So, you have the entrepreneurial spirit but not a lot of tech know-how? Despite all of the high-tech startups that have popped up in recent years, there are still plenty of small business options out there that don’t require you to know the difference between CSS and QR codes. Below are low tech business ideas you can start this year.
Editor’s note: watch a video featuring 10 of these non tech startup ideas.
Our Methodology: Low Tech Business Ideas
Here’s the methodology we used to assess potential low-tech business opportunities:
Market Demand and Practicality (Rating: 9/10)
We began by assessing the practical needs of various markets. Low-tech businesses often thrive by offering essential services or products that don’t require complex technology, such as cleaning services, home repairs, or gardening.
Investment and Operational Simplicity (Rating: 8/10)
We focused on business ideas that require minimal technological investment and have straightforward operational procedures. This includes businesses that can be managed with basic tools or equipment and simple processes.
Skill and Craftsmanship Emphasis (Rating: 8/10)
Low-tech businesses often rely on personal skill or craftsmanship. We considered ideas that capitalize on the entrepreneur’s existing skills or crafts, such as carpentry, baking, or tailoring.
Community and Local Market Focus (Rating: 7/10)
We looked for business ideas that cater to local communities or can leverage local markets effectively. This includes services like local tour guides, community event planning, or local artisanal product sales.
Sustainability and Eco-friendliness (Rating: 7/10)
Sustainability is often a key aspect of low-tech businesses. We prioritized ideas that are eco-friendly and sustainable, aligning with the growing consumer preference for green and ethical practices.
Flexibility and Lifestyle Fit (Rating: 8/10)
Given the diverse nature of low-tech businesses, we evaluated ideas based on their flexibility and fit with the entrepreneur’s lifestyle, including the ability to manage the business part-time or seasonally.
Profitability and Growth Potential (Rating: 7/10)
Finally, we assessed the profitability and potential for growth. We looked for low-tech business ideas that offer steady income potential and the opportunity for gradual growth or expansion.
Low Tech Business Ideas
Cleaning Business
All you need to start your own cleaning business is a stockpile of cleaning supplies and access to clients, which you can gain through word of mouth, flyers or classified ads if you don’t want to set up your own website.
Flea Market Vending
Flea markets are filled with a huge variety of different vendors. You can sell basically anything from vintage housewares to jewelry that you made yourself.
Day Care
Running a child care service out of your home just requires you to have some experience working with kids and a safe home environment to care for them throughout the day.
Lawn Mowing
You can start a business providing lawn care services to people in your area. You just need a lawnmower and a vehicle to get you from place to place.
Errand Service
Busy people could often use some help with their day-to-day tasks. Starting an errand service means you can charge people to take care of things like grocery shopping, dry cleaning and other odd jobs.
Wedding Consulting
If you enjoy planning and organizing events, you might consider starting a wedding consulting business. This mainly requires you to plan and facilitate with various vendors and service providers.
Wholesale Bakery
You could start a baking business where you create dessert items at home and sell them wholesale to local bakeries or restaurants. You’ll need to learn first about regulations in your community for commercial food preparation, however
Dog Walking Service
If you love being outside and hanging out with animals, you can put up some flyers around your community offering your services as a dog walker.
Estate Sale Service
Those who have lost loved ones or need to move and sell many of their possessions often need help setting up estate sales. If you have some knowledge about antiques and selling used items, you may be able to offer your services in this capacity.
Personal Chef Service
If you enjoy cooking but don’t necessarily want to start a whole restaurant, you could become a personal chef and prepare meals for a client or clients in their home or yours.
Food Kiosk
Whether you want to start a roadside pretzel stand or operate a taco or other food truck, there are plenty of opportunities to sell food items on a small, sometimes even mobile scale.
Pool Cleaning
Pool owners often hire professionals to keep their pools clean and ready for use throughout the summer. This requires some experience or know-how, but not much in the way of technology.
Clothing Alterations
If you have some sewing skills, you could offer your services to people who need repairs or alterations to their garments.
Car Wash
Whether you want to set up an entire car washing business or just raise some extra money on occasion, car washing can be a great money making opportunity that requires little to no tech knowledge.
Packing Service
For people who are planning to move but don’t want to go through the trouble of packing their belongings, you can offer that service to them for a fee.
House Sitting
For travelers, hiring a house sitter can offer peace of mind. And offering those services doesn’t require you to do anything tech-related, though there are some websites that let you advertise your availability.
Custom Embroidery Service
If you enjoy embroidering and have the supplies to do so, you can offer your services to people who want to add their business logo, initials, or any other details to their clothing or accessories.
Interior Decorating Service
Helping clients design and decorate their homes can be a fun business opportunity for design-oriented entrepreneurs. And though there are some online tools that can help with those processes, it isn’t as necessary as a keen eye for design.
Personal Training
If you love getting in shape and helping others do the same, you can offer your services out of your home or a local gym.
Tutoring
You can start a tutoring business that helps local students with a particular subject, test or area of study.
Personal Shopping
Clients who need some help picking out outfits or creating a budget for their purchases may be interested in the services of a personal shopper. Starting this type of service mainly just requires an interest in shopping and some fashion sense.
Recycling Service
A lot of people don’t know how or don’t want to go through the trouble of recycling large items like computers. So you could offer the service of picking up those items for a fee and taking them to the proper recycling outlets.
Pet Sitting
Travelers with pets are particularly likely to want someone to come to their home or look after their dogs or cats. You can offer this service to people you know and let your client base grow out from there.
Handyman Service
If you’re good with tools and home repairs, you can offer general handyman services to people in your area who need help with various home projects.
Home Care
Elderly people often need help with basic functions like laundry, grocery shopping and getting to and from appointments. You can offer your services as a home care provider to help them take care of some of those tasks on a regular basis.
Tour Guide Service
If you have a lot of knowledge about your local community and love sharing that knowledge with others, you can consider starting a tour guide service to show people around.
Yoga Instruction
Teaching yoga can be a rewarding career that requires little to no technology. You can teach out of a studio or even set one up in your own home.
Translation Service
Businesses, individuals and even government entities often hire translators to communicate with people in various other languages. If you are fluent in any other languages, you may be able to offer your services to different clients.
Antique Sales
You can sell various antique items at antique fairs, antique mall booths or even in your own store.
Aquarium Maintenance
People who own fish, lizards, snakes or any other animals that live in tanks or aquariums are likely to need some maintenance services at some point. If that’s the type of work you enjoy, you can provide those services in people’s homes or place of business.
Window Washing
If you enjoy being outside and cleaning, a window washing business might be the right fit for you. You just need some cleaning supplies and outdoor equipment if you plan to work on multi-story buildings.
Gardening
Another great fit for anyone who loves working outside, working as a gardener would allow you to work for residential or business clients to improve their outdoor plant life.
Event Planning
Similar to wedding coordinators, event planners work with clients to plan and organize the various aspects of their events. You can work with an even bigger array of clients by being open to the types of events you’ll work on.
Craft Fair Vending
If you can make anything from clothing to candles, you can work on creating those items in your home or workshop and then travel to different craft fairs in your community or around the world to sell them.
Childproofing Service
When people have children or even just welcome child visitors into their homes, it can help to have an expert come over to make sure that everything is safe and childproof.
Car Detailing
Car owners will pay a premium price for someone who’s able to not only wash the outside of their cars, but also clean out the entire inside from top to bottom.
Florist
Being a florist allows you to work with different flowers and plants to make arrangements that your customers will love.
Hair Stylist
If you have a cosmetology certification, you can start your own business as a hairstylist, offering cut, color and various other styling services.
Makeup Artist
Or you can work as a makeup artist, welcoming clients to your own space or even traveling to work with them.
House Painting
You can offer house painting services to clients who need interior and/or exterior work done one their homes or businesses.
Greenhouse
Love plants? You can start your own greenhouse where you care for various outdoor and houseplants and sell them to customers.
Moving Service
If you have a large vehicle and a strong team, you can offer full moving services to customers in your area.
Woodworking Service
From furniture to birdhouses, you can build a huge variety of items out of wood. Then you can sell those items to local businesses or at craft fairs or flea markets.
Canning Business
Canning allows you to preserve different types of food items so that you can ship them to customers or even sell them wholesale to local businesses.
Photo Restoration
Old photos tend to fade and show other signs of ware and tear over time. It takes some specialized expertise, but you can work to restore certain types of photos without going fully digital.
Laundry Service
For students, elderly people or even busy families, you can offer a service that helps with their regular laundry so they don’t have to worry about it.
Resume Writing
Young professionals or people who haven’t job hunted in years often look for assistance when compiling their resumes. You can offer some assistance and feedback to clients working on things like resumes and cover letters.
Soap Making
With just a few ingredients and supplies, you can make your own soap with various scents and specialties and sell them to local beauty or home stores, or even at craft events.
Nutritionist
If you have some knowledge about food and dieting, you can work with clients to give them some input on their nutrition.
Proofreading Service
You can also offer your services as a proofreader for things like articles, grants, resumes or even school assignments.
Work-Life Balance: Navigating the Challenges of Low-Tech Entrepreneurship
While the allure of low-tech business ideas is undeniable, it’s important to recognize the unique challenges that come with these ventures, especially in terms of work-life balance. Aspiring entrepreneurs often dive into such ventures to escape the complexities of technology but might find themselves grappling with different hurdles. This section explores strategies to strike a harmonious balance between running a low-tech business and maintaining a fulfilling personal life.
- Define Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. Since low-tech businesses often require hands-on effort, it’s crucial to set specific working hours to prevent burnout and maintain quality relationships.
- Leverage Efficiency: Despite the absence of advanced technology, seek ways to streamline your operations. Optimize your workflow by identifying repetitive tasks that can be systematized, allowing you to focus on strategic decisions and nurturing your business.
- Delegate and Collaborate: Recognize that even low-tech businesses can benefit from teamwork. Whether through hiring part-time help, collaborating with family members, or partnering with like-minded individuals, sharing responsibilities can ease the workload.
- Prioritize Self-Care: Operating a business, regardless of its tech level, demands energy and dedication. Prioritize self-care through regular exercise, adequate sleep, and time for hobbies. A healthier you will lead to a more resilient business.
- Embrace Flexibility: While low-tech businesses may not be as time-sensitive as some tech startups, embrace flexibility to adapt to unforeseen challenges. A flexible mindset can help you navigate market changes and personal obligations.
- Leverage Networking: Attend local business events, trade shows, and meetups to connect with other entrepreneurs. Sharing experiences and advice can be invaluable for maintaining your enthusiasm and overcoming obstacles.
- Automate What You Can: Although your business may be low-tech, there are still areas where automation can help. Consider using tools like appointment scheduling apps, bookkeeping software, or even basic email marketing.
- Regular Reflection: Set aside time periodically to reflect on your progress and adjust your goals. This practice can help you stay aligned with your vision and make necessary changes to achieve a more balanced lifestyle.
| Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Define Boundaries | Establish clear work-personal life boundaries to prevent burnout and maintain relationships. |
| Leverage Efficiency | Streamline operations by identifying systematizable tasks, freeing time for strategic decisions. |
| Delegate and Collaborate | Utilize teamwork through hiring, family collaboration, or partnerships to alleviate workload. |
| Prioritize Self-Care | Ensure personal well-being with exercise, sleep, and hobbies, contributing to a resilient business. |
| Embrace Flexibility | Adapt to challenges with a flexible mindset, navigating market changes and personal obligations. |
| Leverage Networking | Connect with entrepreneurs through local events and trade shows, sharing experiences and advice. |
| Automate What You Can | Utilize basic automation tools for tasks like scheduling, bookkeeping, and email marketing. |
| Regular Reflection | Set aside time for periodic reflection to align with your vision and make adjustments for balance. |
Remember that entrepreneurship, irrespective of its tech quotient, requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to learn and adapt. By combining your passion for your chosen low-tech venture with effective strategies for maintaining balance, you can create a business that not only thrives but also contributes positively to your overall quality of life.
Feature Image: Depositphotos.com
Mop, Wedding, Dessert Kiosk, Man in House, Shopper, Tour Guide, Window Washer, Auto Detailing, Greenhouse, Laundry Photos via Shutterstock
If you do the gardening or greenhouse ideas, you could also branch out to farmers’ markets where you could sell the produce from your gardening efforts as well. People love supporting local growers and the quality of product at a farmers’ market is much higher than supermarket fare.
Great point!
Hello everybody I am Sultan from Kazakhstan what kind of small business I can start in kazahkstan can someone give me advice
Who says you need technology in order to start? Some people even enter paralysis from just not starting just because there is not enough technology or the technology they currently have is not as updated.
There’s not one right path – some people find success with really high tech ideas and others can go more old school.
All of these are excellent ideas, and really go to show that you don’t need some groundbreaking new idea to start a business. Just pick one of these ideas that appeals to you and put yourself out there, and you’re already ahead of all the other people who are still in the “thinking about starting a business” phase (a phase that never ends for most people).
Hi David.
I’m so impressed by what you mentioned. That was inspiring.I have to say; THANK YOU BROTHER.
Great post Annie!
Do you think too many aspiring entrepreneurs are trying to create the next big mobile/web app these days? Seems like there are tons of proven/simpler businesses that may be more suited for beginner entrepreneurs like the ones you’ve mentioned in this post!
It’s amazing how you can have a business even if you are not working with technology. This shows that as long as you have the will to be of service to people, then you can create a business out of it.
Great list. I would also add private chef/cook. If you live near a metropolitan area with highly paid, but very busy professionals, there is a great need for people to prepare home-cooked meals for them.
And of course, there is always selling digital products. No significant delivery costs and even the product creation may happen with the use of free products.
Last addition, anything where you provide the platform and other people provide the content. Take Task Rabbit. That business is just a listing service that takes a cut of all transactions. Genius!
There are so many possibilities like this. In fact, there is so much opportunity for making good money with little start up cost, that I think people need to get their mindset straight first and foremost. The opportunity is there, but if you’re feeling like a beggar, asking, “What can I make money at,” instead of a success asking, “What do I most want to do that brings me money?” you’ll miss your golden ticket. Come from a place of fullness, confidence, and enthusiasm with an intent to make money in a way that’s stimulating and fun to you, and then just add the business knowledge you need to make a success of it into the mix. If you apply yourself consistently, you’ll have the same successes you see others having.
Well said and very true Indigo!
I agree that you must choose a business that your passionate about so you never feel your working rather just doing your hobby. Always start at the minimum amount of capital, buy used machines etc. some town offers some subsidies to to increase jobs in their town. Check your town’s websites – good luck!
Indigo that’s very true.
Most of us do what we do for the money and forget about the love for it, then we intend quite in someway.
the best we must all do is starting a business we are in love with, then the passion we have for it will expose us and the business together to great height.
Thanks for these ideas. Really helpful. The best thing is these doesn’t require much capital.
what a detail post. it cover all the opportunities of part time business. thanks 🙂
Nice article, very informative. Please share any IT (eg: IT Services) related business ideas. I am also one of them who just thinks, instead of doing something :). But looking forward to start something soon.
All of these businesses suck.
I’ve been in the cleaning business for 28 years. It’s not a bad biz to be in. I enjoy helping people start their own cleaning business. Visit mycleaningbiz.com to learn more.
Hello there Scott I am wondering do I need to have a special cleaning license to be able to start my own cleaning business
I “accidentally” came across this great post. Several of my clients are actually doing business with many of the ideas listed here. My business is to help their business by providing a smorgasbord of services in ONE convenient, trustworthy location. Please visit Jen Williams International at JenWilliamsIntl.com. We’d be more than happy to help!
Jennipher ? Just when you thought all possible spelling options had been exhausted. Wow.
Excellent ideas shared by the team and its with going through the same. These business are really supportive and one can implement it for their own extra source of income to support family.
Great article, thank you! If anyone is considering a business in the wedding industry, there is some great research on the average packages and pricing on the Wedlockers blog.
Hey, great list! LaunchScore estimates the earnings potential of 800+ business types in 750 U.S. cities. Unlike most lists, LaunchScore provides a custom earnings estimate that takes into account the market conditions in each city.
Hi, I am Sandeep Chauhan, now I am trying to start a small business. I am from Delhi(India). But I can share my knowledge in Delhi for whom people who are interested in visiting in Delhi’s Historical Places.
Kind regards
Sandeep Chauahan
I like the the soap making business the most but there are great ideas.
I’m really motivated, thanks for the list of businesses that you have shared Annie.
KINDLY TELL ME HOW TO START A SMALL BUSINESS WITH SMALL MONEY …
please tell me how to start a cleaning business with small money were to start