A quick Google search will show you thousands upon thousands of business ideas. Sadly, there’s a reason so many small businesses fail within a few years. Lots of people start companies based on ideas that just aren’t designed to last. The biggest example of this is a business that’s started on the back of a trend. A few years ago, the UK saw a boom of small businesses selling American candy. It was such a simple and profitable business idea – ship candy from the States, sell it for a profit. Unfortunately, the trend died out pretty soon, leading to hundreds of businesses closing across the country.
How do you avoid a similar fate? It’s quite obvious: you choose business ideas that are designed to last. So, here are some ideas that will probably be around forever – or close to it!
Shipping companies
No matter what, shipping companies will always be needed. Other businesses need ways of transporting goods from a to b. People need companies to move furniture or cars, and all sorts of other stuff. Therefore, this is an idea that will always be profitable. You can start a small business that moves truck loads of goods for lots of different clients. It’s an idea you can start on your own as well – all you need is a vehicle, then you can slowly expand and get a lorry, then a fleet – who knows.
Even as the world advances, shipping companies will remain important. The way you go about your business may change in 30 years – you could deliver everything via drones! Still, this business always has a purpose that the world can’t live without.
Tech support businesses
Similarly, as the world becomes more technologically dependent, the need for tech support will rise. No matter how tech-savvy we are now, there will always be new things coming out. Therefore, some people will always need assistance in getting to grips with different hardware or software.
Similarly, technology is never 100% reliable. Faults and errors can occur, so there need to be people that can fix them. This is why starting a tech support business is profitable and future-proof!
Online retail businesses
It’s no secret that traditional retail businesses are on the decline. Sadly, the pandemic has exposed the shortcomings these companies possess. On the other hand, most of the companies thriving throughout 2020 were in the online retail domain. People are starting to buy everything over the internet, and this will probably continue for years to come.
Consequently, starting an online retail business makes lots of sense. The only caveat is that your business should provide things that will remain in-demand for many years and decades. Don’t make the mistake of starting an online company that’s built around trending products or services!
The more you think about it, the more you’re able to identify business ideas that will last forever. If you take one thing from this post, let it be that you should never start businesses based on trends. Trends are temporary, meaning your business will follow suit.