Anna Lynn Dizon

Gas station owners have unique needs for their point-of-sale (POS) systems. Gas station POS systems should be able to handle fuel pumps, retail and food items in-store, kitchen- or fresh-made items, and even car washes. Plus, a gas station POS needs to have basic POS functions such as reliable payment processing and reporting tools. Based on those criteria, the best gas station POS systems are: : Best overall gas station POS system : Best for travel stops and multiple locations : Best for large, high-volume gas stations needing in-depth fuel management : Best for businesses that need strong inventory and reporting capabilities Best Gas Station POS Systems Compared How We Evaluated Gas Station POS Systems The best gas station POS systems should let you handle all your business needs from a single register without having to integrate several POS software programs. We found many POS systems that worked for convenience stores, so our first criterion was the built-in ability to sync with fuel pumps for control and monitoring. Next, we looked for special features needed for tobacco, alcohol, and lottery ticket sales, plus the ability to handle food sales from the register. Finally, we made sure to only include POS systems that offer fuel, lottery sales, and grocery sales management tools. Age verification is also a requirement in order to sell alcohol and tobacco. Based on our evaluation, we found  the best overall, scoring a 4.71 out of 5 in our grading system. It’s a highly popular POS system for other uses and offers excellent features for convenience stores and gas stations. Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria. NCR: Best Overall POS Software for Gas Stations makes highly rated POS software and hardware for retail and restaurants and has put those features into a system that works great for gas stations. NCR has two products for gas stations and convenience stores—NCR Storepoint and NCR RPOS. Storepoint covers your commercial fuel operations such as fuel management, pump POS integration, wet stock management, inventory, reporting, employee management, food service, and retail (for truck stops that sell more products than your typical c-store). RPOS integrates your convenience store operations with the rest of your gas station touchpoints. It allows you to accept food orders at the pump, offer mobile ordering and payments, promote engagement-enabled loyalty programs, provide delivery service, verify age for restricted products, and ensure cash flow security. Based on our evaluation, NCR earned a 4.71 out of 5. It scored very well for feature set and ease of use, as would be expected from a company that has served businesses from banks to restaurants. Users praise the intuitive interface and variety of payment options. Meanwhile, points were taken away mainly for its undisclosed pricing as this makes the POS system’s affordability difficult to gauge. Note that you will need NCR’s proprietary hardware, which can add to the price, but users say it’s good value for the money. That said, you can contact NCR’s sales department for a software demo and quick quote. NCR Pricing NCR for gas stations and convenience stores requires custom pricing depending on the hardware and features you need. NCR also provides an end-to-end payment processing solution, which may be included in the price. You will also need to purchase NCR’s integrated hardware for POS terminals and pump POS. And while all-in-one subscriptions are likely available (for example, another NCR POS solution, NCR Silver, bundles software and hardware in its payment plan), expect to be tied to long-term contracts. NCR Standout Features POS features: NCR lets you manage gas prices, allows your cashiers to manage pumps from their stations, and even handles car wash stations. You can set up self-service kiosks for restaurants or a coffee bar. POS configuration manager: This back-office feature allows you to remotely manage fuel items and prices and customize pump prompts, menu defaults, and receipt texts for multiple gas station sites. NCR site management: A back-office module allows you to manage your retail items catalog for updates in pricing, coupons, and promotions, plus offers optional add-on tools for inventory and vendor portals. It also includes 60 real-time reports on sales and pricing changes. Payment options: Accepts credit, debit, loyalty, and fleet cards. Outdoor pumps can handle EMV, mobile, and contactless payments. Forecourt consumer engagement: NCR’s pump POS systems have highly customizable video functions that you can use for promoting products, loyalty programs, sales, or other items. Mobile checkout: NCR is staying at the forefront of technology, with mobile checkout for customers. In this time of COVID-19, where people are trying to limit public interactions, this could give you an edge. Real-time sales reports: Monitor your sales with NCR’s 60 preconfigured reports providing real-time visibility into price overrides, fuel price changes, voids, and other suspicious activity Mobile management: Access your gas and c-store real-time insights from any mobile device. What NCR Is Missing NCR’s inventory reporting lacks some customization and tax programming features, which Petrosoft does better. And while user feedback mentions that NCR’s POS system is worth the money you spend, it can do well with some level of price transparency for small businesses such as information on software subscription and add-on fees (which competitors like LS Retail provides). Additionally, live help or phone support may not be available 24/7 for clients. Verifone: Best for Travel Stops & Multiple Locations If you own a travel stop with gas pumps, souvenirs, and food to order or have multiple gas stations, then is worth considering. Its versatile system manages not only fueling and retail but also self-serve kiosks. It also handles age-dependent sales like tobacco, and you can even sell lottery tickets at the pump. Verifone lists a number of integration partners for loyalty management, fleet cards, tank level monitoring, and electric fuel signage. Scoring 4.6 out of 5, Verifone is a close second to NCR for gas stations. We particularly liked how the system offers a car wash management feature and a variety of integrated third-party payment providers. Verifone scored better than NCR for its 24/7 customer service; however, it lagged behind in terms of marketing features—which depend highly on third-party integrations and received a lower evaluation score from our experts. And while loyalty and marketing did not carry much weight in this evaluation, it should be noted these features are lacking compared to NCR. Verifone Pricing Like most forecourt or c-store POS systems, Verifone will customize to your needs, including self-service kiosks and controllers in addition to countertop POS systems. The pricing is similarly customized. Contact Verifone for more information. Verifone Standout Features Verifone site controllers: Supports up to 64 fueling positions of a single dispenser type and can integrate up to 36 workstations. Forecourt POS: Aside from fuel, sells lottery tickets at the pump. It also tracks cash fueling and cash handling when sales are completed by a full-service attendant. Kitchen management system: Food-service and self-service kiosks come with a built-in kitchen management system so orders are directly sent to the kitchen. Payment options: Accepts mobile payments, RFID payments and credit, debit, loyalty, and fleet cards. It also has a coupon scanning feature at the pump. Car wash management: This allows your customers to pay for their car wash service through a POS terminal if they are paying with a card or through a pay point device if they are paying in cash. Money order selling: Verifone integrates with Western Union and MoneyGram Delta, which allows it to sell money orders from the c-store POS terminal. What Verifone Is Missing Verifone is a full-featured system, but there’s little online information about specifics. The most common complaints online were of touch screens not working and slow customer support. However, it's the lack of mention of marketing features that can be a huge pain point for small businesses looking to build a customer base. If this is you, be sure to discuss your needs in detail with a sales rep or consider NCR instead. LS Retail: Best for Busy Gas Stations With Multiple Pumps is the best gas station POS system for fuel management. It offers three gas station POS systems, LS Central, LS One, and LS First, plus business intelligence, payment processing, and other programs for different business sizes. The system makes it easy for cashiers to manage pumps from approval to shutdowns and calculate wet inventory levels so that you know what fuel to reorder and when. The backend is powered by Microsoft Dynamics 365 for customer resource management and inventory. LS Retail scored a 4.48 out of 5. The system offers nearly all the features you could use in a gas station or convenience store, including a built-in tank gauge tracking system, which Verifone does not have. While it also doesn’t disclose any pricing information, it gives you an idea of subscription options. However, LS Retail lost points as it does not specify its business hours, and there seems to be no mention of payment processing options, which means you might need to pay extra for your payment processing service. LS Retail Pricing You’ll need to contact LS Retail about pricing, but its website shows that the system offers three plans. LS One is a stand-alone POS with back office features, while LS Central is an all-in-one POS and ERP software solution and LS First is for large-scale gas station and c-store businesses. LS Retail also has a payment software solution called LS Pay that you can easily link to your LS Retail account to manage payment types, provide security, and track multichannel transactions. You’ll need a separate merchant account, so shop for the best rates among its list of partner payment service providers. LS Retail Standout Features Central pump control: Cashiers have complete control of the pumps. They can authorize, pause, stop, and lock/unlock pumps. You can log drive-aways and refund money if a customer doesn’t use their full prepay. Wet inventory control: Includes an automatic reading of tank gauge information and deliveries. You can manually add data that is not automated, such as tank dip readings or delivery notes. Automatic stock replenishment: The system can automatically replenish wet stock based on sales history and stock levels. Microsoft-based solution: LS Retail is a hybrid POS that can run on Microsoft Dynamics ERP if you want a system that’s fully deployed on-premises or as Software as a Service (SaaS) with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for finance and operations. Real-time performance monitoring: Get a real-time overview of your inventory and merchandising system. Analyze sales distribution according to POS, total income, number of customers, number of items, or average purchase amount at any given time. Loyalty management: LS Retail allows you to set up in-store, online, and mobile loyalty schemes and offers in a click of a button. What LS Retail Is Missing LS Retail’s website does not specify hardware information, so you’ll need to make sure to ask about your options when talking to the sales team. If you sell lottery tickets, be sure to ask how LS Retail handles those transactions as well. For those working on a budget or low sales transaction volume, LS Retail might not be the right fit. For instance, a merchant account with LS Pay means you have to pay for set up and monthly fees, and your transaction rate will depend on your business size and transaction volume. You might be better off with a POS system offering more options like Verifone. Petrosoft SmartPOS: Best for Inventory & Reports is an all-in-one hardware and software solution built for convenience stores. It also coordinates with your pumps. When combined with CStore Office, you get a powerful backend with over 200 customizable reports for optimizing your sales and inventory, including a mobile app so you can access your business data at any time. It also offers various integrations for forecourt, self-service, food service, order management, and analytics solutions. Petrosoft also installed processes to manage employee performance. It provides flexible training options for your staff, as well as built-in safeguards, including an electronic journal that tracks suspicious activities such as no sales, refunds, voids, and cancellations. You can also customize your POS screen to display shortcuts, search bars, and pending order management to avoid unnecessary delay in processing transactions. In our evaluation, Petrosoft scored a 4.43 out of 5. Like the other POS developers on our list, Petrosoft has decades of experience in the field and has developed a product to meet the needs of most gas station owners. But it stands out most for its customizable and detailed reporting features. However, Petrosoft lost points on ease of use when compared to other providers. It requires multiple integrations like CStore Office, which would mean more effort for users to set up their system. Petrosoft SmartPOS Pricing Petrosoft’s SmartPOS software is sold bundled with hardware and has two versions—Apexa G and Apexa Prime. The solution comes with a touch-screen POS terminal, software, customer display, printer, cash drawer, barcode scanner and EMV pin pad. You will need CStore Office software for back-office management. Additional software, such as QwickServe for food and order management and Scan Data for barcode scanners, and peripherals can also be purchased from . SmartPOS Apexa G: $2,349 SmartPOS Apexa Prime: $2,399 Self-Service Terminal: $1,199 CStore Office: $249/month QwickServe: from $99 Scan Data: from $15 You can also negotiate with Petrosoft to arrange for a free trial. Petrosoft SmartPOS Standout Features Consent mode for pumps: Signals the cashier when a customer makes an authorization request. POS screen customization: Cashiers can customize their screen with their favorite or most used buttons for quicker checkouts. POS system safeguards: If you limit the amount of cash in your registers as a theft deterrent, the system can signal you when it’s time to do a safe drop. Lottery management safeguards: SmartPOS includes early theft detection for instant lottery sales. Price book manager: Allows you to add, update, and push price changes to your POS system. Electronic journal: Comes with event tagging and bookmarking that helps highlight suspicious transactions. Staff training options: Available for on-terminal, online, and in-person training. What Petrosoft Is Missing Petrosoft relies heavily on integrations like CStore Office to create a complete system to manage your business. This requires additional costs that can drive up your expenses. You will also need to ask Petrosoft sales for more information about the pump management feature. Lastly, Petrosoft doesn’t have an in-house payment processing solution, so if this is a dealbreaker to you, we suggest checking out Verifone, which provides a variety of payment processing options. Bottom Line A POS system that addresses the needs of a gas station, from pumps to hot snacks, can improve the efficiency of your checkout and help customer satisfaction. It also makes it easier on cashiers and managers handling varied sales and inventory, plus keeping up with regulations like legal age limits. We found NCR to be the best overall for gas stations. Visit NCR for a quote and get started.

There are numerous coffee shop menu ideas you can use to market your cafe. With the right color scheme, font, and menu design theme (for instance, magazine-style vs hipster), you can help customers connect to your brand. It’s best to design your menu to align with the ambiance you want to create. Here are 15 unique coffee shop menu ideas to inspire your own: 1. Coffee Roasters Style Menu Readability is an important element in any marketing material, and it’s even more crucial for menus. You could use eye-catching colors and high-quality images, but your customers will have a hard time deciding what to order if it’s difficult for them to read the text. This can easily upset customers and/or cause them to leave. Make sure your fonts are large enough to read with a proper layout and ensure the colors have a sharp contrast against the background. In this coffee shop menu example, the contrast of the orange and white font against the dark brown background ensures that the information is highly readable. The coffee bean images are even clear despite being of the same color theme, so the layout looks clean and the elements are even. 2. City Coffee Style Menu Keep your message clear and simple. With an elaborate design, it’s best to keep your text limited to the most important information to make sure your message is communicated clearly. If you add images and other design elements, make sure they don't distract the reader from the text. Coffee shop customers will appreciate being able to understand what kind of coffee and food you offer so they can determine what they want to order as quickly as possible. This coffee shop’s menu exudes a sense of relaxation and calm in the midst of a busy city. So while the overall look of this menu clearly implies a city vibe, the simple design and layout help emphasize the brand. You can feel the simplicity in everything from the image of the single steaming cup of coffee in the center to the use of white font and lots of blank space; it all comes together to create a pleasant coffee shop menu. 3. Photo Collage Style Menu A collage brings together different images that connect to make a story. You can utilize this technique in your menu by showcasing a sample of your drinks and/or food. This will give customers an idea of what to expect with their orders. Be sure to hire a professional photographer to capture actual images of your products in high definition. You will also need an expert designer to add graphics to the layout so that it stands out while still complementing the rest of the design elements in your menu. 4. Coffee Blackboard Style Menu At times, reading a wide variety of coffee choices on a menu can be overwhelming for customers, and it helps to have a call to action (CTA) to give them an idea of what to do next. Once they know the different coffee options your shop offers, it’ll be easy to encourage them to make a purchase by adding a quick CTA on the menu. Keep your call to action short, creative, and conversational. 5. Magazine Style Menu Featuring your specials on the menu is a great way to integrate conversation starters into the menu design. This will generate the initial attention you need to capture your customer’s interest and make them more eager to try your products. It also helps in breaking the ice during casual business meetings that are often held in coffee shops. This coffee shop menu example made use of a magazine-style layout to feature the shop’s specials. Photos of the drinks are large and prominent, with information such as ingredients and pricing added as inset captions. 6. Artwork Design Style Menu Proper font hierarchy attracts readers toward a message by making use of larger colorful or highly contrasted font. This makes it a useful tool to guide customers through menus that provide a lot of details about its products. It can also help a great deal when trying to market or promote new products; by using bolder and larger fonts, you can draw the customer’s eye toward it immediately. In this example, the words “Roasted Coffee” are in bold, white font at the center while “All hot or iced” is in smaller blue fonts and highlighted in bright yellow. These messages catch the readers’ attention (and interest) first; and afterward, the food items that are listed in smaller, white font become more noticeable. 7. Festive Design Style Menu The colors you use on your coffee shop menu determines how catchy it will be and how long your customers remember it. If you’re using your own brand colors, chances are, you are already using a color palette designed to emphasize your brand. It not, choose colors that reflect the vibe for which you want your coffee shop to be known. Make sure that the colors you choose evoke the emotions you want your customers to feel when they see your menu. Bright colors, like the one used in the menu above, tend to represent a livelier vibe, while more neutral colors like gray and black can symbolize a certain calmness or exclusivity. 8. Promotional Cafe Menu You might have on-going events in your coffee shop, especially if you happen to operate under a specific theme. And while you can always add posters on your walls to advertise the events, adding information to your menu is an effective approach since customers usually look them over before they place an order. It also gives customers the opportunity to ask about the event, because a cafe staff member will be providing them service before, during, and after they review the menu. This promotional coffee shop menu example shows an announcement for an open-mic event. The white font contrasts against the dark brown and gray colors and brings more focus to the event information. It is also strategically placed at the end of the menu, so customers have a chance to read all of the available food and drink items. 9. Interactive Content Style If you’re not into a minimalistic design, you can still avoid clutter and have a great-looking menu. Use the backside of the menu to share interesting information and conversation starters with your customers. You can even add a link to your website and social media accounts, so customers can visit them and interact while waiting for their orders. This coffee shop menu’s layout adds an interesting infographic for coffee lovers. While the illustrations are pretty and interesting, there is extensive information at the bottom of each image that can keep waiting customers occupied and even become conversation starters for people who need help building a connection. 10. Vintage Blackboard Design In order to strengthen your brand identity, you need to ensure that your menu reflects your coffee shop’s overall theme. This consistency will help solidify your branding and make your store more memorable. It helps to ensure customers will think of your cafe when they need to entertain friends or clients and bond with family who will also appreciate the atmosphere. This menu has a vintage design and puts customers in the mindset of the older coffee shops. If you’re to attract more seniors who are looking for a quiet place to relax, this design may be your style. Working on a budget doesn’t mean you should skip consulting with professionals and just design your coffee shop menu on your own. For as low as $5, you can hire a freelance graphic designer and marketing expert on to ensure you have the perfect menu to match your brand. Get access to Fiverr’s pool of professionals today. 11. Hipster Coffee Menu Use grids to keep your design organized. Regardless of how colorful or creative it is, your coffee shop menu should still look organized. A color-coded grid with four quadrants separates your coffee into different categories, so your customers can quickly find specific drinks. This will help give your customers a pleasant buying experience and turn them into repeat clients. In this coffee shop menu example, the hipster vibe is prominent in the use of bright colors and uneven grid sizes. However, the layout is still organized, with the headers standing out and the black fonts for the food item listings simple and evenly spaced. 12. Coffee Espresso Bar Menu It’s possible to create a pleasant overall look with a ton of images and text. Generally speaking, you should create a design that stands out but is not so excessive that it will strain the customers’ eyes. Choose elements that complement each other to achieve a balanced look. Work with accents and simple color palettes for both the font and the images. 13. American Cafe Style Menu Sometimes, people tend to remember slogans more than business names if they’re catchy enough. So consider adding your business slogan or tagline on your coffee shop menu when possible. This also lets your audience get an idea of your coffee shop theme and what to expect from the food items you sell. In this example, the business tagline “best coffee on the island!” is placed just below the coffee shop name and is very easy to remember, because it conveys exactly what every coffee lover wants to hear. 14. Formal Coffee Menu A photo might not be enough to encourage customers to order a new coffee variant that you offer in your shop. It’s best to add a short description that can help customers know what they’ll be purchasing. Be creative and use words that appeal to their sense of sight, taste, and smell. You can even put a spin on it and incorporate witty and funny lines. In this formal coffee shop menu example, each drink is described using ingredients and flavor. 15. Illustrated Coffee Shop Menu If you feel like large images that take up much of the space in your menu are not your style, try adding illustrations instead on your coffee shop menu. This approach gives the design a more personal feel and can make the idea of ordering food, especially for new customers, more appealing. It’s a perfect approach especially for coffee shops that want to portray home-brewed and baked products. In this example, illustrations are used for images instead of high-quality photos. This gives the menu a more artistic design that works especially well for coffee shops wanting to create a home-style or rustic brand. Bottom Line The best coffee shop menu ideas are the ones that can capture your business’ brand. With the right design elements, your menu can become an effective marketing platform to bring in more customers and increase your bottom line. Use our list to help inspire both simple and creative coffee shop menu designs. Have your own coffee shop menu ideas you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below.

Technological advancement has created more opportunities for farmers to develop a profitable business. Small farms (earning less than $50,000 annually or occupying less than 180 acres) are now considered potentially lucrative as both rural and urban business opportunities. Entrepreneurs should consider ideas like bee farms, rooftop gardens, and microgreens when choosing among profitable ventures. Here are 20 of the most profitable small farm ideas to consider in 2019: Rural Agriculture Profitable Small Farm Ideas Rural farms are located in outlying areas of the country. The vast land area is perfect for cultivating food crops, rearing livestock, and hunting; however, farming activities are highly dependent upon the seasons and natural weather conditions. 1. Tree Nursery A tree nursery can be a great investment when done right. Most farmers start with 10 to 20 seedlings in a small acre, and with the right marketing strategy, they would have the baby trees sold out before they mature. You can buy small trees for around $20 each, or raise them from scratch. Spend some time researching how to organically source the trees you want to grow. Fruit tree propagation, for example, can be done by grafting or budding (joining parts from multiple plants), and this increases your chances of producing the same variety of trees as opposed to using seeds. You might also consider this spin on the tree nursery idea: “Start an adopt-a-tree program. This allows farmers to do what they do best — grow things. To start, you'll need to have a simple website. But if you run a farm, you should have one anyway. The next thing you'll need are the actual trees and the tools to plant them. Invest in a good quality camera to take pictures of the trees for the people adopting them. Take pictures when you plant them and as they grow to use as proof that you planted the trees. Finally, have certificates printed up to show adoption of the trees and ones that are to be given as a gift or memorial.” — Julie Austin, CEO, Creative Innovation Group 2. Fish Farming Fish farming is an ideal business idea for investors with available land, and it doesn’t always require a body of water. You can start a fish farm either by creating fish ponds or investing in fish tanks; it’s a highly scalable business idea. Once you have the proper knowledge of fish raising, you will be able to decide the type of fish to raise. Fish such as tilapia, cod, and catfish are very popular choices, because they are quite easy to raise and are generally in high demand. Small scale farms are the usual suppliers of fish in their local supermarkets and restaurants. Other popular varieties of fish that are commercially raised are: Eel Grass Carp Rainbow and Silver Trout Tuna Salmon The decision as to which fish you want to raise will ultimately rely on your skill, financial capacity, market demand, and agro-climatic condition. This refers to the normal soil types, rainfall, temperature, and water availability that affects the type of vegetation in the area. 3. Dual Crop Farming Dual crop farming or multiple cropping can be either mixed cropping or intercropping. Mixed cropping refers to raising two or more types of crops in the same area while intercropping is raising different crops in close proximity. Dual crop farming is very popular among farmers because it optimizes the use of equipment, soil, and water as well as farming supplies; it also maximizes the production of a small farm all year-round. Farmers like that it reduces the risk of total loss from calamities, drought, pests, and diseases. Some good examples of multiple cropping are growing strawberries and watermelons in Florida, while growing wheat and soybeans in addition to corn and canola in the Carolinas. 4. Dairy Farming According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, factory farms provide more than 80% of milk in the market. However, there is a continuing decline in the number of licensed dairy farms, which leaves opportunities for new entrepreneurs with available land in rural areas to explore. Note that dairy farms with less than 100 cows are considered small but still require considerable investment, not to mention, the numerous rules they must follow before being awarded a license to operate. Those who wish to go into this type of farming business will also have to learn how to improve milk volume production in order to be successful. As with any business, there are certain risks involved when starting your own farm. Rural farms, in particular, can be seriously affected by calamities and natural disaster that threatens both crops and livestock. It is, therefore, important to be prepared by knowing your options such as how to apply for disaster loans. Low Capital Profitable Small Farm Ideas If you’re short on capital, there are some low-cost business ideas that are easy to start. While these types of farm businesses usually earn less than other farms that invest in land and equipment, they continue to provide a steady stream of income because the market exists. No matter the business, you’re going to need a way to accept payments. Whether it’s in person at a market or you’re selling online, Square’s free point of sale is a great place to start. It's quick and easy to set up, and you'll have no long-term commitments. Even accept payments while offline. Get started today with . 5. Herb Gardening People are now more conscious of what they put in their food and appreciate how these plants contribute to a better dining experience. When starting your own herb garden, make sure to emphasize variety and choose the ones that are in demand so they’re easy to sell. You can start an herb business with small roadside sales from your backyard, selling herbs that you cut, the plants, seeds, or all three. You can also sell the plants and seeds online. If you opt to sell your herbs online, you’ll need to create a professional website so check out for reliable web hosting service to make sure your website is always online. It also offers domain registration and a business email address, all for just $2.95 per month. Sign up to get your online shop hosted today. 6. Bee Farming Apiculture or beekeeping often starts as a hobby, and the capital needed to begin is quite low. Beginner beekeepers can start operating a bee farm with $500-$1,000. With this amount of startup capital, they can sell bee byproducts such as beeswax, bee pollen, royal jelly and of course, honey, that’s very popular among consumers. Bee pollen and royal jelly are considered superfoods and are sold at a high price. You only need a small area in your backyard but you still have to check with your local government unit first to see if they allow beekeeping in your area. There are many ways to get your first set of bees: Catch a swarm: If you live at a location where bees are often found, you can opt to catch your own swarm for free. Buy a bee package: This package consists of about 3 pounds of bees with a young, mated queen. Large bee farms regularly sell bee packages around April for about $120 each. Nucleus hive: Typically consists of a box with five frames of bees, brood, pollen, nectar, and a fertile, laying queen bee. They are sold between April to June for about $150. Full hive: This simply means an entire hive setup, including an existing colony that large beekeepers sell to beginner bee farmers for around $300 each. Split hive: Split hives are created when several frames of an existing colony are moved to a new box where a new queen is introduced. They’re often sold for around $200 each. Beginner bee farmers are encouraged to purchase a nucleus hive as it helps them learn the basics of beekeeping and nurture its growth. You will also need other equipment such as protective gear, hive tools, a bee brush, and a honey extractor. 7. Aquaponics Aquaponics is a farming method that combines aquaculture (raising aquatic animals) with hydroponics (cultivating plants in water). This means farmers produce crops without requiring as much water or land area. It translates to a lower investment cost and more potential for profit as it’s known to produce crops faster and in greater volume. Experts advise beginners to start small and expand as they learn how to maximize their production. There are consultants who can assist you in starting a commercial aquaponics system in a 1,200 square feet greenhouse for as little as $1,000. When done right, farmers are able to sell $25,000 worth of crops in a year. 8. Microgreens Farming Microgreens are young vegetables or baby plants that are around 10-14 days old and one to 3 inches tall. They are the small edible vegetables that restaurants use as garnishing for a dish or serve in a salad. You’ll find that they’re in high demand; customers like their visual appeal and health benefits. Beginner farmers should consider this business, because microgreens are easy to grow, turnaround time is high, and it requires little investment to start. And because they can be grown in a small space, even indoors, and sold for as high as $50 per pound to restaurants depending on the variety, they are considered a highly profitable investment. Generally speaking, the more land required to start a farming business, the higher the investment cost. As the cost of an acre of farmland averages to around $3,140/acre around the country, maximizing the use of a small land can help in bringing down the cost of starting a farm business. Urban Agriculture Profitable Small Farm Ideas Urban agriculture is a farming business located in densely populated areas such as cities. This mostly refers to cultivating, processing, and distributing food products but can also include small scale livestock and fishery. Space and pollution are the primary challenges for urban farmers but also motivates them to develop new farming strategies aided with technology. Since they are located closer to local restaurants and supermarkets, urban farmers can supply fresh produce faster and easier. 9. Vegetable Landscaping Starting a landscaping business can be expensive, but farmers who want to opt for a greener path should enter this world of edible landscaping. This option creates more flexible opportunities so your required startup capital will be considerably lower. You will mostly be investing in tools to grow vegetables either on freshly tilled soil or in containers. When using pots, remember to purchase the ones that are eight to 12 inches deep; also, space them out evenly, so you can maximize your yield. “Urban areas have many food deserts — places where there are no quality products available for residents. There are also many suburban homeowners with too much landscape to maintain on their own. By launching an urban vegetable landscaping business, you can tap into readily available lawns that homeowners do not wish to maintain themselves. They will pay you for your work (and workers), and all you need to do to keep them happy is offer a few vegetables in return each week. Take the surplus product, and sell it at a local farmers market or on street corners if permissible.” — Gregory Heilers, Agricultural Technology Writer, G.P. Heilers Writing & Editing 10. Hydroponic Farming Hydroponics is the process of growing crops with nutrient-rich water kept in contact with the plant roots instead of using soil. This process significantly reduces the risk of wastage and pollution that can harm the produce and cause diseases, making it popular to health-conscious consumers. Like aquaponics, the minimal use of land area needed also makes hydroponics a low-cost investment while increasing the growth rate of plants to 25% of a well-designed garden; this means you will have more products available to sell. There are different hydroponic systems farmers can learn and try: Static: Plants are grown in tubs or plastic buckets. Water may be unaerated or only gently aerated (water infused with gas). Continuous flow: The nutrient-rich water solution constantly flows past the roots, so plants can absorb oxygen better. Aeroponics: Plant roots are only misted with nutrient solution instead of submerged in liquid. Ebb and flow: Plants are flooded with water and then drained several times a day. Hydroponics is all about careful management of the environment for your plants. So while it seems like an easy business to try as a beginner farmer, take your time analyzing your options and learning about hydroponics from experts before you start your own. 11. Cannabis Farming If you live in an area where cannabis use is legal, then you should take advantage of the available space and start your own small cannabis farm. Although you can produce better quality plants in a controlled environment, the easiest way to start is growing them outdoors. Having a large backyard is an advantage; It helps keep your investment low, while giving you a flexible space with which to work. Farmers should expect spending $10-$17 per square foot of area used to cultivate weed outdoors. After a while, you can improve your business by building a small greenhouse, and the things you learned when you started farming cannabis can help you design an efficient, controlled environment. 12. Rooftop Tea Garden In cities, maximizing space is important and this includes being able to balance air quality by creating more space to plant greens. While rooftop gardens are already common in urban areas, there are still a number of ideas that you can try and turn into a business venture. One of which is starting your own rooftop tea garden. You can grow a variety of aromatic and medicinal herbs and greens to sell directly to consumers. Another option is to find a partner to help you start a rustic coffee and tea shop directly on the rooftop. Partners can be those who have access to a rooftop so you can invest less money or someone who is knowledgeable in starting a coffee shop. Some important things to consider before designing your rooftop garden: Review building codes: Check with your local government to see if there are rules about creating rooftop gardens in your area. Also ask about possible restrictions that can affect the kind of business you want to put up. Monitor how much the roof is exposed to the elements: Sun and wind exposure are critical if you want to properly grow your tea garden. Make sure that your plants will get enough sunlight and shade and are protected against strong gusts of wind; it’s a good idea to include solutions for these issues in your business plan. Determine your rooftop’s loading capacity: Rooftops do have a maximum limit to the weight they can hold, and it is important to know and take this data into account when designing your garden. Consult with a structural engineer who can determine this information exactly and keep the building and your business safe. It can take a lot of work to start your own rooftop tea garden, but there are so many potentially profitable niche ideas that’s worth trying once it’s done. Beginners should do their research and get inspiration from existing tea (or other garden) owners for a unique business idea. Low cost farm businesses can be profitable and have lots of potential for growth. What’s best about starting small is having the opportunity to learn and become an expert in your chosen field and build your brand along with your plans for expansion. B2B Profitable Small Farm Ideas B2B farming is a business method that farmers use when producing agricultural products to supply business clients. Businesses prefer to deal with farmers directly for the low cost and quality by getting produce directly from the source. Examples of business clients are grocery stores and restaurants that re-sell these products in their original or processed form to customers. 13. Snail Farming Heliciculture, or snail farming, can be a very lucrative business venture. Most large snails are edible and can be sold at a high price, but certain types are more preferred than others; it mostly depends on your location so it’s important to learn the basics. This includes identifying the right habitat for the snails you plan to use, knowing their food source, understanding their mating process, and managing their environment. Snails thrive in areas like California where the climate and well-tilled soil are suited to their growth, and since they are considered agricultural pests, you can easily ask organic farm owners to let you harvest them. Some of the things you need to consider when starting a snail farm are: Climate control: The ideal temperature for growing snails is between 16° to 24°C, so you should include sprinklers and humidifiers in your equipment. Soil requirements: Snails thrive in well-cultivated soil and groomed gardens because of their nutrient-rich quality. Calcium in soil is important for the snail’s shell. Soil should also be at least 2 inches deep for egg laying purposes. Farming system: This refers to having protective snail pens that are either inside a building, plastic tunnel houses, or greenhouses, all of which emphasizes the need for a controlled environment. Food source: Snails also drink water and will mostly eat various types of feeds, but they also survive on natural food such as vegetables like cabbage, flowers, fruits, most green leaves, and microscopic algae. State regulations: Interstate movement and shipping of snails are strictly controlled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as these creatures are considered invasive plant pests. Check for your state’s rules and requirements on raising a snail farm so you can obtain the necessary permits to operate. Snail farming is still considered a niche in the U.S., so there is more opportunity for farmers to profit by supplying fresh snails to restaurateurs and other snail enthusiasts. There’s also a growing demand for snail slime in the cosmetics industry, so do some research and find out how you can potentially become a supplier. 14. Mushroom Farming Mushrooms are relatively easy to cultivate, considering that they can grow in the wild, even in the harshest of conditions. Making a profitable business out of mushroom farming will depend on knowing which mushroom strain to cultivate and how to maximize your production, enough to become a steady supplier to other businesses. Gourmet mushrooms such as oyster and shiitake are some of the most sought after variation of mushrooms in the market. They can be grown indoors in a controlled environment for a much larger harvest. It only takes an average of six weeks to grow and harvest mushrooms that are ready to be sold. Mushroom farmers harvest an average of 25 pounds of produce per square foot every year and sell them for at least $12 per pound. 15. Organic Farming Generally speaking, organic farming is a method of raising crops and livestock, but thanks to a growing market of health conscious-consumers, this method has created a niche of its own. Nowadays, you’ll find restaurants and supermarkets that market specifically for organic produce. These businesses rely on organic farmers to supply them with organically grown fruits and vegetables and organically raised, or free roaming, livestock. Organic farming is said to be 22-35% more profitable than its conventional counterparts. Some of the popular organic farms to consider are: Farm-to-Table Restaurant Organic Grocery Wholesaler Organic Dairy Farm Organic Produce Farm Organic Livestock Farm Organic Fish Farm The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has reported a sustained increase in demand for organic produce, and in 2018, recorded more than $50 billion in sales. This proves the potential of organic farming is a lucrative business venture, even for new farmers. 16. Poultry Farming Poultry farming allows you to supply poultry products to other businesses. As there is consistent demand for poultry products, it remains an attractive investment option for potential farm owners. The downside is that poultry farming is highly regulated to ensure the safety and health of the residents within the community. Learn as much about the business as possible including finding the right location and getting ready with all the requirements to get started. And because running a poultry farm can be a tedious task, it’s helpful to use automation tools to make inventory and sales more manageable. QuickBooks Desktop Pro is QuickBooks’ dedicated desktop accounting software for small businesses. Its features include invoicing, inventory monitoring, and expense tracking that’s perfect for tracking cash sales and farm expenses. Visit today. Starting a small farming business aimed at supplying a large volume of produce to your local market can be costly. While creating your business plan, be sure to include opportunities to get small business grants to help fund your new venture. Agritourism Profitable Small Farm Ideas Agri- or farm tourism is a business model that derives the majority of its income from attracting visitors to experience and learn about farm life. Agritourism activities include visiting a working farm and selling fresh, organic, or even homemade produce. Both urban and rural farms benefit from this business structure, but business owners will have to invest more in advertising and marketing strategies. 17. Flower Farm Flower farms are a popular destination for tourists, but apart from that, this type of business is versatile. It can create other avenues for income such as supplying flower shops and connecting with event organizers for decorations. You can even start a low cost flower farm in your backyard for about $2,000 and grow from there. Like other businesses, research is key to growing your flower farm. “One example of an agricultural business idea is a sunflower maze. A business owner can plant hundreds of sunflowers and charge a small fee for visitors to stroll through the beautiful fields of flowers every summer. They can then sell bouquets of sunflowers and other sunflower decor items at the entrance to the maze. Also, local photographers and brides will pay to reserve the field for special photo shoots. Startup costs are low — just seeds, labor, and the reasonable rental fee for an unused field by the roadside.” — Marsha Kelly, Marketing Consultant, Best 4 Businesses 18. Fish Farming Fishing is a very popular recreational activity in the U.S., so if you’re a fish farmer, you can start accepting visitors to fish in your ponds or lakes. Extra-large fish farms can even host different types of sport fishing and draw in more crowds. You can charge visitors by day or per pound of fish that they catch. A good marketing strategy to help you boost sales, especially if you charge per pound of fish, is to create an area for barbecuing or a rustic style restaurant where visitors can ask to have their freshly caught fish cooked for them. 19. Animal Petting Farm Most farmers get into the petting farm business to augment their income from selling eggs, dairy, and livestock. Petting farms are not only for student field trips; families like them, because they provide a more interactive experience for their children. Some businesses use them as an opportunity to hold team building events. Customers who pay the entrance fee expect an educational experience, so have them engage with the animals while being supervised by your staff. Also, be open to giving customers a sample of the products (eggs, dairy) you get from each animal. Don’t hesitate to put up a small store where they can buy more food products to bring home. Safety will be your first priority when you invest in an animal petting farm. Make sure your staff is well trained to instruct and supervise. They will also need to be know how to administer first aid. 20. Fruit Picking Farms Fruit picking is a popular weekend activity for families, and small farms have found this to be a lucrative venture. Most entrepreneurial farmers who consider offering fruit picking have had a running farm for some time and are looking to expand their income method. There are also hobbyists who are interested in starting from scratch, but they are more focused on generating income from the tourism aspect of the farm. One advantage of having a “pick-your-own farm” model is that you’re able to hire fewer people to harvest your products, which reduces overhead costs. Additionally, buyers come to you, so you also reduce the cost of transporting your produce. Fruit picking farms interact directly with customers so there are additional things to consider: Consider planting more than one type of produce if possible. Berry picking is also popular and can attract more customers. Provide ample parking space for visitors. Consider the pesticides you use for your crops, and remember that your customers can be exposed if not properly handled. Invest in customer service training for your staff. Don’t ignore opportunities to supply other businesses with your produce. Your business will largely depend on customer feedback. Be sure to make your farm safe and clean, and ensure that your staff is efficient and helpful. Once you venture into Agritourism your business will require a more in-depth marketing strategy such as creating a website, designing loyalty programs, and managing your social media presence. But instead of hiring experts full time, you can choose to hire freelancers who can get you the same results for a fraction of the cost. is an easy to use website that provides freelancers of all types. Its database has a list of over 10 million verified freelance experts you can choose from so you can easily hire someone that matches your requirements. Register with Upwork for free today. Bottom Line Agriculture remains to be a crucial industry in the U.S. as the country is recognized to be one of the largest producers, consumers, and exporters of agricultural products in the world. With the human population expected to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050, there will be definitely more demand for farmers in the future. If you are seriously considering going into the farming business, our list of farming business ideas can help you get started. Want to add more to our list of profitable small farm ideas? Share them with us in the comments.

Starting a new business can be exciting, especially if you have a one-of-a-kind business concept that will help you stand out from the crowd. Some strange business ideas can also be brilliant if they solve to day-to-day consumer problems. To help inspire you, our experts shared some crazy business ideas to get your customers’ attention. Here are 25 inspired, crazy business ideas from the pros: 1. Design Pizza Box Ads Lori Ramas, Business Efficiency Expert, Relezant If your demographic overlaps with any of your local pizzerias, then consider this idea that has proven successful for me. Go in and let them know you have a community outreach program at your company and that you would like to pay for an ad for them. Let them know you'll be creating a double-sided ad with your deal or ad on one side and whatever deal they want on the other side. You'll pay to print them and ask that they staple it to every pizza box for a month (which could be thousands, by the way). You can distribute them to your community or via email, on Facebook, and so on as a co-branded community deal. Your shared demo will appreciate the community-based vibe and the deal, and you've now built trust and a relationship with local businesses. 2. Clean Parking Lots Brian Winch, Owner, Entrepreneur magazine says parking lot litter cleanup is “a simple, inexpensive, and potentially lucrative business to get into, and the market is growing.” My business lays out a roadmap to help others start their own parking lot cleaning business. Startup costs are minimal (as low as $100 to start for basic litter collection tools), and the business can be based from your home. The major operating expense is gas and maintenance of your vehicle. It's possible to make up to $50,000 per year part-time, $100,000 per year full time as a one-person operation, and much more if you employ an army of cleaners. Since work is performed after hours, when businesses are closed, people following our model can keep their full-time day job without conflict. 3. Start a Register of Health & Wellness Influencers Fab Giovanetti, CEO, Health Bloggers Community The idea for a register of influencers came about for two reasons. First, the idea came by looking at headlines and reading constantly about the problem of an unregulated industry. Second, we listened to influencers and bloggers sharing the same issues and asked them what the ideal solution would be. As a business mentor, they teach you that you should have at least 250 positive responses to your product to make it viable. Creating something completely new and unique stems exactly from what they need. 4. Make Video Tombstones Robert Barrows, President, R.M. Barrows, Inc. Advertising & Public Relations Video tombstones will create a tremendous amount of controversy. They will also create some fascinating free speech issues because who knows what somebody might say from beyond their grave through their video tombstone—and will it be truth or lies? At the same time, that kind of controversy will generate a tremendous amount of awareness about video tombstones. Television and film projects that could be based on stories could be told through video tombstones. While there may be several thousands of dollars profit to be made from the sale of a video tombstone, even a bad horror movie based on stories told through video tombstones could make millions. Marc Prosser, Co-founder, Fit Small Business This idea might not be as far-fetched as people might think. There are coffee shops and spas for them popping up everywhere, so it’s not surprising to house all these amenities in a hotel-like facility for pets. Like regular hotels, you will need a website that looks and feels professional, beginning with a domain name that matches your brand. We recommended , which offers domain registration, website hosting, and even a business email address for just $2.95 per month. . 6. Sell Dog Leggings Lisa Baronoff, Founder, Walkee Paws It’s no secret that pet owners today are spoiling their canine companions more than ever. In addition to splurging on higher-quality foods, products, and services, the popularity of pet fashion is continuously growing each year as well. Because let's face it: Anything a human can wear, a dog can wear, too. You can design dog clothing, such as what my business offers, that's not only fun, trendy, and cute, but also provides pups with maximum comfort and paw protection while keeping dirt and germs outside where they belong. 7. Become a Wedding Officiant Diane Huth, The Accidental Career Coach, Brand Your Guide One of the best gigs ever is to become a lay minister and perform weddings, reconfirmations of vows, and even non-religious funerals and wakes. Officiants, as they are called, are generally paid between $500 and $800 to perform a wedding ceremony, according to The Knot. Not bad for an hour or two of work. There are a number of online “churches” which will “ordain” you as a minister for a fee. Check out UnMinistry.org, ChristianHarvestChurch.net, or WeddingOfficiants.com. You can become an ordained minister in perpetuity for less than $100, with turnaround within a week. You also have the option to buy a “kit” with wedding certificates, ID cards, parking placards, and even a church organization set up, often for under $200. You may want to invest in a robe or sash to look official, or just wear a nice business suit. 8. Use AI to Read Emotions Bryan Mattimore, Co-founder & Chief Idea Guy, Growth Engine Innovation Agency There are a variety of software programs like Affectiva that use biometric feedback mechanisms, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and speech analytics to identify human emotional states. The idea is to use these currently available advances in monitoring human emotions to create “meeting involvement and efficiency” tools. By non-invasively monitoring the emotional states of the meetings’ participants, a new service could be created that: 1) rates the interest and emotional involvement of all the meeting participants, 2) compares these results with other group meetings, and 3) encourages (and provides helpful suggestions) for the meeting organizer, leader, or meeting presenter to create better or more emotionally satisfying meetings for the participants. 9. Develop a Tool That Collects Search Data Adam White, Founder, This business idea solves a very specific problem for website owners who want to know what people are actually searching for when they visit their website from Google. Several years ago, Google stopped sharing the actual searches that people were making, so website owners now have no idea what key phrases are driving traffic through search. If someone could develop a tool that would look at a combination of search console and Google analytics to figure out what key phrases are actually driving traffic, thousands of businesses would pay a monthly fee for that. The best new business ideas solve a problem that many people have, and this idea definitely checks that box. Maggie Aland, Marketing & Review Editor, Fit Small Business Unusual cakes can be anything from “small money cakes” that are hollow and filled with paper bills in plastic pouches that celebrants can pull out after blowing out their candles, or large, three-tier cakes with a person inside waiting to pop out as a surprise. You can sell these products with your very own online store. is an online selling platform that seamlessly integrates with popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and WordPress, so your products reach more potential customers. They offer advanced selling features that are easy to use, so even first-time sellers can have a fully working website setup in a matter of hours. . 11. Rent Out Your Space for Events Sarah Parlos, CEO, Events at HOME Rent out your private land, house, or barn for weddings, events, and corporate gatherings a few times per year. No sleepovers and rental rates are by the hour. A typical profit for a homeowner ranges from $600 to $900 for a 12-hour land rental (no home access) to $1,200 to $1,800 for a 12-hour rental that includes access to both the house and the land. If you own a waterfront estate with all the bells and whistles, the hourly rate ranges between $600 and $800, which can quickly add up to over $9,000 for a single-day event. Along with price, the opportunity to use a unique property (possibly never available for a party prior to) is alluring for many who are searching for something special and fresh to host their gathering. 12. Start an Adult Day Care Center Matthew Ross, Co-owner & COO, The Slumber Yard I think there is an opportunity in the market for a branded chain of adult day care centers. With the baby boomer generation getting older, demand is going to continue to rise over the next 10 to 20 years. Right now, most adult day care centers are owner operated. In other words, there's no McDonald's of adult day care centers yet. By stringing a few together, someone could achieve significant economies of scale in terms of cost savings and brand awareness. If you keep an eye on sites like BizBuySell, you can often find local businesses for sale at a discount. That would be a good place to start. 13. Offer Jail Time Experience Want to offer a unique Airbnb experience? People will pay to have unusual experiences, and being in jail is certainly one of them. If you have enough space or are willing to renovate your property, you can create your own prison and give your visitors an experience of a lifetime. Book your rooms for hundreds of dollars in exchange for the full package, with role playing and maybe even a taste of prison food and labor. 14. Become a Professional Cuddler One business owner of a professional cuddling company received thousands of emails requesting a booking a week after they opened. This just goes to show that there is a demand for this form of touch therapy, and that people are willing to pay $80 for 1.5 hours of cuddling. 15. Specialize in Wacky Website Design Gavin Graham, Editor, Fit Small Business One way to stand out from all other web designers is to niche down your service. Wacky website designs are perfect for bloggers who want to give their book promotions a weird twist, or a movie buff who blogs to feature and review new movies. For this, you’ll need a highly customizable blog platform like . WordPress is the professional blogger’s platform of choice, with easy-to-use features that let even beginners create their own blog in minutes. It also offers a wide variety of themes and plugins, making even the weirdest of website designs possible. . 16. Rent Out Your Pets Believe it or not, there’s demand for renting out pets, like schools that want to put up a petting zoo for a day, or people who live in the city thinking about raising their own pets. So if you live on a farm wondering how to earn additional income, you can consider renting out the animals you’ve raised. For example, Rent the Chicken offers a rental package that includes a portable coop, packs of feed, food and water dishes, plus instructions on how to take care of them during their stay. 17. Design Boyfriend Pillows You must have heard about cuddle buddy boyfriend pillows by now. They’re body pillows shaped like a man’s chest with one arm to wrap around yourself while you sleep. This article shows you the basics of making your own, and if you think of something unique to add to it, there’s a high possibility of making a business out of it. For example, you can add those recorders in small toys and record short audio clips of a man’s voice talking or maybe even snoring. Or if you want a bigger concept, how about starting a build-a-bear shop for body pillows? 18. Start a Rage Room Work and family life can be hectic, and for people who have no time or the budget to go on a vacation, rage rooms are a unique way to relieve stress. With a fairly large empty space and random things to break, you can open your own rage room and charge good money for it. This is an alternative way to blow off steam instead of getting drunk or staying indoors for long periods of binge eating. 19. Collect Lost Golf Balls If you’ve ever wondered what happens to golf balls that end up at the bottom water hazards, then here’s your answer. People who make a business out of retrieving lost golf balls earn hundreds of dollars. They dive into the ponds and can collect as many as 3,000 golf balls daily. They then sell them from 60 cents to a dollar each. There is also equipment available, like Golf Fisherman, to help you collect golf balls without having to go into the water (it costs only around $50). You can sell them online through eBay after you get them cleaned and earn a fortune. 20. Get Hired as a Designated Driver Sometimes, even a group’s designated driver can end up with a little too much to drink and find themselves at a loss on how to get home without having to take a cab and leaving their own car behind. This is how a designated driver service can be different from ride sharing services like Uber. You get called to drive your client’s vehicle back to their home. You might also want to provide add-on services like bringing a small cup of coffee or creating an app that will not only book your service, but also send a summary of the travel to your client’s phone for them to read the next day. 21. Help Clients With Their Hangover Nobody looks forward to the morning after a heavy night of partying, so imagine how much a hangover helper will be in demand. From preparing an effective morning-after tonic to making a hearty breakfast, your service will help prepare your client for the day’s tasks. You can also offer emergency clean up if your client happens to be the party host. 22. Buy Used Engagement Rings Ever thought about what happens to engagement rings when marriage proposals fail? Rarely do jewelers offer refunds, so engagement rings most likely get resold but for a significantly lower price. If you can set up a platform that allows you to connect direct buyers with sellers or buy them directly at a fair price, you’ll find your business getting a ton of attention. 23. Become Virtual Dating Assistants A virtual dating assistant’s job is to help clients find their perfect match by keeping their dating site account active and constantly connecting with the client’s ideal partner. Similar to having a virtual assistant (VA) manage your social media platforms, the dating VA regularly chats and updates the client’s profile. This service is perfect for individuals who are looking for a serious relationship and want to make the most out of paying premium for dating app services. 24. Create a Breakup Guide App Nowadays, anyone can create their own app with little to no coding knowledge thanks to tools available online. And for people who are having a hard time getting over a breakup, your app can be their virtual best friend. You can create stages that contain activities to help clients take steps in overcoming the breakup. Then differentiate your app from competitors by offering vouchers for spa or salon treatments as incentives for completing challenges and tasks. 25. Create a Pet & Owner Matching App There are many dating apps out there and quite a few have been successful in helping clients find their perfect match. It shouldn’t be a surprise that people would come up with a similar platform for pet adoption. This is a fun twist that can help give both pets and owners more opportunities through a large search platform. You can make money by offering discounted pet products and other premium services to your subscribers. Bottom Line Creativity will help you go a long way as a small business owner, and might just be your secret to success. Keep in mind our list of strange business ideas from the pros when you start your next venture. Do you have your own crazy business ideas worth sharing? Let us know in the comments.

A loyalty program is a popular marketing strategy that encourages your customers to continue buying your products or using your service. Designing your punch cards using elements that align with your industry or brand will help your customers quickly remember them, better encouraging its use by keeping it front of mind. We curated a list of 28 punch card templates, examples, and tips you can use to come up with your own design to get the most out of your loyalty program. A very simple loyalty card design that can adapt to fit any type of business. The smart use of font type and color over a chalkboard background gives it an edgy feel which can be easily customized to match your brand’s colors. This loyalty card is designed to exude sophistication. Long black rectangular shapes remind you of piano keys and elegant hands while the classic black white and gold colors complete the sophisticated feel any woman would love. The layout also makes it easy to access the designated punch hole portion of the card. Eye-catching and playful, this loyalty card is undeniably from a sushi restaurant. The entire design, from the color to the punch hole shapes, will easily remind you of freshly caught seafood. It would be easy to spot this loyalty card from all the other cards in your wallet. 4. Health and Wellness Loyalty Card Template This template makes use of grunge texture for an earthy look. Combining it with muted colors and handwriting fonts completes the organic feel that’s very appropriate for a health and wellness business. Replace the image with your logo’s silhouette and apply the same muted tones to your brand color, and find out if this loyalty card design works for you. This design works on glossy hard paper typical of admission tickets. We like how the card includes details such as business hours and a website address that customers can check for event schedules on their mobile. Use this for businesses that offer venues for sports and performances. If you sell novelty items, your loyalty card should tell customers that at a glance. This template is playful from the colors to the design, which you can customize to fit your brand. Keep the back of the card plain but with just your logo and contact details. One colorful side to display your style and the other in a simple white background. We love how this template can be both an appointment card and a loyalty card in one with the right layout. Consider adding your logo in plain black outline while using your brand colors for the background. 8. Hair Salon Loyalty Card Template The image in black and gray theme is associated with sophistication and fits perfectly with the idea of a modern woman. Replace the photo with one of your own, perhaps of your salon’s facade for customization. If you’re a hairstylist, add your name to build better relationships with your clients. 9. Auto Detailing Loyalty Card Template As an auto detailing business, you will have clients who will frequently visit your shop. A simple design for your loyalty card will do, but having a stand-out design makes it easier for customers to pick your card out anywhere. This one uses large fonts and a simple car silhouette, but the life-like water droplets make it unique. 10. Go Digital with Your Rewards Program Maggie Alland, Editor, Fit Small Business Why go physical when you can go digital? has created a small business-friendly rewards platform that is completely online. You can choose your rewards and track visitors from your smartphone or computer, and all you need to do is ask for your customer’s phone number. They’ll get a text to confirm, and they are signed up! . Flower shop marketing materials are always pretty to embody a floral feel, including loyalty cards. Notice how the color theme for this design matches the colors on the flower image, so make sure to choose flower photos that fit your brand identity. As a fast food restaurant owner, it can be tempting to add photos of your entire menu on all your marketing materials. But you don’t want the purpose of your loyalty card lost in a noisy design. Choose the best-selling food on your menu, pair it with large fonts for the details, and make the colors bright and attractive. A salad and bistro loyalty card can get lost without a cleverly branded design. This template’s design gives a fresh and vibrant feel while making sure the details can be easily read. It uses bright yellow fonts to emphasize important details that should be found in any loyalty card. There are enough cupcake varieties to cater to all kinds of demographics, so your loyalty card must be designed in the same way. This template provides an example where the sweet cupcake type reflects the design. Consider using a real photo of your product and customize the background as well as the fonts. 15. Tanning Salon Loyalty Card Template This is a very straightforward design for a tanning salon loyalty card. Notice how the template makes use of the color brown, with an appropriate stock image to help emphasize what the card is for. Be creative with the image and replace red with your brand color. 16. Combine Your Loyalty Program with Your POS Gavin Graham, Editor, Fit Small Business covers all of the features you are likely to require in a POS software, including setting up a rewards program that allows you to provide your customers with digital punch cards to incentivize them to purchase more frequently. Best of all, Square is completely free and comes with no fixed monthly cost for credit card payments. . This pinafore design is generic yet stylish enough for a number of businesses. The red and white color theme is eye-catching (which you can change to better fit your brand). Include a friendly message to get your customers coming back for more. 18. Footwear Retail Loyalty Card Template This template is simple, but the contrasting colors make the design stand out. Try replacing them with those of your brand and add your logo to match the font style. 19. Massage and Spa Salon Loyalty Card Template The large image makes this loyalty card impossible to miss. It’s important to choose an image that’s recognizable to your brand and keep the caption simple on the side with the photo. Keep the opposite side clean and consider adding an appointment form along with your contact details. Large coffee shop businesses are famous for their well-crafted marketing materials, including ones for their loyalty programs. This template shows how it can be done with enough creativity in the design at minimum cost. However, remember to make sure that important details don’t get lost in the layout by using shapes and colors that stand out. 21. Dog Grooming Loyalty Card Template Your clients will love this unique and organic design. The earthy colors, the simple image and handwriting font give off a personal touch that works best for a dog grooming business brand. It can also be used by pet sitters, house sitters and child carers, where clients look for a more personal approach in their service. This loyalty card template is not the simple kind. The activity is more engaging—which calls for an equally engaging design. More colors are used to accent key points of the loyalty program. This can also be used as loyalty card template for arcades, ice cream shops and other establishments that want to offer more than the standard loyalty card. Pizza loyalty cards are popular because everybody loves pizza. Make sure that your fonts don’t get lost in the images and overall layout so your customers will want to engage more. Remember to that your design should show off your most popular dish to keep them coming back for more. 25. Elegant Retail Loyalty Card Template If your business is into artisanal, or special handcrafted items, this elegant loyalty card template will suit best and will easily fit any kind of budget. Keep it simple with the colors and use beautiful fonts. You also have an option to use textured paper.to complete the one-of-a-kind look that matches your products. 26. Yogurt Shop Loyalty Card Template This yogurt shop loyalty card template combines a simple layout with fun shapes, colors and fonts to stand out. When customizing the design to reflect your brand, make sure to keep the design neat and the overall feel vibrant. This modern design combines both a business card and loyalty card in its layout. The images and colors suggest a hint of exclusivity that loyal customers are looking for in this kind of establishment. Achieve this look by keeping the paper texture glossy and words minimal. 28. Get Your Loyalty Cards Professionally Printed Neva Paule, Supervising Editor, Fit Small Business Once you’ve got your design all set up, make sure that your loyalty cards are professionally printed with Vistaprint. is the business card provider of choice for small businesses, with its affordable price and great turnaround time. And if you still haven’t finalized your loyalty cards design, you can easily choose from their over 10,000 templates or get help from one of their professional designers. Over to You How your loyalty card looks is as important as the rewards you offer to your customers. These designs will help ensure that your business continues to impress and provide the best experience to your customers. Did you find your personal favorite punch card template? Let us know in the comments!