Have you been wishing you could be your own boss? You may dream about setting your own rules, working your hours, and reaping the benefits of your hard work. By using their talents and business development principles, many people have found it possible to succeed.
To legally establish your own business, you must register your company name with the required agencies in your state. You must have a federal employer identification number (EIN) and a state identification number if your state requires it. You’ll need a business bank account and liability insurance for the business. Here are some examples of companies that can be a good fit for someone starting their own business.
A Bookkeeping Business
Being a bookkeeper may be an excellent job if you’re good at math. A bookkeeper is responsible for managing a company’s financial records – both accounts receivable and accounts payable. Companies can benefit from the services of a bookkeeper to help them keep track of their company’s money and to help them make future plans. As a bookkeeper, you prepare financial documents.
To succeed in a bookkeeping business, you’ll need to become certified as a bookkeeper. The certification exam requires two or more years of working in the field. Taking online courses in accounting and bookkeeping and then working for a chartered accountant service can be excellent ways to gain the required experience. Once you meet the requirements, you can take the Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) exam.
Bookkeepers who work for themselves often succeed by offering their services contractually. This will mean working for several different companies, as needed. You would typically travel to their office, analyze their financial records, and prepare reports and financial analysis. If your business development model includes accurate work and good customer service, the companies you work for will give you good reviews.
A Roofing Business
Beginning a roofing business is a natural choice if you have experience working with an established roofing company. Check with your state for the needed requirements to get your roofing license. It’s also wise to consider that installing a roof is more efficiently done with more than one worker. Therefore, you’ll need to either hire another licensed roofer or collaborate with another roofing company.
To succeed as a roofer, you must be comfortable working at high altitudes. You will also need manual dexterity to place shingles or roof panels. Lifting the supplies required for roofing jobs takes physical strength, as well as stamina and determination.
You’ll need a business development plan to find clients for your new company. Trades like roofing often find it helpful to network with the local small business association. Collaborating with other small businesses like electricians, carpenters, painters, or interior decorators can also be a wise idea.
A Private Medical Center
Sometimes, your desire to start a business may come from an experience that changed your life. For example, if you are a former addict who is now living without your past drug habit, you may want to help others currently struggling with addiction. In addition to the need for a comprehensive recovery program design and qualified therapists, any private medical enterprise must adhere to ethical (as well as medical) standards.
When you open your private center, an essential part of your business development is clearly identifying which substance or problem your clinic will address. For example, the number of private clinics for anorexia has been increasing in recent years. Because of the complexity of anorexia treatment, it’s often helpful to align your clinic with a nearby hospital. Collaboration with a hospital can benefit you with referrals for treatment, with access to medical guidance, and by serving as a resource for any potential emergency one of your clients may have.
Providing anorexia treatments requires qualified and experienced counselors, as well as other practitioners, who will compose a multidisciplinary team. Eating disorder treatment requires psychological help to discover the root of your clients’ eating disorders and to help them adopt healthier coping mechanisms and better nutritional habits. In addition to psychological help, your clients may benefit from nutritional counseling and evaluation for medication management.
A Business Coaching Company
If you already have extensive business experience, you may be the ideal person to teach people to be business coaches. Business coaching combines financial advice and marketing strategies with education about business development tips to help new managers survive the first few months of their businesses. In business coaching – and in coaching those who aspire to be coaches – the most essential qualification is business experience.
Successful business development coaches often use their excellent people skills to help others develop their incipient business expertise. As a proprietor, business coaches should be able to give evidence of several years of business success. They should also have – or provide partners with – financial expertise and extensive knowledge of digital marketing strategy.
A Dog Grooming Business
If you’re a dog lover, starting a dog grooming business can be a fun and enjoyable way to be your own boss. You don’t necessarily need a dog grooming certification or license to be a good dog groomer, but it can be a good marketing tool. You do need a business license, as well as business liability insurance in case one of the clients’ dogs is accidentally injured.
You can get your dog grooming certification from the National Dog Groomers Association of America (NDGAA.) You will take a written exam, and then an examiner will observe your dog grooming skills. Once you earn the certificate, you will be a Certified Master Groomer.
Many new dog groomers promote themselves in their local neighborhood or at local pet shops. You can network with other pet-related businesses, like pet supply stores or dog boarding facilities. Another source of business for dog groomers can be dog breeders. Partnering with a business that has puppies from a popular dog breed for sale can provide you with a regular source of business.
A Tree Removal Business
If you enjoy working outdoors and have gained some experience with a tree trimming service, you might take the next step and become an arborist. When trees near residential homes or on the properties of local businesses are damaged by storms, it is essential that those trees be removed. Becoming a certified arborist includes a 2-year course in arboriculture. Before taking the certification test, you must also have at least two years of experience within the field.
After obtaining your license, you’ll need to acquire the right equipment and to bring it to the site of the damaged trees. Most arborist companies will buy a truck plus some essential equipment, such as ladders, saws, and climbing ropes. After removing trees, your company will grind down the remaining stump and move the residue to a facility that repurposes wood chips.
You can begin by advertising your business in the local area. If the tree service you previously worked with doesn’t remove trees, you can partner with them. Reciprocal referrals can boost both your business development plans.
A Patio Contractor Business
Another job for those who enjoy outdoor work is to start a patio contractor business. Although patio designing can be part of a landscaping project, workers with carpentry and design skills can make a living as a patio contractor. Many homeowners who enjoy spending time outdoors or want to boost their property value decide to add back patios to their home.
To become a patio contractor, you must be at least 18 years old. Some trade schools or vocational schools have training programs in carpentry or construction. You must post a bond with the state issuing your contractor’s license, guaranteeing that any client with future damage can be reimbursed. After meeting those requirements, you must pass a licensing exam to qualify for the contractor’s license.
Collaborating with landscaping contractors is the easiest way to promote your patio contractor business. Patio construction is often an integral part of an overall landscape contract. Many people who want to become a patio contractor find working with a landscape company a valuable prelude to their business development. In addition to gaining the construction experience this will bring, you’ll see how a well-oriented patio can become the finishing touch of a landscape project.
An Energy Saving Company
Most people today accept that our planet is in danger of running out of renewable resources. This has spurred a response in both businesses and consumers, creating multiple opportunities for companies specializing in sustainable resources. Opening your business, selling, and installing eco-friendly equipment or services is becoming increasingly profitable.
One of those businesses involves the installation of solar panels. Many energy companies offer training programs for people who want to learn how to install solar panels and turn that skill into a business. You can become certified as a solar panel installer at the end of these training programs.
As a new solar panel installer, part of the business development plan for your new business may be accomplished by working with a roofing contractor or a home construction company. According to Palmetto Solar, a client getting both traditional roofs and solar panels would benefit from having the roof work done before the solar panels are installed. As your business grows, you will attract clients in addition to those you meet from your association with roofing contractors. Work quality and customer service will always be able to promote your business better than anything else.
A Fence Installation Business
Many homes want fences around their properties or inside their backyards to protect their gardens or the other parts of their property. If you have had experience working with a home contractor or a landscaper, you may have had experience with fencing work. If so, and if you enjoyed it, you may decide to open a fencing business.
As with the other businesses we’ve discussed, you must get a business license and insurance for your fencing business. Each state may have different requirements, but you need a minimum of a GED along with a specified number of years of experience working with fence companies to become certified. Some online companies offer educational programs about fencing.
The courses will equip you with knowledge about fence installation and of topics that will teach you about managerial issues. With your certification, you will be able to begin a fencing business. Collaborating with landscaping businesses or other home construction companies is often the best way to market a fence installation business.
A Food Delivery Business
Food delivery services used to be primarily to pizza parlors and Chinese food places, but since the pandemic, families and singles have gotten more accustomed to food delivery. As a food delivery worker, you can still work directly for one restaurant or eating place or contact one of the popular food delivery services. According to Millennial Money Man, working for a food delivery service will allow you to set your hours and decide which calls you wish to take. You can choose how far you want to drive and which restaurants you are willing to go to.
To join one of the food delivery companies, you would fill out an online application and then pass a background check. You’ll need to have a driver’s license and car insurance. You can begin driving as soon as you’re approved (sometimes within two days). However, if you are signing up to work in a place with several other drivers, you may have to wait up to two weeks to get your first orders.
As a food delivery worker, you will have a simple business development plan: accept an order when you see it on your app, you pick up the food and deliver it to the customer that ordered it. The apps require the person who orders the food to prepay for the food and to tip you via the app. The company you are contracting with will pay you delivery fees and tips at an agreed-upon frequency.
As you can see, being your boss can be as simple as delivering food, or as complex as providing counseling to recovering addicts. It will take an investment of your time, your hard work, and your money. But ultimately, it may turn out to be your life’s best business decision. Best wishes for your new business enterprise – whatever it may be!
