7 Profitable SMALL TOWN Business Ideas To MAKE MONEY

Are you looking for some small town business ideas in order to start your own business in your hometown, but don’t know what kind to start?

Maybe you know you don’t like your current job but you’re just not sure if entrepreneurship is right for you.

In this article, we will explore seven profitable small town business ideas that are excellent options for anyone looking to start a business.

So if you’re living in a small town or rural area, which of these seven business ideas do you think are the best to get started?

We start our list with two ideas that capitalize on the biggest difference between small towns and cities – open space.

(And if you prefer to watch, rather than read this list, check out the video below!)

Small Town Business Idea #1: Sell Home-Grown Vegetables

Selling home-grown veggies is a great opportunity for those who have the land to do so.

If you live in a small town, chances are you’ve got some extra space available to you, which makes it easier to grow your own fruits and vegetables, even if it is only a small backyard garden.

People who live on farms are even better set up to sell their produce.

Don’t have the space or you’re not a greenthumb?

Look around for people in your community who do and buy their excess produce.

You can then open a road-side vegetable stand or head into the city for a farmers’ market.

You can also capitalize on the farm-to-table movement and sell directly to restaurants who value fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Selling home-grown vegetables is a great way to make some extra money while also providing fresh, healthy food to your community.

And no matter how the overall ecomony is doing, affordable food never goes out of business.

Now, moving to the next idea on our list of profitable small town small business ideas:

Small Town Business Idea #2: Raising Chickens and Selling Eggs

Similar to growing your own fruits and vegetables, you can raise chickens and sell eggs as a side business to earn extra money.

For this small business idea, a more rural setting will be required.

Chickens are relatively easy to take care of and don’t cost much to feed, so the overhead for this business is quite low.

Eggs are seen as a healthy, cheap source of protein and there’s always demand for fresh, affordable, locally-produced food.

You can sell your eggs at the farmers’ market or to friends and family.

And, if you price them competitively, you should be able to make a decent profit.

It’s a bit more of a hands-on side hustle, but raising chickens and selling their eggs is an excellent small business idea.

But with all that wide open rural space comes different challenges – getting around.

Not everyone has reliable transportation and public transportation is nearly non-existent.

But every problem is actually a business opportunity waiting to be discovered, such as the next two small business ideas:

Small Town Business Idea #3: Rideshare Driver

Getting around when you live in a small town can sometimes be hard.

Usually, the services you need or places you want to go are pretty spread out.

That’s why being a rideshare driver in a small town or rural area could be a lucrative side hustle.

If your community is large enough, you might have a taxi service.

If not, there’s opportunity for someone looking to make extra money.

The elderly often need help getting to appointments, students need rides to school, and people are always looking for a driver for a nice night out.

And if you sign up with a company like Uber or Lyft, you can make your own hours so it’s completely on your own schedule.

Along those same lines is our next small business idea:

Small Town Business Idea #4: Grocery Delivery Service

In today’s busy world, it can be difficult to find the time to run errands like grocery shopping or picking up prescriptions.

Also, some people don’t have access to their own vehicle or just find it hard getting around because of their age.

That’s where a delivery service comes in handy.

By offering to do these tasks for others, you can provide a valuable service and make some extra money on the side.

Pre-plan multiple orders and you can maximize your earning from a single trip.

How about special trips out of town to a Costco or Walmart?

Or, in addition to delivering groceries and prescriptions, think about offering specialized delivery services to law firms that need documents delivered quickly or doctors’ offices that need samples transported safely.

The next small business idea is a money-maker in every small town:

Small Town Business Idea #5: Bed and Breakfast

People not only need to get around, they need places to stay too.

Running a Bed and Breakfast is a great way to make some money on the side when you live in small town.

But before converting an unused bedroom in your home for strangers to rent from you, take a look around and see what options out-of-towners have when they are visiting family, attending a wedding, or going sightseeing.

If all you’ve got is a run-down motel, then your clean, available spare room suddenly becomes something you can make good money from.

Opening a bed and breakfast isn’t for everyone.

You are catering to people who are either visiting family or on vacation.

They’ll have cleanliness expectations.

They’ll expect you to know the area inside and out and provide directions.

They’ll also expect a decent breakfast.

It is a business, after all, just one run from your own home.

But if you have an open, friendly demeanor, and enjoy meeting new people, this is an excellent small business idea you can run on your own terms.

And, if bringing in more out-of-town spending is the goal, small towns and rural areas are uniquely situated to do that with the next small business idea:

Small Town Business Idea #6: Eco-Tourism

Many small towns have hidden gems – their natural beauty.

And tourists love exploring the great outdoors, especially if they live in a large city or suburb somewhere.

If you’re looking for a side hustle that allows you to combine your love of the outdoors with your entrepreneurial spirit, eco-tourism may be the perfect fit.

You can use your knowledge of the local area to lead informative and engaging tours, showing visitors the best of what your town and the surrounding area has to offer.

Whether it’s lakes, creeks, forests, mountains or deserts, there are people all over the world who want to explore and learn about different ecosystems.

With a little planning and creativity, you can create a successful eco-tourism business that brings people – and their money – into your town.

Some ideas would be guided night hikes to hear wolves howl, canoe or kayak trips down a local river, bicycle tours down mountain or hill trails, hands-on tours of unique local farms and wineries, to name just a few.

So why not turn your love of the outdoors into a profitable side hustle?

So your town is bringing in out-of-towners with eco-tours, and they’ve got a place to stay at the local bed and breakfast, how else can you cater to this crowd with your own unique small business idea?

Small Town Business Idea #7: Sell Antiques

There’s one thing every small town has – old stuff.

And some of that old stuff is so old that they are genuine antiques.

And people love antiques.

If you’ve got a nose for hunting down good items and good deals around your town, you can easily start an antique business.

Think about it – many small towns have at least one antique store, and usually multiple ones.

That’s because there’s a demand for antiques, and if you can tap into that demand, you can start making some serious money on the side.

You don’t need a lot of start-up capital to get started, just a keen eye for finding hidden gems and the willingness to haggle for a good price.

It doesn’t have to be a full-time gig – you can start small and just do it on the weekends.

Once you start amassing a collection of antiques, you can start selling them online or at local flea markets and antique shows.

And if you start to build up a clientele and a reputation for having good items, you can easily turn it into a full-time business.

And guess what? We’ve got a whole bunch more small town business ideas in this article about small town businesses that never fail!

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