Are you serious about starting a business?
You can start a business without quitting your full-time job. You don’t have to change your life completely. You don’t have to take huge risks either. There are many ways to can start part-time or side businesses to earn some extra income.
Consider these low-cost business ideas if you are trying to make some extra cash:
Pet Counselor:
Humans love their pets. There are countless products and services pet lovers are happy to pay for. If you find yourself being very intuitive with animals, you can be the next dog whisperer! Do you have any idea how much they make per year? That could be you…
As an animal behavior specialist, you can help pets deal with problems including dogs with anxiety, birds with ADD, and cats with a superiority complex. All you need to commence this venture is a certificate from an organization like the Animal Behavior Institute.
To gain prospective clients, introduce yourself to the local veterinarians. Pet psychologists typically make from $50 and up.
[adrotate group=”4″]House Cleaner:
If you are one of the few people who doesn’t mind cleaning your own home, a cleaning business could be the right fit for you. Given that many people are too lazy to clean their own house, you could make a great deal of cash off of capitalizing off of their laziness!
The cleaning industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the U.S. economy. Additionally, this business does not require a great deal of start-up money. By purchasing a vacuum and Windex, you are in business!
However, finding customers requires work and some creativity. Consider advertising locally on Craigslist or Angie’s List. Additionally, you can create brochures that advertise your services and distribute them to local stores in your neighborhoods.
If your customers are happy, your house cleaning business will grow by word of mouth marketing.
As far as fees, you should test your price carefully, depending on the size of the house and how busy you are. The more experience you have and the more clients you have, the higher amount you can charge.
You can grow your business to the sectors of office cleaning or garages as well.
Tutor:
If you had the good fortune of being a good student in school, share the wealth! With the competition to be accepted to leading universities, your services will be coveted. Typically tutors make $10 billion annually in the tutoring industry as a whole.
Given the decreased funding and increased budget cuts at public schools, the tutoring business could be quite lucrative.
Startup costs are very inexpensive. You can operate out of your home or your student’s home. Additionally, you can conduct classes on Skype. Most of the large tutoring academies charge between $40 and $50 per hour for group lessons. You could charge even more for private lessons. Even better if you can charge monthly, similar to a membership. Think how gym’s charge. Instead of charging $50 per hour, charge $200 per month. The recurring income will make it easier to grow your business.
[adrotate group=”4″]Virtual Assistant:
Virtual assistants are identical to in-person assistants except that they never – or rarely – meet their bosses face-to-face. All communication is typically conducted via email, phone, skype or Web conference.
VAs perform administrative duties on a contract basis. At times, they also provide a range of specialized services including bookkeeping, market research, even technology troubleshooting. Good VAs can earn between $20 to $75 an hour.
To become a virtual assistant, you can sign up with organizations like the International Virtual Assistants Association or AssistU. Additionally, you can bid on listed jobs on many freelancer sites.
The best way to find new VA clients is through networking.
Building your own agency of trusted VAs is another viable option in this industry.
Online Retailer:
Starting an online store does not require a lot of startup costs. It only takes a few hundred dollars to launch an E-commerce business. For example, eBay charges $20 per month per online store.
If you want to be independent, you can find many companies that sell professional website templates for $100. Shopify will host your business and provide email accounts and technical assistance.
It is advised that you know what you want to sell before you begin and form a niche in your target market for your online store.
Tour Guide Operator:
If you love where you live and enjoy taking friends and family members to unique places, then you could easily start a successful tourism business. Facebook makes advertising quite easy. Yelp also is a great place to list yourself as a local expert. Use Google Maps to design unique tour experiences for your clients.
Finally, you can cater your tours to activities that you love. A bike tour or a tour based on your love of art are both viable ideas to create your niche in the market.
Once your business becomes successful, you can hire more guides and expand.
Home Caterer/Personal Chef:
Many families now have both parents working and don’t have time to prepare healthy meals. You can make a great deal of money providing food to these families. If you are a good cook, you will soon be in high demand.
The personal chef business is one of the fastest growing in the country. It reached $1.2 billion in 2010. One of the things that make this business so appealing is that you don’t need a great deal of money to get started. That being said, it is essential to check local zoning laws before you get started.
Poop Scooper:
Given that pet owners hate picking up after their pets, there is a significant demand for pooper-scoopers. No joke. There is a huge market for this less than glamorous but necessary service.
You can get started by purchasing a $10 pooper-scooper and a pocket full of plastic bags.
You can build your workforce by hiring local kids. Try to keep your clients in the same local neighborhoods. Pretty soon you will be capturing a significant part of the $47.7 billion pet care market.
Party Planner:
If you love to party, becoming a party planner is a viable business opportunity for you. As a party planner, you will be in charge of hiring a caterer, finding the entertainment, creating invitations and party favors, contracting equipment rental companies, and choosing the decor for the occasion.
You could serve a wide array of occasions including anniversaries, corporate events, weddings, bar mitzvahs, and baby showers.
If you decide to enter this business, you should use your social connections to get your first clients. For payment, consider working hourly or for a flat fee. With many weddings exceeding $50,000, there is a great deal of money to be made.
Wellness Instructor:
Since so many Americans struggle with their weight, it is a great idea to become a part of the fitness industry. Employment in the fitness industry is expected to increase by 29 percent in 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
You can begin my training clients at your local gym. Instead of buying equipment, invest your money on website development and advertising. You can also put up flyers in local stores.
Getting certified can be beneficial to you. Some national certification programs such as the American Council on Exercise, International Sports Association, and American Fitness Professionals and Associates provide the necessary education and training to become successful in this field.
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photo credit: Tour group
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