Category: Small Business Ideas (Page 1 of 2)

You NEED This Document If You’re a Small Business Owner

July 11, 2023 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

If something happened to you tomorrow, what would happen to your small business?

When you run your own business, it can be very autonomous. As such, your spouse, partner and/or grown children might not know the ins and outs – things like your passwords, what you have to pay every month, who works for you, when are your business taxes due, who your suppliers are, what is the name and phone number of your accountant – the questions are endless!

If you were to suddenly pass away, take ill or just want to take an extended vacation, would they know what to do? This is why I came up with the Business Continuity Instructional Plan.

Completely editable and fillable, this 19-page Google Docs file will help you document all of your key business information, logins, passwords, codes, employees, contracts, suppliers, professional contacts, banks, insurance, financial commitments, and daily and monthly tasks and much more.

19 EDITABLE / FILLABLE PAGES INCLUDING:

Business Information
Where Things Are Kept
Business Assets
Employee Information
Customer Information
Professional Contacts
Third Party Services
Sales Channels
Supplier Information
Financial Information
Financial Commitments
Important Papers
Computer Information
To Do List
Master Phone List
Other Things to Know

Again, you can completely edit and customize this 19-page Google Doc anyway you like. You can add or delete rows and columns, change text, colorize the text, delete tables, delete pages and so forth.

You can also print it out and fill in the information manually if you prefer not to have a digital copy of such sensitive information.

Designed specifically for the small business owner and sole entrepreneur, I guarantee you will find this document invaluable, and give you tremendous piece of mind.

NOTE: Before you purchase, please ensure you have a working Google account, as this is a Google Doc.

My Latest Side Hustle Ideas

May 25, 2023 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

I love Google Trends because they give you so many ideas for small businesses and side hustles. Here are a few side hustle ideas I came up with based on some search trends from the last couple of weeks.

Summer Lessons and Teaching Kids

Google is showing that most searched “classes for kids” in the past month are:

Art classes
Swimming classes
Dance classes
Cooking classes
Coding classes

In my opinion, these could also be offered as private mommy and me or daddy and me classes. Did you know that 56% of all US adults cannot swim well enough to save themselves? If you’re a swim teacher with their own pool, you might want to consider offering private lessons.

If you own a restaurant that is not busy during the day, why not run a cooking class for kids, even if just in the mornings?

If you know how to code, either try to run a coding camp or offer this as tutoring or, again, private lessons.

Sleeping and Dreaming

Both “dream interpretation” and “sleep” are being searched at all-time highs on Google. Therefore, if you have any products or services that will help people improve their sleep, or you have the ability to interpret dreams, these are possible business opportunities.

Wedding Locales

It’s wedding season and Google Trends shows that the most searched wedding venues are below. While you likely do not own botanical gardens or a chateau or a winery, you could consider buying an old barn or farmhouse and turning it into a wedding and event venue.

Barn
Farmhouse
Botanical Gardens
Chateau
Winery

If you are planning to start a business, be sure to download my Best-Selling How to Start a New Business Planner, that I have on for a special price just for Memorial Day weekend.

Also read: Consider This Billion Dollar Small Business Idea

New Business Idea: Sell An “Experience”

April 25, 2023 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

You’ve heard a lot about turning your knowledge into an online course, but that approach has become pretty exhausted.

A different approach, which I think is more effective, is what Uncommon Goods is doing. Capitalizing on the gift market, they are selling “experiences” as gifts.

In fact, a survey by SurveyMonkey found that 67% of respondents said they’d rather receive an experience than a physical gift.

I actually wrote about a similar idea about a year ago, where 1-800-Flowers teamed with Alice’s Table to offer a mother-daughter online flower arranging workshop as a gift for Mother’s Day.

Therefore, chefs/restaurant owners, florists, artists, psychics, crafters and more, can sell their “experiences” as a gift on Uncommon Goods. The gift approach means you can buy it for someone, or buy it for someone and yourself to do together (two sales instead of one). Think couples gifts, bridesmaid gifts, corporate gifts, Father’s day, Mother’s day, etc.

The Top-Selling Experiences:

Paint Your Pet
Romantic Mapmaking
Astrology Chart Class
Flower Arranging
Mixology Class
Scandinavian Baking

You can also use the “experience” to upsell your products. Be sure to also read: All New Small Business Ideas for 2023

Click to download the planner.

Thinking of Starting a New Business?

Download my best-selling How to Start a New Business Planner.

Consider This Billion Dollar Business Idea

April 20, 2023 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Looking for that billion dollar business idea? Well, I have one for you that was just under a billion in 2022, but might reach that height this year, considering its 20% year-over-year growth since 2019.

The billion dollar idea is pet Halloween costumes!

When doing research for my new 2023 Etsy Holiday Sales Planner, I found that, according to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent $710 million on Halloween costumes for their pets in 2022!

And, there is not as much competition as you think. There are only 3,000 listings for dog Halloween costumes on Amazon, and only 12,900 listings on Etsy. So there’s lots of opportunity!

Currently, 69 million US households own a dog and 45 million US households own a cat. Since the NRF also found that 1 in 5 pet owners plans to buy a Halloween costume this year, that’s 22.8 million costumes to be sold!NEW BUSINESS STARTUP CHECKLIST

Dogs costumes are three times more popular than costumes for cats. The most popular costumes for pets include a pumpkin, hot dog, bat, bumblebee, witch, lion, spider, ghost, super dog and devil. Consumers start searching July 31^st and searches peak October 23^rd.

My 2023 Etsy Holiday Sales Planner is available now.

You might also want to read: 54 Small Business Ideas for 2023.

All New Small Business Ideas for 2023

November 9, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

One of my most popular posts this year was 54 Creative Small Business Ideas for 2022.

Well I just updated it with some new small business ideas for 2023:

Home Grown Flowers – Did you know that flowers were impacted by the supply chain? So, buy yourself an affordable green house on Amazon and grow flowers for people to purchase for weddings, Mother’s Day, even poinsettias for Christmas. This makes a great seasonal side hustle; it does not have to be full-time.

Upsized House Plans (or Homes) for Boomers – Believe it or not, more baby boomers are upsizing their homes rather than downsizing. They want more space in their golden years to accommodate live-in elderly parents as well as out-of-town children and grandchildren who come to visit. As a result, the type of house has changed whereby they require two to three bedrooms with their own ensuite bath, wheel chair accessibility, and single level with a first floor owner’s suite.

Pop-up Store Liaison – A lot of commercial retail property is sitting empty after COVID, so it would help if there was someone who acted as a liaison between small businesses who wanted a short-term popup retail presence (just for a weekend, week or month) and the lessor, owner or realtor for the property. You make your money by getting a piece of the commission.

Spiritual Awakening Trip Planner – People are really investing in their mental health, so they like to seek guidance in far off exotic places that have a tradition of helping with spiritual healing, such as Varanasi, Machu Picchu, Kyoto, Bali, and Jerusalem. A great business idea is to be a travel planner specializing in these types of excursions, especially targeting single people travelling on their own.

Home Energy Expert – With energy costs at a record high, people want to find ways to save on their energy bills as much as possible. A service whereby you can come in and evaluate a home (or actually do the work) and provide ways for the home owner to better insulate and cut costs is invaluable, not to mention it can also qualify the home owner for various government rebates.

Wellness Coach – You’ve heard of a Life Coach, but a Wellness Coach focuses purely on your physical and mental health choices. People know they have to take better care of their health, but rarely make the time. A wellness coach gives you a plan and makes sure you stay on course.

Sleep Expert – It is believed that between 30% and 48% of older adults suffer from insomnia. It is becoming a serious health issue with many people seeking relief, so a sleep expert who could help solve their problem would be a service worth paying for.

Want to start your own business in 2023? Set up a phone consultation and I can advise on some ideas that would be right for you as well as how to get started. You can also download my Starting a New Business Planner.

3 All-New Side Hustle Business Ideas

September 4, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Everyone is looking to make a little extra money on the side these days, so I found three all-new side hustle business ideas you might want to consider.

Side Hustle Business Idea #1

The other day I noticed someone visiting one of my neighbors and picking up bunches of hydrangea flowers. My neighbor’s yard is lined in hydrangeas trees (which are rapid growers), and it turns out, she sells them to brides who pick them up on the day of the wedding. Typical price is $6 per stem.

Now, you could take this idea even further and purchase a small greenhouse for your yard and grow seasonal floral items, like poinsettias for Christmas or mums for fall. You could sell them to local stores and farmer’s markets.

Side Hustle Business Idea #2

Click to download

I have a relative who drives a city bus, but is thinking of retiring. However, he still wanted to do some part-time work using his driving skills. I mentioned that there is a huge backlog of teens trying to get driving lessons as many driving schools couldn’t operate during the pandemic. So I suggested he consider becoming a private driving instructor.

I also mentioned the possibility of being a “private” driver. When we were staying at a hotel years back, we had trouble getting a taxi to go to a destination that was about 45 minutes away. So the concierge recommended using their private driver service. The driver was not an employee of the hotel, but had their own business and the hotel just used them as needed. So for a little more money, we got a luxury car ride to our destination.

Side Hustle Business Idea #3

I had another neighbor who owned a utility trailer, the kind you could attach to a hitch and haul small stuff. Everyone on the street was constantly borrowing this trailer. So, if you have one, consider renting it out for a daily or weekly rate. It is particularly in big demand this time of year when college kids are heading off to school. The rate is around $25 a day, higher if demand is great and trailers are scarce.

Be sure to read an article on Yahoo I was recently quoted in: “4 Businesses to Start in the Fall ”.

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I have consulted for thousands of small businesses since 2012, and my advice has been featured in the NY Times, Success Magazine, Yahoo Business, American Express, Big Commerce, Business2Community to name a few – so this is professional advice you can trust!

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More Business Ideas

Cool Side Hustle Opportunity

May 13, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

If you are looking for a cool side hustle opportunity, I have one for you!

Both the house sitting and pet sitting industries are experiencing huge growth right now, and this has opportunities for not only a cool side hustle, but I also see it as a way to expand your business if you’re a real estate agent, travel agent or pet business.

GenZ and Millennials are using house sitting and pet sitting “gigs” as a way to get around the unaffordable housing market right now (since they can work remotely) and as a way to travel the world for free.

So, not only is this a great side hustle – to get paid to live in someone’s house for house sitting and/or pet sitting duties – but I feel that it can also be a new service for you to offer your clients.

If you’re a realtor, you can connect reputable “sitters” with home owners for a commission fee. Same thing for travel agents and anyone who owns a pet business. It’s a great add-on service that will bring in more revenue and expand your customer base with little investment on your part. Hope you are in a position to try this cool side hustle opportunity.

Need more ideas for a great business or side hustle? Set up a phone consultation!

Also read 54 Creative Small Business Ideas.

Green Business Ideas for the Eco-Conscious Entrepreneur

April 21, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

Green Business Ideas

In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I thought it would be appropriate to write about “green” business ideas, especially since demand for eco-friendly and sustainable products and services has more than DOUBLED in the last five years.

Most in Demand Eco Products

In terms of products, the most demand, according to Google Trends, is for eco-friendly packaging, gifts, cleaning products, personal care products, cars, homes, furniture, clothing and phone cases, along with things like balloons, backpacks, mattresses, and yoga mats.

Make sure that you are clearly stating and showing your eco-friendly products in all of your marketing materials, along with any eco-friendly packaging and manufacturing practices if you wish to use this “green” marketing opportunity.

Most in Demand Eco Services

In terms of services, searches for eco-friendly tourism jumped 5,000% in the last couple of years, along with eco-friendly event planning companies, beauty salons, cleaning services, grocery stores, hotels, transportation companies, landscaping companies and wedding planners.

Again, if customers have a choice between a non eco-friendly service and an eco-friendly service, they will likely go for the latter. It is a competitive advantage.

Eco-Business Idea I Love

One eco-business I love is Inhabitr, where you can rent furniture and home décor items nationwide with the goal of keeping used home items out of landfills. Depending on the piece, customers can either rent it monthly or buy new, used, or later, after their rental period has started. Inhabitr even offers delivery, installation, pickup, cleaning and repair. It’s an ideal option for anyone who needs to furnish temporary housing, student housing, businesses, or rental properties, even house staging.

The Opportunity for You

This is a also great idea you can do locally if looking for a business idea. A few years back when visiting my niece who was graduating from college in Boston, and all of the graduating students just left their unneeded furniture on the sidewalk, presumedly to be picked up by the garage truck. The majority of the furniture was in perfectly good condition, they just didn’t want to haul it back to their home town. We are talking streets full of furniture. I remember thinking, someone could easily resell all of this, if they just had a truck. Maybe that’s you!

You might also like: 4 Eco Products Marketplaces and Free Business Card Templates.

Be Sure to Also Check Out:

Try This Trick of Mine to Find a New Business Idea

March 24, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

how to find a new business idea Want to start a local business but stuck for an idea? Try this trick of mine using Google Trends.

Type in the words “near me”, which is one of the most popular searches on Google.
Change the location to your city by first selecting your country, then state, then city, etc. using the arrow to the right.
Select the time period as “last 12 months”.

For example, I typed in “near me” for Phoenix, Arizona and the following “rising” searches resulted:

Siding replacement near me
Paper shredding near me
Indian grocery store near me
Salads to go near me
Wine bar near me
Cheap storage near me

Therefore, any of these could pose a potential business opportunity because the demand is there. Try this for both “All Categories” and “Business and Industrial” searches.

Want to know one of the most popular searches nationally? It was “Crystal shops near me”. This search has increased 900% in the last 5 years, and 200% in the last 18 months.

Be sure to download my Best-Selling How to Start a New Business Planner.

How COVID Hobbies are Turning Into Hot Business Ideas

March 6, 2022 / Gail Oliver, Online Small Business Consultant

People took up a lot of hobbies during COVID that they will likely continue, and they pose unique business opportunities.

For example, people who took up biking during COVID now want it as part of their travel and vacation plans. Might be a good opportunity to offer this in your city if no one else is, or at very least, bike rentals.

People who took up baking during COVID means maybe more bakery delivery services or bakery food carts, and/or demand for baking products or houses with kitchens that have baking stations.

The most popular hobbies among those who started one during the pandemic was reading (61%), followed by baking or cooking (36%), gardening (30%), meditation (29%) and writing (26%). See if you can find an opportunity for one of these now that we are almost back in the real world.


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