Back in the day, people would have to break their backs working a nine-to-five to save up enough to start a business. But today, that doesn’t have to be the case. Don’t believe it?
Here are 21 profitable business ideas you can start for cheap and with little skill.
We’ve all tried mowing other people’s lawns for a profit before. But now that you’re grown and looking for ways to earn more than you already do, it’s time to revive that childhood endeavor and turn it into a money-generating machine.
For as long as there are homeowners that want to maintain perfectly manicured lawns, there will always be a need for lawnmowing and garden care services. Your market will be made up of residential clients who need lawnmowing on a routine basis.
Who it suits: Individuals with a penchant for greenery, those with basic knowledge on the care of different types of plants, shrubs and trees. Individuals with lots of friends in the community might also be better suited for this type of business.
Expected revenue: $45,000 in the first year, depending on your locality, list of services, and marketing plan.
Profit forecast: Between 30-50% of your revenue
House Cleaning
Everyone wants a clean house, but not everyone has the time to do it themselves. And that’s where you come in. Requiring zero skill (other than what you already know about cleaning your own home), house cleaning can be easy to operate and easy to fund.
Most of your clients will be residential homeowners. But you can extend your market towards apartments, condos, and even commercial spaces, as long as you have the certification to perform more technical cleaning tasks.
Who it suits: Individuals with an inherent talent for managing numerous workers and for establishing rapport with clients since house cleaning requires a level of trust.
Expected revenue: Up to $40,000 in a year or more, depending on the types of cleaning services you offer and the training of your cleaners.
Profit forecast: Between 30-40% of your revenue.
Mattress Cleaning Business
Mattresses are actually some of the dirtiest things in our homes. Acting like a sponge, a mattress can absorb dirt, bodily fluids, and a host of other contaminants that make it a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus.
Your target market will mostly be homeowners, especially those with small children. Individuals who struggle with allergies might also become your regular customers.
Who it suits: Business owners who can manage workers to make sure they meet schedules and time restrictions. Social skills might also be necessary to help establish a relationship of trust with your client base.
Expected revenue: $40,000 to $50,000 in the first year, depending on certification, add-on services, and the locality you choose to serve.
Profit forecast: 25% – 30% of your revenue, increasing over time as you pay off your initial equipment purchases.
Digital Marketing Business
Sounds technical, but it really isn’t. Digital marketing is big these days, especially because every brand wants a piece of the rewards. The internet has opened up a hot new channel for advertising and marketing, giving digital marketing agencies a thick base of eager clients.
Digital marketing is a complimentary business for nearly every type of venture out there. For the most part, you’ll be working with other businesses – possibly SME’s – to help them break onto the internet scene with effective marketing tools for increased revenue.
Who it suits: People with a knack for technical, digital processes with a focus on marketing. It might also help to have a background in advertising to get your brand off the ground.
Expected revenue: $80,000 or more in a year, especially if you work with bigger names in the industry that require more aggressive marketing plans.
Profit forecast: 50-60% of your revenue.
Dog Walking Business
We all love our dogs, but with busy schedules and endless to-do lists, having the dog walking task taken off of our hands might be a welcome relief. Dog walking business don’t need any skills, any licenses, or even that many employees. In fact, you might even be able to start the business without any workers under your management.
Establishing your business in an area where there are lots of dog owners would work in your favor. Residential areas with a high concentration of canine pets should get you lots of work each day of the week.
Who it suits: Animal-lovers might feel like dog walking is more of a hobby than a job. It might also help if you’ve got a proven track record in your local community, since it will take some trust for a dog owner to leave you with their pet.
Expected Revenue: $40,000 or more in the first year, depending on the number of dogs you walk. Revenue can increase exponentially as you add walkers to your operations.
Profit forecast: 90-100% of your revenue, if you’re the sole dog walker working for your venture.
Carpet & Rug Cleaning Business
Carpet cleaning usually requires certification since its considered a skilled task. Once you’ve got the credentials, carpet cleaning can be especially lucrative because most homeowners won’t have the skills or equipment to clean them up on their own.
Clients will typically be residential homeowners with large rugs and carpeted flooring. Commercial establishments with the same might also soon become a part of your list of clients.
Who it suits: Individuals with the skill to manage workers, as well as those with lots of friends and contacts within the local community.
Expected revenue: $60,000 annually or more, depending on the number and size of your clients’ homes and commercial spaces.
Profit forecast: 35-45% of your revenue.
Commercial Cleaning Business
Most commercial establishments rely on the appeal of their storefront and space to lure in their consumers. So for these businesses to make more money, they’re inclined to spend money on cleaning.
Clients for commercial cleaning businesses will typically be offices, grocery stores, shops, and even hotels and restaurants. For better established ventures, hospitals might even hire you for recurrent cleaning.
Who it suits: Business owners with several contacts associated with brands and ventures in your local area.
Expected revenue: $90,000 or more, depending on the number of clients, the size of their operations, and the frequency of cleaning required.
Profit forecast: 30-40% of your revenue.
Furniture Removal Business
Getting rid of old, broken furniture can be a pain. So most homeowners will delegate the task on a furniture removal business. Your duty would be to collect specific pieces of furniture from a home, and then dispose of it as you see fit. That includes sending it to a recycling center, donating it to charity, or even having it repaired to resell later on.
Who it suits: Those with lots of friends and contacts in the local community, as well as individuals who might have ties with charities and recycling facilities.
Expected revenue: $60,000 or more, depending on the scope of your operations.
Profit forecast: 60-70% of your revenue.
Same Day Delivery Business
Sure, you can pretty much buy anything on the internet these days. But there’s one aspect of shopping that can never be replaced by anything digital – and that’s deliveries and shipping.
Last mile services will always be needed – whether by small business owners or private individuals who want to send a little love to a not-so-distant friend or relative.
Who it suits: Individuals with an impeccable sense of order and schedule. Management skills are also heavily required if you’re dealing with a fleet of delivery personnel.
Expected revenue: $80,000 or more, depending on how far your operations reach, and the kind of partners you entice to pair up with your services.
Profit forecast: 30-40% of your revenue.
Window Cleaning Business
Window cleaners in Australia will have to have some certification to be qualified for the job because its considered a technical task. But once that’s out of the way, a window cleaning business can help you earn a hefty profit from both residential and commercial clients.
The market for this type of business is fairly expansive, letting you work with almost anyone in your area – as long as they have a few windows that might be too hazardous for the average Joe to clean.
Who it suits: People with lots of connections both in residential and commercial areas.
Expected revenue: $65,000 in the first year or more, depending on the scope of your operations and add-on services that you offer.
Profit forecast: 50-60% of your revenue.
Pool Cleaning Business
New research has found that 2.7 million Australian households are equipped with a pool. And because those things can be hard to clean and maintain, you can expect that you’ll have a pretty large market when you start a pool cleaning business.
The best place to start one of these ventures would be the most northerly areas of the country, where residential pools are most numerous. Of course, if you were hoping to service commercial establishments like public pools, resorts, and hotels, then there are lots of other viable areas.
Who it suits: Business owners with a lot of family and friends that have pools, who can also make referrals for more clients.
Expected revenue: $80,000 or more, depending on the type of clients you choose to service.
Profit forecast: 70-80% of your revenue.
Washing and Ironing Business
We spend over a hundred hours each year just doing laundry. As one of the most time consuming household chores, many would be happy to delegate the task to free up time for more important obligations.
Everyone needs clean clothes. So you can expect to serve anyone from busy office workers, to large families, and everyone in between.
Who it suits: People with a keen eye for cleanliness, who know how to properly handle different types of fabric without causing damage.
Expected revenue: $70,000 in the first year or more, depending on the scope of your operations and any add-on services you offer.
Profit forecast: 30-40% of your revenue.
Bond Cleaning Business
To be refunded the bond paid prior to leasing a property, it’s imperative that the lessee clean the property to code as imposed by law. Bond cleaning services help make sure that those requirements are met so that lessees can be refunded the entire value of their bond deposit before they leave.
Your clients will mostly be renters just about to move out of a property, hoping to get their full deposit refunded.
Who it suits: Individuals with a keen eye for detail, able to manage workers to meet very specific standards.
Expected revenue: $80,000 or more in the first year depending on your reach
Profit forecast: 40-50% of your revenue.
Virtual Assistant Business
Virtual assistants are more popular these days thanks to the magic of the internet. Helping everyone from executives to SME owners, VA’s offer reliable services at a much lower cost.
Many of your clients will be working individuals with the need for office assistance. Executives, managers, small business owners, even bloggers all hire VA’s to delegate non-core tasks.
Who it suits: Individuals capable of training a reliable group of assistants who can deliver high quality work.
Expected revenue: $90,000 or more, depending on the kinds of clients that you partner with.
Profit forecast: 40-50% of your revenue.
Mobile Car Detailing Business
A car is an investment, and most owners know that. So auto detailing becomes an imperative part of the car care process. A mobile car detailing service lets you provide that kind of care, without the need for an expensive stationary brick-and-mortar.
The beauty of a mobile car detailing business is that you can serve a wider market. So basically anyone with a car within a few miles of your home base can be easily serviced.
Who it suits: Automotive fanatics with some self-taught skills for car cleaning and restoration.
Expected revenue: $90,000 or more, depending on the extent of services you offer and the tier of cars that you target.
Profit forecast: 40-50% of your revenue.
Sewing and Alteration Business
Ill-fitting clothes can easily be made to look like a fashion-forward piece with budget-friendly alterations. Most people would rather have clothes altered than buy brand new because it helps them cut back on costs.
There are lots of video tutorials online that tell you about all the basics of alteration and sewing. If you can find a few skilled workers who already have a knack for it, then you might not even have to learn it yourself.
Who it suits: People with a natural talent for style and fashion, able to determine what needs to be done to make an ill-fitting garment more appealing.
Expected revenue: $70,000 or more, especially if you’re hired for special events that require costumes, or by companies needing uniforms in bulk.
Profit forecast: 50-60% of your revenue or more if your clients supply their own fabric.
Yoga & Meditation Instructor Business
Here’s a business for those who have an inherent talent to guide others. Requiring no extra personnel, a yoga & meditation instructor business turns you into your own brand.
Clients can start off as friends and relatives, giving you lots of practice to develop your process. The more popular you become, you earn the trust of a wider base of clients.
Who it suits: People with strong inter-personal skills, who can communicate genuine concern and compassion for the clients they work with.
Expected revenue: $80,000 or more, especially as you become more and more prominent in the industry.
Profit forecast: 90-100% of your revenue.
Makeup & Nail Technician Business
The internet has sparked a widespread interest in basic cosmetics like makeup and nail art. With a vast expanse of resources to teach you even the most technical skills, makeup and nail tech can be a low cost start-up that props you up as your own brand.
Clients can be friends and relatives, giving you loads of practice as a beginner. As you gain popularity, you’ll get hired for more and more jobs. Some amateurs even managed to wiggle their way into showbiz, offering backstage services to prep celebs for the camera.
Who it suits: People who are updated with the latest makeup and nail art trends, as well as those with strong interpersonal skills and a basic idea of digital marketing.
Expected revenue: $60,000 in the first year, increasing as you grow in popularity.
Profit forecast: 70-80% of your revenue.
Mobile Bin Cleaning Business
Would you believe that even a bin needs to be cleaned? Holding some of the filthiest stuff there is, bins can be breeding grounds for bacteria, germs, and disease. But because they can be especially dirty, most would rather hire a pro to get them cleaned.
Bin cleaning services can work with domestic, commercial, and industrial clients, making it easy to grow despite the minimal skills required.
Who it suits: People with lots of contacts and connections in both the residential and the commercial markets.
Expected revenue: $90,000 or more, increasing as you expand your client base.
Profit forecast: 50-60% of your revenue.
Dropshipping Business
The beauty of dropshipping is that you won’t really have to hold any products. That means you don’t need to pay for items that you want to sell. Simply present the products to your buyers, and when someone makes a payment to purchase, you send the order details to your supplier who ships the items directly to your buyers. You pay the wholesale and shipping from your buyer’s payment, and keep the profit without having to handle any items.
Who it suits: Internet-savvy sellers who can market and advertise products without having them on hand.
Expected revenue: $50,000 in a year or more depending on your chosen niche or products.
Profit forecast: 40-60% of your revenue or more, especially if you can find cheaper suppliers.
Massage Therapist
The massage is a simple yet enticing treat for anyone looking to relax. Training courses for massage therapy are pretty easy to find. And after just a few days, you can become a full-fledged massage provider or even a certified trainer so you can start building your own fleet of therapists.
Clients are usually working adults, mostly in the higher tiers of the socioeconomic ladder. The higher you aim, the more you stand to make.
Who it suits: Those who have a basic concept of anatomy and proper massage techniques, as well as those who have close friends and relatives who can help make referrals.
Expected revenue: $60,000 annually or more, especially as you grow your services and on-board more trained therapists.
Profit forecast: 70-80% of your revenue.
Photographer
Got a handy, high-quality camera in your arsenal? Because photos are prized in today’s modern society thanks to the advent of social media, lots of people would be happy to pay a pretty penny for photography services.
Lots of online resources can help you learn the basics of best practices for professional photography. There are also lots of workshops you can take to further hone your unique style.
Who it suits: People with a good eye for composition, and those who know how to market themselves through online platforms where photos are the main currency.
Expected revenue: $80,000 in the first year, especially if you choose to work on bigger projects like weddings, destination vacations, birthdays, and more.
Profit forecast: 70-80% of your revenue.
Over to You
You’d think that starting a business couldn’t get any easier with these smart, low-cost, low-skill start-ups. But it can actually get even more effortless. We offer complete start-your-own business solutions that take you from those first few steps into business ownership, all the way to the complexities of digital marketing.
Our polished services make starting a business simple and straightforward, helping you do without the guesswork so you can start turning a profit sooner in the game. Visit our website today and let’s get started on launching your venture for fool-proof success.
Neil Singh
Neil is the Founder at Get Found Marketing and Start Your Home Business. He specializes in managing marketing campaigns for local businesses and start-ups. He’s helped several start up business grow and profit. Neil is a certified business consultant. When he’s not writing, he’s reading books on marketing, self-improvement, or science fiction.
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