There’s no denying it — female entrepreneurship is on the rise. Approximately 40% of U.S. businesses are owned by women, and they generate over $1.8 trillion a year. If you’ve dreamed of running your business, now’s the time to take charge with one of the best business ideas for women!
How to Choose a Business Idea
The first step is figuring out what kind of business you want to start, and there are so many different ways to do that. Are you interested in a side hustle to make extra money? Or do you want to build a thriving online business?
When choosing the best idea, here are some more considerations:
- Will this be your main source of income?
- Are you looking for flexible, remote work?
- Is childcare a concern for you?
- How much time are you willing to spend on building your business?
- Can you monetize any existing skills?
Thinking about the answers to those questions will help you discover the option for you. And whatever drives that, we have over 20 business ideas for women. Check them out below.
1. Proofreading
If you love reading and constantly notice grammar and punctuation errors, proofreading is one of the best small business ideas for women. Proofreaders are responsible for putting the finishing touches on print and online content, including ebooks, blog posts, web copy, emails, grants, and much more.
Proofreaders make $20 to $45/hour, and this is a very flexible business. You can even start and grow it on the side of your 9-to-5 job or while staying home with your kids.
Want to make money proofreading?
This FREE seminar teaches you the five steps to becoming a well-paid proofreader.
2. Social Media Marketing
Running Facebook and Instagram ads is an excellent business idea for women who want flexible, online work. It’s a great way to help small businesses grow their social presence, audience, and revenue.
One of the best ways to start is by reaching out to small, local businesses in your area. Many small business owners lack the time or energy it takes to run a successful marketing campaign, and that’s where you can help!
You can make $1,000 to $2,000/month running Facebook and Instagram ads per client, and the Facebook Side Hustle Course will teach you:
- How to use the Facebook and Instagram ads system
- How to find clients who need your services
- Exactly what to say to get business owners to say “yes” and move forward with your services
Start making $1,000 to $2,000 running ads
The Facebook Side Hustle Course will teach you exactly how to start a successful social media marketing business.
Learn More
3. Bookkeeping
Freelance bookkeepers help business owners record and manage daily financial transactions. This can include paying bills, managing payroll, and collecting payments. Bookkeeping is not the same thing as accounting, and that difference is why you can start bookkeeping online without a degree or certification.
Bookkeepers need to be familiar with popular financial software like Quickbooks and know how to read and create balance sheets. Pay averages $20-$40/hour, and you can work online and get paid daily or weekly.
Make up to $5,000/month bookkeeping!
Learn the skills and strategies necessary to start a successful bookkeeping business from the comfort of your home.
4. Freelance Writer
This is one of my favorite business ideas for women because it’s exactly what I’ve done, and it’s fun work if you enjoy writing. As a freelance writer, you are responsible for writing marketing campaigns, blog posts, email newsletters, grants, resumes, online and print articles, catalog descriptions, and more.
You can make $1,000 to $5,000/month as a freelance writer. It takes work, but it’s a surprisingly accessible idea to start. Our article How to Become a Freelance Writer walks you through the process of building a freelance writing business.
Make $1,000 to $5,000/month as a freelance writer
Go from “I don’t know what I’m doing” to “I landed my first client!”
5. Blogging
I want to be clear on this before telling you more: Starting a blog takes a lot of work, but once you get going, the income potential is tremendous. One of the reasons you see so many female-owned blogs is because it’s so flexible, you can blog about whatever you want, work from home, and the income potential is phenomenal.
Successful bloggers can make anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000+ a month. They earn that money through some combination of affiliate income, display ads, sponsored posts, product sales, etc.
If you’re interested in getting started, check out:
- How to Start a Blog: This is a simple, step-by-step guide designed for beginners.
- How to Make Money Blogging: We explain exactly how bloggers make money in 2023.
- Bluehost : Get professional-level blog hosting services for as little as $2.95/month.
Start your blog right!
Bluehost is the exact platform this site was built on, and you can start a professional-looking blog for as little as $2.95/month.
Join Bluehost
6. Sell Etsy Printables
You’re probably familiar with Etsy — it’s now the go-to online marketplace for anyone looking for unique or handmade goods. But did you know that one of the best business ideas for women is selling digital printables on Etsy?
Digital printables are designs that you create once and sell an unlimited number of times with no additional overhead, plus there’s no need to store or ship physical items. Printables can be planner pages, wall art, printable games, stickers, business cards, calendar pages, lifestyle/financial trackers, and more.
Grab this fantastic FREE ebook
The Seasonal Products Secret ebook outlines printable ideas for each month of the year and how to capitalize on each idea.
Learn More
7. Virtual Assistance
Virtual assistants handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running a business. They can be responsible for managing social media accounts, billing, inbox management, schedule meetings, data entry, blog management, research, content creation, event management, etc.
You can make $500 to $1,000+ a month as a virtual assistant working from the comfort of your home. If you want to learn more, check out our articles:
- Learn How to Become a Virtual Assistant in 2023
- How to Make Money as a Pinterest Virtual Assistant (This is a great sub-niche if you already love spending time on Pinterest)
Fast track your VA business
Get the FREE resources you need to start a successful online virtual assistant business.
Check out Fully Booked VA
8. Rental Business
Peer-to-peer rental is all the rage these days, and you can make money renting out your car, house, clothes, baby gear, and more. It’s a money-saving option for the customer, but it’s a profitable and flexible business idea for women.
How much you make all depends on the business, but it’s somewhat passive income because you’re not actively trading time for work.
Here are some ideas to start with:
- Neighbor: Rent out storage space in your home, like basement, attic, garage, or closet space.
- RVshare: Rent out your motorhome, travel trailer, campervan, or pop-up.
- Swimply: Rent out your pool.
- BabyQuip: Rent out strollers, cribs, baby toys, and more.
9. Pet Care
Rover is a platform dedicated to connecting pet owners with dog walkers and pet sitters in their area. This is one of the best business ideas for women who love pets, or if you want to have an active caregiving business. For some inspiration, this woman travels the country and makes $1,000 walking dogs with Rover!
You can make $15 to $25/walk and $35 to $70/overnight stay, and pay varies depending on where you live. Rover can help you find clients, but you can also list your services on social media. Because trust is such a big part of this job, referrals go a long way.
Get paid to play with pets
Rover connects pet owners with caregivers in their area. There’s a one-time fee of $25 to sign up and start finding clients.
Join Rover
10. Sell on Shopify
With Shopify’s easy-to-use platform, you can build your eCommerce site — there are over 70 customizable themes, a drag-and-drop editor, and custom domains. You select items to sell on the site that can be dropshipped. You don’t touch, store, or ship these goods. You’re only listing them for sale, and then connecting the customer with the supplier.
After your site is built, it’s one of the more passive side hustles because you’re not actively managing or shipping orders — Shopify does this for you. You will need to run traffic to your site and check in to maintain it. You can learn more in our full Shopify Review.
Shopify is giving you a free 3-day trial followed by three months for only $1/month.
11. Online Course Creation
Online courses are an accessible way for people to learn valuable skills, and it can be surprisingly lucrative and flexible for the course creator, which is why we think it’s one of the best business ideas for women.
The idea is that you leverage your talents and skills to build an actionable course, and what’s cool about it is that there are so many different skills you can teach, like:
- Cooking/baking
- Digital illustration
- Drawing and painting
- Entrepreneurship
- Photography
- Music
- Social media
- UI/UX Design
That’s just a small list of topics, and you can learn how to get started with our article How to Create and Sell an Online Course in 2023.
12. Freelancing
Freelancers contract out their services to other business owners, and it can be a flexible and empowering way to work. We’ve already listed some freelance business ideas for women in this article, but the possibilities are practically endless.
How much you earn varies on the industry and service, and you can freelance as a:
- Copywriter
- Editor
- SEO consultant
- Website designer
- UI/UX designer
- Translator
- Travel agent
- Transcriptionist
- Photographer
- Video editor
- Podcast editor
- Accountant
Learn more about how to get started in How to Start Freelancing in 2023.
13. Graphic Design
Graphic designers create logos, banners, book covers, advertisements, brochures, and more. This is an excellent online business idea because there are freelance websites dedicated to helping you connect with clients, like 99 Designs and Toptal.
Learn more in How to Become a Freelance Graphic Designer in 2023.
14. Event Planning
As women, we are excellent multitaskers and we’re often the main planner in our families. So why not build a business out of that inherent skill? From weddings, children’s parties, to corporate events, there are countless opportunities.
15. Fitness Coach
Looking for something that embraces your passion for healthy living, fitness trainers coach and motivate their clients to better health and fitness. You can coach people online, in a gym, at their homes, or over Zoom. You can use social media or YouTube to build an audience as you share workouts and tips.
16. YouTube Channel
Starting a YouTube channel is a fun way to share your passion and knowledge with the world. The top YouTubers make a lot of money, and you can make money through sponsorships, brand deals, affiliate marketing and more. Learn more in How to Create a YouTube Channel in 2023.
17. Flipping
Flipping is the idea of buying things for cheap and selling them for more. You can do it with everything from clothes, furniture, books, home decor, workout gear, etc. It’s one of the best business ideas for women with a good eye for potential.
You can find your flips at thrift stores, flea markets, estate sales, garage sales, and so on. Many flippers sell things online through eBay, Facebook marketplace, or other online selling sites.
18. Online Influencer
We are in the age of the influencer! It’s harder than it looks though — you are constantly creating new content, sharing your life, and engaging with your followers. But it can be a lucrative business idea for women who are looking for a fun and fast-paced option.
19. In-Home Childcare
If you’re looking for a business idea that lets you stay home with your kids, in-home childcare might be a good option. You’ll want to check out your state’s licensing requirements, but many women run small childcare businesses without issue.
20. Cleaning Service
For some people, cleaning is very cathartic, and it’s one of those tasks that many people will happily pay someone else to do. While you can work for a cleaning service, you can make even more money if you work independently. Learn more in House Cleaning Jobs (Where to Find the Best Jobs & How Much to Charge).
21. Social Media Management
Social media managers help business owners manage and control their online presence. You might be responsible for developing an online identity, marketing, promotions, and so on. This is a very fast-paced online business idea for women, and that can be a lot of fun!
Depending on your experience and the services you offer, social media managers can make $20 to $250/hour. Learn more in 15 Tips to Become a Social Media Manager in 2023.
22. Website Development
Web developers use coding skills to build and maintain the websites we use on a regular basis. While you used to need a computer technology degree, more and more companies are hiring freelance web developers who are self-taught or who have learned through coding bootcamps.
Freelance web developers make $60 to $100/hour, and this is one of the best online business ideas for women because of the higher-than-average hourly pay.
23. Make Money From Your Phone
Even though you’re looking for business ideas for women, these side hustle apps will help you make some extra cash from your phone:
- Branded Surveys : Make $1-$3 per survey, and you’re paid in points that convert to PayPal cash or gift cards.
- Ibotta: This cash back app pays you for shopping online.
- Upside : Make cash back on gas and groceries.
What is the Best Small Business Idea for Women?
The possibilities are endless for women, and the best business idea for you depends on your interests and goals. Here are some of our top picks:
- Best business idea for readers: Proofreading is a flexible, work-from-home job if you love to read and nerd out for grammar and punctuation. Learn more in the FREE Well-Paid Proofreader seminar.
- Best business idea for long-term growth: Blogging is a long game, but successful female bloggers can make upwards of $10,000+ a month. We highly recommend starting your blog on Bluehost because you can build a professional-looking site for less than $3/month.
- Best business idea for creative women: Selling Etsy Printables is a super creative way to make money, and it can grow into a somewhat passive business. Learn more in e-Printables Course from Gold City Ventures.
FAQs
Our top three picks for best online business ideas are:
- Proofreading: This is a very flexible option for people who love to read, and all you need is a laptop and internet connection. Read more in Make Money Proofreading.
- Blogging: This is the most scalable option, and bloggers make money online with sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, display ads, digital products, and so on.
- Digital marketing: The digital marketing space is constantly growing with every new social media platform. There will always be a need, and this is a very scalable business.
The most successful online businesses are ones that you can scale over time, have low overhead, and are in-demand. Digital marketing, freelance writing, virtual assistance, blogging, and so on — all fit those requirements.
About Ariel Gardner
Ariel Gardner is the editor-in-chief of M$M, an elder millennial, and really wants to keep her lattes. She’s seen both ends of the financial spectrum, from trust funds to a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, and uses that experience to empathize and connect with a wide range of readers. She has been editing and writing professionally for personal finance websites since 2015.
