The Top Ideas For Small Businesses In 2021

11. Home care service

If you are caring, patient and resilient, then becoming a carer could be a satisfying career path for you. With the upper age range of our population expanding, there is likely to be much more work in this field over the next few years. By setting up your own home care service, you could create a business which is not only rewarding for you, but also helps to bring happiness and ease to others. Even if you have never been a healthcare professional, there are still many ways in which you can provide care for elderly people at home: you could provide them with companionship, deliver their groceries and medications, or even clean the house. 

12. Translation service

Even though the translation industry was hit by the rapid decline of in-person meetings in 2021, the industry is set to rebound this year as business resumes and more companies than ever take their business online. Since there is an expanding global market for online businesses, we anticipate an increased demand for document translation and the translation of website content into multiple languages. If you want to create your own niche in the market, consider taking courses to increase your technical vocabulary in certain fields.

13. Digital marketing

With our growing obsession with the internet, digital marketing is now the number one priority for most businesses. For small and medium sized businesses without a large internal staff, it is a sensible decision to outsource this. If you are experienced in content marketing, SEO and pay-per-click or social media management, then setting up your own digital marketing business could be ideal.

Read more: 22 cheap digital marketing ideas for small business

14. Food truck

If you are an aspiring restauranteur or just a foodie who wants to spend their time creating good food to share, starting your own food truck is the 2021 business trend that could just get you salivating. With property rental prices so high and indoor dining currently so restricted, starting your own food truck is a fantastic way to share your food with the public and make a living doing something you love. No longer just associated with a greasy burger on the side of the motor-way, food trucks have really come into their own over the last few years and this industry is growing and, thanks to its mobility, set to travel far.

Read more: How to start a street food business

15. Lawn care service

As people seem to be increasingly busy with work and personal time becomes more precious, things like lawn care are no longer such a priority. Since, for most people, the prospect of walking up and down the garden with a mower seems monotonous and dull, they are often more than happy to pay someone else to take care of it for them. To start your own lawn-care businesses, all you need is a mower, a way to transport it, a passion for the outdoors and some clients.

16. Rideshare driver

If setting up a formal business seems too daunting right now, but you are still looking for a side-hustle from which you can earn some extra money, then becoming a rideshare driver could be an ideal solution in 2021. Rideshare businesses such as Uber have made it easy for people to earn money in their free time as informal taxi-drivers. Since the only things you need are a clean licence and a clean vehicle, becoming a rideshare driver is a really simple way of having the benefits of being self-employed without any of the hassle.

17. Real estate agent

People will always need homes, so becoming a real estate agent continues to be a good business move. If you are a skilled communicator with strong personal skills, then real estate can be a very financially rewarding businesses, particularly if you’re working in the right area. If you decide to become a real estate agent and set up your own business, then you will need to ensure that you gain the necessary qualifications first, so don’t expect to be able to jump into this straight away. Being a successful real estate agent relies on having a top-class reputation and being able to inspire trust and confidence. Therefore, if this is the career you wish to pursue then you will want to ensure you have a professional-looking car and wardrobe too.

18. Graphic designer

With digital media marketing allowing businesses to generate far more marketing materials than they ever would have done in print, there is increasing demand for top-quality graphic designers. Every business, from big to small, is now looking for a designer who can provide them with eye-catching, alluring designs tailor-made to signify their brand. Being a graphic designer requires you to have an eye for all aesthetic elements (colour, organisation, texture, size, font) as well as psychology. This is the distinction between being a graphic design and an art; and why you won’t be a successful graphic designer if you think it will allow you to be paid as an artist. While your unique designs and creativity will be central to your success, to be an expert graphic designer, you have to be able to put aside your own personal tastes and prioritise what your clients need.

19. T-shirt printing business

The printed t-shirt remains a staple part of most people’s wardrobes. Whether you want to embrace your creative side and print your own unique designs, or to provide printing services for others, starting your own t-shirt printing business could be a great small business to start in 2021.

Read more: How to minimise the costs of starting a clothing business

20. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is where companies who sell things online don’t actually pre-order the items they are selling and keep them in stock. Instead, they post a listing and then order from the third party to fulfil their own orders, making a profit by charging a higher rate than the original retailer (usually a wholesaler). The benefits of this system for dropshippers are clear: you keep no inventory, so you don’t have to worry about overhead costs, storage space or over-ordering. The only important thing to consider is that you don’t overcharge your customers. The way to avoid this is to only by from wholesalers or suppliers rather than other end retail stores.

What are the most successful ideas for small businesses?

Of the most predominant themes of the top small business ideas and trends for 2021 is that most of these ideas for small businesses involve an online business model. Thus, it seems that online businesses are providing people with the security of knowing that they can work from wherever they are, whenever they want.

Small businesses which offer digital marketing services, particularly website design, currently seem to be among the most successful small businesses (i.e. the ones which can bring in the most profit). This seems to be because there is now so much competition in our global markets that businesses want unique marketing materials to stand out, and also because the internet makes it easier to publish greater quantities of marketing materials. However, this is a business idea which requires particular skills and knowledge, so it will not be accessible to everyone. Other business ideas which are also consistently successful are businesses which provide cleaning services and real estate businesses. 

If you want to work for yourself but are concerned about starting your small business in the current times, then choosing a small business which is consistently proven successful is going to be a safe bet.

However, even though it may feel more comfortable to choose an idea for a business which has been tried and tested, following your passions and embracing emerging trends can sometimes be even more rewarding – both personally and financially.

Therefore, we say that the best small business to start is going to be personal to you. If you are going to make a success of it, your small business has to be built upon something you are passionate about and good at. Even if no one has launched a small business like yours before, that isn’t necessarily a reason not to do it. In fact, it could be the very reason why you become successful in the future.

While we can help you by offering our insights into the top ideas for a business in 2021, we cannot tell you what avenue you should pursue for your small business. We can only suggest that you choose something which has the potential to bring you happiness.

Think you’re ready to get started? Read our guide: How to start to a business in 20 days