Have you always dreamed of being an entrepreneur and want to know the best business ideas for women? If you’ve answered “yes!” to this question, I’ve got 46 suggestions for you!
Did you know that one in five businesses with a revenue of $1 million+ is owned by women? These businesses are generating $1.7 trillion in sales as of 2017. More and more women are seeking fulfilling careers, and for many of them, that means venturing out on their own and starting their own businesses.
In the United States, over 40% of businesses are owned by women, generating over $1.8 billion in revenue every year, according to Forbes. With more women seeking fulfilling careers, many are venturing out on their own and starting their own businesses.
So, if you’re one of them and looking to leave your full-time job for good or simply want to make extra money from a brick-and-mortar or home-based business, I’ll cover business ideas in the following categories:
- Small business ideas for women
- Online business ideas for women
- Entrepreneur ideas for women
- Side hustles for women
- Fun business ideas for women
- Best businesses to start from home for women
Small Business Ideas for Women
1. Freelance Photographer
Freelance photography is in high demand these days. If you’ve got photography skills or have always wanted to learn, you can easily score gigs taking photos for brands all around the globe.
2. Interior Designer
If you’ve got an eye for design, starting your own interior design business is a great idea. If you always receive compliments when friends visit your home, it’s a sign that you have a knack for decorating. So, why not put those skills to use and offer interior design consulting, either in-person or online?
3. Yoga Instructor
The pandemic has made it easier than ever to get certified as a yoga or pilates instructor (you can find certification courses online!), and it’s also increased the demand for at-home workouts.
So, if you’re into wellness and have a passion for teaching, becoming a yoga instructor can be a fantastic business idea. You can teach at a studio, start your own private studio, or offer classes online.
4. Jewelry Brand
Got a passion for jewelry? Always getting compliments on the pieces you wear and could spend hours shopping for just the right necklace? Then you might want to consider starting your own jewelry brand. You can either take a course and learn to create jewelry yourself, or you can focus on design and outsource the production to professionals.
5. A Personal Trainer
If you love fitness and the gym, you could get certified and start working as a personal trainer. It’s pretty easy to get certified in most countries, and you can start by getting clients through friends and family until you build a regular roster.
A personal trainer can earn anywhere from $25 per hour to thousands, depending on the clientele and location.
6. Nutritionist
Getting certified as a nutritionist might take longer, but it’s also a great option if you love food and a healthy lifestyle. You can find clients through friends and family and work with them face-to-face or offer online coaching.
7. Stylist
If you’re passionate about fashion, why not start your own styling business? Many people are looking for styling advice, and you can start by offering free consultations until you build a reputation.
8. Personal Chef
Personal chefs are becoming more popular in large cities where busy professionals don’t have time to cook but still want something nutritious and delicious. You can find clients through friends and family, working with people locally.
9. Esthetician
The beauty industry is worth over 500 billion US dollars. And the demand for various beauty treatments is growing every year. If you love taking care of your skin, you might want to consider getting a certification as an esthetician and opening your own beauty salon.
10. Make-up Artists
Another beauty-related business idea is becoming a makeup artist. You can do makeup without a certificate, but you can get one in any beauty school if you want. Start by doing makeup on friends and family and get referrals that way.
Online Business Ideas for Women
11. Freelance Illustrator
If you’ve always loved to draw and create art as a hobby, you might want to consider becoming a freelance illustrator. You can work with ad agencies, create ads, collaborate with authors to design book covers, or simply take on commission work with brands.
12. Freelance Graphic Designer
As a graphic designer, you can craft brand identities and website designs for corporate or private clients. You’ll also collaborate with ad and marketing agencies to help them create eye-catching promotional materials.
13. Ghostwriter
If you’ve always wanted to be a published author but prefer to remain anonymous, you could start a ghostwriting business. You can ghostwrite blog posts, articles, books, and everything in between from the comfort of your own home.
14. Video Editor
Podcasting is also on the rise, and all podcast shows need audio editors and producers. If you have the skills or want to take an online course and learn the skills, then you might consider starting a podcast production company.
16.Freelance Web Developer
Building websites is a lucrative business idea for you if you have a passion for IT and coding. Every business needs an online presence, and with the technologies always changing, they’ll always need someone to help them build the perfect website.
Entrepreneur Ideas for Women
17. PR Agency
If you work in public relations or are passionate about working with people, then starting your PR agency might be a good business idea. You can work with individual influencers or brands, helping them craft their identities and grow their businesses.
18. Online Community
Online communities are flourishing in the age of social media. There are plenty of free online communities where people with common interests or goals can connect. And there are also paid communities that offer different benefits for their members.
Good examples include BossBabe, a community for women in business, and Freelancing Females, a community for women who work as freelancers.
19. Travel Agency
If you love to travel, you might want to consider starting a travel agency. Travel agents search the globe for the best holiday destinations and deals, put together holiday packages for various occasions, and work with people to ensure they have the best vacation experience.
You’ll have to connect hotels and local tour guides with tourists, so it might be beneficial to be familiar with the country or even speak the language to ensure you can get the most authentic offers and experiences for your clients.
20. Coach
If you enjoy communicating with people and helping them find purpose and a path in life, you might consider becoming a life coach. Life coaches work with individuals, helping them navigate various areas of their life. You can focus on productivity, time management, confidence, dating, relationships, body confidence, and more.
21. Online Course
Creating and selling online courses is one of the best online business ideas for women. You can create a course on various topics, from wellness to business, and earn money by sharing your knowledge with others.
Platforms like Teachable make hosting and running online courses effortless and accessible to everyone. It’s easy and affordable to set up, and you have a variety of tools to help you create landing pages to sell and promote your course.
22. Content Creator
If you’ve always dreamed of creating and sharing content on social media, then content creation might be the right business idea for you. Content creators can collaborate directly with brands, crafting content for their platforms, similar to BuzzFeed.
Alternatively, you can go solo and grow your social media following by regularly posting online and building your audience. Content creators have various ways to monetize their business, ranging from affiliate marketing to brand sponsorships, and the potential for earnings is unlimited.
One drawback to this business is the frequent changes in the social media landscape. As a content creator, you’ll always need to be prepared to adapt and learn new platforms and how to leverage them for your business.
23. Online Store
E-commerce is a trendy business idea for women. You can kickstart your own online store with Shopify in just a few steps and sell anything you fancy, whether it’s clothing, jewelry, or kitchen appliances. Plus, social media is one of the simplest platforms to promote your online store and attract more attention to your products.
24.Wedding Planning
Wedding planning is a fantastic business idea with great potential. As a wedding planner, you’ll collaborate with clients to bring their dream weddings to life, handling everything from venue selection and catering to invitations and ensuring the event runs seamlessly.
You can focus on organizing weddings in your local area or venture into the exciting world of destination wedding planning, orchestrating celebrations in exotic locations abroad.
Side Hustles for Women
25. Open an Amazon Store
Selling products on Amazon is a great business idea with lots of potential. You can choose items from wholesalers, set up your store on Amazon, and sell them for a profit.
26. Transcription
You can find transcription work from home. If you’re a fast typer and don’t mind repetitive admin work, then this side hustle is perfect for you. You can find companies hiring and applying without any prior experience or certification needed.
27. Teach English
If you love language and enjoy teaching people, then you might want to consider teaching English online. There are companies that allow you to register with them and find people, or you could put up an ad on Facebook or Craigslist and find clients yourself.
28. Tutor
If you have a passion for math, science, or another subject, you might start a tutoring side hustle, either in person or online. You can tutor small kids or teenagers, depending on your knowledge levels.
29. Dog Walking
Dog walking can be a great side hustle for animal lovers. You can start by asking your neighbors or putting up local ads to let people know about your services.
30. Consulting
If you work in business, finance, IT, or any other sector but want an extra way to make money, you might consider doing consulting on the side. Many firms hire outside consultants and pay top dollar for their services.
31. Sell Art
All artists have the opportunity to sell their art online, either through social media or platforms like Etsy. If you’re passionate about painting, why not put up your art for sale to make some extra money?
32. Customer Service
Fun Business Ideas for Women
33. Candlemaking
Candles are super popular everywhere! You can create themed candles for every season, book-related candles for book lovers, or massage oil candles for couples, and sell them on Etsy.
34. Organization Expert
If your home is always organized and you enjoy passing the time by tidying up, you might want to consider starting a professional home organization business. It’s a fun way to help others organize their lives and homes.
35. Podcast
Podcasting can be a great business idea if you have a passion for media. The demand for audio content is growing, and brands are always looking for new podcasts to advertise on. Some podcasts even manage to build large enough audiences that they’re legitimate multi-million dollar businesses.
36. Start a YouTube Channel
Being a YouTuber is one of the most popular career choices for the younger generation, and it’s no surprise. Top YouTube creators report earning millions from turning their channels into businesses.
You’re free to choose whatever topic you’d want your channel to revolve around, and as it grows, you can monetize it in various ways like affiliate marketing, AdSense, brand deals, and more.
37. Vintage Reseller
Reselling clothing and vintage furniture on eBay or Facebook Marketplace can turn into a profitable business. One of the best examples is the clothing store Nasty Gal, which started out as an eBay store selling second-hand vintage clothing.
You can find stock to sell in your local second-hand and charity shops and find the best deal on furniture. You might want to look for local yard sales.
38. Voice Actress
Narrating audiobooks is a great business idea for those with a pleasant voice. The demand for audiobooks is growing amongst book lovers each year. You can start with companies like ACX or start your own company offering voice-acting services for authors.
Best Business to Start From Home for Women
39. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is one of the most lucrative online business models. It’s a form of marketing where you make money by earning a commission for recommending products, and people using your affiliate link to purchase them. It’s a form of passive income that can make you up to $50,000+ per month.
Most companies have an affiliate marketing program available that you can sign up for directly and start earning a commission. Alternatively, you can join an affiliate network.
40. Blogging
Blogging is a perfect home-based business idea for stay-at-home moms or anyone looking for freedom at work. You can blog about anything you want; there’s a niche for most topics, and you can always monetize your blog, even with a smaller audience.
41. Proofreader
Proofreaders collaborate with publishing houses, independent authors, and corporate clients to ensure their written content is free from grammatical, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors. If you have attention to detail, then proofreading might be a good business idea.
42. A Virtual Assistant
If you’re searching for a business idea where you’d have the chance to work from home, then starting a virtual assistant business might be just the thing for you. Virtual assistants handle a variety of tasks like invoices, emails, agenda management, social media management, and more.
On average, virtual assistants earn about $24 per hour, but that figure can go up to $60+ per hour.
43. Freelance Editor
If you’ve got a good grasp of the English language and an eye for detail, you can start up a freelance editing business. Freelance editors collaborate with bloggers, corporate clients, and authors to ensure written content is grammatically correct or help enhance its structure, plot, and overall quality.
44. Freelance Writer
As a freelance writer, you’ll collaborate with various clients to create blog posts, product descriptions, website copy, ebooks, white papers, magazine articles, SEO content, and more. Freelance writers can earn anywhere from $10 to $1,000+ per piece, depending on their expertise, the industry they work in, and their experience.
45. Sell on Etsy
Etsy is the go-to spot for small businesses. You can set up shop online and sell a wide range of items without the hassle of running your own e-commerce site. From vintage clothes to handmade bowls and digital downloads, Etsy offers plenty of options to explore.
46. Social Media Management
Social media management is the kind of business that offers flexibility, letting you choose how you want to run it from a few different options. You can work with individual brands or creators to assist them in managing their social media accounts. Alternatively, you can establish an agency where you hire social media managers to handle various accounts for different clients.
FAQ
Let’s tackle some of the most commonly asked questions about business ideas for women.
What Is the Best Business for a Woman to Start?
The best business for a woman to start is something she’s passionate about and skilled in. Either of these factors is crucial for establishing a successful and sustainable venture.
Starting a business from scratch can be tough and demanding. It could take time to turn a profit, and depending on the concept, it might demand significant investments, whether in money or time. So, if you’re considering launching a business, ensure you’re prepared for the long haul and ready to exercise patience as you work towards seeing results.
Which Business Is Good for Beginners?
Consider businesses that don’t demand a hefty financial commitment or involve minimal investment, sparing you from taking on debt just to kickstart. Many ventures meeting these criteria fall into the online realm, such as selling digital templates, offering online courses, or diving into affiliate marketing.
On the other hand, you could leverage your skills, like writing or editing, to launch a business without any initial costs. Similarly, starting a YouTube channel or becoming a social media influencer allows for filming and editing with just your phone, bypassing the need for pricey professional equipment.
How Can a Woman Start a Small Business?
Starting a business is pretty straightforward. First off, you’ll want to figure out what kind of business you’re after:
- Are you leaning towards online or brick-and-mortar?
- Do you envision a product-based or service-oriented business?
- Are you aiming for B2B (business-to-business) or B2C (business-to-consumer)?
- Once you’ve got that sorted, the next step is registering your business. Depending on your business type, you might opt for self-employment (a popular choice for service-based businesses) or go for the LLC route.
Chances are, you’ll also want to whip up a website for your business and get active on social media to attract your target audience. Once you’ve got all your ducks in a row, it’s time to focus on building connections with your audience and nurturing a community of super fans who’ll be keen to support your business.