50 Small Business Ideas for Solopreneurs



solopreneur business ideas

 

Starting a business doesn’t mean you need to hire a whole team. There are plenty of business opportunities out there that you can start and grow completely on your own. If you’re interested in starting a solo business, here are 50 solopreneur business ideas.



Solopreneur Business Ideas

Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants handle various tasks for businesses like email, scheduling and social media management. It’s something you can do on your own and from your home or another remote location.

Ecommerce Seller

You can also set up an ecommerce site on platforms like eBay, Amazon or Etsy from pretty much anywhere, while also managing the sales and shipping on your own.

Social Media Manager

For social media savvy entrepreneurs, you can offer your services to other businesses to schedule social media posts and manage their accounts.

Social Media Influencer

Or you could focus on building up a following and some influence on your own social media accounts and then work with brands as a social media influencer.

Blogger

If you’re looking to build a business around your writing skills, you can start your own blog and manage it on your own, then make money through advertisements or sponsored content.



Ebook Author

You can also focus on writing more long form content and then self-publish your own ebooks to sell.

Freelance Writer

Or you could offer your writing services to other businesses looking for blog posts or other types of content.

Copywriter

Copywriting is another popular writing business. You can specialize in writing copy for websites, product descriptions or even advertisements.

Graphic Designer

For design savvy entrepreneurs, you can start your own graphic design business and work with clients on a one-on-one basis.



Web Designer

Or if you’re more tech savvy, you could focus on creating websites for clients as a web designer.

Software Developer

If you’re looking to build more in-depth solutions, you could focus on developing software programs for clients or to sell to customers.

App Developer

Or you could focus more on mobile technology and develop apps for clients or develop your own apps to offer for sale.

Event Photographer

Photography is another area that lends itself to solopreneurship. You can focus on photographing events like weddings, allowing you to manage all aspects of your business on your own.



Stock Photographer

You can also take photos and then offer them for sale on stock photo websites.

Business Consultant

If you have some business expertise, you can offer your services as a business consultant, working with clients in person, over the phone or online.

Life Coach

Even if you don’t have a lot of business experience, you can work with clients on other areas of life like finances, organization and even personal relationships as a life coach.

Public Speaker

For entrepreneurs with expertise in a specific topic, you can offer your services as a public speaker for various conferences and events.



Bookkeeper

Another opportunity to work with business clients, you could offer bookkeeping services for businesses looking to outsource that function.

Tax Professional

You can also focus mainly on helping businesses and individuals prepare their tax forms.

Affiliate Marketer

Affiliate marketing allows you to share links to specific businesses or products and then earn a portion of the sales you direct to those companies.

Podcaster

Podcasting is easier than ever to set up on your own. You can host your podcast, build your website and make money through advertisements or affiliate sales.



Event Planner

If you enjoy organizing and working with different vendors, you can set up your own business as an event planner.

Baker

While running an entire bakery on your own could be tricky, you can build a baking business as a solopreneur where you provide baked goods for events or on a wholesale basis to other local bake shops.

Coffee Cart

You could also sell coffee on a fairly small scale by starting your own coffee cart that you can take to events, shopping centers or office buildings.

Tutor

If you’re looking to share your knowledge with others, you can do so on a one-on-one basis by working as a tutor.



Online Course Creator

Another way to share your knowledge with others, you can create your own online courses and then sell them to students so they can work on their own time.

YouTube Personality

YouTube makes it fairly simple for you to start your own channel on your own. Then as you build a following, you can earn money through the site’s ad sharing program.

T-shirt Designer

Sites like CafePress and Redbubble make it easy for you to design your own t-shirts and other printed goods. And they’ll even fulfill the orders for you, so it’s something you can manage as a solopreneur.

Jewelry Designer

You could also create your own jewelry and sell it at local craft fairs or on sites that specialize in handmade goods like Etsy.



Artist

Or if art is more your strong suit, you could sell your paintings or drawings in some of those same venues.

Soap Maker

You could also manufacture your own soaps and similar spa products and sell those wholesale or online.

Child Care

If you have some experience caring for children, you can provide some in-home child care services or even run a daycare service out of your home.

Housesitter

A relatively simple business to start, you can provide housesitting services for homeowners who are out of town.



Dog Walker

For those who like to spend time around animals, you can also provide dog walking services as a solopreneur.

Auto Detailing

You can also provide car washing and auto detailing services where you market your services online and then travel to your clients.

Bicycle Mechanic

If you can fix bicycles, you could also provide bicycle mechanic services on your own out of a small garage.

Grant Writer

To help businesses and non-profits raise funds, you can provide grant-writing services on a freelance basis.



Resume Service

Or you could help job seekers create and improve their resumes and cover letters.

Errand Service

You can start your own errand service as a solopreneur where you assist customers with various errands like laundry and grocery shopping.

House Cleaner

Or you could build up a base or regular clients and just specialize in house cleaning services.

Handyman

If you’re handy with various projects around the house, you can offer handyman services to homeowners in your area.

Lawn Service

For those who enjoy working outside, you can start your own lawn mowing service where you provide weekly maintenance during the summer.

Gardener

Or you could specialize in setting up or maintaining gardens and more intricate landscaping projects.

Farmers’ Market Vendor

While running an actual farm might be difficult to do on your own, you could set up a small produce garden and then sell items at local farmers’ markets.

Travel Consultant

Travel agencies have struggled mightily in recent years. But some travelers, especially large groups, could still use help arranging their travels and finding the best deals. You can help them do just that by starting a business as an independent travel consultant.

Translator

If you know more than one language, you can start a business as a freelance or contract translator.

Party Entertainer

You can use a number of different skills, from music to juggling to face painting, to start a business as an independent party entertainer.

Personal Trainer

For athletically inclined entrepreneurs, you can start your own business as a personal trainer who works with clients one-on-one.

Yoga Instructor

Or you could offer fitness and wellness classes to bigger groups of customers. Yoga and pilates are a couple examples of things you can specialize in.

Masseuse

You can also start your own business as a masseuse, offering services to clients on a somewhat regular basis.

Image: Depositphotos.com


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Annie Pilon Annie Pilon is a Senior Staff Writer for Small Business Trends, covering entrepreneur profiles, interviews, feature stories, community news and in-depth, expert-based guides. When she’s not writing she can be found exploring all that her home state of Michigan has to offer.

7 Reactions
  1. There are now so many ways to make money online. But going at it solo is hard. You need to hire a team to help you and it will also get you results faster.

  2. These are the days where you can make money in doing what you love. It is so true that we find people leaving the 9-5 grind and go out there to do what they love to do.

  3. Amazing to see so many opportunities for people to make money. You should get yourself a slice of the pie or you’ll miss out.

  4. All good ideas. Here’s another to consider with a 35+ year history: Litter cleanup outside commercial properties. I’ve been maintaining retail, industrial and office properties litter free for property management companies since 1981. Almost as easy to do as going for a walk! I provide my daily service on foot using inexpensive hand tools. Great side hustle for people who want to make money going for an early morning walk! Details at: http://www.cleanlots.com

  5. Thanks for sharing this nice post related to solopreneur business ideas. Yes, nowadays there are plenty of small business ideas are in trend and in-demand where we don’t require a team for starting a new business. This post has a wonderful list of such type of business ideas that you can start and handle on your own. Join some affiliate programs on the business website like Amazon, BusinessPartners and others from where you can earn money online by referring your friends and others who are looking to start a new business.

  6. Really awesome ideas for small business starting. It is nice to have multiple options while selecting a business it will help to have your interested area and you can grow fastly in that interested area. Thanks for sharing these ideas with us.

  7. Very thought-provoking information here. As a small blogger now i call my self solopreneur.