How many times have you thought about starting your own business? Perhaps you’ve got an idea in the back of your mind, but you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew? Or maybe the idea of turning your passion into profit is too much to wrap your head around? If so, then it’s time to learn about these small-scale business ideas for ladies that are perfect if you’re just starting out and don’t want to take on too much at once.
8 Small Scale Business Ideas for Ladies
Some women are tired of being told what to do. They’re tired of instructions that start with this is how I did it, so you should too. These women are ready to find their own way. For many, that means setting up their own business and finding their niche in it. Whether she wants an extra income or just more independence, read on for some great small-scale business ideas for ladies who want a flexible, lucrative career doing something they love.
1) Giving Massages
Nothing is more relaxing than getting a good massage, which means you can build up business quickly. And if it’s not your cup of tea, you can hire someone from TaskRabbit or Upwork to do it for you. You can also open up a shop on Instagram by offering massages as an add-on service; just be sure to check with your state board before advertising yourself as such.
If you give quality massages, word will spread and your client base will grow quickly. However, there are many other services that you could offer in addition to massage therapy like Reiki healing sessions, psychic readings, energy work, etc. It all depends on what you feel called to do. For example, I did Reiki sessions at first because I felt called to help people heal themselves but now I am doing more intuitive development work because that is where my heart lies. But start small and see how it goes! It’s better to have a few clients who really love your work than dozens who aren’t really into it.
2) Vlogging
With all of the noise on social media, blogging is a great way to get your voice heard. You can focus your videos around what you’re passionate about, whether it’s fashion, cooking, or travel. Your channel will be completely unique and at an angle that really matters to you.
Start off with one-minute daily vlogs until you get comfortable in front of the camera, then ramp up as much as possible. Even if you just have time to film 10 minutes a day, those 10 minutes are going to make a difference over time.
To help keep yourself motivated and inspired while creating content, I recommend using apps like Trello (free) or Evernote (free) to create checklists of things you want to cover within each video. This makes sure that you don’t forget anything! Plus, once your videos are published, share them on Pinterest so people can easily find them later. I like pinning my boards directly from Vimeo because they have an embed code built right into their platform which makes it super easy! It’s also important not to be afraid of posting shorter clips—if something doesn’t fit into a one-minute-long video format, feel free to post shorter clips instead!
3) Housekeeping
Do you live in a house and have some free time? Housekeeping is one of those things that seems easy on paper, but can quickly become overwhelming. Whether it’s organizing your closets or making sure your bathroom is sparkling, having help with routine cleaning tasks can give you more time to do things you actually want to do. Sites like TaskRabbit and Handy allow users to sign up as freelancers who provide housekeeping services.
While there are many benefits to hiring someone who doesn’t work directly for you (you have more freedom in setting boundaries and asking them not to use harsh chemicals), there are downsides, too: not everyone cleans well or keeps an eye out for your best interests—they’re just trying to make money.
4) Ebook Writing
This is, perhaps, one of the most accessible businesses online. All you need is an ebook and all it takes to get started is your writing skills and some marketable concepts.
At first, it may be difficult to build an audience since you’re up against every other starving writer who wants to sell ebooks on how-to-write ebooks. However, once you’ve made yourself known as an expert in your niche, the business should boom because readers are searching for exactly what you’re offering. You can create multiple products (we call them spin-offs) but they’ll only work if they serve a broader purpose than just making money fast as a woman.
5) Coffee Shop
If you love good coffee and great conversation, opening a coffee shop could be your dream business. A small-scale cafe can be just as profitable as a big-name chain and is great because customers will often return again and again just to hang out with you.
If your friends or family are in town, turn them into regular customers by offering special discounts when they come in together. And don’t forget to keep up on social media so people can stay up on all of your latest delicious offerings.
6) Consulting Services
If you’re not trying to work at an established company, but you still want your daily work life to be professional and interesting, then consulting services might be right up your alley. There are many different types of consulting services, such as business consulting services or IT consultant services. Remember that consulting is quite diverse and no two consultants are exactly alike. Some focus on strategy while others will focus on very technical aspects of your business (such as coding or design).
Check out sites like Elance if you’re interested in starting consulting businesses like these. Just remember to make sure that if it’s not based on skill (like electrical engineering), they’re actually looking for expertise rather than just someone who knows nothing about their field!
7) Selling Charms or Jewellery Online
If you’re crafty, there are plenty of platforms that will enable you to sell your crafts online. Etsy is one such platform. No matter what kind of crafts or products you sell, creating a basic online store through Etsy is free.
As your business grows and becomes more successful, you can start hiring people to help fulfill orders and expand your reach even further. On top of that, many Etsy sellers also use Shopify (see below) as their primary eCommerce platform and still manage order fulfillment in-house with no additional hiring required.
8) Etsy Shop
Create your own Etsy shop, where you can sell your crafts, jewelry, and other goods. The great thing about Etsy is that it’s not just limited to crafts — sellers are open to selling used clothing and handmade goods. If you’re crafty (or even if you’re not), consider putting together an Etsy shop as another way of making money online.
Before selling anything on Etsy, you must set up shop policies. You should establish how much you’ll charge customers and how long they have before their items ship out to them. Make sure all information is clear so buyers don’t get confused about when they will receive their items.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurship is one of those things that everyone wants to do, but few actually do. It’s not easy and it’s not fast; in fact, it requires tremendous persistence and self-belief. Some of us may give up halfway through because we don’t have an idea that seems good enough, or our talents aren’t in line with what we want to do. The truth is, however, there are lots of entrepreneurs out there who started small and grew their business into something extraordinary.