Running your own business is rewarding and exciting. But it can also be exhausting and overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out. If you’re looking to go into business on your own but aren’t sure where to start. Here are five Small Business Ideas for Women to get you going in the right direction. Each of these businesses can be easily set up with little investment on your part, but all offer the potential to grow as time goes on and experience levels up.
1) Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is one of those Small Business Ideas for Women that takes up a little bit of time and keeps bringing in revenue month after month. With good copywriting skills, you can find freelance writing gigs on content mills like Contently or MediaBistro. If you’re an introvert who likes to write, freelancing may be a good option to make some extra money while meeting people in a more isolated setting than a typical small business would provide. It’s also a good way to dip your toes into entrepreneurship without having to quit your day job.
2) Handmade Crafts
One great business idea for women who want to be their own bosses is starting a business around a craft. Today, it’s easier than ever to set up your own online shop and sell your goods. Handmade goods are big on sites like Etsy, where you can spend some time setting up an appealing storefront and begin selling right away. If you’re not someone who enjoys working on crafts alone but still wants a creative space to make your own – consider teaming up with a friend or two and starting a handmade crafts business together! You’ll have twice as much stuff to work on and twice as many people to help market your products. Plus, you can always offer each other feedback if one of you has trouble coming up with new ideas for products.
There are plenty of ways that a business like this could go wrong – especially if you don’t have experience in crafting or running a business before – so do your research first and don’t take any risks until you know what’s involved in making sure things run smoothly.
3) Virtual Assistant
The best Small Business Ideas for Women have an element of flexibility. For instance, if you’re not ready to run your own company full-time, consider offering your services as a virtual assistant—which can be done on nights and weekends or when you get time away from work. According to PayScale, virtual assistants earn anywhere between $10–$15 per hour on average with some making as much as $28 per hour; they also tend to have competitive benefits packages and make $60,000 per year or more. And it’s easy to work: all you do is answer emails and coordinate projects—and in return, you set your own schedule. It’s one of our top Small Business Ideas for Women looking for part-time jobs or flexible working arrangements!
4) Recruiting Platform
If you have a knack for organization and can put together schedules, calendars, etc., there’s a business idea that would perfectly suit your skills. Recruiting platforms such as HireArt make it easier than ever before to connect businesses with job candidates. As a recruiter, you could earn money by posting jobs on behalf of clients who want to hire independent contractors or full-time employees. It doesn’t cost anything to sign up or post jobs on HireArt—you just need an email address—and once you do, they take care of everything else (like screening applicants). You can also build relationships with potential clients by responding promptly to their questions and concerns via email. And if you recruit someone who gets hired at one of your client companies?
5) An Ecommerce Store
With no initial startup costs, eCommerce is a cost-effective way for women entrepreneurs to launch a business and begin earning income. You can set up your online store using an existing platform (e.g., Shopify), or you can create your own website, where you’ll be responsible for hosting, maintaining, and securing it. Check out Etsy as a source of inspiration—the site is filled with gorgeous products from sellers who are just getting started on their entrepreneurial journey. If you want to sell on Amazon, you can also get started by opening an account through Seller Central. As long as you have inventory stored somewhere that’s eligible for sale on Amazon, you can list items directly on Amazon. Keep in mind that if you don’t already have inventory stored at Amazon fulfillment centers, setting up shop there will require significant investment on your part.
