If you haven’t noticed, our economy is constantly changing and has definitely shifted in a new direction over the last couple of years. Thanks to the pandemic, remote work, and hybrid working positions have grown in importance and demand while e-commerce continues its rise.
Whether you’re looking to break into an entrepreneurial role or expand operations in a new direction, there are a variety of potentially profitable ideas waiting to be tapped in the near future.
Fortunately, many of them require low start-up costs that can get you from brainstorming to barnstorming in no time. Some of these positions are tried and true methods of entrepreneurship, while others take advantage of the rise of low-cost technology to get the job done.
Profitable business ideas with low start
1. Online marketing; video sales, affiliate advertising, influencer
All you really need is a phone and a product or service to place and you can enter the world of marketing. Many platforms, such as Instagram, already enable users to configure their accounts with affiliate marketing programs so that followers can access product sources.
A tasteful photo with a select product or brand and an appropriate link can get you started earning commissions for selling your favorite products and services.
For more ambitious videographers in the making, creating video content that features your favorite products and services and posting it on Tiktok or Youtube with appropriate links to product purchasing pages is another great way to enter the affiliate marketing game and earn a modest, steady income with little investment aside from technology you most likely already own.
If you’re really skilled and capable of generating a sizeable audience, you may even earn the title of “influencer” and create your own trends simply with your preferences posted on Twitter, Instagram, or whichever social media outlet you frequent.
Profitable business ideas with low start
2. Online content creation and account management
If you have a more literary flair or like contributing to the nuts and bolts of a business, then blogging or working as a virtual personal assistant may be for you. Once again, an investment in a computer and a reliable internet connection is all that’s needed to connect to potential clients.
You may choose to develop your own site and create your own content, in which case you can also create affiliate marketing opportunities with product placement and access to links for the respective products.
You can also stick strictly to writing, and creating content for clients as a freelance blogger and writer. There are a variety of writing opportunities featuring a variety of niches, from copywriting to proofreading and ghostwriting novels, so there’s no shortage of opportunities for qualified and ambitious writers.
If working online is appealing but writing content isn’t your forte, then working as a virtual personal assistant or even a project manager allows you similar access to advertising and business potential with a different approach.
Personal assistants are involved from answering and responding to employer and client concerns to data entry and social media account management.
Project managers generally have a more senior role and, depending on your qualifications, would allow you to oversee and direct project completion as a consultant.
Working as a project manager is a more specialized role that requires some experience, but little overhead if done remotely, but as a personal assistant you have even more freedom to work where and with whom you want.
Profitable business ideas with low start
3. Online sales and shipping.
A variety of platforms, including eBay and Etsy, allow direct sales to consumers without having to go through a larger commercial operation. This is a boon to smaller retailers and offers aspiring entrepreneurs a unique way to enter the world of e-commerce.
If you already have a product you wish to sell, these platforms allow you to sell your products directly based on client contact and request.
If you don’t have a specific product that you wish to sell, you can act as a distributor either directly by coordinating with a specific commercial operation or indirectly by purchasing and reselling items. All you really need is a computer and appropriate packing boxes to enter the world of online sales.
If you like the distribution component of online sales, you can expand operations or specialize solely as a drop courier. Although large online retailers, such as Amazon, have their own distribution component, a variety of smaller couriers offer courier services.
Working as a courier can entail handling large and small packages, so depending on the scope of your business, you can work out of a minivan or even a hatchback (sufficient trunk space is usually a good idea if you’re carrying a lot of packages!).
For those who don’t want to work behind a computer all day, working as a courier allows you to get out and deliver the goods that customers want.
Profitable business ideas with low start
4. Share your knowledge and skills online: Online classes, tutoring, photography/ graphic design.
There’s no shortage of consumers craving some level of training and knowledge in a variety of subjects. If you have an in-demand skill or even a niche talent that you would like to share with the world, you can find a variety of ways to offer your skill for profit.
If you already have a site, you can offer tutorials that link to subscription-only content or you can create private workshops, virtually or in-person, where you can provide demonstrations and classes; you can also set up paywalls to answer individual questions or for personal consultations for a fee.
Similar to working in online advertising, you can record instructional videos that link to your paid services or affiliate marketing relevant to products that you may show in your video. If you’re more of a one-on-one instructor or enjoy teaching general subjects manner (as may apply to high school or even college settings), you can start an online tutoring business.
There are a variety of online tutoring platforms that already exist, such as tutor.com, varsity tutors, and Superprof, or you can post a description on other social media accounts or through your community network to advertise your services. The last position that is relevant to a skilled online position is working in graphic design or even photography.
While working as an actual photographer will require slightly more skill and upfront costs, given that you need a camera, transportation, and lighting equipment depending on where you are working, the graphic design offers a little more freedom for skilled and trained artisans.
There are a variety of online and digital platforms, from Adobe to Pixlr, that allow you to set up an account for a relatively low expense while allowing you the freedom to work remotely and on your own schedule.
Profitable business ideas with low start
5. In-home services: cleaning services, daycare, and meal prep.
If you’re the kind of person that likes to be hands-on and you don’t want to work at a computer or stay at home all day long, then starting a cleaning service, watching children or even meal prep offers great business opportunities for little cost.
A cleaning service is the most intensive as far as labor and material investment, and you will also need a vehicle to transit from site to site, but there is a great degree of freedom as far as setting your own schedule.
As evident with the state of hygiene due to COVID-19, cleaning services are always in demand, and you can potentially expand your business to work for residential and commercial operations. Childcare, whether with a daycare or as a babysitter, can be done within your own home or, if you like going to different homes, you can work as a babysitter or nanny.
There is little to no capital investment, as you can use potentially use public transportation if you live in an urban environment or have a daycare in your own home.
Depending on the level of daycare, you may need an early childhood certification depending on what type of services you wish to offer. If you’re only trying to watch over toddlers all day long, then you still have a solid income stream with little investment.
For accomplished cooks, you can enter the world of in-home meal prep. Likewise, you can also work as an external meal prep consultant, whether through remote consultations or, similar to other platforms, by offering boxed meal services that you can arrange yourself.
The level of detail and organization can range from simple, weekly-planned meals to elegant, catered affairs, but for those who are skilled in the kitchen, and especially if you have a background in nutrition, you can provide your services for little to no cost aside from having transportation to bring meals to clients.
Profitable business ideas with low start
6. Hands-on opportunities: handyman, landscaping.
If you have a truck or large van and the skills to get the job done, working as a handyman and as a landscaper offers similar financial opportunities with a bit more of an investment in tools.
That being said, you don’t have to worry about having a garage or shop to maintain, as someone else’s home is your worksite! Likewise, if you don’t want to add another vehicle to your fleet, you can invest in a trailer that contains all of your tools that offers a greater degree of transportation flexibility.
While there is considerable skill involved and some degree of rigor relative to the working conditions you may encounter, for those who enjoy hands-on work and the freedom of not having to be confined to an office or job site all day, working as a handyman or landscaper offers a range of lucrative opportunities.
Given the nature of remote work and the changing dynamics of the modern economy, there are a host of opportunities that continue to arise that require little to no start-up costs to begin earning a living.
If you’re interested in starting your own business, the above opportunities offer great ways to start your financial dream.
