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Starting a business can be daunting, especially when you live in a small town. While small towns offer a unique landscape for entrepreneurial ventures, small towns come with their own set of challenges and opportunities, unlike bustling cities. After all, you’re dealing with a smaller population, and sometimes coming up with ideas can be tough.
So today, we’ll give you some pretty awesome business ideas for small towns. This article delves into 19 innovative and low-cost business ideas specifically tailored for small-town environments. Each idea is not just a concept but a gateway to potential success and community enrichment.
But first, check out this quote from Guy:
“Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.”
– Guy Kawasaki
Guy is right! These ideas are great, but there’s no progress if you don’t take action. You will need action, perseverance, and a strong determination to succeed.
Let’s get right to it with that out of the way.
Table of Contents
Business Ideas for Small Towns
1. Start a Construction Business
Owning your own construction business can be very lucrative. It’s something that people need, especially in small towns, plus you don’t have to specialize in everything. Starting a local construction or renovation business in a small town caters to an essential need.
Specialize in areas like roofing, home repairs, or renovations. You can start with something like roof maintenance or home restoration. The start-up cost can be low or high, depending on what you decide to specialize in.
Keep initial costs low by renting equipment and gradually build your inventory as the business grows. To save money on start-up costs, you can rent your tools from a company like Home Depot until you have enough business. When you’re quoting clients for service, don’t forget to include the cost of your tool rentals (you don’t have to disclose this).
2. Sell Organic Produce & Food
Organic foods are a thing again, and you can cash in on this trend. Capitalize on the growing demand for organic foods. Thanks to the Internet, consumers are more informed about their foods. This makes organic produce and food delivery a good business venture.
Start a local organic produce business, offering delivery services to cater to health-conscious consumers. This venture doesn’t require a storefront, keeping overhead costs minimal. You don’t necessarily need to open a store, but you’ll probably need a car to make deliveries. At first, customers can come to your home or garage to pick up produce or food.
>> RELATED: How to Start an Organic Farming Business
3. Offer Computer Repair Services
This business doesn’t look like it’s going to die anytime soon. Technology is everywhere, and so is the need for repair services. With the introduction of tablets, minicomputers, and other innovations in desktops/laptops, there’s ample business available.
According to Statista, the worldwide number of malware attacks in 2022 reached 5.5 billion. This sadly means that there will be more malware-infected computers but, at the same time, more business for you. Offer computer, tablet, and smartphone repair services. Stay updated with the latest tech trends to offer relevant solutions.
4. Offer Accounting Services
Businesses need smart accountants to help them save money. Regardless of all the software tools out there, like Turbo Tax, there’s no substitute for a brilliant accountant!
Every business needs accounting services. Provide tax, bookkeeping, and financial planning services. This idea is perfect for those with a background in finance or accounting.
5. Mobile Cell Phone Repair Service
At least 80% or more of the world’s population own cell phones. This presents a huge business opportunity. With the prevalence of smartphones, a mobile phone repair service is a lucrative venture.
You can offer a mobile cell phone repair service. Why mobile? That’s because when you’re just starting out, you may not want to deal with the overhead of renting a storefront. Starting mobile eliminates the need for a physical store, reducing startup costs. Once your business is well established, you can acquire a store.
>> RELATED: How to Start an iPhone Repair Business
6. Cleaning Company
Launch a cleaning company targeting either businesses or residential homes. Pick a target market and start a cleaning business. Will you offer your services to businesses or households?
Usually, it’s better to focus your marketing on one ideal customer, but this isn’t absolutely necessary. This is because small towns tend to have a lower population. Specialize in eco-friendly cleaning solutions to stand out.
>> RELATED: Starting a Janitorial Business or Cleaning Service
7. Open a Salon
A salon or barber shop can become a community staple. Start small, possibly from home, and expand as your client base grows. At first glance, this may seem like a very costly venture but it’s not. If you have a home, you can use that to serve your clients until you save enough money for a location. Get a website and use local classified sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace to get the word out.
>> RELATED: How to Start a Hair and Beauty Salon Business
8. Buy and Sell Used Items
A shop for used items, whether it’s electronics, books, or clothing, can thrive in a small town. The buying and selling of used items can be a good business for a small town. It’s often better to focus on something that you’re passionate about. For instance, you can specialize in selling used computers, video game consoles, or cars.
Also, if you can fix these items yourself, you won’t need always to buy working items, which can significantly reduce your initial investment. Focus on a niche market and offer repair services for these items to add value.
9. Local Car Wash
Start a car wash business. A car wash business, possibly mobile or based in your garage initially, meets a common need. As revenue increases, consider moving to a more central location. Much like the previously mentioned cell phone repair business, you can visit people’s homes or locations. In fact, you may even be able to use your garage for this.
Once you make enough revenue, you can get a location, preferably a centralized location in town.
10. Become a Personal Trainer
For the most part, we want to be fit but we don’t all have the mental toughness and knowledge to go through with it. If you’re good with people, calm, and patient, then personal training might just be the business for you. Promote health and wellness through a personal training business.
Acquire certification and offer personalized fitness programs. You’ll need to study and complete a personal training certification exam, which can be done over a weekend.
11. Start a Dog & Cat Grooming Business
Start a dog and cat grooming business focusing on the health and well-being of pets. This can be extended to dog walking services, catering to busy pet owners. Pet grooming refers to the hygienic care and cleaning of a dog or cat, including enhancing the pet’s appearance. If you like animals, then you’ll enjoy this business.
>> RELATED: 5 Pet Business Ideas You Can Start from Home
12. Dog Walking and Grooming Services
With so many dogs and most people having to work 9-5 or daily, dog walking has quickly become a really profitable business. Dog walking is necessary since pets need consistent physical and social activity to stay healthy.
Read: 10 Pet Small Business Ideas
13. Sell Clothing
People in small towns normally have to travel significant distances to purchase certain things, including clothing. This is because it’s a primary amenity that small towns tend to lack.
>> RELATED: How to Start a Clothing Store
That’s why selling clothes is a great business idea for a small town. Address the need for local clothing options by opening a boutique. Offer unique or locally-made clothing to attract customers. Let your community know that they can come to you for clothing. You may need to go door-to-door when you first start, but you can use a catalog to showcase your products.
14. Become a Florist
A florist business can cater to various events in the community. People need flowers for many occasions; some are sad, while most are happy ones. You’ll need to invest in a cooler to keep your flowers cool. You can gain the first-mover advantage if you’re the first florist in town. Focus on creative floral arrangements and consider offering delivery services.
>> RELATED: Starting a Flower Shop or Florist Business
15. Sell Coffee
You can open a coffee stand and start selling coffee to your community. Your coffee shop or small stand can serve high-quality, locally sourced coffee. This can become a social hub in the community. The startup cost is relatively low, but you may need to pay your government for a license or permit. Make sure you look into that.
>> RELATED: Business Idea: Starting a Coffee Shop Business
16. Start a Landscaping Business
You can offer lawn care and yard services to your community. Provide landscaping services, including garden design, maintenance, and seasonal planting. This can be an especially profitable venture in areas with large yards and gardens. Like the construction business idea mentioned earlier, you can rent your tools until you have enough revenue.
>> RELATED: 10 Tips to Succeed in Lawn Care and Landscaping Business
17. Tutor Students
If you’re an expert in something, you can offer to tutor students in your town. Tutors in subjects like mathematics, science, and technology are always sought after. This service supports the local educational system and helps students succeed. You can also offer these services to other people too.
Spread the word in your community about your tutoring services. Or use online marketplaces for tutoring services so you can do both in-person and virtual tutoring business.
>> RELATED: Starting a Tutoring Business
18. Barber Shop
A barber shop can start as a home-based business, expanding to a storefront as clientele increases. You don’t need a storefront to start cutting hair; you can learn how to cut hair online. You can market your services and do this from home. You can also offer house calls and charge a little more for your time. Focus on quality service and community engagement.
Some states or provinces require a license or certification to do this, so make sure that you look into that.
19. Sell Ice Cream
An ice cream business, especially during warmer months, can be a delightful addition to a small town. People love ice cream, especially during the summer. It requires little or no training, and you can learn how to make different flavored ice creams for free online.
You can operate a mobile ice cream shop to avoid the capital investments of opening a shop. Consider starting with a mobile stand to reduce initial costs. There are a lot of bicycles and trucks specifically designed for this kind of business.
There you have it! You’ve got 19 low-cost business ideas for your small town. Now it’s your turn to share some of your ideas. Leave a comment.
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