Sammie Ellard-King
I’m Sammie, a money expert and business owner passionate about helping you take control of your wallet. My mission with Up the Gains is to create a safe space to help improve your finances, cut your costs and make you feel good while doing it.
Quickfire Roundup:
Top 20 business ideas for women in 2023 include web design, event planning, graphic design, social media marketing, video editing, interior design, and much more.
Some of these businesses require very little startup costs, such as content writing and dropshipping businesses.
Others, like jewellery-making, allow you to make the most of your artistic talents while creating a successful business.
Starting a business can be a daunting task. There are so many things to factor in and it comes with a huge amount of responsibility and dedication.
Often, even knowing which line of business to go into can be difficult.
But don’t worry – I’ve put together this guide on the best business ideas for women in 2023 to help you out.
My 20 ideas are varied and diverse – so there’s sure to be at least one business idea that suits your specific talents and skills.
Table of Contents
The 20 Best Business Ideas For Women In 2023
Best business ideas for women remote working
1) Web design
- Effort required: High
- Earning potential: £28,000 – £78000 per year
- Skills required: Programming and coding
Freelance web designing is one of the best online business ideas of 2023. This is due to the sheer volume of business that’s now conducted online. In 2022, 26.5% of retail sales in the UK were online purchases. This has led to an ever-increasing demand for web designers.
To get started in web design, you could enrol in a coding boot camp or take advantage of the many free online courses available.
If you already know how to code then you can jump straight in and design yourself a professional website. Once you’ve set up, you can start marketing your design services to other businesses.
2) Content writing
- Effort required: High
- Earning potential: £26, 931 per year (average) but could be much higher if you start your own business
- Skills required: High proficiency in English, excellent writing skills, creativity, research skills
Another great business idea is to set up your own content-writing company. You could start off as a freelance writer and gradually build up a client base. Once you’ve established your reputation, you can start expanding into a small business.
One of the best things about starting out as a content writer is that it’s fairly easy to find clients. You can use platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to pitch your services to companies looking for freelance writers. This is an excellent way to kickstart your entrepreneurial career.
Obviously AI has made this a lot harder for beginner writers but this doesn’t stop you getting started and picking up work for the time being.
3) Graphic design
- Effort required: High
- Earning potential: £18,000 – £55,000 per year
- Skills required: Knowledge of editing and design software, high level of creativity
Number three on my list is starting a graphic design business. This allows you to turn your talent for drawing into a lucrative business idea.
The career trajectory for graphic design is similar to that of content writing. Typically, you start off as a freelancer and grow your business as your client base expands.
Before you start trying to find freelance work, you’ll need to create an online portfolio. You can use any past examples of your work that showcase your unique talents.
4) Social media marketing
- Effort required: Medium
- Earning potential: £25,000 – £45,000 per year
- Skills required: Excellent communication skills, project management, content curation, writing skills
If you already spend plenty of time on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, why not turn it into a full-time job?
As a social media marketer, you’ll create content for a business’s social channels to improve brand visibility and boost sales. You’ll be in charge of creating content strategies and helping brands to develop their social media personalities.
Social media marketing is all about effective communication which is one of the top 5 skills for an entrepreneur to have.
5) Virtual assistance
- Effort required: Flexible
- Earning potential: £26,118 per year (average)
- Skills required: Time management, communication, organisational skills
As of March 2023, around 40% of employees in the UK were working remotely. This is why becoming a self-employed virtual assistant is one of my top ideas for women starting a business in 2023.
The demand for virtual assistants has never been higher and you can take advantage of this. The best places for job opportunities as a freelance virtual assistant are freelance marketplaces and online job boards.a
Best business ideas for women with kids
1) YOUTUBE FITNESS VIDEOS
- Effort required: Medium to high
- Earning potential: £1,000 a month after 12-18 months
- Skills required: Video editing, knowledge of fitness
If you have a passion for fitness, why not set up a YouTube channel?
Sharing workout videos online gives you the freedom to work from anywhere and the opportunity to pass on your knowledge to others who want to improve their well-being.
2) Translation services
- Effort required: Medium
- Earning potential: £23,500 – £35,762 per year
- Skills required: At least bilingual
Another one of my top picks for small business ideas is starting your own translation services business. If you speak another language fluently then why not put it to good use?
This type of business is really easy to get going. You can start off by translating articles, books and lectures for academics and businesses. Another option would be offering your services as an interpreter to businesses dealing with international clients.
3) Video editing
- Effort required: Medium
- Earning potential: £21,000 – £37,000 per year
- Skills required: Knowledge of computer operating systems, software, and hardware
If you’ve spent much time on video platforms like YouTube or TikTok, then you know just how important video editing is in today’s world. The demand for video editors is shooting up (and showing no signs of stopping!) as the business environment becomes ever more digital.
To learn how to edit videos, take an online course, or – somewhat ironically – teach yourself how by watching YouTube videos.
You can make your video editing business as flexible as you like and set your own schedule.
4) Personal chef
- Effort required: Medium
- Earning potential: Highly variable
- Skills required: Culinary skills
If you’ve previously worked as a chef in a restaurant, you can translate your culinary skills into your own personal chef business. There are plenty of businesses that hire personal chefs to cater for events.
If you have a background in nutrition then you could even work as a personal chef for professional athletes.
This option obviously depends on your skill set and if you have any qualifications or plenty of experience.
5) Makeup artist
- Effort required: Medium
- Earning potential: Highly variable
- Skills required: Knowledge of makeup, attention to detail
One of the best small business ideas for 2023 is becoming a self-employed makeup artist. You can start off small by doing events like friends’ parties and work your way up to large events like weddings.
Best business ideas for women with a full-time job
1) Career coach
- Effort required: Low – medium
- Earning potential: £26,250 per year (average)
- Skills required: Motivational and inspirational skills
Career coaching may not be the first business idea that springs to mind for most people. However, if you have a lot of experience in a specific role then starting your own career coaching business is an excellent option to explore.
If you’ve had a successful career in HR, for example, you can help aspiring HR professionals set goals and advance their careers. If you’ve previously run a small business then you can coach people through the steps of how to set up a small business of their own.
2) Life coach
- Effort required: Low – medium
- Earning potential: £40 – £60 per hour
- Skills required: Excellent listening skills, high level of compassion/empathy
Life coaching is similar to career coaching but focuses more on people’s personal lives instead of their professional lives. If you feel that your previous life experiences could help people progress in their own lives – then this is the business for you.
3) Personal trainer
- Effort required: Medium – high
- Earning potential: £15,000 – £60,000 per year
- Skills required: Motivational skills, knowledge of fitness
Imagine transforming somebody’s life by helping them to reach their health and fitness goals – sounds fulfilling, right? If you start a personal training business, you can make that a reality.
Being a personal trainer is both rewarding and a very lucrative business idea. You get to decide what you charge for sessions and what kind of schedule you want to have.
4) English teaching
- Effort required: Low – medium
- Earning potential: £28,000 per year (average)
- Skills required: Teaching skills, highly proficient in English
If you’ve ever considered teaching people for a living, starting an online English teaching business might be just the thing. The global demand for English teachers is very high and it’s a lucrative market that you can tap into.
You can choose whether to teach group classes or one-to-one.
5) BECOME AN AIRBNB HOST
- Effort required: Low
- Earning potential: Highly variable
- Skills required: Hosting skills
If you have an extra room (or a second home), you can rent it out on Airbnb. Besides making sure your guests get the key to the house and managing the cleaning, you won’t need to do much else. It’s a great way to make extra money while keeping up with your current job.
Best business ideas for women entrepreneurs
1) Running an online store
- Effort required: High
- Earning potential: Highly variable
- Skills required: Delegation and leadership skills, time management, organisational skills
Opening an online store is a great business idea if you want to create a lucrative side hustle. Having a purely online business gives you a lot of flexibility and the startup costs are relatively low.
What you sell is entirely up to you. It could be things like scented candles, unique clothing, or even books about how to become an entrepreneur – one of your areas of expertise!
2) Interior design
- Effort required: High
- Earning potential: £18,000 – £40,000
- Skills required: Design skills
Do you take great pride in your home? Do your guests often tell you how much they love the way your house is decorated? Then starting an interior design business may be the ideal choice for you.
The reason that interior designing is one of my picks is how broad or specialised your business can be.
3) Dropshipping
- Effort required: Low
- Earning potential: Highly variable
- Skills required: Business and sales strategy skills
Dropshipping allows you to run an e-commerce business without having to actually buy or hold any of the products yourself. You provide an online storefront and sell the products while a third party fulfils the orders.
It’s a really flexible business model with low overhead that you can get up and running in no time at all. It’s one of the best online business ideas (for men and women) for this year and beyond.
4) Jewellery-making
- Effort required: Medium – high
- Earning potential: Highly variable
- Skills required: Crafting skills
If you have a creative spirit and an artistic vision, then a jewellery-making business is a great way for you to exploit your talents. The startup costs include buying tools and supplies (if you don’t already have them) – then you’re good to go.
5) Cleaning
- Effort required: Medium
- Earning potential: £20,000 – £29,000 per year but could be more if you start a business
- Skills required: Cleaning skills
Setting up a cleaning business is an attractive prospect, as it requires very little investment at the beginning and no training. You can start off cleaning houses and build your reputation to gain more clients.
As your business grows, you can hire a team to reduce your own heavy workload.
Alternatively, if you have the funds, you could buy a business that’s already established. This allows you to skip the early stages and start with a business that already has a client base.
Things To Note When Starting A Business
Here are some of the most important things to remember when you start a business:
- Have a solid business plan
- Plan how you’ll fund your business
- Make sure you complete all the legal paperwork
- Ensure you have the right equipment
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Tips For Being Successful
- Analyse your competitors
- Get organised
- Be aware of the risks and the rewards
- Keep very detailed records
- Be as consistent as possible
FAQs
What are some tips for making my business succeed?
Some of the best tips for running a successful business in 2023 include:
- Hire the right people so you’re able to confidently delegate tasks.
- Be aware of your own limitations and don’t be afraid to share the workload.
- Make time for self-reflection.
What are the best businesses to start for women with a low budget?
Two of the best businesses to start when you have a low budget are affiliate marketing and consulting businesses. They involve barely any startup costs and almost no overhead.
Final Thoughts
So, that concludes my rundown of the top 20 best business ideas for women in 2023. As you can see, there are a wide variety of business opportunities for women with all types of skills.
Whether you’re a hot-shot designer, a language specialist, or a fitness fanatic; you can turn your passion into a successful business – as long as you stay motivated!
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Disclaimer: Content on this page is for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before making a financially related decision.
