Self Employment Ideas for Starting a Business in 2021

By: Updated: October 5, 2021

Everyone dreams of having financial independence, yet how can you achieve it? The answer is by working for yourself. 

Being self-employed means being your own boss, creating your own hours, working from home, and having the freedom that you've always dreamed of. It can also be a bit scary if you're not sure how to get started.

That's why we've put together a list of the best self-employment ideas that you can utilize. Whether you want to start your own business or work on a side hustle in your free time, there are options for you. 

Be sure to keep reading for our guide on self-employment ideas for starting a business in 2021.

  

Lawn Care Business

If you're looking for small-town business ideas, a lawn care company is the way to go. You can start small by finding a few clients to take care of their lawn each week. You'll find you can start making a great deal of money as you work your way through the neighborhood. 

As you grow and find more clients, you might want to hire more people to tend to more and more lawns. You could also take out a loan to buy more equipment so that you can hire more employees and take on even more clients. 

The best part is that you can do this business year-round, depending on what type of weather you experience. Your same clients may want your services during the winter too! Whenever it starts snowing, you can clear driveways and sidewalks of snow instead of mowing the grass.  

As long as you're ready to advertise your business and find new clients, you'll see that a lawn care company is one of the businesses every small town needs. It can become one of the most profitable businesses extremely fast. 

 

Tutor

Another great approach if you're wondering what are some good business ideas for a small town is to become a tutor. Tutoring is one of the most fun small businesses to start because you can work with lots of different kids in a variety of different subjects. 

If you're thinking about becoming a tutor, you'll be happy to know that you don't need any special training or education. You need to show off your skills and expertise in certain subjects and prove to potential clients that you know your stuff. 

Tutors are needed for children and adults anywhere from first grade all the way to college-level classes. You could tutor in math, science, foreign language, advanced physics, and so much more depending on your skills. 

As a tutor, you can help clients at your home, their home, or even virtually. In 2021, many people have started moving to the virtual world for learning, and it can be a great place to start your small business. 

You'll find that word of mouth is a great way to grow your tutoring business, so make sure you tell your clients to recommend you to their friends and family whenever they need a tutor. 

 

Freelance Writer

If you're still wondering what kind of business to start, you might want to do something completely from your home. A great way to work for yourself at home is by becoming a freelance writer. 

Freelance writing is one of the best small online business ideas because there is a huge market for it right now. Most businesses are using digital marketing to advertise their products and services. That means they can use your expertise to create blog posts, social media content, product descriptions, and so much more. 

There are tons of other opportunities for a freelance writer that is starting as well. You can write resumes, ghostwrite books, or help clients with any other type of work that they need. 

The benefit of becoming a freelance writer is that you get to create your own schedule and find your clients. If you prefer working later in the day and having time to sleep in, as a freelance writer, you can do that. 

You'll find that there is a bit of prep work with this startup idea. Be sure to take some time to create a portfolio and publish work on free websites like LinkedIn before looking for clients. 

 

Dog Walking and Pet Sitting

Are you someone that loves animals? If so, dog walking and pet sitting are some of the most unique business ideas that you can start. 

You'll find that there is a market for pet owners that need someone to walk their dog. Especially since many people are currently working from home, they will want time for their dog to get out and play. You can be the person that they trust to walk their dog for the afternoon and help get out all their pet's energy. 

Dog walking is a fun business because you can walk two or three dogs at once if they live in the same neighborhood. Make sure that the owners are comfortable with their pets socializing, and you can make double the money on one walk. 

If you're looking into different types of small businesses, another great option is pet sitting. Pet sitting is less demanding than dog walking because you won't always need to be walking around the block with your new furry friend. 

A client might ask you to make sure a pet is fed, goes to the bathroom, and gets some attention while they're away at work or on vacation. Plus, there are tons of different types of pets you could be watching, from dogs, cats, rabbits, iguanas, fish, and so much more!

The most beneficial part about pet sitting and dog walking is that you can combine them into one of the best types of businesses to open in a small town. You can fill your days with dog walking and pet sitting so that you can make money and run a successful business. 

 

Repurpose Old Furniture

If you're creative and still asking yourself, "what business should I open?" You can try repurposing and reselling furniture. 

Are you someone that can see an old piece of furniture and imagine it in a new way? If so, a furniture flipping company can be a small online business idea that you start in your town. 

A great small business tip is to get free furniture from different online sources. For example, you can check out Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for furniture that people are getting rid of in your area for free or very cheap. Many times old furniture needs to be cleaned, reupholstered, a fresh paint job, or some new hardware, and it's good as new. 

You'll find an item that you got for free can be resold for hundreds of dollars to the right person. 

One thing you'll struggle with when starting this type of small business is finding furniture to flip and finding the right customers to sell to afterward. As long as you have the determination to get your small business off the ground, you'll find products and clients easily. 

 

Cleaning Service 

Another one of the best entrepreneur business ideas is starting a cleaning service. That's because you can hire employees to get the job done for you. You'll be making money and handling the clients while your employees are doing the labor. 

When you're starting, you might need to do some of the dirty work on your own. Cleaning houses or businesses can be a great way to begin your own business and gain the freedom that you're looking for in your personal life and financially. 

Finding clients for your cleaning service might not be as hard as you think. There are tons of people that could use an extra hand with their home or office. You could also market yourself as cleaning vacant properties for rental companies. 

As you work your way into finding more clients and growing your company, you'll find that you can work from home. You'll be spending more time making phone calls to schedule clients or advertising until you want to hire someone to take that over for you. 

 

Self Employment Ideas for New Businesses

If you're looking to break free from a classic nine to five job and start something new, working for yourself could be the route to go. As you can see, there are plenty of self-employment ideas you can run with if you're looking to start a business in 2021. 

 

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