Many would-be entrepreneurs crave the freedom and potential earnings of a successful self-owned business. While starting a business takes time and effort, an excellent turnkey business idea can help you get up and running quickly — with a few caveats.
We’ll highlight 13 easy-to-start business ideas to help you begin generating side income, and we’ll share legal and marketing considerations to ensure your new venture has the best chance of success.
Business ideas that are easy to start quickly
These easy-to-start business ideas are meant to inspire budding entrepreneurs and point them toward ventures in which they’ll excel. Many of them also have minimal startup costs. Consider your unique strengths, skills, interests and resources when you’re deciding on your new business.
1. Yard work
People with 9-to-5 jobs don’t always want to spend their weekends doing yard work. If you have a more flexible job, you may be the right person for this easy-to-start business.
Landscaping companies cut the grass but don’t necessarily do things such as weeding, planting, raking and fertilizing. In the winter, you could offer snow removal services.
2. Software training
With so many specialized software applications available, there’s a wealth of opportunities for experienced people with specific platforms. Not everyone is inclined to pay hefty fees for technical manuals for programs such as QuickBooks and Final Cut Pro. If you’re a master of these or other programs and have patience and enjoy teaching others, you could market yourself to software users who need assistance and training. Consider one-on-one or group sessions, depending on the interest and program.
Tip
In addition to coming up with a great business idea, it’s essential to manage your startup’s financial health by upgrading your financial literacy and managing cash flow.
3. Homemade soap making
Selling artisanal products is an excellent, creative business idea. People love products made with care and concern for the environment, nature and the body. If you love soap and feel adventurous, why not take on soap making?
If you make it big, you can sell your soaps at farmers markets, local craft fairs and even local stores. Or you may decide to start selling online via online marketplaces for handmade goods. Be sure you can keep up if your product takes off.
4. Errand service
Do you love food shopping and wish you could do it more? OK, maybe not, but you could get paid to run errands for other people. Joining a platform like TaskRabbit or Handy gives you access to opportunities to earn money by doing chores, tasks, pickups and drop-offs in your community. It’s a busy world, and people will hire you for services they don’t have the time, talent or equipment to handle themselves.
5. Social media management
Companies can’t always afford to have a full-time staff member to run their small business social media efforts. If you’re a social media buff, you could offer your freelance social media management services to those businesses.
You could handle photography, editing and post scheduling for a flat or package fee. Programs such as Hootsuite and Sendible make social media management extremely easy.
6. Freelance services
In this part-time economy, with so many companies looking for freelance or contract employees, it’s easy to imagine building a business around providing freelance services. Whatever your skills — writing, editing, graphic design or coding — there’s likely a freelance opportunity waiting for you.
Check out the listings on sites such as Upwork and Freelancer.com, and get started on a project today. Freelancing is also a great way to start a photography business or another creative endeavor.
7. Selling on eBay
While there are many excellent online business ideas, selling on eBay is a quick way to start an online resale business. Whether you’re selling handmade products or items you don’t use anymore, eBay is a great way to earn extra money.
List your items with set prices, or take bids to get the most value. You could easily start an eBay business consigning old clothes, vintage items, handmade products and more. You could even scour flea markets and rummage sales to add to your stock.
While eBay is one major platform in this space, you can also consider Facebook Marketplace and its competition, including Craigslist, Etsy and Amazon Marketplace.
