When Jessica Gaskins moved Maddi P Boutique from Warrenville to Aiken last year, she knew it might not be easy. She and her team stuck with it and together, they have created a successful small business.
Are you ready to be your own boss? Do you prefer flexibility over big profits? Are you dissatisfied with corporate America? Not ready to retire? Maybe, like Gaskins, you’ll be running a new business in the coming year.
Business statistics from 2022 show that over 3.8 million new business applications were filed in the first three quarters. According to Forbes, the numbers for this year are expected to skyrocket.
As of today, small businesses employ 61.7 million people, almost half of the US workforce. Will you be part of the statistics in the coming year?
Here are a few of the hottest startups with low overhead:
- Online reselling – Although it takes time, dedication, and an eye for fashion, you can start your business as a side hustle and turn it into a full-time resale business. You could start by using online store websites like Poshmark and Mercari to sell your unwanted clothing and items, then expand to your own resale website.
- Pet sitting – About 70% of families have a pet. When these families go away for extended periods, your pet-sitting small business can give them peace of mind. As a pet sitter, you’ll watch over your clients’ dogs, cats, or other pets at their houses. As part of the job, you’ll need to feed them, give them water, play with them, and (with dogs) walk them as needed. To help keep clients satisfied, you’ll need to regularly update them on how their pets are doing.
- Cleaning service – If you like to clean, you can easily turn that into a business. With a few staff members, a host of cleaning supplies, and transportation, you can offer cleaning services to homeowners, apartment complexes, and commercial properties. Most cleaning services charge $25 to $50 per hour. Cleaning services are straightforward businesses that require relatively little overhead; you simply need planning, dedication, and marketing to attract customers.
- Medical courier service – If you have a reliable vehicle and good time management skills, consider creating your own courier service – more specifically, a medical courier service. As a driver, you would be responsible for transporting medical items like lab specimens, prescription drugs, and equipment. You could start your courier business on your own or hire other drivers to work for you.
- Professional organizing – In an age of materialism, many people are desperate to downsize and take control of their possessions. Minimalism is becoming extremely popular, but people often find it hard to part with things they’ve owned for a long time. Part of being a professional organizer is helping clients develop a system for downsizing.
To promote your business, ask if your clients will let you take before-and-after photos of the areas of their homes you’ve organized. If so, you can use those to create a portfolio that you can put on social media to attract more clients.
- Copywriting or content writing – If you’re a natural wordsmith with a bit of marketing knowledge, you can establish yourself as a freelance copywriter or content writer. Whether you write blogs, web content or press releases, plenty of companies will pay for your services.
Freelance copywriting is a great business to run because if you have an internet connection, you can work. It’s a business that you can operate from the comfort of your own home or even from the road if you travel. If you establish a large enough network and gain referrals from satisfied clients, you could even make freelance writing a full-time job.
If you decide to start a business, there are a few important factors to bear in mind. Starting a business is a lot harder than most people think. Rarely is a business so in tune with its niche that it can float along with minimal effort. Only 80% of startups survive after the first year. Money may run out, being in the wrong market, a lack of research, or ineffective marketing can contribute to failure.
Jessica Gaskins started with an idea and a passion for fashion, but the rest of her story involved hard work.
Whatever business idea you embrace her advice is “stick with it and be your own person.”
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
