Starting a business has its risks, but it also has the best rewards. The right venture can earn you six figures or more, allowing you to quit your day job and retire early. Startup costs can be high, but not every business requires massive capital.
Starting your own business from zero isn’t the only way to get going, there are plenty of other opportunities to consider. For example, you might explore franchising, which lets you operate under an established brand with proven systems in place. Besides franchises, there are also licensing deals, where you can sell products or services using someone else’s intellectual property. If you want more flexibility, mobile businesses like food trucks, pet grooming vans, or cleaning services can be a good fit. Other options include vending machine routes, online stores using dropshipping, subscription box services, or even tutoring and coaching programs that come with ready-made curriculums. If you’re curious about these structured opportunities, you can discover profitable franchise opportunities alongside other business models that provide built-in support and reduce the risks of starting completely from scratch. For more ideas and guidance on different types of businesses, there are many online resources and communities that can help you explore everything from solo freelancing to scalable small ventures.
Lawn Care and Landscaping
Mowing lawns might seem like something you do as a kid. Elevate that that to taking care of business parks, golf courses, and shopping mall greenery, and you have a viable business model, especially if you have the right connections. Partnering with an established brand will give you regular business and a multitude of contacts, but it will cost you a little bit more money. A small investment will seem inconsequential once you start servicing stadiums, parks, and golf courses that pay big money.
Home Staging
The property market is hot, and most sellers will go through great lengths for their homes to sell fast and sell high. Starting a business staging home requires very little investment, but it does require a keen eye for detail and aesthetics. Offer your services to home sellers or real estate agents and slowly build a portfolio of successful stages. Home staging franchises cost less than $15,000. A franchise will usually set you up with a real estate company or two that services your location or an area of your choosing.
Travel Bookings
Traveling is in, and home-based travel agencies can rake in big money. Whether you’re booking flights or cruises, you’ll start earning big once you find the right clients. Running a travel agency requires people skills and charisma — and maybe a bit of training. Travel franchises are at the low-end in terms of cost, requiring investments of $10,000-15,000.
All Things Wedding
Weddings are extravagant events. People are more than willing to spend vast amounts of cash to make their special day perfect. Wedding organizers, bakers, photographers, and many others make their living catering to brides and grooms on their special day. While you can start any business that caters explicitly to weddings, you’ll need to build your reputation to get the big spenders. Partner up with an established brand, and you’ll get instant recognition and be more accessible to potential clients.
Commercial Cleaning
Cleaning up other people’s mess might not seem like an ideal business model, but who says that you need to do the cleaning yourself. Build your contacts and hire personnel. Soon all you’ll be doing will be talking to potential clients and cashing paychecks. Cleaning franchises give you legitimacy. You’ll get training on modern cleaning methods, equipment, supplies (especially chemical usage) as well as other aspects of the business. You’ll also need to keep a close eye on your personnel; the reputation and the success of your company rely on them.
In the end, you should remember that starting a business requires a leap of faith. You must make that leap successful with extensive research, a bit of planning, and maybe some help from the ones who went before you.
