Ripple Design Studio

Bookstore
Bookshops might now be different and resemble little of what most of us remember from our childhoods, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If anything, the need for bookstore owners to create new and innovative ways to succeed has opened up a plethora of additional business opportunities. And isn’t that what small towns are all about, creating opportunity and coming up with creative ways to provide the most options for their communities?
Of course, if you decide to open a bookstore as your small town business you’ll want to make sure that the main focus is books. But that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate other aspects of your community or additional products into your store. It’s rare nowadays to go into a bookstore just for books. They’re now a prime destination for gifts, crafts, e-readers, coffee and events. Selling a variety of merchandise and holding events will diversify your revenue stream and bring additional customers into your store, those that traditionally might not be the paper book type.
It also might surprise you that though there are far fewer bookstores around these days, sales at bookstores that have weathered the storm are up five percent. Though it is partially due to less competition, it is also that the opportunity to reinvent bookstores for the 21st century has proved lucrative.

Cleaning service
Similar to a handyman service, a cleaning service is also a solid business idea for small towns. That is if you are looking to forgo a storefront. Though it’s becoming increasingly popular these days for customers looking for cleaning services to use larger companies or startups, often services such as these either haven’t expanded into rural areas or don’t have contract workers willing to travel to more remote towns. This might be frustrating for those seeking a sparkling kitchen, but it could mean a massive business opportunity for you! It’s also one of the easiest businesses to start with very little, if any, overhead.

Flower shop
It might surprise you, but opening a flower shop is a fairly inexpensive business idea and great for small towns. That is, less expensive than say a restaurant or a car wash. Starting a flower shop has relatively few costs compared to other retail businesses. One of the only costs you will be faced with is the purchase of a cooler to keep your product (aka pretty flowers) fresh and cool.
Though your local community will be thrilled to have fresh flowers in their town, you will still have the struggle of competing against online delivery services. Remember, if you are the first florist the town has ever seen (or at least for a while), they are probably used to ordering online. Habits can be hard to break. The best way to compete with the online sea of flora is with reasonable prices, attention to detail, great customer service and a sprig of creativity.

Gift card shop
Americans purchase on average 6.5 billion greeting cards each year. While sales are estimated between $7 and $8 billion annually, according to the Greeting Card Association, many of these cards are now purchased in big box stores, such as Target and Walmart. Those living in small towns often don’t have access to these types of stores, at least not in their immediate vicinity. Providing the people of your town with a place to not only purchase cards but gifts as well is a prime retail opportunity. The variety and diversity of products you can carry are endless, which allows you the freedom to play around with your inventory until you find that special mix of products for your small town business. Plus, the profit margin on gift cards can be quite high, making this a potentially very lucrative business.

Home improvement
Are you the one all your friends call when their sink is clogged or their roof is leaking? Are you looking to start your own business but not thrilled about having a brick-and-mortar location? A home improvement business might be just the small town business idea you’re looking for. When small towns lack a basic handyman, residents must book appointments days, if not weeks in advance to have a larger service visit their home. That’s not so convenient if your toilet has been clogged for three days. As long as you are qualified, have the experience and know your way around a tool shed, starting a handyman business is fairly straightforward and requires little overhead.