Taking the leap to leave your job and start your own business is a big risk. Many people would love to be their own boss or pursue a passion project, but they can’t justify the risk — at least at the moment. A solution is to start a part-time business to do alongside your day job, until you can figure out if you’re likely to be successful. Some ideas for businesses, in particular, are ideal for working part-time hours.
1. Ecommerce Store
There are various ways to run an ecommerce store, and many of them don’t require designing or manufacturing your own products. For instance, you can resell items that you already have or that you find in thrift stores and at flea markets. Alternatively, you can contact wholesalers (either online or through trade shows) to purchase new merchandise at a lower-than-market rate. A final option is to dropship, which means you never own any products at all — you just market them on the behalf of the manufacturer.
Whatever you choose, you’ll have the option to use an online platform, such as Amazon or eBay, or to create your own store using something like Shopify or BigCommerce.
2. Jewelry Design
If you have a passion for design and you know how to work with different materials, jewelry making could be an ideal part-time business for you. Build a website or online store (such as on Etsy) to show off your creations, attend art shows, and consider taking custom orders. This can be a particularly profitable business idea if you use recycled metal, papier mâché, or clay.
3. Mobile Car Wash
Setting up a car wash involves a large investment. However, a mobile car wash is inexpensive to start and to run. You’ll head to clients’ homes with just some cleaning equipment and won’t need to spend anything on water. Plus, you can take appointments to fit around your other commitments. If you offer a great service, you’ll be able to find clients who want a regular time every week.
4. Ebook Writer
Whether you’re an expert in your field or you’ve had valuable life experiences, you may possess knowledge other people would pay for. Turn this knowledge into an ebook and sell it online. You’ll need to keep the price low for your first book, but once you’ve gained a readership, people will look forward to your subsequent books and be willing to pay a higher price.
5. Blogger
Another part-time business idea for those who are confident in their writing skills is blogging. The more niche your blog the better, as the internet is already saturated with generic information. Choose something specific that you know plenty about. You can then monetize your blog with ads, sponsored posts, and affiliate links to relevant products.
6. Podcaster
If you’re more talented at speaking than writing, turn to podcasting. Do your research to find a topic that no one else is talking about — or at least no one else is covering well. Once you gain enough regular listeners, you’ll be able to charge for ads.
7. Pet Taxi
With ridesharing services dominating the market, it’s more difficult to be an independent taxi driver today, but offering specialized taxi services is still an option. One idea is to start a pet taxi. You’ll need a vehicle with plenty of space to transport animals safely and comfortably. Owners will contact you whenever they’re unable to take their pets to an appointment with a vet or groomer themselves. This type of business is ideal if you’re available during work hours on weekdays.
7. Baked Goods
Baking can be much more than just a hobby. If you’re always receiving compliments for your homemade treats, it’s worth considering as an option for a part-time business. Try new recipes out with friends and family to gauge their potential for success. You’ll need to package everything well to ensure the goods arrive in one piece and have an attractive presentation.
8. Social Media Content
The biggest problem most businesses face with social media is creating enough fresh content. Small businesses rarely have someone on their staff to make professional-looking posts, meaning this is a task they need to outsource. Whether you know how to make animations or whiteboard videos, infographics, or the kinds of pictures that lead to high engagement, you can sell your services.
9. Car Resale
If you have some repair and maintenance skills, you can make a business purchasing used cars, fixing them up, and selling them at a profit. This is ideal as a part-time business, as you’ll see greater success if you wait for a good opportunity to turn up. Plus, unless you have a large property, you’ll be limited to just a couple cars at a time.
10. Coffee Cart
High-quality coffee on the go is in high demand. Purchase or rent a coffee cart and prepare espressos, cappuccinos, and specialty drinks. Pick spots where you can catch people going to work in the morning and meet them on their lunch breaks. If you have the time, bring your cart to community events like sports games and farmers’ markets. The people in your area will soon start expecting to see you — and they’ll be ready to buy some coffee.
11. Resume Writer
Do you have experience in recruitment? Use your knowledge of what employers are looking for to charge job seekers for writing or updating their resumes. If you want to expand your business later, you could offer job search, cover letter writing, and interview support services.
12. Doula
Becoming a doula is an excellent option for anyone who has given birth or has been a birthing partner for a loved one. It’s up to you what services to offer, but they should cover support before, during, and after childbirth to improve the experience. You can charge either by the hour or a set rate.
13. Junk Clearing
Most people use at least part of their garage, shed, attic, or basement for storing junk. It’s becoming more popular to declutter and gain back that space — but many people would prefer not to do the dirty work themselves. You can offer a removal and cleanup service. It’s the kind of service many people won’t have even realized they needed until they hear about you, meaning you can expect plenty of interest, provided you use effective marketing. Plus, a great thing about this business idea is you’ll find some treasures your clients consider junk that you can resell.
14. Laundry Service
An alternative to setting up a laundromat (and investing in all the equipment this requires) is to provide a pickup and drop-off laundry service. The appeal for clients is there’s no need to wait around while their clothes wash and dry. Plus, the service can include ironing and folding.
15. Flower Arranging
An attractive flower arrangement makes a huge difference to aesthetics when holding an event or giving a special gift. Arranging flowers sounds easy, but anyone who has tried to make an impressive display knows it’s more complicated than it seems. If you have some natural talent, spend time learning more about this art form and picking up new techniques. You should find this puts your services in high demand.
16. Moving Service
All you need to start a moving business is a reasonably large truck and another person or two to help you carry boxes. As a part-time business, you can just take jobs when it’s convenient and when you’re happy with the distance clients are requesting.
17. Garage Sale
You may have noticed there’s one house in your neighborhood always having a garage sale. That’s because this is an ideal weekend business. To have a constant supply of fresh merchandise, offer to take unwanted items off your friends’ hands — perhaps you can even offer them a share of the sale.
18. Landscaping
Maintaining a yard involves a large amount of work. Many homeowners lack the time and knowledge to create their dream landscape. You can offer services like lawn care, weeding, setting up flower or vegetable gardens, and winter care like leaf or snow removal.
19. Scrapbook Making
Although many people collect small items with the intention of making a scrapbook one day, most never seem to find the time. Besides, scrapbooking requires an artistic flair to see good results. Take items clients have collected along with their photos (you can print out digital photos on high-quality photo paper) to create mementos of important life events.
There’s a high chance you’ll find that your part-time business ends up requiring more hours than you first anticipated. Worse, much of this work is likely to be tedious, challenging, and unrelated to your core business. It will include things like marketing, customer communication, bookkeeping, and administrative work. You could hire someone to help you, but this will be expensive. A better solution is to contract a virtual assistant to take on a wide variety of business tasks.
Right now, you can receive the support you need to launch your part-time business with a 10-percent discount on all the MYVA360 services. Schedule a consultation to discuss your needs.
