Are you looking for small business ideas for rural areas or villages? Do you want to start a business in your village? Are you interested in the best company to start in a small town?

PROFITABLE SMALL-TOWN BUSINESS IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Which business to start in a village? Most prospective investors in rural settlements ask a popular question: ‘What Business Does Every Small Town Need?’ Whether in the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, or Nigeria, your business choice must take advantage of the abundant raw materials, labor, and land available in rural areas and small towns.

You must be careful not to pick a lucrative small business whose growth and expansion would be hampered by the needed infrastructure that may be absent in most villages, primarily when investing in third-world countries.

Starting a business in a small town can be frustrating if you don’t have a good business idea with a low investment.

This is why I have taken the time to compile this small business ideas list to assist anyone passionate about investing in small towns and rural areas. Many of these rural business opportunities can be classified as:

==> Business ideas for rural development
==> Business ideas for food and agriculture and
==> Make money small town business ideas (General)

Do you know that one of the top problems confronting many nations today is Rural-Urban migration?

This is because people who leave the hinterland for the more developed cities do so for job/business opportunities and a desire for a better standard of living.

This movement has been fraught with several challenges. For one, and especially prevalent in developing countries that do not have adequate planning, there is a strain on the available infrastructural resources to cope with the large influx.

Another reason is that many economies are experiencing economic recession; hence job openings are diminishing rapidly in cities and larger states.

However, the present-day economic indices show that small towns and villages are the next frontiers in starting and running new business ventures.

The attractions to starting a business in a small town include low startup costs, the leverage for flexibility, and the presence of a receptive market.

Based on these enabling factors, you can explore and exploit the following business ideas for a small town:

Here are eight low-cost small businesses that thrive in villages and rural areas:

1.==> Farming

Do you need the best ideas for small businesses in rural villages related to agriculture? Cultivating food crops and rearing animals that are supplied fresh to people in urban centers is an excellent way to make money in small towns.

Many people prefer vegetables and fruits harvested fresh from villages because these products are organic and contain no chemical preservatives that are usually harmful.

Most manufacturing companies also rely on raw materials from rural farmland, such as cotton, rubber, fruits, oil palm, etc.

GUIDE: SMALL-SCALE FARMING BUSINESS PLAN

Many people want to know the best agro-allied business opportunities in small towns. This necessitated my next question: ‘What are the best agricultural business ideas for villages?

This question is difficult to answer, considering I have not toured around all agribusiness.

But from all indications, poultry farming, fish farming, oil palm, cocoa, and vegetable farming are some of the most profitable small business opportunities available in farming and agriculture.

2.==> Trade Skills For Money

Since there is a need for various constructions in a rural settlement, you are sure to make decent money if you are skilled in carpentry, woodwork, metalwork, machine repair, and welding services.

House roofing, boat building, local fabrication of farm equipment, etc., are numerous ways skilled artisans can make money from the construction need of people in small towns.

A local construction company is probably the best business to open in a small town if you have the necessary skills.

3.==> Market Agric. Produce

Buying and selling animal and plant products is a good business idea for developing areas and suburbs.

You have access to many of these low-priced agro commodities that you can repackage and sell at higher returns in significant towns and cities.

Supplying farm produce is a profitable small village business idea because you make a lot of money from the supply chain as a distributor of fresh eggs, chicken, day-old chicks, vegetables, fruits, etc., to major cities in your countries abroad.

4.==> Offer Tourist Services

If you have a point of attraction in your locality and are not making money, I can tell you sincerely that you have been sleeping. Tourist centers have attracted visitors naturally.

One of the ways to generate income from that natural scenery, spring, highland, and plateau is by rendering tourism services to visitors who come flocking, especially during holidays and festival periods.

Set up a company to provide tourist guides who would take visitors around and educators who would give historical facts and information about what tourists have come to see.

Before you know what’s happening, you will discover that you have created wealth and employment for your community.

5.==> Gather And Sell Scrap Materials

One of the most lucrative small-town business ideas is gathering and selling used plastic containers, scrap metals, equipment, jewelry, etc., for recycling. This is because villagers believe these items have no value left, and you can easily find them lying.

These materials can be exchanged for good cash if you can gather a substantial amount.

HOT: Make Money From Scrap Metal Business

6.==> Produce Local Clothing And Jewellery

In rural communities, people have peculiar clothing materials and dress styles. If you start a rural business producing and selling local wares and jewelry, you will make a lot of money.

Many people have exploited one of man’s basic needs, clothing, to amass wealth.

Handwoven materials and locally knitted stuff appeal to local people better. This is especially true for special wear during weddings, burials, naming, and coronation ceremonies.

TUTORIAL: How To Start Gold Business: Invest In Buying And Selling Raw Gold And Scrap Jewelry

7.==> Sell Flowers

Because of the abundance of flowers and farmland to cultivate, many people have turned to florists to sell flowers to the community and tourists.

These investors make double profits, especially during seasonal holidays and festival celebrations.

All you need is a sound knowledge of horticulture and gardening, tight marketing, and locating your sales outlet in a conspicuous corner of the town.

To promote your flower business, you can look into offering free home delivery to new and loyal customers.

8.==> Firewood Business

Suppose you are in Nigeria and other developing African countries like Kenya. In that case, you will understand the high demand for firewood as an alternative energy source for cooking and heat generation.

There are two ways of making money from the firewood business.

One is by gathering and selling firewood directly to the end users. At the same time, the other involves burning firewood to produce charcoal, broken down into lumps for local and industrial use.

This good small-town business opportunity involves a lot of labor which can be acquired at affordable rates in rural areas.

9. A Convenience Store

One of the most profitable businesses you can start in a small town is a convenience/retail store.

Big retail businesses usually consider feasibility and return on investment issues when establishing supermarkets in smaller settlements; hence, these places are generally overlooked.

This presents ample opportunity to provide a much-needed service, as inhabitants require everyday items such as bathing soaps, toothpaste, beverages, toiletries, etc.

To run a successful convenience store, you will have to strike a beneficial relationship with suppliers of your basic stock. Since these suppliers are usually situated in larger cities, you must also evolve cost-effective ways of transporting your store to your business location.

It would help if you also looked to offer these everyday items at affordable/discounted prices.

10. Plastic Recycling and Metal Scrap Sales

If you reside in a small town, you can consider starting a plastic recycling and metal scrap gathering/sales business.

For starters, you should have a plentiful supply of these products lying about that small town, as chances are high that the inhabitants do not place much premium on them.

One of your essential strategies will be to find a cost-effective means of gathering these products in commercially viable quantities. This will entail the engagement of workers to assist in this regard.

The tools of your business will include a weighing scale, collection bags, and a collection/sorting center.

At the other end of your business structure, you must establish a relationship with plastic recycling and smelting plants that will pay for your waste plastic and metal supplies.

11. A Tutorial Centre

With the world turning into a global community, even tiny town has inhabitants that desire to become literate and acquire other desirable skills. If you are knowledgeable and have a flair/love for teaching, you can set up a tutorial center in your small town.

For starters, the cost of starting a learning center is low; what you will require includes basics such as a suitable location, benches, chairs, tables, books, and other instructional materials. The cadre of your clients can consist of small children, teenagers, young adults, and even older people.

You can expand your operations by engaging other suitably qualified hands to help in subject areas you do not specialize.

12. Farming

Traditionally, small towns and villages have almost always provided the peasant and subsistence agriculture/farming that offer crops and animals for the big cities and settlements.

With the rural-to-urban migration mentioned earlier, a number of these small holding farms have been abandoned.

You can decide to pursue the idea of starting a farm in the small town you reside in. You should conduct a detailed survey to determine the kind of crops, the climate, and the soil in the city that can best support you.

You can elicit the contribution of local authorities in the area of the provision of improved varieties of crops as well as fertilizers. Your primary clients will be manufacturing/processing concerns and sizeable urban provision stores in the cities closest to you.

As a value addition to your farming business, you can also set up an integrated processing plant to turn your produce into semi-finished and finished products, thereby expanding your revenue stream.

13. Set up a Computer and Internet Services Center

With the increasing expansion of the knowledge-driven world that we live in, inhabitants of small towns also need to send and receive information via the Internet and other channels.

Also, you will find that there is a need also to have documents typed and dispatched to various destinations.

You can use a Computer and Internet Services Center to cash in on this opportunity. Your most basic requirements will include having several computer systems, internet access, and a source of uninterrupted power supply.

Successful Businesses To Start in Small Towns, Villages, and Rural Communities

Other business ideas with low investment can be exploited in small towns. You only have to rigorously research the available options against the backdrop of your expertise, finances, and other resources.

Finally, it would help if you understood that there are many profitable businesses that you can open in rural areas on a small scale with little or no capital.

Those little small-town business ideas will soon grow into a household brand with a determined spirit, good business, and marketing skills.

Best Business to Start in Small Town

There is a wrong notion about small towns and highly profitable businesses.

Some people believe lucrative business opportunities are unavailable in small towns. But the reverse is the case, as small towns also have business opportunities with high patronage.

This article sheds light on business ideas for small towns to reveal some of these ideas, which are highly profitable and can be taken advantage of.

With adequate and proper planning, starting a business in a small town can grow to exceed your expectations. It all boils down to getting the perfect business idea that can be implemented.

However, a business idea is insufficient, as you need the drive and passion to start such a business.

We present you with lucrative business ideas for small towns.

Bakery Business

A bakery business within a small town is usually well-patronized, as it provides all the city’s snacks, cakes, bread, and pastry requirements. Although patronage may not be high at first, trade may be meager.

However, with time, patronage can pick up considerably. In the long run, excellent baking skills resulting in delicious products will attract high trade to your bakery business.

Restaurant Business

Restaurants are great businesses in small towns and thrive if properly planned by putting the requirements and structures in place. Another significant contribution to how well a restaurant business will do in a small town is its location.

Selecting a strategic location for the restaurant can significantly increase the patronage of the business. Such a business should be located in areas where most activities take place. The higher the human traffic, the more likely the restaurant will witness increased client patronage. This is one of the most lucrative business ideas for rural areas in Kenya.

Motel Business

Starting a motel business is excellent for small towns along major highways.

This is one of the lucrative business ideas for small towns that continually witness patronage from most travelers. Such motels provide resting stations for those people traveling long distances.

Although such businesses may witness locals’ patronage, most of their patrons consist of travelers and tourists or visitors.

Hospitals

Every small town requires some form of medical service. However, a hospital or medical center should only be provided based on need.

This is because, in some small towns, there may be already established hospitals; therefore, adding another may result in non-patronage, as such a place may not require an added medical facility.

The target should be small towns with no significant hospitals or medical centers.

Veterinary Clinic

This is the best business to start in a small town if you are a qualified veterinarian.

Here, you are likely to witness high patronage because such places are usually occupied by farmers who own livestock consisting of cows, sheep, and poultry and domestic animals and pets.

Providing this critical service enables livestock farming to thrive. This is among the most lucrative business ideas for small towns that allow you to attract phenomenal profits.

Auto Garage

So long as vehicles exist, you will never run out of patronage from vehicle owners.

Providing this service is essential to the smooth running of the small town, as vehicles are used to purchase supplies from significant cities and transport people, livestock, and farm produce.

A garage is a highly lucrative business to set up in a small town, as the rewards can be enormous if the right things are implemented to ensure the smooth running of such a business.

Starting a Hair Salon and Barbershop Business

This business idea for small towns is essential, as people must make or trim their hair.

When starting this business, it should be located strategically where it will attract high patronage, as busy areas are more likely to attract new clients.

When starting the business, it may not witness high patronage at first; however, with time and the provision of quality services, you will likely build a loyal client base.

Car wash

A car wash is among the lucrative business ideas for small towns, especially when such services are unavailable.

An advantage of starting the car wash business is that it does not require high startup costs. While relatively cheap to start, it rewards the company’s owner handsomely.

This is more so if it is properly run.

In the event of increased demand for such services, you may expand the business or open another car wash in another part of town to cater to the growing demand for such services.

Flower Shop

This is a low-cost business that attracts high patronage. Before starting this business, it is essential to examine your profit margin to see if you will still be profitable if you provide cheaper flowers to your clients.

If it allows you to be still profitable while lowering your prices, then you have the edge over your competitors, as clients are likely to patronize your products over those of your competitors.

These lucrative business ideas for small towns require considerably lower startup capital.

A criterion for selecting any of these business ideas should be your passion and interest in starting the same. This is what will sustain you through the hard times.