6 Small Business Ideas with Big Potential Highlighted by Paul Haarman
With the economy in flux, professional jobs are harder to come by. Many people are left out of work and others who never want to be without a job are forced to reassess their career paths. However, if you can pull yourself away from “the big time” there’s still hope for employment, especially if you’re willing to work for yourself. There are plenty of small businesses that need help to get off the ground and they all require little financial backing once they do take off.
Here are 8 business ideas that fit into this category. If any strike your fancy- dare them!
1) Jewelry Designer- Sell Your Designs Online!
The first option is an online destination for unique jewelry designs. The best part about this plan is it doesn’t require an office space or even a storefront. All you really need is your professional design equipment plus some cheap software to develop your website. You can do this out of your spare bedroom or just about anywhere that you have electricity access.
According to Paul Haarman the idea behind the business is simple- find artists with unique designs and sells their goods online! These can be completely original works made by yourself or established designers whose work you believe in. The only catch is the monthly membership fee!
2) Personal Assistant Service/Virtual Assistance
This next option requires very little investment but plenty of elbow grease at first. It’s perfect for busy, working professionals who are looking for someone to take care of their personal assistant needs. This could include errands, household organization or day-to-day tasks. If you feel like you can handle this type of work, talk to people in your network and see if they would be willing to try it out for a month or two (free of charge).
Once you get enough experience under your belt, begin putting together your website and promotion materials. You’ll need to find plenty of remote clients before turning an actual profit but its relatively easy work considering the pay scale.
3) Cafe Owner/Baked Goods Shop Owner
This is one that requires an initial investment but doesn’t require much after that point. However, start this business with the mindset that it will be a long-term project because it takes about 6 months to a year to really get it off the ground.
Your first step will be finding a location where your target customers are located- college students, working professionals or retirees. Then you’ll need to find a commercial kitchen that is suitable for baking and coffee roasting. A good realtor can help you with both of these tasks!
Once you begin taking on clients, offer perks like Wi-Fi access and free drinks to increase customer loyalty. Soon, you’ll have a nice revenue stream going!
4) Yoga Instruction/Pilates Instruction Service
If there’s one thing Americans love nowadays it’s getting in shape fast! If this sounds like you, try offering yoga or Pilate’s instruction services to your neighborhood residents. You could set up an office space in your home or the local library.
Once you have a presence in the community, either through flyers or online content (locally relevant information about upcoming events is always helpful), you’ll be able to start lining up customers! If you’re comfortable with yoga and Pilates, this part will be easy since people tend to sign up for these services before they begin classes.
5) Professional Organizer Service/Home Cleaning Service
This next idea requires an up-front investment but once your service is set up it can yield hours of profit per day! Just like the personal assistant service mentioned above, many busy professionals are looking for help with organization and cleaning services. The difference here is that these jobs require professional equipment and training in order to perform at the level your clients expect. Once you have all of that, however, it’s smooth sailing!
The best thing about both of these services is they can be done remotely if you are unable to find a physical location. This means less overhead which will make it easier for you to offer discounts or promotions in order to gain more clients. Just make sure your website is professional and easy-to-use since most of your customers will be looking for information online.
6) Graphic Designer Service
If you’re an aspiring graphic designer with some skills under your belt, try offering your services locally through family connections or friends of friends before turning pro. You’ll need a few examples of past work in order to lure people into your business.
Conclusion by Paul Haarman:
The opportunities available for stay-at-home moms and dads are countless. Try to think outside of the box in order to come up with original ideas that will work in your area. The most important thing is to make sure you can offer quality services at reasonable prices even if your clients aren’t wealthy (yet). Once they see how much their life improves by using your service, they’ll be more than willing to pay what you ask!
