There are many great reasons why starting a small business is appealing – flexibility in work hours, the ability to work from home, less stress than working for someone else.
More women and stay-at-home moms are looking to work from home so that they can bring in money for their families.
Not only that, but women are looking to grow their income in ways that they may not be able to in a traditional work setting.
Future women entrepreneurs have many options to look through and I’m ready to help you on your journey.
Even if you are low on funds or aren’t sure where to start, we can help you with the best small business ideas for women and some advice.
Learn How to Become a Proofreader and Start a Freelance Proofreading Business.
15,000+ Students. 7+ Years of Results.
Savvy Quick Picks: Best Small Businesses To Start Today
Now we know you’re a busy lady, so I’m sure you want the best business ideas for women to consider right away as a part-time side hustle or full-time job.
We have plenty of small business ideas to become your own boss, but you may want the best ideas to start today without much money or even a degree!
Here are our top picks for business ideas for women that you could start today and earn $1,000 every month:
- Best Passive Income Option – Money-Making Blog
- Best Quick Start – Dropshipping
- Best Overall Small Business Idea – Proofreading
- Most Enjoyable Small Business Idea – Dog Walking
And don’t forget- when you start your own business, follow what your passions are, use the skills you have, and work when you want on your own schedule.
It’s totally possible to create multiple income streams with multiple business ideas, too- you could start a blog and write for other blogs and websites.
There are no limits to the business ideas for women and having more than one certainly will increase your income. But dedicate your time to a money-making business when you can without running yourself ragged.
27 Perfect Small Business Ideas For Women
1. Start a Money-Making Blog
Starting a blog is one of our favorite online business ideas for women (and everyone!) because of how much it has changed our lives!
We have been able to grow our blog past six figures while working on our own schedule in the comfort of our home.
Blogging is a great small business idea for women, especially stay-at-home moms and dads, because you can stay home with your children while still bringing income in.
A blog is a website that you post content on related to your niche. For example, this is a personal finance blog where we post money-related content.
Bloggers make money online through affiliate marketing, ads, sponsorships, and selling their own products or services.
What it pays: It all depends on the work you put in, how you market your blog, the tools you need to assist you, your niche, and whether you can write good content.
According to ProBlogger, 28% earn under $10 a month, 25% earn $10–$99 a month, and 17% earn $100–$499 a month.
How to start: Check out our step-by-step guide on how to start a money-making blog. With our exclusive BlueHost link, you can get started for a very low price today!
2. Proofreading
If you’re the type of person who constantly points out typos in restaurant menus or finds yourself correcting other people’s grammar, a perfect business idea for your is becoming a proofreader.
If you like to read, plenty of publishers or bloggers will pay you to read their work! You can set your own hours and ever make $100 a day with this side hustle.
You read documents and check for spelling and grammatical errors. This is typically the last step of content creation.
A writer will write the content and then submit the piece to the proofreader to check over before it is sent out for publication.
What it pays: The salary range for an online proofreader is $45,392 to $59,066. Our friend Caitlin Pyle made $43,000 working part-time hours from home.
She has a free online workshop to show you what it’s like being a proofreader and give you an idea about finding proofreading jobs.
How to start: Check out Caitlin’s free training to see how to make money as an online proofreader, or dive right into her full online course on how to become a proofreader.
You can also get started by hanging out in business groups on Facebook, checking job sites, and pitching to publications that hire proofreaders.
3. Freelance Writing Or Ghostwriting
If you have strong writing skills, you could be making extra money as a freelance writer or as a ghostwriter.
This, and many small businesses online, have low initial costs to get up and running! Many online businesses need content to connect with their readers, but great content takes a while to create.
They will outsource this content to freelance writers, who will take over their articles, blog posts, emails, and more.
What it pays: Most new writers are making between $21 – $40 an hour. You decide whether you are paid per project, per word, or per hour.
How to start: You can also check places like Flexjobs, Fiverr, Indeed, Writers’ Work, Contena, ProBlogger, Facebook, or reach out to small businesses who have content on their site and see if they need extra help.
Our friend Holly makes over $200,000 a year by writing! She has a training course called Earn More Writing that teaches you the step-by-step process on how to start a freelance writing business.
4. Bookkeeper
Bookkeeping is a great way to make great money online if you are highly organized and good with numbers. The best part is becoming an online bookkeeper is super flexible.
Bookkeepers are responsible for keeping track of a company’s financial records. Typically, you record a business’s expenses and income and keep track of financial documents.
What it pays: Bookkeepers can make anywhere from $20 – $60 an hour depending on experience, and many women turn this into a full-time job from home because bookkeeping pays so well.
How to start: Join this free webinar on how to start and launch your own online bookkeeping business.
5. Online Tutoring
Tutoring is one of the best business ideas for women that may be former teachers, have tutored before, or hold a bachelor’s degree.
You’ll teach children overseas in subjects like math, English, etc. You are able to teach from the comfort of your own home and pick the hours that are most convenient for you.
What it pays: The average hourly rate is $20 an hour or more depending on the experience or the company that you tutor for.
How to start: You can sign up with BookNook and start making around $15 – $22 per hour.
6. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate links are one of the ways bloggers monetize their site, but you don’t need a blog to get started. Your own business can be affiliate links on a website, online media, and more.
You recommend products or services to your readers or loved ones. You will provide them with a special link that tracks their purchases. If they click that link and make a transaction, you get a commission from the company.
What it pays: You could make thousands of dollars every month if you know the best affiliate marketing strategies, including how to increase your click-through rate, the best programs to work with, and how to increase your payouts.
How to start: Our friend Michelle at Making Sense of Cents makes over $50,000 per month and created an online course teaching you to do the same. Check out the Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course here.
7. Flip Items for Profit
If you love thrifting or have items that you think you could sell for a profit, flea market flipping is another small business idea for women.
You thrift or find items at a low price and then resell them for a higher price to generate a profit. You can do this on sites such as eBay, Amazon, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc.
What it pays: It depends on how much work you put in and the items you find. Our friends at Flea Market Flipper made $133,000 working part-time hours.
How to start: Sign up for the free workshop from Flea Market Flipper. They teach you everything you need to know about flipping items for a profit and making a full-time income!
8. Start A Shopify Shop
If you are good at making digital printables or other crafts that you can sell, then starting a Shopify store is a great small business idea for women.
Shopify is an online store where you can sell digital products, physical products, services, and dropship products.
What it pays: This depends on what you sell and how well you market your products. Our mentor, Sarah Titus, makes over $300,000 each month with her online store!
How to start: You can set up your own Shopify store right away if you know what you want to sell. No need to take online courses to learn, but you can read articles for tips to customize your shop and make money on Shopify.
9. Sell Crafts Or Art On Etsy
If you like to create things, you could make a great income by starting an Etsy shop.
You can use any skills you have, for art, design, whatever, to create things people will buy.
We recommend creating Etsy printables to sell or jump on the decorations or wedding trends- you have plenty of options to sell products in those niches!
Many people have taken business ideas from Etsy shops and launched their own dream shop.
What it pays: This depends on how visible your products become and the nature of what you are selling.
How to start: Brainstorm what you could make and sign up for this free seasonal product eBook. You will also need a great marketing plan to make sure people are finding your products.
10. Sell On Amazon (FBA) – Dropshipping Business
If you want to start your own business, you should consider selling on Amazon’s FBA program. You can start dropshipping by finding popular items for less and selling them in your own online business through Amazon.
Similar to a flea market flipping business model, you find popular items for a low price on bulk websites and sell them for a much higher price on Amazon.
However, not everything does well on Amazon, so you’ll need to do your research when trying to sell.
You make sales, and the distributor handles the stocking and shipping, which leads to a very lucrative business idea with no storage costs.
What it pays: It depends on what you sell and how much time you put into it. There are many people that work full-time selling on Amazon and make around $30,000 per year.
How to start: Check out this free workshop on dropshipping to learn how to source great products and start a successful dropshipping business.
11. Become A Freelancer With Any & All Skills
Freelancing is one of the best online jobs for women who want to quit their 9-5 and work on their own schedule.
Online businesses typically outsource jobs such as copywriting, administrative tasks, graphic design, web design, work as a social media manager, and more.
How much it pays: Any freelance business ideas have the potential to make great money, but it depends on your experience and the services you provide. Most freelancers start out at $15 – $100+ per hour.
How to start: You can sign-up for sites like Steady, FlexJobs, or Fiverr where clients go to outsource their work. Most freelancers also have success finding clients on Facebook, where clients tend to pay more.
12. Sell Online Courses
If you have something to teach, selling courses online is one of the lucrative online business ideas for women.
You create a course on a certain subject. For example, we have a course on blogging.
What it pays: This depends on the subject matter. The good news is, you are able to price your course however you want!
There are many course creators making five to six figures per MONTH because of their courses!
You’ll have to deal with the ins and outs of starting a business, but once your course takes off the income is very passive.
How to start: Brainstorm and research profitable course ideas and sign up for an account on Teachable (our favorite platform) to host your online course.
13. Start A Dog-Sitting Business
If you love pets and want something that provides a steady income, consider starting a dog or pet sitting business!
If you’re looking for more active jobs rather than online business ideas, working with pets IRL is a great business idea for you.
You can babysit dogs or other pets while the owners are away. You’ll take them for walks and can even offer training or grooming services as well.
What it pays: On average, pet sitters charge from $20-$40 per day.
How to start: Getting your first client can be tough, but once you do your services can spread by referral. Be sure to sign up for Rover where you can advertise your services.
14. Freelance With Graphic Design
If you have an eye for design and love making eye-catching printables, social media posts, books, etc., you would make a great graphics designer.
There are a few business ideas for women that can stem from design skills, but you can make logos, illustrations, marketing ads, stock photos, and much more.
You’ll make graphics as a freelancer. Graphics can include opt-ins, ebooks, printables, and more for business owners. Typically, you’ll need some experience in software such as Adobe Illustrator, PhotoShop, or Canva.
You can also create Canva templates to sell online!
What it pays: Most graphic designers charge anywhere from $20 to over $50 per hour, depending on experience.
How to start: Check out sites such as Fiverr, Upwork, or Facebook to find clients looking for graphic designers.
15. Social Media Manager
If you love being on social media, then starting a social media management business is another great small business idea for women.
Companies know how powerful social media can be in building a brand and connecting with their audience.
However, it can take a lot of time and requires certain strategies, so often times business owners will outsource it.
You’ll be in charge of posting content regularly, engaging with subscribers, managing Facebook groups or pages, and possibly taking control of ads.
What it pays: Social media managers can start out at $15 – $75 an hour with more experience.
How to start: Hang out in business or blogging-related groups on Facebook. This is where you will find your ideal clients who are willing to pay you what you’re worth.
If you’re interested in Pinterest specifically, be sure to check out this free workshop on how to become a Pinterest VA today!
16. Help Others As A Life Coach
If you are a positive person who loves pushing people to live their best lives and become the best version of themselves, you should start a business as a life coach.
You’ll help clients identify their goals and help them along the way. You provide personal development techniques, strategies, support, and motivation.
What it pays: This depends on the type of client you are trying to reach. Life coaches can make anywhere from about $50 – $250+ per hour!
How to start: In order to become a life coach, you need some type of training. Be sure to check out the Life Coaching Certification Course.
There are many different courses out there so be sure to do your research to find one that fits your needs.
17. Become A Transcriptionist
Are you a fast and accurate typer? Transcribing will be perfect for you!
You’ll listen to audio files and then type what is being said on them. You’ll need to be able to type fast in order to keep up!
How much it pays: A transcriptionist’s rate is typically around $1.5 – $3 per audio minute- so one hour of audio can be $90+.
How to start: You can take a FREE mini-course to learn how to become a transcriptionist and how to make money with your business!
Then check out sites like TranscribeMe, Capital Typing, etc., to find jobs. All you’ll need to do is sign up and possibly take a typing test.
18. Virtual Assistant
Becoming a virtual assistant is a great business idea for women at home who are organized, love systems, and have administrative experience.
You assist businesses with administrative tasks that they hand off to you. Usually, this work is done remotely, but it just depends on the company’s requirements.
What it pays: Beginner virtual assistants in the United States typically start out around $15 – $20 per hour.
More seasoned virtual assistants can charge up to $50+, especially if they specialize in a certain skill. You’re able to price your services as you see fit.
How to start: There are many virtual assistant training courses that can help you build your business step-by-step. You can start finding clients on Fiverr, Upwork, or FlexJobs.
19. Start A Real Estate Business
Investing in real estate properties and becoming a landlord can be a great way to make some passive income. You could even make enough to quit your 9 to 5!
You rent out properties to other people for more than you bought them and they pay you.
How much you can make: This depends on the type of property you rent out and how much you charge. There are many people making over six-figures passively by getting into real estate.
How to start: There are many real estate investing courses out there to learn from. Be sure to do your research and find a course that’s right for you and your business goals.
20. Create An In-Home Child Care
This is a great business idea for women who love to take care of children and can stand to have a little more chaos that comes with more kids at home.
Many of us think of the classic business model- if you’re already doing it, why not expand and make money doing it for others?
In-home childcare is where you watch other people’s children in your home. You may be required to feed them, play with them, and keep them safe.
What it pays: Most service providers charge around $30 per day. Be sure to do some market research and see what others are charging in your area and charge accordingly.
How to start: Check out Care.com to see if there are any opportunities in your area. You’ll need to make sure you get properly licensed and see if your HOA allows in-home businesses.
21. Sell & Take Photos
Consider starting a photography business or selling your photography to stock photo sites if you love to take nice pictures.
Photography business ideas for women are fairly low cost but may have some travel and time investments to consider.
You could make money by selling your photography to stock photo sites or by charging others to take photos of them, whether for baby photography, family portraits, wedding or special events, and more.
How much it pays: You get to set your rates as a photographer, but the average income is around $65,000 per year. If you are selling your photography, it depends on the site you are uploading on.
How to start: Check out sites like Shuttershock or iStock Photo and see what other photographers are uploading and selling!
22. Start A Travel Agency
If you love to travel or have a lot of experience with traveling, you should consider becoming a travel agent and aid others in quicker, safer planning.
Travel agents help their clients find travel destinations, arrange vacations, get travel insurance, and try to find the best deals for their customers.
What it pays: The average salary for a travel agent is $40,840. Your income will depend on experience and how many clients you have.
How to start: There are agencies that will help you to get started as a travel agent, such as Outside Agents, Travel Planners International, Avoya Travel, and Nexion.
23. Clean Houses (Housekeeper)
If cleaning is something that comes naturally to you, something you find therapeutic, or something you don’t mind doing for some extra money, then you should consider starting a cleaning company!
It’s one of the business ideas for women that can really take you far because you can help a lot of people with a lot of different things.
There aren’t many limits to what people need cleaned up- and let me tell you, people are always willing to pay to get things taken care of.
You go into other people’s homes and clean for them! It’s that easy and you can make a ton of money doing it part-time.
What it pays: This depends on your area, but you could make up to $60 an hour if you have the experience.
How to start: There are many articles and YouTube vide1os that will show you the step-by-step process on how to start your own cleaning business, so make sure to do your research.
24. Start a Laundry Business (Or A Laundromat!)
No one likes doing laundry, so many people are starting to outsource it! You could wash laundry at home, or if you have the money to invest, consider opening a laundromat.
This is pretty self-explanatory – you charge to do other people’s laundry for them!
How much it pays: You can make up to $500 a week depending on how much you charge.
How to start: Check out Laundry Care to learn more about becoming an Active Laundry Care Provider. This is one of the best business ideas for women who enjoy something low-activity, quiet, and low-stress.
25. Become an Online Influencer
You don’t have to be a celebrity to make good money as an online influencer! People have gotten famous on Twitch because of their gaming and on Instagram because of their cat- what can you monetize on social media?
If you have a blog, YouTube channel, or social media account with lots of followers, you could be making money by partnering with brands and recommending their products.
What it pays: The pay depends on the brands you work with, commission and sponsorship rates, and how many followers you have.
Some influencers are making six figures in a month with their brand deals! You can also open an online store and sell merch, which increases your income too.
How to start: Start building up a presence on your platform of choice, such as YouTube or Instagram, or by starting your own blog.
Start by reaching out to smaller brands who are willing to collaborate with you while you’re just starting out.
26. Landscaping
Landscaping is one of the best business ideas for women because everyone has a need for yard work! There are multitudes of services you can offer, many of which you can do on your own.
A landscape business can include gardening, creating window boxes, mulching, mowing yards, fixing fences, yard design, and more.
What it pays: Landscaping is a profitable business idea- the median salary we found was over $60,000 per year!
On the low end, you could make $40,000 per year and on the high end, especially if you hire people and expand your business, you could make over $80,000 per year.
How to start: You can start with whatever suits you most: if it’s me, I’m better at weed whacking, taking care of plants, and other things like building raised garden beds and trellises.
But Kelan is great at mowing the lawn quickly and has had to remove some pretty big bushes from the yard, so he could do more labor-intensive jobs.
For you to get started, see what tools you have and what you tools you could invest in.
27. Create An Event Planning Business
Are you a bit crafty with a bit of flair? Women entrepreneurs could coordinate, decorate, and more with event planning.
And with everybody looking to celebrate, it will be one of the most profitable business ideas for women.
People need help getting their parties planned, so your job would be as clear as the name- event planning for parties!
You can coordinate food, decorations, venues, and more for people wanting to throw birthday parties, weddings, baby showers, and any other party you can think of.
What it pays: Event planning can earn you $20 an hour or more depending on the events your want to plan and coordinate.
How to start: You should start your own website for event planning, but you can also post your services online on Fiverr, Upwork, FlexJobs, and more to make this a full-time job.
Bonus: Make Money From Your Phone
Future women entrepreneurs have so many options right at their fingertips. But not everybody is looking for a side hustle or new career to make money.
Besides some business ideas for women you can mull over, you can consider some easy ways to make money on your phone, just a few side hustles for more extra cash.
One of our favorite ways to make money from home is by taking paid online surveys and using cashback apps.
While you won’t be able to make a full-time income this way, these methods can be great side hustles to generate some extra income in your spare time. Here are some of our favorites.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of our favorite paid survey sites. You just watch videos, take surveys, and play games, and you are rewarded with Swagbucks.
When you earn enough, you can trade them for cash or gift cards.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars is similar to Swagbucks, with options like surveys, games, and videos to make money when you can.
It’s more of a way to make extra spending money, some pocket change, but hey, free money is great however you can get it!
Learn more about the ways you can make money with this app from our InboxDollars Review.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is a great survey site, and my pick to make money watching videos.
I tend to get my phone or my laptop, and start playing the videos while I cook, clean, work out, or whatever else.
It’s better than watching random videos on Instagram or Facebook- may as well get paid for watching right?
Bonus #2: Ways To Save Money (Your House & Your Business!)
Now that you’ve got a bunch of the best business ideas for women, plus other ways to make extra money, what about spending less and keeping money in your hands?
It’s important to consider how you can save money and spend less, not just with a great budget but with money-saving apps!
Here are our favorite apps to try and save you money:
Upside
We found one of the best money savers, and it all starts at the gas pump!
I can open the Upside app and see what gas savings are offered that day and see on gas when I fill up.
There can be $0.10 off per gallon or more depending on your area, and it’ll help you save on gas for your business car or personal van.
Not only that, but you can earn rewards and cash back for shopping in stores and online. I’ve been using the app to rack up points for Amazon gift cards.
Read more about the app in our honest Upside Review to see how much we’ve saved on gas and what rewards we’ve earned!
Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is another great option where I’ve been able to shop and earn rewards.
I tend to do the grocery shopping in our house, and as soon as I check out, I open Fetch to get my points.
I simply scan the groceries on our receipt and earn points for what we’ve bought. Each receipt at least gets 25 points if you scan it within 14 days of your purchase.
But there are deals and items that earn more points on top of that!
Like last week, Kelan and the girls were craving Cheetos and those Frito corn ships with cheese dip- so I got another 40 points for buying those.
When we rack up enough rewards, we can trade them in for Amazon gift cards and many others. They have retail, restaurants, gas stations, and more for fast cash.
Honey
Honey is a great app and a browser extension that can automatically find you savings whenever you shop online.
If I’m shopping for clothes, shoes, or even groceries, Honey will pop up and let me know if it found some coupons or promo codes to apply to my cart.
If there aren’t any coupons available, you can also earn points with Honey Gold that you can save up and redeem for rewards.
Lastly, when I’m on Amazon or shopping round, Honey can also save what I’m looking at and let me know if there are price drops in my wishlist.
So if you’re interested in finding many ways to save, Honey is one of the best money apps to help you!
Capital One Shopping
Capital One Shopping is similar to Honey- it works on your browser to help you find coupons and rack up points for other rewards.
Formerly Wikibuy, people have been using this program to try and save money for years.
You can simply shop online and have the extension look for savings, or you can go right to the website and see what savings you can find there.
Ibotta
Ibotta is a cashback app that you can use to save money on groceries. All you need to do is scan your receipt and you’ll earn money back on qualifying purchases.
You also get a free $10 just for signing up, but learn more about Ibotta here and see why you should use it!
Rakuten
If you enjoy shopping online, be sure to shop through Rakuten to earn money on qualifying purchases.
All you have to do is download the Chrome extension and click on the website link by clicking through Rakuten first.
Rakuten is free to join and you can get a free $10 bonus for signing up today!
Final Thoughts on Business Ideas for Women
As you can see, there are many business ideas for women who want to make an extra $1,000 or more per month
Whether it’s blogging, social media management, or monetizing your hobbies or skills in other ways, extra money is right at your fingertips.
We are ready to see more women business owners taking the world by storm and making more money for their families, and these profitable business ideas are how you can get started!
Most of these small business ideas don’t require a lot of money up front to start, which is amazing for new women entrepreneurs who want to start right away.
If you do need some additional funds for a more brick-and-mortar small business check out this awesome small business loan calculator.
You just need knowledge and grit to make sure you are successful!