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STARTING A BUSINESS

65 small business ideas in 7 categories with 3 questions to help you decide

By

QuickBooks South Africa

2 March 2020

18 min read

Perhaps a friend or mentor has been urging you for years. Or, you could be itching for the
freedom to build your own business.

Those are all leading motivations for wanting to take the leap and start your own business.

Small Business Ideas

Small Business Ideas in South Africa

Whatever your personal reasons, you’re ready to kick off your journey into business ownership.
There’s only one hangup:
quote image

You’re stumped for an idea. You’re not quite sure what small business you should be pursuing.

This article guides you through 65 small business ideas organized into seven categories: low-
cost or free, side businesses, home-based businesses, existing skill sets, and more.

It ends with three questions to help guide your decision (which you can jump directly to here).
Think of this as your ultimate motivational cheat sheet …

List of Small Business Ideas

Download the three questions to help you decide and all 65 ideas here

Small businesses you can launch for free, work from home, or with little money

1. Pet sitting

Not everybody travels with their pets, and when they hit the road, they need someone to take
care of them. While it can be somewhat sporadic, pet sitting is a viable business that allows you
to serve others and fulfill your love for animals.

2. Dog walking

Similarly, a dog walking business gets you outdoors while bonding with some adorable four-
legged friends. As a bonus, both options lend themselves easily to channeling your furry
caretaking into fun business cards, social media posts, and even custom, yet professional
invoicing to help customers spread the word for you.

3. Product tester

Do you love testing out the latest and greatest products on the market and providing a thorough
review? You can work with businesses to try out their latest products and give feedback, or even
get your own site up and running where you offer insights into whether or not certain products
are worth the price tag.

4. Personal shopper

Errands take a lot of time, and personal shoppers help to ease the burden by covering those
tasks for other people—for a fee, of course. While it’s not the most traditional business idea,
word-of-mouth marketing should help you establish a client base.

5. Travel planner

Are you a master at coordinating itineraries or finding those hidden gems that aren’t crawling
with tourists? Put your skills to work (and fuel your wanderlust!) by helping other people plan
their own vacations.

6. Tailoring and clothing repairs

Are you skilled with a needle and thread? Tailoring is frequently cited as a dying art. So, if you’re
someone who can hem pants or patch holes in clothing, you’ll likely be able to find plenty of
eager customers who are ready and willing to support your tailoring business.

Business opportunities if you have a product (or even just an idea)

7. Farmer’s market vendor

Maybe your garden is overflowing with more veggies than you could possibly use on your own.
Or perhaps you’re ready to take your soap-making hobby up a notch. Check out what it takes to
get a booth at your local farmers market, so you can start selling your wares to others in your
community.

8. Etsy or eBay seller

It’s no secret that a lot of shopping happens online today, and there are tons of existing
marketplaces that make it easy for people to sell their goods. Whether you create custom
wedding invitations or refurbish vintage clothing, these platforms will help you get your finds
and creations out into the world.
9. Amazon seller

If you have a product that isn’t quite a fit for one of those marketplaces, look into selling on
Amazon. Despite the fact that it’s a retail giant, selling on Amazon is actually pretty
straightforward—especially if you do Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and let them take care of
storing and shipping your items.

10. Ecommerce merchant

Are you a whiz at crocheting mittens or creating customized jewelry? Have you been sitting on a
new product idea for years? With so many resources out there, creating your own ecommerce
store is relatively straightforward and cost-effective.

(Just be sure, no matter what platform you choose, to pay special attention to things like
inventory management, online sales tax, and credit-card payment processing. They’re not the
most exciting parts of online retail but they can derail you fast if you’re not prepared.)

11. Dropshipper

If you want to run an ecommerce business—but don’t understand the ins and outs and also
don’t have any room for inventory—dropshipping is a viable option. As a dropshipper, you
choose a product you want to sell from a supplier and list it on your own website at a price you
determine.

When a customer places an order, you then order that item (at a discounted price) from the
supplier, who ships it directly to the customer. You’re essentially a middle person who’s earning
a profit.

List of Small Business Ideas

Creative services for craftspeople or in technology

12. Photographer

Photography is more than just a hobby—it’s a highly sought-after skill in numerous different
industries. From wedding photographers to product photographers, there’s no shortage of ways
you that you can start and expand a business in this field.

13. Photo editor

You have a creative eye and consider yourself an expert in Photoshop and other editing
programs. Especially in this age of Instagram, you could build a business as someone who
professionally edits photos for other businesses and individuals.

14. Videographer

From weddings to corporate commercials, there’s a real demand for video content
today—whether it’s to promote a brand or capture a special memory. If you have an eye for film,
a videographer business is a great option for you.

15. Video producer

Those who are both highly creative and organized might want to look into a business as a video
producer. You’ll oversee and manage all aspects of video production—including pre-production,
production, and post-production.

16. Music teacher

Your childhood dreams of becoming a rockstar may have gone by the wayside, but that doesn’t
mean you can’t make a living with music. Share your knowledge with others by becoming a
music teacher.

17. Graphic designer

Have an eye for graphic design? Whether you want to design promotional brochures, invitations,
infographics, or something else entirely, there’s no shortage of design work out there that’s ripe
for the taking.

18. App developer

There’s an app for that. But what if there isn’t? You could create it. If you have a background in
programming, start your own business as an app developer. You might just create the next must
-have app.

19. Website developer

Almost every small business needs a website, which means there’s plenty of opportunities for
website developers to build booming one-person operations or agencies.

This idea is particularly well suited to begin as a side-hustle and balloon into full-time self-
employment. As you grow, take care to treat your developer business with the same level of
technical savvy you would websites themselves. That means tracking financial performance
through easy-to-use and smart reporting.

20. Electronics repairing

Are you the first person your friends call when their internet is out or their t.v. won’t turn on? We
all rely on devices today, which means business in electronics repair can be both helpful and
lucrative.

21. Internet security

Over the years, you’ve developed a lot of knowledge of what it takes to stay safe and secure
online, and you know that it could benefit a lot of people. Start your business as an internet
security consultant, so you can help everybody else avoid disaster.

Online business ideas creating, editing, or marketing

22. Blogger

Plenty of writers make money off of their personal blogs, or you can author blog posts for
brands who are eager to leverage content marketing. It costs little to nothing to launch a site
(and you can easily work from home or set up in your favorite coffee shops).

23. Vlogger

If you would’ve told someone just a few decades ago that they could run a thriving business just
by recording and uploading their daily activities, they likely would have laughed. But, vlogging
has become a bonafide career.

24. Translator

If you’re bilingual or multilingual, use those skills to start your own translation business. There
are a variety of ways you could take this business—whether it’s doing transcripts online or
serving as an in-person translator to facilitate conversations.

25. Virtual assistant

As a virtual assistant, you can serve other business owners by removing tasks from their own
plates in a variety of areas—from marketing to accounting.

26. Proofreader or copy editor

Do you have an eye for typos? Do you grit your teeth every time you see a misplaced apostrophe
or a grammatical error? Start a business as a copy editor or proofreader—so you can catch
those mistakes for your clients.

27. Freelance copywriter

Writing is everywhere. Whether you want to write website copy and social media captions or
professional bios and mission statements, there’s an ever-growing need for qualified
copywriters.
28. Resume or CV writer

Everybody struggles to write about themselves and their accomplishments. If you consider that
one of your skills, start a resume writing business to work with clients on pulling together solid
career documents that help them land jobs.

29. Social media marketing

You know that any modern business needs to have a presence on social media, but this is still
an area where many people struggle (24% of small businesses don’t use social media at all).
Lend your expertise to help them engage their audiences and market their own businesses
online.

30. Marketing affiliate

If you already have an established audience online, affiliate marketing can be a great way to
earn some extra income. You’ll share links on your own website, newsletter, or social outlets
and then receive a commission every time someone clicks that link or makes a purchase. It’s
very little work for you but can lead to a big payoff.

31. Sell domain names

Are you future-focused? Do you think you could spot domain names that are available now—but
might be popular in the future? You can purchase those, and then sell them for a profit when
somebody else wants to use that domain.

32. Website flipper

Much like a house flipper, a website flipper purchases existing websites, improves them, and
then sells them for a higher price. If you have some basic web development and design chops,
this sort of business can be a lucrative creative challenge.

List of Small Business Ideas

Maintenance services that don’t require a license

33. House sitting

For people who travel frequently, it’s reassuring to have someone back at home who can take in
their mail, water their plants, and generally keep an eye on their homes. If that appeals to you,
consider starting a house sitting business where you can offer your services and provide those
travelers some extra peace of mind.