to completion.

In summary

What is the procedure for starting a business?

Starting a business takes time and effort, but with the right tools and guidelines, you'll be up and running in no time. Although your specific business journey will be unique to you, we have identified a few steps that entrepreneurs can take to get started.

• Choose a business idea and a niche.

• Examine the current market.

• Make a business plan.

• Examine your finances and raise funds as needed.

• Choose your legal business structure.

• Register your company with the government and the IRS.

• Select the appropriate commercial insurance policies.

• Hire people to help you build your team (as needed)

• Select your vendors (as needed)

• Market and advertise your company.