Fifteen business ideas with low startup costs
You don’t have to be a millionaire to start your own business. Discover 15 of the best low-cost business ideas for 2025.
If you’re dreaming about becoming your own boss but you’re worried about the costs of starting your own business, the good news is there are plenty of business ideas that don’t require a hefty initial investment.
All you need to do is decide which option best matches your skills and interests.
Fifteen low-cost business ideas for 2025
Below, we’ve outlined 15 low-cost business ideas with high profit potential. We’ve arranged them into four different categories to help you find the ideas that interest you most:
Creative businesses
Ecommerce businesses
Professional services
In-person services
These unsecured and secured loans could help you grow your business, cover running costs or even fund a new company.
Creative businesses
1. Sell your crafts
Whether you love making candles, jewellery or greetings cards, it’s easy to start selling your wares on sites such as Etsy. Listing fees are only 16p per item, but you must also pay transaction and payment processing fees whenever you make a sale.
To increase the online visibility of your items, use free platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
2. Letterbox bakery
If baking is your forte, why not turn it into a side hustle? You can start baking from home and ship your delicious creations directly to customers. All you’ll need to invest in initially are the ingredients and attractive packaging.
Again, it’s important to promote your wares through free social media platforms and encourage your friends and family to spread the word. You must also ensure you meet the legal requirements for running a food business from home.
3. Photography
If you’re a keen photographer, you could make a healthy profit by setting up your own photography business, provided you have a decent camera and photo editing software.
One option is to sell your photos to stock photo sites like Getty Images and Shutterstock. But you could also offer to take photos at friends’ weddings and birthday parties to start building up a portfolio of work and ultimately establish a full-time photography business.
Ecommerce businesses
4. Sell online courses
If you love teaching guitar or you’re skilled in computing, you could use sites such as Skillshare, Teachable and Udemy to build a suite of online courses and earn some extra cash. The more people who engage with your videos, the more you earn.
5. Online tutoring
Another option is to use sites such as MyTutor and Tutor House to find prospective clients to tutor online.
You don’t necessarily need any qualifications, but many students prefer a tutor who has some. Having qualifications and experience also means you’re likely to earn more.
According to MyTutor, you can expect to earn from £12 to £52 an hour, although this depends on where you live and what you teach.
6. Dropshipping
Dropshipping allows you to sell products without the need to buy, store, or ship inventory. Instead, a supplier handles everything on your behalf. You only pay for the products once you've made a sale, and simply forward the order to the supplier, who takes care of the rest.
7. Digital marketing
Starting a digital marketing firm can be a straightforward process if you already have the right skills and experience. Whether your expertise lies in SEO, social media marketing, content and email marketing, or PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, you can build a business offering these services, leveraging your existing knowledge to help clients grow their online presence.
Professional services
8. Bookkeeping
If you’re good with numbers, why not put those skills to use by starting a bookkeeping business? It can help to take a bookkeeping course before you start, but you should then be able to run your business from home, helping to maintain accurate financial records for a range of clients and preparing for tax and VAT returns.
8. CV writing and career coach
If you have a knack for writing compelling CVs, you could turn this skill into a profitable side hustle by offering CV writing services. With the right experience, you can also expand your business to include career coaching. All you need to get started is a laptop or computer with an internet connection.
10. Copywriting
Copywriting is a low-cost business idea that’s easy to start, especially if you have the right skills and experience. With just a laptop and an internet connection, you can offer services like writing product descriptions, social media posts, website copy, advertisements, or blogs. To attract clients, you'll generally need to showcase your expertise, often through a portfolio or examples of past work.
11. Graphic design
Are you experienced in graphic design? If so, many businesses are happy to hire freelancers to help them design logos, brochures, flyers or display ads. Before you start, make sure you have access to a design application such as Adobe Illustrator, as well as a portfolio of your work.
12. Translation services
If you're fluent in another language, starting a translation business can be a cost-effective and straightforward option. You can choose to specialise in areas like technical translation, marketing, advertising, or finance, depending on your expertise and interests.
In-person services
13. Window cleaning
If you're comfortable working outdoors in all conditions, starting a window cleaning business can be a straightforward and affordable option. Initially, you’ll need basic equipment like a mode of transport, a ladder, and cleaning supplies. As your business expands, you can reinvest in more advanced tools like water-fed poles and a larger van to increase efficiency.
14. Pet sitting
More than half (57%) of UK households have a pet, which means demand for pet-sitting services is high. So, if you love animals, why not start your own pet-sitting business? As long as you’re happy looking after other people’s pets when they’re on holiday, you could advertise your services in local shops and through social media.
Be aware that if you’re looking after someone else’s pet in your own home, Defra Animal Activity Licensing rules state you must have certain qualifications to do so.
Should you wish to boost your income by offering dog walking, it’s best to take out dog walking insurance on top.
15. Handyperson
If you enjoy DIY, why not offer to do local odd jobs for friends and family for a small fee? You could soon find your services are in demand. Examples of the type of tasks you might be called on to do include putting up fences, fixing broken tiles or painting and decorating.
As your business grows, you might want to take a course to expand your knowledge as well as invest in more suitable tools and equipment so that you can take on more jobs. Just remember to take out the necessary business insurance to protect yourself and your customers.
Next steps
Once you’re ready to get your business up and running, you need to think about how to fund your business idea. With a low-cost option, you might have enough in savings to get your project off the ground, or perhaps you could borrow from friends and family.
It’s also important to carry out some market research before you proceed and draw up a business plan.
About Rachel Wait
Rachel has spent the majority of her career writing about personal finance for leading price comparison sites and the national press, including for the Mail on Sunday, The Observer, The Spectator, the Evening Standard, Forbes UK and The Sun.