E-commerce in the USA grew to over $450 billion in 2017, a 16% increase from 2016. However, with these enticing statistics, the huge presence of Amazon.com creates tough competition for small businesses. This business idea would help fix that by creating a service where small businesses can have their products shipped, for storage and distribution. Ultimately helping manage their online sales. This also takes out the complications of managing that operation for small business owners. With the market set to grow further, this idea is one to watch.
Many retail commercial spaces are becoming ghost towns as people continue to shift to purchasing stuff online. A unique trend that has already been established in China is using retail outlet spaces for both customers and distributors. They shrink the front space to make room for a space in the back for distribution. To execute on this idea, one could approach mid-sized companies with retail storefronts that do not get much foot traffic and consult them on how to better utilize their space. This will be a growing need for businesses as the e-commerce trend continues.
Since Trump’s presidency, there have been a lot of changes and more potential changes coming with international trade. This company would help other companies keep up and manage these changes in regulations, tariffs, and other uncertainties. As other countries change their policies, there will be more demand for this idea.
Cybersecurity threats continue to increase year over year, and the severity of the threats keeps increasing. For instance, look at the recent Equifax hack, millions were affected. Almost everyone has a smartphone with several social media accounts, online banking, personal photos, and other important information. Many people don’t have this protection. This idea would cater to the executives and rich who really need their personal information secure at all times. As online services grow, so does the potential for this company, as more cyber attacks happen.
Again, with the increases in cybersecurity threats, many small businesses are vulnerable to attacks and threats too. Many of them also cannot afford big-name software systems or an IT department to get things under control. By developing software that would protect all the basic areas of a small business, you could serve 98% of the business community in the United States.
With the use of drones, one can provide surveillance to large areas using thermal and HD cameras. It can also prevent the threat to human security employees from any harm from robbers or other threats. This is also an idea that can be started with little money (surprisingly). All you would need to do is buy a drone that is quiet and has thermal, noise, and HD capabilities. In total, it costs about $1,500 if you shop smart. Then you could go and get security contracts for large pieces of land.
Many large corporations provide assistants to executives. However, the one downfall is that the executives can work a lot longer than their assistants do, leaving them without help sometimes. With the growth and rise of artificial intelligence (AI), personal digital assistants could be the perfect replacement. If you have an interest or knowledge in developing personal assistants for executives to process calls, book meeting times, and flights, arrange printings, etc, then this idea would be perfect for you.
The rise of AI over the next decade is going to disrupt how people work in general. This will change the needs of the schooling institutions that prepare our youth for the future. The school of the future idea would be a private school, teaching people the skills they need to compete and operate with AI. For instance, soft skills are going to be in higher demand than ever before. If you have a passion for education, you should definitely think about this type of idea.
Again, since Trump has taken over the White House, there have been a lot of changes to immigration laws. On the contrary, there are a lot of businesses in America that rely on immigrants for top talent. For instance, there is a shortage of quality computer programmers in the USA so many of them need to be hired abroad. The changes in policy also complicate things where other businesses need help navigating this area. This idea would help fill that complication.
With over 35% of executives looking into the implementation and investment into AI, there is definitely a need for an AI implementation business. For this idea, you would be using other AI software that other companies developed, in conjunction with reliable data gathered for the inputs to create useful systems that other companies could use. There will be a huge demand for this among fortune 500 companies for this service.
The growing elderly population is apparent in the USA, and there is a huge need for affordable elderly care facilities. These facilities will also need to provide quality treatment, as there have been past problems with bad quality managed facilities. This business idea would be in high demand since there are many elders who rely solely on government subsidies or little pensions provided by companies that went bankrupt.
A cost-effective opioid addiction treatment facility would be a high-demand business due to the epidemic that the United States is facing. Both legal and illegal opioids are causing a lot of addiction problems. To fight this, one could open up a facility in the most vulnerable states. The best way to do this without sinking a lot of your own money would be to look for state grants that could provide funding. This is the perfect business idea for someone wanting to do good in the world and fight the opioid epidemic.
Chatbots are growing in demand year over year. Small and large businesses have huge uses for chatbots. They provide customer service, help with complaints or reviews, and even serve the site visitor content when appropriate. As a point of differentiation, you can niche down and target a specific group so you can fulfill their needs completely. For example, a chatbot for independent financial advisors could help potential clients navigate the site and get to know them further. This idea will take strong programming skills to develop and deploy.
Getting an MRI scan can take months in some cases. This is because there is such a backlog of people that need them. The MRI Scanning service business idea would be a company that would provide mobile MRI scans. By setting up a stabilized truck and trailer, you could drive to high-demand areas, and provide MRI scans to multiple people in the area that need it. This would avoid the cost and hassle of having a brick-and-mortar facility where people need to come to.
The baby boomer generation is a large part of the United States population, and they account for a significant amount of the total healthcare spending. This means they are an important demographic to watch. The virtual doctor company would help this demographic by allowing them to see doctors are reduced rates and without the hassle of having to leave home. Since there is an increasing amount of baby boomers with mobility issues, staying home works well for them too. If you have computer programming skills, this could be a great business idea.
Another artificial intelligence business idea. This one is designed as a tool for digital marketers to create custom infographics or blog content. To create a solid business from this, you would need to seek investment so you can build a team to help with this idea. Imagine a software tool that you could plug in your competitors, your own site, and the kind of content you wanted to create, and this tool would develop and post it for you. Although all content needs a slight human touch, this would be a game changer when it comes to content creation for marketers.
APIs are ways that online companies can let others access important data from their platforms and integrate them into their companies. For example, Google has different APIs that you can access to pull data from, and put into other programs for business use. The use of APIs is on the rise, and they will only become more popular as the use of data increases. The API management business idea would help other mid-sized companies set up and manage their API so customers or partners can access important information from that company. If you have strong knowledge of IT, then this idea is a great fit.
The world of data is starting to overwhelm the very companies that create it. The lean data software collection company would provide software systems that can mine the data created by these companies in an efficient and insightful matter. If you are a data scientist or love data, then this business idea is for you. Fortune 500 companies would pay you a lot of money for software that could collect only important information. It would save on server costs, data management, and other costs for the companies that implement it.
Amazon was the first to open the gates to stores with no checkouts and cashiers. However, they weren’t the first in the world to do this. China has been doing this for years, so don’t get scared of someone like Amazon coming into this space. Imagine if you could walk into any small business, walk out with the clothes you want, and not have to worry about paying as it could be charged to your bank automatically.
This is another business idea designed around eliminating the cashiers at the till. As self-checkouts become more popular, and the demand for quick service grows, so will these business ideas for the USA. Also, many people hate waiting at the grocery store and the checkout lines are the bottleneck in the operation. By removing the checkouts with smart carts that know everything in them, one could simply just pay for their groceries through an app. A strong technology and coding background would complement this idea nicely.
Hyper-local marketing is a rising trend that is only going to become more apparent. As more businesses pop up as the years pass by, more and more markets become saturated. At this point, many businesses face the challenge of competing for market share. Hyper-local marketing can fill that need by creating very specific messaging and communications to local areas such as towns and cities, one by one. I can already sense this will be one of many successful business ideas.
This idea is designed to complement the growing Augmented Reality (AR) marketplace. It has been clear over the past few years that AR is going to overtake virtual reality (VR). This growing demand makes getting into the analytics business attractive. All new businesses need analytics to see what their users are doing, especially an AR company. The software in this idea would be able to track where the users look, how they interact, and other useful insights that developers need for future improvements.
This all-in-one small business platform idea would help business owners that get overwhelmed with everything, which can be fair. It can become tricky managing employees and different systems, etc. This software platform would solve those needs by providing a hub where they could see their business holistically. For example, they would be able to see the finances, operations, sales, marketing, HR, and other departments all through one program, and manage the needs of each one through the software. Although it is a bit out there and extremely complex, this business idea would solve problems and break down the barriers to entering entrepreneurship.
There is rising demand from the workforce to be able to work from home. Not everyone wants to get on a bus or in a car to get to the workplace, and some people are happy to work from home. In fact, people are demanding it. To execute this idea, you would need to help small to medium-sized companies integrate security and other software to manage their remote employees. Things that would need to be set up would include a VPN, security software, other working software applications that the employee needs on a remote laptop, etc. If you have strong IT skills, this a business opportunity you won’t want to miss.
Driverless cars are coming and they are going to change the way people live. The question is, are you going to be at the front of these changes or will you be watching them as it happens? With this company, you could be leading the way. Many companies in the USA rely on fleets of vehicles to get the work done for their customers. For example, a cable installation company may have a fleet of vans for their workers. With autonomous cars, you could manage fleets of cars including wireless vehicle inspections, regular maintenance, and roadside assistance due to the capability to monitor all this wirelessly. Secondly, the companies would save on insurance costs since the cars are controlled by robots and would be safer than humans driving.
Many companies tell their customers that they use certain ingredients or source their material from sustainable methods, however, as a consumer, there is no true way of proving this unless you look inside their books. For companies to strengthen their brands, they could use blockchain-operated supply chains, and you could build them for these brands. For example, a butcher may want to prove to you on the receipt, that the meat he got was raised and sourced from a local town or nearby. Then you know exactly where your food is coming from and you can trust them completely as it is transparent. This is just one example of many. Have an interest in blockchain? This idea will be a game changer.
Another blockchain business idea. This one has to do with the management of the real estate titles for properties. When you buy or sell a home, you or your realtor will give notice to the proper authorities of the land title change, so it is recorded. However, the current process for this is costly and inefficient with long wait times (several days). Luckily, with blockchain technology, one can solve this problem. As soon as a house is sold, the buyers and sellers would simply need to verify who they are with their unique key, and how the property was transferred, and then it would be done. If you don’t start this idea, I guarantee it will be started soon.
The legalization of marijuana is a touchy subject for many, however, there is a lot of profit to be made with the deregulation. Several states have already taken action and have legalized it for recreational and medical uses. Canada is on the road to legalization, so it won’t be very many years from now (in my prediction) that the USA will follow. That is when things could explode. In the meantime, the testing and compliance side of the business is ripe for entry because the industry is so new. The idea would involve monitoring the quality of products sold to people to monitor for health issues. If you like cannabis, this is a business idea you should consider.
There is a growing market for electric cars. Tesla created a great initial wave of demand with their electric cars, and now other car manufacturers are quickly following. Similar to gas and diesel cars and trucks, there are aftermarket parts that you can get to further customize your vehicle. With the rise of electric cars, this leaves a market partially open for you to enter and make money. To execute you would need a strong knowledge of cars, and what types of modifications or aftermarket parts electric car drivers want.
Having your DNA pattern read to determine how your body will perform in the future is a weird thing to think about, but a not-so-distant reality. These days, it costs about $600 to map your DNA. This is a fraction of the cost years ago. This company would cater to those who want to find out if they will get genetic diseases as they grow old. It can also help prevent certain diseases by taking action before symptoms arise. If you have a strong interest in science and medicine, this idea is for you!
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Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 700,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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