So last week, my partner asked me for some ideas on what businesses to start especially during a pandemic like the one we are currently in. I went blank for some time and told her that I don't know because everything seemed unpredictable and it's just hard to predict what can and cannot work today. This question stayed in my head for quite a while and I realised that actually I might have seen quite a dozen simple ideas being implemented by various individuals before and during the Coronavirus Pandemic.

I have realised that in the professional world, jobs and businesses involving creative thinking are not found in abundance because the corporate world mainly follows preset rules and procedures. Any deviation from the organizational procedures is not considered a profitable move.

Creativity is natural, and if observed, these very artists, designers, musicians, and all kinds of creative professionals are the people who bring the beauty, colors, and entertainment around us.

Everybody has some talent. One can earn a great business from their creative talent if identified and pursued in the right manner.

If you are one of those who think out of the box and want to earn money with little investment, then the following is a list of ideas that will surely yield you a great business.

Simple Businesses to Start in 2021

1- Sell Arts Crafts Online:

Many people are good with a lot of crafty things. Some of these include crocheting, embroidery, knitting, painting, sketching, illustrations, and numerous others. If you are good at any such crafts, then all you need to do is to post a portfolio of your work on social media sites and wait for customers to contact you.

Doing it online will also save you the cost of setting up a shop or franchise. Giving customized work to the customers will also grab more of them because people always love to have something unique personalized for them only.

You only need to invest at first in the material that you will need to create the craft, which can be easily recovered by selling the craft with profit. Don’t forget to add the money for delivering the crafts to your selling price.

Entrepreneur Example: LiquidartbyTeboho

2- Interior Designer:

If you can transform the look of a room just by changing the position of a few things and you have a great sense of aesthetics, then this idea might be for you. You can attract a vast clientele for this business idea, including women who want to bring some innovation in the interiors of their houses to corporate clients such as owners of different franchises or offices.

No special skills are required to start this business. All you need is a good aesthetic sense. You can tag along with yourself people who are good with woodwork and handyman skills if you don’t have expertise in them. This will help you form a team.  However, if you network with builders, Realtors, and home renovation businesses, you can get referrals as well.

If you’re looking for more good business ideas for creative people, look no further than interior design! You could do interior design on a freelance basis, or you could even make an entire business out of it! Once you take off, you can start hiring other creative people to take your business to the next level. People are always buying and selling homes, so as long as the real estate business exists, the interior design business will thrive. People love to customize their own space, but sometimes just need direction from someone like you!

It’s especially a bonus if you have always had a passion for making spaces beautiful. A great interior design can transform someone’s house into exactly the home they were looking for. It’s a fulfilling feeling to be an instrumental part of a client’s journey to house happiness! So, if you’re a creative person, seriously consider the interior design route.

An easy to start a business idea with little to no investment.

Entrepreneur Example: Senzi Corporation

3- Jewellery Designer:

Nowadays, jewellery is no more limited to gold and silver; designers are experimenting in this field to use as many new materials and combinations to bring innovation and attract more people: beads, threads, stones, glass, wire; you name it is being used to make as intricate as a possible piece of jewellery. If you have done even a basic course of jewellery making and have an amazing imagination of using materials all in one place to make a wearable piece of art, then this business idea is for you.

This business idea will require a little setup at your house to start with, and the basic equipment, which is not very costly. You can expand your clientele by posting your work online and setting up stalls in exhibitions and charity events. Remember, uniqueness and quality is the key to success in this kind of business. All of your qualities make jewelry design one of the best business ideas for creative people.

Entrepreneur Example: Nathi Jewellers and BeBold Accesories

4- Gifts Flowers Delivery:

Are you one of those people who want the gift’s packing to be as good as the gift inside? Setting up a little gift and flower delivery will be the right business idea for you to pursue.

It is an easy business idea to pursue since it does not require any special skills and high startup capital. In fact, you can start this business from your home as well.

Gifts are given and taken on every little celebration, be it a promotion, graduation, or even a birthday. Starting this service will ease people from choosing the gift and packing them in a presentable manner. Moreover, adding flowers to the package will make it complete and more appealing.

The market to target for this idea is indeed a vast one. Start by offering the service in your neighborhood, and then you can expand by selling in exhibitions, online, or even in local shops.

Entrepreneur Example: Mojoy

4- Photography Business:

A business idea that needs only two things to start with a camera and some Photoshop skills. A reasonable camera can be bought for around R5000, and the skills can be easily mastered by following the tutorials online. It is a onetime investment business idea which can be started from home very easily.

The photography business has been in the market for ages, but what will make you stand is quality and uniqueness. If you have an eye for taking great pictures, this idea will start with. You can also focus on particular areas or start in general. Some of the areas that you may consider focusing on include; wedding photography, sports photography, child photography, nature photography, to name a few. You can cover the events and later on start promoting your photography business online as well as offline.

Entrepreneur Example: ICStudios

6- Music Tutoring:

Numerous people are passionate about music and how great it would be to earn money from something you love doing. Some people wish to learn to play some musical instruments but don’t have the ease in their schedules. All you need is your passion and that particular instrument, which may cost a few hundred dollars, and you are good to teach anywhere, anytime. Offering flexibility and mobility to your customers will help you attract more customers.

Other options can be tutoring from your own home as well as starting a music review website. This small music business idea will attract only a particular portion of people. However, you can increase your outreach by promoting your website on social media sites heavily.

Entrepreneur Example: Tom Sibanda

7- Dance Coaching:

Just like music tutoring, if you have the skills required to coach dance, you can start your business right away. The kind of people you can target are; busy professionals, who want to dance to stay fit, youths who are restless and want to make some money, and kids who want to learn it like any other sport. There are so many kinds of dances that one can learn and teach to your clients. So, offering a variety to them will be beneficial for your business.

It requires very little investment to start a proper dance studio, but if you have ample space at home for coaching, you can start with little money too. All you need is to identify the target audience and market your business the right way.

Entrepreneur Example: Nos Royale - Dance Life Africa

8- Makeup Artistry:

Creativity can be in any form, even if it includes being good with makeup and its technicalities. The makeup industry is one of the few that will never run out of business and witness innovations day by day.

Makeup artistry is an art business that you can start from your home’s comfort and zero capital. Another option can be offering services to people at the doorstep since people can be lazy to avail of the services.

From girls who are attending a party to brides, looking good is essential for every woman. Start by offering this facility to women in your neighborhood and then wait for clientele to increase by word of mouth or by distributing business cards (a little investment needed here, though). Later on, you can also train people in your vicinity and earn more business.

Entrepreneur Example: Mariam Dahab Makeup Artist

 9- Creative Ideas Blogging:

Being creative does not mean that you have to be good with arts and crafts only. One can also be expressive with their words as well. If you have different ideas and wish to share your views on different things (can be anything from nature to your thoughts) with words, then blogging is the best idea to pursue. Although it is a zero investment business idea, it takes time to flourish since it takes time to grab people’s attention and attract a crowd enough to start earning money. But with time and commitment running your own blog, which has quality content, will earn you a great profit.

You can blog about anything just from the comfort of your home, or you may love to do it while traveling. Do check how to make money with an entrepreneurship or travel blog.

Entrepreneur Example: StartupGuy

10- Creative Vlogging:

Vlogging is another way of sharing your views and anything interesting with people.  It is a great business idea to pursue active social media sites such as Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook since they know how videos work. Even if you are not active on social media, you can still start vlogging. All you need is a camera or a good cell phone and some video editing skills (can be easily learned from tutorials).

This is another idea which needs no money to start with, although you can invest in the future for better equipment. The key to success in this field is producing interesting and grabs a wide range of people’s attention. This is one of the great business ideas for creative people who know how to create useful engaging content for boring industries. We all know that it doesn’t take time for a good quality video to reach a good number of views.

Entrepreneur Example: Lebogang Nthabi Mokgosi

So, I hope that this list summarized some of the best business ideas for creative people like you. There is a lot of money to be made in these creative industries, and you could turn any one of them into a thriving business one day. The best thing about creative careers is that they can enhance the lives of so many people in ways they didn’t even dream of before. So get out there and start working!

Key Takeaway: let your creativity find a whole new world by starting your own business today!