25 Best Small Business Ideas for 2015

Great Ideas for 2015

Here’s a list of 25 small business ideas to inspire you to start your business in 2015.

Kid-Friendly Apps

This spells a big business opportunity for anyone who can create products or design apps just for kids.

Software trainer

Healthcare Consulting

Food Truck

Freelancing

 Mobile consulting

Finding ways to go mobile is a challenge for many business owners. If your company can provide affordable mobile solutions to businesses that need them you'll find mobile consulting a rich business opportunity.

According to Jamie Turner, founder of a company called "The 60-Second Marketer," there will be ongoing need for mobile assistance.

If you're in business, it's your job to be where your prospects are.
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This translates into a big business opportunity for entrepreneurs who can bring foreign-language speakers together with businesses in need.

Employee-monitoring services

Employees are increasingly mobile. The answer provides myriad business opportunities for entrepreneurs. One company, Exaktime, recently debuted a mobile time clock.

Traveling salon

As people live longer, there's an increasing need for senior services of all sorts.

Vending machine business

Owning a vending-machine business offers franchisees the opportunity to start small and test the waters.

Smartphone repair

Smartphones have become indispensible for both business and personal use.

Testing business

Apps, websites, e-commerce…they've become must-haves for any business. The reason is that businesses don't test their applications or software carefully enough. Testing services are in hot demand. One company, SOASTA, offers cloud testing services for clients. There's room in this market for growth. A service that specializes in niche testing would have an edge over broader testing services.

Business services

According to business research by the Michigan State University Broad College of Business, the business-to-business services field is highly fragments and not dominated by any large players. Instead, small businesses have the opportunity specialize and focus on their niches.

After the rush of a small-business launch and the initial influx of curious customers, many small businesses reach a plateau. The proprietors are busy working hard to sustain the business doing what they've always done because it's worked so far, but this approach often means the business acquires and retains a certain customer base and sales volume and then "hits a wall".

Any business, but particularly a small business, must constantly adapt to changing market conditions, new business tools, and new sales opportunities to continue to grow and prosper. The small business owner must have one eye on routine operational tasks and one eye scanning the horizon for new opportunities. 

Add Complementary Products and Services
A great way to increase sales and bring new customers to your sales base is adding new complementary products and services. A great place to start is by reviewing the definition of your business. For example, if you sell house siding, ask yourself, are you in the siding business or the exterior building materials business? One of the latest unique uses of Cheez Whiz comes from a California fishing lure and bait company that sells Cheez Whiz in a prepackaged bait application, and it buys Cheez Whiz in 55 gallon drums.

Many small businesses limit their sales reach and distribution to on-site, over-the-counter sales, but ecommerce can enhance your market reach, customer base and sales volume.

Let Others Sell Your Private-Label Products
By allowing distributors, wholesalers, big box stores and competitors to sell your products under their own label (also known as a white label product), you may be able to realize the benefits of increased production volume, including reduced unit cost, increased fixed-cost amortization possibilities, and increased sales revenue, all of which can bring significant bottom line growth to a small business.

There are a number of proprietary property licensing firms servicing companies of all sizes. These are easily found online if you search for "Technology Licensing".

Conversely, if your firm has developed and patentedproprietary technology that you want to license to others, an out-license firm will search for businesses interested in buying a license for the technology or innovation from your firm for their own use.

Improve Productivity and Efficiency through Enterprise Management Software
Enterprise management software integrates your company's existing and separate business functions and project tracking into one system.

Align Your Products and Services With Popular Values and Trends
You may be able to align your company brand, products and services with local festivals, sports teams, known tourism sites, etc., to piggyback on their advertising, promotions and branding. A small business can often benefit from identifying with "hot" issues.

Make Use of Clubs, Associations and your Competitors
Present your products and services to organizations with members who could be customers. It's called "destination marketing".

Co-competition and "clustering" with competitors can be a breakout technique that works to increase your business.