If you consider yourself to be creative, then you’ve already got one of the essential traits of a successful entrepreneur. But you can use your creativity for more than just building a business plan and solving problems. You can actually build a business that’s fully centered around creativity. Here are 50 unique business ideas for creative entrepreneurs.
Creative Small Business Ideas for Entrepreneurs
Art Seller
If you’re a visual artist, you can create original drawings, paintings or prints of your work and build a business around selling them. You can go to local art fairs or sell on sites like Etsy.
Wedding Photographer
If photography is more your medium, providing photography services at weddings can be a lucrative business.
Jewelry Maker
You can also use your creativity to craft wearable art like necklaces and earings. You can use wire, beads or any number of other materials to put together jewelry and then sell it online or in local boutiques or at events.
Logo Designer
For creative entrepreneurs that want to work with other business owners, you can offer design services where you help businesses design basic branding materials like logos.
Musician
If you play any instruments or are musically inclined, you can build a business as a musician. You can either play at local venues or produce albums to sell.
Blogger
Writers or creative content creators, blogging is a viable business opportunity for entrepreneurs in a variety of different fields and areas of interest.
Mobile App Designer
For those who are at least somewhat tech savvy, app creation has turned into a huge field in recent years. You can offer your services designing apps for businesses or even create your own apps to sell.
Vintage Reseller
You don’t have to actually make your own products in order to showcase your creativity. You can curate vintage or secondhand items and then use your photography and writing skills to sell or showcase those items to potential customers online.
Interior Designer
If you have a keen eye for design and home décor, you may be able to build a business working with interior design clients.
Landscape Designer
Or if you prefer the outdoors, you could instead work with clients to design their landscaping and outdoor spaces.
Home Stager
You could even get a little more specific and work with homeowners or realtors who are looking to sell their spaces and just want them temporarily staged so they’ll appeal to more buyers.
Art Dealer
You can also use curation skills to start a business as an art dealer. You just need a keen eye for art and enough resources to procure some artistic pieces.
Airbrush Artist
Airbrushing is a popular artform that can translate to a lot of different mediums. You can use your airbrushing talents to customize t-shirts and accessories and sell them online or in local markets.
Clothing Designer
You could also design clothing items from scratch and then work to get your line featured in stores or boutiques or even start your own.
Personal Stylist
If you don’t necessarily want to design the clothes but you still have a passion for fashion, you can build a business working as a personal stylist to help clients shop and put together outfits.
Portrait Photographer
For photographers who are more interested in staged photo shoots, you can build a business as a portrait photographer and work with clients for things like senior pictures, family photos, head shots or even pet photos.
Caricature Artist
If you prefer drawing and you have a bit of a sense of humor, you could turn that skill into work as a caricature artist at local events or venues and show off your talent to paying customers.
Prop Stylist
Photographers, event planners and other types of businesses could sometimes use help styling their photo shoots or spaces. So you can build a business as a prop stylist who comes in and arranges items in a way that’s visually pleasing.
Tattoo Artist
Tattooing is an ancient art that remains popular with a wide variety of people. If you’ve got the artistic sense and the training, you can build a successful business providing tattoos for clients.
Hair Stylist
There’s a lot of potential for creativity when it comes to being a hairstylist. You can offer a rang of cuts, updos and even coloring services.
Makeup Artist
Makeup is another area that requires a lot of creativity. You can start a salon type of business or even just travel to work with clients at their location.
T-shirt Designer
Got a cool idea for a t-shirt? You can really easily build a business selling t-shirts that you’ve designed by using online platforms like Redbubble or Cafepress.
eBook Author
If storytelling is more your cup of tea, you can write your own books and then self-publish them online as ebooks.
Website Designer
Web design continues to be a huge growing field. You can build a web design business by working with clients to build custom websites or even sell pre-made templates on sites like Etsy.
Cake Decorator
Food can be another great area for showcasing creativity. You can decorate wedding cakes and specialty desserts to really show off your artistic skills.
Face Painter
Fairs, birthday parties and other events will often feature face painters and similar activities for kids. If you enjoy that type of atmosphere, you can offer your services to clients in your area.
Video Producer
Online video is a huge growing trend. You can build a business by producing your own videos and earning a share of ad revenue on YouTube or even work with other clients to help them with their video projects.
Tie Dye Artist
If you love the tie-dye look, you can use that art form on everything from t-shirts to socks and sell them online or at local events.
Balloon Sculpturer
Events also often feature balloon artists. You can offer your services to create balloon art for event attendees or even set up balloon installations as part of the event décor.
Card Designer
Cards and similar paper goods are still popular with some consumers. You can design your own cards and sell them online or in local paper goods stores.
Wood Worker
If you’re good with tools and enjoy putting things together, you can build and sell so many different items made out of wood, from small sculptures to intricate pieces of furniture.
Disc Jockey
Or if you enjoy music and working at events, you can build a business working with clients as a disc jockey for weddings or other gatherings.
Dance Teacher
There are so many different forms of dance you can learn and teach to clients. You can start a dance studio in your community and work with clients of all ages.
Music Teacher
Or you can teach people different musical instruments or even provide voice lessons to more musically inclined clients.
Voice Artist
Using your voice can also be considered a creative outlet. You can offer your services as a voice-over artist for advertisements or other materials.
Tailor
If you’re skilled with sewing and measuring, you can build a business as a custom tailor and work with clients to alter their clothing and accessories.
Custom Embroiderer
You can also work with clients to customize clothing and other items through embroidery. You can even work remotely and just have customers mail you their items since there isn’t any measuring involved.
Quilt Maker
Quilting is an intricate art form. But if you have the skills and the patience, you can make money selling your custom quilts to those who want really special gifts or customized items.
Knit Goods Seller
If you enjoy knitting, you can create handmade hats, scarves and other items and sell them online or at local craft fairs.
Candle Maker
Candles are popular gift items with many consumers. And you can get really creative customizing the scents and even colors of different candle products.
Basket Weaver
Basket making is another traditional art form to consider. You can make and sell baskets of all different shapes and sizes.
Pottery Maker
Or you can sculpt custom dishware and décor items out of clay and glaze them in various colors.
Calligrapher
You can also build a business as a calligrapher. You can offer your services to anyone from businesses looking for traditional lettering for marketing materials to couples who want an extra special touch for their wedding invitations.
Children’s Book Author
Children’s books offer a lot of opportunities for creativity. You can get creative with the storytelling and you can also put together original illustrations to appear throughout the book.
House Painter
If you enjoy painting large-scale projects, what better canvas is there than a house? You can offer your services to homeowners looking to paint the outside of their homes or even specific rooms on the inside.
Soap Maker
Soap is another product that allows you to get creative with both scents and aesthetics. You can make various soap and beauty products to sell online or at local events.
Bag Designer
If you enjoy designing and putting together accessories, you can build a successful business as a handbag designer and sell your creations online or get them into local boutiques.
Printable Seller
If you want to design artwork but don’t necessarily want to produce or ship it in a physical form, you can offer to sell your work in a digital form and then just allow your customers to print it themselves.
Book Binder
Book binding is an older art form. But you can still build a business around it by offering your services to independent authors or businesses or even creating your own handmade journals or sketchbooks for sale.
Art Supply Store Owner
Or if you want to use your love for art and creativity to help others showcase their own talents, you can open a store that sells various art supplies and creative materials.
For more see our article on Small Business Ideas for Beginners.
Images: Shutterstock
Aira Bongco
An art seller is good. But if you are really creative, I suggest that you have your art in different platforms – digital or in merchandise for a wider market.
Interesting to see that book binder is listed. My father knows how to bind a book.
I like the blogger business idea! 😉 I am participating in a course called, How to Start a Blog That Matters.
Jones Kerrin
Got some for your list: Pet Clothes Designer, One of a kind cellphone case designer, Terrarium Maker, Body painter 🙂
Thanks for these business ideas, Annie!
I’m sharing this so that others can add to the list 🙂
Tiffanie Battram
Thanks for this list of ideas! It’s really helping me get the entrepreneurial juices flowing! I think a good place to start is thinking about current hobbies you have and things you love to do, then doing some research and finding out if there is a niche for your hobby/service/product that you would generate a business around, and then seeing if there are potential competitors in that field and how you could provide a singular experience compared to what is already out there.
I always say you are never going to know until you try! So make sure you are passionate and determined and willing to try, learn and grow. The possibilities are endless, just keep on going! Some great resources I use to grow as an entrepreneur are Skillshare and I listen to a ton of podcasts, especially while I drive. My current favorite is “A Conversation Among Friends” by BobOlmsteadInk.com this one has really helped me grow my mindset as an entrepreneur and helped reignite a spirit that was beginning to burn out.
Good luck out there fellow entrepreneurs!
My sister has been able to take her writing skills and essentially run her own writing company, where she produces blogs for business owners all over the world. It really is true that if you have a creative skill that is in demand, you’ve got a fantastic opportunity right in front of you!
This is a great list of creative business ideas. Many people are creative but don’t class themselves as creative enough to pursue it as a business. I hope this list help many to see what they do naturally as a gift that should be shared with others.
Gasdy
I want to start something of my own but I am contemplating between Interior Design and Party Decor. Is there anyway I can merge the two.
I’m an undergraduate interior designer and your articles motivate me a lot. Keep sharing such useful posts 🙂
Thanks for share these wonderfull ideas
Thanks for sharing such good ideas…