50 Small Town Business Ideas

When planning a startup, entrepreneurs may be tempted by the innovative atmosphere of the Silicon Valley or other large urban landscapes. But plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs exist in small town America too.

There are whole new sets of challenges, trends and other factors for small town entrepreneurs to consider. But there are advantages as well like lower costs and lower competition.

And with the internet there is, of course, the option of reaching those larger markets while you and your staff enjoy a lower standard of living where your money goes further — especially in the lean years.  Here are 50 different business ideas that you can start in a small town.

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Small Town Business Ideas

Neighborhood Coffee Shop

Despite the prevalence of coffee shops on seemingly every corner throughout big cities, there aren’t as many chains like Starbucks setting up shop in small towns. So you could potentially fill a gap in the market with your own small town coffee shop.

Farmers’ Market Vendor

Farmers’ markets are popular in cities and towns of all sizes. But especially if you have enough space to grow food on your property, you can build a lucrative business by selling those items at your own stand.

Grocery Store

Small towns also aren’t as likely to have chain grocery stores as bigger cities. So you can set up your own smaller store selling a variety of food products.

Diner

Or you could go into the restaurant business and start your own small town diner, where fewer fast food franchises like McDonald’s or even upscale eatery franchises have yet made an impact.

Specialty Restaurant

In addition, your town might not have quite as much variety in the way of restaurants. So if you have a specialty, like making Thai food for instance, you could start your own restaurant in that niche.

Food Delivery Service

Or you could focus on providing food to consumers in a different way. Start your own delivery service to bring meals to those who don’t want to make the trip to buy food on their own.

Ice Cream Shop

Ice cream is another food niche that could be popular in many small towns. If you don’t already have a ton of dessert options in your area, an ice cream shop can be a great place to start.

Roadside Food Stand

Or you could sell products or homemade food items at your own roadside stand, as long as you have a place along a main thoroughfare.

Flea Market Seller

Flea markets can also be great venues for small town entrepreneurs to sell their goods. You can make your own handmade items or even resell products at your own flea market stand.

Handmade Artisan

You could also set up your own shop for handmade goods on a site like Etsy. And living in a rural area or small town could potentially give you access to some really unique supplies.

Furniture Upcycler

Additionally, you can sometimes find great vintage furniture pieces in small towns and then give them new life before reselling them.

T-shirt Designer

There are plenty of online platforms like Redbubble and Society6 that you can use to design your own t-shirts and similar goods no matter where you live.

Clothing Alterations

If you have the ability to sew and alter clothing, you could start your own clothing alterations business and have people send or bring you their items for alteration.

Carpenter

If you’re a skilled woodworker, you could source your own wood and then make a variety of different products to sell.

Firewood Seller

Or you could collect firewood and then sell it to nearby customers for use in their fireplaces.

Freelance Writer

Since small towns often offer lower cost of living, they can be great places for independent freelancers — whether writing for local clients or plying their trade online —  to set up shop. So you can start your own freelance writing business and save money on a variety of different expenses.

Independent Blogger

Or you could start your own blog and make money from ads, affiliate links or selling products again taking advantage of the lower standard living and services — so long as you have adequate internet access.

Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are also largely location-independent. So that can be another great opportunity for entrepreneurs to work from home in a small town and with a much lower standard of living.

Web Designer

If you’re a design savvy entrepreneur, you could also start your own web design business and offer your services remotely.

Graphic Designer

Or you could offer a variety of different graphic design services for clients, including logos, branding and other elements.

Mobile Retailer

If there aren’t a lot of shoppers in your area, it might not be feasible to set up a full retail store. But you could potentially start your own mobile retail store in a camper or similar vehicle and then sell items at fairs or events in the area.

Bookshop

Bookshops can also be popular in a variety of different markets. So you can start your own store either in a physical location or online.

Secondhand Store

Or you might open a store that sells a variety of different secondhand products. This might especially appeal to those in small towns with a lower standard of living who are looking for a way to make their money go further.

Retail Pharmacy

If your local community doesn’t have much in the way of chain pharmacies, starting your own retail pharmacy can be a great business opportunity as well.

Bed and Breakfast

Small towns also afford entrepreneurs the ability to invest in fairly large homes, like the kind you can use to start your own bed and breakfast.

Tour Guide

If your small town offers some charm or history that could attract tourists, then you could potentially start your own tour guide business to target those consumers.

Auto Repair Shop

For those entrepreneurs who are skilled with automotive repairs, small towns can be great places to set up shop, especially if there aren’t any other repair shops nearby.

Car Wash

Or you could start your own car wash with lower rent and other expenses.

Family Farm

For those who live in rural areas where homes come with lots of land, you could also start your own working farm and run it as a business that provides food, tours or other products or services.

Florist

Or if you prefer growing flowers, you can start your own floral shop and sell different flower varieties or even make more advanced products like wedding centerpieces.

Landscaping Business

Rural areas often mean that homeowners have lots of yard and outdoor space to take care of. So you could certainly start a successful business in the landscaping arena.

Gardener

Or you could focus more specifically on offering gardening services to homeowners in your area.