Taking my previous post further, here’s another set of business ideas that are low on investment:
1. Catering With a Twist
Each and every one of us who cooks has his or her special treats, dishes that he or she can rustle up in signature style. Running a catering business around your specialty as a cook might just be the thing to do. Else opting for simple things like just cupcakes, desserts, cookies, pies, bagels and doughtnuts with a hole in the wall shop might be the best thing to do.
Another idea is to work around single food products like fondue, kebabs, sea food, fudge and make your setup a specialty. There is a small but niche market for gluten free foods too. Depending on religious leanings halal foods or Kosher meals are also an option worth exploring.
2. Writing
If you have a way with words then writing is one lucrative business opportunity. Turn resume writer, letter writer, editor, copywriter or go all the way and publish a book. If looking for publishers is not something you want to do then set up a free blog or self publish on platforms like Kindle and test the waters first.
Writing a cook book is another lucrative business opportunity. When you visit a home you will most likely find one or two cook books on a bookshelf. Today cook books have translated in to a good business opportunity so if you have that stack of grandma’s recipes or your own quick fix meals you don’t even need a publisher! Self publishing is something you could try.
3. Translation
This is a lucrative opportunity especially when you know people who look for translation facilities. Tap in to an expat network or set up a business that provides foreign students with translation facilities or connect with companies who look for interpreters and translators.
4. Crowd sourcing
Bank on people power to help companies garner resources and ideas from a number of people. There are companies – e.g. Get a Slogan, OneLiners.co, and some others – that encourage people to submit one liners and sells them to companies looking for slogans and one liners. The idea is to reward people who come up with these ideas and help companies find resources at a fraction of the cost they would have otherwise incurred.
5. Project Work
All over the world students are constantly looking for help with their project work. So if you have access to the required resources like books and journals, a flair for writing and drawing then assisting them with their projects might be an opportunity worth exploring. Even a niche area like preparation of PowerPoint presentations and handouts here is a good idea.
6. Vending Platforms
Organise a flea market or set up an e-commerce site for crafters. Take a leaf out of the Etsy experience to help connect buyers and sellers looking for a platform to sell. Never Liked It Anyway is an online venture that helps people get rid of stuff their “exes” gave them. A great way to meet financial needs while you get rid of the “ex” files literally!
7. Photography
Candid photography has grabbed the attention of so many people. From wedding shoots to newborn photography the range of services on offer is very wide. If you have an eye for photography then enrolling in a course and investing in a good camera are probably among the first few things to do. The power of a Facebook business page and Instagram can be used to spread the word around. A website or an online portfolio which is well presented will work wonders.
I hope you will find these ideas useful and worth exploring. For a creative mind, the sky is the limit. So go ahead! Believe in yourself and take the road less travelled with your very own low cost startup.