Starting a business doesn’t mean you need to hire a whole team. There are plenty of business opportunities out there that you can start and grow completely on your own. If you’re interested in starting a solo business, here are 50 solopreneur business ideas.
Solopreneur Business Ideas
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants handle various tasks for businesses like email, scheduling and social media management. It’s something you can do on your own and from your home or another remote location.
Ecommerce Seller
You can also set up an ecommerce site on platforms like eBay, Amazon or Etsy from pretty much anywhere, while also managing the sales and shipping on your own.
Social Media Manager
For social media savvy entrepreneurs, you can offer your services to other businesses to schedule social media posts and manage their accounts.
Social Media Influencer
Or you could focus on building up a following and some influence on your own social media accounts and then work with brands as a social media influencer.
Blogger
If you’re looking to build a business around your writing skills, you can start your own blog and manage it on your own, then make money through advertisements or sponsored content.
Ebook Author
You can also focus on writing more long form content and then self-publish your own ebooks to sell.
Freelance Writer
Or you could offer your writing services to other businesses looking for blog posts or other types of content.
Copywriter
Copywriting is another popular writing business. You can specialize in writing copy for websites, product descriptions or even advertisements.
Graphic Designer
For design savvy entrepreneurs, you can start your own graphic design business and work with clients on a one-on-one basis.
Web Designer
Or if you’re more tech savvy, you could focus on creating websites for clients as a web designer.
Software Developer
If you’re looking to build more in-depth solutions, you could focus on developing software programs for clients or to sell to customers.
App Developer
Or you could focus more on mobile technology and develop apps for clients or develop your own apps to offer for sale.
Event Photographer
Photography is another area that lends itself to solopreneurship. You can focus on photographing events like weddings, allowing you to manage all aspects of your business on your own.
Stock Photographer
You can also take photos and then offer them for sale on stock photo websites.
Business Consultant
If you have some business expertise, you can offer your services as a business consultant, working with clients in person, over the phone or online.
Life Coach
Even if you don’t have a lot of business experience, you can work with clients on other areas of life like finances, organization and even personal relationships as a life coach.
Public Speaker
For entrepreneurs with expertise in a specific topic, you can offer your services as a public speaker for various conferences and events.
Bookkeeper
Another opportunity to work with business clients, you could offer bookkeeping services for businesses looking to outsource that function.
Tax Professional
You can also focus mainly on helping businesses and individuals prepare their tax forms.
Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketing allows you to share links to specific businesses or products and then earn a portion of the sales you direct to those companies.
Podcaster
Podcasting is easier than ever to set up on your own. You can host your podcast, build your website and make money through advertisements or affiliate sales.
Event Planner
If you enjoy organizing and working with different vendors, you can set up your own business as an event planner.
Baker
While running an entire bakery on your own could be tricky, you can build a baking business as a solopreneur where you provide baked goods for events or on a wholesale basis to other local bake shops.
Coffee Cart
You could also sell coffee on a fairly small scale by starting your own coffee cart that you can take to events, shopping centers or office buildings.
Tutor
If you’re looking to share your knowledge with others, you can do so on a one-on-one basis by working as a tutor.
Online Course Creator
Another way to share your knowledge with others, you can create your own online courses and then sell them to students so they can work on their own time.
YouTube Personality
YouTube makes it fairly simple for you to start your own channel on your own. Then as you build a following, you can earn money through the site’s ad sharing program.
T-shirt Designer
Sites like CafePress and Redbubble make it easy for you to design your own t-shirts and other printed goods. And they’ll even fulfill the orders for you, so it’s something you can manage as a solopreneur.
Jewelry Designer
You could also create your own jewelry and sell it at local craft fairs or on sites that specialize in handmade goods like Etsy.
Artist
Or if art is more your strong suit, you could sell your paintings or drawings in some of those same venues.
Soap Maker
You could also manufacture your own soaps and similar spa products and sell those wholesale or online.
Child Care
If you have some experience caring for children, you can provide some in-home child care services or even run a daycare service out of your home.
Housesitter
A relatively simple business to start, you can provide housesitting services for homeowners who are out of town.
Dog Walker
For those who like to spend time around animals, you can also provide dog walking services as a solopreneur.
Auto Detailing
You can also provide car washing and auto detailing services where you market your services online and then travel to your clients.
Bicycle Mechanic
If you can fix bicycles, you could also provide bicycle mechanic services on your own out of a small garage.
Grant Writer
To help businesses and non-profits raise funds, you can provide grant-writing services on a freelance basis.
Resume Service
Or you could help job seekers create and improve their resumes and cover letters.
Errand Service
You can start your own errand service as a solopreneur where you assist customers with various errands like laundry and grocery shopping.
House Cleaner
Or you could build up a base or regular clients and just specialize in house cleaning services.
Handyman
If you’re handy with various projects around the house, you can offer handyman services to homeowners in your area.
Lawn Service
For those who enjoy working outside, you can start your own lawn mowing service where you provide weekly maintenance during the summer.
Gardener
Or you could specialize in setting up or maintaining gardens and more intricate landscaping projects.
Farmers’ Market Vendor
While running an actual farm might be difficult to do on your own, you could set up a small produce garden and then sell items at local farmers’ markets.
Travel Consultant
Travel agencies have struggled mightily in recent years. But some travelers, especially large groups, could still use help arranging their travels and finding the best deals. You can help them do just that by starting a business as an independent travel consultant.
Translator
If you know more than one language, you can start a business as a freelance or contract translator.
Party Entertainer
You can use a number of different skills, from music to juggling to face painting, to start a business as an independent party entertainer.
Personal Trainer
For athletically inclined entrepreneurs, you can start your own business as a personal trainer who works with clients one-on-one.
Yoga Instructor
Or you could offer fitness and wellness classes to bigger groups of customers. Yoga and pilates are a couple examples of things you can specialize in.
Masseuse
You can also start your own business as a masseuse, offering services to clients on a somewhat regular basis.
Freelancer Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “50 Small Business Ideas for Solopreneurs” was first published on Small Business Trends