Business in a Small Town: Ideas 2021

Nadezhda Tikhonova Last modified: January, 2021 504

The question of which business is worth opening in a small town is still relevant. Every day, dozens of new entrepreneurial ideas are being implemented around the world. Most of them are impossible to implement in the Russian hinterland. Consider the destinations that are popular among businessmen from small towns.

Small town entrepreneurship

When opening a business in a province, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of the market: remoteness from the centers, low solvency of a potential consumer, low level of competition. There are settlements where there are no large chain and brand stores. People are not “spoiled” by the variety, and most importantly, by the quality of the products.

Experienced businessmen recommend the following areas of activity:

• meeting the “basic needs” of the population (even in a crisis, people need products, care products, medical services, children's goods);
• eliminating the deficit - in a small town may lack entertainment facilities for adults and children, playgrounds, family cafes, sports clubs and clubs;
• services that save money are especially in demand in the provinces - these are any types of repairs, second-hand shops ", Stock outlets, inexpensive hairdressing salons;
• provision of goods and services that are available only in the nearest large city (delivery of furniture from IKEA, clothes from a company store, delivery of spare parts for heavy equipment);
• "outsourcing" services - an option suitable for professionals in any field, for example, accountants;
• training courses from specialists in cosmetology, cooking, the basics of repair and construction, law, photography and other popular areas ...

Understanding the market situation will help organize a successful business from scratch. The solvency of potential customers must be analyzed in advance, even at the stage of developing a business plan. Most likely, the income level of 80-90% of the population will be low. In recent years, there has been a "collapse" of the middle class, which is especially evident in provincial cities. Promotion of elite restaurants, boutiques, nightclubs is associated with high risks.

What business to open in a small town? Popular ideas

Let us consider, by industry, which areas of entrepreneurship are popular in small towns. Some of the ideas are implemented with minimal investment.

Business with goods from a local manufacturer

Start working for yourself or continue working for someone else's organization? In search of career growth and in attempts to strengthen their financial position, every able-bodied person asks such a question. But then the option “to start your own business” is swept aside almost immediately: it is expensive, risky, specific knowledge or experience is needed, an original fresh idea. It seems that all the money is concentrated in megalopolises, which means that in a small settlement, entrepreneurship will not be in demand. But in fact, there are a number of always relevant solutions on how to open a business in a small city - even from scratch and with a small start-up capital.

What types of business are there

In order not to get confused in theory, you need to understand that business (entrepreneurship) is an activity performed for the sake of systematic profit. And an entrepreneur is a person who has registered himself as an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. Therefore, if you just sell a toaster that you have never used, you will not be able to call yourself a businessman after that.

It is customary to distinguish types of business based on the classification of the type of enterprise. There are more than a dozen criteria, but more often than others we are faced with the differentiation of types of entrepreneurship in terms of production volume and the number of hired workers:

• Large businesses have over 1000 employees. Such companies most often have international networks, work with foreign partners and have a multi-billion dollar financial turnover. These include oil refineries, some food industry enterprises, and others.
• An average business has from 100 to 1000 employees per calendar year. A local construction company, bakery or medical center is suitable for the classification.
• Small - can start with 1 person and have up to 100 employees. The state encourages entrepreneurship in this segment, therefore it offers tax incentives and various support programs. Therefore, for a start with a small budget, it is advisable to choose this particular option.

Ideas for starting your own business

When choosing a business line, aspiring entrepreneurs should remember that they need to open an actual and demanded business, and not one that seems profitable or interesting. In the past years, the most widespread types of activity of the medium and small segment of enterprises, according to Belstat, were:

• wholesale and retail trade, auto repair services (35%);
• organization of transportation: transport and logistics (12%);
• professional, scientific and technical activities (10%);
• construction (8%);
• industrial production (8%).

Vending machines with snacks and drinks, as well as shops of goods for creativity have become quite fashionable business. Language schools, private kindergartens, children's development centers and art studios are still in great demand.

More and more author's bakeries, nail salons, self-service car washes and tire shops, cleaning services, and hotels for animals are opening. And construction firms and design bureaus are naturally happy with the opening of so many new enterprises, which literally open the doors for each new company.

But not all of the listed options will be so relevant after a while. When supply exceeds demand, many businesses run the risk of suffering losses due to intense competition. The first in the risk zone, based on statistics, may be precisely those 35% of market participants who make their living by buying and selling. Therefore, the answer to the question of which business is better to open in a small town, as well as the choice of a promising idea, must be approached thoroughly.

Sometimes a knowingly winning business can be an unpleasant surprise for a novice businessman. It would seem that both the experience of working in business, and the necessary education, and a good business plan, and the desire to develop, but the result is deplorable. The point is that one and the same event can be perceived differently in a big city and a small town.

Business ideas for a small town: how not to make the wrong choice

A businessman is not always a respectable man or a spectacular lady in an impeccable business suit and glasses who receive visitors in an office with expensive repairs. Especially this stereotype is not entirely relevant when it comes to provincial cities. You can develop your business in any industry that suits your liking and meets the education and preferences of a novice businessman. The main thing is that during reflections the balance of the entrepreneur's desires with the needs of the population is taken into account. In this case, the enthusiasm with which, as a rule, any business begins, will not break against the blank wall of reality. For example, in a town where most of the inhabitants work three shifts in an industrial plant, a molecular cuisine restaurant is unlikely to be needed. For development and prosperity, the business must have income constantly, and in the case of seasonal work, it is necessary to earn during the season so that it turns out to cover all the needs during the period of business calm.

Business ideas for a small town: specifics of the province

Each locality has specific characteristics, however, there are several features that make small cities similar in terms of the consumption of goods or services, which directly affects the economic situation. What you need to consider before starting your own business, investing your precious time, soul and money in it.

If you take into account the above few points, you can successfully build your business in any locality, sometimes taking a very unusual idea as a basis. Such tips will greatly facilitate the search process and allow you to quickly start implementing your plans.

Business ideas for a small town: what to choose from

As a rule, entrepreneurs in small towns achieve success who rely on business that will develop in the service sector. Auto repair shop, car wash, bistro, food kiosk or shop, atelier. It is better if it is a small "point" that does not need to be made large over time. Sometimes, a coffee kiosk can bring a much higher income than a cafe opposite - the smaller the settlement, the more embarrassed people are to go to a cafe, restaurant, preferring home gatherings or snacks on the street. Expansion can be achieved not through volume, but through quantity; for example, opening the same business in another area of ​​the city. This applies not only to the opening of catering establishments. It is a good idea to open a restaurant near businesses and offices, educational institutions or bus stations with a simple but hearty cuisine.

In big cities, there is a high percentage of working young mothers, therefore, state or private full-time kindergartens are in demand among millionaires. In the provinces, many have the opportunity to take care of the baby on their own, however, few will refuse the service "Free hour for mom" - a children's center where you can bring a child for 30 -120 minutes, where they will play with him until the mother can without a stroller and constantly demanding baby's attention, go grocery shopping or take care of yourself. In such playrooms, you can also arrange children's parties, where children will be busy with new toys and entertainment, and parents can enjoy the celebration of their baby without running between the kitchen and the guests.

In megacities, a decent beauty salon is one that offers a wide range of services, including spa treatments, and in a small town, success can usually be achieved by opening a traditional hairdresser.

Small town business ideas: what to look for

In order for any enterprise that opens in a small settlement to become in demand and profitable, you need to know about possible "pitfalls" so that the experience gained is not overshadowed and everything goes smoothly.