Are you one of those who dream of owning your own small business, to achieve personal and financial independence? In this article, I’ll share with you 29 successful small business ideas and provide you with 60 ready-made case studies of successful businesses and projects, any of which you can download for free.
Let me first remind you that having capital alone is not enough to launch a successful project. You’ll need to conduct a feasibility study to ensure there’s a market and customers for your project.
Successful youth projects with feasibility studies and implementation details
Below are feasibility studies for more than 60 small projects across a variety of fields and sectors, from shops, workshops, food and service projects, to gym ideas, rental offices, and other miscellaneous business ideas.
** The figures and prices in the forms are subject to change based on market prices at the time of actual implementation. If the currency and prices differ, you can use the general structure of the feasibility study and modify the data as required.
29 Successful Small Projects for Youth
Just one of the ideas I’ll share with you below can change your life.
- 8 small online projects.
- 9 small projects in reality.
- 6 successful small home-based projects.
- 6 successful passive income business ideas.
It’s very possible that among these ideas, you’ll find a small business that suits your circumstances and capabilities, initially serving as an additional source of income alongside your current job. After a period of hard work and perseverance, it may become a respectable source of income. However, to build a successful business, you must develop your marketing skills and learn some of the basics of project management.
** Don’t be lazy and look at all the ideas! One idea might be the tip of the iceberg to completely change your life for the better.
8 Successful Small Online Projects for Young People:
With the dominance of the internet, starting a business without even capital has become possible. Here are 8 successful online business ideas:
1. Electronic products
Electronic products are a fertile ground for successful startups. Building a successful electronic product is one of the most profitable online projects . Young Arabs have achieved remarkable success, some even attaining real wealth. Fouad Badawi is a WordPress designer and template maker who has achieved total sales exceeding one million dollars. The WordPress template is our friend Fouad’s digital product.
Anyone with the necessary skills and experience can create a digital product that can be sold online. A product you work hard on once will sell a thousand times. You can promote it on your own website or across multiple platforms, and the results will depend on the quality of the product and the strength of its marketing. Examples of digital products include: a training course, an e-book, ready-made designs, codes, programs, applications, and much more.
2. Online purchasing broker for a commission
Become an online purchasing intermediary. The internet has become a golden opportunity for many people in the Arab world, especially North African countries, to launch successful small businesses. These people lack bank cards that enable them to make virtual purchases, yet still desire to purchase products online. This is a lucrative business opportunity. You can be the purchasing intermediary and receive a commission on the merchandise. It’s a good idea to start in your own city and market yourself locally.
3. Local e-shopping platform
Buy locally, order online, and have it delivered to your doorstep. This is the concept of the project.
Most local retailers don’t have online shopping systems, let alone operating hours that don’t exceed 9 hours a day. Your project will be an online shopping platform that serves your customers 24/7, offering online shopping options from local stores selling clothing, accessories, and groceries. This way, you’ll provide your customers with ordering and delivery services, and of course, without delivery fees, as you’ll charge retailers a 5-10% commission. You’ll save your customers time and help retailers thrive and grow your small business’s sales.
4. Selling handicrafts online
A successful, profitable business idea for those with handicraft skills. If you’re skilled at drawing, sculpting, or making handmade products or jewelry, you can sell your work online (such as on the website esty, which provides small business opportunities for craftspeople). You’ll, of course, need a dedicated workshop in your home, and then you’ll need to take professional photos of your products and work to display them for virtual sale.
5. Electronic Real Estate Marketing Agent
The Internet has become a primary marketing channel for selling real estate:
- 90% of real estate buyers use the internet to search for a home or property.
- 36% of buyers found the home or property they purchased online.
The principle of online real estate brokerage is based on publishing numerous advertisements for real estate units for sale or rent through various specialized and non-specialized websites. In the world of real estate, there is an opportunity for everyone: a huge market, constant demand, and treasures waiting to be discovered! This may sound a bit strange! But you can become a successful real estate broker online and establish a highly profitable business.
6. Marketing on social platforms
Everyone knows the importance of social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in marketing. Almost every business, even small ones, now has its own accounts on these platforms.
7. Content creation in all its forms and types
The content creation sector offers numerous opportunities for launching successful small businesses. Most businesses, even small ones, now have a blog on their website. Let’s say a company specializes in manufacturing athletic shoes. This company has a blog that discusses sports, the relationship between healthy feet and exercise, the importance of wearing healthy shoes, and other related content. This contributes to growing their revenue and strengthening their connection with their audience. These companies need what we call content creators. If you are good at writing, you can work as a freelancer for one of these companies as a content creator. There are many freelance platforms where you can showcase your services.
8. Translation services
Translation has become a major part of the online business world , with virtually every field requiring the translation of documents, videos, texts, or website content. Many individuals and companies require this service, and it has become easier with the help of translation websites. If you are fluent in a foreign language in addition to Arabic, you are in luck, as this field offers numerous opportunities to start a successful business and provide you with a good income.
9 ideas for starting successful small projects in reality:
On the ground, you will need marketing and project management skills , and successful small projects for young people outside the Internet or can combine the Internet and reality:
9. Commercial cleaning services
Commercial cleaning services offer successful and profitable business ideas, requiring no special skills or technical experience. Low initial investment, quick return on investment, and easy management. Unlimited market demand, no inventory or warehousing, and excellent growth potential are all compelling reasons to start this type of business.
All large stores, businesses, and institutions have one thing in common: they must clean regularly to present themselves and their business partners with a positive image. This fact creates a tremendous opportunity for building successful small businesses. The best way to market is to visit every business in your community. Highlight the benefits of cleaning in general and your service in particular. However, if you set a goal of visiting ten potential customers per day and manage to win just two, you’ll attract 40 new customers per month and be well on your way to building a successful and profitable business.
10. Event organization
A business that relies on planning and organizing events, such as conferences and meetings. Working as an event planner is a modern and profitable small business and profession, providing assistance to organizations and individuals in planning their events. Success in this business requires patience when dealing with various client requests and maintaining a calm demeanor when faced with unexpected events.
11. Providing private training services
Do you have experience in the field of sports training or have you worked before in a gym? There are people around you everywhere who are willing to pay an expert to monitor their daily exercises, as well as their eating habits and daily life, when, where and how they train, how and when they eat. Busy company managers and businessmen need someone to take over this task for them. You can market yourself through your website or through a personal page where you upload videos of you working out or guiding one of your clients. Just make sure that you are in the right city that has the type of clients willing to pay for this service.
Read also : How to convince a customer to buy in 6 steps
12. Home maintenance
Every home needs maintenance services, whether it’s the kitchen or bathroom, air conditioning, electrical lines, painting, etc., all you need is a van equipped with maintenance equipment and maintenance technicians.
13. Import from China
Importing from China has become an opportunity for many to start profitable small businesses, but it’s not as easy as some of us imagine. The key factor isn’t China or Chinese factories! The most important factors are your country’s local markets, sales and distribution methods, and customs. There are many products in high demand in Arab markets that don’t require a lot of capital, such as hairpins, hair clips, brushes, combs, lighters, small gifts, simple toys, and other inexpensive products that are needed by men, women, and children from all segments of society.
Thousands of products can be turned into highly successful business ideas. Study the import issue seriously and investigate the legal aspects in your country, including travel procedures, required licenses, and the cost of travel and purchasing the goods. Before that, determine the market’s needs and how to market the goods.
14. Freelance accounting services
Most small startups don’t want to hire a full-time accountant, who would charge a monthly fee that would burden their budget. However, accountants are essential for managing financial and payment matters. You can work as a freelancer for multiple companies at the same time. This work model involves visiting the company once or twice a week for a set number of hours, completing their accounting tasks, and then leaving immediately. You can receive your salary either on an agreed-upon monthly basis or based on the number of hours you spend working for those companies. The larger your client list, the greater your profit potential. Always remember that the ideal client for this project is small startups.
15. Design and printing services
You don’t necessarily have to be a designer or own a printing press to offer design and printing services. It requires the ability to communicate online and then familiarity with a local printing press. Printing services become cheaper over time, but by combining design and printing services, you can provide a unique service to companies, institutions, and even small retail outlets. Every business needs to print promotional leaflets, business cards, or even seasonal leaflets, such as holidays and national celebrations, from time to time.
Online, you can hire an hourly designer to design whatever your company wants. You then pay a local printer to print the products and ship them to your company. You can expand by signing long-term contracts with your clients to design whatever they need within a specific timeframe.
16. Beekeeping and honey production
Beekeeping and honey production are among the most successful small agricultural projects, which any young person in the Arab world can implement as a primary income project, or even alongside their primary job. It’s a profitable venture with limited capital, uncomplicated skills, and simple marketing of the product.
17. Cleaning materials industry
A household cleaning supplies manufacturing workshop is essential to achieving an acceptable level of cleanliness. Water alone, while capable of dissolving a great deal of dirt, is powerless to dissolve grease, fats and many stains. However, when detergents break them down, water rinses them away easily. Among the most important cleaning supplies used in the market are liquid soap, glass cleaners, wood and parquet furniture cleaners, carpet and kilim cleaning mixtures, marble and tile cleaning mixtures, etc.
Profitable small projects that do not require complex technological techniques, in addition to their ability to accommodate workers who are normally trained to operate the project.
6 Successful Small Business Ideas for Young People from Home:
Are you looking for ideas for small, inexpensive home-based businesses? Here are some ideas, and your choice will depend on your country’s environment and culture. Arab countries are not like Western countries, but these are general ideas that you can expand upon, each according to their own determination:
18. Productive projects of all kinds
There are small livestock production projects that can be started from home, such as the production of quail, rabbits, chickens, and mushrooms, as well as apiaries and nurseries, among others.
Some families also turn to producing baked goods and foods that other families cannot make. There are also successful projects that fall under the category of industrial production, such as furniture, ceramics, plastic bags, etc.
19. Women’s accessories manufacturing
Women often love the touch of accessories and are eager to buy them in large quantities, in all seasons. This is an opportunity you can take advantage of by designing some types of accessories for your home and selling them wholesale to accessory stores. You can also use social media to help you.
You can later think about expanding the project to include multiple types, as you will later need a workforce after your project achieves success, which will give you the opportunity to deal with other professionals in this field. You can also always keep up with the developments in this field by searching the Internet (YouTube) and trying to implement new ideas to be able to attract more customers.
20. Plant and flower nursery
If you are a plant and flower lover, you can start your business from home, utilizing your garden, balcony, or rooftop (if there is no garden), and providing various small nurseries. However, you must research and learn well to know the types of plants, their names, and the names of each season. You must also review all the information related to the care, planting, and propagation of each type of plant you wish to sell, so that you can convince customers . After the project achieves success, you can expand it further to attract more customers and generate large profits.
21. Pickled vegetables and olives
The pickle industry is a popular and thriving industry, in demand by all segments of society. It offers the opportunity to start profitable small businesses. There are various types of pickles, such as olives, carrots, cucumbers, onions, and lemons. The final products will typically consist of packages containing only one type of pickle, such as olives or lemons. There may also be packages containing more than one type of pickle (mixed packages).
Even if you don’t know how to pickle, simply search the internet or get information from someone who works in the field. Start packing all your pickles and arranging them in attractive, distinctive containers, ready for display. You can also arrange with stores to display your product there, offering a small percentage of profit.
22. Making accessories and handicrafts
Many people with the skill to make accessories have established successful small businesses, such as cell phone or car accessories, or even decorative displays and handicrafts. You can partner with a store to promote these businesses, or you can create a page on Facebook and other social media sites to promote and sell them.
23. Home nursery
An old small business idea, but one that remains in demand. A nursery is a great way to help working mothers who need someone to care for their children while they work. Part of the house can be used as a nursery, especially if the person loves children and has the patience and ability to handle them.
6 ideas for starting small projects for passive income:
Passive income means investing money , effort, or both for no immediate compensation, with the reward coming later without any work. There are many examples, and those willing to make the sacrifice to achieve it are only a minority, not exceeding 3% of the population. The rest are passive dreamers, cynics, and naysayers looking for a lucky break or a cold, hard morsel. Although any type of passive income requires an upfront investment, whether in time, money, or both, it can lead to lucrative returns later. Here are some successful business ideas that can generate passive income:
24. “Discount Coupons” Booklet Idea
In these economic times, many are looking to save money. Why not help them out and start a business that designs and produces coupon books? The concept is straightforward. Simply find 50 to 100 businesses in your city who would like to feature their discount coupons in your book (for free) and are willing to offer coupon holders a discount on their products or services.
Profits and revenue are earned by selling the book to consumers in your city, and the marketing process is simple: Let’s assume the coupon discounts included in your book total $500. Your ad will focus on a $5 or $10 book, saving your customers $500 on products and services they regularly purchase.
25. E-books are successful small businesses.
Every day, a large number of new ebooks are released, some of which are hugely successful and generate significant income for their authors. If you have a skill or experience, you can start each day by setting aside some time to work on an ebook and sell it as a service, benefiting others and sharing your experiences and ideas. You can generate income that may exceed your expectations from this small project, especially if you promote it well.
26. Selling educational training courses
For example, Udemy and SkillShare are pioneers in this field, where experts and those with specialized skills and knowledge share them for a fee with people willing to pay to access these courses and information. Millions of people use this service, and the average monthly earnings of trainers (course providers) on the site are $8,000. Create a paid course in the skills you master; there’s no limit to what you can teach people; whatever you’re good at, it’s in demand online.
27. Applications are an opportunity to start successful small projects.
Hussein Al-Battah, from Kuwait, is a developer and designer of iOS and Android apps who has generated over a quarter of a million dollars from Arabic content (not foreign) in just three years of work. The app industry is a fertile ground for small businesses, and he advises anyone looking to enter the app industry to pay attention to the quality of the app and not flood the app market with too many, as this is tiring and pointless. He confirms that 90% of his profits come from revenue from his two most popular apps: InstArabic and the Designer app.
Programming is a huge market in the internet and electronics sector in general, and specifically the mobile and smart device applications sector, which is expanding and witnessing increasing user demand day after day. It’s no wonder that developers and programmers of smartphone applications and games generate significant financial incomes, reaching hundreds and thousands of dollars. It’s worth noting that application programming differs significantly in every aspect (profits, capabilities, etc.) from website design and programming.
28. Invest your money in the stock market.
You can invest your money in the stock market and various investment vehicles that provide you with an annual return on investment sufficient to maintain your financial status after you retire. Avoid the temptation of those who delude you with easy and quick profits. Large daily buying and selling (speculation) is literally gambling. Making a few unsuccessful trades—which is undoubtedly possible—will cost you a lot of money. Your hopes of gaining wealth will be dashed.
Instead, learn to invest your money for the long term. Choose good stocks with solid fundamentals and outstanding leadership in industries that are expected to see significant growth in the future. Then, take your time and wait for the profits without worrying about the ups and downs. If you invest your money wisely from the start, you’re sure to reap the benefits over time.
29. Invest your money in real estate.
Relatively stable assets, such as rental properties or potential land development in a rapidly growing area, are a good way to build wealth. Although most investments don’t offer a 100% guarantee of return, numerous studies have shown that investing in real estate leads to significant gains. Such investments typically increase in market value over time (approximately every five years).
How to start a small business in 5 steps
There are small businesses that succeed, and there are also businesses that fail for various reasons ( 10 Reasons Small Businesses Fail ). Below, we’ll share 7 tips for starting a successful business:
1- Choose the right business:
The project must first be attractive to its owner before it can be attractive to the market. Many small projects fail because their owners don’t believe in them. Therefore, try to start an activity that no one has thought of before you, one that aligns with your interests and is appropriate for the skills you possess.
2- Find support groups:
You will need support from a family member, a friend, or someone you trust. If you can’t find someone with experience to help you, go to the office of an association that specializes in providing guidance and support for small projects. There, you will find specialists to discuss the feasibility study with you if you lack experience. They may also provide you with an idea if you have a sincere intention to pursue self-employment.
3- Developing strategies and action plans:
Before actually getting started, it is very important to prepare a clear business and operational plan that represents a roadmap for your company to follow towards growth and success. By following a well-thought-out scientific plan, you will avoid the difficulty of changing course or falling into the mistakes that most new businessmen make.
4- Study the feasibility before the disaster occurs:
When starting out, you need to be an expert in what you do, whether it’s production or service delivery, so you need to research and study all aspects of your business and understand them thoroughly.
5- Provide the necessary capital:
During the initial phase, you should save enough money to use as needed. If the capital is insufficient, you can turn to financing institutions or banks, as most of them provide loans and financial facilities with relatively low interest rates for those who aspire to establish small and medium-sized projects.
6- Check the legal aspects:
Obtain all legal documents before launching the project, such as the necessary licenses, commercial registration, ownership, contracts, etc., and ensure that they are all certified by the Commercial Licensing Department.
5- Get expert help:
To advance your business, you may need to enlist the help of an expert or specialist. However, hiring experts doesn’t mean you’ll have to spend a lot of money on the information they provide, as there are many non-profit organizations and companies that offer their services for a small fee.
Summary
In this article, we’ve presented a collection of successful projects, some of which require expertise in addition to capital, while others are small projects that may not require prior experience and can be started immediately. Of course, success in a small project isn’t your goal; consider it just the beginning. You must then work to achieve your goals, transforming from a small business into a successful and thriving organization or company.
As you search for successful business ideas, you should realize that starting a successful business requires a feasibility study and careful research, followed by hard work and perseverance. It’s also important to learn from the mistakes of others and understand the reasons for small business failure so you don’t fall into the same trap.
