Family businesses account for 64 percent of U.S. gross domestic product and generate 62 percent of the country’s employment, according to the Conway Center for Family Business. So starting a family business can be a popular way to make a living. If you’re interested in starting your own family business, take a look at the potential list of family business opportunities below.
Family Business Ideas
Family Restaurant
Starting a restaurant as a family can be a great business opportunity, since it’s a business that requires multiple people and different skill sets. And family restaurants can really appeal to people in the local community.
Family Band
If the members of your family are musically inclined, you can start a band together and play at local venues or events or even go on tours.
Family Blog
Blogging is a great business opportunity for people in all kinds of different niches. So you can start a blog with your family about different family activities or other things that interest you.
Local Newspaper
Or you could start a newspaper or other print publication aimed at people in your local area that all the members of your family can contribute to.
Niche Website
You can also start a website in a specific niche that offers information or provides a forum for people to communicate with one another. And you can charge a membership fee or make money through ads or affiliate links.
Farm
If you have access to land and other resources, family farming can be a very viable business opportunity.
Contracting Business
You can also start a general contracting business where you do home repairs and remodeling projects with family members. Or you can even have some family members run the business side while others focus on the actual contracting work.
Home Rental Business
If you have a few different homes or properties, or the resources to purchase them, you can start a family business by renting out those homes to others.
Caterer
For those who want to start a food based business, catering can also be a viable business opportunity that requires many different skills so each member of the family can contribute in their own way.
Bakery
Or you can start a bakery where you sell individual baked goods or even do custom desserts for clients or special events.
Landscaping Business
For those who enjoy spending time outside, you can start a family business where you provide landscaping design or maintenance services to people in your community.
Lawn Care Service
Or you could choose to keep it simply and just start a lawn care service where you mow lawns weekly or on a regular basis in exchange for a regular fee.
Local Store
You can also start a retail store in your local community where you can sell anything from electronics to clothing.
Cleaning Business
Cleaning is another potential business opportunity for families. You can offer your services on a weekly or monthly basis to homeowners or business owners in your area.
Event Planning Business
Event planning can also be a good family business idea. Each member of your family can focus on different events or each person could have different areas of expertise so you can collaborate on each event together.
Web Design Service
If you have some web savvy family members, you can start a web design business where you help business clients create designs they love.
Child Care Service
You could also start an in-home day care business with members of your family where you provide child care services for clients.
Portrait Photography Business
If at least one member of your family is a skilled photographer, you can start a portrait studio where you take family photos, senior pictures or even pet photos. And other members of the family can focus on the other aspects of running the business.
Pet Grooming Business
For those families who love spending time with furry friends, pet grooming can be a great business opportunity that the whole family can help with.
Dog Walking Business
You can also start a dog walking business where each member of your family can build up their own client base or some family members can focus on running the business while others actually provide the dog walking services.
Animal Training Business
Or you could start a training school where people can bring their dogs or other pets to learn tricks or correct behavioral issues.
Book Publishing Business
There are so many authors out there looking to get their work published. So you can start a family publishing business where you choose books and bring them to market for independent authors.
eBook Writing Business
Or you could write your own book as a family and publish it yourselves as an ebook.
App Development Business
For tech savvy families, app development can be a great way to start a business together. You can come up with your own idea for an app or work on creating apps for clients.
Online Course Business
You could also start a business selling online courses about specific topics where you have some expertise.
Tour Guide Services
If your local community is popular with tourists, you could offer tour guide services to visitors looking to explore and learn more about the area.
Bed and Breakfast
You could also start a bed and breakfast if you have a large home or the resources to procure a suitable location for guests.
Florist
For those who love working with flowers, you can start a florist business with the members of your family.
Plant Nursery
You could also focus on growing and selling other types of plants by opening your own plant nursery business.
Christmas Tree Farm
Or if you have a lot of room to work with, you can even grow your own evergreen trees and start a Christmas tree farm that people can get trees from over the holidays.
Petting Zoo
Families with farm land can also set up a petting zoo that people can visit to pet various farm animals.
Apple Orchard
Apple orchards can also be a fun place for people to visit. So you can start a family apple orchard business that charges admission or sells a variety of different apple products.
Corn Maze Business
Or you could create a corn maze on your property and charge visitors admission or even host special events.
Craft Fair Vendor
For creative families, there are a variety of different craft items you can make and sell. And craft fairs offer a great place for you to get your products in front of handmade buyers.
Flea Market Vendor
Flea markets can also be great places to sell handmade or second hand products to consumers. And you can even have the whole family put together and run the booth.
Farmers Market Vendor
In addition, if you sell any type of food products, you can sign up for a booth at a local farmers’ market.
Ecommerce Reseller
If you’d rather run an online busness, you can build a business by purchasing and reselling products on ecommerce platforms like eBay and Amazon.
Vacation Rental Business
For families that have a few different properties, you can rent out spaces to vacationers using services like Airbnb or even starting your own site.
Tutoring Service
Families can also build a business by offering tutoring services in various subjects to students.
Errand Service
You can also offer to run various errands for clients in your area, including laundry, grocery shopping and more. And you can even have different family members that specialize in different areas.
Interior Design Service
Design savvy families can also start a business offering interior design services, which can require people with several different skill sets.
Home Staging Business
You can also start a business that offers home staging services for consumers who are getting ready to sell or rent their homes.
Seasonal Decorating Business
Or you could focus on helping homeowners or even local business owners decorate their spaces for the holidays.
Alterations Service
You could also start a tailoring or clothing alterations business where customers bring in their clothing and other garments to be altered.
Antique Store
If you want to open a brick and mortar store, you can open an antique store or mall in your community and have your family help you operate all the different aspects of the business.
Heating and Cooling Business
For those who have the education and training, you can start a business where you offer repair services for people’s heating and cooling units.
Car Wash
You can also start a car wash business in your community either by opening your own location or traveling to customers to provide detailing services.
House Flipping Business
If you have the resources to purchase and fix up properties, you can start a business flipping and selling homes in your area.
Pool Cleaning Service
You can also provide pool cleaning services for local homeowners during the summer months.
Moving Service
Or you could start a packing and moving service. You can have the whole family actually help with the moving, or some can run the business aspects while others provide the services.
Related reading: 51 Business Ideas for 2020
Feature Image: Depositphotos.com. Family Meal, Organic Farm, Family Store, Dog Walker, Bed and Breakfast Photos via Shutterstock.
Post very interesting, revealing some aspects and tips that I did not know about family small business.
Aira Bongco
I am receiving conflicting views when it comes to this. Some people say that you should not build a business with family members but to others, it is okay. What should I follow?
Mike Parkinson
In my experience, starting a business with family or friends puts a strain on the relationship. The realtionship gets stronger or it falls part.
Sydney MacLella
I feel like it depends on the family, if your family is more strict i do not think its a great idea, but if your doing it with a more chill family but still responsible, i think it is a great idea it could be a way to bring your family relationships closer.
YJM
I think the most important thing is to make sure you all have your own roles and respect each other for it.
Businesses these days can be started from your own garage. That is what Apple did and look at how big they are today. It all starts with an idea.
Meena
Am in nigeria , looking for a business idea with little capital.
Isaac
A wonderful opportunity to involve the whole family and some ideas can be used part time or after hours