Thinking about own business?

According to a survey by the Freelancers Union and Upwork, the number of freelance workers in the U.S. has grown to 55 million, making up 35% of the workforce and collectively earning $1 trillion in the past year.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to spend your spare time dabbling in entrepreneurship: It fills your time with something that you choose, and thus you enjoy and set up a potential long-term revenue stream. 

Generating Business Ideas

Coming up with a good idea is a process that involves a lot of trial and error. 

The best way I’ve found to generate ideas is to write and write often. Make lists every day of things that you might enjoy, and try to figure out how you could make money doing them.

To help, here’s a list of 50 business ideas you can begin building as you continue plugging away at your 9-to-5.

Each of these ideas is very simple to start, and most can be done as a sole proprietorship at first (meaning you don’t have to file any legal documents to get started, though you will want to do that if it starts to take off). 

Most of these can be done at home in your spare time and space, too.

See if any of the ideas below suit you well. 

If you find one you like, do some research or seek out a guide on how to get started in that area.

50 Small Business Ideas You Could Start Today

• Auto detailing
• Babysitting
• Rent out a room in your home
• Blogging
• Buying and reselling on eBay
• Cake baking
• Snow ploughing
• Dog Walking
• Freelance writing
• Creating custom clothing
• House cleaning
• Pet sitting
• Home Daycare
• Cleaning service for businesses
• Social media expert
• Gourmet cooking baking
• Antique refurbishment
• Personal chef
• Event coordinator
• Event DJ
• Exercise instructor
• Gardening services
• Handyman services
• Catering
• Interior decorating
• Pet waste cleanup
• Knitting, crocheting, or quilting
• Landscaping
• Furniture making
• Meal-to-go preparations
• Personal assistant
• Pet grooming
• Jewellery making
• Growing produce to sell
• Proofreading and editing
• Scrapbook making
• Slideshow making
• Senior citizen assistance
• Sewing and alterations
• Computer Troubleshooting
• Public speaking
• Make soap and spa products for resale
• Music Lessons
• Tutoring
• Virtual Assistant
• Website design
• Wedding planner
• Affiliate marketing
• Become a business or life coach
• Resume writing service

50 Business Ideas to Generate Side Income

Auto detailing

Do you have a meticulous eye for detail and love getting things gleaming clean? Auto detailing is probably a perfect side business for you. Your job is to make cars sparkle inside and out, and many people are quite happy to pay well for this service.

Babysitting

Do you have lots of evenings free? Do you like kids? Babysitting may be a great side business for you. Watch multiple children on Friday and Saturday nights, and you can earn some easy cash over time.

Rent out a room in your home

Have some extra space in your home? Turn that extra bedroom into a “bed and breakfast” room. If you live near any tourist destination, you can try renting out a room through Airbnb or CouchSurfing.com. You may also find paid hosting opportunities in your community: Sign up to host exchange students, visiting professors at a nearby college, or hospital patients receiving long-term treatment.

Blogging

If you enjoy writing, find a topic you’re passionate about and start a website dedicated to covering that topic and anything else interesting you want to talk about. All you need is a computer, some time, and some energy to consistently write. It can start as a hobby and turn into a business over time. And blog hosting can cost less than $12 per month.

Buying and reselling on eBay

Thanks to technology, there are more opportunities than ever to buy and resell products for extra money. Plenty of people buy local and in-demand products at a discount and resell them on eBay for profit.

Cake and cupcake baking and decorating

Do you enjoy baking and have an artistic touch? Learn how to decorate cakes and make them for special events. Sell your creations online via Craigslist, your local neighbourhood Facebook page, or at local farmers’ markets. Many people are willing to pay others to create custom cakes for birthday parties and special events.

Snowploughing

Do you live in an area with Plenty of snowfall during the winter? If so, you could easily start a snowplough business by investing in a plough attachment for your pickup truck or Jeep. If you want to start smaller, you could even build your business by clearing driveways and walkways with a shovel or a snowblower.

Dog Walking

Dog walking is the perfect side business for anyone who has a few hours to kill during the day. Once you get a few clients, you need to pick up their dogs and take them on long, leisurely walks that will tire them out and keep them in shape. Bonus: Walking dogs may help you in your quest to stay fit as well.

Freelance writing

If you’re good with words, you can find some work as an online freelancer. A variety of publications need online content in the form of stories, product or service descriptions, and reports, and if you have the talent and skill, you could easily be the one to create them. Fortunately, all you need is a computer and Internet connection to get started.

Creating custom clothing

The Internet has created opportunities for people who can sew and design custom clothing for special events. Many people have found success creating custom birthday outfits for babies and selling them on sites like Etsy or eBay, for example. In addition to selling online, you could also market this service to people in your local community.

Housecleaning

Many people don’t enjoy cleaning their homes and are willing to pay a reasonable price to have someone do the work for them. This is a great way to earn extra money flexibly, particularly if you have time off during the workweek. And since you will be working for yourself, you can often choose your hours, terms, and pay.

Pet sitting

When people go on trips, they’re often concerned about what will happen to their pets. That’s where you step in—offer yourself a safe place to leave your pets or be willing to go to their homes to take care of them. In many cases, people are more than willing to pay a qualified pet sitter to avoid sending their pet to a professional kennel.

Home Daycare

Many states allow people to start an in-home daycare with minimal licensing and paperwork. If you love children and have Plenty of time and space at home, this is a perfect business to get into. All you need is a safe room or two for children to play in, some toys and activities, and a whole lot of patience.

Cleaning services for businesses

Many businesses and civic institutions need individuals who can clean their offices and common areas outside of normal business hours. If you’re willing to work some nights and weekends, you can build a cleaning side business and get in shape all in one fell swoop.

Social media expert

Almost everyone uses Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest these days, but did you know that many companies will pay people to help them manage their social media accounts — sometimes even part-time from home? To find social media jobs, you can start by contacting businesses with a social media presence and scanning sites like Upwork.com for opportunities.

Gourmet cookie making

If you love baking and are able to keep your hand out of the proverbial cookie jar, making gourmet cookies is a great side hustle with Plenty of long-term potential. Start by learning how to execute unique and tasty gourmet cookie recipes, then seal the deal by creating or purchasing professional-looking packaging. Sell your cookies online or to people in your local community.

Antique refurbishment

This is a perfect side business for people who love antiquing. You can take worn-out antiques home with you, invest the time and care needed to transform them into something amazing, and then resell them at a profit.

Personal chef

I recently met a woman who earned quite a bit of money as a very part-time chef. Once a week, she would go to someone’s house and prepare a homemade meal for their family, then do all the dishes and cleanup work. This gives the family Plenty of time together while putting some cash in the woman’s pocket. If you love to cook, this can be a great opportunity, but you may have to put a lot of effort into searching for clients.

Event coordinator

Events like family reunions and large parties are often full of busy work that many people don’t want to tackle. This can be the perfect place for you to step in and take charge of the planning and coordination. Thanks to the Internet, it is now easier than ever to market your event planning services.

Event DJ

Are you an audiophile? If you have a great sound system and a large selection of music, you’ve already got what you need to hire yourself out as a DJ for various events and receptions. This is a great way to fill an afternoon or evening while also earning some cash in the process.

Exercise instructor

Many gymnasiums will trade membership and often a bit more for a person willing and able to teach an exercise class. You can also find people who want to avoid going to a gym and train them at home as a personal trainer. If you’re in good shape, this is a great opportunity to earn some extra money, plus it can often lead to additional income with one-on-one instruction opportunities.

Gardening services

I’ve actually fielded requests from others looking for people willing to do this, so the demand is out there. To put it simply, some people are willing to pay others to start a vegetable or flower garden in their yard so they can have access to ultra-fresh produce without all the legwork. If you have a green thumb and some knowledge about the vegetables that grow well in your area, this would be an easy business to start.

Handyman services

Are they skilled at basic home repair? Let people know that they can call you for small repair jobs like basic plumbing, fixing a broken stair, and other things. You’d be amazed at the simple things people are willing to pay others to help them with.

Catering

If you love to cook, take the “Blondie” route and start a home catering business. Catering is a business that’s perfectly designed to reward those who plan well, and it can often fit perfectly into weekends, which could work great if you are trying to build a business outside of normal working hours.

Interior decorating

Are you fascinated by interior design? Do you have a huge collection of interior design materials? Many people are quite happy to hire someone to help them decorate their homes, and that’s especially true of those who want a magazine-calibre style yet don’t have an eye for design at all.

Pet yard waste cleanup

For many people in suburban areas, cleaning up pet yard waste is a real hassle – it’s disgusting, for one. Instead of cleaning it up themselves, they might hire someone to do it regularly, two to three times a week. There are several such services in our area, actually.

Knitting, crocheting, or quilting

Are you skilled at creating blankets and sweaters? There’s a huge market for these types of items—even better, you can usually make them in your spare time whenever you have it. As always, local shops and sites like Etsy are great venues to sell such items.

Landscaping services

Are you willing to mow lawns and trim bushes and trees? Many people are quite happy to pay for such services, and the demand is persistent: Nature just keeps growing. Not only is this a great side business for a fit adult, but it’s also a great way for a teenager to start a small business.

Furniture making

If you’re adept at woodworking and have some basic equipment, it’s easy to get into business making deck furniture. It only requires a few items – a saw, a drill, a sander – and some creativity and passion for working with wood. If you have the tools or want to turn your hobby into a business, this may be a great small business idea for you. In addition to creating new items, you could also focus on repairing existing wooden furniture or woodwork.

Meal-to-go preparations

Remember my earlier post about breakfast burritos? Making meals in advance is a great way to save money for yourself – but you can often prepare these for others as well and sell them for a markup. Prepare eight casseroles, for example, then sell six of them to cover your costs, and you’ve got two free dinners for your family (and maybe a bit more). You can grow this by taking orders from others and finding out what they like.

Personal assistant

Thanks to sites like TaskRabbit, Plenty of people have learned to pick up work and do a variety of side jobs that other people don’t have time for. Common tasks can include anything from dry cleaning to making dinner or assembling Ikea furniture.

Pet grooming

Many people loathe bathing their pets and grooming their fur—I know I do. Pet groomers perform these tasks for a small fee, making them perfect for people who love dogs and cats.

Jewellery making

If you have a good eye for detail work and a lot of patience, homemade jewellery can be quite profitable. As with other items on this list, there are many opportunities to sell such items through local gift shops, craft fairs, or sites like Etsy.

Growing and selling produce

Do you like to grow vegetables? Focus on one vegetable and sell the excess to grocery stores and farmers’ markets. My father does this with tomatoes and earns some solid extra money during the summer months. You can do really well, though, if you can grow things indoors during the winter – February fresh tomatoes can sell quite well.

Proofreading and editing

Have strong English skills and exceptional grammar? You may have opportunities to work as a proofreader from home. Advertising for this can be difficult; seek out those who are able to use your services and advertise directly to them.

Scrapbook making

Many people dream of having beautiful scrapbooks but never take the steps to create them. You can step in here, take their ideas and materials, and assemble a scrapbook for them.

Slideshow making

Many people would love to have a beautiful slideshow to commemorate the passing of a loved one, an anniversary, or a special birthday. With a computer and some select software, you could quickly turn anyone’s pictures into a beautiful, custom slideshow and profit handsomely for your time and effort.

Senior citizen assistance

Many elderly people need assistance with a wide variety of simple household tasks, such as cleaning, laundry, and so forth. Many adult children of elderly people are quite willing to hire someone to help out their parents.

Sewing and alterations

My wife is quite handy with a sewing machine and often hems and modifies our children’s clothes. On lazy evenings, she could easily take this a step further and offer her services to others, doing basic garment repair and modification for a small price.

Computer Troubleshooting

I had some success with this in the past, though I’ve largely abandoned it now. If you have a knack for fixing computers, this is a good place to start.

Public speaking

If you’re the type of person who can easily get the attention of a room, public speaking might be for you. Take advantage of every public speaking opportunity you can, and you’ll be surprised at the opportunities that come your way.

Soap-making and spa products

Making amazing homemade soaps and other spa products isn’t as hard as you might think – it just takes time and patience. Again, people value handmade items like these, which can easily be sold through local gift shops and websites like Etsy.

Giving music lessons

If you know how to play an instrument well (particularly the piano or the guitar) and have patience, you’ve got what you need to teach others how to play. Offer lessons in that instrument to others—this can also be an excellent service to barter with.

Tutoring

Did you major in a subject like English, history, or math in college or do exceptionally well on the SAT exam? Do you have patience with children? If so, you likely have what you need to tutor kids in particular subjects. Seek out parents or teachers and let them know that you tutor students in a certain subject. Offer materials for them to share, and phone calls will often trickle in. You can get going locally or expand across the country by offering to tutor online.

Virtual Assistant

Many ultra-busy professionals appreciate having someone who can check and answer their emails, organize task lists for them, update their calendars, and perform other administrative tasks with minimal interaction. The best part is that you can provide this service from home with a good Internet connection.

Website design

Many small businesses in your community could use a very basic web presence to tell others about their business. Quite often, these businesses need a larger budget for such things. That’s where you come in—get a bunch of clients from the local community by beating the pavement, creating sites for them, and maintaining them for a small fee. Get enough businesses, and you have a nice side business of your own that doesn’t require a ton of maintenance time.

Wedding planner

If you’re one of those people who can’t help but flip through bridal magazines and think about various wedding arrangements in your daydreams, wedding planning might be the perfect thing for you. A great way to get started is to develop a website or blog on the topic, get to know people online and promote your services at local wedding venues and throughout the community.

Affiliate marketing

If you play your cards right, certain types of businesses will pay you to promote their products and encourage sales. If you’re interested in learning more, check out affiliate marketing programs such as Amazon Associates, Commission Junction, LinkShare, and ShareASale.

Become a business or life coach

Suppose you’re passionate about the business world or able to influence and encourage others in your unique way. In that case, consider marketing your services as a business or life coach. Use your passion and expertise to give advice and suggest actionable steps people can take to improve their professional and personal lives.

Start a resume-writing service

If you’re excellent at crafting amazing resumes that ultimately result in people getting the job, consider marketing those services. Most of your work will revolve around writing, editing, designing, and proofreading, so you will need a few supplies outside of your computer and basic software to get started.

Final Words

These are just some of the many side business opportunities that have grown more common in the past few years. 

However, there are many more out there already, in addition to some that are yet to be discovered.

As you embark on your new side business or “side hustle,” remember that you are only limited by your imagination and skillset. Don’t be afraid to be creative, and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t succeed.

You never know; unexpected success might be right around the corner.