The ongoing modernisation in technology, services and lifestyle has created a wide range of opportunities to experiment with unique and new business ideas. Moving away from the traditional methods of income, entrepreneurs today are focusing on the gaps in the market that promise a strong business potential.
While every business needs to be backed by a corresponding skill set, many others let you learn and build expertise on the go. The main advantage of starting a small business is that there is greater scope for trial and error as well as experimentation. Besides, the investment required to set it in motion is not a huge one.
If you have been scouting for options and want to start up soon, here’s a look at the top 15 small businesses that hold substantial scope for growth and success.
Top 15 small business ideas in India to explore in 2022
1. Aerial photographer
With the rising popularity of drones, aerial photography has become one of the flourishing business opportunities in India. The market is huge and spans across sectors especially because of the detailed top-angle panoramic views that are relatively a new perspective in photography.
Commercial use of drones requires a remote pilot certificate, however, the government has been introducing a series of changes in the previous rules to promote drone usage. Aerial photography can be started with a small team and doesn’t initially require a heavy investment but has the potential to quickly expand and grow owing to the rising market and demand.
Some of your potential clients can include:
- Real estate
- Hotels and resorts
- Feature and corporate films
- Events
- Constructions sites (progress monitoring)
2. Professional organiser
Fairly new in India, professional organiser as a business is well established in the West. It involves decluttering and creating functional spaces for clients. The scope of work can vary from helping your customers set up a new home, organising office spaces to even arranging wardrobes.
The fast-paced life of cities and the habit of accumulating materials for years has created an opportunity for experts to step in and organise spaces more efficiently. Several people want to let go of the clutter and downsize but find it hard to execute.
A team of professional organisers not just arrange and set up spaces but also coach and motivate people to develop a sustainable approach towards buying and owning things.
3. Event planner
Event planning is a logistically focused business that brings together a team of people with multiple skills. It is a lucrative business if you are inclined towards leading teams through execution-heavy tasks. At the same time planning an event also requires an eye for detail as well as a creative bent of mind.
Event planning has become almost synonymous with weddings but many corporate and entertainment industries are also in need of experts to handle their functions. While you may not need substantial capital, starting an event company requires you to build a strong network of service providers and vendors to be able to cater to a varied clientele.
Managing an event will typically involve the following tasks:
- Understanding and implementing client requirements within specified budgets
- Creating detailed outlines of the event
- Scouting and finalising locations
- Managing vendors to set up the venue
- Budget allocations
- Coordinating for logistics, supplies, staff and guest
4. Social media manager
Several startups prefer outsourcing their social media management to marketing experts. With continuous tech-related developments in online platforms, managing social media is more than just publishing posts. There is a huge potential to tap and convert the online audience using multiple tools that are at their disposal.
Social media related businesses require a small team of designers, planners and content writers to establish a brand in the digital world. For most businesses, social channels are the easiest way to reach out and create awareness about their offering among the young audience.
Tasks of a social media manager usually include:
- Continuously monitoring social media platforms for response and engagement
- Increasing the number of followers for better reach
- Creating a campaign calendar for regular content distribution.
- Analysing data to understand and improve performance
- Discussing metrics with key stakeholders
5. Travel planner
The internet is full of travel-related content for people to pick destinations. But putting together a detailed itinerary needs hours of research and planning. A travel consultant business focuses on curating together a list of stays, local experiences, places to eat, modes of transport and so on, based on every traveller’s interest.
Overseas travellers can particularly find a planner helpful since they are completely new to geography and culture. Unlike agents who have a standard itinerary, a travel consultant takes into consideration the preferences of the customers to build a plan that suits their budget, preferred place and so on.
6. App developer
With the increase in mobile users, the reach and popularity of apps are continuously evolving and expanding. In addition to a website, almost every business builds an application. For consumers, an app allows easy access to the products and creates a personalised shopping experience.
Businesses on the other hand are able to improve customer engagement and loyalty by ensuring direct and exclusive communication with their users.
Application development as a business can be started with low capital and limited resources and is a fairly profitable one. In addition to building and developing apps for clients, one can also create their own app and find a suitable market for it.
7. Monetising through an audience base
If you have been creating regular content on social media, and have formed a substantial audience base, you can potentially monetise your platform in multiple ways.
Facebook, Instagram and Youtube have allowed several creators to build a huge following for their content by using the channels as a business platform.
Some of the most popular ways to monetise through these channels include
- Collaborating with products/brands to promote them
- Paid partnerships and reviews
- Interviews
- Film and music promotions
Content creators usually advertise products/brands that they and the majority of their audience relate to and help those brands in lead generation. Managing social media platforms requires a diverse team to handle its various creative processes and departments.
8. Dropshipping
It is not always necessary to buy and store products to be able to sell them. Dropshipping is a retail business model where the store does not need to stock the products that it sells. Without having to manage an inventory, the order is shipped directly from the third party to the customer.
You can partner with multiple suppliers to sell their products to your customers. The limited investment capital, scalability, flexibility of the model and the absence of inventory management make it an ideal business model for e-commerce merchants.
9. Consultant
Consultation is an expertise-based business and can differ based on your field of specialisation. The avenues vary from financial consulting to marketing, strategy, legal, investment and so on.
Consultant as a business model can be pursued when you have acquired years of experience and expertise in a particular field. It is one of the best business ideas if you are planning to shift from a job and build a start up of your own.
10. Interest-based ventures
Thanks to the internet, it is not very difficult to convert a hobby that you have been passionate about into a full-fledged business. Opening an online store, and shipping your products globally has been simplified by the tech tools and platforms available online.
Handcrafted products are highly appreciated by customers because of their exclusivity. From paintings to sculptures and eco-friendly goods to woodworks, there is always a market for unique and aesthetically appealing products. You can easily promote and sell your products through social media platforms.
Some of the most popular products in the online market include
- Home decor and improvement products
- Handwoven clothes
- Pots and planters
- Furnishing
- Candles and fragrances
11. Online lessons
The pandemic has given rise to virtual classes and no matter which part of the world you are based in, learning and educating online has become easier than ever. Online teaching does not restrict itself to an academic subject, it can be any skill that you are proficient in.
Learning on the internet is easier than physical classes since it helps people of all ages dedicate time from the comfort of their homes. Moreover, with social media tools, it is possible to advertise your courses to a wider audience.
12. Personalised products
This business has a fairly decent market and an even greater scope for growth and innovation. Every corporate organisation is constantly on the lookout for personalised presents for the multiple events, festivals and celebrations that they host. Moreover, personalised products are the preferred gift options for birthdays, anniversaries and other occasions.
Since every product is custom-designed based on the preferences of the client you can explore different creative ideas to offer new and distinctive products each time. There are also a variety of items that can be customised including clothes, stationery, gadgets, and so on.
13. Podcasts
If you have a flair for telling stories and can create engaging content, podcasts are one of the best business models to explore. Podcasts are increasingly favoured over other mediums and unlike videos or books, they are easier to consume because users can listen to them parallelly while commuting, working out and so on.
It is also fairly easy to get started with podcasts – you need basic gadgets such as a laptop, microphone and recording software. Several hosting companies offer a platform to launch your content and successfully build an audience to further diversify and build the business.
Some of the popular podcast categories include
- Interviews
- Conversations
- Storytelling
- Investigative
- Comedy
- Current affairs
14. Thrift store
Fashion stores are everywhere but a thrift store is a rather unusual way of promoting fashion more responsibly. With increasing awareness of the environmental crisis that textiles cause, people don’t mind embracing sustainable fashion and owning second-hand designer pieces at lower prices.
Thrift stores curate a collection of pre-owned pieces and are usually sold through a website or social media where users can book and reserve them immediately. Along with high street fashion and well-known labels, thrift stores may also sell trendy pieces from famous local markets in a particular city which may not be accessible to everyone.
15. Fitness
The post-pandemic world has seen an increase in the demand for online personal training. Along with offline classes, fitness as a business can also be explored through various options.
This online business idea does not require a big team or too many technical skills to get started. Fitness as a business can also be diversified into nutrition, exercises and mindfulness. Apart from the regular fitness training some of the other popular forms of exercise include yoga, pilates, zumba, aerobics and so on.
Conclusion
Starting a business can seem to be an overwhelming endeavour at first but with the right planning and profession, it can be a rewarding and successful decision. From the above list of business ideas, most are relevant in today’s time and can be pursued digitally or in the online space.
One of the most important tasks when starting a business online is to set up a payments system to enable smooth and seamless transactions for your customers. Paytm Payment Gateway can be your one-stop solution to accepting hassle-free payments from your customers across the globe.
Along with the highest success rates, quickest settlements and secure transactions, Paytm Payment Gateway contributes to a great customer experience, one of the fundamentals of a successful business.
