If we have learnt anything from 2022 and 2023 is that industries can be turned on their heads instantly. This is why multiple streams of income are more important than ever before. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur that is looking to start a part-time business while finishing up your studies, a stay-at-home parent that is looking to increase your household’s finances through a business venture, or someone who already has a job but is looking to try entrepreneurship, starting a part-time business could be a great way to kickstart your 2024! A part-time business offers you an opportunity to improve your entrepreneurial skills and make an additional income stream without occupying all of your time.
While it may feel as if the economy is taking knocks from all angles, there are still many exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs in the UK. If you are looking at starting a business in 2024 but have no idea where to start, here are some viable options!
Social media management business
Yes, we are in the roaring age of social media. There are hardly any businesses out there that are not on some social media platform or other because these platforms offer an opportunity to connect with potential customers, as well as various affordable advertising opportunities.
But the truth of the matter is that keeping up appearances on social media can be difficult and very time-consuming. That is where your services could come in. Social media management is high in demand and could be a profitable side business for anyone who takes the time to learn the ins and outs of social media.
Write e-books
Consider yourself a bit of a wordsmith? Then there are actually so many income opportunities for you, including avenues such as copywriting, editing and sales copy. But something that you may not have yet considered is writing e-books. Millions of e-books are downloaded each day, and writing e-books gives you all the control of what you want to write about, how you want to market them, and how much you want to sell them for. Once the writing is done, all of your income from your books will be residual.
It may seem intimidating, but it is definitely worth a try! Essentially, it’s an avenue that supports a whole new world of possibilities for budding authors and experts on particular topics. On-line tools can help support both your research and ideas, get stuck in to writing at a time to suit for your new business in 2024.
Start a dropshipping business
The world of eCommerce, continues to grow and supporting it by dropshipping has provided the opportunity for hundreds of part-time business owners to create successful businesses. There are so many different types of products that can be imported and sold as a curated online business venture. The trick is to ensure that your branding and marketing are on point and that you target a specific audience.
Beware of some of the dropshipping scams going around, and be particularly aware of importing low-quality products and getting yourself a bad name. This has unfortunately happened to many dropshipping businesses over the years.
Online boutique
Let’s get one thing straight: Fashion will never go out of fashion. The general public will always be looking for great online boutiques that suit their particular style and budget.
If you want to start an online fashion boutique, remember that your target market is very important. When it comes to fashion, you need to fulfil a niche in order to be successful, so be sure to curate carefully.
Also keep in mind that you have many options available to you, including buying garments and reselling them, printing your designs on ready-made clothes, or designing items from scratch.
Also remember, that social media can help make your business a great success, so don’t forget to use it to your advantage!
Social cause
Just because something is a charitable cause does not mean that you cannot earn a salary through creating a social cause business. That being said, you definitely won’t be able to become a millionaire by starting up a charity as your part-time venture for this year.
There is a growing need for more people to partake in good, honest, charitable work in these trying times. And there are many who are willing to donate to social justice causes.
Pick something you are passionate about, and ensure that you are fully compliant. Start making movements within your community. You’ll be surprised at how soon you’ll be able to pay yourself a salary as well as the deep fulfilment that this type of work has to offer.
Pet-related business
A massive number of people got their very first pet during the first lockdown. With all these people back at work, there is definitely a demand for reliable pet care services such as petsitting, pet walking, and pet grooming.
If you are an animal lover, it wouldn’t hurt to do a little market research to work out what it is that pet owners are looking for. You could build a business around what they are looking for, whether it be companionship for their pet, pet tracking services, or toys to keep them entertained while their owners are at work.
You’ll be surprised at just how much money people are prepared to spend on their beloved pets.
Virtual assistant
Virtual assistance services are highly sought after in this day and age. Offer your admin services via the internet to big and small businesses alike. You’ll be surprised at the amount of interest you may get. Virtual assistant duties can include anything from answering calls and emails to creating invoices for your clients. The more they begin to trust you, the more responsibilities you are likely to get.
Virtual assistant work requires you to be extremely organised, especially if you want to build up a good reputation for yourself. All you’ll need is a laptop and fast internet and you can work remotely from anywhere you desire!
With low start-up costs and relatively easy work, this could be a viable option for many of whom are looking to start a part-time business.
Photography business
Do you have an eye for photography? A photography business is one of the surefire ways to turn your creative passion into a successful business. It is also relatively low risk with low start-up costs. All you need is a good camera and some camera equipment to get you started. Before you start advertising your services, it would be a good idea to create a portfolio with which to advertise, and start by offering some free or discounted shoots to family and friends. It is also a good idea to decide which avenue of photography that you’d like to go down. There are many options to choose from, including product photography, fashion photography, lifestyle photography, portraits, and weddings.
Gardening business
A garden can be the heart and pride and joy of the home. But it takes a real effort to keep it looking good. If you consider yourself a bit of a green thumb, a gardening service could be a business that would suit you well. It would allow you to hone your gardening skills further and even make a substantial additional income.
The start-up costs for this business structure are also relatively low. Getting your first clients may be the tricky part, but having a gorgeous and well-maintained garden of your own would definitely be a good advertisement.
The sale of plants could also be a venture worth looking into if gardening is your thing. The popularity of house plants absolutely exploded during the first lockdown, and rare house plants are in high demand.
Subscription boxes
People are looking for a little excitement in their lives, and curated subscription boxes are a great way to offer them that. Subscription boxes can be great as gifts or simply if someone just wants to spoil themselves.
Many themed subscription box businesses have been popping up all over the internet and have done very well for themselves. This type of business thrives through social media hype with carefully crafted posts that give little hints as to what may be in next month’s box.
Ensure that your products are curated to fit a very specific audience and that your marketing is geared to target your ideal customer.
Beauty business
Despite most of us spending far more time at home than ever before, the beauty industry is still thriving! People still want to keep up appearances and look after themselves. The chances are that there are multiple people in your neighbourhood on the lookout for an affordable and trustworthy beautician.
Of course, if you wanted to start a beauty business, you’d either need to be a trained beautician or have to look into hiring beauticians. Mobile beautician and hairstylist services have also experienced a rise in popularity over the past few years and are well worth researching.
Design an application
Mobile applications are used by millions of people around the world every day. Mobile apps are there to serve purposes, provide a service, or simply just for entertainment. If you have a great idea for a mobile app, you may want to look into pursuing it part-time. You never know what could become of it!
If you have the skill to design applications, you may want to look into putting these skills to good use by offering your services to companies looking to build apps.
App development specialists are high in demand!
3D printing
3D printing is definitely rising in popularity. The technology that a 3D printer provides you with gives you a whole new world of opportunities. By investing in a 3D printer, you could use it to create unique 3D printed items that you could sell for a profit, or rent out the printer to allow clients to experiment with their own creations.
While a 3D printer is a pretty pricey investment, it can be well worth it if you are looking to start a business that is both innovative and creative.
If you decide to go ahead and purchase a 3D printer, ensure you do so from a reliable source, that you perform regular maintenance, and ensure that you know how to use the printer properly.
Book business
You may think that book sales are dropping in this age of technology, but it is honestly quite the opposite. There is something truly comforting and reassuring about books, especially in this fast-paced world. As with ebooks, there are more and more online tools to support you in 2024 with your new part-time business.
There are a number of ways to create successful book-related businesses. For starters, how many people do you know that have huge book collections in their homes that they simply don’t read? You could offer them a price for their collection and then sell books individually. By creating reviews and harnessing the power of social media, you could easily create a trendy and sought after secondhand book business that could lead to other opportunities such as a brick-and-mortar bookshop and even a publishing house.
Thrifting and reselling
Do you have an eye for great vintage pieces? A trending part-time business that you could easily start would be thrifting vintage and secondhand clothing and/or furniture and selling the pieces at a profit. You could either sell online on various sites or social media, or sell your items through a curated storefront or market.
If you are picking up pieces that need a little TLC, you could easily mend clothes and refurbish furniture to give them new life and increase their value. If you have a bit of knowledge or make an effort to learn about antiques and their value, you could easily land bargains in thrift and secondhand shops and sell them on to collectors and interested buyers.
This can be a fun and exciting way to run a part-time business, and it requires very little in terms of start-up costs and capital.
Remember that although starting a business can be intimidating, it is often a lot easier than you may think. A lot of the options that we have provided above have very low start-up costs and could be successful with a determined attitude and the right equipment, business plan, and marketing skills. Make 2024 your year to push forward on your part-time business.
