For ambitious Indian women with an enterprising streak, here’s a list of the top 10 small business ideas for Indian women that require minimal investment.
Setting up a business is a crucial phase in anyone’s life – more so in a woman’s life. From the very outset, the journey is strife with challenges on the financial, logistic and domestic fronts.
However, times have changed a lot with the advent and the popularity of digital media. People from different strata of the society, including women, fresh graduates or homemakers, are keener to develop something of their own and break away from the conventional 9 to 5 schedule.
They have now started to believe in the age-old saying, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’ Apart from the need to be your own boss and to enjoy the benefits that come with it, entrepreneurial success brings a sense of deep satisfaction and achievement, once you are past the initial obstacles.
The Growth in Entrepreneurial Activities in India
India has witnessed a steep rise in entrepreneurial activities in the last decade. Smartphone adoption is one of the key reasons behind his upward trajectory along with an increase in data services.
Today, the youth believes that if you have an idea, and you have the internet, you can at least try to convert that idea into a successful business. It may not be that easy, but it is definitely worth giving a shot.
The lives of Indian women have also changed for the better in recent years. They are no more confined to the rules of society and are consistently coming up with new business ideas to help in supporting their families.
In the world of excessive consumption, it has become a necessity for women to contribute to the financial needs of a family. The upside is that today there are more work-from-home options to help us earn money online in India without investment.
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Top 10 Small Business Ideas For Indian Women
If you have a new business idea that seems to have great potential in the market, setting up a viable and profitable business venture with minimal capital is certainly possible today.
Check out the top 10 small business ideas list for Indian women, which have the potential to create financial independence for you and your family.
1. Coaching Or Consulting Business
Becoming a coach or consultant is one of the small business ideas for women that are easiest to start if you have years of expertise in a specific field. Counselling careers are perfect for those who love offering psychological therapy or career coaching.
Want to become a life coach and start your life coaching career? Learn how to start a life coaching business or online coaching business with ICF-accredited coaching training and coach certification programs.
If you think that you are well-acquainted with the market around you, and you also have an enviable network of contacts with professionals from diverse industries, you can go ahead and set up a consultancy firm without investing much.
Moreover, in the initial days, you need not even have a physical office to provide information to your clients. You can turn a garage or a spare room into your home office and operate from there.
You will always have the option to use online resources like Facebook groups, social media networks, live videos and YouTube channels to promote your expert consulting service.
If you’re an expert in the field of engineering, management or technology, you can register on websites like GetMeExperts.com that focus on providing consultants and experts for on-call advisory from which may be as short as 15 minutes.
2. Fitness Centre Or Gymnasium
Starting a fitness centre was a great small business in India before the pandemic. Today, many gyms and fitness trainers have started private or group fitness classes online.
A fitness or weight loss business is always a good idea as interest in fitness is growing every day with awareness of health issues in the media and the number of fitness-conscious people has increased.
Starting a gym is one of those small profitable business ideas that might require a little more investment to set up, as gym equipment can be really expensive.
However, if you’re a yoga expert, Pilates trainer, or a trained Zumba trainer, you need not even bother about any equipment as you can conduct classes online via Zoom or any other video conferencing app.
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3. Fashion Boutique Or Clothes Store
Because Indian women are so obsessed with wearing beautiful clothes, starting a fashion boutique is usually the first thing that comes to many women’s minds when considering creative small business ideas to start.
And why not? After all, fashion is ever-evolving, and unless all humans are wiped out from the face of the Earth, fashion will continue to be a booming industry.
Although there is no dearth of boutiques in an average city, the buying power of the Indian customer is also increasing every day. A small boutique can house anything from clothes and accessories to interior design and home decor.
However, with retail stores being closed down during the pandemic, creating online boutiques is another option for those who want to go digital and sell clothes online.
4. Catering Business, Café or Restaurant
The food business is yet another industry that will never cease in importance and starting an outlet that supplies food in one form or another can be one of the most successful small business ideas.
Many Indian women are remarkably talented home cooks and are passionate about cooking. So why not apply your skills to your business venture?
You can start your own café or a home food business like a catering or takeaway service, perhaps even supplying tiffins to office-goers and bachelors. That skill can then be scaled up into starting a posh restaurant in the future.
Learn how to start a home tiffin service or Indian food dabba service with Shipra Baranwal, founder of a six-figure home-kitchen business in India. This is one of the pandemic-proof local business ideas that will always have customers.
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5. Online Business
Just like everything else, the internet and the pandemic have changed the way we can think about earning money. The good thing is that there are many ways to earn money online without paying anything.
You could start an online store and convince new businesses to partner with you to sell their products on your platform in exchange for a commission.
If you cannot find products to sell, you can become a SHECO Partner and earn money online in India without investment through your own SHOPonSHEROES.
You can also put almost any of your skills to use and start freelancing on the web. Social media has put an endless number of marketing tools in our hands to make the best use of.
Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest can help you establish a small business without the need for a physical storefront. You can even learn digital marketing online without fees and become a certified digital marketing professional.
Once you have some experience in getting results for your clients, you can start offering services as a digital marketer or start your own social media agency.
6. Daycare Center for Children Or Pets
You can turn your love for children or pets into a small scale business by opening a daycare centre or playschool in your home.
This is one of the best small business ideas from home as people are finding it increasingly difficult to balance their work and home life and it fills a much-needed niche in the market.
While couples sometimes have their parents to look after toddlers, the increase in the number of nuclear families has made that option quite rare. Even if one wishes to have pets, it becomes really difficult to leave them all by themselves, when they go to work.
In that case, if you can start a playschool or a crèche with a separate section for pets, your business will have the potential to turn out to be one of the most successful small business ideas in India.
People will definitely appreciate a place where they can leave their kids or their pets for the entire day without any worry. Thus, spending the day with chirpy kids and mischievous furry friends can be fun and lucrative at the same time.
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7. Store for Pet Products
As an add-on to the pet-sitting business, you can earn additional revenue by starting an online shop in India or a pet store to cater to the needs of indulgent pet owners.
Every second family has a pet these days, and pet lovers are more than willing to splurge on accessories and fancy knick-knacks for their furry friends. You can load your store up with cat and dog treats, regular pet food, pet accessories, clothes, houses, beds.
If you become a regular supplier of all these goods, you are sure to become a household name for pet owners all over the country. You can sell pet products online in minutes when you start an online SHOPonSHEROES with the SHEROES app for women.
8. Beauty Parlor Or Salon
Just like fitness and fashion, the beauty industry shows no signs of going into oblivion in the recent future and can be one of the best small business ideas for housewives.
All you need is to complete a professional beauty course in India and get certified as a beauty professional to kick-start your business venture.
Starting a beauty salon is one of those small business ideas that women love because the more people emphasize their outward appearance, the more chances you will get to grow your business.
With a little investment in beauty courses and training, quality products and basic beauty salon equipment, you can turn your spare room into a cosy beauty salon.
However, with many women now looking for a safe salon at home experience, it makes sense to register on the Urban Company SAFE Salon At Home app and offer safe and hygienic salon services at your customer’s home.
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9. Online Gift Shop Or Store
You do not necessarily need prior experience to set up a gift shop, especially if you own a piece of commercial real estate in a good location. Most of us know what to expect in a gift shop, and you can order things from a trusted dealer.
That said, it will be profitable for you if you keep a section for stationery goods. However, today, it’s best not to have a physical storefront. In fact, an online storefront for your gift shop will be an excellent idea during and after the pandemic.
You can build online stores with separate sections for gift items, stationery goods, flowers, accessories, jewellery and many more items of value. These days, the idea of customised, homemade gifts has become very popular.
If you have the creativity and craftsmanship required to create your own handcrafted customised gifts, this creative small business idea might just be right for you. You can sell your own beautiful handcrafted gift items in your SHOPonSHEROES online store.
10. Jewellery Design Service
Customised jewellery is on the rise. More and more women are keen to invest in customised junk jewellery. This is one of those creative small business ideas for creative businesswomen, who know exactly what their customers need.
If you have an inclination towards designing jewellery, you can start with it right now. All you need is some training in jewellery design, a sense of fashion, knowledge of ongoing trends, and a social media platform to promote your business.
Once you earn a sufficient amount of money and gain a loyal community of followers, you can even sell products online from your SHOPonSHEROES.
Also read: How to Start Artificial Jewellery Business From Home
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Start a SHOPonSHEROES without investment
To support every woman in her entrepreneurial journey, every micro-entrepreneur on the SHEROES app for women can now start a SHOPonSHEROES to sell her own products in a social setting, with content tools, dashboards and her own community.
SHOPonSHEROES is a way to build an online store for free and showcase your products and services. Customers can check what products you sell or services that you offer. There
Want to open an online shop in India? Read the articles below to learn how to start an online store without investment and sell products online with the SHEROES app for women.
- How To Build An Online Shop In India With SHOPonSHEROES
- Top 10 Online Store Ideas to Sell Products Online
- 7 Benefits of a SHOPonSHEROES Online Store
- SHOPonSHEROES Arts And Crafts Stores With Beautiful Handcrafted Gifts
Now that you have so many ideas to start off, make sure you choose the one that specifically applies to you, your ambitions, passion and hobbies. That way, you will no longer be working but living your dreams.
Learning how to write a small business plan can improve your chances of success as an entrepreneur and also help you apply for small business loans for women-owned businesses in India.
I hope this list of business ideas will help you start your own small business and become a successful businesswoman in India.
About the author:
Priya Florence Shah is the Group Editor at SHEROES and author of Devi2Diva, an emotional self-care book for women.
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Work At Home Business Ideas:
- SHECO Partners Share How To Make Money From Mobile Phones
- How To Start An Online Reselling Business With Reseller Apps
- How To Start An Online Business Without Investment In India
- 6 Steps To Start A Virtual Assistant Business From Home
- How To Start A Social Media Marketing Agency From Home
- How To Start A Beauty Salon Business: 6 Steps To Success
- Life Coaching Business: Be Rewarded For Transforming Lives
- How To Start A Stitching And Embroidery Business From Home In India
- 5 Profitable Work-From-Home Business Ideas For Housewives
- 5 Mompreneur Ideas For Moms Based On Your Motherhood Experience
- 10 Business Ideas For Women: Turn Your Passion Into A Business
- 10 (More) Proven Small Business Ideas For Indian Women
- 21 Profitable Small Scale Business Ideas For Women
- 17 Proven Business Ideas For Women In India
- 10 Food Business Ideas In India (From Low-Cost To Big-Budget)
I agree. I have also started one creche in vasundhara Enclave. Besides employing myself i have also employed 2 caretakers which care 5 children. This is a win-win situation for parents also who are now tensionfree at their workplace. I am also ready to help needy women to start the business at barest minimal cost.
Mrs Kumar Promoter OM SAI CRECHE VASUNDHARA ENCLAVE DELHi INDIA creche2011@gmail.com
Good for you, Mrs Kumar. We wish you the best in your new business. Do subscribe to our newsletter for more success tips.