35 Business Ideas for Small Towns

Small towns can be big business.

Don’t let your rural surroundings stop you from starting your own successful new business. 

Everywhere there are people there are business opportunities.  Remember that America’s largest company, Walmart built its fortune initially with stores only in small towns. Sam Walton knew that people want to buy goods and services near their homes. Think about basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter as the building blocks of successful small town businesses such as grocery stores, clothing boutiques and home builders as a start. 

Here are 35 ideas that have proven profitable in small towns just like yours:

1. Coffee shops and bars – Small town folk love to gather together to meet and greet while sipping a delicious cup of joe.
2. Clothing Stores – Everybody needs clothes. Small communities appreciate buying their outfits locally.
3. Grocery Store – Amongst the best choices for small towns because the human need for food is an evergreen business. 
4. Specialty Gourmet Foods – These days people have more sophisticated palettes and want to buy specialty cheeses, wines, and prepared take-out foods. 
5. Children’s Clothes – Lots of babies and toddlers to outfit with continually growing needs is good business. 
6. Home Contractor – Anywhere people live their homes need repair, renewal, and expansion. Build your business on home improvement. 
7. Garden and Lawn Care – Rural homes often have larger yards that need to be cut and planted by professionals. 
8. Toy Stores – The percentage of families with children is greater in the countryside. Thus the need of toy stores is great. 
9. Bookstores – Many townsfolk miss the friendly neighborhood bookseller. People like to take time browsing all the titles. 
10. Bakeries – Villages are the perfect place for good old-fashioned bakeries. You will have generations of loyal customers. 
11. Florists – For weddings, parties, gifts and funerals floral needs are seemingly endless.  
12. Card & Gift Shops – America spends billions on greeting cards every year. Cash in on this need. 
13. Health Foods – The organic food trend is growing vigorously, and often small towns have no access to specialty foods. 
14. Restaurants – All places need good restaurants, and small towns are no exceptions. 
15. Sports Bars – The neighborhood watering hole with a sports theme 
16. Cleaners – Small towns have lots of dirty homes and offices that need cleaning services regularly. 
17. Massage Therapy – Some small towns have no massage services, and you can fill that void with your services. 
18. Micro Beer Brewery
19. Bed and Breakfast and Inns – The natural beauty of rural settings make it perfect for vacationers from nearby cities who need accommodations. 
20. Electronics – Rural people use more technology than their suburban counterpoints because there are fewer activities nearby. Serve their tech needs. 
21. Tutor – A vital need for one-on-one instruction to children in various subjects such as math and grammar. 
22. Thrift Shop – Today’s frugal consumer, looks for good used items from clothing to baby equipment. 
23. Handyman – Hamlets tend to have older people who need help around the house for odd jobs and the honey to do list. 
24. Main Street Barber – Every town needs a barber.
25. Hair Salon – Ladies everywhere want to look great and have their hair cut, colored and permed regularly. 
26. Ice Cream Shoppe – Everyone screams for ice cream, for a treat or a birthday cake made from homemade ice cream. 
27. Gym Fitness Center – America’s aging baby boomers, want indoor exercise facilities near their homes. 
28. Car Wash – Rural areas have more cars per person than cities, and they need to be cleaned. 
29. Furniture Repair and Upholstery – Country people have quality furnishings and want to maintain them properly.
30. Web Design – Be location independent by working on the internet designing websites for businesses internationally.
31. Pharmacy – Sadly we all get sick from time to time and require the expertise of a qualified pharmacist in our neighborhood.
32. Farm – Use that fertile country soil and grow food and start an Agra tour farm. 
33. Auto Repair – More land means more cars and trucks to get around that will all need to be serviced and repaired locally.
34. Dog Groomer and Trainer – Country people love their dogs, which will need to be groomed and also trained. 
35. Firewood Delivery – Many individuals who leave the country heat their homes with wood and will need a reliable supply delivered to their homes.

Small Business Blog by Marsha Kelly, Entrepreneur & Small Business Reporter

Hi - I am a serial entrepreneur, after doing "time" in corporate America, who has learned about what products and services work well for entrepreneurs who want to start a business. You can learn from my experience and my associates as we shop from the internet for tools, supplies and information to build our businesses and improve the lives of our family and ourselves. Read more ...