50 Small Business Manufacturing Ideas

President Donald Trump has vowed to bring more manufacturing jobs to America. So there could potentially be even more manufacturing opportunities in the U.S. soon. But regardless of whether or not his plans are successful, plenty of small scale manufacturing opportunities for entrepreneurs interested in small scale startup idea. Here are 50 different small scale manufacturing business ideas to consider.

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Manufacturing Business Ideas

Toy Manufacturer

Toys are relatively small and can be made with any number of materials. So they can be great products for small manufacturing businesses to focus on.

Smartphone Accessory Maker

Likewise, smartphone accessories like cases and chargers are popular and can be made with some basic materials.

Plastic Container Manufacturer

With some basic equipment to process and shape plastic materials, you can produce bottles and other containers to sell to consumers or even other businesses.

Textile Producer

You can also focus on producing raw fabric or other textile products to sell to individuals or businesses for use in manufacturing more finished products.

Furniture Maker

If you want to make larger scale products, you can focus on creating custom furniture products for sale. Then create a process to manufacture more of the furniture on a larger scale.

Woodworker

If you’re a skilled woodworker, you could also create a number of different products from the material, from tables to small knick knacks. Again, creating a simple process to replicate these products should allow to boost production and cut costs.

Niche Snack Foods Maker

If you’ve got an idea for a healthy snack to sell, you can follow in the footsteps of the founders of Stacy’s Pita Chips and rent a bakery space to manufacture your goods.

Candy Maker

Or if you’re interested in making less healthy food items, you could make your own candy products and package them for sale.

Bread Maker

Bakers, you can start your own bread manufacturing business and sell bread products to consumers or other food businesses.

Olive Oil Production

Olive oil is another food product that you can produce and sell with just a few ingredients and pieces of equipment.

Canned Goods Maker

Or you could focus on making canned food goods like jams and jellies to sell to consumers.

Shoe Maker

If you want to make wearable products to sell, you can create shoes from a variety of different materials. Focus on a few styles of shoe and you can probably create an assembly line process to boost production.

Belt Maker

Likewise, you can produce simple belts to sell to consumers or wholesale to clothing retailers.

Leather Manufacturer

Or you could process raw leather product to sell to those who make finished products like shoes and belts.

Wig Maker

You could also make wigs and hairpieces to sell to consumers or hair salons.

Hair Products Manufacturer

Or you could make other hair products like shampoo or hair spray and package it for sale to consumers.

Makeup Production

Makeup is another product that you can potentially make from a variety of different supplies.

Fertilizer Production

You can also make your own gardening and landscaping products like fertilizer and compost to sell to local farmers or homeowners.

Chalk Manufacturer

Or you could make chalk products with just a few materials and pieces of equipment.

Direct-to-Consumer Tech Device Producer

Manufacturing computers and other tech goods might seem like it’s only suited for large companies. But if the story of how Dell Computers got started is any indication, you can actually manufacture your own niche tech devices and sell them directly to consumers.

Electrical Fittings Producer

You can also make electrical fittings for light bulbs and other electronic products.

Locksmith

If you have the equipment necessary to produce locks and keys, you can start a business as a locksmith or make extra keys for local homeowners or businesses.

Musical Instrument Maker

For those looking for a more specialized product to manufacture, you could create a small manufacturing operation to make various musical instruments.

Watchmaker

Or you could specialize in making mechanical watches and clocks in various styles and sizes.

Eyeglass Manufacturer

You could also make eyeglass frames and/or lenses to sell to consumers.

Air Freshener Production

Air fresheners also come in many different forms and flavors. So you can manufacture your own with some basic equipment and supplies.

Sports Equipment Manufacturer

You can also specialize in making various types of sports equipment ranging from balls to protective gear.

Embroiderer

If you’re looking for a more creative manufacturing business, you can invest in some embroidery machine to make custom embroidered products like Blue Soda Promo does.

Etsy Seller

Etsy recently changed its rules to allow some manufactured goods to be sold on the site. So you can produce things like accessories or even craft supplies and sell them on the site.

Paper Maker

There are a variety of different paper goods you can manufacture and sell, from cards and envelopes to books and journals.

Bag Manufacturer

You can also make bags from various sources and materials and then sell them to consumers or to businesses to use for packaging.

Box Manufacturer

Or you can manufacture boxes from cardboard and various other materials and then sell those boxes to businesses that need packaging equipment.

Jewelry Maker

Jewelry is another popular product that you can manufacture at home or in a small studio.

Glass Bead Production

You can also create your own beads out of glass and similar materials and then sell those to individuals or to jewelry manufacturers.

Clothing Production

If you’re able to sew your own garments, you can produce your own clothing lines to sell to consumers or wholesale to local stores.

Kitchen Utensil Manufacturer

Kitchen utensils are relatively small items that you can make out of a variety of different materials. So you can build your own business by specializing in a specific type and style.

Picture Frame Maker

You can also make custom picture frames out of various materials and even offer custom framing services.

Carpet Maker

If you want to manufacture larger scale items, you can make carpeting or rugs out of various fiber material.

Pillow Manufacturer

You can also set up your own pillow making manufacturing business.

Diaper Production

Or you could focus on smaller items and manufacture items like diapers in bulk.

Ink Cartridge Maker

For those looking to manufacture office supplies, you can make ink cartridges for printers.

Drug Manufacturer

Though the pharmaceutical industry is strongly regulated, it is possible to manufacture medicine and supplement products to sell.

Chemical Production

For skilled chemists, you can also manufacture chemicals for companies that use them in various products and processes, though you’ll also still likely have to deal with plenty of regulations.

Soap and Detergent Production

Soap is another product that you can mix and manufacture as a small business.

Cement Maker

Or you could mix cement material or make cement blocks to sell to construction companies.

Tool Manufacturer

You can also focus your efforts on manufacturing a wide variety of small tools and accessories.

Nail and Bolt Manufacturer

For those looking to specialize in a smaller product, you can make small nails and bolts in bulk.

Automotive Parts Manufacturer

You can also specialize in making tools and spare parts for cars and automotive manufacturers.

Roofing Materials Manufacturer

Or you could make shingles or other materials used by roofers to repair or build roofs for homes.

Ceramic Tile Maker

You could also specialize in making ceramic tiles for homeowners or home improvement businesses.

Manufacturing Photo via Shutterstock