Are you feeling underpaid or undervalued? Then take a look at these business ideas and…
Fire your boss, today!
1. Sell second hand goods
In our current economic climate it is a very attractive business model, more and more people are buying quality second hand goods simply because they can no longer afford to buy things brand new.
Selling second hand goods is a great way to stretch your disposable income.
You could search on local Facebook pages for items that could yield a positive return, or you could connect the buyer and seller and then charge a commission.
Let me share a strategy I once used while living in South Africa. I made friends with real estate agents and found out from them which people were emigrating or downscaling.
I would then contact those people and offer my services to help them move or to help them sell off their items they didn't need or couldn't keep anymore.
Most of the time, I never even needed to buy the item from them. All I had to do was ask them what price they wanted for it, then I'd find a buyer who was interested in buying that item - never connecting the buyer or seller.
I would then add a markup on the price from the seller, pick the item up from their house, then sell it straight to the buyer - I kept the profit.
In all honesty, I'd still be doing this in SA if I were still there. It was a highly lucrative business once I began making contacts.
2.Tutoring
If you are particularly good at a certain subject, you could tutor students, small groups, or even adults who are looking to improve in a certain subject. With the spread of digitalization you could tutor anyone from anywhere simply by having a cellphone or laptop.
If you are interested in teaching English online, check out these companies who all pay in Dollars:
*Avoid Chinese companies for now because of the whole education debacle currently taking place. The change in regulation could mean they might be out of business in a few years from now.
3. Photographer
As a professional photographer you'll usually work for a client or an employer. If your plan is to not have an employer then you'll need to find clients, and that comes from quality work and exceptional reviews.
There is a hack you can use which could steal you market share from other photographers. You could offer your services for FREE at the beginning just to build up your reputation.
Most successful startup businesses usually use this strategy to take away market share from their competitors. They tend to have deeper pockets which allows them to saturate the market with cheaper products or services until it drives weaker competitors out.
You can simply use this strategy by offering quality work at cheaper rates or for FREE, then gradually start increasing your rate. If you have the funds available to you to sustain your costs during this time, then consider this route.
Or alternatively, start smaller and build slowly. You could easily sell your content to bloggers on sites like Shuttershock for a small fee. You could do this as a side gig while working full-time.
4. Web design
Many businesses don't use their website as a tool to bring in new customers, ultimately losing out on potential income. If you can show them the benefits of having an attractive and user-friendly website, then you may just convert them into a paying customer.
Put together a portfolio of work as an example, even if this requires you to create your own customer base. What I mean by this is design your own websites and use this as your collateral to show potential customers your skills and work you have completed in the past.
You don't have to wait for customers to showcase your talents, take action and stop waiting in limbo. Waiting for a customer so you can get started only hides the potential you have. Show the world you have skills so that those customers can come to you, don't wait for customers before you get started.
5. Blogger
Write blogs about the latest trends in finance, sport, or even food. Whatever you are passionate about will be best. The more value you add the more shares you will get, which equates to more exposure which potentially leads to more income.
Writing blogs is also a great reference to use for when you apply for jobs. The recruiter can visit your blog site and see what you are passionate about. You never know, it may even be the deciding factor in you getting that dream job.
There are so many platforms one can utilize for FREE to get exposure:
6. eBooks
This ties in nicely with blogging.
Writing eBooks is a great income booster, it may not make you rich, but it does help extend your disposable income.
This is a personal favorite of mine because people tend to buy knowledge. If you have a particular skillset or information that you can share with others then consider creating eBooks and monetizing your knowledge.
eBooks can also be used as a tool to capture emails from potential clients. Think of it as a trade between two willing parties.
Be willing to give them something (i.e., your eBook) in exchange for something of theirs (i.e. email contact).
This opens the door to reaching people who trust you already and allows you to start becoming an affiliate.
7. Personal trainer
Looking to work your own hours?
Then personal training is the option for you. You will need to have a passion for fitness. Remember, personal training is a lifestyle and not a hustle. If you aren't prepared to commit yourself then don't bother at all.
My good friend, Keegan Van Schalkwyk, is one of the best personal trainers in the country, and if you are considering going this route then I'd recommend learning from the best. Click here to contact him
8. Translator
This is often an overlooked and underrated business idea.
If you can speak more than one language why not turn this into a money-making opportunity. There are always people wanting documents translated into their mother tongue. You could work in your own country's embassy or in an embassy in a foreign country, ensuring that translations are accurate and that expats in that country are serviced.
Or alternatively, you could go at it solo and advertise your services on expat groups on Facebook. Moreover, you could also teach a language at a school in a foreign country. The options are really endless if you can speak a sought-out language.
Consider upskilling yourself by learning a new language.
Chinese
Spanish
English
French
9. E-Commerce store owner
Consider selling your products online to reach a global audience.
Depending on your niche you could attract buyers from all over the world. Even if your local economy is not supportive of your ideas/products, you could easily target people from other countries.
Sites like Shopify make it possible to reach a wider audience. You no longer need to be reliant on your domestic economy when you have a global economy available to you on the internet.
You don't even necessarily need to sell your own products, you can utilize drop shipping to see what sells and what doesn't, then pivot into the direction of your most sold items.
Global retail e-commerce sales are projected to reach $27 trillion by 2022, and global fashion will account for 36% of online retail sales. It’s no wonder that this has become a popular route for many aspiring entrepreneurs,
10. Dog walker
Walking dogs sounds monotonous and mundane, but can be a great weekend gig for extra cash. Another growing trend is dog grooming. People are spending more money now than ever before on their fur babies. This is a market that hasn't run out of steam yet.
In addition to doing this, you could also set up an e-commerce website, as mentioned above, and sell customizable dog leashes. With each sale you make you could offer a dog walking service for people in your community.
It is a proven fact that companies increase their revenue by upselling items to existing customers. Why not do the same?
11. Pet sitting/ House watching
Sticking on the topic of animals, offer your services to house watch or to look after animals for homeowners going away on holiday. Print yourself some business cards or flyers and put them in people's postboxes, or run an advert on Facebook advertising your services.
12. Catering business
A catering business in a small town is a little more difficult because the market tends to be heavily saturated. If you do decide to venture off in this direction be sure to be competitive and offer something different.
Start advertising your catering business or food products first before you look to spend tons of money on the business itself.
Another strategy is to take pre-orders for events so you know exactly how much you need to make beforehand. This allows you to drive down costs and mitigates the risk of throwing out food that hasn’t sold or has expired. Pre-orders are a great way to gauge the demand for your products/business before you go ahead and spend time, money, and effort on it.
Another option is to consider a mobile catering business, go to where your customers are. This could be a great strategy to ensure longevity because you aren't location dependent, however, there are pros and cons to this, so do your research.
There really is no point spending hundreds of thousands of Rands building a mobile catering business, but not being able to generate enough sales to cover your investment.
It might take you 10 years to break even after selling a couple of hamburgers here and there, and yeah, there is nothing wrong with that, but the problem that most don't realize is the opportunity cost of money. The time they lost out on from investing their money into an asset that produces a low rate of return. (ROI)
If you want to understand what I mean by return on Investment (ROI) then I'd highly recommend checking this eBook out. It explains what ROI is and how you should buy assets that generate cash flow.
13. Tree Trimming/ Waste Removal
It’s important to buy assets that have more than one utility. For instance, buying a truck to help you with your waste removal jobs. Cash producing assets pay off the finance that was needed to buy the asset in the first place. This is smart debt.
Waste removal and tree trimming can be a lucrative business to start, however, it requires capital and expertise. Be sure to do your homework and learn all you can about how to start up a tree trimming business before jumping straight into it.
You'll need to ensure that you have the right equipment and insurance to cover any unexpected situations.
Whoever said that money doesn’t grow on trees was apparently wrong.
14. Cleaning Services
This could potentially be the most successful businesses going into 2021/2022. Because of covid-19, more and more people are becoming consciously aware of the environment they spend their time in.
Businesses are putting more of an emphasis on hygiene because their customers are demanding safer and cleaner environments. They don't want to go to places that aren't up to standards. This is ultimately creating a gap in the market.
Consider opening a cleaning service and help people keep their homes or businesses clean and up to standards. You might be required to do the cleaning jobs yourself until you’ve made enough money to hire employees, but we do what we do to survive, right?
15. Home Bakery
If you love to bake, this could be an extremely rewarding and doable business for you. You could link this idea to starting and growing a catering business too.
If you have the space and equipment at home then this is an easy business to kick start as it requires very little overhead costs. You could easily sell your products online or advertise it through a Facebook page. Or better yet, you could arrange for your products to be delivered to local food stores or restaurants in your area.
You'll obviously have to do the groundwork and give out samples to become trusted, but it's quite simple - quality food products are easier to sell.
All this potential from your kitchen and a FREE Facebook page.
Remember, being an exceptional baker doesn't automatically qualify your business for success, you still need to identify your target market, know who your competitors are, and know how to price your products.
On top of this, you need to think of a catchy slogan, and ensure your packaging is eye catching and easy to identify.
My advice would be to focus on a few items at first rather than on many different items because if your first few items are not well received it will be difficult to start selling additional products after that.
Lastly, don't be completely fooled, there is of course running costs involved, but they are a lot less than many other start up business ideas.
I think it's time to transform your grandma's secret recipe into mouthwatering treats that brings the money rolling in.
16. Graphic designer
Consider going solo and setting up your own business, especially if you know your way around Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
The number of brands trying to compete for consumers attention is growing daily. A quality image is becoming more and more important for all businesses to have.
You could easily sell your skills to businesses who are trying to stay relevant in the 21st century. Almost every small business will need some amount of graphic design work now and again, this is a perfect opportunity to capitalize on this.
Consider creating a profile with Fiverr. Here you can create a profile and advertise your services to thousands of customers across the globe. If graphic designing is not your strength, then consider these other alternatives: (All available on Fiverr too)
Freelance writer
Transcription services
Resume writer/designer
Voice over artist
17. Yoga Instructor
This ancient Indian practice is attracting many entrepreneurs each year and is leading to a rise in customers seeking out wellness facilities. These customers are after tranquil moments that offer serendipity experiences to help them destress from everyday life.
The health and fitness industry is exploding because of this shift in the attitude towards living a better and more productive life. Health conscious fanatics are turning to yoga as an alternative to the traditional way of working out, in search for optimum physical and mental well-being.
If you have a passion for yoga, then consider starting a weekend business where you offer group classes. You can gauge the demand for how many people would be interested without risking a lot of money going at it full time. Start small and then scale as you begin to attract more people.
Here are 7 tips to help you get started:
Get certified
Create a plan of action
Pick your yoga specialty
Get a brand
Market your brand and offer your services.
Build a customer base
Choose a fixed location
Check out these common mistakes Yoga instructors make
18. Personal Shopper
Think of how much time you waste spending going to the shops, just to end up getting 6 things you never wanted in the first place and then forgetting the one item you went there for. People pay for convenience - that's a fact.
Whatever makes things more convenient, people will pay for it. A personal shopper can help busy people reclaim their time for a small fee.
From my personal experience, I outsource work that costs less than my per hour rate. If I earn $100 dollars an hour, and I plan to spend 3 hours shopping, that just means I have effectively wasted $300 dollars, right? So, of course I'd pay someone $100 dollars to save me 3 hours - you get the picture?
People pay for convenience to save time
This doesn't only apply to shopping, think of any activity that is monotonous or mundane that people would pay to outsource. Then target those people. For example, you could stand in a line for someone or start a delivery service.
Let’s finish 2021 off strong and prepare for 2022 on the right footing.
Stay safe, everyone.
See you next week:)