Best Businesses to Start

Starting your own business is by no means a walk in the park, but it can be one of the most exciting periods of your life—the feeling of opportunity, seizing the moment, creating something out of nothing, and putting some money in your pocket on your own terms is hard to beat.

I know it can all get a little overwhelming, and it’s hard to know where to start, but our guide will help you begin strong. Here are some of the best businesses to start in 2024. All of them are feasible for budding entrepreneurs, and many of them can be started and operated from home. Browse through the following business ideas, pick the ones that resonate with you—and then stop dreaming, and start doing!

1. Lawn Care/Landscaping Services

Landscaping involves modifying, enhancing, or designing the physical features of an area such as a home garden or similar residential, private space. This is different from becoming a landscape architect, which requires more stringent qualifications. Getting into landscaping can be as simple as starting a lawn care service with basic maintenance for clients at their homes.

Start out by doing the work yourself, which may come easy if you have a passion for gardening and lawn care to begin with. As you become more successful and land more clients, you can choose to scale up and begin hiring your own employees.

• Projected growth: Lawn care demand is increasing in the US with the growing number of suburban lawns, golf courses, and parks. The market is estimated to be worth $58.69 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.20%.
• Advantages: 

• • Minimal upfront expenses or requirements
  • Scalable; can add services as you gain more experience

• Challenges: 

• • The work can be repetitive and physically demanding
  • Seasonal demand; business can get tough during winters

• Required skills/assets: 

• • State licensing may be required if you’ll be using pesticides and fertilizers for your work

2. Airbnb Hosting

If you already have a home, renting it (or parts of it) out as an Airbnb accommodation is always an option. You have some flexibility here, as the overall expense of this business type will depend on how much you’re willing to invest in preparing or upgrading your home in preparation for renting out. If you have the property and the entrepreneurial skills, this can be a profitable enterprise requiring little more than the home you already own.

• Projected growth: Market intelligence and consulting firm Future Market Insights expects the online home rental market to grow by 14% until 2033.

• Advantages:

• • Nearly passive income stream if you already own a home
  • Flexibility with home renovations/upgrades and the rental price you set

• Challenges: 

• • Requires you to own property
  • Moderate to high customer service work may be necessary

• Required skills/ assets: 

• • Your own home or other residential property
  • Service fee paid to Airbnb (typically 3% of your booking subtotal)

3. Social Media Marketing Management

The social media advertising market in the US has been rising continuously for years and is forecast to reach a value of $76.4 billion in 2024, with predictions to continue increasing until at least 2028. The US also has greater ad spending than any other country.

Any modern business will need people who know their way around social media management and digital advertising. If you can use these tools to create the greatest possible reach and profit possible, your clients will absolutely love you. Because this type of work is all done online, it also lends itself well to working remotely, which can make things easier whether you do this yourself or start up a small marketing agency.

• Projected growth: The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that advertising, promotions, and marketing managers will see a 6% growth in overall employment from 2022 to 2032, a faster rate than the average for other jobs.

• Advantages:

• • Can be done remotely, either alone or running a small agency
  • Strong job outlook; demand will likely remain high for a long time

• Challenges:

• • The market is pretty saturated with competition; you’ll need to stand out

• Required skills/ assets: 

• • A bachelor’s degree in a relevant course (marketing, communications) would be an advantage
  • Previous work experience will help you stand out

4. Tutoring

Tutoring involves giving extra lessons or instruction to students (either individually or in groups) to boost their academic performance or prepare them for specific events like standardized tests. Unlike teaching, tutoring is a part-time line of work, which means both increased flexibility and a potentially unstable or inconsistent income.

The skills or assets required to become a tutor will usually vary based on your employer’s preferences and requirements. It will help if you’ve completed some university courses in the subjects you plan to tutor in, and clients may require greater credentials such as a bachelor’s degree.

• Projected growth: Employment of tutors is expected to increase by 3% from 2022 to 2032, which is an average growth rate compared to other jobs.

• Advantages: 

• • The work format can be flexible; you may be able to negotiate schedules as well as where and how much you work
  • Great training for people skills, collaboration, and communication

• Challenges: 

• • The work demand can be unpredictable or unstable throughout the year

• Required skills/ assets: 

• • Depends on employer; it will help if you’ve completed some university courses or possess a bachelor’s degree

5. Dropshipping

This business model takes product inventory and order fulfillment out of the seller’s hands. With dropshipping, you sell and market products online and partner with a third-party wholesaler or manufacturer to fulfill orders. If you are looking for a low-risk and low-cost retail venture, dropshipping may be for you.

Profit margins typically range 15%–20%, which is lower compared to standard ecommerce margins. However, if you’re only starting to dip your toes into ecommerce or can only commit to a retail business part-time, dropshipping is a viable option.

• Projected growth: Between 2021 and 2026, the US dropshipping market size is forecast to reach $476.1 billion.

• Advantages:

• • Minimal upfront costs and risk
  • Allows a high degree of flexibility

• Challenges:

• • Lower margins
  • Low barrier to entry means a saturated market; you’ll also need to find a dependable dropshipping partner
  • Lack of quality control

• Required skills/assets:

• • You’ll need a storefront and plenty of time for research and marketing, along with enough hours in a week to oversee operations.

6. Administrative/Personal Assistant Services

Administrative or personal assistants help with routine clerical and organizational tasks—anything that would take time and energy away from a busy client (such as a business executive) who needs to be occupied with higher-level concerns. These assistants might schedule meetings, manage a personal calendar, follow up with clients or business partners, prepare documents, schedule flights, and handle email and phone calls.

You won’t need much formal training in order to start this line of work. A high school degree is often enough; it’s more important that you display competence with using tools like spreadsheets and word processing, as well as stay on top of deadlines. As you become more experienced and accumulate contacts and clients, you might be able to start running your own personal assistant agency.

• Projected growth: The US BLS estimates 316,000 openings for secretaries and administrative assistants every year. These jobs will likely keep opening up as workers transfer to other occupations or leave the workforce.
• Advantages: 

• • Not much formal education is necessarily required
  • Easy to start out of your own home and scalable once you get enough clients
• Challenges: 

• • The work can be difficult, with demanding clients, lots of deadlines, and plenty of work to do
• Required skills/ assets: 

• • No formal credentials required; it’s more important to have a can-do attitude, respect for deadlines, and the ability to perform under pressure

7. Bicycle Repair Services

Running a bicycle shop can become a fairly complex affair—a full-fledged business will involve stocking inventory, managing suppliers, and interacting with customers. However, you can always start as a simple repair shop that serves bicycle riders who need their brakes calibrated or their wheels realigned.

This is not a particularly complex line of work to begin; if you’re starting small, you’ll need little more than a complete set of tools and an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of a bicycle. It’s possible to learn everything you need to know via free resources and videos online, though if you’re choosing to start a bicycle repair business, perhaps you already love bicycles and know everything about them.

• Projected growth: The US BLS projects a 29% job growth until 2026 for bicycle repair—much faster than average job growth for other industries.

• Advantages: 

• • Little needed to start: just a place to work, a set of tools, and a good knowledge of bicycles

• Challenges: 

• • If the business grows, you’ll need to start stocking inventory, coordinating with suppliers, and working around the clock. You will likely be performing manual labor all day.

• Required skills/ assets: 

• • The ability to diagnose and repair all types of bicycle problems
  • Good communication and social skills

8. Personal Chef Services

Becoming a personal chef is different from working as a cook in a restaurant. Instead of working predictable fixed hours as an employee, you’ll be preparing food for family households, individuals, and special events. You’ll be coordinating a lot with clients in order to cater to their schedules as well as food preferences or needs. This type of work can be part time or full time.

Though much of the training you’ll need will be provided on the job, it’s best if you have a solid foundation of cooking skills before you enter this line of work. Note also that the work can be difficult and constant: if you’re not cooking large batches of food, you’ll be delivering to clients, coordinating with them on needs and preferences, and taking care of the admin side of your business.

• Projected growth: The US BLS projects a 6% job growth outlook until 2032 for personal chefs. This is faster than average job growth for other industries.

• Advantages: 

• • Little needed to start: personal cooking skill and experience may matter more than formal training

• Challenges: 

• • The work can be demanding, high-volume, and fast-paced, depending on how many clients you accumulate and what you’ll be preparing for them

• Required skills/ assets: 

• • Skill and experience in the kitchen
  • Good communication skills to advertise yourself, find out what clients want or need, and gain new customers

9. Photography Services

You can turn your photography hobby or passion into a paid business by selling your creativity and photo composition skills to clients looking for great images. You can take portraits, indoor or outdoor photo shoots, event photography, and more. If you’ll be using a digital camera for your work, you’ll need to be familiar with editing software and other tools that support your work.

You won’t need any special training or certifications to work as a freelance photographer. As with other options in this list such as being a personal assistant, it’s more important to have work experience and good time management and communication skills.

• Projected growth: The US BLS projects a 4% job growth outlook until 2032, about as fast as other types of work.

• Advantages: 

• • No formal education, training, or certification required

• Challenges: 

• • You’ll have to constantly look for new clients, and adapt to their vision and goals for the photographs they want

• Required skills/ assets: 

• • Skill and experience with film or digital photography plus associated computer software
  • Good communication skills for learning and adapting to clients’ desires
  • A standout portfolio or website to encourage clients

10. Fitness Training Services

Fitness trainers give instruction, track progress, and motivate clients in the realm of physical exercise and fitness. Rather than working as an employee in a fitness center or gym, you can choose to go freelance and find your own clients, using your own knowledge of exercise techniques and nutrition to help them get results.

If you do go freelance, you won’t really need any formal training or education (though certain certifications will boost your credibility). It’s more important that you’re able to get results for your clients via your own experience with exercise and proper diet, as well as answer their questions and motivate them appropriately when necessary.

• Projected growth: The US BLS projects a 14% job growth outlook until 2032, which is much faster than average job growth.

• Advantages: 

• • The work is results-oriented; training and education don’t matter as much as being able to get results for your clients

• Challenges: 

• • You’ll need to adapt to working with clients from all backgrounds and starting points, and will need to consistently demonstrate that you can get them results

• Required skills/ assets: 

• • If you will be working as a freelance personal trainer rather than an employee in a fitness center, a high school diploma may be all you need
  • Certifications for medical training such as CPR, or various exercise specialties such as strength training will help you stand out

How to Choose the Best Business to Start

Choosing a business to start can seem like an intimidating task, even with the suggestions and data above. If you’re unsure where or how to start, it helps to ask yourself the following questions:

What Is Your Market Missing?

Thinking about what people need is a great first step to starting a business. How do you do this? You can always start by checking out forums and message boards in your area to see what people are asking for (or complaining about—people’s complaints are a gold mine for finding a business opportunity). But you can just as easily spend time with family and friends getting to know what they need and want, or look into your own needs and wants to find a gap you can fill.

Don’t worry about finding a hundred or a thousand customers to begin with. Start with a handful of people—if you can provide that for them, they’ll refer you to their own contacts, and you’ll be in business.

Learn more: How to Find a Niche Market

What Skills & Assets Do You Already Have?

Even if you don’t have a ton of money, an office space, nor a big list of clients, you’re never starting out with nothing. Tally up a list of your own skills and assets that other people may find useful and willing to pay for.

Do you have great communication skills? Are you the ultimate pro at navigating an Excel spreadsheet? Can you cook up a feast? Are you a gym buff who knows a thing or two about getting ripped? Are you great with pets, children, or elderly people? No skill is too small or useless, so throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. I promise you, somebody out there wants what you can offer. You just need to find them.

How Much Money Can You Spend?

While you don’t need a ton of money to start a business, a little bit of starting capital always helps. Figure out exactly how much you have in the way of starting funds, which you can use to purchase food ingredients and extra cookware, repair tools, gardening tools, or extra education in the form of online courses or other certifications.

If you find yourself without as much starting capital as you’d like, you can always continue working your day job until you’ve saved up a bit more. There’s no time limit for any of this.

Related: 

• How to Start a Business With No Money
• How to Create a Small Business Budget

How Much Time Do You Have?

Last but not least, consider how much time you’ll be able to dedicate to your new business. Before you earn your first dollar, you’ll need to put in some groundwork finding clients, setting up your workspace, buying any starting necessities, and marketing yourself. If you’re working a full-time job and starting a business on the side, your time will be even more limited.

None of this is to say that it’s impossible to start your own gig even if you’ve got other things on your plate. Rather, you’ll need to be realistic about how much time you can dedicate to setting up your own business. Even if you can only spare a couple of hours a week, that’ll get you much further than zero hours a week.

Keep reading: How to Choose a Business to Start: A 5-Step Guide

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What businesses can I start with $1,000?

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What businesses can I start and run from home?

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What is the best business to start?

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Bottom Line

There’s no guide that will tell you which business idea is right for you. We’ve offered up some healthy, growing, high-potential industries that aren’t too difficult to tap into.

Remember that starting and operating from home is the leanest, most cost-effective way to gain some traction before investing more significant resources. A small, home-based business will likely require an up-front investment of personal funds of up to a few thousand dollars. Almost all of these great small business ideas can be launched and nurtured from home, then grown organically to create something bigger with its own momentum.