The 49 Best Business Ideas In Barbados [2022]
Interested in starting a business in Barbados in 2022?
We put together 49 of the best businesses you can start in Barbados today.
In this list of ideas, you can find:
- Home-based businesses to start in Barbados
- Profitable online business ideas
- Unique business opportunities for Barbados
- Low investment business ideas (under $5k to start)
- Easy businesses you can start in Barbados today
For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples, revenue expectations for each idea, + a step-by-step on how to start your small business in Barbados.
Here's the full list:
1. Start an online advertising agency ($410K/month)
An online advertising agency provides business owners with a wide range of marketing services to help them reach targeted customers and consequently increase product or service sales.
Services offered by online advertising agencies include creating ads, planning marketing campaigns, deciding the best platforms for reaching the target audience, and analyzing performance to help businesses make strategic marketing and advertising decisions.
Luis Camacho started Fantôm Agency, a online advertising agency, over 4 years ago:
Hello, my name is Luis Camacho and I am the founder of Fantôm Agency and also the host of the SaaS AdLab podcast, which is a podcast where I interview SaaS founders to learn more about their story. Fantôm is a digital advertising agency which focuses on helping mid-to-late stage SaaS (software as a service) companies scale through paid advertising channels such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Fantôm focuses entirely on paid advertising, I guess you could say that’s the bread and butter, it’s what I’m great at but it’s also what I’m most passionate about. There were attempts to enter different service offerings but did not have as much fun doing so. Now when clients have the need for other types of marketing, say, email marketing, I point them to one of my trusted partners who are able to execute and over-deliver on such service for them. Currently, Fantôm is making roughly $8,600 per month overhead is only a couple of hundred dollars per month, about $300, which go towards tools and software needed in order to provide the best possible results for clients.
2. Start an online fitness business ($15.8K/month)
Thinking of starting an online fitness business?
Online fitness is growing rapidly in popularity because it's convenient, affordable, and accessible to everyone. The best part is that you don't have to leave your home to start
Starting an online fitness business can be a great way to make money and help people. When you start an online fitness business, you don't have to worry about overhead costs like rent or maintaining a physical location - all you need is a computer and internet connection to get started.
Ryan Milton started TeamFFLEX, a online fitness business, over 8 years ago:
I was once just an out of shape, overweight guy with a goal to make a change. I started my health and fitness journey by losing 90lbs. The discipline and drive it took to go from never exercising at all to achieving such significant weight loss taught me a lot about goals and how to attain them.
TeamFFLEX is my online personal training platform that coaches athletes, Hollywood actors, professional musicians and everyday people all around the world. Starting with literally 0 dollars and a hell of a lot of drive I successfully built my business into the 6 figures in less than a year. Today, TeamFFLEX LLC does $48,000 a month and is growing continually month after month.
3. Start an affiliate marketing business ($290K/month)
Are you looking for a side hustle that will pay you a passive income? Affiliate marketing is one of those side hustles that will pay you well over the long-term.
To get started, learn how to find the right product and find the right brand to partner with. You may prefer becoming an affiliate marketer for an eCommerce store or partner with a manufacturer, and market their products for a commission.
Patrick Hess started AFH Media LLC, a niche blog, over 7 years ago:
My name is Patrick Hess and I am the creator of Bar Games 101, a website about a wide variety of games to play with your friends and family.
As our library of game-focused content expands, traffic is increasing as well, with over 200K monthly unique visitors and revenue over $4,000 for the month of August.
4. Start an IT company ($5K/month)
Marvin Collins Hosea started Apps:Lab, a IT company, over 5 years ago:
My name is Marvin Hosea, I have been developing software for more than five years now and I am the founder and lead at Apps: Lab KE. We are a team of expert software developers, data analysts, and designers specializing in problem-solving using technology and data for businesses and communities.
We specialize in software development and that is what is generating 85% revenue for the company. The other 15% revenue is generated by in house projects, one of them is our on-demand food delivery mobile application known as LetaFood operating in one city in Kenya at the moment, Eldoret. All revenue from our services and flagship projects generates $3,500 per month.
We are good at what we do and that is software development as stated by our slogan Heart of Tech
5. Start a travel agency ($138K/month)
Are you a passionate traveler with entrepreneurial skills? Then starting a travel agency can be a great career choice for you.
As a travel agency, you'll be responsible for providing all the travel and tourism-related services such as accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, tour guides, local adventure, etc.
Starting an online travel agency is a lot easier than you might think. You'll need to perform market research, get a few necessary certifications (such as your IATA number), study competition, build a website, and do proper marketing.
Marissa Daniels started Spread Your Wings Travel, a travel agency, over 3 years ago:
Hey! My name is Marissa Daniels, and I am a millennial travel agent! I began Spread Your Wings Travel in February of 2019. Prior to 2019, I wanted an extra source of income just to have an extra cushion. I did mystery shopping, took surveys online, drove for Postmates and DoorDash, worked at a grocery store, anything I could find for extra money. I also did, and still do Brand Ambassador events as well- but those things didn’t fulfill me. I was doing them to get extra money, but it didn’t have a purpose and it wasn’t paying me as much as I wanted, so I stopped it all and just gave it to God. I let Him handle it.
Spread Your Wings Travel offers all-inclusive vacations (most under $1000 per person), cruises, luxury villas, cabins, domestic travel and more! The main thing that people like about my business is that I have a payment plan option. I like to have that option for them because not everyone is able to pay for a vacation upfront.
6. Start a clothes business ($125K/month)
Starting a clothing manufacturing business can be a lucrative and great opportunity. In fact, clothing manufacturing is expected to grow due to increase demand for quality clothing items around the world.
It's important that you first determine your niche in the clothing manufacturing world, whether that be streetwear clothing, fitness and athletic, or leisure.
Donovan Mathews started Bryden Apparel, a fashion supply business, about 8 years ago:
Hello from sunny Singapore! My name is Donovan and I am the founder of Bryden.
I started Bryden back in 2015 with my partner and we are now a team of 8, with an average monthly revenue of $74,000 and serving customers in more than 20 countries from French Polynesia to USA.
Some of the designs we made for our clients at Bryden
7. Start a shipping company ($20K/month)
A shipping company can be a great business to start. You can get the support and training that you need to run a successful small business. You may already have some of the resources at hand. This could include what you need to transport goods and a vehicle or two that you can use to get these materials from point X to point Y.
Shipping is a crowded industry. Starting your own shipping company isn't as hard as it used to be. With the explosion in eCommerce, there's an increasing demand for small package shipping. Becoming a shipping company entrepreneur has its rewards. Shipping is an area where there's a lot of potentials to earn bounties, it serves as a good source of income.
Dvir Edri started Car Shipping Calculator, a shipping company, over 11 years ago:
Hi! I’m Dvir and I run Nationwide Auto Transportation. NAT is an auto shipping broker, which means that we connect consumers in need of car shipping services with truckers who transport vehicles across the United States.
Since the inception of our company 12 years ago, we have served more than 50,000 customers - many multiple times. We ship approximately 4,000 vehicles per month.
Transporting the Batmobile
8. Start a voice over service ($40K/month)
Mony Raanan started Voice Crafters, a voice over service, over 13 years ago:
Hi, my name is Mony Raanan, and I’m the founder of Voice Crafters, a multilingual voice-over agency and marketplace.
Voice Crafters operated as an agency until early 2020, at which point we launched our online marketplace. This move essentially helped double our revenue and we’re on track to making at least $500,000 in 2021 with a bottom line of around 40%.
9. Start a mobile photography ($40.1K/month)
Want to start your own photography business? You're not alone. With the rise of social media and photo-sharing, blogging, and online retailing, it's never been easier to start making money behind your camera.
There are photographers shooting weddings, creating images for ad campaigns, freelancing for magazines, touring the world taking photographs of destinations — the list is endless!
Tsour Lee Adato started Product Photography Studio, a mobile photography , ago:
Hi! My name is Tsour Lee Adato and I am the founder of Pro Photo Studio. I started my product photography business over 5 years ago while living in New York. Pro Photo Studio specializes in high-end commercial photography and also caters to the average eCommerce online seller who sells on platforms like Amazon and Etsy.
The company began realizing a profit very quickly, in the first quarter after opening and year over year profits have increased while the cost of customer acquisition has decreased. Currently, the company makes approximately $350k per year and is on its way to becoming a 7 figure business.
10. Start a financial consulting business ($12K/month)
Evan Bleker started Net Net Hunter, a financial consulting business, over 9 years ago:
My name is Evan Bleker, I’m an investor and entrepreneur. I started a company called Net Net Hunter, a membership community focused on a niche value investment strategy. The core of the strategy is buying cheap stocks, incredibly cheap stocks.
We now offer a list of roughly 1000 international net-nets and filter through them by hand to identify the top 40 or 50 to focus our research efforts on. Along the way, I’ve collected a lot of bits and pieces written about net investing and packaged them into a learning resource. We added a community forum to share ideas and help members connect. This has been very popular. Investment analysis came later.
11. Start a virtual assistant business ($176K/month)
Virtual assistants support businesses, teams, or individuals by performing administrative tasks remotely.
As more businesses outsource more roles, the demand for virtual assistants is growing rapidly. You can find employment opportunities across a wide span of industries.
Julmar Grace Locsin started FVA Business Consultancy, a career coaching business, ago:
Hi, I am Julmar Grace Locsin, and I am the owner and co-founder of Filipino Virtual Assistance by FVA Business Consultancy. FVA offers online and offline training, coaching, consulting, workshops, services, franchising-related virtual assistance, offshoring, outsourcing, and remote work for brands and businesses, here and abroad.
Our very mission is to equip freelancers, empower marketers, and enable businesses. We envision FVA for global digital leadership that will impact the world through digitalization, one life at a time. FVA has three arms, namely FVA Online Academy- have trained 25,000 students from our 31 courses, FVA Services- from training to hiring programs, and FVA Franchising with 16 Coaches assigned from different territories. And we are fifteen in the FVA team, including FVA co-founder Jay Locsin and me.
12. Start a graphic design business ($43.8K/month)
Graphic designers create logos, brochures, ads, and other marketing materials for companies and organizations. They also design websites and other digital content, including social media graphics.
Graphic designers may specialize in one type of design (such as print or web design), or they can be generalists who do everything from logo design to social media graphics.
Starting a graphic design business can be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do. It's not easy, but if you're passionate about design and want to make a living from it, starting your own graphic design business is a great way to go.
Scott Tarcy started caddesignhelp.com, a graphic design business, over 7 years ago:
My name is Scott Tarcy. I started CADdesignhelp.com.
There are so many project examples but an interesting one in the early years was a portable vacuum to clean up dog poop when you walk your day. It was called the “Vacapoo”
13. Start a real estate business ($146K/month)
T. Cory Lewis started T. C. Lewis & Co. Real Estate, a real estate business, over 16 years ago:
My name is Cory Lewis, and my company is called T. C. Lewis & Co. We are a real estate investment and management firm operating mainly in the Appalachian mountain region of the Southeastern United States. We are a licensed real estate brokerage in multiple states, and that allows us to identify, project, negotiate, and broker deals for our clients for commercial and investment properties. Following the acquisition, we manage the performance of the investment and/or the improvements to the investment through our Property Management and Construction Divisions. We now represent clients from all over the world investing in the Appalachians.
We now have a small corporate office in downtown Asheville, North Carolina supporting regional offices around the Appalachians. The firm has been named to Inc. magazine’s list of the Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in America (no. 128), seventh fastest growing real estate company in America, named to the Financial Times inaugural 1000 Fastest Growing Businesses in the Americas list, named Best of Property Management for eight years running, named Community Supporter of the Year, been given the Tennessee Small Business Excellence Award, named Builder of the Year, named One of the 10 Best Brokers in Tennessee, and various other recognitions.
14. Start a blog ($16.7K/month)
In recent years, blogging has become a highly sought-after & lucrative Business. This is location-independent business is a creative outlet to reach a broader audience. According to Optinmonster's list of blogging statistics and facts:
- Blogs have been rated as the 5th most trustworthy source of gathering online information.
- 77% of internet users read blogs.
- Each month, approximately 409 million people view more than 20 billion pages.
Originally blogging started as an online journal, but today it is a highly profitable career option. Many people are choosing blogging as their full-time career and are earning their bread and butter from this profession.
If you want to start blogging as a side hustle or as a full-time profession, first choose a niche you will enjoy writing about and have a content strategy ready. Then, create a mailing list, and decide on a good blog posting routine to keep your audience engaged.
Michelle Schroeder started Making Sense of Cents, a finance blog, almost 11 years ago:
Hello! My name is Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, and I run Making Sense of Cents, a personal finance and lifestyle website that helps readers earn more, save more, and live more.
I earn around $100,000 a month from Making Sense of Cents and have made over $5,000,000 from it over the years. Much of it is profit, as my expenses are extremely low. I am the only full-time employee of my business, but I do outsource some work. I have a virtual assistant, an editor, and a technical manager.
15. Start a SEO agency ($1.19M/month)
An SEO agency is a company that provides search engine optimization services to businesses. The function of an SEO agency is to help businesses rank higher in the search engines through organic or paid means.
SEO is a rapidly growing industry, with experts across all aspects of the field already making six-figure incomes and expecting to see these types of earnings grow dramatically over the next few years. Getting into SEO today, before it gets too saturated, will allow you to establish a strong base in a new career, with a great chance for success.
It's easier than ever to start your own SEO agency. The tools are there and the competition isn't as stiff as it used to be. If you're considering starting an SEO or digital marketing agency it might be a good idea to learn how other digital agencies succeed.
Alan Silvestri started Growth Gorilla, a SEO agency, about 4 years ago:
Hey there! My name is Alan Silvestri and I’m the founder of Growth Gorilla, a link building service for SaaS companies (Software as a Service). I started the company end of summer 2018 so it’s been going for a little less than a year.
The company has grown from zero to 10k in monthly recurring revenue mostly in the last 7 months and most of our clients have stayed with us for a minimum of 4 months, so we’re pretty happy with how things are going and excited for the future!
16. Start a language translation service ($275K/month)
Cédric Sigoire started DEMAN Übersetzungen , a language translation service, about 7 years ago:
Hello, my name is Cédric Sigoire and I am the owner of the DEMAN Translations group.
We will reach more than 6 million euros in the year 2021 and my target for 2022 is 10 million euros!
17. Start an online video editing business ($4K/month)
Sabba Keynejad started VEED, a online video editing business, almost 4 years ago:
Hey, I am Sabba and I am the co-founder of VEED.IO along with my partner in crime Tim. We are a London-based bootstrapped startup. Our web app, VEED, is a simple online video editing platform that allows users to do a bunch of cool stuff like auto subtitle videos, add video effects, add music, trim, rotate videos and much more all in the browser.
We launched just over a year ago, started charging 4 months ago and as of this interview, we are at $5,300 MRR and are just about profitable (Ramen profitable).
18. Become a mobile personal trainer ($30K/month)
Do you love helping people through their fitness journey? If you are looking for a great side hustle to earn extra income, consider becoming a personal trainer. The fitness trainer side hustle can be an adamant industry to earn good money. However, once you develop a reputation as a good trainer, you can get more clients through referrals. You need to register for the certification course to start offering personal trainer services. To attract your first clients, consider online advertising, and seek referrals from every customer.
Chris Anderson started Live Fit, a mobile personal trainer, over 11 years ago:
Hey everyone! I am Chris and in March 2011 I started Live Fit. Live Fit is a personal training company that was created to change the standards in the personal training industry. Early on I focused on building a company that is not only based on results, as most fitness companies are, but that is also focused very heavily on relationships. Relationships create trust, trust creates buy-in, and buy-in leads to the accountability and dedication it takes to get results.
19. Become an interior designer ($110K/month)
Interior design involves making indoor spaces safe, functional, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting essential and decorative items such as colors, lighting, and materials.
The global luxury interior design market is growing at a CAGR of 9.0%. The growth metrics show there is great potential for entrepreneurs targeting households.
If you are starting a luxury interior design business, focus on style and specialty. Add valuables with creative professions such as interior design, so you stand out from the rest. Ensure you hire the right people and hone the brand identity.
Remember, the path to a successful interior design business is often riddled with trial and error.
Annemarie diSalvo started diSalvo Interiors, a interior designer, ago:
Well, to make a long story short, my mother and I started this company together in 1996. I was working as a staff interior designer at a private firm in NYC, and my mother, Rosemarie was the manager of the Estate and Trust department at a large Law Firm. We both HATED our jobs and dreamed of doing our 'own thing'. We had no idea what that looked like, and so we turned to our passion..antiques and design.
That passion has morphed into a boutique design firm that boasts over 1M in annual revenue and has completed hundreds of trophy projects.
20. Become a proofreader ($2K/month)
Proofreading business is a service that helps customers review their written work, and ensure it is ready for publication. Typically, a proof reader corrects any grammatical errors and ensures the written piece meets any relevant style guide. If you plan to start a professional proofreading business, make sure you possess the following skills:
- Have a great grasp of grammar
- Ability to correct mistakenly capitalized words
- Familiarity with the proper use of capitalization
- Use spell-checkers to flag misspelt words
Proofreading is a great way to enhance content quality. With the increased use of written content marketing to reach wider market, the demand for professional proofreaders increases tremendously. Professional proofreaders earn an average of $12/hr. and $30/hr.
Therefore, whether you are looking for a great side hustle idea or simply looking for ways to increase your income, consider proofreading as a business.
Lenny Bron started The Blog Proofreader, a proofreader, about 6 years ago:
Hi, my name is Lenny Bron, and I am The Blog Proofreader. I’m the annoying grammar police person you’ve always been tired of hearing from every time you use an ellipses incorrectly in a Facebook post you wrote 3 years ago.
I’ve been able to build my business from scratch to consistently make ~$2,000 per month with zero experience in the field, no expenses, and barely any upfront costs.
21. Become an airbnb host
If you have an extra room that is not in use, short-term rentals like Airbnb hosting can be a profitable side hustle. You can list your room on Airbnb for $40 per night and generate enough income to take care of your recurring bills. To start Airbnb host side hustle, decide the rental arrangement you want, set up the space, create your Airbnb listing, and market the space.
Gary Fox started Host Butlers, a airbnb management company, almost 7 years ago:
My name is Gary Fox, and I run HostButlers, an Airbnb concierge service in Dublin, Ireland.
Since we started nearly four years ago, we have hosted over 200,000 people and have been profitable from month 5.
22. Become an IT consultant ($2.1K/month)
An IT consultant is an external analyst in charge of evaluating a company’s IT systems and helping them meets its business objectives. IT consultants analyze and diagnose a company’s IT infrastructure, understand the client’s needs, and design solutions to help companies' IT problems.
Dan Khadem started Access Database Support, a IT consultant, over 10 years ago:
My everyone. My name is Dan Khadem. I’m from Denver, Colorado and have a wife and 2 kids. I might have the most interesting or unique story because I have two very opposite things going on in my life. For my first business, I started a database consulting service for small and medium-sized organizations. This is using my technical skills and is very much using the Type A side of my personality. On the other end of the spectrum I do commercial acting and modeling. This is essentially for advertising in the form of print ads and commercials.
The rest of my side income comes from the database consulting service. Unfortunately, time is my limiting factor otherwise I’d grown the consulting business to larger than what it currently is.
I never thought I’d be wearing makeup in this life.
23. Start a freelancer platform ($1.21M/month)
Freelancer platform is a place where people come with skills and services to offer and people come who need those skills and services. So we can say freelancer platforms are a marketplace for sellers and buyers of services and skills.
The freelancing industry is growing rapidly and it's becoming a popular career option for people who are "non-traditional" employees. The global Freelance Platforms market size is expected to reach $6.7B by the year 2025. While working on a full-time job, freelancers simultaneously work on a freelance career. The platforms available online help them to increase their business by attracting new clients.
With all of the businesses looking for help on their websites, it would be a good idea to start a freelancer platform. Freelance platforms do well because people have jobs that need to be done and businesses have the resources to pay for the job at hand.
Al Caan started CloudDevs, a freelancer platform, over 2 years ago:
Hello! I’m one of the co-founders of CloudDevs. We started this company in 2019 with a mission to change things around in the tech talent-hiring industry. We launched for sales in March of 2020, right before the initial lockdown due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
We are proud to say that within our first year of sales, we reached 1 Million USD in GMV, and we are aiming higher this year.
24. Start a content writing company ($30.2K/month)
It's never been easier to make money doing freelance content writing.
Dani Mancini started Scribly.io, a content writing company, almost 4 years ago:
Hi! My name's Dani, founder of Scribly.io - you can’t see me but I’m waving at you 👋
Last month Scribly.io topped $14K monthly revenue. That was a really big moment for me, and a bit of a turning point. What started out as a 'let's try and see' project has now become my full-time job with ambitious growth plans 🙌.
25. Start a waste management business ($100K/month)
Waste management is a booming industry with a lot of potential for growth. Waste management companies are in charge of collecting and transporting waste from households, businesses and other sources. They also collect recyclable materials and sell them to recycling centers.
The market for waste management is huge, but it may be difficult to enter due to the high capital requirements. However, if you have the resources and expertise, there's a lot of opportunity in this industry.
Dustin started SOCO Waste, a waste management business, over 5 years ago:
Hi! My name is Dustin Maze. I am the owner of SOCO Waste, a locally owned and operated residential waste removal business based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Originally the loan provided a trailer and 5 dumpsters. We now have 51 dumpsters, two roll off dumpster delivery trucks and two residential garbage trucks. We are projecting $700-800k in sales for 2020.
26. Start a podcast ($36.6K/month)
Do you have knowledge and passion that you'd love to share with other people? Or perhaps you are a content creator and looking for ways to expand your revenue streams? If you match any of these criteria, then becoming a podcast host could be the perfect opportunity for you.
Podcasts are the new radio. Podcasting is one of the fastest-growing mediums for online audio, and it's not expected to slow down any time soon. But unlike traditional radio, podcasts are driven by content creators who have a passion for sharing stories with their listeners.
One of the main benefits that come with starting a podcast is the minimal investment needed to get started. All you need is a computer or phone with a microphone and a way to host it online. You can even create one on your own website if you want.
Jeremy Enns started Counterweight Creative, a podcast, about 6 years ago:
Hey there! I’m Jeremy Enns, the founder and Storyteller In Chief at Counterweight Creative, a podcast production and strategy agency.
I started the company 3 years ago, in 2016 with one client, making $15/hour and have grown into a team of 10 contractors producing more than 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10K/mo.
27. Start a tutoring business ($110K/month)
Starting a tutoring side hustle is a great way for teachers and students to earn extra income every month. If you consider becoming a tutor, find an ideal tutoring niche, and craft a tutoring website. Find your tutoring clients and market your side hustle online. You can choose to offer online tutoring as a part-time engagement or a full-time engagement.
Adam Shlomi started SoFlo Tutors, a tutoring business, over 3 years ago:
Hey everyone! My name is Adam Shlomi and I am a 22-year-old senior at Georgetown University from South Florida. I am the founder of SoFlo SAT Tutoring, an online SAT/ACT tutoring company that provides exceptional test prep to students across the country. I started this business in my bedroom almost a year ago while I was recovering from ankle surgery. I couldn’t walk for 6 months and SoFlo gave me the motivation to get up in the morning.
SoFlo currently brings in average revenue of $15,000 a month and has seen a linear increase in student sign-ups each month since its official inception in March 2019. Since our customer lifetime is short –our students study for and take the SAT, get the score they want, and then no longer require our services– we invest in and rely heavily on the quality of the service we provide to attract future customers. Happy customers and significant score increases have helped spread the word and grow the brand.
28. Start a dropshipping business ($12K/month)
Dropshipping allows you to start your online e-commerce store without stock-keeping. Therefore, you do not need huge capital, and the risk is minimal because the manufacturer is responsible for the inventory and ships it directly to the customer. Therefore, your responsibility remains marketing and offering customer service. To succeed, you need a mastery of online marketing and a focus on improving customer experience.
Kamil Sattar started E-commerce Mentoring , a business coach, over 5 years ago:
Hello, my name is Kamil Sattar. I am an entrepreneur who’s developed many six-figure drop shipping businesses. I’ve also created systems to maximize opportunities in different markets and I’ve started companies in many industries. One of those companies specializes in helping people who are seeking to create drop ship companies of their own.
That’s the best part of it. The techniques that I have learned are replicable. You can rinse and repeat and create new drop shipping stores.
Of course, with every store that I open, I am able to learn new things. With every new thing that I learn, it helps me improve my system that I use to create these six and seven-figure stores and it helps me improve my process for helping others generate their stores.
29. Start a niche web design business ($63.8K/month)
Niche web design business focuses on a specialized market such as law, home improvement, videography, fashion, etc. typically, when a web designer niches down their services, they are simply choosing to concentrate on one industry and create websites for businesses within the particular niche. To become a niche web designer, consider honing the following skills and personal qualities:
- Visual design, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Strong communication skills
- Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Teamwork and research skills
- Attention to detail
Narrowing your focus to a particular niche gives you a higher chance at becoming a recognized expert and places you in a better position to charge more for your services.
Scott Bishop started Up And Social, a niche web design business, about 8 years ago:
Hi, I'm Scott and I am the founder of Up And Social, a Boston web design and SEO company that specializes in helping small businesses.
Currently, we’re doing over $20,000 in sales each month and continue to grow at a comfortable pace.
30. Start an online course sales business
Rahul Alim started Custom Creatives, a online course sales business, over 17 years ago:
Hey Everyone, my name is Rahul Alim and I am the founder of Custom Creatives, a Digital Marketing Agency that helps connect business owners with their dream client, AKA, The Peoples Agency.
Monthly revenue is often the indicator many people use to determine the success of an agency or individual. While I don’t disagree, I put more emphasis on the success of our clients and the fact that we retain clients for many years, and in our case, many for over a decade. We have consistently been over 7-figures year over year.
31. Start a stock video business ($10K/month)
Eduard Stinga started VideoPlasty, a stock video business, over 5 years ago:
I’m Eduard Stinga, founder of VideoPlasty, a platform for stock animation and GIF images.
Since we launched, more than 600,000 people have visited our platform over the years, with 2020 being our best year so far, the year we finally cleared the first legendary milestone for any startup, registering our first six-figure year with a little over $100k in revenue. And we’re just getting started!
32. Start a pet company
Starting a pet business requires a lot of hard work and dedication, but it's well worth it. Not only will you be able to spend more time with your pets, but you'll also be able to provide them with a better life.
There's no shortage of products or services you can offer when starting a pet business. From food to toys to grooming services—the list goes on and on!
You can offer these services at home or another location that suits you best (such as at an animal shelter). This means that not only will you be able to make money doing something you love while also helping others—but you'll also get the flexibility needed to do it all from wherever works best for both yourself and your customers (who might not always have time or transportation).
If you love animals and want to make a living from your passion, starting a pet business might be the perfect fit for you.
Melodi Landi started Furry Fellas Pet Service LLC, a dog walking business, about 16 years ago:
Hi. My name is Melodi Landi. I am the Founder & Owner of Furry Fellas Pet Service LLC.
Furry Fellas has been voted in the TOP 3 Pet Sitting / Dog Walking Company within the RI / MA area for 8 years in a row!
33. Start a candle business ($210K/month)
The candle industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.
Candle making was one of the first industries to be industrialized, and now up to 90% of all candles are made by machinery. Yet most of us still make our own candles from home, creating a demand for handcrafted, high quality candles from candle manufacturers even in today's automated world.
A candle business is a worthwhile idea for an entrepreneur who wants to make some extra money in their free time from the comfort of their own home. There are many opportunities for this type of business if you consider it seriously.
DShawn Russell started Southern Elegance Candle Company, a candle business, over 6 years ago:
Hello! My name is D’Shawn Russell and I am the founder and CEO of Southern Elegance Candle Company. I started the company 4 years ago as a side hustle to make some extra money on the weekends and to get me out of the house. But it quickly grew to much more than I expected.
You can check out our brand story video here: Southern Elegance: Candles Crafted In The South
34. Start a car rental business
Gretchen Bayless and Taylor Hood started ROAMERICA, a RV rental business, over 6 years ago:
We are Taylor Hood and Gretchen Bayless, founders of ROAMERICA. A company that specializes in adventure vehicles, including 4wd campervans.
Exterior of one of the 4wd rigs, DELTA
Interior of DELTA
35. Start a webinar hosting business ($897K/month)
Philip Baretto started tiiny.host, a web hosting service business, almost 3 years ago:
Hi everybody, my name is Philip and I’m the founder of Tiiny.Host - the simplest way to host & share your web project online. It’s perfect for prototyping, demos, testing, learning to code, and small web apps.
I started it around 2 years ago and to date, over 40,000 websites have been uploaded. We’re currently at $2,000 MRR (monthly recurring revenue) and doubling every 3 months. It’s been a rollercoaster couple of years, we were making less than $100 MRR for about the first 12 months but revenue then skyrocketed. It just goes to show the trajectory of SaaS businesses on the internet.
36. Start a hotels business
If you are considering starting a hotel, then it is time to set your plan into action. There are five key elements to understand if you want to succeed in this industry: location, size, budget, experience, and market demand.
Here are some tips to consider prior to forming a hotel:
- Name your business
- Decide on a marketing strategy
- Start by renting out a room in your home.
- Hire a business capital broker
- Try AirBnB
- Make a marketing plan
- Offer complementary services
37. Start a proposal software app ($570K/month)
A proposal software app is a program that streamlines the process of creating, sending, and closing proposals, quotes, contracts, and other sales documents. The common users of proposal apps include consultants and business executives who want to generate a personalized and professional-looking proposal. A good example of a proposal software app is Proposify
In creating your proposal app, first, understand how the target users interact with their proposals. Then, provide them with a suite of options so they choose ones that they feel convenient to use. Ensure your software enables the user to produce sleek business proposals quickly.
Typically, the proposal software should be intuitive for any user and should include critical automation and support client interaction tracking, to make proposal creation easy. Build a great product that solves your customer’s pain.
Finally, set up a customer support team that will be directly responsible for guiding customers through the onboarding process, and work towards retaining and expanding accounts.
Kyle Racki started Proposify, a proposal software app, over 9 years ago:
I’m Kyle Racki, CEO and co-founder of Proposify. Proposify is an online business proposal SaaS (software as a service) company that streamlines the process of creating, sending, and closing proposals, quotes, contracts, and other sales documents. We do this by making the process of creating documents faster and more efficient, and by allowing sales teams to send out beautiful, professional sales documents and get them signed.
We currently serve over 8,000 customers, have 75 employees based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and do over $7M in annual recurring revenue (and growing).
38. Start a social media management business
Amanda Shepherd started Social Media Manager Society, a career coaching business, almost 2 years ago:
I’m Amanda Shepherd, the owner and lead mentor at the Social Media Manager Society. Aside from social media consulting to businesses in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries, I created a program to teach other women how to run successful social media businesses so they can have the time and financial freedom they’ve always wanted!
I quit my 9-5 and in one year made almost $100,000 working an average of four hours per day - and still growing!
39. Start a telecommunications business
40. Start a mobile phone cases & accessories kiosk business
JP Brousseau started Phone Loops, a phone case business, over 8 years ago:
Hi, my name is Jean-Philippe Brousseau, I’m a 32-year-old entrepreneur from Canada, Québec. I’m the founder and owner of phoneloops.com. We mainly sell our universal phone strap that provides a secure, yet relaxed grip on mobiles to B2B and B2C markets.
We’ve been in business since 2014 after a successful Kickstarter campaign. We’ve grown exponentially every year since. As of 2018, we’ve sold over one million Loops in 66 countries. We couldn’t be happier and we are super excited about what the future holds.
41. Start an in-home senior care business
Gareth Mahon started The CareSide, a in-home senior care service, almost 5 years ago:
My name is Gareth Mahon. I’m the co-founder and CEO of The CareSide, a home care and nursing service provider for elderly individuals in Australia. We are based in Perth, Australia.
I often like to compare our business to a plumber’s. It’s not the flashiest work. But it’s critical. When you need the help of a plumber, you really need it. The same goes for us. Our customers reach out to us when they need assistance caring for an elderly or disabled family member. In Australia, it’s common for seniors to spend their twilight years living at home rather than transitioning to nursing care facilities. That’s where we come in. We provide services such as nursing care, companion care, and personal care. Our goal is to help seniors maintain their autonomy so they can enjoy themselves and continue to be productive members of society.
We launched our company in 2017. Over the past 3 years, we have scaled to $5 million in revenue.
42. Start an online retail store business
Michael Hagen started Hagan Ski, a ski touring gear, almost 12 years ago:
Hagan makes ski mountaineering gear—exclusively. We focus without distraction on alpine ski touring. We don’t make downhill skis, clothing, hiking boots, or running shoes.
Our focus on high-performance ski mountaineering gear is recognized and appreciated by devoted backcountry skiers and has 50% annual growth in recent years. Hagan is Pure Ski Mountaineering.
43. Open source library
Open-source libraries become a widely used method of software development, stories from some of the top names in the field can help you with your development or help build your confidence in adopting this methodology for your own projects.
Open-source libraries have a lot to offer the world of programming. The potential for improvement and simplification of a wide range of computer applications is huge. However, with so many options available, how are developers and architects to see which ones are right for them? Following open-source library success stories that could help you determine your best options.
John Leider started Vuetify, a web development business, about 5 years ago:
Hello! My name is John Leider and I am the founder of Vuetify, LLC.I started my company to help developers, especially design inept and inexperienced ones, build beautiful web applications.
I monetize by providing digital content and services based around Vuetify, such as paid digital content in the Vuetify store or direct support through consulting. I generate ad revenue by displaying Carbon ads on the majority of pages within the documentation and receive money in the form of donations, or sponsorships, through GitHub and Patreon.
Vuetify puts a large emphasis on its free aspect. Locking extra features or functionality behind a paywall just feels bad. Open Source is about sharing and improving code through community support. Over the years, this philosophy has allowed me to grow a massive user-base and ecosystem surrounding the framework.
44. Start a hotel booking platform
The explosively popular Airbnb, as well as countless similar services, has proven that the market for home and apartment rentals is growing rapidly. As an entrepreneur with a love of travel, you see an opportunity to extend this same model to hotels. That's why you start a hotel booking platform, a place where travelers can search for and book accommodations around the world.
The market size of the online hotel booking platform industry worldwide amounted to nearly $518B in 2020. Starting a hotel booking platform can be so interesting as an idea that can grow rapidly. It doesn't require any license, no inventory — only mobile phones, internet connection, and some motivation to succeed.
45. Start a youtube channel
For anyone looking to start a successful YouTube channel, there are plenty of YouTube channel success stories that can be used as inspiration and encouragement. YouTube has an established monetization system and boasts incredible popularity, making it a potential platform for revenue generation.
In this article, we'll look at different approaches you can use to help promote your channel and grow your viewers. While there's no quick and easy way to success, you can take these tips to build your own YouTube Channel Success story. If you love content creation, you can capitalize on YouTube`s popularity to earn an extra income.
If you are looking to join the Youtube partner program to monetize your channel, you will need to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.
Chhavi Agarwal started Mrs Daaku Studio, a youtube channel, about 4 years ago:
I am Chhavi, the founder and owner of the blog and YouTube channel Mrs Daaku Studio along with my husband Amit.
Our blog, YouTube channel, and products are designed to help you achieve what we have (...and, more).
46. Start a restaurant
Beth Baxter started Camper Cafe, a restaurant, about 11 years ago:
My name is Beth Baxter and I co-founded Camper Cafe, a mobile coffee van business. The idea for our business started with my partner’s love for vintage VW campervans. He had a rusty old shell of a T25 Campervan given to him, that he wanted to convert into a trailer for his motorbikes.
Although we never really thought about this ever becoming more than just a lifestyle business, we found we were turning so much work away from that in 2019 when the company was turning over around £150k from working only 70 days of the year, we decided that I should go full-time to see the potential.
47. Start a dating app
A mobile dating app is one of the most popular mobile-only businesses for creating an ecosystem and generating revenue. But, with the help of a powerful development team, you can surpass all your competitors and create a sleeker end product than anyone else in this market.
Dating apps have made their way into an industry that was gaining enough traction. The online Dating Market size was valued at $7.35B in 2020 and is projected to reach $10.87B by 2028.
48. Start a kids store
The kid's store business is a large market attracting millions of annual global sales and steady growth. If you plan to start a kids store business, you can specialize in clothing, toys, and accessories or sell all of these in one store.
Research the local market to discover what is appealing, and find the best suppliers. Define a business model and apply for applicable licensing. For kids apparel stores, a physical storefront acts as an anchor and helps build a local customer base. An online store will help you reach a wider market as you supply to those outside your locality.
49. Start a virtual call center business
Jaime Nacach started Virtual Latinos, a outsourcing business, over 4 years ago:
Hello, my name is Jaime Nacach, I was born in Mexico and currently live in the beautiful city of San Diego, California. I’m a marketing strategist with a huge passion for technology. Four years ago, I decided to create a new company named Virtual Latinos. I wanted it to be a company that offered services that were beneficial to everyone involved. We call it a Win-Win-Win situation.
Want to start your own business?
Hey! 👋I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.
We interview successful business owners and share the stories behind their business. By sharing these stories, we want to help you get started.
Interested in starting your own business? Join Starter Story Premium to get the greatest companion to starting and growing your business:
- Connect + get advice from successful entrepreneurs
- Step by step guides on how to start and grow
- Exclusive and early access to the best case studies on the web
- And much more!
Did you know that brands using Klaviyo average a 95x ROI?
Email, SMS, and more — Klaviyo brings your marketing all together, fueling growth without burning through time and resources.
Deliver more relevant email and text messages — powered by your data. Klaviyo helps you turn one-time buyers into repeat customers with all the power of an enterprise solution and none of the complexity.
Join Brumate, Beardbrand, and the 265,000 other businesses using Klaviyo to grow their online sales.
"An amazing network of founders that truly want to help each other grow their business."
Last chance to get this download.
