30 Unique Business Ideas for Women
In this article, we will take a look at the 30 unique business ideas for women. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to 5 Unique Business Ideas for Women.
Women Still Have a Long Way to Go in Entrepreneurship
On December 30, Forbes reported that women accounted for half of the businesses created in the past three years. In 2022, women started almost 1,800 new businesses every day. It is to be noted that women-owned businesses grew by a staggering 114% between 1998 and 2018. While the number of women in entrepreneurship is growing, only 13% of all women were startup founders in the United States in 2023. The lack of women's representation in entrepreneurship is due to the lack of funding and mentoring opportunities. Female founders received only 1.9% of venture capital funding in 2022. Teams with male and female co-founders received 21.7% of venture capital funding. Forbes suggests the disparity is because men account for 85% of all venture capitalists. The report also highlights that pitch questioning often indicates bias against women. Most male founders are asked promotional or positive questions. Women founders are questioned about possible losses and risk mitigation. Women are three times more likely to be denied a loan, as compared to men. As of July 2023, women received 21.1% of the 42,000 loans approved by the Small Business Association (SBA) and only 16.1% of the total money. You can also take a look at the youngest richest women in the world and the richest women in the world.
Some of the Best Startups by Women
Despite all the challenges, women are disrupting various industries and making strides in entrepreneurship. Mented Cosmetics and Mrs Wordsmith are among the many notable startups led by women.
Mented Cosmetics, owned by KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson, is a cruelty-free and vegan makeup brand for women of all skin tones, specifically targeted at women of color. The company's products include blushes, foundations, lipsticks, glosses, and bronzers. On April 28, 2022, Forbes reported that the multi-million dollar brand is expected to disrupt the beauty and cosmetic market in the United States. The company raised $9 million in venture capital and closed a $5 million series A funding in January 2022.
Mrs Wordsmith was launched by Sofia Fenichell in 2015. The company aims to revolutionize education by making interesting and fun educational content. The site is home to games, books, and applications that help improve reading and writing comprehension among children aged between 4 and 11. The team consists of artists, game developers, teachers, and data scientists. Customers can purchase books and games from the website. The book, "My Epic Life Daily Word Workout," is a best selling item of the company and is priced at $24.99 on the official site.
Must-Have Software for Women Entrepreneurs
Women may benefit from the plethora of low-cost software to set up businesses and get going. Some of these include monday.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:MNDY), Adobe Inc.'s (NASDAQ:ADBE) Marketo, and Xero Limited (OTC:XROLF). Let's take a look at some offerings and recent updates from these companies.
monday.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:MNDY) is a work platform that allows businesses to manage work, sales processes, and product lifecycles. Users can manage their operations, marketing, and creative design functions using a single platform. Users can visualize their tasks in the Gantt or Kanban view. Users can also choose from over 30 widgets to create real-time dashboards. monday.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:MNDY) also allows business owners to create workflows and benefit from over 200 built-in automation recipes to enhance efficiency. The free version allows users to make up to 3 boards and choose from 8 column types. Users also enjoy more than 200 customizable templates.
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) is a leading creative and management software provider. Marketo, a product of Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE), is a marketing automation platform. Business owners can automate their marketing and use artificial intelligence to establish customer segments and audiences. Users can also personalize experiences, create customer-triggered events, and coordinate email, social, SMS, and paid media. The platform provides business owners with real-time geographic and demographic data to deliver personalized messages to customers. You can also take a look at the top alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud in 2024.
Xero Limited (OTC:XROLF) is a leading accounting software based in New Zealand. It is a cloud-based accounting software that allows business owners to pay bills, claim expenses, accept payments, track projects, and establish bank connections. Users can also use Xero Limited (OTC:XROLF) to manage online invoices and engage in multi-currency transactions. More than 3.95 million people use Xero.
Now that we have discussed how women can benefit from software to set up businesses, let's take a look at the 30 unique business ideas for women.
30 Unique Business Ideas for Women
Our Methodology
To gather a list of the 30 unique business ideas for women, we consulted over 10 rankings and reports on the internet. We picked the business ideas that appeared in 50% of our sources and then ranked them.
30 Unique Business Ideas for Women
30. Personal Chef
Becoming a personal chef is one of the best business ideas for budding women entrepreneurs. A personal chef may set up a baking business for events and become a freelance chef for a specific cuisine such as Chinese, continental, or Indian.
29. Yoga Instructor
Yoga with Adriene is a yoga instructor on YouTube. She has over 12.6 million subscribers on YouTube and 1.3 million followers on Instagram, as of April 3, 2024.
28. Wedding Planning
Wedding planning is a very in-demand business. According to a report by Research and Markets, the global wedding services market size was valued at $267.08 billion in 2023. The global wedding services market is expected to grow to $429.56 billion by 2030 from $284.87 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.02%.
27. Voice Actress
Voice-over artists may earn somewhere between $40 to $120 per hour or $150 for a single project on Upwork. Most of the jobs on Upwork demand voiceovers for advertising content or documentaries.
26. Video Editing
Video editors may earn $500 or between $30 to $60 per hour for a single project on Upwork. The video editing projects on Upwork require the creation of UCG content, product videos, and testimonial videos.
25. Tutoring
Setting up a tutoring business is one of the best business ideas for women entrepreneurs. Women can save immense costs by setting up an online tutoring agency using free tools such as Zoom and Google Meet.
24. Travel Agency
Setting up a travel agency is one of the best business ideas for budding female founders. According to a report by Future Market Insights, the global tourism market was valued at $10.5 trillion in 2022. The global tourism market is expected to grow to $17.1 trillion by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate of 5%.
23. Styling Assistant
Becoming a styling assistant is one of the most unique business ideas for women. Women can become styling influencers on social media or personal assistants to popular celebrities.
22. Social Media Management
Social media management is a lucrative opportunity for business owners. A social media manager may earn somewhere between $15 to $50 per hour on Upwork. The projects available on Upwork entail social media coordination, content generation, traffic generation, and growth marketing.
21. Sell on Etsy
Women can sell handmade and vintage items on Etsy. A set of 100 handmade jump rings is a best-selling item on Etsy. They are available for $18.10 and are reviewed by more than 180,000 people.
20. Proofreading and Editing
Proofreaders and editors may earn somewhere between $15 to $50 per hour for a project on Upwork. The jobs on Upwork entail editing biographies, books, author pages, and research papers.
19. PR Agency
A PR Agency is responsible for generating media coverage for a brand and company. The media coverage must accentuate or reinforce a positive image of the brand. Business owners can set up a PR agency to run events and campaigns for companies.
18. Podcast Production
Women can set up a podcast on YouTube or Spotify. These podcasts can target fellow women who struggle with financial knowledge, entrepreneurial knowledge, and budgeting.
17. Pet Care
Pet care services are highly in demand. According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, the global pet care market was valued at $246.66 billion in 2023. The global pet care market is expected to grow to $427.75 billion by 2032 from $259.37 billion in 2024, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.45%.
16. Personal Training and Nutrition
Most people seek personal training and nutrition guides to lead healthier lifestyles. Budding business owners can set up a personal training and nutrition business to deliver counseling and training in online, in-person, or hybrid mode. Sanna Maria is a fitness trainer with over 726,000 followers on Instagram, as of April 3, 2024.
15. Makeup Artist
Lisa Eldridge has 1.9 million followers on Instagram, as of April 3, 2024. The makeup artist is based in England. She also owns an online store where she sells luxury makeup and skincare products. Most lipsticks are priced at $36 per item on the official website.
14. Jewelry Brand
Starting a jewelry brand may be one of the best business ideas for women entrepreneurs. Business owners may create handmade products and sell them on Amazon and Etsy. On the contrary, brand recognition could come from creating a social commerce platform on Instagram or Pinterest.
13. Interior Design
Starting an interior design business is a great idea for women. On average an interior design project on Upwork requires 30 hours per week and pays somewhere between $25 per hour or $500 per project depending on the job requirement.
12. Influencer Marketing and Content Creation
Micro-influencing is gaining massive traction across the globe. Micro-influencers are influencers with a niche audience and segment. Companies tend to target micro-influencers because they help companies attract the right audience.
11. Freelance Web Development
Freelance web developers engage in the development of WordPress sites, e-commerce stores, and storefronts, among other domains. A WordPress site developer may earn somewhere between $10 to $75 per hour on Upwork.
10. Freelance Photography
Women may earn somewhere between $120 to $700 for a freelance photography project on Upwork. The projects entail photography for social media content, wedding shoots, and product shoots.
9. Freelance Graphic Design
Women equipped with graphic design and UI/UD design skills may look to freelance. Projects and jobs on Upwork may offer $500 to $100,000 for a short or long-term design project respectively. Jobs primarily entail logo design, product design, and thumbnail design.
8. Craft Workshops
Delivering craft workshops is one of the best businesses to start. Women may provide art and craft workshops online, in person, or hybrid. The How to Craft Wire Tree Sculptures With Andy Elliott course on Udemy is available for $14.99. It has an average star rating of 4.6 and has an enrollment of 2,042 students, as of April 3, 2024.
7. Consulting
Women can provide consulting services or start a consulting agency for any niche. Some of the most popular consulting domains include legal consulting, strategic consulting, and marketing consulting.
6. Coaching and Online Courses
Women entrepreneurs can set up a coaching center or provide online courses. The course by Kimberley Haley, How to Build and Implement a Winning Pricing Strategy, on Udemy is available for $64.99. It is home to more than 2,103 students, and has a customer star rating of 4.6, as of April 3, 2024.
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Disclosure: None. 30 Unique Business Ideas for Women is originally published on Insider Monkey.