5 Successful Small Town Business Ideas

successful small town business ideas

Living within a small town that is tightly knit with its community has a lot of limitations. One of those is how can you develop economically by creating a new business if your town and its surroundings currently don’t have what it take to start it up by pure market needs. Whether you are an entrepreneur looking to make bank in a small town environment or a member of a small town government developing your business strategies, you should consider the scope of your area, the level of competition your service is going to face, the amount of people that will use said service and other relevant factors when making business plans. 

Like every business venture, opening a business in a small town brings with it risks similar to the ones investors face in urban areas, albeit the scope in small towns is at least monetarily lower. Risk assessment is very important but more importantly it is key to have a solid idea. Something that the town truly wants, regardless which sector it is. The real benefit of small communities is exactly the closeness of it, and you use that to your advantage. Poll everyone, it is cheap and easy for the amount of people living there. 

If you are still at the drawing board however, we will list 5 ideas for developing local business that may sway you in the right direction in this critical part of this process: 

Thrift Shop 

It seems like an excessive shop due to the rise of ways people can sell their old and unwanted things via the Internet. But not everyone is selling things that are cheap to ship. Even in small towns people have children that grow-up and go to college, leaving a lot of furniture and clothing behind. 

Having an aggregator for unwanted things creates another for the community to merge and grow along with a business. This is great both for the town and its inhabitants. People will earn money both actively and passively with this business - market this as your biggest advantage. While earning money just by selling the items to the thrift shop, income is also passively generated by cutting the shipping costs and buying items for a more affordable price. Also, don’t forget that not only you can sell clothes, but also curtains and blinds, bedding, carpets, etc. 

Electronics Dealer 

This one will never get old. People are buying electronic products and parts now more than ever. The mania about drones alone has created a new market assessed to be $1 billion big in 4 years. Look into your community, see how many teenagers live in your area and how tech savvy are the people in general. 

The need for electronic products in our daily life has increased considerably this decade. Whether in rural or in urban areas, this need has to be tended to. Find a dealer and offer him yourself as potential clients - if the numbers are good you will see the doors opening quickly! 

Car Wash 

Driving a dirty car is not only aesthetically displeasing but also potentially illegal. If you have a lot of local dirty or mud roads a need for a car wash surely exists. If you don’t already have one you must know the hassle of hosing down your car every time you return from the road. If you are feeling the strain, everyone else probably is too. There you go, clients for a business! 

Flower Shop 

People have gotten used to ordering their flowers online, so such tendencies are pretty hard to break. Consider using your local flora, well at least recommending it to the potential florist. Using the local flowers may be the tipping point for some people to return to conventional ways. 

Remember that the flower shop has to reflect the flowers it is selling. Decorate it with fresh paint, interesting finishes and lavish ornaments. 

Microbrewery 

Starting a business of this kind requires enthusiasts. It is not for the weary or those searching for a cheap venture. Every community usually has a person that likes beer more than most. If your community is a close one, local products bring joy and pride to the people within it. 

Craft beer has risen to such a level that we have thousands of breweries opening every year. Beer is back in fashion, so if you have such a guy in town, motivate him and subsidize him. It will be profitable and fun. You may not end up being the next Jim Koch, but you might end up earning some promising profits.

You can be a successful entrepreneur and small business owner regardless of where you live. Keep these tips and ideas in mind to become a profitable local business professional



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I hope you enjoyed this article about successful small town business ideas that can be pretty profitable for local entrepreneurs.

Interested in more articles about starting a small business successfully?

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