So you want to start a small business but don’t know where to begin? There are a few things you should consider before deciding upon what business would be a best fit for you. First, consider your personality type and your interests – don’t just start a business because you think it will be lucrative. Pick a business idea that will make you feel inspired and excited to go to work every day. Next, consider what type of business will do well in the area where the business will be located. Setting up a certain type of business in a market that is already over-saturated with that business will make running that business very difficult. Once you consider these ideas, there are many free resources available that explain how to fund your small business.

With that being said, here are 10 creative ideas for small businesses you can start in your community:

1) Create Custom Furniture

Starting a custom furniture business will require you to start small and build your way up, but in the meantime, you can gain experience making furniture and find out what people like and don’t like. Best of all, this business allows you to be active, use your hands, and to hone your creative skills in a way that most office jobs never would.

2) Unique Ties for Men

While many people enjoy making clothing and many small businesses focus on clothing for women and children, not many small clothing businesses are started with the intention of providing something unique for men. Ties make great gifts and never go out of style, and men love to wear ties that set them apart.

3) College Laundry Service

If you live in a college town, starting a college laundry service business could be a gold mine. Most college students hate doing their laundry and would happily pay someone a small fee to do it for them! The job is quick and simple and you will never have a shortage of customers if you charge the right amount.

4) Electronics Coach

With the plethora of new electronics being released onto the market every day, many people find trouble keeping up with how to use the devices that surround them. Your business could send out employees to help people use, maintain, and fix their electronics, or it could allow people to come visit your business when they have trouble using them. You would be amazed at the untapped market of consumers who are waiting for this type of business to exist!

5) Pet Clothing

People love nothing more than dressing up their pets. For many, it becomes a fun pastime, and for others, it can become an addiction! Tap into this market of pet owners who are willing to do anything to make their pets look cute and stand out in a crowd. Best of all, this business allows you to be creative, work with your hands, and meet many different people in your community.

6) Home Based Jewelry Business

The best part about starting a jewelry business is that, the more creativity you employ, the more likely you will be to succeed. If you have always loved arts and crafts and designing your own projects, the jewelry business is for you. All you need is a few beautiful items and a few happy customers to gain a strong reputation in your community and be on the way to small business success.

7) Personal Concierge Service

Do you live in a community with people who are extremely busy? You may be surprised how many of these people would be willing to pay someone to do many of their quotidian tasks, such as paperwork, taking care of their home and car, watching their kids or their pets, and much more. This type of business has grown in demand in the past few years and finding employees is relatively easy. You can succeed in this business by setting yourself apart and employing a strong marketing strategy to make sure to let people know your business is available to them.

8 ) Ethnic Cuisine Restaurants

Many communities lack restaurants featuring certain types of ethnic cuisines that would be a tremendous success if they were only to exist! Love to cook? Bring a little bit of your family history to your local community or research an entirely new cuisine and treat your community to a little international flair. Many small restaurant businesses have been amazed by the amount of people who are willing to try new and creative food, and these small restaurant businesses often become hot spots in their cities.

9) Tutoring Service

While tutoring services are becoming increasingly common, the demand for tutors is also greatly increasing. There is an increasing demand of people who want to score better on tests, learn new languages, or improve their grades in school, and the pay can be extremely rewarding. Starting a small tutoring business can be extremely low-cost and easy to accomplish. Usually, the success of a small tutoring company depends on the marketing skills employed by that company – so think outside of the box!

10) Unique Spa Items

Just like several of the other business ideas listed above, unique spa items tend to be popular in many cities because they make unique gifts and they make people feel good about themselves. Because people are always going to need soap, shampoos, and other spa items, this industry is a good investment because it is not going anywhere any time soon. Creating spa items on your own also allows you to be experimental and creative in your work.

Once you have thought about a creative business idea that works best for you, you are ready to consider the next steps necessary for starting a small business, such as how to fund your business and where to set it up.