Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2020, then updated in place, so the title and some sentences refer to 2022-2023. The trends and examples date from 2017-2018, including Uber’s fatal self-driving crash of March 2018, and predictions such as driverless cars in 2025 should be read in that light.
The world is changing and moving forward faster than ever before. So it’s a matter of working out what the next big thing will be and which businesses will be the most profitable in the near future (2022–2023). That’s why we’re going to try to look, by way of predictions, at the business trends from this year, 2022, onwards.
First of all, if you came here looking for more specific business ideas, you can find them in the following series of links, where we’ve developed more than 100 business ideas of all kinds, starting with business ideas that don’t require much investment and can bring in a good profit.
You also have 23 business ideas you can start while working full time. There we set out several businesses you can start as a way to earn extra money while working on them part-time, and that over time can turn into a full-time business with a large income.
The best business ideas that don’t need commercial premises
As we said in our previous article with 30 small but profitable businesses, all of these ventures have been carried out by people who managed to earn quite a lot of money by approaching them the right way.
We’ll start with several businesses you can launch with no investment, whose first office can be your own home.
31. Manufacturers’ representative – one of the most profitable businesses
Calling it commission-based sales may not sound great as a business idea, but the truth is that it’s an excellent way to make money. Even though we live in a digital age, there’s still room for independent sales representatives. In fact, you don’t have to limit yourself to a single product: you can take advantage of visits to certain areas to carry products from different companies.
The good thing about this idea is that you don’t need any investment, and you can even start it part-time without leaving your current job. You can also decide to take it seriously and make a lot of money.
As I’ve mentioned on other occasions, one way I personally made a lot of extra money was by working with different companies that paid me a commission just for putting the customer in touch with the supplier.
See also: The businesses of the future and the industries that will create jobs
32. Small photography business
Photography is just like other professions. Many photographers say you can’t make a living from photography or that there are already too many photographers. But the truth is that plenty of photographers earn good money from it. Why is it so profitable for some, while others say they make no profit from it? It always comes down to the approach.
That said, taking a course and owning a camera doesn’t make you a good photographer. If you have something that sets you apart and you’re passionate about photography, you can start this business by setting up your own studio in a room in your home.
To start making money quickly, you can also go straight to people who need photos, such as those who advertise in the contacts section of your local classifieds. You can make an offer to small local shops. There are countless things you can do to make your passion for photography pay, including selling your photos on stock image sites, which can be a good way to earn passive income.
See also: 16 ways to make money without working or doing anything
33. Selling promotional merchandise
Small and large companies can be an excellent market for this. In fact, they already demand this kind of service. You can carry out this business idea in two ways.
On the one hand, you can start your own business. That would mean negotiating a good price with a screen-printing company and finding your own original products to carry the company’s advertising. These products can be lighters, pens, T-shirts, jackets or anything else you think could be innovative in this business. It really isn’t that hard to start a company like this.
The other way is what we mentioned above: negotiate with a company already in this sector and become its sales representative, earning a commission on every sale you make to customers.
34. Sales trainer
If your passion is sales, this business is easy to start. To begin with, you don’t need premises or an office if you focus on training other companies’ salespeople. Personally, this is a side business I still haven’t given up and that I combine with my other activities. A couple of times a month I train the salespeople of several companies.
If you decide to get into this sector, you can also offer your services to individual salespeople, running group sales courses so that it’s cheaper for those interested. To start with, the ideal clients are usually companies with between 5 and 25 salespeople. They’re small enough that not everyone is trying to sell them sales training, and large enough to recognise the need for training and be willing to pay for it.
Other profitable businesses for 2022
35. Making soap and lotions
Homemade soap is in demand, and if besides being homemade it’s also well presented, this small business can bring you a lot of money. The same goes for lotions, and even for making your own fragrance. It isn’t as complicated as you might think.
You can make soaps with different scents, and lotions, yourself and sell them in attractively presented bags. One way to sell your product is to talk to a shopping centre and rent a space there. You can also sell online, and even distribute it through certain shops in your area.
See also: Franchises: profitable businesses that weather the crisis
36. Organizing specific types of events
Although it’s a much-repeated idea, and you might think there are already thousands of event organizers, it’s the same as with other professions. Specialize in birthday parties, corporate events, nightlife, whatever it is, but specialize.
The best small, profitable part-time business ideas
Sometimes the best way to start a business is part-time, while you keep the income from your day job. Once we see that we’re becoming profitable, we can take the leap.
37. Bicycle repair
People spend a lot of money on bicycles these days. Cycling is booming. Most repairs aren’t that complicated if you know a little about it. You can start this business from your garage, or even outside your home. And, thinking bigger, you could also sell accessories for cyclists, and even bicycles.
Learn the basics of repairing gears and the other most common breakdowns that fans of this sport tend to run into.
See also: 22 creative and profitable business ideas
38. Reselling cars
Some people have practically become rich in this business. Of course, to be that successful you need a big source of good-value used cars, such as dealer car auctions, government vehicle auctions and so on. That part of the business isn’t easy.
But the most common approach is to buy a car in good condition or with some damage, do the necessary repairs, leave it as good as new and sell it at a good price for the customer. If you know nothing about car repairs, you can always team up with someone who does and work together.
When you start, start small, with a couple of cars. That way you risk little and can see how the business goes for you.
39. Cooking class instructor
Cooking classes have ended up becoming anything but cooking classes, although people still learn to cook. For many, attending these classes is more a way to have a good time as a couple or to meet other people, so if you start this small business, make sure the people who attend are pleasant and well-mannered, because in the end what sells most isn’t what you offer, but how people felt while they were there.
40. Crafts business
Many people make handicrafts as a hobby, but if you want to make money, you can also put a reasonable price on your products and even take them to market. In fact, local retailers and craft fairs can become your profitable target. That said, you can also sell your products online, which is the route chosen by most people who make money with this small business. Being small doesn’t mean it can’t be profitable. It’s a matter of doing it right.
See also: Ideas for making money fast online
41. Custom embroidery
Anything with the word “personalized” lets you stand out from the rest and charge a little more for your services. Offering this service online lets you set your own hours and start this business part-time.
42. Editing services
Every business needs editors, but you have to know how to sell it to them. Today every company, however small, needs to be on the internet. They also tend to write their own advertising in all kinds of formats, so a good editing service for the web, combined with good SEO, or good copywriting for whatever documents they need, can help that company sell more.
Some editors specialize in one aspect of editing. Others cover every aspect. Either way, you can start this business from home. As we’ll see later, video is among the business trends for 2022, so you can get started in one of the businesses of the future.
See also: 16 businesses you can start from home
43. Family history writer (genealogy service)
Although you can find very good resources on family history online, in the end someone patient is needed to put it all together. That’s where you can come in as an expert family history writer. Pull everything together, do enough research, answer your clients’ questions, and you can grow this business.
44. Personal finance consultant
Financial education is still most people’s unfinished business, so if you’re good at this subject, you can advise families on how to save more and even teach them to invest their money, along with all kinds of other services you can offer in the field of personal finance.
See also: 10 recommended books on financial education
45. Pop-up art gallery
If in our previous article we talked about a full-fledged art gallery, this time the idea is probably one of the smartest businesses. It’s a way to have your own art gallery with no overheads. You can talk to the owner of a bar or restaurant and host your gallery there for an event.
Why would the restaurant or bar owner say yes? Because they benefit from the food and drinks they sell, and you can also give them a small commission on every painting, sculpture or work of art that’s sold.
See also: 20 original business ideas that work in other countries
46. Interior room painting
If you can paint rooms artistically or do something original with interior walls, it’s a matter of offering your services. Professionals are often needed to hang photo murals. In fact, there are companies that specialize in installing photo murals, which usually come in 8 parts that have to fit together perfectly.
If your thing is creating a true work of art by painting a room’s walls, you can make good money from it.
In another article we also mentioned painting house fronts at low-cost prices as a way to make money.
See also: 38 ideas for earning extra money from home
47. Party planner
When we say party planner, the first thing that comes to mind is children’s parties, but we forget about parties for adults, which are a fast-growing field. To get started in this business, you should first offer some really attractive package deals. Then you can try to add extra services.
The best low-investment profitable business ideas
48. Antique restoration
You’ll need some experience to make progress in antique restoration, but some skills can be learned quite easily, such as stripping paint and old varnish and refinishing. If you want to get into this business, I’d suggest you start by restoring antiques for others, and little by little buy pieces to restore and sell on your own. But get to know the market before you start spending cash on antiques.
49. Mediator
I can assure you that this business idea is very profitable once you become known. In fact, it was the first business I started, with my partner Victoria.
We started by mediating in family conflicts, inheritance disputes and divorce cases. We ended up mediating in business negotiations to keep companies from losing deals or ending up in endless legal battles.
The secret to success in this business is having a methodology, being completely objective, having a certain amount of influence and negotiating skill, and above all, above all, above all… loooots of patience.
What I learned in this profession is that most of the time both parties actually agree, but they don’t know it, because they’ve started arguing instead of talking. After a few hours of mediation, both parties reached a good agreement in the vast majority of the cases we mediated.
Here I tell you about my experience in the mediation business.
50. Baby-proofing services
This is a small but pleasant business in a market that isn’t just looking for the cheapest product, but for the one that best protects the baby: safety nets for railings, door latches, socket covers, door locks and so on.
Where’s the profit in this business? Mainly in selling the best products at a good price as well as giving advice (which on its own won’t bring you many customers). The advice can be an added value on top of selling and installing the products.
51. Business broker
This kind of profession isn’t very widespread in Spain, and where it is, it’s done on a large scale: giant corporations acquiring a big company. But when it comes to smaller businesses, there’s a wide market that can be very profitable, especially if we find medium-sized companies looking to hunt an elephant that’s still small for now.
The work is no different from that of a real estate broker who puts a client who wants to buy in touch with an owner who wants to sell. The only difference is that in this case businesses are bought and sold. And you’re the intermediary who gets paid for the deal.
We already discussed the social media trends for businesses from 2021 onwards, where we explained that mobile would be king, advertising and content would come hand in hand with video, and Facebook would practically become a pay-to-play platform for businesses.
Business trends for 2022
1. The Internet of Things
We’re clear that the Internet of Things will be an industry worth billions and that from 2022 it will begin to reach its full potential. We’re already seeing how apps connected to each other are making our homes smarter. And this has only just begun.
It’s estimated that more than 50 million smart home devices have been bought in the United States alone. If this industry hasn’t yet taken off as many predicted years ago, it’s because these devices are often expensive or hard to set up. That’s something that’s gradually being solved. But there’s no doubt they’re among the business trends that sooner or later will capture a large market.
Smart light bulbs, door locks that open with a mobile app, or full control of our home and appliances from our smartphone are already a reality. And Amazon and Google are driving the change in this industry.
2. Video and mobile are the future
A lot of the money spent on TV advertising will shift to mobile video advertising. Companies will invest heavily in advertising to reach users through their phones, using leading social networks such as Instagram, as well as Facebook and YouTube.
Other players will also enter this market niche, which has become one of the most profitable for some companies.
3. Traditional television will die
Television as we know it will tend to die out. YouTube, Amazon and Netflix will be the ones to kill it, although it’s quite likely that other new projects and ideas will fill the gap television leaves behind. Television itself will also adapt more and more to smartphones.
See also: An innovative profitable business: buying equipment to rent out to companies
And this will give rise to new mobile video business models, above all built around subscriptions.
Film and TV studios, together with telecom companies, will lead these efforts. The former will produce the quality content, and the latter will bundle that content into their mobile packages at a flat price for consumers.
4. Digital media will look to diversify their revenue beyond advertising
Google and Facebook continue to dominate the advertising market. In fact, both companies are increasing their advertising revenue year after year. As a result, digital media companies will look for new sources of revenue.
For example, we’ll see a rise in paid subscriptions, with content restricted for non-subscribers. The search for revenue through brand licensing, merchandising and new forms of native advertising will also grow, as they expand their revenue models from 2022 on.
Other business trends we’re seeing
5. Virtual reality
Although people have stopped talking about virtual reality lately, Facebook’s purchase of Oculus and other moves by different companies make us think that virtual reality will be worth billions, especially in the video game industry, and probably in other surprises still to come.
6. 2025 will be the year of driverless cars
Companies such as Uber have already made the news when one of their self-driving cars was involved in a fatal accident. But driverless cars will arrive sooner than we think. Which companies are taking far-reaching steps in driverless cars? The companies that could put this kind of autonomous vehicle on our streets on a massive scale are Tesla, Ford, Hyundai and General Motors.
7. The year of Alibaba
Until now, the prices on AliExpress have been hard for other companies to match, Amazon included. We always said that the day Alibaba solved its delivery-time problem and made the leap beyond its home market, many companies could start to tremble. Well, Alibaba has partnered with a big data giant, and the company is expected to expand its business internationally. If that happens, the e-commerce market could enter a war that might threaten Amazon’s dominance as the king of e-commerce.
8. The drone market
A whole multimillion business has opened up around drones. The Business Insider Intelligence report says drones will start to face fewer restrictions on their use. In fact, companies such as Amazon and Correos (Spain’s postal service) are testing deliveries by drone in hard-to-reach places.
The drone industry is among the businesses and professions with the most future. In fact, knowing how to fly, program or repair drones can open up job opportunities from 2018 onwards.
9. Artificial intelligence in advertising, among the business trends
In 2018 there was a considerable increase in the number of brands turning to artificial intelligence to make their online advertising strategies more efficient. Using artificial intelligence in marketing can optimize bids in ad auctions by offering personalized content.
10. Payment and data security
With the huge amount of sensitive information we share online, and with internet payments booming, security will be one of the most important problems to solve, and therefore one of the most profitable industries.
So we’ll keep seeing business giants acquire companies devoted to improving security. Mastercard acquired Brighterion, a software company specializing in artificial intelligence and security. We wouldn’t rule out more partnerships or acquisitions between companies.
11. Digital money management: the big player among business trends
If there’s one thing we know today, it’s that young people trust Google, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft much more than a bank. That’s why companies and apps are appearing that manage our money better than traditional banks do.
Some of these apps are being bought by banks so they can help us keep healthier finances, control our spending and know where our money is going. From this year on, fintech will finally take off and force traditional banks to change or adapt.
12. And what will happen with cryptocurrencies from 2022?
The Business Insider Intelligence report says cryptocurrencies will gain more prominence and wider acceptance. But on this point, in my personal opinion, I have to disagree. I actually think the opposite will happen, because right now the prices of cryptocurrencies, and Bitcoin above all, are showing more and more that, far from being a real form of payment or store of value, they’re behaving like a genuine bubble sustained only by the hope that someone will buy Bitcoin at a higher price than you paid.
Blockchain will have incredible, endless uses, but cryptocurrencies, in my opinion, will only serve to fleece naive investors who think they’ll get rich quickly by investing in this product with no intrinsic value and no real use. But I insist that this point is only my personal opinion.
Featured image: Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
