14 Best Businesses To Start With $10k In 2025

So, you’ve finally decided to become a small business owner. The idea of becoming your own boss is superb! Whether you want to put your skills to good use for some extra cash or want to quit your job and work on your own schedule, it is a smart investment of your time and money.

But whatever business you choose, you need seed money for it. Some businesses require significant investment while you can start others with little or no money. In fact, over 64% of small businesses start with an initial investment of just $10,000!

Lucky for you, this article lists 14 top business ideas that you can put to fruition with just $10k or less in hand. So, buckle up because your journey of becoming a small business owner starts here!

Business Ideas Under $10k in 2023

For growing a plant, you need seeds, soil, water, and exposure to sunlight. Even if one of these elements is missing, you won’t be able to get your desired outcome.

Now think about a very successful business. Do you know that it started the same way? It had to have all the elements for its first step and become successful.

So, to replicate its success, before you start a business, make sure that you select a business idea that ticks all the boxes including experience, skills, and seed money requirements.

Most business owners start with just an idea and then arrange for the required elements for a startup. For your ease, I have addressed all three elements in each of the 14 ideas listed below:

1. Digital Marketing Agency

Skill Requirement:

• Strategic thinking
• Marketing knowhow
• Technical proficiency
• Client relationship management
• Leadership & team management

Experience Requirement:

• Marketing campaign execution
• Client management
• Analytics & reporting
• Budgeting & financial management
• Team leadership

Startup Cost:

$1500 for a one-person digital marketing agency.

Social media is one of the most important channels for marketing in 2023 because more than 4.60 billion people or 59.9% of the population use social media. These numbers aren’t merely statistics. They reflect the power of social media that brands must recognize.

But how many businesses can invest in an in-house digital marketing team? Here are some digital marketing stats to prove the potential of this business:

• 56.9% of startups were found to have an in-house dedicated marketing team.
• 15.3% of small businesses have owners conducting marketing activities themselves.
• 7% of startups outsource marketing projects to agencies and freelancers.
• 34% of small businesses outsource their digital marketing function to agencies.

With digital marketing agencies in demand in 2023 and beyond and a low barrier to entry in the market, you can start with this million-dollar business idea right away. But make sure you develop a business model that matches your expertise and the seed money available to you.

How to Get Started?

A single person can start a digital marketing agency. You can be the sole owner and employee in your agency. Plus, you don’t need any business license to operate. Plus, there’s no need to have a dedicated office space, so you save on those costs.

You can hire a couple of graphic designers if you don’t have expertise in creating visual posts. But apps like Canva have made it possible for anyone with a creative mind to learn the basics of graphic designing.

So, it is up to you to decide between setting up a full-fledged marketing team or doing everything yourself initially.

What Services to Offer?

Cost savings aside, under the umbrella of digital marketing, you can offer a wide range of services to other small business owners including the following:

• SEO: Search engine optimization for bloggers and website owners to rank on Google and effectively reach their target market.
• Creatives: Graphics and content creation for social media.
• Ad Campaigns: Digital campaign management for paid media.
• Research: Market research on digital strategies of competitor brands. Sentiment analysis for an in-depth insight into your client’s target market so they can improve their search engine optimization and marketing strategy.
• Customer support: Businesses use social media to communicate with their audience directly. As a digital marketing agency, you can provide your clients with customer support services through social media. You can do this by developing chatbots for them or providing them assistance with customer support by allocating a team member.

Pros	Cons
High demand	Social media platforms have consistently evolving algorithms. Keeping up with the constantly changing trends is challenging.
Potential for growth	Client handling can be stressful
Option to offer a wide range of services
Online business – No licensing requirements
You can start with 10k as seed money

2. Personal Training Business

Skill Requirement:

• Fitness knowledge & expertise
• Business acumen
• Interpersonal skills
• Sales & marketing skills
• Time management

Experience Requirement:

• Hands-on training experience
• Industry networking

Startup Cost:

$1,500 for equipment with a solo business owner.

If you have a knack for fitness and have achieved your personal fitness goals, you don’t need to consider other businesses. The most profitable business opportunity for you is becoming a personal trainer. There are two reasons for this:

• The demand for personal trainers is growing quickly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for fitness instructors will grow by 14% through 2032.
• As people become more health conscious, the job opportunities for a personal trainer will widen. They can train a group of people, take one-on-one lessons, start an online store to sell fitness products, and even earn money via monetized content creation on platforms like YouTube!

Before writing a business plan, ensure you have attained a certification for becoming a personal trainer. Ensure that this certification is accredited by a reputable institution such as the National Board of Fitness Examiners (NFBE) or anyone on the list in the infographic below.

Although this is a low-capital business idea, you can turn it into a more lucrative business if you have access to more funds.

For instance, with $50,000, you can rent and furnish a fitness studio and get a step up when you step into the world of fitness as a personal trainer.

Pros	Cons
Low initial capital requirement	Industry is highly competitive
Wide range of opportunities	Risk of injuries
Easy to scale	The personal trainer needs to complete almost a year-long certification program

3. Pet Grooming Business

Skill Requirement:

• Animal handling and behavior understanding
• Grooming technique proficiency
• Customer service skills
• Business management skills
• Time management skills

Experience Requirement:

• Veterinary assistant or animal care experience
• Professional grooming certification
• Customer service experience
• Inventory and equipment management experience
• Basic accounting and bookkeeping

Startup Cost:

Under $2,000 for equipment costs.

If you aren’t a people person but absolutely adore pets, you are lucky. You can earn a lot by giving pet grooming services to a client base of furry friends. Here are some stats to prove it:

• Just like any other service business, the profit margins are high.
• The industry is expected to grow by 54% from 2022 to 2029 due to increased pet ownership nationwide.
• If you’re working for someone else, you can earn as much as $29,000 annually. Imagine how much you’d earn if you were the sole proprietor of your own business.

How to Get Started?

The cost for the startup is quite low – best if you have a small budget. You must invest in equipment, business insurance, and social media marketing to get started. The best part about this business idea is that you can operate from a company van, rent a salon, or set up at home!

However, don’t hesitate to invest more money if you can. A proper setup can attract high-paying clients and will help you develop a loyal customer base.

Pros	Cons
Satisfied customers become loyal customers	Need to invest extensively in marketing
Low overhead costs	Increasing industry competition
	Pet injuries should be covered by business insurance

4. Cleaning Services

Skill Requirement:

• Cleaning techniques and methods
• Time management
• Customer service skills
• Basic accounting and financial management
• Team leadership and personnel management

Experience Requirement:

• Previous Cleaning or Janitorial Experience
• Customer Service or Client Management Experience
• Basic Business Operations (Scheduling, Billing, etc.)
• Staff Training and Management Experience
• Knowledge of Health and Safety Regulations

Startup Cost:

$3,000 – $5,000 for state licensing, equipment, and marketing.

If you consider yourself a great manager, a great option for you to start a business is by hiring janitorial staff for a cleaning business. Here’s the potential that this business opportunity holds for you:

• The cleaning industry is expected to grow by 5.5% annually from 2023-2030.
• The number of dual-income households is expected to increase in the coming years because of the financial stability it provides.
• In 2014, the median income of dual-income families was 101,000 indicating the purchasing power of these families and the demand for cleaning services at home.

How to Get Started?

To start a cleaning services business, you need to assess the existing businesses in your area. Identify the market gap before employing janitorial staff or marketing your services.

Failing to do so will keep you from acquiring new customers as the existing competitors will already cater to them.

If you have no choice but to operate in the same area, your business planning process should include determining your USP to help you break through the clutter.

Pros	Cons
Low initial investment	High industry competitiveness
Large profit margins	Market research is necessary to set the best price point
The industry is rapidly growing

5. Personal Chef Business

Skill Requirement:

• Culinary expertise
• Menu planning and nutrition knowledge
• Time management
• Customer service and communication skills
• Business management and marketing

Experience Requirement:

• Professional cooking experience (restaurants, catering, etc.)
• Food safety and sanitation certifications
• Customer service or client management experience
• Inventory management and budgeting
• Experience with marketing and business development

Startup Cost:

$1000 for social media marketing

With catering costs on the rise, more and more people are opting for personal chefs to prepare meals for parties, events, and holidays. So, if you love making food and have the skill and knack for food presentation, don’t think twice about this business opportunity.

As a personal chef, you’ll be visiting other places to prepare the gourmet meals, so you don’t need specialized equipment or supplies. Just make sure that you give your clients a list of supplies you need beforehand to make sure you have everything you need for the job.

This is the best business idea for you if you want to work at your own pace. You can start by cooking meals for neighbors and friends at small parties and scale up steadily.

Partnering with event management startups can also lead you to more jobs. However, personal chef jobs pay only $24.39 an hour on average.

While this business will give you a loyal customer base, it won’t be high paying till you strategize for business growth and hire more people on your team.

Pros	Cons
Start under 10k: Very low startup cost with an existing network of clients.	As a sole proprietor, you cannot scale your business and earnings beyond a certain point.

6. Food Business

Skill Requirement:

• Culinary skills
• Business management
• Food safety knowledge
• Customer service
• Marketing and branding

Experience Requirement:

• Food preparation and cooking experience
• Restaurant or retail management
• Food safety certification
• Customer service or front-of-house experience
• Supply chain and inventory management

Startup Cost:

$10,000 for marketing and food truck.

Although becoming a personal chef is a good way to get started in the food industry, if your goal is to earn big, you can certainly try your luck with a food business.

And for starters, you don’t need to invest in expensive equipment or rent a restaurant. A food truck will do just as well as a rented restaurant.

The cost of acquiring a truck ranks it on the higher end of the list of businesses to start with 10k. But even if you have $10k or a little more, you have the perfect opportunity to kickstart your food business.

For a successful business in the food industry, here’s all that you need to know:

• Create a theme around the food. The more unique your culinary concept, the more customers you will attract.
• Design your truck’s eye-catching theme according to the menu.
• Determine places where you can legally operate your food truck.

• Get a food handler and health department permit for $50-$1000 depending on where you’re operating.
• Drive around the food truck to new places to attract more customers once you build an online presence.
• Use your food truck to cater for parties and events and earn around $12-$25 per guest there.
• Check the local fire and health regulations for operating food trucks and make sure to comply with them.

How to Grow a Food Truck Business?

A great idea to expand your business’ reach is to partner with a local food delivery service. You can cover these costs by charging the customers a minimal fee for food delivery.

You can also diversify your business by partnering with companies. You can provide lunch and snacks to the employees on a daily basis. But if you want to run your food truck while catering to companies, a great idea is to invest in a fresh food vending machine.

The only drawback is that the cost of business operations of a food vending machine business is high. You will have to pay around 15-20% in commissions, sales tax, and account for food waste.

But with proper planning and the right pricing strategy, you can add a profitable income stream to your food business with this idea.

Pros	Cons
Business can start with 10k	Competition with other food businesses with the same theme/culinary concept.
High-profit margins	Food safety, fire, and health compliance requirements.
	High costs of buying food trucks.

7. Photography Business

Skill Requirement:

• Technical photography skills
• Post-processing and editing
• Business management
• Client communication
• Marketing and branding

Experience Requirement:

• Professional photography experience (e.g., weddings, portraits, commercial shoots)
• Photo editing software proficiency (e.g., Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom)
• Client management (e.g., consultations, bookings)
• Portfolio development

Startup Cost:

$10,000 for equipment costs.

If you love clicking pictures and have the skills to edit them to perfection, you are already prepared to start a photography business.

What Services to Offer?

The best part about this business is that you can select your niche according to your interests and expertise. Here are some of the niches you can offer as a freelance photographer:

• Photography for blogs: The internet and the demand for interactive content have increased the demand for photography. 66% of marketers state that interactive content is important for increasing engagement rates. 90% of bloggers are using social media to reach audiences where unique photo posts generate 65% higher engagement than text posts.

• Product Photography: Professional product photographers charge $400-$1000 per day if they take photographs of the products in their studio.
• Baby Photography: If you have creative ideas for newborn photography, you can charge between $100 – $300 per hour for your craft.
• Stock Photos: If you’re a professional who wants to work at their own pace, you could always try your luck on stock photo websites. Depending on the performance of your photos (views and downloads) you can earn up to $120 for every photo.

Pros	Cons
If you have the equipment, you can start with 10k or less	Building a loyal customer base for a new business takes time.

8. Personal Shopper Services

Skill Requirement:

• Client assessment and communication
• Budget management
• Trend awareness
• Sales and negotiation

Experience Requirement:

• Retail or fashion industry experience
• Client consultation and feedback handling
• Portfolio development and testimonials

Startup Cost:

$1000-$1500 for marketing and networking.

With dual-income families on the rise, convenience is in demand. The demand gives rise to the need for services like delivery and pickups and products like ready-to-cook.

If you’re someone who loves shopping and hates mundane work, this is the perfect new business opportunity for you.

As a personal shopper, you will have a variety of tasks to handle. You might have to head to the local farmer’s market to pick some groceries for your clients, select dresses for them to wear, or choose presents for birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

While this idea is great if you want to make a quick buck, good networking can pay you well in this business.

What Services to Offer?

Shopper for Local Businesses: You can approach local businesses to hire you to do specialized work. For instance, an interior decorator could hire you to rummage through antique shops and flea markets to get them the best pieces for their projects.

Corporate Gifts Shopper: You can even niche down and become a corporate shopper who arranges corporate gifts for employees on the holidays, potential investors, and business partners.

Pros	Cons
Start with 10k or less	Networking can help you get higher profits
Prior experience is not necessary

9. Party Equipment Rental Service

Skill Requirement:

• Inventory management
• Customer service
• Event planning basics

Experience Requirement:

You can start with minimal prior experience if you're willing to learn quickly.

Startup Cost:

Start with 10k and scale up.

If you want a business where you want to work smart and not hard, the idea for an equipment rental service business is for you. The catch – you need a substantial budget to build your inventory of chairs, tables, and decorations.

But since this business has a high ROI, you can start with 10k and accumulate more inventory as you earn.

How to Get Started?

For a successful party equipment rental, it would be best to pick a niche first. For instance, you could buy equipment that matches the requirements of children’s parties or holiday events.

If you have a higher budget, you could invest in wedding equipment. Although wedding equipment would cost more than $10k and you will also have to spend on logistics, it is high-paying. Here are some stats to illustrate how you will earn back your investment if you go for a wedding niche:

• Tent rentals alone range from $250 – $4,500 per event depending on the type and size of the tent.
• Wedding costs have significantly increased over the past few years. In 2022, the average wedding cost in the USA was $30k.
• Around 6% of this cost is for rentals like dinnerware, chairs, tables, tents, and décor, which is around $1,800 on average for each event!

Pros	Cons
High ROI	High capital, storage, and logistics costs
	Need to account for inventory damage, depreciation, and replacement.

10. Childcare services

Skill Requirement:

Basic first aid.

Experience Requirement:

No professional experience is required.

Startup Cost:

$4,000 to create an inviting environment at home.

In 2023, the demand for childcare services including traditional babysitting and daycare centers is increasing and so is the cost.

The average cost of one child under childcare services comes to around $10,600 per annum. And this cost is set to increase as many states in the USA offering childcare funding are being forced to cut down because of the rising inflation.

The decreasing government spending on childcare services means that families will have to opt for private daycare centers. With families already paying around 7% of their income on childcare services, decreasing government support will make it unaffordable for middle-class families.

Additionally, only 20% of families rely on a family member for childcare at home. So, there exists a great opportunity for startups to offer cost-effective childcare services.

How to Get Started?

If you’re someone who thinks this idea is worth spending on, you should start with a small seed amount from a spare room in your home.

Although you don’t need any licenses to operate a childcare business from home, ensure you and your staff have basic first-aid training for treating any injuries.

Business insurance is also an important requirement and a cost driver for a childcare startup. Other costs include equipment purchases and supplies needed for creating an inviting environment for the kids.

Pros	Cons
Start with 10k or less	Costs for hiring additional employees can run high
No experience needed	Need to invest in business insurance.
	Local business owners are making the market highly competitive for talent

11. Moving Services

Skill Requirement:

• Logistics and planning
• Heavy lifting techniques
• Customer service
• Vehicle operation and maintenance
• Inventory management

Experience Requirement:

Experience working with a reputed moving company.

Startup Cost:

Start with 10k.

Moving businesses are evergreen because annually 27 million people move from one place to another in search of better opportunities and jobs, and adjusting their living conditions.

While a moving business requires significant capital spending, you can save money and start with 10k if you invest smartly in this business idea.

How to Invest Smartly in a Moving Business?

• Your initial investment would be a small, second-hand truck.
• Target clients moving locally or to short distances. Roughly 84% of moves yearly are local. So there’s a lot of potential there.
• Next, you need at least $1,500 to cover licensing costs.
• You need to spare $1,000 for a quarter’s insurance. Insurance costs vary based on the location you’re operating from and the cargo you’re handling. Since your potential clients initially would be those moving within the city, your insurance costs won’t run that high.
• Gauge your startup costs for the initial investment and survey the competitors. Then create a pricing structure that is attractive to your potential clients.

How to Grow a Moving Business?

You can also offer additional services to complement your business such as packing, purging, and unpacking. For this, you need to create a separate pricing structure and upsell your clients this service when they hire you for moving.

A $500 profit margin for a local move on a $1,250 job on average will get the business wheels running so you can get more employees on board and possibly invest in a larger truck after several successful local moves.

Pros	Cons
High return on investment	High initial investment
Opportunity to upsell additional services

12. Staging Services

Skill Requirement:

Organizational skills and a knack for interior design.

Experience Requirement:

A strong portfolio can help get customers.

Startup Cost:

$10,000 for rentals.

In 2022, over 5 million housing transactions were completed in the US alone. This means that 5 million people sold their houses or condos in the year through real estate agents.

While the real estate business is highly profitable, you need to complete courses and get a business license in the state you will operate in before you get started.

If you want to start with 10k in the real estate industry and you possess a creative mind, a great business idea for you is offering staging services.

By staging houses for sale in the real estate market, you can help sellers get a better value for their property. And when you help sellers get better value, you earn well too. To put it into perspective, professional stagers earn between $25 – $125 per hour.

How to Get Started?

You can start offering your services on the lower end and charge customers the rental costs for materials. You can use the client’s existing furniture and equipment to stage the home too. With this business model, you can attract a huge clientele looking for cost-effective staging services.

Pros	Cons
Low capital requirement	It will take time to build your business clientele and charge on the higher end.
High demand for staging services
No need for licensing

13. Consulting Business

Skill Requirement:

Industry knowledge.

Experience Requirement:

Experience working in a service business.

Startup Cost:

$10,000 for marketing materials, networking event tickets, and office space rental.

If you have had experience working in a corporation, but want to start a business, launching a consulting business is undoubtedly the best idea. The best part about this business idea is that there’s a need for consulting in every industry.

Whether you have experience with accounting software, marketing, finance, IT, or management, consulting is something that is present everywhere.

With low initial costs, the consulting business is perfect for industry specialists who have established a strong network in the corporate world and want to retire from the 9-5 routine.

Lucky for these individuals, the consulting industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.8% through 2025. Although the industry has a handful of big consulting firms, there are more than 900,000 small business owners in the consulting industry in the US.

While this reflects competition in the industry, it also reflects the demand for consulting services.

How to Get Started?

The industry’s competitiveness means that even if you have relevant experience, you should check all the prerequisites off this list to build a successful business in consulting:

• Pick a niche in your industry according to your expertise.
• Take online courses for starting a business as a consultant to learn and build credibility.
• Build a strong network of individuals working in corporate and business owners.
• Post thought leadership articles on social media platforms such as LinkedIn to elevate your business by building credibility.

Pros	Cons
Low capital requirement	Takes time to build credibility and clientele
Perfect for people with corporate experience	High competition due to the nature of the business.
Flexibility to set your own hours and work from anywhere
Easier to scale

14. Virtual Assistant

Skill Requirement:

• Time management
• Communication skills
• Technical proficiency
• Data management
• Customer service

Experience Requirement:

• Administrative support
• Scheduling and calendar management
• CRM software

Startup Cost:

Very low. You’re good to go with just a laptop and a solid internet connection.

The virtual assistant market stands at $11.13 billion in 2023. However, this market is expected to expand to a staggering $45.83 billion by 2028, thus attaining a CAGR of 32.72%.

While AI is expected to take over the virtual assistant market, the demand for manual responses, calendar management, keyword research, travel arrangements, and bookkeeping will still exist.

The best part about this business idea is that becoming a virtual assistant requires no experience. However, the low barrier to entry means that the industry is highly competitive. To get some clients, you must prove you are better than the rest. Good communication and presentation skills can go a long way in this industry.

Pros	Cons
Online business – no barrier to entry	Need certifications and portfolio for credibility
No need for licensing	The market is highly competitive
Low startup and operational costs	Pay rate is lowering because of the rise of AI

Final Words

Business ownership gives one a sense of pride and achievement. But laying the foundation of a business is no easy endeavor.

For starters, you need to have a business idea that matches your skillset and then arrange for the required funding. You can then develop a business plan that addresses all the major areas: finance, marketing, and business model.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs have amazing business ideas but lack the funding to execute those ideas. This article listed the 14 best businesses to start under $10k for you to get started on your entrepreneurial journey.

With this list, you can come up with other business ideas that you can execute depending on your skill and experience level.

FAQs

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• Profitable Home Business Ideas To Start Today
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