5 Unusual Business Ideas for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur is a difficult journey that takes a lot of time and commitment. It is exciting to think about being your own boss and managing a company, but before you take on that challenge, you have to commit to a career path. If you are ready to go into business but unsure of what to do, here are five ideas for potentially lucrative businesses that you could start as an aspiring entrepreneur.

1.  Start a Pet Sitting or Dog Walking Business

Many of you reading this are thinking to yourselves, “I’ve walked dogs before.” However, the truth is that many of the simplest ideas are immensely profitable. Pet-based businesses are something that almost everyone needs. A recent study showed that 70% of homes in the United States have some kind of pet. This means that pet-based businesses are in extremely high demand.

Some new ideas, like pet hotels, have even recently become profitable. This means that there is still innovation to be made in this industry. If you like animals and are looking for an idea to start your own business, this could be a perfect opportunity.

2.  Start a Social Media Based Business

Social media is one of the largest and fastest-growing platforms that exist. It only makes sense as an entrepreneur to take advantage of this. New career opportunities have been popping up left and right within the social media space, and many of these opportunities are perfect for entrepreneurs.

Career paths like life coaches, podcast hosts, fashion creators, and others have become highly lucrative in the past couple of years. All of these career fields fall under the “influencer” umbrella, and it’s necessary first to have an audience before your new entrepreneurship can be profitable.

Start by building an audience and see how quickly you can start to grow your social media business. Brand sponsorships, merchandise, and online courses are just a few methods that influencers use to generate profits, all of which are very profitable.

3.  Market and Resell Products

Are you confident in your abilities as an entrepreneur but not as confident in your social media savvy? Try marketing and reselling products (sometimes called drop shipping). Many product manufacturers will allow you to do the marketing and outreach for their products.

This can be a great way to gain experience in marketing and advertising while also making a good chunk of change. These manufacturers will allow you to set a price for their product and let you keep the difference.

Some hugely successful dropshipping campaigns have been products like outdoor slippers, portable blenders, and even things as simple as thermoses or baby clothes. This practice is highly profitable, only if you have a large audience. So start advertising and marketing as well as you can, and the business will follow.

4.  Become a Freelancer

Freelancing is a great option for young entrepreneurs who want a job but may need flexibility in their schedules. Freelancers exist in a wide variety of fields, from writing blog posts to coding websites. The only common theme is that a lot of the time, a freelancer can be self-taught. There is a lot of information out there regarding web development and other popular freelancing jobs. So get out there and educate yourself on a field that you may be interested in.

Put in some time and start contacting businesses asking if they are interested. Before long, you can get a long list of clients and only as much work as you have time to do. Additionally, freelancers can leave a project whenever they feel and don’t have as much stake in any one company.

5.  Start a Food Truck

It’s commonly known that the restaurant industry is a very competitive one, with a considerable percentage of sit-down restaurants going out of business. However, food trucks have seen a huge surge in popularity in the past couple of years. With the increasing popularity and the low start-up costs, it’s no wonder that owning a food truck is such an intriguing option.

As an entrepreneur, you are looking for business opportunities that will become self-sufficient. A food truck is a perfect example of this; after creating a menu and hiring staff, the only thing left to do is uphold the quality of your truck and food. These things are possible without investing a huge percentage of your time. As an entrepreneur, your time is extremely valuable; this makes food trucks an attractive option as potentially passive income (not to mention the free food).

All of these options are great ways to make your next business move. We know that it can be hard to find ideas that are right for you and your schedule, so this post has given you the perfect next business opportunity. Being an entrepreneur is a difficult and winding road. But it’s worth the journey, and there’s no sweeter destination.

About the Author

Roni Davis is a writer, blogger, and legal assistant operating out of the greater Philadelphia area.

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