Having a business of our own is a dream that is very obvious and common all throughout. With the rise in startups and funding options, the market is blooming with successful entrepreneurs. And rightly so! But many ambitious people are seen dropping out of their dream of building a business only because of the funds involved in setting up one! We forget to acknowledge that the idea if planned and executed well, is strong enough to pull in all the investments.

Both Facebook and Microsoft started as very small business ideas and we all know the fate of them in today’s world. The basic idea is to invest your idea and build your own brand out of it. There is a market for startups that is constantly evolving with different niches.

So for anybody looking to start small yet efficient, here’s a list of 10 small startups that you can build on your own as per the current scenario:

1. Blogging/ Vlogging

In the past few years of digitalization, this has emerged as one of the top-notch money-making investments. The cost involved is as meagre as it can get, but the returns are particularly amazing.

Before starting to blog, one has to invest in a domain name and hosting whereas, for vlogging in platforms like youtube, there is no money involved. All it takes is an expertise in any field and the confidence to present it in the best engaging way possible. Bloggers earn through a lot of collaborations and affiliate marketing whereas youtube itself pays it’s users when they reach a good set of engagement through content.

2. Baking

If baking is your passion, it can very well be your profession. Your only big investment is a good oven and then, your skills do the magic! If you’re enthusiastic about baking, you can prepare cakes, muffins, cookies, and homemade bakery items.

The market for this has huge potential as customers are always experimenting on taste and are looking for the best customization. By posting your bakery items online, you can directly connect with your customers and provide economical solutions as per your brand.

3. Stylist

With the rise in competition amongst folks to be more presentable, personal stylists stand a great chance in the market. Most everyday individuals are trying hard to keep a great profile at their display due to the increased demand for visibility.

Coordinating your makeup, your hair, and your dress for the perfect occasion calls for expert advice, and the expert advice comes with money! So put your styling sense on display and get yourself great customers.

4. Developer

This is one of the highest demanding markets if you have the skill for it! A new app or a website is getting developed all the time. From small businesses to public figures to bigger enterprises, everybody has an online presence for their brand. Web developers and App developers are hence, almost every entrepreneurs “go-to” person. The investment is null if knowledge is not counted as one if you already have a good system to back up your codes.

“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – John Wooden

5. Event Planning

Starting up with an event management company requires a dedicated human resource with a knack of marketing and networking skills. You could start your office at your home before you earn enough to expand it.

Event planning has become a need in almost every household to offices for it gives people the liberty to enjoy their event without thinking much of it. Event planning is hence a rescue measure nobody forgets to take!

6. Professional Photography

With Facebook and Instagram taking a toll on people, the demand for enriching and captivating pictures has hit people enormously.

People tend to pay chunks of money for video shoots and detailed photography to capture their big days. As a professional photographer, you are in demand for great projects!

7. Interior Designing

A dream home is always designed as per the customer’s choice. And today, almost every house purchased includes the customer getting its interior designed well for their convenience. Interior designers with a decent outreach in the market are a business of their own! The only requirement is to understand the needs and use your own creativity to earn out of it.

8. Food truck

Food at an affordable rate, and one that pleases your taste buds never goes out of fashion. A cafe or a restaurant is out of budget for most people, but renting a food truck along with a good cook is not only trendy but also a cheap investment.

Food trucks have been in the market for quite some time now and are a great spot for food lovers. A food truck also has an advantage of mobility and hence, is a great business idea that can attract crowds.

9. Tutoring

Are you good with understanding psychology and teaching methods? Then this is an exclusive business plan for anybody willing to invest the time. There is a need for quality learning methods and a greater understanding of subjects whether it is a school course, music, or an art. There is almost no investment in teaching except for the time spent. And hence, this is the most cost-effective business.

“Don’t think about your errors or failures; otherwise, you’ll never do a thing.” – Bill Murray

10. Travel agency

A home based travel agency would cost very little since it has to be tied up with a host agency. The time is such that most of the people are at least planning a tour once in a year on average. The cost of setting up a travel agency is less but the commission earned is really worth more than the investment. It is one such happy-go-lucky businesses out in the market!

Every business has its own share of failures and successes. There are a lot of myths associated with starting a new business that you will come across but you should be careful to ditch them. You will understand it only when you give it a try. Try something new, and you’ll never know where it might go.

Which one of these 10 startup ideas resonates most with you and why? Let us know your thoughts below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

Who said for a startup to become a success it must struggle for years? If planned and executed smartly, any startup can sail on the ship of success without any hurdles.

There are many myths associated with startups like ‘It has to be small because it is a startup,’ or ‘You just need an idea and the rest will follow,’ or even, ‘Investing in marketing or advertising for a startup is a waste”. Just because a startup is something new for you, doesn’t mean it’s new for people too.

There are thousands of others with your same idea already out there in the market. Hence, for your startup to climb the ladder of success as soon as you roll the dice, you better get the right figures i.e you better do what you need to do in the right manner and proportion. Confused? Let us make it more clear to you.

One of the most often quoted statistics is that 50% of all startups fail to survive even five years. And the reasons for their downfalls are so silly that later they repent only if they had taken care of it at the beginning itself, the startup could have survived. A post-mortem of 287 Startups was carried out by CBInsights among which, the common reasons of startup failure that emerged out were:

• Lack of focus, motivation, commitment and passion
• The eagerness of scaling too fast
• Floating with pride and spending a lot
• Ignoring good pieces of advice and falling into the wrong company
• Lack of general and domain-specific business knowledge: finance, operations, and marketing and experience
• Investing blunders and running out of cash
• Improper budgeting
• No getting market exposure
• Poor product/service
• No business plan/strategy
• No/Poor marketing
• Focusing only on profit and not on customers

For a startup to succeed, money and ideas are not enough, it needs a lot of input from your side as well to grow and survive, like your passion, commitment, willingness to adjust, patience and persistence, observation, relationship with all and basic knowledge and skill. But above all, professionalism is the most important factor. Starting small and new is nothing to be taken lightly. How you interact with your investors, clients or customers, matters, after all, they are the one who will make or break your startup.

Here are the 4 simple ways that will reflect your professionalism as well as turn your startup into a success:

1. Two heads are better than one

Go get a co-founder. Studies show that a startup with two founders significantly increases the odds of success. How? Because two balanced and fully invested partners can keep the startup going on their shoulders equally well. A co-founder means you will have someone to rely on, share the load, chip in during critical times, handle responsibilities, motivate each other and so on. In the end, so what you will have to share the fruit of success, at least your startup will have a balanced support which will prevent it from drowning in the future.

Take for example the Mistay Founder Pranav Prabhakar who believes that, “Multiple founders with complementary skills bring in wider perspective to the team. While taking key decisions and at high-pressure situations, it’s always preferable to have someone who can provide support and an alternative perspective,” and hence has Sandeep Jaiswal as the co-founder of Mistay.

According to Sandeep, ‘A co-founder makes it easy to navigate through tough times. A partner with complimenting skill-sets and different style of thinking is important to help avoid mistakes one would otherwise make, he stressed. So having a co-founder is like an extra support for your startup.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison, General Electric Co-founder

2. Get a website/app or both

If you are thinking an investment into web/app is a big waste of money, then hello, it’s 2018 and today from kids to oldies, everyone is constantly browsing either on a desktop/laptop or on mobile. Your potential customers, clients and investors are out there on all platforms and to make them learn about your startup, you must have a website or app of yours ready.

If you are still worried about the budget, for starters, host your site on WordPress which is the most popular CMS of the planet. Its versatility and possibilities are endless which you can take benefit of or go for professional pre-made website templates that easily available at affordable prices.

3. Let people know

Branding and marketing both are lifelines for a business and just because you are a startup doesn’t mean you can survive without them. Branding means establishing a professional presence in both online and offline medium. Make your company logo, colour and other identities visible everywhere as much as possible. Give your clients pens, diaries or other stationary items with your company logo, this will remind them of your great service.

Also, spend rightly on marketing even if you are running a single campaign, make it an effective one that creates an impact on the people. Don’t forget to check whether the market is right for your product/service. Marketing at the right time only will prove beneficial. For eg., marketing your summer clothes brand during winter is useless.

4. Deliver what you promised

Sticking with your word creates your professional image and even a slight slip in it will bring down your startup empire. Nothing is more irritating than a business failing to deliver what it promised. Don’t brag about anything it will only lose your potential customers, stain your reputation and in a worse scenario, get you in legal troubles. First, deliver what you told them you can gradually add and inform them if you wish to serve more. Until and unless, as a startup, don’t try to go overboard and create a mess of everything.

“Always deliver more than expected.” – Larry Page, Google Co-Founder

Turning an idea from concept to production is no cakewalk. The eagerness to establish into a giant is understandable, but, why take unnecessary big risks and crash in the end? Better study the market first, define what new you are giving, plan at its best, execute smartly and enjoy the rewards.

Having a business of our own is a dream that is very obvious and common all throughout. With the rise in startups and funding options, the market is blooming with successful entrepreneurs. And rightly so! But many ambitious people are seen dropping out of their dream of building a business only because of the funds involved in setting up one! We forget to acknowledge that the idea if planned and executed well, is strong enough to pull in all the investments.

Both Facebook and Microsoft started as very small business ideas and we all know the fate of them in today’s world. The basic idea is to invest your idea and build your own brand out of it. There is a market for startups that is constantly evolving with different niches.

So for anybody looking to start small yet efficient, here’s a list of 10 small startups that you can build on your own as per the current scenario:

1. Blogging/ Vlogging

In the past few years of digitalization, this has emerged as one of the top-notch money-making investments. The cost involved is as meagre as it can get, but the returns are particularly amazing.

Before starting to blog, one has to invest in a domain name and hosting whereas, for vlogging in platforms like youtube, there is no money involved. All it takes is an expertise in any field and the confidence to present it in the best engaging way possible. Bloggers earn through a lot of collaborations and affiliate marketing whereas youtube itself pays it’s users when they reach a good set of engagement through content.

2. Baking

If baking is your passion, it can very well be your profession. Your only big investment is a good oven and then, your skills do the magic! If you’re enthusiastic about baking, you can prepare cakes, muffins, cookies, and homemade bakery items.

The market for this has huge potential as customers are always experimenting on taste and are looking for the best customization. By posting your bakery items online, you can directly connect with your customers and provide economical solutions as per your brand.

3. Stylist

With the rise in competition amongst folks to be more presentable, personal stylists stand a great chance in the market. Most everyday individuals are trying hard to keep a great profile at their display due to the increased demand for visibility.

Coordinating your makeup, your hair, and your dress for the perfect occasion calls for expert advice, and the expert advice comes with money! So put your styling sense on display and get yourself great customers.

4. Developer

This is one of the highest demanding markets if you have the skill for it! A new app or a website is getting developed all the time. From small businesses to public figures to bigger enterprises, everybody has an online presence for their brand. Web developers and App developers are hence, almost every entrepreneurs “go-to” person. The investment is null if knowledge is not counted as one if you already have a good system to back up your codes.

“Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.” – John Wooden

5. Event Planning

Starting up with an event management company requires a dedicated human resource with a knack of marketing and networking skills. You could start your office at your home before you earn enough to expand it.

Event planning has become a need in almost every household to offices for it gives people the liberty to enjoy their event without thinking much of it. Event planning is hence a rescue measure nobody forgets to take!

6. Professional Photography

With Facebook and Instagram taking a toll on people, the demand for enriching and captivating pictures has hit people enormously.

People tend to pay chunks of money for video shoots and detailed photography to capture their big days. As a professional photographer, you are in demand for great projects!

7. Interior Designing

A dream home is always designed as per the customer’s choice. And today, almost every house purchased includes the customer getting its interior designed well for their convenience. Interior designers with a decent outreach in the market are a business of their own! The only requirement is to understand the needs and use your own creativity to earn out of it.

8. Food truck

Food at an affordable rate, and one that pleases your taste buds never goes out of fashion. A cafe or a restaurant is out of budget for most people, but renting a food truck along with a good cook is not only trendy but also a cheap investment.

Food trucks have been in the market for quite some time now and are a great spot for food lovers. A food truck also has an advantage of mobility and hence, is a great business idea that can attract crowds.

9. Tutoring

Are you good with understanding psychology and teaching methods? Then this is an exclusive business plan for anybody willing to invest the time. There is a need for quality learning methods and a greater understanding of subjects whether it is a school course, music, or an art. There is almost no investment in teaching except for the time spent. And hence, this is the most cost-effective business.

“Don’t think about your errors or failures; otherwise, you’ll never do a thing.” – Bill Murray

10. Travel agency

A home based travel agency would cost very little since it has to be tied up with a host agency. The time is such that most of the people are at least planning a tour once in a year on average. The cost of setting up a travel agency is less but the commission earned is really worth more than the investment. It is one such happy-go-lucky businesses out in the market!

Every business has its own share of failures and successes. There are a lot of myths associated with starting a new business that you will come across but you should be careful to ditch them. You will understand it only when you give it a try. Try something new, and you’ll never know where it might go.

Which one of these 10 startup ideas resonates most with you and why? Let us know your thoughts below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com

Who said for a startup to become a success it must struggle for years? If planned and executed smartly, any startup can sail on the ship of success without any hurdles.

There are many myths associated with startups like ‘It has to be small because it is a startup,’ or ‘You just need an idea and the rest will follow,’ or even, ‘Investing in marketing or advertising for a startup is a waste”. Just because a startup is something new for you, doesn’t mean it’s new for people too.

There are thousands of others with your same idea already out there in the market. Hence, for your startup to climb the ladder of success as soon as you roll the dice, you better get the right figures i.e you better do what you need to do in the right manner and proportion. Confused? Let us make it more clear to you.

One of the most often quoted statistics is that 50% of all startups fail to survive even five years. And the reasons for their downfalls are so silly that later they repent only if they had taken care of it at the beginning itself, the startup could have survived. A post-mortem of 287 Startups was carried out by CBInsights among which, the common reasons of startup failure that emerged out were:

• Lack of focus, motivation, commitment and passion
• The eagerness of scaling too fast
• Floating with pride and spending a lot
• Ignoring good pieces of advice and falling into the wrong company
• Lack of general and domain-specific business knowledge: finance, operations, and marketing and experience
• Investing blunders and running out of cash
• Improper budgeting
• No getting market exposure
• Poor product/service
• No business plan/strategy
• No/Poor marketing
• Focusing only on profit and not on customers

For a startup to succeed, money and ideas are not enough, it needs a lot of input from your side as well to grow and survive, like your passion, commitment, willingness to adjust, patience and persistence, observation, relationship with all and basic knowledge and skill. But above all, professionalism is the most important factor. Starting small and new is nothing to be taken lightly. How you interact with your investors, clients or customers, matters, after all, they are the one who will make or break your startup.

Here are the 4 simple ways that will reflect your professionalism as well as turn your startup into a success:

1. Two heads are better than one

Go get a co-founder. Studies show that a startup with two founders significantly increases the odds of success. How? Because two balanced and fully invested partners can keep the startup going on their shoulders equally well. A co-founder means you will have someone to rely on, share the load, chip in during critical times, handle responsibilities, motivate each other and so on. In the end, so what you will have to share the fruit of success, at least your startup will have a balanced support which will prevent it from drowning in the future.

Take for example the Mistay Founder Pranav Prabhakar who believes that, “Multiple founders with complementary skills bring in wider perspective to the team. While taking key decisions and at high-pressure situations, it’s always preferable to have someone who can provide support and an alternative perspective,” and hence has Sandeep Jaiswal as the co-founder of Mistay.

According to Sandeep, ‘A co-founder makes it easy to navigate through tough times. A partner with complimenting skill-sets and different style of thinking is important to help avoid mistakes one would otherwise make, he stressed. So having a co-founder is like an extra support for your startup.

“The value of an idea lies in the using of it.” – Thomas Edison, General Electric Co-founder

2. Get a website/app or both

If you are thinking an investment into web/app is a big waste of money, then hello, it’s 2018 and today from kids to oldies, everyone is constantly browsing either on a desktop/laptop or on mobile. Your potential customers, clients and investors are out there on all platforms and to make them learn about your startup, you must have a website or app of yours ready.

If you are still worried about the budget, for starters, host your site on WordPress which is the most popular CMS of the planet. Its versatility and possibilities are endless which you can take benefit of or go for professional pre-made website templates that easily available at affordable prices.

3. Let people know

Branding and marketing both are lifelines for a business and just because you are a startup doesn’t mean you can survive without them. Branding means establishing a professional presence in both online and offline medium. Make your company logo, colour and other identities visible everywhere as much as possible. Give your clients pens, diaries or other stationary items with your company logo, this will remind them of your great service.

Also, spend rightly on marketing even if you are running a single campaign, make it an effective one that creates an impact on the people. Don’t forget to check whether the market is right for your product/service. Marketing at the right time only will prove beneficial. For eg., marketing your summer clothes brand during winter is useless.

4. Deliver what you promised

Sticking with your word creates your professional image and even a slight slip in it will bring down your startup empire. Nothing is more irritating than a business failing to deliver what it promised. Don’t brag about anything it will only lose your potential customers, stain your reputation and in a worse scenario, get you in legal troubles. First, deliver what you told them you can gradually add and inform them if you wish to serve more. Until and unless, as a startup, don’t try to go overboard and create a mess of everything.

“Always deliver more than expected.” – Larry Page, Google Co-Founder

Turning an idea from concept to production is no cakewalk. The eagerness to establish into a giant is understandable, but, why take unnecessary big risks and crash in the end? Better study the market first, define what new you are giving, plan at its best, execute smartly and enjoy the rewards.