12 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2023

1. Consulting

If you are knowledgeable and passionate about a specific topic (like business, social media, marketing, human resources, leadership or communication), consulting can be a lucrative option. You can start a consulting business on your own, then grow your business and hire other consultants over time.

2. Online Reselling

If you’re interested in clothing and/or sales, you might consider starting an online reseller business. Although it takes time, dedication and an eye for fashion, you can start your business as a side hustle and turn it into a full-time resale business. You could start by using online store websites like Poshmark and Mercari to sell your unwanted clothing, then expanding to your own resale website.

3. Online Teaching

The demand for online education has opened up possibilities for entrepreneurs. Since this is an online venture, you can choose any subject you know about and teach a course regardless of location. If you don’t have advanced knowledge in any particular subject, consider teaching English as a foreign language online to students overseas.

4. Online Bookkeeping

As with education, technology allows many bookkeeping services to be performed online. If you are an accountant or bookkeeper who wants the freedom and autonomy of running your own business, take advantage of modern technology to start your own online bookkeeping service.

5. Medical Courier Service

If you have a reliable vehicle and good time management skills, consider creating your own courier service – more specifically, a medical courier service. As a driver, you would be responsible for transporting medical items like lab specimens, prescription drugs and equipment. You could start your courier business on your own or hire other drivers to work for you.

6. App development

If you are knowledgeable and experienced in technology, you may want to consider a career in app development. Smartphones are an everyday accessory for many Americans that has increased the demand for mobile apps. Similarly, virtual reality software has become popular in recent years, so there is also a demand for VR app development.

7. Cleaning service

If you like to clean, you can easily turn that into a business. With a few staff members, a host of cleaning supplies and transportation, you can offer cleaning services to homeowners, apartment complexes and commercial properties. Most cleaning services charge $25 to $50 per hour. Cleaning services are straightforward businesses that require relatively little overhead; you simply need planning, dedication and marketing to attract customers.

If you’re looking to differentiate yourself from other cleaning services, consider adding premium options like floor waxing or exterior power washing for an additional fee. These services could be the deciding factor between your new cleaning service and seasoned companies that maintain too large a client list to provide that level of cleaning.

8. Freelance copywriting or content writing

If you’re a natural wordsmith with a bit of marketing knowledge, you can establish yourself as a freelance copywriter or content writer. Whether you write blogs, web content or press releases, plenty of companies will pay for your services. Increase your value by using SEO knowledge to help clients craft a strategy around specific keywords that their target audience is already using in their online searches. Most freelance copywriters charge $40 to $50 per hour, but those with expertise in a given vertical could charge even more.

Freelance copywriting is a great business to run because as long as you have an internet connection, you can work. It’s a business that you can operate from the comfort of your own home or even from the road if you travel. If you establish a large enough network and gain referrals from satisfied clients, you could even make freelance writing your full-time job.

9. Home care service

A background in care and hospitality can go a long way to support housebound seniors who require in-home care. It’s also a service for which demand is only going to grow. According to the Population Reference Bureau, between 2020 and 2060, the 85-and-over population is projected to triple from 6.7 million to 19 million. The global number of centenarians (those over age 100) has already reached nearly 600,000. Many will need care and assistance, often in their own homes.

Luckily, you don’t need a background in healthcare to help seniors and grow a successful business at the same time, although those skills will be in demand as well. Many seniors need help with all kinds of tasks, like errands or repairs around the house. With some experience, you could consider growing your business to help seniors transition from their homes to assisted living facilities, offering services such as packing, transporting, setting up, or storing their furniture and possessions.

10. Digital marketing

The importance of the internet grows with every passing day, but it also becomes harder for businesses to cut through the online clutter and properly market themselves. Digital marketing services are always in demand, and many small and midsize companies would rather outsource them than establish a costly in-house team. If you have chops in SEO, content marketing, pay-per-click advertising, web development or social media management, you could seize a business opportunity that allows you the freedom to work from home.

Digital marketing is an important part of any brand, so you’ll need to respond to developments in your clients’ marketing strategies. Social media management entails watching for comments and messages around the clock, not just scheduling posts with a set-it-and-forget-it mindset. If you enjoy strategizing and implementing marketing plans meticulously, digital marketing could be the right business for you. You may also consider becoming an affiliate marketer, which is another form of digital marketing.

11. Graphic design

Corporations, small businesses and sole proprietors all need eye-catching promotional materials, but not everybody has an eye for what looks good. If you have an artistic streak and know how to organize content into a visually pleasing format, start a graphic design business to provide flyers, digital ads, posters and other engaging visual materials. Graphic design requires few physical tools beyond a laptop and a desk.

12. T-shirt printing

Just like with graphic design, you might enjoy launching a T-shirt printing business if you’ve got a sharp artistic sense – or if you enjoy taking someone else’s designs and screenprinting them onto a blank tee. Either way, if you have space for a T-shirt printing setup, you can easily acquire the necessary tools and get started.