Small Business Ideas to Support Your Community

Small businesses are the foundation of every American city.

They provide income for local families while uplifting their communities and reminding people that anyone can achieve anything through hard work.

If you want to inspire your community while making money, starting a small business is the best way to do both.

If you’re not sure what kind of small business to start or how your small business can help the people around you, just keep reading.

We’re going to share some small business ideas that will support your community.

Salon or Barbershop

Salons and barbershops are some of the businesses that make a community livable and enjoyable. And since hair school is a lot cheaper to attend than most other types of school, these businesses are a lot easier to start, too.

If your community already has a salon or barbershop, that’s okay. Competition is healthy for businesses, and it can show you what needs your competitors aren’t filling.

Is there a good salon in town that doesn’t offer a great waxing experience? You can fill that gap. Is there a barbershop that doesn’t know how to cut textured hair? You can fill that gap, too.

By meeting those needs, you can create your own community that can, in turn, give back to the larger community by providing haircuts for people experiencing homelessness or offering discounts to children in foster care.

Pet Care

Few things bring people together like the love for adorable animals.

If your community doesn’t have a business that provides pet care, or if a existing business isn’t meeting current pet needs in the area, then you can step in.

Depending on how hands-on you want to be with animals, you can sell pet-care products or offer grooming and boarding services.

Several big chain stores offer all of those options under one roof, but many people consider their pets as parts of their families, which means they may want more personalized service.

A small business can provide more personalized service than a big store can, which gives you an advantage.

And you can give back to the pets in your community by covering adoption fees at a local shelter, grooming shelter pets for free, or offering special adoption events in your facility.

Food Business: Restaurant, Coffee Shop, or Bakery

Every community needs a local place where they can hang out and get something delicious to eat and drink.

Plenty of big chains offer such environments, but small local businesses can better capture the ambience of a town and serve the food and drinks they know their neighbors will enjoy.

Pay attention to what type of eateries are available in your community and what’s missing.

Are there plenty of fancy restaurants but nowhere for a casual sip of coffee? Can you find ice cream on every corner, but no one can bake a decent loaf of bread? Is there a big Caribbean community but no Caribbean restaurants?

Ask yourself these questions and more to figure out the niche food business you can fill.

And once you’ve filled it, consider giving back to your community by training and hiring people who were formerly incarcerated or by arranging donations to a local food bank.

There are tons of small business ideas that can support your community, but these are three of the best places to start.

If you want to make money and support your community, starting a small business that gives back is the best way to do so.