• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

Hundreds of business ideas free for the taking

By Becky McCray

“Ideas are a dime a dozen. The money is in the execution.”
Jon Dale

To back up that idea, nine people each came up with 111 ideas, and published the resulting list as Hamster Burial Kits and 998 Other Business Ideas. The quality of the ideas is variable, of course. While you won’t leave the list with a workable business, reading these ideas may help spark a new idea of your own. 

You can also check out our 20 ideas for small town businesses. 

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • Zoom Towns: attracting and supporting remote workers in rural small towns - December 10, 2020
  • In an economic crisis, spend your brainpower before your dollars - November 25, 2020
  • Video: How to fill empty car dealership buildings for the holidays - November 6, 2020
  • How has 2020 changed the challenges rural small towns face? Tell us here - October 20, 2020
  • The Idea Friendly Method to surviving a business crisis - October 6, 2020
  • Join me for the Rural Renewal Symposium online Oct 13 - September 26, 2020
  • Cheap placemaking idea: instant murals - September 11, 2020
  • Refilling the rural business pipeline - July 7, 2020
  • Huge vacant buildings: grants to renovate? - June 9, 2020
  • Economic self defense for small towns  - June 7, 2020

February 15, 2009 Filed Under: ideas

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. jondale says

    February 15, 2009 at 4:16 am

    Thanks for the link!

  2. Sheryl Schuff, CPA says

    February 16, 2009 at 4:48 am

    Becky,

    Thanks for the reminder. I saw this list the other day and found it fascinating. It did spark some ideas for me to tell some friends about.

    Whaddya think about the market potential of an on-line glove store?

    Personally, I’m already working on something for small town web sites.

    Sheryl

  3. Becky McCray says

    February 16, 2009 at 5:18 am

    Jon, thanks for creating and sharing the list. It has sparked a lot of creative thinking.

    Sheryl, I won’t be starting an online glove store myself, but I’ll bet someone could make a go of it! That small town item caught my attention, too. You and I could expand that one item into a dozen different concepts.

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2021 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in