Use Yelp to find great local businesses near you, from restaurants to nightlife, home services and more. Small businesses often need to control the new businesses that are opened in the community. It may be a matter of keeping an eye on potential competitors, but more often than not, new businesses can result in new customers for your printing company, office supply store, or legal services. Or any type of business you run.
There are several sources you can go to for a list of new businesses in your area. That said, many small businesses that aren't aiming for super-fast growth opt for an LLC to simplify things while protecting owners from excessive liability. Just make sure you have the flexibility, transportation and equipment needed to get your business on the road. However, one skill you'll want to learn from the in-person world for this type of business is active listening.
A successful bed and breakfast business will also need an SEO-optimized website with a hotel reservation system. Although similar to a flower shop in terms of industry, starting a gardening business satisfies a different type of need in a small town, and yet it can be just as popular. A local day care center, of course, will be even more convenient, as it will allow parents to drop off their children before work and pick them up on the way home. Depending on the location of your city, a clothing store can not only cater to locals but also visitors or tourists from nearby cities.
Food-related businesses may be some of the most popular in a small town, and if you don't want everything that goes into running a full-fledged restaurant, you might consider opening an ice cream shop. As we've discussed with many of these small town business ideas, people will always want to celebrate certain events, including everything from small meetings to parties and events. While this business may cater to a similar demographic group, it meets a slightly different need and can attract a substantial number of businesses during warmer climates, especially with graduations, proms, or local weddings. If coffee shops aren't a “thing” in your city, serving coffee all day long in a place where people go, such as a bar, can slowly start to normalize activity and encourage business mergers.
These home business ideas give you a few more business options that are based in the home or online. Certainly, if your city doesn't currently offer child care services, this can be an easy business to maintain. For example, you might not be able to afford an office or physical location, so a location-based business probably isn't a good fit. All small businesses have the potential to be successful and profitable, as long as they're backed by a strong fit between product and market and a solid business plan.
Once you have an idea of the existing businesses in your area and of the local demand (more on that later), you're ready to decide which company is right for you and the community.
