Everyone needs to eat, and food is one of the first things to come to mind when thinking of business ideas. Just keep in mind that getting the necessary licenses and staff is no easy task. If you live in a rural area and have access to an extra plot of land, this would be a great business idea for you to start on the side. Though what is considered healthy food has shifted and changed frequently over this period of time, the general concept of eating healthier to live longer and look your best is not going anywhere.
Small Town Business Ideas
When planning bbusiness startup, entrepreneurs may be tempted by the innovative atmosphere of the Silicon Valley or other large urban landscapes. But plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs exist in small town America. There are whole new sets of challenges, trends and other factors for small town entrepreneurs to consider. But there are advantages as well like lower costs and lower competition. And with the internet there is, of course, the option of reaching those larger markets while you and your staff enjoy a lower standard of living where your money goes further — especially in the lean years. Here are 50 different business ideas that you can start in a small town.
Subscribe to ShopKeep’s Small Business Hub
One of the primary worries of small business owners around the globe is how to make sure their enterprise makes money. You need your business to not only make money but you need it to make a profit after you have paid your overhead expenses. The financial definition of profit is the balance of total revenue less than your total expenses. Far too many times people sink their time and money into small businesses that are losers. Why do they do it? Because they wanted to do a particular thing and forgot the basic law of business profitably; there has to be market demand. It doesn’t matter if you’re a supremely talented butcher if you set up your meat shop in a strictly vegetarian town!
50 Best Small Town Business ideas for Small Towns That Will Stick and Thrive in 2020
When planning a startup, entrepreneurs may be tempted by the innovative atmosphere of the Silicon Valley or other large urban landscapes. But plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs exist in small town America.
There are whole new sets of challenges, trends and other factors for small town entrepreneurs to consider. But there are advantages as well like lower costs and lower competition. And with the internet there is, of course, the option of reaching those larger markets while you and your small city business that make money enjoy a lower standard of living where your money goes further — especially in the lean years.
Here are 50 businesss business ideas that you can start in a small town. So you could potentially fill a gap in the market with your own small town coffee shop. But especially if you have enough space to monsy food on your property, you can build a lucrative business by selling those items at your own stand. So you can set up your own smaller tha selling a variety of food products. In addition, your town might not have quite as much variety in the way of restaurants.
So if you have a specialty, like making Thai food for instance, you could start your own restaurant in that niche. Or you could focus on providing food to consumers in a different way. Ice cream is another food niche that could be popular in many small towns. Or you could sell products or homemade food items at your own roadside stand, as long as you have a place along a main thoroughfare. Flea markets can also be great venues for small town entrepreneurs to sell their goods.
You can make your own handmade items or even resell products at your own flea market stand. You could also set up your own shop for handmade goods on a site like Etsy. And living in a rural area or small town could potentially give you access to some really unique supplies. Additionally, you can sometimes find great vintage furniture pieces in small towns and then give them new life before reselling.
There are plenty of online platforms like Redbubble and Society6 that you can use makke design your own t-shirts and similar goods no matter where you live. Noney you have the ability to sew and alter clothing, you could start your own clothing alterations business and have people send or bring you their items for alteration. So you can start your own freelance writing business and save money on a variety of different expenses. Or you could start your own blog and make money from ads, affiliate links or selling products again taking advantage of the lower standard living and services — so long as maje have adequate internet access.
Virtual assistants are also largely location-independent. So that can be another great opportunity for entrepreneurs to work from home in a small town and with a much lower standard of living. Or you could offer a variety of different graphic design services for clients, including logos, branding and other elements. But you could potentially start your own mobile retail store in a camper or similar vehicle and then sell items at fairs or events in the area.
Bookshops can also be popular in a variety of different markets. So you can start your own store either in a physical location or online.
Or you might open a store that sells a variety of different secondhand products. This might especially appeal to those in small towns with a lower standard of living who are looking for a way to make their money moeny. Small towns also afford entrepreneurs the ability to invest in fairly large homes, like the kind you can use to start your own bed and breakfast. If your small town offers some charm or history that could attract tourists, then you could potentially start your own tour guide business to target those consumers.
For those who live in rural areas where homes come with lots of land, you could also start your own working farm and run it as a business that provides food, tours or other products or services. Or if you prefer growing flowers, thxt can start your own floral shop and sell different flower varieties or even make more advanced products like wedding centerpieces.
Rural areas often mean that homeowners have lots of yard and outdoor space to take care of. So you bueiness certainly start a successful business in the landscaping arena. If you have the necessary skills, you could also start a business where you offer house painting services to local homeowners. Skilled trades like plumbing are also in high demand no matter where you live. So that could be another potentially tht business idea. You could also start a more general handyman business thqt you provide a variety of different home repair and maintenance services.
Computer repair is another area where consumers might need help, no matter what type of market you set up shop in. Or you could set up a location-independent business where you offer IT support to businesses and other clients over the phone or online. If you live in an area where there are a lot of historic homes and buildings, you could specialize in providing restoration and repair services for those buildings.
Small towns and rural areas offer a lot of great scenery that can lend itself to great landscape photography.
You could also offer your services to local clients as an event plannerespecially if your small town has an active businses community. Dogs also need grooming services, regardless of location. So you could open up your own grooming business in a small town or rural area. Microbrewing has become a huge industry with customers tiring of big brands and seeking a more unique alternative. You could then either sell it locally — especially if your small community has a sizable tourist influx — or seek distribution in larger markets where consumers are hungry for more variety.
Or you could ferment or sell your own wine productsthough this is likely to require even more space and specialized equipment. If you have a lot of outdoor space, you could also start a seasonal business where you grow and sell Christmas trees to consumers who are willing to go a bit out of their way for real trees. You could use your outdoor space to create a corn maze and then charge admission during the fall months each year.
Or if you have animals on your farm, you could charge admission for consumers who want to come and pet or visit with the animals. You could also write books or ebooks from basically any type of location. And small towns or rural areas can sometimes be great for writers looking to get inspired.
If you have specific skills to share, you could create and sell your own online courses. Again, this can be done from anywhere given adequate internet access. Or if your small town has an interesting or unique history, you could start your own museum dedicated to the area. This again would be moneg effective if you live in a small town with a considerable tourist industry or if you could adequately promote it outside the area making it a tourist destination in its own right.
There are plenty of opportunities. People will always have needs that you maake fulfill for a fee. Unfortunately not everyone comes from a family with the last name Bush, Trump or Clinton. My favorite one is, if I had a bunch of useless land, would be planting a cheap, easy to maintain plants and trees like Christmas trees and herbs. Food will always be a hit.
The thing about millenials nowadays is that they no longer buy just for the food. They are usually willing to spend their money for the experience. Thank you for your post. This is excellent information. It is amazing and wonderful to visit your site. It really gives me an insight on this topic. Great and timely article, should be a monthly reminder article! Love the small business entrepreneur spirit!
Thanks again for sharing it! Love to see trades like carpentry, painting, handyman, etc on the list. Starting a service business is a great way to be your own boss. I am glad I read your article.
I live in an isolated small town and there are no jobs so I need to create my. I started writing a blog a few years ago and planting a garden. I always thought these things could be profitable but it is easier said than.
However, at least I know I am on the right track. Pingback: Recent Grads: Should they stay or should they go? Your email address will not be published. All rights reserved. Powered by. Email this Article Print This Article. Annie Pilon is a Senior Staff Writer for Small Business Trends, covering entrepreneur profiles, interviews, feature stories, community news and in-depth, expert-based guides. Aira Bongco January 15, at pm. Annie Pilon January 17, at am. Tom September 4, at am.
Ivan January 15, at pm. Anjeles July 26, at pm. BizEpic January 15, at pm. Dwayne Graves January 18, at am. Steve Whitby January 23, at am. Travis March cify, at pm. Rajendra Reddy March vusiness, at am. Chad Walls — Fitness Blog April 2, at am. Mark December 18, at am.
50 Best Small Town Business ideas for Small Towns That Will Stick and Thrive in 2020
Skip to content. Chicken coops setup company There may be people who need help with building custom chicken coops for their property. It is a business that takes care of the elderly and of course there will always be the aged among us who would need this type of services from time to time. People will always have needs that you can fulfill for a fee. Thanks again for sharing it! It can be an integral part of a farm or a great way for a family to provide a food source eggs for neighbors and themselves.
Comments
Post a Comment