Rather than working for others, consider working for yourself. Read about some of the best business ideas for women to help inspire you to take charge and be your own boss.
First, before you start your business, assess your strengths and weaknesses as well as your interests. Is your business something you want to do by yourself? Or do you envision growing a large company with a lot of employees?
Do you want funding for your start-up? If so, what type of funding do you want? You could go for crowdsourcing through a site like Kickstarter. Or, you might approach a venture capital firm for a more formal funding arrangement.
The benefits of working with a venture capital company is that they can help you run your business. They can even choose executive talent to get the ball rolling. The downside is that you will no longer have complete control, and they will have part ownership of your company.
5 of the Best Business Ideas for Women
That said, here are some diverse business ideas, in no particular order. If something here doesn’t sound interesting, perhaps it will spark an idea for you!
1. Food Trucks
If you are in an urban environment, you have a potentially amazing opportunity by owning a food truck. Food trucks aren’t considered the greasy spoons of yesteryear, only serving hot dogs and ice cream.
Today, gourmet food trucks are all the rage in hipster-havens like Austin, Texas. There, food trucks regularly become so popular they often end up migrating to a permanent restaurant location.
2. Tattoo Removal
Sure, if you are artistic, you might prefer to put tattoos on rather than take them off. However, with 40% of American adults between the ages of 25 and 40 sporting at least one tattoo, you have a huge market of people who may have some regrets – 17% of all tattoo owners, in fact. They may not even want all their tattoos taken off – just the one with their ex’s name on it.
3. Virtual Assistant
All you need to be a virtual assistant (or “virtual office assistant) is a computer, a good Internet connection, and the ability to be highly organized and responsible.
Virtual assistants do everything from respond to emails to returning phone calls. You might also do online research, manage a client database, or handling holiday cards.
4. Senior Care
You don’t necessarily have to be a nurse to help a senior. Seniors may need help with everyday tasks like chores or getting groceries.
This is a business you could do as a solopreneur, but a highly entrepreneurial woman might find a way to grow such a business to offer a number of support services through trained, qualified assistants.
5. Software Development
Let’s throw away that stereotype right now that women can’t be programmers. Lots of opportunities abound for the entrepreneurial woman interested in technology, including app design and artificial intelligence.
And, even if you do hate programming, you don’t need to do it all by yourself. Get your idea and some financial backing, and hire the programmers to implement it for you.
Nothing Beats Being a Woman with a Business
Having your own business can be tough. It may mean long hours and some “spaghetti dinners” as you struggle to get ahead. But then you succeed, and you become a thriving female entrepreneur. It’s one of the best feelings in the world. Give it a try!