41 Small Business Ideas for Beginners in 2020

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Which small business ideas would you recommend for beginners in 2020?

I recently got this question from a readers of this blog. And I thought, why not write a whole post around it and give as many small business ideas as possible?

That’s why in today’s business ideas post, instead of the usual under 10 ideas, we are doing 33 small business ideas. We will continue updating the list until you find simple business ideas to pursue in 2020.

If it is your first time here, welcome to Joon Small Business Ideas of 2020 and we hope you get the help you need.

Happy New Year.

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33 Best Small Businesses for Starters in 2020

1. Website design

Did you know that in 2019 website design was the leading online freelance job that had the most opportunities globally?Click To Tweet

Well, this can be attributed to the fact that almost all companies in this age want to have an online presence and what better way is there to be online than to have a business website?

And because everyone wants to have a website it is easier to start a web design business and to make money developing websites for others.

Interestingly, you will not need any capital for this kind of business.

If anything, you will only need a laptop which I assume you already have and the will to market yourself online.

2. Start a Childcare/Creche Service

If you love being with kids and you have the ability and health to take care of toddlers then why not start a creche service in 2020.

You can rent a two bedroom house in your neighborhood, design it to have the feel of children; equip it with toys beds and children play stuff.

Lastly, get all the licences required to run a childcare service and jump into business.

It is as easy as that.

3. Start Trading Forex

Just like the physical trading of goods and services, currency trading is a great way to make online.

Pdf eBook For Xm Forex — **Download eBook**

In fact, it worked so well for so many people in 2019 and that’s why I’m including it here.

Currency trading involves the buying of one currency and simultaneously selling another.

When you buy a currency in Forex, you are predicting that the asset which you are trading will rise above your strike price. If it does, you make profits.

On the same note, when you sell currency pairs your prediction is, the asset will fall below your market entry point. If it does, you make profits.

You can start trading with $10 only but $100 would be ideal for considerable profits.

Recommended broker – Olymp Trade

4. Start a Photography Business

Photography is one of those small business startups that you can pursue in 2020 with almost zero capital.

Not only does it require little capital to start, it is easy to run and to sell to clients.

In fact, you only need to serve your first photography clients diligently and you will continue to get an influx of business based on word f mouth.

You can acquire new clients be promoting your portfolio on social media or even through your personal website.

If you like, you can also sell your photos on photo-stock websites to continue earning royalties long into your photography business.

5. Become an Accounting Consultant

Accountancy consultancy businesses involve managing income and expenses, processing payrolls, and preparing tax returns for business clients.

There are already billions of online and offline startups whose owners aren’t accountants and would very much appreciate help in book keeping.

To start this kind of business in 2020 would mean growing and being profitable in the shortest time possible.

You can also develop accountancy tools and earn by having your clients subscribe to use them.

Even easier, you can earn by auditing business books for smaller businesses and offering consultancy services.

6. Start Baking Classes and Earn by Teaching Newbie Bakers

Most people love baked products. But, sometimes mixing flour, eggs, sugar, butter or margarine and baking soda and baking doesn’t end up giving the desired results.

If you are a good baker with experience in making cakes, candy, bread, cookies, chocolates, custards, Frozen deserts… name it, you can start your own bakery business in 2020 and earn for coaching newbie bakers.

A full cake and decoration course in Kenya costs up to Ksh. 65,000 for a 35 week session of 140 hours.Click To Tweet

Isn’t this good money? Start your baking classes in 2020 and earn decently doing what you love.

7. Become a social media manager.

Social media management was a great way for management consultancy businesses to make money in 2019.

In 2020 you can still start a business in this space and make money managing social media accounts for small, medium sized and large companies.

As a social media manager, your job will be to develop relevant content topics to reach the company’s target customers; create, curate, and manage all published content (images, video, written and audio/podcast) for your clients among other social media duties.

In 2019 the average salary for a Social Media Manager in the US was $49,082 per yearClick To Tweet. Who knows what it will be in 2020?

Remember, $49,082 is an equivalent of Kenyan shillings – 4,969,464.15 at current rates. Who doesn’t want Ksh. 4M in 2020?

8. Jumia Business Ideas for Beginners – Become a Vendor in 2020

Did you know that at least 40% of sellers on Jumia make more than Ksh. 50,000 on the platform.

This means, for every 10 sellers listing on Jumia, 4 make Ksh. 50,000 or more.

If you have new products which you have been selling offline and they aren’t moving, bring your business online through Jumia vendor.

The platform will showcase your products to an average of 15,000,000 monthly visitors and when your goods are bough you are paid via Mpesa.

9. Start a House Painting Business

There are billions of building structures coming up in the world every year. These buildings need painting. If you can pull resources and bring painters together under s registered painting company, you can make money painting for local homeowners in your country.

10. Become a Musician

Kenyan music grew tremendously in 2019. And with growth came a new sound – gengetone.

Interestingly, gengetone is easier to sing and anyone with the ambition of becoming a musician can easily do it.

If you choose to start your business in music you can monetize your sound by uploading videos on YouTube and cashing in on rev-share for YouTube ads. Or even use platforms such as Viusasa for video and music distribution and make money.

11. Start an Event Planning Business in 2020

Are you good in organizing, communicating and planning occasions?

Well, in 2020 you can use your skill for a small business startup in even planning and organizing.

In this kind of business you will be putting together celebrations (fairs, parades, weddings, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries); conferences, meetings, graduations and Promotions (product launches, political rallies, fashion shows)Click To Tweet

Being that these types of events take place every year – all year long, you can be in business for so long.

12. Start a Wholesale Cosmetic Store

Like I have reiterated on my previous posts, the cosmetics business is lucrative.

So profitable that you would easily become rich overnight selling common stuff like: – Primer, lip balm and lipstick, concealer, face powder, mascara, highlights and eye shadows… to name but a few.

You could decide to start small in 2020 – doing retail but if you have enough money to stock for wholesale, do it.

You can import cosmetic products from china, buy wholesale in Alibaba or make your own. Create your own cosmetics line.

13. Start a Small Business for Makeup Artistry

With so many artists coming up and doing videos which they wish to monetize, you could become their makeup artist and make money for making them look good in front of screens.

And the target market for makeup artistry is not limited to musicians, you can do make up in weddings, for vixens, at salons or to a specific target audience you resonate with.

To make your makeup business stand out; market your hustle, understand your client’s needs, establish yourself as an expert, attend makeup artistry fairs. And even more important, Create and post make tutorial videos online to showcase your dexterity.

14. Become a t-shirt Designer and Printer

T shirt business ideas — *Joon Business Ideas – Small business ideas for beginners*

T-shirt designing and printing is another best startup business that you can go for in 2020.

Unlike most businesses in this list, it is an easy fit and it does not require much capital to start.

As a mater of fact, you only need to have a website (Build a Website With $59) ; design the merchandise you wish to sell, upload on your website and print on demand.

You can do this for other merchandise such as hoodies, bags and more.

15. Go for Agricultural Initiatives

If you are in place with good climate, fertile land and favors all the factors of agricultural production then start farming.

Unknown to many young people in Kenya, Agriculture related businesses are great ways to make money.

In fact, Agriculture contributes 26 per cent of the Kenyan Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and another 27 per cent of GDP indirectly through linkages with other sectors. Click To Tweet

In essence, the agricultural sector employs more than 40 per cent of the total population and more than 70 per cent of Kenya’s rural people.

This means, the agricultural sector has a ready market for entrepreneurs and you would not be disappointed starting your business here in 2020.

It don’t have to be farming related, it can start an agrovet, a fertilizer distribution business, keep bees or weave baskets for sale.

15. Start an Office Supplies Business

Supplies for the office business is a simple startup idea that’s untapped in Kenya. However, it is so lucrative and can earn you millions of dollars over time.

You only need to find out which office supplies are fast moving, where to source the supplies cheaply, which businesses, organizations, institutions and/or government agencies to supply to.

To get an idea of office supplies frequently used by businesses, check this list.

List of supplies for offices

General office supplies – Pens, Pencils, Folders, Binders, Printer paper, Notebooks, Planners, Calendar, Staplers, Staples, Scissors, Calculator, Paperclips, Post-It notes, Markers, Binder clips, Highlighters, Glue, Rubber bands, Desk organizer, Tape and Printer ink.

More supplies for the office – Computers, Laptops, Smartphones, Tablets, Wireless router, Printer, Copier, Scanner, Shredder, External hard drives, Thumb drives, Surge protectors, Phone system, Filing cabinets, Files, Shelves, Bins, Drawer dividers, Envelopes, Stationery, Padded envelopes, Boxes, Packing tape, Mailing labels, Bubble wrap and Stamps

16. Start Selling on Marketplace Apps

If you have merchandise you want to sell but you don’t have money to setup a physical location, you could join buying and selling apps and earn profits selling your merchandise online.

Examples of marketplace apps in Kenya include: – JiJi, Jumia, Kilimall, Pigiame, Cheki and Muthurwa.com. But globally, there are more apps to look out for.

The best selling and buying apps to sell your products on in 2020

Ebay
Etsy
Faebook Marketplace
Cplus for craigslist
Crousell
LetGo
OfferUp
Vinted
Depop
Boxes
Social Sell
Nearme
Tradiyo
Cashify

Apps for buying and selling clothes

Poshmark
Threadflip
Listia
Mercari
Everdrobe
Depop
Threadup

Apps for Buying and Selling Cars

Used cars search pro
Carmax
Autotrader
Endmund’s
Car buying
Truecar
Instamotor
Cars.com
Autolist
Car buying guide
Cheki
JiJi
Pigiame
Jumia deals
Carsearch

17. Start Instagram Businesses in 2020

Instagram businesses are businesses which you can start on Instagram and grow to profitability. And unlike brick and motor businesses, you only need to have active account followers and engaged following and an interested audience to market to.

By running businesses on Instagram there are influencers who earn up to Ksh. 3,000,000 per post.

Examples of influencers who run Instagram businesses and earn decently are: –

David Chang – blogging about food, has a million plus followers with a cost per post of $1,300

– Cezar Gonzalez – has an Instagram business for food, a million plus followers with a cost per post of $2450

Martha Stweart – has an Instagram business for food, a million plus followers with a cost per post of $2500

– Joe Wicks – has an Instagram business for food, 2M plus followers with a cost per post of $2650

Tara Milk Tea – has a Travel Instagram business, a million plus followers with a cost per post of $3000

– Amanda Stele – has an Instagram business for beauty, 2 million plus followers with a cost per post of $4200

Khole Kardashian – is a celebrity with 76 million plus followers and a cost per post of $480,000

– Dwayne Johnson – is a celebrity with 116 million plus followers and a cost per post of $650,000

Types of businesses to start in Instagram in 2020

Product review
Instagram manager
Affiliate marketing
Selling digital products
Stock photography
Prop styling
Instagram food channel
Fashion blogger
DIY expert
Baker
Food blogging
Travel blogging
Lifestyle blogging
Hair styling
Graphic design businesses
Info-graphic design business
Music
Animation
Brand ambassador
Event organizer
Photo editor

Name it…

18. Start an eCommerce Business

An eCommerce business is a business which allows the buying and selling of goods and services over the internet.

Funds are also shared electronically over the internet.

Primarily, an eCommerce transaction could happen between a business and a business or a business and a customer.

Examples of the most popular business to business (B2B) platforms in the world include: –

eJuices – which helps sellers sell direct
Baby Tula for wholesalers
Shopify
BigCommerce
Magento
WooCommerce
3dcart
Wix

Name it

Examples of business to consumer eCommerce platforms that you can start in 2020 include: –

Jumia
Kilimall
Vituzote
Masoko
Jenttman
SkyGarden
Electrohub
Travelstart
Cheki
Avechi
Mimi
Eatout

If you have a few hundred dollars to start an eCommerce business, don’t spend it all on website design.

Because it doesn’t end at having the best website. After designing the website and posting your products, you will have to market the website to get traffic and to sell.

eCommerce businesses are as much business ideas from home as they are businesses that you can pay office spaces for.

19. Join The Airbnb Business for Renting Out Rooms & Houses

If you have a house which often spends the whole year empty and unattended, and you only get to use it in December when you go back to the village for holidays, rent it out.

You can list it for holiday renting on platforms such as Virbo, Airbnb, Vacasa… name it.

And the process is simple. Just sign up for an account, upload your house for renting then wait for these sites to do the magic.

In 2019 Airbnb reported over 500 million shillings paid to Kenyans who turned their houses into holiday rooms.

You could also earn with this business in 2020.

20. Start Your Blogging Business

If you like sharing your views, airing other people’ grievances or generally helping others grow, why not start your blogging business in 2020?

Much as it can take time to grow an audience and to become perfect doing it, you will eventually get there with consistency.

Personally I only started blogging in 2018. And in my first year on the blogging business I almost did $15,000 in revenue.Click To Tweet

Interestingly, a blog is something you can build on your own. From scratch. But if you need help with the development process, you can also opt to pay me to help you.

Here’s what you get form the deal if I help you contract me

And it will only cost you $100

21. Become a Voice over Artist.

As a voice over artist your job will be to narrate scripts for ads, movies, YouTube videos or in poetic music.

It’s much like being a speaking ghost.

You can start the voice artistry business on your own in 2020. Only you may have challenges getting clients to work with for starters.

Not to worry though, there are a number of freelancing sites working with voice over artists on rev share basis.

They even take kids for kid roles.

Example: – backstage, kidscasting and mandy.com

22. Start a Business for Teaching English Abroad and Online

Joon Business Ideas for Beginners — *Joon Business Ideas – Small Business Ideas for Beginners*

If you are fluent in English or have a degree in linguistics you can start an online teaching business for English language.

This opportunity is also available for those who want to leave the country and go teach English in Foreign countries.

However, you’d then need to take a certification for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (also known as TEFL)

Not to worry though, you will be paid to travel if you opt to relocate, you will get international work experience in your CV and through experience, cultural awareness and interacting with the global community; you can become proficient on other international languages too.

What you’ll need to teach English Abroad in 2020

A bachelor’s degree
TEFL certificate
A passport from an English-speaking country

23. Start a Barbershop and Salon Business

While these are two different businesses which you can start separately, if you have a fixed budget that would not allow you to rent different business premises; just have everything under one roof.

This might even turn out to be a competitive advantage if you get a family that wants to spend time together while taking care of their hair business. Because then you can serve all of them at the same place.

24. Start an Interior Design Business

Interior design business for 2020 — *Joon Business Ideas – Small Business Ideas for Beginners*

Starting an interior design business doesn’t require you to have a degree in interior design, but having any certification in this field would be a competitive edge for business.

With such certifications in place you can get more jobs and earn well, over $50,000 early decorating the interiors of homes and businesses.

25. Become a Graphics Designer

Small businesses in this era need graphic designers to help them convey information visually: – through logos, advertisements, websites and posters.

And there are quite a number of them (new and existing businesses).

A simple logo designed in Kenya goes for as little as $65 and could cost $100 max.

If you have designing skills, start a business for graphic designing and earn up to Ksh. 5,000,000 in 2020.

26. Start a Copywriting Business in 2020

Business Ideas for Writing Services — *Joon Business Ideas – Small Business Ideas for Beginners*

Copywriting involves writing texts for the purpose of advertising and other forms of marketing.

These texts are aimed at increasing brand awareness and to persuade the target audience to take action on either: – buying products, subscribing to services…

To get your business up and running and to become an authority copywriter, you need to have a degree in marketing, English, advertising, or communication.

But guess what, if you have enough money to start the business and to employ people who are qualified, no one will care about your personal qualification.

And you can make more than Ksh. 5,000,000 yearly running your own copywriting business in 2020.

27. Start a Courier Service Business in 2020

Courier service business ideas — *Joon Business Ideas – Small Business Ideas for Beginners*

If you live in Nairobi and you have a bike or at least a hundred thousand shillings to buy one, consider starting a local courier service in 2020.

Offer bike pick up and drop offs for retail stores and if business starts booming, get more bikes to scale your business.

28. Video Production Business Ideas for Beginners

Not so long ago I started a YouTube channel for this blog. That’s because in 2020 we want to produce as many blogging, freelance and Forex videos as text content.

But do you know what our problem is, we are not video producers; neither are we video editors. And guess where that puts us with our video projects, business process outsourcing.

If you start a video production business in 2020, you can work for us and for very many other businesses facing the same challenge.

Make sure you have video production equipment to charge better rates.

29. Make Furniture

Furniture business Idea for 2020 — *Joon business Ideas – small business ideas for beginners*

Unlike all the other small businesses in this list that require low income to start, the furniture business may require way more capital to start.

At least Ksh. 500,000 for the first display furniture. You can make the rest on order to make your profits.

In Kenya you just need to identify a good location by the side of a busy road. Build a temporary furniture showroom and boom. You are in business.

30. Electronic Repair Business Ideas for Beginners

An average electronic repair personnel makes $57,890 plus yearly. Guess what this business stat portrays, businesses which employ these electronic repair personnel make way more.

In 2020 you can start your own electronic repair store to take a share of this lucrative market.

You don’t need to be an electronic repair person yourself, you can hire skilled people locally to work for you.

31. Become an App Designer

*Joon Business Ideas – small business ideas for beginners*

App designing businesses were popular in the ended decade. And they are still needed in 2020.

If you have skills in software development why not make apps to make money in 2020?

Since there are apps for almost anything, just make sure that whatever idea you decide to perfect, you make it more interesting.

You can then earn passive income off your app monetization and possibly become a millionaire doing what you love.

32. Start a Tour Agency Business

While this kind of business takes too long to break even – due competition by major players and seasonality, tour and guide agency is a good business to start in 2020.

Especially since the political, social and economic conditions in most African counties are good.

Interestingly, you will only need money for connectivity, rent and a laptop to start.

To start long in this kind of business though, you will need to market your business, device ways to retain existing clients and find a competitive advantage over the rest of the agents in business.

33. Start a Consultancy Service for Anything

If you are a professional in your field, why not start a consultancy service in 2020?

If you studied business in the university, become a business consultant – for those in accountancy, become accounting consultants…

34. Phone Accessories Business

A phones and phone accessories business is another best business to start in kenya in 2020.

Unknown to many people, selling phones and phone accessories is as much profitable as selling grocery in malls. And you can start this kind of business with as little as Ksh. 500,000 and grow it over time.

A tip for success in this kind of business is to sell genuine products and at affordable prices.

35. Computers Business

If you are koko about tech and you’d like to start a small business in 2020, why not sell computers?

New are refurbished computers are easy to come by in wholesales in Nairobi and the profit margins are quite good too.

On average, you can make up to Ksh. 5,000 from sales of a single machine.

36. Become a Virtual Assistant

The virtual assistance business is one of the small business ideas that Kenyans started in 2019.

In 2020 you can still become a virtual assistant and make money as a self employed person providing professional administrative, technical, or creative (social) assistance to clients remotely from your home office.

Ideally, a virtual assistant is paid between a dollar and $100 per hour.

I doubt you don’t want to make $100 and hour on the side.

37. Social Media Management

Social media management is one of those great businesses to start in Kenya in 2020.

It does not need any capital and you can work remotely — doing things as simple as updating Facebook on behalf of a client, replying to Facebook messages; engaging clients on Instagram and often times creating and spearheading campaigns.

The gig is a no brainier and it pays between $15 and $50 per hour.

38. Become a Google Paid Ads Specialist

There are lots of online and offline businesses that need traffic to their businesses so badly but haven’t quite figured how to achieve this.

The best thing, they are willing to pay for whatever it costs to get attention to their products, brands, offers and sometimes the entire business.

If you know how google paid ads runs, you can become a paid ads specialist and these businesses grow by advising clients or even running ads for them.

As a google paid ads specialist you can earn between $100 and $200 an hour or even more if the project is huge.

39. Start Your Property Management Agency

Property management is one of the best business ideas in kenya that isn’t 100% exploited.

Property agents earn commission for property management and rent collection. Often 10% of rental value.

If you can convince landlords to trust you with their buildings and their cash then this is a great business to start in 2020.

40. Sell Gigs on Fiver

If you are new to freelancing and you’d like to earn without so much experience online then Fiver might just be the platform to sign up for.

In Fiver you will be able to complete simple tasks that range from logo design, to creating animations, or websites and get paid well for your efforts.

41. Start an Online Dating Consultancy Service

Did you know that Tinder, the number 1 dating site in the world has 57 million users from across the world?

Do you know what else is true?

4.1 million Tinder subscribers pay for a premium Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold.

This goes to show that very many people find it difficult to find dates and would go an extra mile – even paying for dating services to get help.

With all these in mind, why not start your own online dating consultancy service to help these people and to be paid in the process?

Plus, it would be fun.

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