"I really want to get started, but I have no idea what to do! Can you give me some practical small, simple business ideas?"
The answer is 'Yes!' and here they are.
You may have spotted that the right hand side of this website seems very similar to the left hand side. It is. Here you get 2 for the price of 1 (free, by-the-way) but every idea is still different.
These small business ideas pages have been put together to help people who know they could run a small enterprise themselves but can't think which small business to get started with.
Some of these ideas could be worked up into a full sized business and others are best used as an additional income or perhaps combined with another small business.
Just because many of these ideas seem old, outdated, and originated when the web was in its infancy, doesn't mean they couldn't work for you with a little innovation. For example, selling food by the side of the road to travellers on horseback was just as successful when trains, planes, cars, and trucks came along. Similarly, the idea of selling mining tools to gold prospectors has been equally effective for electronic component suppliers and tool-hire companies.
Foolish business ideas which actually made the originators seriously wealthy. Inspirational, actual working ideas which individuals have used to form their own, usually highly successful small business.
These business ideas inspire the thoughts: "If s/he can do it, I can certainly give my idea a good try!"
Here is a little more about The Foolish Origins of the 'foolish' small business ideas.
Realistic business ideas which you could start straight away. These ideas are not necessarily going to end up being at the core of multi-national companies, but, they are great little ideas that are working out there, right now, making good money for people.
These are simple business ideas which lend themselves to being added on to each other or changed around a little to suit your own way of working.
Quick and simple business ideas are great brain food. Often the ideas seem a bit too simple and unlikely to succeed. But - the aim for these small business ideas is to act as brain stimulation, making you think: "That idea's daft, but if I change it around a little I could..."
I sincerely hope that in all these business ideas, there will be something here to capture your imagination and give you the push to give your own enterprise a good try!
Please dismiss this idea now, permanently. Did the fact that cars and motor bikes were being produced very successfully in Western countries put the Japanese off building their own cars and bikes? I don't think so.
Just because there are a few restaurants in your area does not mean you could not open up a very successful restaurant in straight competition, and succeed.
A little competition is a good thing. It can even demonstrate that there is a need for that service and should give you the confidence to give it a try.
Another common reaction to reading all of these ideas, is to prompt the reader to increase the skills required to succeed in a small business.
So start reading, start thinking and then take some action. There is no reason on earth why your idea and success story should not appear on this site later on.
Remember - Every company in existence today started off with just 1 person's good business idea, which was followed up by some action!