Are there any small businesses I can start and run on my own?

Starting a small business can allow you some much-needed freedom, whether you're looking to become self-employed full-time, or whether it's to top up your regular income. But where should you start?

From planning what your business will do, to what entity type it will have, can seem impossible to do on your own. To help, break the idea down into manageable steps. Let's start with deciding on an entity type.

Which entity type is the best for a small business?

There are two main entity types used in the UK: sole trader or limited company. When starting, many business owners choose to use the sole trader set up as it can be easier to walk away from if the business idea doesn't work out.

However, if you want to seem more professional and have a little added security, then it may be better to look at forming a limited company. Although you must keep in mind that limited companies have more structured administration to carry out for Companies House and have additional reporting requirements, which may be off-putting when first starting your business.

For more information on the different legal structures of businesses, check out our previous post What are the different legal structures in business?.

Which industry should my new business be in?

After deciding which business structure works best for your new venture, you need to think about which industry you're going to be stepping into.

Most business owners already have experience in the business area they're starting, such as a restaurant manager starting their own restaurant, or a babysitter starting their own child-minding business. Think about where your skills already lie and how they could be adapted to your new business.

Remember, when you're first starting, it's likely you're going to be on your own, so consider business ideas where you don't need to rely on additional helping hands.

The Food, Drink and Health Market

The food, drink and health market typically has a low barrier to entry, making it an ideal place to start a new, small business.

While it's advantageous to have experience in the market, there are opportunities to learn additional skills and upsell products which are relatively cheap and easy to make.

Common small businesses that start in this market are:

• Food trucks - although they have a large outlay at the start, it is possible to find a niche food idea and bring it to areas you know will be interested in it, meaning you could see a high volume of sales.
• Speciality bakes - artisanal breads, gourmet desserts, custom cakes, and so much more. The thing to remember here is that all of the bakes must be high-quality to keep your customers satisfied and coming back for more.
• Cooking classes - although you need to be knowledgeable in the area, it is possible to find customers willing to pay for your knowledge alone. Although you need to keep in mind that you have the outlay for the ingredients for demonstrations and the space required for kitchen classes.
• Juice and smoothie bar - focused on the health market, juice and smoothie bars allow you to be creative with the ingredients you use and the flavours you produce

Before starting a business in the food, drink and health market, you need to keep in mind that there may be a high initial outlay for any ingredients and equipment needed. You must also check and ensure that you have any necessary licenses and that your prep area meets the required standards.

An e-commerce website

Setting up an e-commerce website is now quicker and easier than it has ever been, with templates out there to make your own. This can make it easier than ever to launch a business.

One upside of an e-commerce website is that, depending on what you sell, there may be no need to rent an office space, and you can run it all from home. But don't feel as though it's too easy, you'll still need to do your homework regarding what you'll sell and who you'll sell it to and stay on top of relevant legislation (such as the Distance Selling Regulations). Knowing your target market can make it easier to sell to them, try to find out their needs, likes and dislikes and then build a plan to target them.

Some e-commerce ideas can be time-intensive, and you might need to wait until you start seeing results:

• Teach online courses - while you need to have the knowledge to create the course content, you also need to be engaging and likeable before others buy into the courses you've created. However, if you create well-crafted courses, you can develop a lucrative business.
• Launch a podcast - if you have a voice, use it to say something meaningful while also getting paid. While you might not see overnight success with your podcast, you can start to monetise it through subscriptions, third-party advertising, or selling a physical product.
• Create handmade goods - while it can be a good idea to turn your part-time hobby into a paid venture, after all, it's something you're doing anyway, beware that turning it into a business can suck the fun out of it.
• Create a subscription box - these can require a lot of time and effort to create and curate, but if you have an idea of a group of items that work well together and think others will enjoy, why not put them together and see if they sell?

While this isn't a comprehensive list of e-commerce ideas, hopefully, they give you an idea of the range of possibilities out there for businesses you can start on your own.

Freelancing

If you've had specialist training in a particular area, why not use your skills as a freelancer? Most freelancers work on a B2B basis that uses their qualifications, but on their own terms. There are many different options open to freelancers: photographers, content writers and video producers are just a few.

There are a few platforms you can use to advertise your services to businesses that are in need of your skills, and there are many business owners out there who don't have the skills or the time they need to carry out certain activities. When these business owners are unable to hire permanent staff, they turn to freelancers.

Register Your Company Today

• 01 Sep 2025 - Are there any small businesses I can start and run on my own?
• 28 Aug 2025 - Restoring a Dissolved Company
• 19 Aug 2025 - The Survey Says - Or Does It?
• 13 Aug 2025 - Can I run a business while bankrupt?
• 31 Jul 2025 - My Company has Failed: From Winding Up to Bouncing Back