Simple. This word is used to mean that the startup ideas highlighted today require no major investments and are ready to go.
Read this really cool article by Bob Adams in Business Town. He critiqued people like us for writing about business ideas without having any business acumen. Had a good laugh at that. So instead of trying to do what we are not qualified to, we are sharing our top picks from the list of “300 Best Small Business Ideas.”
Simple Startup For You
Choose which one works best for you. Use the same principles that we highlighted in previous posts including:
- the idea naturally excites you
- you have the required skill sets
Daughters of Sheba Foundation primarily targets women and children of low to medium income and who are seeking to get out of poverty. Our choices from the list of 300 business ideas were selected with this group in mind. Also, we focussed on the ideas that, based on our experiences, are more suitable for implementation first in Jamaica and then in Canada.
The Ideas
Bob Adams broke down his ideas into nine categories:
- Really fun business ideas
- Home business ideas
- Part-time business ideas
- Best low-cost business ideas
- Best online business ideas
- Highest profit business ideas
- Steady income business ideas
- Easy-to-start business ideas
- Other good business ideas
We will not follow the same categorization but will indicate where the author placed the ideas that we chose.
Antique Dealer – Fun
This one was chosen as a great idea for someone in Jamaica. There are so many pieces of antique on the island with historical meaning that could be marketed internationally. Someone with a good eye for “nice” things, maybe with interior decorating interest, could make a go of this idea.
The author suggested, “Start part-time and build this business carefully! Only buy items you are confident that you can sell relatively quickly for a good mark-up, and avoid getting stuck with slow-moving inventory. To really succeed, develop deep expertise in a speciality and build a loyal customer base.”
Day Care Service – Home Based
Yes, you would have to obtain the necessary licensing. This, however, is a service that once started and organized correctly, you cannot fail. Check with the local authorities what you would need to set up your service with one or two children to start. From my personal experience here in Canada with my grandchildren, families are always needing help with caring for their children. As the author wrote, “The market for daycare is gigantic! Of course, you can start in your home or in the workplace.”
Craft Business – Part-Time
We suggested this one last week but here it is again.
Quoting the author of the original article, “A lot of people make some really neat crafts. But to be able to make money at it, you also need to be able to price your products reasonably—and allow yourself enough money to bring your product to market. That being said, there are more markets than ever for your products! In addition to local retailers and craft fairs, you can sell them online, on your own website, or through third party sites like Etsy or EBay.”
Errand Service – Part-Time
There was a time when this might not appeal but with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing an errand service seems lucrative. With so many not wanting to be outside, in any measure of proximity with others, this might be for you.
“Many people love to hire others to run their errands, in addition to those people who may be home-bound for health reasons. Errands often take longer than you think, so you may be better off charging on an hourly basis.”
Virtual Consignment Store – Online Business
A few years, a young lady whose desk was close to mine in the Estate Recovery Division where we worked had one of these stores. The way she told it, she made good money. Bear the following in mind:
“Two of the biggest problems of operating a retail store are the overhead of having a storefront and the risk and cost of carrying inventory. With a virtual consignment store you eliminate both of these problems! You could take it one step further and have your suppliers drop ship the goods for you.”
Baby-Sitting Service – Easy-To-Start
This would interest those living in Canada more. Again, personal experience tells me that this service would do well here.
“Not everyone wants to find a babysitter by responding to a hand-scribbled note on the bulletin board at the local coffee shop. That’s where you come in. Set up a babysitting service that includes vetting your sitters and giving your customers confidence that they are dealing with safe and dependable service providers!”
What Are You Still Waiting For?
These are the simple ideas that we found this week for those with the entrepreneurial spirit.
Will keep searching and sharing with you. Do us a favour, please? Like, follow, subscribe and share our social media profiles and get updated when we post. We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube. Please, leave a comment below and let us know whether any of these suggestions pricked something in you.
Peace and Love,
