Is a 9 to 5 job not really your thing? Considering leaving your job, because your grouchy boss and office politics are driving you nuts? Kids grown up, and looking to now use your time in something that allows you to earn an income? Always wanted to be your boss, but worried about where you’re going to get the cash to start your own business? What you need is a low-investment business idea that you can start easily.
It’s an absolute myth that beginning your own business requires a lot of money. Not always. While some businesses do require high investment, there are many that can be set up with very low costs. Check out some low-investment business ideas that you can start from within the comfort of your home!
11 Low-Investment Business Options That Women Can Consider
1. Food Business/Catering
One of the best business ideas with low-investment and high profit can be to start a food business. If you’re a pro in the kitchen, this is a great way for you to do what you love, and earn money in the process. From bakery items like home-baked cakes to healthy salads and dips to even your naani’s aam ka achaar, you can start a business with whatever you think you can prepare best. What’s more, you can even tie up with some cloud-kitchen-based services, or food delivery services to get more orders without having to burden yourself with additional costs.
2. Apparel
Even in times of online shopping, the neighbourhood aunty’s boutique never goes out of style! Clothing is one of those low-investment business ideas that usually tend to gain popularity simply by word of mouth. All you need is some creativity, and perhaps a good darzi to make the clothes. Organize a pop-up for your friends and neighbours, and see how they come and pick up your products, one by one. You can also use social media to market your brand and get it noticed. Create an Instagram page where you can share the designs, or send your friends regular Whatsapp updates of your products. Who knows, you might just be building the next fashion empire!
3. Costume Jewellery
If clothing isn’t your thing, costume jewellery is another low-investment business you can easily start from home at a minimal cost. Either you can source local jewellery, or you can design and then find a good karigar who can make them for you. Women are always looking for stylish, yet comfortable and inexpensive accessory options to match their outfits. And if you can be their go-to option, nothing like it, is there?
4. DIY Crafts
A crafts business is a great small investment business from home that you can start anytime. With barely any investment. Does everyone speak about your gift-wrapping skills? Are your handmade envelopes the talk of the town? Do your handmade flowers get attention everywhere they go? It’s time you put your creative talents to some serious use!
5. Blogging
Dream of becoming famous on a low-investment business plan? Blogging can be a great cost-effective way to make your dreams come true. Decide a subject you’re truly passionate about – food, parenting, fashion, fitness or travel. Start a written blog, an Instagram account or a YouTube channel. Regularly create content and share it. There are multiple ways you can earn from blogging. You can approach brands to pay you to advertise their products on your platform. You can also get projects through this, for instance, if you’re a health & fitness blogger, you can get requests to create customised diet plans.
6. Tuition/Hobby Classes
Tuition classes are a great small investment business-from-home idea, especially if you enjoy teaching. You can either choose to help your neighbour’s kids with their homework and exam preparations, or you can take up a specific subject like English, Math or Hindi and offer classes in those subjects only. What’s more, you don’t always have to restrict yourself to only academics and studies. If you like teaching dance, art or singing and have a flair for any of these talents, you can teach these too.
7. Hair & Makeup
Popular among your friends for being the hair & makeup queen? Spend hours watching YouTube tutorials until you perfect the smokey eye or the messy bun look. Why not convert your passion into your profession, by becoming a hair and make-up artist? Try advertising your services around the wedding season, or festive occasions like Diwali when people are always looking for someone to assist with hair & makeup.
8. Fashion Styling
Constantly following fashion bloggers and reading fashion magazines? Know exactly how to recreate Deepika, Alia and Katrina’s look from their Instagram pages? Always win the best-dressed prize at your kitty parties and family get-togethers. Then this one’s for you. Fashion styling is essentially the art of putting together an entire ‘look.’ Right from the outfit to matching accessories like footwear, jewellery and even deciding what kind of hair and makeup suits the look. You can offer fashion styling services so that your clients don’t have to put much effort into what they should wear – because you’ll do it for them!
9. Freelancing
Freelancing is another low-investment business service you can provide, within the convenience of your home. What’s more, you can design your own work schedule as per your timings. There are multiple services you can provide as a freelancer – content writing, graphic design, and proofreading. All you probably need is a laptop and steady internet. Reach out to your aunt who is looking for someone to design her party invites, or to your fashion designer friend who wants some help creating blogs for her websites or to your writer neighbour who doesn’t have time to proofread her work. You can also explore websites like Fiverr and Upwork where you can literally get assignments from all over the world.
10. Direct Selling
If you’re looking to run a small investment business from home, yet also do something where you meet people, direct selling is a great option. Home products companies like Tupperware, cosmetic companies like Biotique, Avon, and Oriflame, and wellness companies like Amway offer direct employment to women. You can start by selling to your friends and family, and then gradually build your client network as you grow.
11. Home Salon
Running a salon is home is among those low-investment business ideas that usually always work. Simply because women are always looking for places where they can go for their regular mani-pedis, massages, facials and hair spas. And ones that are not very far away from their homes. If you can give them quality services at competitive prices, it truly is only a matter of time before everyone in your colony is lining up outside your door.
Being your own boss is great, because of the flexibility and satisfaction that entrepreneurship offers. All these suggestions are business ideas with low investment and high profit that you can start very easily. A great tip to grow these businesses quickly would be to first reach out to your friends and family and make them your first clients. Another would be to use social media to market yourself and your services. Fun fact: Many women-led businesses that have grown to become business empires were actually started with little investment. We’re sure that with the right kind of effort and commitment, yours can too!
