Despite another challenging year for businesses, there’s still plenty of opportunity for starting your own business – for those who know where to look! As we enter a brand new year, you may find yourself wondering about the best business ideas for 2023.
Using our own data to identify the latest business trends, we’ve created this essential guide to share some of the fastest-growing industries in the UK, as well as examples of print must-haves for launching your venture in each field.
1. Tattoo studios
Data obtained from the national ordnance survey shows there has been a large shift in the types of businesses present on our high streets with classic clothing shops and department stores closing their shutters for the last time. Taking their place is a surge of tattoo studios nationwide. Savvy business owner Roseanna Hanson owner of the Tattoo studio Coven in Barnsley recently appeared on BBC Look North and explained how by renting out space in her studio to others looking to promote their own business, she was able to open her new shop in Barnsley Arcade and take advantage of one these empty spaces.
Creating a portfolio of your tattoo designs is a great way to start – we recommend investing in booklet printing as a way to showcase your designs to potential clients and communicate the quality of your work.
2. Beauty salons
Likewise, beauty salons and hairdressers are also on the rise. While our luscious locks may have been neglected during the past couple of years of lockdowns, there’s now unprecedented demand for this service, with many beauticians setting up shop on the high street and their own homes. Feeling inspired? Here’s how our client Hair Salon Near Me set their premium hairdresser business apart from the crowd.
A key marketing strategy that’s always successful for beauty salons and hairdressing businesses is a strong loyalty scheme. Consider ordering branded loyalty cards that you can stamp each time your client uses your services
3. eCommerce business
E-commerce has exploded in popularity over the past few years, and we expect that trend to continue in 2023. If you have a passion for a particular type of product, consider starting an online store where you can sell products directly to customers. This can be a great way to reach a global audience, and there are many platforms available to help you get started, such as Shopify.
The value of the web design industry is expected to reach £571.1 million over the next 5 years. We asked the Founder and Lead Developer of the company Made by Eighty, Liam Gilroy, to give us his thoughts on why he thinks web development is so popular at the moment:
“I think the uptake in web design can largely be attributed to businesses looking to sell online. E-commerce has shown huge growth throughout the pandemic and during that time people have been forced to adopt new technologies and think digitally. This naturally breeds more competition online as businesses are switching from traditional avenues to the web so web stores are in demand meaning PPC and paid socials amongst other things are in rising demand to compete in saturated markets.”
Although setting up an online store for your shop can offer a myriad of benefits such as making your products more accessible to digital nomad customers, you can also use your online presence to shout about events and offers that are exclusive to your brick and mortar store – it’s a win-win opportunity! App development and graphic designers will also fare well in this type of market.
To support your e-commerce business, consider using custom packaging and promotional materials, such as branded shipping boxes and thank-you cards. This can help you create a cohesive brand experience for your customers and make your business stand out.
4. Influencers
Love them or hate them, there’s no denying that the influencer market has exploded in recent years. With social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok allowing the average person to potentially reach audiences of millions, it’s no surprise that this new venture has people scrambling to their phones to try and kickstart the next viral trend.
The early days of the pandemic had many of us sitting at home consuming media at extraordinary rates which undoubtedly has contributed to this recent boom. This new and unique market gives people the opportunity to take something they enjoy and are passionate about and potentially turn it into what can be a lucrative income.
The way we consume media is rapidly evolving more and more each day; the younger generations seem to be turning their back on more traditional platforms for advertising such as broadcast television and radio and it's getting easier for people to locate and cater to their target demographic with the assistance of the in-built algorithms these platforms use.
The influencer market currently sits with an estimated value of 16.4 billion dollars and shows little to no signs of slowing down with even big brands taking advantage of this relatively new market and paying content creators to endorse and advertise their products. If social media management is something you could see yourself doing, it could very well be a successful small business idea to start in 2023!
5. Pet care
Research from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association found that 3.2 million households in the UK acquired a pet during the pandemic, meaning that as of March 2021, the country has 17 million pet-owning homes. With many workers using the opportunity of working from home to invest in a new pet, many also bought pets in response to feelings of social isolation which were rife at the time.
49% of remote employees have returned to the office full-time as of 2022, meaning we have less time for our newly acquired pets. The best business ideas for 2023 will help solve problems like this– and pet care services are no exception.
From setting up a dog walking side hustle to training and pet sitting, if you’re planning on seizing this new-found opportunity in 2023, spread the word about your new business to local pet owners with flyers.
6. Home improvement services
While lockdown saw many of us trying our hand at DIY around the house, now that we’ve returned to a sense of normalcy, it’s going to be a little harder to find time to work on our decorating and gardening skills. That’s where you come in! If you’re particularly handy, setting up a home improvement or gardening business is a great way to monetise your skills and help solve a problem many are facing in 2023.
Promoting your home improvement business successfully will come down to your local marketing prowess. As well as keeping a handy supply of business cards to help you jump on any opportunities and gain referrals, putting up posters in the local area and joining a neighbourhood Facebook group or forum will put you in direct contact with your target audience.
7. Cleaning
Between 2015 and 2018, the UK’s cleaning services industry grew by 5% - that’s including both domestic cleaners and commercial. With more awareness over hygiene following the COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning is certainly set to become a lucrative business venture in 2023.
Creating a solid foundation for your cleaning business will make it easier to grow and run in the long term. Once you’ve established your brand and completed a few jobs, word of mouth marketing and reviews will be key to capturing new clients. We recommend printing appointment cards to keep customers in the loop of when you’re next due to clean their home or business.
Ready to get started? Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to start your own cleaning business.
8. Home baking
With a 20% rise in home baking businesses over the past year alone, there’s never been a better time to utilise your kitchen skills for a profit. While cake delivery services became commonplace for budding bakers in lockdown, with events and weddings back on the menu, there’s huge demand for catering services – which means plenty of opportunity for your startup.
From specialising in a certain cuisine to catering to a variety of dietary requirements, or even creating a recipe that’s unique to your business, it’ll be important to find your unique selling point to appeal to your niche in the market.
Printing a set of sample menus will be a great way to give potential clients a taste of what you can offer when catering events – or if you’re going down the delivery or market route, make sure to brand your packaging with stickers featuring your baking business’s logo!
9. Online tutoring
If moving online to teach your students during the Coronavirus pandemic felt like a breath of fresh air, you might be thinking about making a move to virtual teaching permanently.
Although you don’t need any qualifications to offer online courses, if you have experience or a degree in the subject you want to teach, this will give you a leg up on the competition when it comes to getting your first clients through the door.
Poster placement will be key to promoting your online tutoring business – think about places parents will be with their children such as local swimming pools, libraries and shops.
The future?
The way we do business seems to be constantly evolving of late due in part to changes in customer behaviour and advances in technology. The best business ideas in 2023 all work to solve problems that the vast majority of us are facing, which is where you’ll find the most demand. Ready to start your own business? Whether you’re starting up as a freelancer at home or investing in something bigger, take the first steps to launch your big venture with this guide to writing a business plan.
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