7 Local Business Ideas That Every Community Needs

Posted 4 years ago by Anastasia Prokofieva

Cold feet about selling nationwide? Test the桂waters by桂launching a桂local online business.

Why? Well, first of桂all, there�셲 no桂better time than the桂present. The pandemic has changed how consumers shop, one of桂the桂most prominent ways being the桂increased interest in桂finding what they need nearby. Searches for桂혫local혬 +桂혫business혬 have grown by桂 year over year, including searches like 혫local businesses near me혬 and桂혫support local businesses.혬

Read on桂for桂some ideas for桂a桂local business you can run online, offering advantages nationwide sellers lack.

Why You Should Consider Starting a桂Local Business

The benefits of桂running a桂local business combine advantages both for桂you and桂your customers. Here are some compelling reasons to桂look into launching a桂local business.

The rise of桂eco-conscious shoppers. Nearly say they value sustainability. Shopping local helps reduce impact to桂the桂environment by桂using less wrapping paper and桂minimizing the桂carbon emissions associated with shipping.
Consumers want to桂buy local. This is桂especially true when it桂comes to桂food: freshness is桂the桂most common reason for桂buying local in桂the桂US. COVID-19桂also contributed to桂the桂rise of桂the桂혫Support local혬 movement. In桂the桂US, have made a桂purchase specifically to桂support a桂local small business during the桂pandemic.
Government support for桂local businesses. Small business owners can get help from their local government in桂the桂form of桂a桂grant, a桂loan, contract assistance, etc. Be桂sure to桂check local listings for桂more information on桂how your government might be桂able to桂support your business dreams.
Cheaper delivery. Customers love to桂pay less for桂delivery桂�� or, better yet, get their items for桂free. For a桂seller, it�셲 much easier to桂reduce costs when you deliver locally.
Same day delivery. A桂local business can deliver an桂order the桂same or桂next day, while shipping from another city can sometimes take a桂week. Customers can also order courier delivery, or桂pick up桂their order in-store, giving them even more delivery options.
Easier to桂deliver perishable food and桂oversized goods. Delivering easily spoiled items or桂oversized products is桂more convenient within a桂single city where an桂ice pack is桂not going to桂let you down.
Customers can have a桂look at桂the桂product before the桂purchase. Even though the桂online shopping industry is桂booming, some customers still prefer to桂shop in桂brick-and-mortar stores. It�셲 easier for桂them to桂decide on桂a桂purchase if桂they can hold your product in桂their hands. Plus, this allows an桂extra opportunity to桂show off the桂quality of桂your items and桂get live customer feedback.

Ideas for桂Your Local Online Business

One of桂the桂most promising ideas for桂local online businesses is桂also one of桂the桂most popular: selling food. Shoppers value freshness over packaged foods: prefer locally sourced ingredients in桂what they eat. So桂don�셳 be桂surprised that it�셲 our most popular local business idea vertical. But even if桂you�셱e not a桂grocer-in-training, we桂hope some of桂our ideas will help inspire you towards taking that next step.

An桂Online Store for桂Farm Products

These stores are targeted at桂consumers who crave organic food. Farmers mostly sell fresh fruits and桂vegetables, bread, milk, meat, honey, homemade sauces, pickles, herbs. Most of桂these products have a桂short shelf life, so桂it�셲 important to桂deliver them fast.

For example, sells pasture-raised meats, eggs, dairy and桂bread. They also offer non-GMO feeds and桂events for桂those who are currently raising meat birds.

Even if桂you don�셳 own a桂farm, you can still sell farm products桂�� reach out to桂local farms to桂partner with them on桂opening an桂online storefront.

Bakeries and桂Sweet Shops

Remember our collective home-baked bread obsession during the桂pandemic? It桂just goes to桂show, people love bread! Consumers are interested in桂both high quality ingredients and桂unusual and桂unique bread recipes. As桂a桂bakery, you can satisfy this demand faster than a桂huge bread manufacturer while also offering a桂wide range of桂products.

In桂addition to桂selling baked goods online, you can sell them to桂go桂and桂might even consider opening a桂small cafe.

A桂sweet shop can also compete with chain supermarkets桂�� if桂you sell products made from natural ingredients without preservatives and桂artificial colors. For example, ice cream, or桂sweets made from nuts and桂dried fruits.

The artisanal bakery offers freshly baked artisan breads, cakes, pastries, gourmet sandwiches, as桂well as桂cheeses, charcuterie, and桂even hampers and桂gifts.

A桂Prepped Meals Portal

You don�셳 need to桂open a桂cafe to桂sell food online. You can cook meals to桂be桂delivered.

Fresh meal delivery is桂in桂demand! Not only with office workers, but also people who prefer home cooked meals but don�셳 have time to桂cook themselves. Pay attention to桂niche meal preparation: it桂might be桂a桂great idea to桂make food for桂people with dietary preferences (vegetarian or桂vegan) or桂restrictions (salt free, allergy friendly).

For example, On-Season Meals sells four different meal prep plans. Every week customers can choose from 13桂meal items. On-Season Meals integrate a桂variety of桂cuisine: international, fusion and桂classic comfort food.

At-Home Meal Kits

Hot niche alert: the桂meal kit delivery service market could become a桂nearly industry by桂2027!

Selling meal kits is桂halfway between selling groceries and桂selling meals as桂a桂restaurant. Customers order boxes of桂ingredients prepared for桂cooking. The boxes also contain recipes customers use to桂cook meals from the桂food they order.

At-home meal kits reduce time and桂effort spent on桂cooking and桂allow consumers to桂try new dishes, while minimizing food waste. Meal kits are in桂high demand in桂big cities where many people live fast-paced lives and桂don�셳 have time to桂cook.

If桂you run a桂grocery store or桂a桂cafe, you can start delivering at-home meal kits as桂an桂additional service.

Learn more: Rules and桂Regulations for桂Selling Food Online

Flower Shop

People buy cut flowers, floral arrangements, and桂potted plants for桂special occasions and桂home decor. Apart from flowers purchased from domestic and桂international flower farms, you can also sell local seasonal flowers and桂dried bouquets.

The floral industry is桂undergoing a桂transition, as桂independent brick-and-mortar flower shops are showing increasing vulnerability to桂competition from big competitors like supermarkets.

At桂the桂same time, the桂number of桂online flower shops . Ordering flowers online is桂becoming more convenient than heading to桂a桂shop to桂purchase them. So, in桂this case, launching an桂online store with a桂local delivery route might be桂your best bet.

For example, sells fresh flower arrangements that they deliver locally. They offer nationwide shipping too, but only for桂decor items and桂bouquets with everlasting roses (natural flowers that have undergone a桂preservation process to桂maintain their freshness with no桂need for桂water or桂sunlight.)

A桂Tailor Shop

The demand for桂tailor-made clothing decreased in桂2020桂while people were staying at桂home. On桂the桂other hand, garment repair and桂clothing alteration services were booming. That�셲 why a桂tailoring shop focused on桂providing garment repair and桂other services like cutting, sewing and桂modifying customers�� clothing to桂match their needs might be桂a桂bright idea.

You can also sell curtains and桂bed sheets for桂an桂additional stream of桂income. Or, combine your tailoring services with dry cleaning.

If桂you already own a桂tailor shop, set up桂an桂online store to桂receive orders online and桂expand your client base.

Where to桂Find more Ideas for桂Your Local Business

Looking for桂more local business ideas? Here�셲 how to桂find out what�셲 in桂demand in桂your area:

- Use to桂find out what people in桂your area are looking for桂and桂what the桂local market offers. Make sure to桂explore results and桂pay attention to桂related topics and桂queries.

If桂there�셲 competition in桂your niche, that�셲 a桂positive sign, as桂it桂means there�셲 demand for桂your product or桂service. Analyze your competitors to桂identify their strong and桂weak points. Apply successful solutions to桂your business and桂offer customers something your competitors can�셳.
Explore your background to桂identify possible business ideas. What products or桂services do桂you and桂your friends use? Which services or桂stores do桂your town or桂city lack?
Visit markets and桂local craft fairs to桂scope out new products or桂services that business owners are offering. Check out which ones get the桂most customers. You might find an桂idea for桂a桂business that your town or桂city needs, or桂collaborate with a桂local crafter on桂taking their business to桂the桂next level.

More ways to桂identify products in桂demand:

How To桂Find Trending Products To桂Sell Online

How to桂Start a桂Local Business

Now that you�셶e found a桂promising business idea, the桂real fun begins! Here are the桂first steps of桂your ecommerce journey:

Set Up桂an桂Online Store

An桂ecommerce website allows you to桂accept orders and桂payment online, and桂organize local delivery for桂your small business. With an桂online store, you don�셳 need to桂spend part of桂your budget on桂rent, which significantly minimizes the桂starting costs of桂launching your business.

With 붚죕쳔, you can build an桂ecommerce site for桂free! Without the桂need for桂developers or桂designers. The whole setup process takes less than an桂hour.

Set Up桂Local Delivery

Quick delivery is桂a桂competitive advantage for桂a桂local business. Make sure you organize it桂to桂suit the桂needs of桂your customers.

붚죕쳔 has rich and桂flexible settings for桂all types of桂local delivery needs. You can:

Set up桂in-store 늡곶桂낌넵곶끓끅쓩삣깎 to桂allow customers to桂get the桂orders when it�셲 convenient for桂them.
Allow customers to桂choose the桂preferred date and桂time for桂local delivery.
Set up桂a桂local delivery area in桂your store.
Set up桂different prices for桂delivery depending on桂the桂area.
Specify a桂minimum order amount for桂free delivery.
And even more. Learn more about for桂붚죕쳔 stores.

You can specify delivery time slot length in桂your 붚죕쳔 store

Start Promoting Your Business Locally

Customers can�셳 find your store if桂they don�셳 know about it. Here are a桂few ways to桂reach shoppers and桂effectively advertise your local business:

Create a桂Google My桂Business listing so桂that your store comes up桂both as桂a桂search result and桂within Google Maps.
Advertise your store on桂local media桂�� radio, TV, and桂newspapers, as桂well as桂blogs and桂podcasts.
List your store in桂local business directories.
Partner with local micro-influencers for桂a桂social media collaboration.
List your (Learn more about Google Shopping.)

Need more ideas? Read how to桂promote your local business in桂our blog post.

We�셝 love to桂learn about successful businesses in桂every city and桂town. Do桂you have any桂questions about using 붚죕쳔 for桂your local business? Share them in桂the桂comments!

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About The Author

Anastasia Prokofieva is a content writer at 붚죕쳔. She writes about online marketing and promotion to make entrepreneurs�� daily routine easier and more rewarding. She also has a soft spot for cats, chocolate, and making kombucha at home.

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