The biggest reason people are often drawn to dropshipping is that you don’t have to hold inventory. However, if holding inventory isn’t an issue (maybe there’s enough room in that spare closet), you can consider sourcing products wholesale.

Online marketplaces like Handshake enable small business owners to find unique, high-quality products and build long-lasting relationships with suppliers. It’s worth checking out as a supplement to dropshipping if you already know what you want to sell.

2. Print on Demand

If you’re looking for proven business ideas to execute, try print on demand.

Print on demand (POD) is when you sell your own custom designs on items like phone cases, mugs, and t-shirts, but you don’t actually print the artwork. Instead, you collaborate with suppliers who print your design on the product—they even package and ship the item to your customer, so you don’t have to worry about logistics. Also, you only pay once you have sold the products. No sales equals no costs.

One of the quickest ways to get started is to create a Shopify store and install a POD app like Printify. In terms of marketing, partnering with Instagram influencers to promote your POD items is an effective way to reach audiences. To evaluate whether print on demand is the right option for you, watch our video where we get into a healthy debate with Wholesale Ted (a print-on-demand company).

3. Translation

Multilingual people are always in demand, so if you can speak two or more languages, consider starting a small business where you can monetize those skills.

You can look for clients on Upwork and Flexjobs and slowly build your portfolio. As you work successfully with more and more companies, you can hire more translators who specialize in other languages to take things off your plate. It’s also a good idea to market your business on social media websites, as it can help you reach a wider audience.

Got only a few hours to spare each day? Translation is one of the best side business ideas to pursue, as it lets you schedule your clients based on when you are available to work.

4. Website Flipping

Website flipping is among the new business ideas that have gotten everyone from work-at-home parents to recent graduates excited. It involves buying an already running website, improving its design and content, and then selling it for a profit.

There are quite a few places where you can buy and sell websites to earn a profit. Shopify’s marketplace, Exchange, for example, allows you to buy ecommerce websites that you can further improve via content marketing, SEO, and other tactics. Once your site begins to generate more revenue than when you acquired it, you can list it for sale on the marketplace.

See also:  What Are The 5 Ways To Make Money From Forex? Here Is What To Know

5. Home-based Catering

If you have a knack for cooking and see it as a creative outlet, you can make a decent income by opening a home-based catering business.

The initial investment depends on how big you want the setup to be. For example, if you start with smaller events that you can manage on your own, you should be able to start your business for less.

Most home-based caterers start by creating a website, experimenting with local food markets, or joining platforms that allow cooking experts to squeeze some profits from their culinary skills.

6. Dog walking

It can be difficult to keep up with a furry friend, particularly high-energy breeds with limited outdoor access. As a professional dog walker, you’ll be helping pet owners in the community keep their dogs happy, healthy, and well exercised.

Dog walking requires no initial investments other than marketing and business liability insurance. This will protect you in case of accidents, bites, or unexpected lawsuits. It’s a good idea to charge prices that reflect your insurance costs, with the average range between $30 to $60 an hour.

You can establish a presence for your dog walking business on a number of platforms, including Wag!, Rover, and Care.com. Offer promotions for new clients and build a positive reputation by requesting reviews from those you’ve worked with in the past.

7. Virtual assistance

One of the most successful business ideas is to offer virtual assistant services. Everyone from large enterprises to solopreneurs requires help with the day-to-day management of their business. You can use your excellent organizational skills to take some weight off their shoulders.

Of course, you’ll get paid for the time and effort you put into answering emails, scheduling meetings, and performing other administrative duties.

You can land your first few clients by responding to listings on platforms like FreeUp, PeoplePerHour, or Virtual Assistant Jobs. This is a proven business model, as people are always looking for efficient virtual assistants.

8. Personal shopping

Do you often get praised for your eye for fashion trends? Are you someone who friends and family come to for clothing advice? Personal shopping can be a business that builds on those skills.

Personal shoppers find clothing items for clients who don’t have time to shop for themselves. Duties involve evaluating your client’s wardrobe, visiting websites, and picking items that will suit them. There are all kinds of products on different online clothing boutiques, so you don’t necessarily have to shop offline to get this business started.

Plus, you don’t need to hold any special certification or degree to become a personal shopper. If your interests lie in business ideas with low investment, personal shopping might be the ideal route to consider.

9. Car detailing

Contrary to popular belief, it’s entirely possible to make car detailing a full-time business. The average profit of car detailing is anywhere from $50 to $400 per vehicle, meaning you could make a healthy profit if you find consistent clients.

The key to success in the car detailing business is marketing. You’ll need to spread the word about your services through a website or social media platform, and encourage regular reviews as well. Try to offer discounts for new clients or package deals for those who commit to multiple sessions.

All you need to get started are cleaning supplies and a driveway. You may consider getting certified through the IDA or taking a craftsmanship seminar to enhance your skills.

10. Online tutoring

If you’re an expert in art, math, or another subject, you can start the business of online tutoring. An essential prerequisite is having a bachelor’s degree in the subject you intend to teach.

You can find online tutoring clients on sites like Skooli and Tutor.com. For the best results, always teach subjects that relate to your area of expertise, because you’ll be able to share your skills and constructive knowledge to enhance your students’ own knowledge. You can deliver lectures and interact with your students over Zoom, making online tutoring one of the easiest online businesses you can start.

11. Greeting cards

Greeting cards are always in style, so if you have a good eye for design or just love showcasing your artwork on physical items, this is one of the best creative business ideas for you.

Before you can start looking for clients, you’ll need to have a handful of designs ready to go. Tools like Photoshop and Canva make it easy to create custom card designs. Additionally, you’ll need to stock up on supplies required to create greeting cards (ink, paper, etc.).

Pro tip: If you want to keep costs low, consider buying your supplies wholesale. Once you have the inventory, you can start generating revenue by marketing your business on Facebook, Etsy, and other similar platforms.

12. Content writing

Almost every company with a web presence needs help creating content for product pages, blogs, etc.

As such, starting a content writing or copywriting company could be one of the most profitable business ideas for you. Popular websites for finding those first few customers include Remote.co, Problogger, and BloggingPro.

You can also join content writing groups on Facebook to get more exposure for your business. To make a good impression on clients, consider offering keyword optimization or custom graphics as part of your services.

13. Homemade products

If you have a knack for molding soap bars, brewing drinks, or baking specialty products, a homemade crafts business may be a great fit for you. Not only does it serve as a wonderful creative outlet, but it can easily scale up as word of your business gets out.

Some of the most profitable homemade products include agricultural products, beauty solutions like cosmetics and soaps, and accessories such as jewelry. Ingredients and raw materials coupled with your labor should provide a sustainable return on investment.

You can start selling homemade products at your local farmers market, on a platform like Etsy, or with a storefront on iCraft. Try adding a unique twist to your products, such as dessert-themed bath bombs or pop-culture clothing items.

See also: The Five Steps To Dating Your Customer

14. WordPress support

A lot of websites out there are hosted on WordPress, and almost every WordPress website owner requires support in some form. So, if you’re familiar with the ins and outs of this platform, you’ll have several opportunities to make money.

Clients may contact you to fix their CSS, find and address security holes, and more. While you can use platforms like PeoplePerHour and Upwork to get your first clients, we recommend creating a custom website and listing your services there. That way, you’ll be able to avoid high commissions and build high-quality relationships with your clients.

Hands down, offering WordPress support is one of the best business ideas to try in 2023.

15. Career coaching

With rising unemployment and a saturated job market, there’s no shortage of people needing help finding jobs. If you have a talent for helping your friends and family find suitable employment, you can probably help others too.

Consider starting a career coaching business where you help others figure out what the best career for them is, how to nail an interview, what traits define a good candidate, and more. You can look for clients in Facebook groups or on platforms like Coach.me.

The best thing about this business is that you can make money by conducting four to five hourly sessions a month. Plus, you can coach multiple clients in a single session. If you’re looking for good business ideas that won’t occupy too much of your time, career coaching may be the right option for you.

16. Email marketing

Are you good at writing emails? Have you cracked the code for crafting subject lines that people can’t help but click? If so, you can step into entrepreneurship and make money by launching an email marketing business.

You can find companies that need help with their email strategy on platforms like PeoplePerHour and Upwork, as well as via cold outreach. Once you demonstrate that skill of enticing recipients, clients will rush to get your services and even agree to the price you quote them (major brownie points if you can help grow their email list).

Startup costs include investing in email marketing tools, which will automate many of your tasks.

17. Contract cleaning

Not everyone has the time or skills to clean on a regular basis. Becoming a professional cleaner allows you to assist home and business owners with scrubbing, dusting, vacuuming, and more.

Startup costs for household cleaning businesses are extremely low. Cleaning supplies and materials cost less than $100, although you could also purchase specialty equipment like steam vacuums or carpet cleaners. It’s a good idea to set up a website or social media page to get the word out for cheap.

The fees you charge will depend on the needs of your clients. Most cleaners charge by the hour, although some have additional expenses associated with certain tasks (organization, deep cleaning, etc.). Use tools like Angi Leads to display your business and discover what other people are charging. Be sure to register as an LLC and complete all necessary paperwork.

18. Meals to go

There’s no end to the line of people who struggle to find time to cook nutritious and healthy meals. This has led to a rise in meals-to-go businesses, offering all kinds of cuisine options. You can capitalize on this trend by starting your own meals-to-go business in your city, state, or neighborhood.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to invest in designing a large commercial kitchen. A shared rental kitchen is good enough to run a meals-go-to business. These places are usually equipped with essential supplies and can be rented by month, day, or hour. You can find shared-use, licensed commissary kitchens through websites like The Kitchen Door.