Do you want to start a business, but don’t have enough money to start? Don’t worry if you don’t have the budget to start a big business. Here I have gathered a list of 50 small scale business idea that you can start right now.
Small Scale Business
Many people want to do business but some of them don’t even know how to start a business in India or any other country.
They don’t even know what are government authorities, certification and licenses required to start a business.
If you are also one of these, here I have created a descriptive article on starting your own business and covered everything in detail you required to start a business from nothing to something.
Now let’s go through the article to find small scale business ideas to start.
Here are some excellent small-scale business ideas that you can consider starting:
1. Online Tutoring
- Use your expertise in a subject to offer tutoring services online. This can be academic subjects, language learning, or skills like coding or art.
2. E-commerce Store
- Start an online store using platforms like Shopify or Etsy. You can sell handmade goods, vintage items, or niche products.
3. Social Media Management
- Help small businesses enhance their online presence by managing their social media accounts and creating content.
4. Freelance Writing or Graphic Design
- Offer your writing or design skills on freelance platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. This can include blog writing, copywriting, or creating logos and marketing materials.
5. Personal Fitness Trainer
- If you’re passionate about fitness, consider becoming a personal trainer or offering group classes in your community or online.
6. Pet Services
- Start a pet-sitting, dog-walking, or grooming business. People love their pets and are often willing to pay for quality care.
7. Event Planning
- Organize events such as weddings, corporate events, or parties. This can be done on a small scale, focusing on local clients.
8. Home Cleaning Services
- Offer residential cleaning services. This is often in high demand and can be started with minimal investment.
9. Content Creation (YouTube/Blogging)
- Create a YouTube channel or a blog around a niche you’re passionate about. Monetization can come from ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.
10. Handmade Crafts
- If you’re crafty, consider making and selling items like candles, jewelry, or home decor on platforms like Etsy or at local craft fairs.
11. Subscription Box Service
- Curate and sell subscription boxes around a theme, such as beauty products, snacks, or books.
12. Digital Marketing Consulting
- Use your marketing skills to help small businesses improve their online visibility through SEO, PPC, and content marketing.
13. Food Truck or Catering
- If you love cooking, consider starting a food truck or catering service. This allows you to serve unique meals without the overhead of a full restaurant.
14. Virtual Assistant
- Offer administrative support to businesses or entrepreneurs remotely, handling tasks like email management, scheduling, and customer service.
15. Online Courses or Workshops
- Create and sell online courses on platforms like Udemy or Teachable based on your expertise.
Tips for Success:
- Research Your Market: Understand the demand and competition in your chosen field.
- Start Small: Test your business idea with minimal investment and scale up as you gain traction.
- Network: Build relationships within your industry and with potential clients.
- Leverage Social Media: Promote your business through social media to reach a wider audience.
If you’d like more details on any specific idea, let me know!
What is the most successful small business?
Here’s our list of the most profitable small businesses:
- Food trucks. …
- Car wash services. …
- Auto repair. …
- Personal trainers. …
- Newborn and post-pregnancy services. …
- Enrichment activities for children. …
- Mobile apps and entertainment for children. …
- Shared accessories and attire.
What is Business?
In simple words, we can say that business is a repeatable process that creates and delivers something valuable that other people need or want at a price that they are willing to pay.
Business is all about providing that kind of stuff which has a shortage in your area. So you can satisfy customers’ needs and expectations.
Along with fulfilling customers needs. Business must bring you enough profit to keep your business going & growing.
What is Small Scale Business?
Small Scale Businesses are privately owned corporations or sole proprietorship that have fewer employees and less revenue then regular-sized business.
Small Scale businesses range from 15 employees to 5,000 employees. While small businesses can also be classified by other methods such as annual revenue, shipments, sales, assets and net revenue.
But number of employees is one of the widely used measures. Small businesses can be convenience stores, grocery stores, bakery stores, hairdressers, restaurants, guest houses and photography.
While other internet related businesses are web designing, computer programming etc.
Some professionals also operated small businesses like lawyers, accountant, dentist and medical doctors. They are covered under small scale business if they have any.
Small scale businesses vary a great deal in terms of size, revenue and regularity authorization.
Some small businesses may only require a business license on the other hand, other small scale businesses such as daycares, restaurants that serve liquor are more heavily regulated and may require inspection and certification from various government authorities.
How To Start A Small Scale Business?
Starting a small scale business can be much more frightening and require plenty of careful planning. There are many small scale business ideas which can be beneficial as well as economical.
But the last thing a new entrepreneur or new business owner needs is to be found in a financial state due to unnecessary spending. When starting a small business the key is to always remember it is a small scale business and initially the intention should limit the spending until a profit is made.
Furthermore if you are starting a salon, restaurant types of business then you also need a place for your business to start.
Make sure it is in the right place where many people are living or have a market nearby. Nevertheless the areas you have chosen must be connected with big roads for transportation.
Licenses Need For Small Scale Business
Before starting any business it is must to consult with any expert who has done work in this field. You can ask someone else who just has started their business or already doing a business.
Usually these certificates are required for doing any small scale business in India.
In addition to the personal document like Pan Card, Bank account and aadhar card you also need:
- LLP Registration- It is important for those whose plan for operating a business with turnover is 20 lakhs annually.
- GST Registration- It is also a must registration process for starting any type of small scale business. GST Registration must be done within 30 days of starting a business. If your business turnover is more than 10 lakhs then GST is also mandatory.
- Udyog Aadhar Registration- If you get this license you can avail many facilities that are provided by governments. It is required in case of other agencies engaged in manufacturing or production of goods.
It is still advisable to contact experts to take further advice.
60 Small Scale Business Ideas You Can Start
1: Food Truck Business
It’s the best small scale business to start. Food trucks in cities, across the country, are rolling restaurants popping up everywhere. These mobile restaurants are the fastest-growing segments of the dining industry.
If you know about cooking, want to be your own boss and to be a little more adventurous then you can start a food truck business.
Operating a successful Food Truck Business depends on these conventions-
- A Practical plan
- Dedication & willingness to achieve your goals
- Technical Skills
- Basic knowledge of management, finance, market analysis
As a freshman to this business you need to learn basic fundamentals of these 4 skills to master a food truck business.
Why to start a Food Truck Business?
- It will give you freedom from the 9 to 5 jobs.
- Being your own boss.
- Gives you freedom to do what you want to do.
- It will Improve your standard of living.
- You can work on a product which is in demand.
It doesn’t mean that you can escape 9 to 5 jobs, but you may replace it with 6 am to 8 pm. You have to work more than your usual job. But if you love to do this then time doesn’t drain you easily.
You also have to analyse the market and take the next step according to this.
Investment on Food Truck Business
- Affordable Food Truck
- Investment at least 3 lakhs rupees
- Appliances such as muriwai, juicer mixer, steamer, furniture tables etc
2: Coffee shop
Many people drink coffee on a daily basis and often have multiple cups a day. If you ever dreamed of opening your own coffee shop then for it. Because the demand for high-quality coffee is undoubtedly large.
Coffee Shop is the best small scale business to start. So starting a coffee shop at a small level might just be the golden ticket for you. On an average world drinks 2.2 billion cups of coffee each day.
To start a coffee shop business you should have to be familiar with coffee and also proficient in inventory management and managing employees.
In the start you don’t need employees if you’re available to handle all the work in a shop.
Your coffee shop startup costs can vary depending on the size and type of coffee shop you want.
The main expenses are the cost of the rent, staffing costs, taxes and other equipment you need like a coffee maker, table chairs.
3: Bakery Shop
Starting a small bakery shop business will be a highly profitable business for the new entrepreneurs. Adding more quality into food items makes it more attractive to the customers.
If you are passionate about cooking or already have an idea to start your own food business. Then starting a bakery shop is a good choice.
Start a bakery business with at least 5 items in your menu by maintaining the top quality standard of your food or items you use.
Generally a bakery shop business required 4 to 5 lakhs investments. Many housewives have already different types of tricks to make a bakery item at home for their kids.
You can explore it more and convert it into a small scale business.
Your main investment into this business is space, equipment, raw materials to make products.
In the start try to give your items for free as a demo and ask people what they like and what they do not. This really helps you a lot to grow more.
5: Home food delivery
Food delivery sector has really become a very significant part of a restaurant business. To utilize your strength it’s a great opportunity all over the place to start a home delivery business.
Three kinds of activities involved in this kind of business. First is the delivery, you have to pick up a food from a restaurant, then the preparation of the food which is done by a reatsurent and then the actual part is to sell that item by delivering.
6: Bookkeeping
Running a bookkeeping business is really profitable business as it is low cost and you don’t need any space to pay rent.
It is an online business to start and run from home or wherever you are.
The job of a bookkeeper is to guarantee that the income and expenses are traced and entered into the system.
Your work as bookkeeper is to-
- create document for banks
- you can create content
- or do marketing research
- create invoice
- And many others like that.
Read Also: What Can Small Businesses Do to cope with Hyperinflation?
7: Cooking classes
Cooking classes are on the rise. Opening online cooking class is a great idea if you already have great expertise in cooking.
The trend of cooking classes is definitely in demand and increasing. Because of social media like instagram and youtube there is already a great surge in engagement.
You need a strong marketing strategy to grow online as there is already a competition.
To start this business you must be superb in cooking and also presentation skills to grow online. This is the profitable small scale business to start.
8: Web Development Business
If you are a little bit techy and your study background is related to computer science. Then you can start a web development business.
What your is to make and handle websites for your client and get paid. Web designing ranges from building simple static websites to building complex dynamic websites.
You can start it as a small scale business from wherever you are or start to teach it online or get a project to work on.
9: Digital Marketing
Digital marketer’s job is to promote other products to make more sales. But as an offline showcasing of a product your job is to promote other’s product using the power of the internet.
This way you have to make more sales for your customer and you will get your commission based on the number of sales a product able to get.
10: Interior designing
Interior designing is an art of enhancing the look of a building to make it more healthier, attracting and creating a pleasant environment for the owners of the space.
You must have good design sensibilities and creative ideas to become an interior designer.
11: Makeup artist
Makeup artist means just not opening up your beauty parlour. It’s much more of that. A makeup artist requires a very specific skill set and also mindset.
Your work as a makeup artist is to enhance the beauty of the human by using cosmetic products. Furthermore, makeup artists create imaginative characters and special effects for films, television, photography, fashion, magazines etc.
12: Salon
You can open up a hair salon or beauty salon. Many small businesses provide both of these facilities to both men and women.
Your job is to provide cosmetic treatments to men or women or both. You start this business and grow it easily.
It basically required an investment in the equipment you need and a space to make a salon. But it’s a profitable small scale business to start.
13: Online tutoring
It is the process of teaching students online. Due to the ongoing evolution of technology it’s become easier to become an online tutor.
It gives you the freedom to teach and earn from home while students can learn from their homes.
You can cover a large area and generate a lot of income. Once you have enough large students you can collaborate with other teachers and start your own venture.
14: Event planning
Event planning is the process of planning and arranging meetings, parties, team building activity, festivals, conferences and many more.
As an event planner your job is to conduct research, event design, finding a site, arranging food, Planning transportation, sending invitations and supervising the site.
For parties you also need to arrange catering things, chiefs, waiters like such stuff.
15: Photography
Photography business can be your main source of income or second income source.
Every type of business requires a 20 percent business and 80 percent marketing to reach new customers. The same principle appliance in photography business.
You have to market yourself more than your sit and wait for your customer.
Just shooting wedding images and pre wedding images there is a lot more to explore in this niche.
Read Also: Are you looking for a business partner? Check these tips
16: Fast food joint
Fast food restaurants also refer to a quick service restaurant. The growth of the fast food industry has increased rapidly and keeps growing.
People love to eat something new and that fit within their budget. So starting a small fast food business is a great idea.
17: Yoga studio
A yoga studio can be a small place or room where you teach others yoga to stay fit and healthy.
18: Daycare Business
If you love caring for children you can start this business. Many people are really passionate about giving children a really nice home and playing with the kids and providing them with a really good time and educating them.
19: Content creation
If you are passionate about writing the content creation business suits you the best. As a content creator you are responsible to contribute information to any media and digital media. They usually target a specific audience in specific contexts.
A content creator can contribute any of them:
- Blog posts for website and blogs
- For Email newsletters
- Social media copy
- Video marketing/editing
- eBooks
- Graphic design
20: App development
If your background is already matched with programming or you have studied computer science then leaning app development is not a complicated process to you.
Same as other successful entrepreneurship every application development business starts with an idea.
So come up with a great idea and convert it into your digital asset with the help of programming.
21: Landscaping Business
A landscaping business can be a profitable business idea. Since there are plenty of homeowners who don’t have the time, energy or skills to take care of their yards or design their garden.
Beyond the basic gardening services like chopping, weeding, and fertilizing, you can work as a landscaping designer or do advanced and planting.
22: Dance studio
A dance studio provides space to instructors which offer dance lessons, including both group classes and private sessions.
It’s also one of the best small scale business ideas to start if you already a master in dancing.
You can make your own studio or start this small scale business from home also.
23: Gift wrapping Business
Gift-wrapping businesses sell two things: First is convenience and second is time. Many people don’t like to wrap gifts, so they are happy to pay someone to do it for them. Many others don’t have time or they rather use their time differently.
24: Music Studio Business
A recording studio is helpful in recording music, sound effects, and voice-overs. Then these audios used for advertisements, animation, and soundtrack to dub in different languages.
You can also teach and train others the audio-engineering skills necessary to make quality recordings.
25: Clothing boutique business
A boutique is a small retail shop which sells clothes, fabric, accessories and other goods to a specific part of the market. It is easy to start and easily manageable by even one person. It requires fairly small amounts of money to start, engages the creativity and passion of the owner to a great extent.
Best small scale business for women & men.
26: Travel planner business
Starting a travel planner business becomes more simple when you already own a computer and smartphone.
With the increasing cost of travel, people are looking for ways to secure deals with super money savings.
If you already know how to find great deals on airline tickets, hotels and rental cars. You can start a home business as a travel planner and become your own boss.
Every time you help others to save some dollars, it actually puts cash right back into your pocket in the travel industry. So it’s a lubricate small scale business ideas to start.
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27: Virtual Assistant Business
A virtual assistant is an independent entrepreneur who provides management services to clients. Virtual assistants business can be operated from a home.
Simply put, Virtual Assistant provides services that businesses need. As a virtual assistant you can offer any service you like for any business. Anything that you could do virtually for a small business, falls under the “virtual assistant” category.
You can start this small scale business with low investment. Because you don’t need a large space to setup office, just a laptop and internet connection is enough to start.
28: Proofreading Business
A proofreader examines the written document or words for clients and corrects for spelling, punctuation, and typos errors.
To start a proofreading business, you must need a strong knowledge of language usage, spelling, and punctuation.
This is also a low investment small scale business to start.
29: Freelance Writer Business
A freelance writer works on a self-employed basis. He can work for just one magazine or write for several different publications at a time. The more diverse a writer, the more likely he or she gets published and paid for their work.
This is one of the profitable small scale business ideas.
There are many types of writing in demand. You can focus on any one type of writing, such as web content writing, magazine writing. After gaining experience in a single niche you can shift yourself from a single topic to covering many topics and industries.
30: Social media manager
A social media manager is one who manages other people or company’s social media accounts. The main responsibilities of social media managers is crafting engaging posts, analyzing campaign performance and communicating with other people via the company’s social channels.
31: Blog writer
You can become a blog writer by starting your own blog and earn money. It requires good writing skills to dominate the online world.
People who write blogs and update their blog daily are commonly called bloggers. You can start this small scale business with less investment. Some investment you need is on hosting & domain name.
Learn More: How To Start A Successful Blog And Make Money?
32: Resume writer and editor
Start a business to write resumes for others to get them jobs easily. This type of business can also be started online or with a small type of place.
33: SEO consultant
The search engine optimization consultant’s job is to analyze, review, and improve websites, search engine performance. If you have a good hand in SEO or willing to learn about it then you can start this type of business.
34: Email marketing specialist
Email marketer helps companies or individuals to grow their email list by converting visitors into customers. So your job as an email marketing specialist is to focus on building email lists, creating emails, and raising leads through written communications.
35: Pet walker and sitter
Pet sitting businesses offer a variety of services to their customers like animal care services, exercising their pets while they are at work.
36: Airbnb host
Airbnb is an online marketplace that lets people rent out their home or space to those who are looking for accommodations in that locale.
To get started with Airbnb you must have a place to rent on Airbnb. It can either be a room or a house. So host it and earn a great decent income.
37: BabySitter
Babysitter’s duty is to care for children of all ages. These child care providers typically help children with school assignments, prepare meals for them and perform simple household management tasks.
This small scale business best suits to ladies. But can we started by both genders.
38: Computer repair Business
Many people don’t have the skills, or time or even the desire to do their own computer repair and upgrades. This is where a computer technician comes in. Your work as a computer technician is to repair computers. Along with this you can build computers, sell computer accessories and many thighs.
Usually this small scale business ideas for men & women- both.
39: Transcriber
In simple words its meaning is “write by hearing”. It is the process of transcribing any audio or video recording including interviews, webinars, seminars, teleclasses, presentations, workshops, personal notes, meeting notes, conferences, and other things.
40: Housecleaning Business
Starting a cleaning small scale business can be really lucrative. There will always be homes that need cleaning, and it’s a job that people don’t want to do. Either they don’t have much time or any other reason.
41: Travel Agency Business
If you love travel and enjoy travelling and the planning process of this, then you might consider becoming a travel agent and starting a travel agency.
Becoming a travel agent is a fairly inexpensive business to start. If you want to be successful in this business. You’ll need to focus a lot of your effort into your market research, branding, and marketing and also finding your niche and targeted customers.
42: ETSY Seller
Etsy is a United State’s e-commerce website focused on handmade and craft supplies. These items into a wide range of categories, including jewelry, clothing, bags, home décor and furniture, toys, art, as well as craft supplies and tools.
43: Graphic Designing
There is a huge difference in freelance graphic designing and starting your own graphic design business. When you do freelancing you are on your own and do the stuff by yourself.
But with business you work as a company or agency which helps companies to create a unique identity for their business. It’s a lot closer to running a studio.
44: Fitness Instructor
Do you like working out at the gym and being fit? Do you want to share your zeal for fitness with others and get paid? Then a Fitness Instructor or personal training business might be for you.
This is also the small scale business ideas to start from home in India. After you grown into this business then you can buy a large space for your business.
45: Wellness coach
The healthcare field is in continuous flow. There was a time when doctors were the only experts anyone trusted with concerns about wellness, fitness, and overall health. Today, many people may consult with an RN, nutritionist or personal trainer, seek answers online.
Now Health coaches are right on the front line of this healthcare change.
46: Music teacher
A lot of people also want to learn instruments instead of just listening to it. If you know how to play music instruments you can teach others online or even form your home or wherever.
This this small scale business can also be started from home with low investment.
47: Interview preparation coach
If you have an experience and know how to handle anxiety while interviewing, what questions may get asked and other tips. You can start a business of interview preparation.
48: Online tutor
Become an online tutor and teach students all over the world. In anything you specialize and have great in depth knowledge in any subject you can teach it and earn. This is a good small scale business to start.
This business still not widely available in many cities. So you can grab this small scale business opportunity to kick start your journey.
You can start this small scale business at home with low to no investment.
49: Appliance Repair Business
There are so many benefits of starting your own appliance repair business. First, the demand for any appliance repair services is high.
Nowadays People tend to be highly dependent on appliances and replacement is often too costly. So people want to go with appliance repair instead of buying any new applicant.
50: Tailor Business
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs or alters clothing in a professional way, especially suits and men’s clothing. If you already know clothing or wish to learn about then go for it.
The demand for tailor shops is on the rise in the overworld. It also depends on the area you live. You have to manually check the competition and do all the market research based on your business.
This small level business has a high growth opportunity.
Conclusion
There is always a great opportunity to learn and explore more in any type of business. If you’re really passionate about starting a business choose any small scale business from this list.
In case I have missed any small scale business ideas. Please let me know in the comment box.
Also don’t forget to share this article.