If you live in a small settlement, never think that business ideas are limited. Many times, smaller settlements provide faster growth potential for entrepreneurs and investors. Altitudementor.com will explain What Is The Most Successful Small Business To Start.
What Is The Most Successful Small Business To Start?
While examining these ideas, be sure to consider your own experiences, capital power, and the potential of your region to determine which business idea will be successful.
Here are 24 profitable business ideas that can make you successful in a small city in a short time…
1. Coffee Shop and Bar
When you think of your neighborhood café and bar, you may have a hard time imagining the merging of these two businesses into one. But if your place is small enough and there are few customers, combining these two business ideas may be just what you need.
Now, before you tell us that a 12-year-old and a 21-year-old getting together after school is a terrible idea, hear our opinion. We’re not recommending a full-blown bar, just consider a coffee shop that also serves wine and beer after 4 pm. The concept behind being a coffee shop with alcohol is that coffee consumption starts to decrease significantly in the afternoon. If you need your business to stay open late and you need money, offering additional options to your small community is a great business idea. So you not only have a venue for business meetings and freelancers but also happy hours for drinks and first dates.
Another thing to keep in mind is making sure your coffee shop design appeals to both the mid-day crowd and the after-work crowd. There’s nothing more appealing than a simple, comfortable workplace setup in town. Opting for an original and modest design concept will suit most customers and will make customers in a small town environment willing.
2. Animal Nurseries
Pet Businesses are a $60 billion industry in the United States, so it makes sense for even a small town to have at least one pet grooming facility. The pet industry is also a sector that shows no signs of shrinking. In 1988, 56 percent of households in the United States owned a pet, rising to 65 percent in 2016. This means there are almost 80 million households in the US with at least one pet.
Pet Care is a business that offers excellent ideas for rural areas, places where convenience and distance are important. No one wants to drive two towns to decorate their pets or go pick them up and come back. Since most towns don’t have a pet specialty chain like Petco, businesses can take advantage of the lack of a large pet store where owners can buy food, toys, and clothing for their pets. If you plan your business well, it can be your one-stop shop for these furry and cute things. And that means big profits.
3. Clothing Store
One of the key amenities that towns tend to lack is good shopping. And we’re not just talking about a big shopping mall. Often, those living in smaller towns and communities must travel significant distances for even basic clothing needs. Therefore, opening a clothing store will not only make you a clothing store but will also become a popular hangout for many of the nearby residents. You will act as a shopping mall for everything that interests young people. Just make sure you stay up to date with the latest trends. Don’t worry, even if you don’t know about these trends, your customers will keep you informed!
4. Massage Therapist
Just because the hustle and bustle of the big city doesn’t bother town dwellers, doesn’t mean they don’t have aches, pains, and stress. If you’re someone who enjoys working with their hands and meeting new people, this could be a great career and business idea for a town. However, becoming a massage therapist requires a significant amount of training, so it’s not a business you can open in the next few weeks unless you’re a licensed massage therapist. However, there are various schools and programs you can enroll in to obtain a license. Once you’ve completed your education, becoming a massage therapist allows you to set your hours, work whenever and wherever you want, and build a strong repeat client base.
5. Baking
From your morning coffee to your child’s birthday cake, neighborhood bakeries can meet many small-town needs. Although owning and operating a bakery can be very challenging, if making pastries for the public is your dream, this is a business idea that can be incredibly rewarding. Opening a bakery would be a great way to both employ young people in your town and stay connected to your community. If you’re a novice at owning a business in a small town, doing your research on opening a successful bakery is crucial. It will also be beneficial for you to have information about the pricing of baked goods.
6. Grocery Store / Specialty Food Shop
Maybe it seems like an obvious business option for this town, but the obvious answers are often the ones most overlooked. Although a grocery store may not seem like a very attractive business choice, it is one of our most practical suggestions and a business that the whole town constantly needs. Like many small-town business ideas, there are many directions you can take this business. Maybe your town already has a local grocery store, in which case opening a specialty food store could be the right choice. If your town already has these, what about a wine or cheese shop? “How much wine or cheese can a small town consume?” Although you might think, that when you’re serving a small community, people’s options are limited. This may allow you to serve in more ways than one. Consider the idea of opening a combination wine and cheese shop. Just be careful not to attempt anything larger than your size. It’s fine to offer several things to a few people, but don’t try to offer everything to everyone at once.
7. Lawn and Garden Work
One thing most towns have in common is grass, and lots and lots of it. Since towns are in rural areas, town residents are likely to have lawns and gardens. This means people will be looking for lawn and garden services. Some of the benefits of starting such a business in a small town are its predictability, reliability, and scalability.
Once you start finding customers, you can keep the same customers for years as long as your services are affordable and of high quality. You will also be able to predict the recurring services that customers will need. Not only does the lawn need to be cut repeatedly, but the lawn also needs to be fertilized and maintained regularly for weeds and insects. Lawn care is an ideal small-town business idea that can grow well. You can start by offering a few services, such as lawn care and shrub maintenance, and later you can offer landscaping services as well.
8. Food Truck
A food truck business may not have been on your list of ideas for a successful town business. But depending on your city’s location, the seasonality of its residents, and the weather, starting a food truck business can be a great investment. Most towns have energetic communities and they often host outdoor events such as sporting events, festivals, and markets. Having the ability to take your business where the crowd is means having big money in your hands. Food trucks also bring the advantage of being rented for special events. So, being able to rent a food truck is a perfect trick for town residents, family, or friends who can’t afford to serve food.
9. Second Hand Shop
Yes, a small town may have fewer people or fewer stores and shops, but that doesn’t mean baby clothes aren’t getting smaller, people aren’t buying new furniture, and college kids aren’t moving for school. In our capitalist society, fewer people do not always mean fewer things. That’s why opening a thrift store is a great way to help people in your town recycle unwanted items.
Another reason why opening a thrift store in a small town is a great idea is that some of the goods you sell will be donated to you for free because they are not used by the townspeople. This not only gives you a logical system for thinking about how to organize and track inventory, but it also means you’ll never be in debt to a middleman or manufacturer, even though you’ll be selling items cheaper than a traditional store. Two birds with one stone!
10. Private Tutoring Service
Where there are houses, there are children, and where there are children, there are tears shed over mathematics and foreign languages. While the internet is full of online tutoring services, nothing can replace the benefits of receiving in-person tutoring. Besides being a great business idea for small towns, tutoring can be a profitable business for both yourself and your employees. If you’re looking to hire employees, we recommend starting with a few teachers who specialize in math, foreign languages, and science. Don’t try to hire teachers who present themselves as competent in all areas, these people are very rare and will probably be too expensive to hire to start with. Instead, look for people who specialize in a subject and have previous tutoring or teaching experience.
11. Car Wash
Whether it is a small town in the farthest corner of the country, one thing is certain: people prefer clean and shiny vehicles over muddy, rusty junk. That’s how human nature works. You pay for your car wash every month and your car will be sparkling clean! If your town doesn’t yet have a car wash, or if the nearby town has at least one, opening a car wash could be the perfect small-town business opportunity for you. Something to think about before you start: location, location, location. Get this phase of planning well-established and make the rest of your entrepreneurial journey significantly easier.
12. Gym
If you think opening a gym in a small town is a bad idea, think again. Just like the human body comes in many different shapes and sizes, gyms and exercise studios come in many different shapes and sizes. Although fitness businesses are a good option for town business opportunities, they are much more profitable, especially in places where it is cold most of the year, compared to places that are not cold. It’s also worth noting that the boutique fitness center trend is currently riding high and shows no signs of declining. The appeal of huge gyms full of weights and cardio equipment is losing its appeal day by day. So, there’s no better time than now to take advantage of the boutique fitness gym trend.
13. Restaurant
Every town, big or small, needs (and deserves) a few good restaurants. Your local fast food joint won’t cut it for all occasions and events. However, just like owning a bakery, opening a restaurant is not something to be entered into half-heartedly. You must have the passion, drive, and obsession of both a great entrepreneur and chef (or at least a foodie).
If you have just that drive and experience, owning a restaurant can be both a successful endeavor and a great business for a small town. But beware: no matter how attractive it looks on the outside, a quarter of all restaurants fail in their first year. We don’t say this to discourage you; We want you to know what you are facing. Doing your market research before opening your business and investing in technology such as a POS system, which is essential for a restaurant, will help ensure that your business remains open and ranked high.
14. Cafe or Bar Broadcasting Live Matches
Although we suggested a bar/coffee shop combination above, the customers you appeal to with that business suggestion are very different from the customer base that the cafe/bar broadcasting live matches will attract. Compare first dates and book clubs with a business that broadcasts live sports. Additionally, businesses that cater to live sports can expand your business. Opening a cafe or bar that broadcasts matches in a sports-focused town can be a big investment. But if you miscalculate your town’s interests, it could also be disastrous. So make sure you know the characteristics of the people where you enter into this venture.
15. Natural / Organic Foods
There has been a trend that has been rising in most of the world for more than twenty years: natural foods. Although what is considered healthy food has changed and shifted frequently over this time, the concept of eating healthy in general to live healthier, longer, and take care of yourself is still the biggest industry. Another side of this trend, whose benefits have been scientifically proven, is eating organic foods. People eat organic food for a variety of reasons, but living in rural areas and small towns can make it difficult to find fresh organic produce and food. Global natural food sales are expected to reach $1 trillion by 2017. Even if you don’t consider yourself a healthy diet fan, it’s a hard number to ignore. Research also shows that consumers are willing to spend more on healthy foods. Therefore, if access to allergen-free foods and organic foods is limited in your area, you may want to consider switching to the organic food sector. Whether it is a town or city business idea; A natural food store is a good idea no matter where you live.
16. Hair Salon / Barber Shop
Even Rapunzel needed to be groomed occasionally. A haircut is a service that most people need several (perhaps more than a dozen) times a year, regardless of your age. If you’re currently calculating the average number of women in your town and multiplying it by three and thinking that’s the amount of work you’ll do annually, you’re thinking too small. Opening your hair salon means a wide range of additional services that do not only consist of haircuts. Think hair coloring, nails, and makeup, to name a few examples. And remember, most men tend to get their hair cut at least once a month. And if this is to cover up gray hair, they will also need to dye their hair every six weeks. Depending on your geographic area and your hair designer’s experience, a quality haircut can run up to around $100. Make sure you have a solid business plan before opening your small-town shop.
17. Ice Cream Shop
A wise man once said that for a place to be considered a town, it had to have an ice cream shop. Okay, maybe we made that up. But no matter what, even if it isn’t right, it has to be that way. Opening an ice cream shop in a small town is a business idea guaranteed to draw a crowd. Knowing your product, being familiar with the most popular ice cream flavors, and being willing to work nights and weekends are important factors to consider. Remember, this job comes with the problem of seasonality. So, just as we recommend boutique fitness businesses are great for cold weather climates, we also recommend the ice cream shop for warmer regions. Find a beautiful town with warm weather and this small-town business idea will be a breeze.
18. Home Renovation and Decoration
Do all your friends call you when their sink is clogged or their roof leaks? You want to start your own business, but you’re not excited about opening a traditional business? A home decorating business might be just the hometown business idea you’re looking for. When towns lack a basic handyman, residents must make appointments days, if not weeks, in advance for a larger repair company to visit their homes. This doesn’t make much sense if your toilet has been clogged for three days. As long as you’re qualified, experienced and know how to use a toolbox, starting a home maintenance service is fairly simple and requires little expense.
19. Flower Shop
It may surprise you, but opening a flower shop is a pretty cheap business idea and a great option for towns. So, it’s less expensive than a restaurant or car wash. According to openaflowershop.com, starting a floristry business costs relatively less compared to other retail businesses. Perhaps the only cost you will incur is purchasing a cooler to keep your produce (i.e. your beautiful flowers) fresh and cool.
While your local community may be thrilled to have a florist with fresh flowers in their town, you’ll be struggling to compete against online delivery services. Remember, even if you’re the first florist the townspeople have ever seen (or at least for a while), the townspeople are probably used to ordering their flowers online. Breaking habits can be difficult. The best way to compete with the online flower sea is with reasonable prices, attention to detail customer service, and a bunch of creativity.
20. Cleaning Service
Similar to a handyman service, a cleaning service is a solid business idea for towns, if you’re willing to sacrifice a storefront. Although it has become more popular for customers looking for cleaning services to look for large companies these days, large cleaning companies have either not expanded into rural areas or do not have contract workers willing to travel to remote towns. This job may be frustrating for those who want to see a sparkling kitchen, but this is a great business opportunity for you! It is also one of the easiest businesses to open, with little if any overhead.
21. Book Store
Bookstores are almost sold out! Bookstores may be different now and bear little resemblance to what many of us remember from our childhoods, but that doesn’t have to mean a bad thing. If anything, the need for bookstore owners to create new and innovative ways to succeed has created a huge amount of additional business opportunities
Of course, if you decide to open a bookstore as a town business, you want to make sure the main focus is books. But that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate other aspects of your community or additional products into your store. Nowadays you rarely need to go to a bookstore just for books. Bookstores are the main hangout these days for gifts, crafts, e-readers, coffee, and events. Selling a wide variety of products and hosting events will diversify your revenue stream and make your store attractive even to customers who aren’t traditionally book-oriented or book-cultured.
Although there are far fewer bookstores these days, you may be surprised to see sales increase by five percent for bookstores that have survived the crisis. The opportunity to reshape bookstores for the 21st century has proven lucrative, though partly because of less competition.
22. Electronic Dealer
If you want to follow a path that has not yet been fully explored, rather than the path that everyone else takes, now is the time. How about trying your luck as an electronics dealer specializing in drones and drone accessories? If this sounds like a bit of a detour, trust us, it’s worth it. The commercial drone market is estimated to grow to over $1 billion by 2022. This is a big market, you have the opportunity to enter this market early and be a part of it. Are you looking for a game-changing town business idea? This is exactly what you are looking for!
23. Hostel
If you’ve ever lived in a town and hosted guests, you’ve often wished your town had a bed and breakfast. While small towns with tourism industries often have historic inns or at least a motel or two, towns outside of Plymouth or Williamsburg are not frequented. This means your in-laws or guests for a family reunion or wedding have no place to stay. Opening a small inn or bed and breakfast can help meet the needs in your area. If you’re worried about your rooms going empty, start small. Hostel owners generally tend to convert their larger homes into hostels and continue living in the same homes. This is a great idea for homeowners whose houses have been vacant lately and have a lot of room to fill. If you are old and looking for business ideas for towns, this is a great concept to explore.
24. Bowling Alley
While it’s not the cheapest business idea on this list, it can be extremely lucrative as well as appeal to the widest range of customers in a small town. A successful bowling alley can be the center of a town’s social life. Besides bowling, which has a certain income, food and drink (especially alcoholic beverages) can help you make big money. Additionally, town bowling alleys can be rented for additional income. Like all businesses, small and large, having a quality business plan for your bowling alley is incredibly important.
