How to Know What Business Idea is Right for You?

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Are you thinking of starting a business? Are you trying to come up with an idea or wondering whether the idea you have is the best option for you? 

Try answering these ten questions, so you know!

Could you use skills you’ve already got?

Think about your education and previous jobs. Is there anything you could do on a self-employed basis instead of working for someone else? 

For example, if you work as an accountant in the company, you can provide your services to a number of small businesses instead. 

Could you run a home-based business?

Running a home-based business can save you a great amount of money and stress trying to find the right premises. Also, if you have any other responsibilities at home such as childcare, you also benefit from working from home. 

These days, with e-commerce websites and online marketplaces, you don’t even need a physical shop if you want to sell products while the rapid growth of cloud collaboration tools makes it easy for freelancers to provide services such as accountancy, marketing or copywriting.

On the other hand, you need to think about whether you can focus while working from home. Working from home comes with many distractions, so you need to make sure you have strong self-discipline. 

a woman running a business from home

Can you refurbish and sell second-hand items?

Selling preloved furniture, books, toys or jewellery can be a great business opportunity! If you have the ability to collect and repair those items, you can sell them at a local market, online market places or via your own website. 

These days people are more conscious about overconsumption and waste, so second-hand items have been in increasing demand. Also, unique items can make a statement piece, which means it can be sold at a premium price. 

Can you entertain people?

Are you one of those people that love entertaining others? Do you enjoy being in a centre of attention? 

If you have talents such as dancing, acting or music or can do balloon art or magic tricks, you can start your own entertainment business. Entertainers are in demand for all sorts of events including weddings, children’s parties, product launches, hospitality events and others.

Do you have a big social media following or know a lot of people in real life?

If so, you can use that for starting a direct selling business! Think about companies such as Avon, The Body Shop or Ann Summers. They provide you with training and support, and you purchase their products at a discount to resell at their full price. 

Just remember, you also need to be confident and have great sales and customer service skills, as you’ll have to talk to many people and make sure they want to buy from you. 

Do you love animals?

Do you wish you could make money by spending time with animals? Great news – you can! 

Pet ownership in the UK is increasing, especially since the beginning of the pandemic. Now that more and more people get back to their usual workplaces, they need someone to look after their pets. 

Apart from pet sitting, other popular services include pet grooming, dog training and animal behaviour consulting.

if you love animals, you can start a business working with them

Do you enjoy working with kids?

If you love children and know how to work with them, this might be the best business idea for you! 

Some childcare services, such as nurseries or out-of-school clubs require you to register with the appropriate national regulatory body and meet statutory requirements. 

However, if you’re looking to start a business that is easier to set up, you can provide classes for children. It could be language learning, music and dance classes or gymnastics just to name a few.

Do you wish you could spend more time outdoors?

If you love spending time outdoors, sitting at the office in front of a computer can feel like a punishment for you. But there are businesses you can start that would involve a lot of time spent outside and only a little bit in front of the screen.

Outdoor opportunities include gardening and landscaping services, farming and tour guide services.

Do you enjoy driving?

If you have a clean driving licence, you can use it to work on a self-employed basis. Gig economy platforms such as Uber make it really easy to become a taxi driver without actually being employed by the company. With the growing popularity of online shopping and takeaway ordering apps, you can also become a self-employed delivery driver for couriers such as Amazon or Hermes or fast-food ordering apps such as Just Eat or Deliveroo. 

Do you hate monotony and want something different every day?

If so, think about starting a mobile business! Not every business requires fixed premisses. There are many different businesses you can run on a mobile basis. Beauticians, tattoo artists, dog groomers, personal trainers or fast food takeaways just to name a few. When you run a business on a mobile basis, you can move from one place to another meeting new people and attracting new customers.

To run a mobile business, you’ll need a vehicle to carry your equipment. While you can use your own car, some businesses (such as food trucks) will require a specially adapted van. If you’d like to start a mobile takeaway, we have more information here, so you can find out how to start a successful one! 

business idea - mobile takeaway

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