If you are reading this article, I am sure you want to leave the daily grind of working for someone else, just like me and want to feed your passion by starting small business ideas you have.
You believe that you can make the world a better place and willing to take the risk.
Capital isn’t that important in business. Experience isn’t that important. You can get both of these things. What is important is ideas – Harvey S. Firestone
So let us get started before it gets too late. Here are some business ideas that are running successfully in India or the world. You can either consider or generate one of your own.
Related Articles
39 SMALL BUSINESS IDEAS WITH LOW INVESTMENTS
If you are looking for profitable small business ideas with low investment, I urge you to explore opportunities in your locality.
Every locality offers several opportunities, it just takes to identify one that gel with your aspirations and value system.
I have seen individuals ignoring such opportunities thinking these are not being big (please read glamorous) enough.
Starting a Business is all about making more money than what you could do in a daily job. So stop bothering about what others say.
Please also note that these opportunities need low investments and are profitable from the very beginning.
Wondering why?
- You will be able to manage your business requirements with existing assets.
- Chances are that you would need little of no personal training to learn something new.
- As a business owner, you can get direct feedback from your customers.
- Chances are that your new customers will be willing to give you an additional chance if something goes wrong.
- Business Plan changes will be easy to implement
Creative Small Business Ideas
Creative Business Ideas not only help you follow your passion but also allow you to have fun while earning your living. Any creativity that you have can convert into a business idea. Here are a few that I could compile for you:
1. Handcrafted Home Fashion
Colours have always been exciting, and if we talk about India, it is a very colourful country. RangRage is a business that infuses art in everyday life and makes it not only affordable but also usable.
RangRage is a design house of apparels and home décor working with a mission to bring aesthetics to everything in your household.
This company can hand-paint everything starting from clothes, cushions, tissue box, alarm clocks, bags, clutches, belts and a whole lot of other things.
The takeaway for you: Do you have a passion that can convert into a business idea. If yes, explore it further, that might be your life’s turning point.
2. Teach Piano Online
This creative Business idea helps you learn and play the piano without years of lessons and sheet music. They earn revenue through the sale of courses.
Your takeaway:
Everyone is impatient today. They want to learn everything in a short span of time. If you can find a way to do that, you will have a lot of takers.
3. Wedding Photographer
Indian weddings are truly a delightful visual colourful extravaganza. If you have passion and talent to bring it to life in photographs then you can become a wedding photographer. You simply need a good camera (which you already might be having) and your time to start off.
CandidShutters is one such example of already successful wedding photographer.
4. Teach Jazz Lessons Online
This business idea helps you learn to play jazz on the piano and earns its revenue through online courses. This creative business idea was developed by Chicago based jazz & blues piano professional, Steve Nixon.
Steve created FreeJazzLessons.com because he believes in sharing his knowledge, expertise, and passion for blues and jazz piano playing. This online business idea site was launched in 2011, and the site quickly became one of the top jazz communities on the internet.
Each month the site receives over 70,000 visitors from jazz students all over the world.
5 Teach Candle Making Online
Candle making is a small business idea that is a trendy self-employment option.
Candles have been used the world over. Every living room can find a space for it, so demand for it is not an issue. At the same time, it is quite easy to start and make candles. So this is something a person with a creative bent of mind can quickly start.
6 Teach Paperclipping Online
This creative Business Idea helps you express your style and tell your own stories with paperclips. Noell, the creator of this business ideas share concepts, design principles and techniques so you can be an entirely self-reliant and self-expressive scrapbooker.
This Online Creative Small Business Idea helps you learn to tell stories with scrapbooking and earn its revenues through courses such as:
- Paperclipping Video Tutorials:
- The Paperclipping Roundtable:
- The Paperclipping Insider
Small Scale Business Ideas Without Investment
If you want to start a Business without involving any other person or just a few employees, then here are a few small-scale business ideas for you to consider.
By setting up a small scale business, you can increase your income and improve your standard of life. A small-scale business provides a steady source of income throughout the year and makes you self-reliant.
If you are looking at starting a small scale business, consider your skills or utilise locally available resources. Below are a few such ideas:
7. Consulting for Job or Resume
You can start a Job consulting business from your home. Several women professionals are running such small scales businesses from their home. An excellent example of this is, Management Consulted. It is a resource on consulting with a focus on resumes, interviews, case interviews, and management consulting jobs.
Their online business idea is to help people who want to build a career in management consulting. Their revenue source is resume reviews, courses on consulting jobs primarily.
The takeaway for you: Can you think of a niche area, where you can help others. That can become your business idea and propel you to achieve success.
8. Assisting Students After College
Life of a student changes entirely after college. This particular business idea is built from this perspective. You will find significantge number of blogs targeting fresh college passouts, who are generally apprehensive about their future.
This blog have tons of tips and strategies on career development for college graduates. This business idea makes money online through Online advertising on Google Adsense and other display ad networks.
The takeaway for you:
Can you choose a significant life stage, where you can help others?
9. Help Other Learn (Scott H. Young)
The focus of this online business idea is “What’s the best way to learn”. You will find tons of articles on this subject on this blog.
This blog earns money by selling e-books and courses.
The takeaway for you:
Do you know something that can help save time, if yes it could be a significant revenue driver for your business idea?
10. Help Others study Online (Study Hacks)
Study Hacks is a blog from a computer science professor, Cal Newport. Yes, you read it right. The professor writes about how to perform productive, valuable, and meaningful work in an increasingly distracted digital age.
Professor earns an extra income from this blog through books & advertising.
The takeaway for you:
Do you have the knowledge, which can help others? If yes, use the internet to connect with others, and you can make money online quite quickly.
11. Help Others Learn Something Valuable Online
The Internet has made learning something accessible from the comfort of your home. Well, that also allows you to help others learn something valuable online from you.
For example, consider this online tutorial that helps others learn Java programming. This online business idea earns revenue through ebooks and online courses.
The takeaway for you:
Are you master of a specific subject. If yes, use the internet to connect with others, and you can make money online quite quickly.
12. Help others save money online at Disneyworld
This business idea helps you save on your vacation cost at Disneyworld. Their source of revenue is through ebooks, which allows you to save the cost.
Your takeaway
People do not mind taking an additional step to save money. Do you know a trick that can enable them to save some money, if yes they will not mind spending a bit to learn the method.
13. Help others learn languages online (Fluent In 3 Months)
This business idea helps you learn new languages quickly. They make money online through sales of ebooks, courses, and coaching programs.
Your takeaway:
Everyone is impatient today. They want to learn everything in a short span of time. If you can find a way to do that, you will have a lot of takers.
14. Help men connect better with women (Mark Manson)
Mark helps you connect better with women and earns his revenues through ebooks and courses.
15. Teach others copywriting skills (Neville Medhora)
This business idea helps you learn to write informal yet effective copywriting and earns revenues through ebooks and courses.
16. Help others learn Tennis Online (Fuzzy Yellow Balls)
This business idea helps you learn tennis without attending a formal class. You can learn to play tennis through their online courses. The business makes money online through sales of membership.
Your takeaway:
Everyone is impatient today. They want to learn everything in a short span of time. If you can find a way to do that, you will have a lot of takers.
Small Business Ideas for Men
In The Male Ego, psychiatrist Willard Gaylin discusses the current erosion of American manhood in three roles: protector, procreator, and, primarily, provider.(1)
He notes that “nothing is more important to a man’s pride, self-respect, status, and manhood than work. Nothing. Sexual impotence, like sudden loss of ambulation or physical strength, may shatter his self-confidence. But…pride is built on work and achievement, and the success that accrues from that work. Yet today men often seem confused and contradictory in their attitudes about work.”(1)
17. Start An Accessories Business (Hodinkee)
Boys will love their toys. And in this age of plenty, the choices are endless, with something for everyone.(2)
Hodinkee is the ultimate repository on wristwatches of high quality. This online business idea is positioned as the preeminent resource for modern and vintage wristwatch enthusiasts.
The team at Hodinkee has an innate understanding of a wristwatches history and technology. Whats more, they can also help you understand more about it in an entertaining and easy to understand way.
This online business idea started with a passion, and today it is a full-blown, revenue generating business. Hodinkee makes its revenue through advertising and sales of wristwatches.
The takeaway for you:
Are you passionate about anything, which has historical significance, if yes, build that passion into a business idea.
18 Coaching Institute
Competition is increasing in every walk of our life. I can bet that even you might have appeared for numerous competitive exams.
In India, every second parent want their child to become an engineer or doctor.(3) Needless to say this increasing demand results into significant competition among aspirants. Therefore everyone is looking for the perfect coaching institute for their wards.
You will be surprised to know that all the top coaching institutes started due to the passion of its founder. These founders were passionate about teaching as a profession and wanted to make a difference in the life of a student. If you are also excited about teaching, you could start a coaching institute from your home or garage.
Examples: Pace, Career Launcher, Cygnus, CLATPossible
A special mention here goes to Super 30. Super 30 is a highly ambitious and innovative educational program running under the banner of “Ramanujan School of Mathematics”.
It hunts for 30 meritorious talents from among the economically backward sections of the society and shapes them for India’s most prestigious institution – the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
In the last seven years, it has produced hundreds of IITians from an extremely poor background. During this program, students are provided free coaching, lodging and food. Super 30 targets students from destitute families.
19. Event Management
There is a massive demand for event managers in every country. If you have seen the Movie Band Baaza Baarat, you will realise that event managers would be in high need as we go along.
Event managers apply their project management skills to ensure flawless execution of events. Today event managers are organising events of all sizes and executing festivals, conferences, ceremonies, formal parties, concerts and conventions.
Example: Theme World
20. Mobile Food Business (Food Trucks)
Food Trucks are increasingly becoming visible in streets of India and the world over. It is not just a vague business ideas from entrepreneurs looking to start on a small budget. It is a big business driven by the desire of people to eat out while enjoying the outdoors.
A great example of this is Dosa Plaza by Prem Ganapathy. Mr Prem Ganapathy, a passionate cook and aspiring entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu started off his work life as a cook at a small restaurant in Mumbai. Soon he started his own business selling idlis and dosas from a hand-cart opposite Vashi station. Today he owns a chain of luxury restaurants across the world.
Another example is Seventh Sin. An all-women food-truck company, which has been doing exceedingly well in Bangalore.
21 Local Tour Guide
It is all about experiencing a city with its locals. Today, it is not about seeing a city as a tourist. Globally people are willing to pay extra to see and enjoy a city like a local. This is where the need for a local tour guide has seen a tremendous jump.
What is more, starting a local tour guide business does not require any investment. You just need to be aware of all the local happening places and provide your client with a unique experience with you.
You can register yourself with a website like Tours By Locals or AirBnB or viator to offer these services after starting your business.
Small Business Ideas in Pet Care
22. Help others manage pet birds at home (Bird Tricks)
This is an exciting business idea.
Guys at Birdtricks make money online by teaching you ways you can train your bird. A team of experts on this site share their knowledge and experiences through video courses.
The primary revenue source for this business idea is courses, bird equipment, and bird food.
The takeaway for you:
Have you learned to care about pets? If yes, are you passionate about it? If your answer is still yes. You can convert this to a business idea.
23. Help others train their dog Dog Agility
Just like the above, this online business idea makes money online through workshops and courses.
Takeaway for you:
Have you learned to care about pets. If yes, are you passionate about it. If your answer is still yes. You can convert this to a business idea.
24. Cat training program Toilet Trained Cat
When I came across this business idea, I was amazed. I can bet that you are also surprised.
This business idea helps you to toilet train your cat. They make money by selling Video, CD, books and courses.
You Takeaway
There is a market for each and everything, it is up to you if you can identify a business idea in front of you.
Small Business Ideas in healthcare
Consumers are increasingly looking for preventative healthcare. Preventive healthcare is something that comes from the judicious consumption of healthy and nutritious foods. However, in today’s fast life eating healthy is something that is difficult for most.
If you are passionate about Healthcare, you can start a business in this space. Here are some small business ideas with low investment.
25. Help others learn about herbs online Learning Herbs
Our forefathers did not have access to modern medicines, and they draw medicinal benefits from foods and herbs. Learning herbs is trying to share the knowledge with every one. This Business idea generates it’s revenue through kits, ebooks, and board games.
Takeaways for you:
If you have knowledge that is rare to find in the world, you can easily find people looking for that info. Convert that experience into a business idea.
26. Precision Nutrition
Precision Nutrition is targeted at end consumers and professional coaches.
This business idea helps their end consumer transform their lives through their in-house coaches.
They also help professional coaches learn everything about nutrition to become elite coaches and transform their businesses. They provide expert coaching, ongoing support, guided mentorship.
This business ideas makes money through nutritional coaching, books, and certifications.
Small Business Ideas from Home
In our professional world along with the ups and downs of the economy, it is possible that you are our of a job.
Well, this is a difficult situation to be in. However, even in such a case you can earn money by starting small business ideas from home.
A Home business helps you take better control of your income. Technology enables you to monetise your skills quite quickly. Here are a few small business ideas from home that you can draw inspiration from:
27. Teach Grammer Online Grammar Girl
This business idea helps you improve your grammar with daily tips and earns revenue through books & advertising.
28. Weight Loss program online Sarah Jenks
This Business idea help women lose weight and makes income through online coaching program.
29. Help women entrepreneur online The Mogul Mom
An online business idea targeted at moms, who want to build a business. The Mogul Mom is a robust small business resource providing educational, actionable, inspiring tips, ideas, and information to mompreneurs everywhere.
This business idea makes money through courses and advertising.
Your takeaway: Focus on a niche, where you have limited competition, and you can build a sustainable and profitable business.
30 Multibhashi: Learning English & Other Languages from Home
In our globalised world it is increasingly important that you are fluent in English. At the same time it is also important that you know the local language to live well in places away from your home town. This is where Multibhashi comes in picture.
It is a free language learning platform which focuses on learning outcomes of a user while keeping the learning process fun and intuitive.
Small Online Business Ideas without Investment in Travel
31 Help others find cheap flights online (Scott’s Cheap Flight)
Scott’s Cheap Flights is for people who want to be alerted when super cheap international airfare pops up. It began as an informal hobby for Scott’s friends back in 2013 before officially opening to the public in August 2015.
This is basically a group of travel lovers. The users of this online business ideas gets notified every time crazy flight deals pop up.
32 Help others travel smart and save money (The Points Guy)
The Points Guy (TPG) has been publishing hands-on travel advice since 2010. This online business ideas helps you maximize any trip and live a wonderful lifestyle.
The site publishes between 10 and 20 articles every day. The contributors on this site look for great travel deals, creative ways to book flights, and details about the latest changes to all the major airlines, hotels, and credit cards–so you can travel to more places, more often, and more comfortably.
Small Service Business Ideas without Investment
You can start several small services business in your locality. You can offer your services to families and small businesses to make a living with little or low investment. Here are some small service business ideas without Investment:
33 Help others as Real Estate Agents
Every locality today is mix up of locals and migrants. Migrant population look for quality living spaces. As a local you can start renting / buying / selling business are a real estate agent. Every city has several such business owners, who earn a good income just by ensuring quality support to their customers.
34 Social Media Marketing Business
Social media is becoming more and more important today. Every business big or small wants to have a presence online on social media platforms. To cater to this high demand for such services, you can start a local Social media marketing business serving small/medium sized businesses.
35 Website Hosting Services
Most of the small businesses are going online. Though they have expertise in managing businesses, they completely lack technical capability to manage their website. This is where, you can come in and support them with website hosting services.
36 Massage Therapy
Elderly, kids and others need Physiotherapy and massage during several moments of life. With increasing distances within the cities, it is difficult to access healthcare facilities easily. You can start a massage therapy business in your locality and support others.
37 Graphic Designers
Small businesses in every locality are looking to show and tell their product offerings and services. These businesses look for support of graphic designers for which there is great demand in every locality.
38 Life Coaching
Life is quite competitive today. This constant pressure to perform leads to stress. This is where Life Coaching can help others manege the pressure of life.
39 Search Engines Optimisation
Most of the small businesses are going online. Though they have expertise in managing businesses, they completely lack the technical capability to manage their website. This is where you can come in and support them with search optimisation services.
Conclusion: Starting a business in India
I hope you got some profound insights for a quick start to build your Business idea into a company. Well, I do not claim that this is everything you need to start a business. However, it is a good start. Also if you struggle with accepting online payments check out this article on selecting payment gateway for your business.
I will be happy to help you, if you need my help in any form, whatsoever. Feel free to connect with me.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 What is considered to be a healthy operating profit margin?
As per most financial analysts and business professionals, an operating profit margin of 25% and above is considered to be healthy or sustainable.
However, please note that a sustainable profit margin and product pricing has no relationship. If you have an opportunity to charge higher, go for it. Please note that in most industries you always need to balance the operating profit margin you have vs the market share or sales you want to achieve.
Q2 I have an idea for a startup, but there’s already a well-funded startup with a related concept, what should I do?
Ideas are cheap, execution is everything. Chris Sacca, Angle Investor, Billionnaire.
The above quote answers this question very well.
However, it is easier said than done. Right?
I agree with you completely.
To make an idea successful, you need to put everything into it. Swami Vivekananda said:
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. That is the way great spiritual giants are produced.”
Well, the above summarises all. To be successful, you need to nurture your business idea well.
You have many successful examples in India of Business Ideas which started with useful consumer insight and gave much bigger rivals run for the money:
- PaperBoat from Hector Beverages has forced Pepsi and Coke to rethink their strategy.
- Xiaomi has forced established companies such as Samsung and Apple to rethink their strategy.
- Hope you have not forgotten Ujala fabric whitener from Jyoti Laboratories, which has built colossal market leadership over Robin from Reckitt.
- Flipkart has given a much more significant rival Amazon a run for its money in India.
There are many such examples of great execution which you can learn from and build your business idea.
Q3: Which are the best business ideas in Bihar?
If you are looking for the best business ideas in Bihar with low investment then you can choose something that takes advantage of its natural resources.
Bihar has a strong agriculture base with livestock farming. Here are some business ideas that you can consider:
- Papad making
- Shoe manufacturing
- Livestock feed production
- Fish farming
- Beekeeping
- Coaching classes
- Computer Training Institute
Q4 What business can I start?
You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence and success. The problem is, you just don’t see them.
If you are looking for the top 10 small business startup ideas in India, I urge you to explore opportunities in your locality. Every locality offers several opportunities, it just takes to identify one that gel with your aspirations and value system. What’s more, these businesses are also very easy to start.
Such business requires capabilities that are easily available in the locality at cheap cost.
I have seen individuals ignoring such opportunities thinking these are not being big (please read glamorous) enough.
Starting a Business is all about making more money than what you could do in a daily job. So stop bothering about what others say.
Please also note that these opportunities need low investments and are highly profitable from the very beginning.
Wondering why?
- You will be able to manage your business requirements with existing assets.
- Chances are that you would need little or no personal training to learn something new.
- As business owners, you can get direct feedback from your customers.
- Chances are that your new customers will be willing to give you an additional chance if something goes wrong.
- Business Plan changes will be easy to implement
Q5 How to choose between a Good Idea vs a Bad Idea?
If an Idea fails: People call it a bad Idea.
If an Idea succeeds: People call it a good idea.
Well, first of all, there is nothing like a Good Idea or Bad Idea. It is all about execution.
That is why Swami Vivekananda said:
Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. That is way great spiritual giants are produced.
An idea not executed well becomes a bad idea.
To successfully develop a business idea, it is a must that you follow a disciplined process. That is why Steve Jobs said:
To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of disciplines.
If you follow a disciplined approach, you can convert anything into a good idea.
Q6 How to get Business Ideas?
Well, first of all, it is not difficult to get business ideas, but what is difficult to find is the one you are really passionate about.
Why?
Because a mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one. So do not get lured by the talks of great opportunity in the marketplace. Go for a Business idea you are really passionate about.
Here is how you can get new business ideas.
Start by looking into problems and situations where a solution is required. Beleive me it is a huge problem as it is difficult to spot such problems and their simple solution. For every issue that you sport around you, there are simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence and success.
Below are four strategies I believe can help you get business ideas:
- Get your mind and body in a Rhythm
- Focus on big picture
- Unlearn first and then – learn something new
- Automate your life as much as possible
To be successful with a new business idea, it is a must that it becomes your heart and soul. You need to stop investing your time in other things and focus on your business idea alone.
Sources & References On Business Ideas:
- Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2016-17 Report
- Management theory is becoming a compendium of dead ideas
- Why Mark Zuckerberg wears the same clothes to work every day
- How to Predict if a New Business Idea is Any Good. Harvard Business School
- The HBR List: Breakthrough Ideas for 2010. Harvard Business Review
- 10 Harvard Business School Startups You Should Know. Mashable
- Business ideas that change lives. Northwestern Kellogg Business School
- How To Test A Business Idea. Forbes
- How to fail successfully. London Business School
- New Business Idea? How to Test It Before Launching. Business News Daily
- 10 Breakout Ideas For Small Businesses. Investopedia
- Top 10 business ideas & opportunities for 2016. SpringWise
- The five lenses: Creating ideas that win. Bain
- Knowing a Winning Business Idea When You See One. HBR
- What do Men Want, Harvard Business Review
- What men want, Business Today
- Top 10 coaching institutes in India for competitive exams, India Today
- Event Management, Wikipedia
- 3 Reasons Entrepreneurs Should Consider Opportunities in Healthcare. Entrepreneur
Thank you, Avinash Chandra Sir, for sharing these insightful small business ideas with low investment! Your article provides a valuable resource for aspiring entrepreneurs.