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Looking for the best small business ideas for women? Let’s face it… Women are fighters!! They’ve risen above the traditional views of what their work lives should look like and utilized small business ideas for women.
In fact, Inc reports that “there are 114 percent more women entrepreneurs than 20 years ago.” They further state that this increase results from women wanting to avoid gender discrimination and wanting to have the flexibility of balancing work with raising children. The National Women’s Business Council calls it “necessity entrepreneurship”.
You’re probably on the fence about what to do with your career.
The demands of corporate life can be debilitating and you may want to join the ranks of the entrepreneurs who own the 9.4 million female-owned firms in the United States.
Small Business Ideas for Women
Starting a small business can be a great way to express your creativity and turn your passions into a successful venture. As a woman, you may have unique skills and perspectives that could help you establish a successful business. Here are some great small business ideas for women that we uncovered:
- Home Staging: With the rise of people searching for homes online, creating an attractive home is key to getting potential buyers interested. You can help homeowners increase their chances of selling quickly by providing home staging services.
- Social Media Consulting: If you’re experienced with social media platforms and have a knack for getting people engaged with posts, you could help businesses create successful marketing campaigns.
- Virtual Assistant: With the rise of remote work, businesses are increasingly looking for virtual assistants to help with tasks such as scheduling, filing, research, and more.
- Event Planning: Planning and coordinating events can be a fun and profitable way to use your organizational and creative skills.
- Online Tutoring: If you have knowledge in a certain subject, you could offer online tutoring services to students.
Small Business Ideas for Women – Passive Income Ideas
1. In-home Tutor and Child Care Specialist
One popular small business idea for women is offering in-home tutoring and childcare services. Here’s how you can distinguish yourself from your competition.
- Offer a virtual component to your tutoring services. This online component allows the child to get further assistance from you through videos and other online material you create.
- Offer after-school activity pick up and drop off. Many parents don’t have the time to keep up with their children’s hectic schedules. You can help ease the burden by being the designated chauffeur to and from these activities.
Few sitters offer these additional services. Parents will view you as a godsend and will become repeat customers once you maintain a high standard of quality. Doing this will help your business thrive.
2. Nanny Placement Agency
Care.com is one of the leading nanny placement agencies in North America. Many parents may use their website to find nannies and babysitters for their children. However, this doesn’t negate the possibility of them supporting a local nanny placement agency. In fact, they may trust your agency far more than they trust a conglomerate like Care.com. These positions are perfect for perfect small business ideas for women.
The benefits of a local nanny placement agency include:
- The ability to meet and interview the nannies in person to determine if they’re the right fit
- Better management of what the nannies do in the homes
- Building lasting relationships with local clients
3. Interior Decorator
If you have an eye for design, interior decorating may be the right fit. Start by offering free interior decorating services to your family and friends.
Take pictures of your work and post them on your Instagram page using the relevant hashtags. For instance, you could use #bedroomdesign or #interiordesignChicago.
Location-specific hashtags make your posts more specific and, therefore, more likely to be found by people in your area.
4. Repurposing old material
There are some people who see beauty in others’ trash. For instance, Jeffery Kwabena Yeboah makes furniture out of old car tires.
Creatives have also repurposed suitcases to make unique furniture and storage cases.
Don’t be afraid to unleash your creativity on old material; you’ll create some interesting pieces that people will be willing to purchase.
5. Expert Lacemaker
Lacemakers are highly detail-oriented and spend several hours (even days) preparing their designs.
There’s actually a Lace Guild that vets lace designs to determine if they meet the required standard. Intricate lace designs are always needed in the fashion industry so this can be a very lucrative field.
6. Image Consultant – Small business ideas for women
Image consultants are more than fashionistas who help men and women dress nicely. The best image consultants also enhance their client’s communication skills and behavior so that they can portray the right image to the world.
This career requires a love for people and a desire to help others become their best selves. It’s one of the best small business ideas for women who are passionate about fashion and making a difference in the lives of others.
Certification is possible through the Association of Image Consultants International ongoing training is required to maintain your certification and renewal occurs every 3 years.
7. Gift Basket Creator
There is something exciting about receiving a gift basket filled with goodies.
Few people, however, know how to compile a well-made gift basket filled with the things someone would truly appreciate.
You can market yourself as the ultimate gift basket creator for personalized gift baskets.
Your gift baskets could be grouped into categories such as baskets for:
- The chronic planner: This basket would include beautiful stationary and organizers to help this planning addict stay on track.
- The health nut: This basket would include health and nutrition books, the person’s favorite fruits and vegetables, and maybe even a portable blender for smoothies.
- The business executive: This basket would include everything the executive needs to stay on track.
The possibilities are endless. Furthermore, this is a career that can last all year round since there are always special events such as birthdays and anniversaries. Sales will really pick up, however, on popular holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas.
8. Hairstylist/ Makeup Artist
Women will always want to look their best. If you’ve developed a reputation as a talented hairstylist or makeup artist, you could create an in-home beauty parlor.
Differentiate your services from your competitors so that you’re able to compete on quality and types of services offered rather than price. For instance, you could consider opening your parlor until late in the evenings to accommodate working women.
9. Mobile Nail Studio Operator
Do you have a knack for creating nail designs? You could become one of the first mobile nail studio operators in your area. It’s a unique concept that many women would appreciate because it allows them to get the convenience of a nail studio right in their backyards.
You should also keep the following considerations for your small business at the forefront of your mind:
- State-specific tax regulations for this type of business
- Health and safety regulations for the chemicals and substances you use
- Having your clients sign a waiver policy since you have no control over the environments in which you operate your mobile nail studio
10. Pet Sitter Business
Pet Sitters International reports that “pet sitting businesses generated more than $440 million in revenue from 22 million plus pet sitting assignments in 2017.” Americans are serious about their pets.
There are many unique ways to market this type of business. You can really get creative. For example, you could start a dog hiking group on meetup.com and then softly promote your services as you build relationships with members of your group. This is a great way to build trust which is a very important factor for dog owners.
I personally know someone that makes 100k a year with her pet-sitting business.
Becoming a certified pet sitter will certainly help you build credibility and win the trust of new clients.
Here are some organizations you can research to determine the right qualification for you:
- Pet Sitters International
- National Association of Pet Sitters and Walkers
- The Cambridge Institute of Dog Behavior and Training
- The College of Animal Welfare
11. Sell products from your organic farm greenhouse
Living a healthy lifestyle has become more of a norm than an anomaly. People are more health conscious and are actively seeking cost-effective ways to eat healthily. This is where you come in.
If you have a green thumb and love gardening, you can set up a small organic greenhouse in your backyard. The crops you harvest can then be sold at a local farmer’s market or you could even take it a step further by creating an online store where you deliver fresh produce to people who make orders within your area. Here are more tips on selling products for profit.
12. Blog Image Graphic Designer
The 2018 Social Media Marketing Industry Report published by Social Media Examiner states that, “When people hear information, they’re likely to remember only 10% of the information three days later. However, if a relevant image is paired with that same information, people retained 65 percent of the information three days later.”
Visuals form an integral part of blogging. Consistent bloggers who are serious about growing their audience use relevant images in all their blog posts. However, many of these bloggers aren’t skilled graphic designers.
This is where you step in. You can provide blog-specific graphic design services that help bloggers attract their target audience. The more stunning the image, the more likely it is that it’ll achieve the desired results.
13. Advertising Specialist
Marketing plays a huge role in business success. Entrepreneurs, especially solopreneurs, need help creating the best advertising plans for their businesses. You can be their guide as a digital marketing advertising specialist.
You can be a specialist in one area. For example, Facebook Ad specialist, Google Adwords Specialist both require a high level of skill so if you have these skills, you can market your expertise to prospective clients.
Upwork is a good place to start with many ad specialists charging $95.00 or more per hour. Keep in mind, you won’t start at that rate.
Although Upwork is perfect to begin, if you really want to increase your earnings potential, you should find clients outside of the platform.
If you are not already an expert, learn how to become one. There are many ways to learn rather quickly.
The skills you’ll need to succeed in this profession include:
- Organization and people management. It’s best to work with a team of people skilled in areas of digital marketing such as graphic design, blog writing, and content creation.
- Sound knowledge of the best digital marketing practices. You can receive certification from the Digital Marketing Institute.
- Experience in successful social media marketing campaigns.
- Creativity
Small Business Ideas for Women with Strong Planning and Organization Skills
14. Event Planner
If you’ve been blessed with a high level of planning and organization skills, a career in event planning may be just right for you. The best way to succeed in this industry is to determine the niche in which you want to specialize.
Some possibilities include:
- Corporate events
- Special celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, and so on)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the number of meeting, convention, and event planners is projected to increase by 11 percent in the US between 2016 and 2026. Furthermore, the Event Manager Blog cites that “the events industry in the US provides 5.9 million jobs.”
Event planners are in demand. Past experience planning events in your preferred niche help build your credibility. Therefore, if you want to become an independent corporate events planner, it would be wise for you to volunteer for event planning committees at your job. This helps you build a portfolio that you can use to win new jobs
15. Wedding Planner
Although a wedding planner is essentially an event planner, the niche has blossomed into its own industry. Sarah Schmidt in an article entitled The Wedding Industry in 2017 and Beyond states that “wedding planners have faced declining demand…the revenue or wedding planners will decline at a slower rate [until] 2020.”
Loving weddings is great. However, the feasibility of using wedding planning as a small business idea for women is declining. If you do choose to embark on this career path, be prepared to supplement your income with another source of revenue.
16. Financial Planner – Small Business Ideas for Women
Personal finance is a growing concern for many Americans. Millennials, in particular, are becoming more aware of sound investment decisions. They’re also actively seeking advice from people who understand how to create wealth in financial markets.
If finance is your passion, becoming a financial planning consultant may be the right fit for you. You can begin by creating a personal finance blog and using that blog to promote your skills and the services you offer. It will take some time and a lot of work, but you can reap great rewards in the long term.
17. Personal Travel Planner
Travelers often look for travel advice when visiting new places. You can be their source of information in the following ways:
- Provide an engaging all-inclusive tour of your area from a local’s perspective.
- Write a list of the best places to visit in a town or country you’ve visited. This list should also include recommendations for how to have a good time in these places.
- Create a travel blog and consider a YouTube channel that chronicles your journeys. Promote it heavily so that people can find it. Include an area on the blog where people can contact you to pay for a personalized travel plan for one of the places you’ve visited.
Small Business Ideas for Women
18. Nutritionist
Many people are tired of eating themselves sick with junk food. They need help creating dietary plans that suit their lifestyles and budgets. There are also people who need a complete diet overhaul as a result of an illness such as diabetes. This is where becoming a nutritionist is a viable small business idea for women.
A nutritionist’s claim to fame doesn’t happen on a whim. The steps you must take to become a certified dietician are:
- Obtain a Bachelor’s degree in clinical nutrition, food service systems management, dietetics, food, and nutrition, or a related field.
- Pass a competency exam.
- Successfully complete a Dietetic Internship Program.
- Earn the RDN or RN credential.
Earning the RDN or RN credential adds merit to what you offer. Sure, you can share how changing your diet transformed your health, but people want nutrition programs specifically tailored to meet their needs. What works for you may not work for others. You’d be surprised by how much people are willing to pay for that level of personalization.
19. Cook for Special Diets
A nutritionist/ dietician creates a diet plan for those with special dietary needs. Some of these people will learn how to cook for their new diets. Others won’t. You can fill the gap by becoming a personal chef for people with dietary restrictions.
This job will require close collaboration with a nutritionist/ dietician. In fact, it may work best if you form a partnership with a nutritionist/dietician since this person’s clients will ultimately become your clients.
Another angle that you could take is creating a YouTube cooking channel. After consulting with a nutritionist/dietician, you can choose a client persona that you like and make this type of client the focus of your channel. For instance, you could create a YouTube channel for people with Type 2 diabetes.
The revenue from your channel would come in the form of:
- Revenue from YouTube ads if more than 10,000 people watch your videos
- Special recipes that you sell you your audience. You could even compile these recipes to create a cookbook.
- Create a paid recipe subscription service. For inspiration, check out the $5 Dollar Meal Plan where founders Erin Chase and Jim Wang charge five bucks a month to each subscriber for weekly meal plans.
20. College Prep
SAT and GRE results are crucial determinants of someone’s ability to enter a tertiary institution. It’s an even greater determinant for scholarship opportunities. Students need help learning techniques to ace these college entrance exams.
You may have already gone through the process and picked up a few tricks along the way. Why not share your knowledge with others? You can schedule in-home or virtual SAT or GRE prep tutoring sessions. Help your students get great results and they’ll recommend you to others so that your business grows.
21. Fitness Instructor/ Yoga Trainer
Fitness instructors and yoga trainers are a dime a dozen these days. You’ll have to work hard to build a brand in this niche. However, if fitness is your passion, let that passion drive what you do for your business.
It may help to start working at a local gym or fitness center part-time so that you can build a network of clients.
As with other careers, certification builds credibility. Some organizations that certify fitness instructor include:
Some organizations that certify yoga instructors include:
22. Thesis Editor
Ugh…the dreaded thesis, the bane of a master’s or Ph.D. student’s existence. These students spend months conducting research and writing their final thesis paper to complete their degrees. Having a fresh set of eyes to perform deep-line editing and proofreading of the content can mean the difference between them getting an A and a B.
If you have tertiary-level experience and have written your own thesis, this career may be the best small business idea for you.
There are 3 ways that you could embark on this career:
- Look for jobs on a freelancing website such as Upwork.
- Create your own website.
- Get jobs through a local college or university.
23. Grant Writing
Non-profit organizations often apply to donor agencies for funding. Oftentimes, highly detailed project proposal documents are required as a part of the application process. A proposal can be rejected if elements are missing or not correctly developed.
Therefore, these organizations must ensure that their grant proposals are well-written if they want a fighting chance of being considered. This is the role of a grant proposal writer. Accomplishing this objective means that the grant proposal writer must research, raft and submit the proposal to the relevant donor agency.
Experience is crucial in this field. You must have a proven track record of winning grants through your proposals. Organizations will be better able to trust that you’ll help them win the funds they need.
24. Freelance Writer
With so much content being created online, it’s an exciting time to be a writer and make money from your craft.
You can ghostwrite, and write for blogs, magazines, video scripts, eBooks, and more.
RELATED: Check out this post that details over 60+ freelance writing jobs and most pay well.
25. Business Plan Creator
Business plan creation is a popular small business idea for women. According to the 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, 860,000 new businesses were opened in the United States. Research conducted by Francis J. Greene and Christian Hopp that was published in the Harvard Business Review revealed that “entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than the otherwise identical non-planning entrepreneurs.”
Startups need business plans. The best way for your business plan writing business to succeed is for you to offer business plan writing services for startups in an industry. let’s say that you focus on startups in the ICT industry. You can offer packages that move from basic to pro, with the higher plans including more research and detailed analysis.
26. Consultant
The beauty of consulting is that it isn’t biased toward a specific industry. You can be a consultant in anything in which you have experience. The trick is effectively selling yourself so that people will want to hire you. How you do this is what sets you apart from your competitors.
Some common types of consultants are:
- Strategy Consultant
- Management Consultant
- Operations Consultant
- Financial Advisory Consultant
- Human Resource Consultant
- IT Consultant
27. At-Home Bookkeeping
Bookkeepers are responsible for managing income and expenses, processing payroll, and preparing tax returns for business clients. This is a great job for people who love accounting and pay close attention to details.
Here are some things that you need to do to create a successful bookkeeping business:
- Get certified. Certification is possible through either the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers or the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers.
- Register your business as an LLC and create a business bank account and mailing address.
- Get bookkeeper insurance.
- Purchase the best accounting software.
28. Virtual Assistant
Technology has created new ways for busy executives and entrepreneurs to get the help they need. Skills for Care reports that 82 percent of the employers surveyed in 2017 had difficulties hiring an in-house personal assistant. This demonstrates the demand for virtual assistants because they provide the following benefits to employers:
- They can work from any location where there’s internet access
- Their rates are lower than an in-house personal assistant
- The flexibility of their work schedules means that they can be more available to meet the employer’s more pressing needs
If this sounds like a good fit for you, consider joining one of these virtual assistant associations to receive further support:
- The International Virtual Assistants Association
- The American Virtual Assistant Association
- The Global Alliance of Virtual Assistants
- The International Association of Professional Virtual Assistants
29. Organization Specialist
Do you think that you have a slight touch of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? Does everything around you have to be neatly organized so that you can function? You may have a skill that some people wish they possessed: the ability to keep their surroundings neatly organized.
Your skill can help you earn money. All you have to do is offer to enter people’s homes and organize their spaces. Your work should make everything neat and easily accessible. Some other roles of a professional organizer include:
- Providing advice about the best closet companies, movers, art appraisers, garage companies, painters and so on
- Help householders create a plan for keeping clutter out of their lives
- Help householders sell old items at the best prices
Check out The Organizing Specialists website to see how a successful home organizing business is structured.
30. Voiceover Artist
Voices.com provides one of the best platforms to build a career as a voiceover artist. You can get gigs for television and radio ads and may even be lucky enough to land a feature in an animated film. However, be prepared to invest in the equipment you’ll need.
Some of this equipment includes:
- A good quality microphone
- A preamp
- Mic stand
- Pop filter
- Recording/editing software
- A soundproof room
This article provides suggestions for the best voice-over equipment for beginners. Read it so that you purchase the right equipment for your voice-over business.
31. Airport Shuttle Service
If you live close to an airport, an airport shuttle service may be a good small business idea. People often have to ask their loved ones to take them to the airport and pick them up when they return. This is especially inconvenient when it’s an early morning flight.
Your business can solve this problem. It can operate on a principle similar to Uber where customers can use an app to book rides and make payments. Differentiating your service is key. Ensure that you focus more on the quality and convenience of your service rather than lower prices. If you build a brand that people trust, price becomes an afterthought.
32. Hiking Tour Guide
Do you love to hike? Are there hiking trails in your area? You can become a hiking tour guide. There are other adventurers who want to explore the beaten path of the hiking trails In your area. Create a tour that provides the best hiking experience.
Alexander Kenin of Urban Hiker San Francisco is an example of passion turned business. Rates start at $49.00 per person for an urban hike which includes a tour of historic neighborhoods and famous landmarks.
Think of creative ways you can offer a delightful experience for your guests so it’s more than a hike.
33. Bed & Breakfast (B&B)
Some women love being great hosts. Now you need to live in an area that is a tourist destination for this to be profitable.
Make your B&B unique in some way. For example, you can offer additional value and make more money by renting bikes or offering bike tours.
You could market your B&B with a blog or start a YouTube channel centered around your destination. I have seen savvy entrepreneurs promote their travel-related businesses this way. And it can be very effective.
You can also promote on Airbnb.
34. Dress Maker/ Fashion Designer
The fashion industry is saturated. But that doesn’t mean that you should suppress your design skills. There are women in your area, for instance, who want specially made work clothing that’s often difficult to find at affordable prices in stores. You could fill that gap.
35. Errand Service/ Concierge
Errand and concierge services are particularly useful for elderly people who live alone and tourists staying at hotels. You could create an errand service in your community that provides these people with the assistance they need. Errands include:
- Grocery shopping
- Picking up prescription medicine
- Booking restaurant reservations
- House Sitting
- Picking up dry cleaning
- Mailing letters and packages
36. Party Planner for Kids
Planning kids’ parties are stressful. Most parents welcome the assistance an experienced party planner can provide. Instagram is one of the best places to promote your party planning business. Always remember to take lots of stunning pictures and post them on your Instagram profile with relevant hashtags.
37. Event Host
If you have a knack for public speaking and energy that draws a crow, a career as an event host may be a great fit for you. Networking is crucial for booking event host gigs. Volunteer your services and attend business events in your niche. The more people notice you, the easier it’ll be to get new customers.
38. DJ – Small business ideas for women
A Disc Jock (DJ) can make or break an event. You must be okay with all types of music for various crowds and have the right energy to get the party started. A possible way to launch your DJ career is to host your own party. After all, if you can pull off an event that keeps the crowd pumping all night why wouldn’t someone want to hire you?
39. Caterer
People who love cooking almost automatically gravitate toward opening catering businesses. Check it out. Open Google and type “Catering business in [insert the name of your area here]”. You’re bound to see at least 2 caterers promising delectable delights.
One of the ways that you can distinguish yourself is by creating a menu focusing on a concept. For instance, if you love cooking meaty dinners, you could create a scrumptious dinner buffet menu featuring your best recipes.
It also helps if you spend at least a year of gaining experience. Consider working with a catering company or a chef.
Have you found the right small business idea for you?
We’ve handpicked some of the out-of-the-box small business ideas for women. Articles on this topic tend to focus on generic careers such as graphic design and computer programming. We aren’t negating the value these careers present. However, it doesn’t hurt to consider some new prospects.
This list only scratches the surface of some unique small business ideas for women. Feel free to do additional research so that you can enter 2019 with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to making your small business succeed.
Once you have found the right business idea here are business name ideas to make your biz stand out from the rest!
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