Small Town Business Ideas That Will Work (no matter where you are)

Coming up with business ideas in a small town feels hard. There’s already a bakery, the video rental store is obsolete, Jimmy Johns is already stood up, and some ideas take a lot of money. What’s left?

We’ve put together this guide for small town business ideas that will work both in your town – and online. So no matter how small your town feels, your business is sure to succeed.

#1. Sustainability Businesses & Training

You might think of eco-friendly businesses as something that requires technology such as solar panels or environmental cleanup, but every business now needs to be an eco-friendly business. According to a research study done by McKinsey, companies that had high ESG (environmental, social, and governance) out performed their peers. That means finding a way to set your small business apart as being sustainable is key to finding clients and growing in 2022. Better yet, finding a way to help others become ESG is needed more than ever.

You could make your practices sustainable, use eco-friendly packaging and shipping methods to reduce carbon footprint, or sell products that use fair-trade, natural ingredients. Either way, doing your part to help the planet or focusing your business on helping other businesses green their practices will soon be big business.

#2. Fitness Coaching

Just because people can log on to online classes doesn’t mean the need for fitness coaching has shrunk. On the contrary, people are looking for new ways to connect with each other or find custom coaching during the pandemic. Fitness coaching is now a hybrid business, so you can set up your coaching in person and online to serve a niche.

We recommend finding a specialty so you can find clients looking for help with something only you can provide: maybe that’s support for people who have injuries or chronic illness. That’s a severely underserved niche that online coaching opens the door to make accessible. Best part, you’ll be able to acquire customers from anywhere around the globe. That small town business idea just turned into a global idea.

#3. Home Improvement Services

The cost of construction is skyrocketing, and people have put off home improvement projects during the pandemic. If you have a home improvement business, now is the time to find clients. Just make sure you have a good system for attracting and scheduling clients so you can manage all the business. Home improvement businesses that have good COVID-19 safety protocols and that can source materials for projects will thrive in 2022, as the supply chain continues to be strained and people might be more likely to hire contractors who work responsibly around their home and family.

Ideas to consider:

• Painting
• Landscaping and lawn care
• HVAC
• Plumbing
• Gutter guard installation

A lot of these will require a professional license and some sort of business entity. Here’s a guide on how to get that up and running.

#4. House Cleaning Services

Not only are people looking to improve their house, they’re looking keep it maintained more effectively as well. It’s never been a better time to launch the following businesses:

• Window washing
• Power washing
• House cleaning
• Gutter cleaning
• Junk removal
• Carpet cleaning

Best about these – you may only need a business entity to get these up and running. Be sure to check your local laws.