10 businesses you can start without a shop

1. Home baking

• Needs: an oven, packaging, a price list
• Found through: WhatsApp status, referrals, photos of real cakes

2. Catering

• Needs: a kitchen, serving equipment, sample menus
• Found through: funerals, weddings, office lunches, word of mouth

3. Cleaning services

• Needs: supplies, transport, a reliable helper or two
• Found through: estate agents, offices, neighbourhood groups

4. Mobile hair services

• Needs: tools, transport, a booking number
• Found through: photos of your work, referrals, repeat clients

5. Nail technician

• Needs: a kit, a small table, a portfolio
• Found through: WhatsApp status, social posts, friends of clients

6. Phone and laptop repairs

• Needs: tools, parts suppliers, somewhere safe to work
• Found through: Google searches, referrals, a website with prices

7. Graphic design and branding

• Needs: a computer, software, a portfolio
• Found through: other small businesses, samples, an online gallery

8. Clothing resale

• Needs: stock money, storage, good photographs
• Found through: social posts, WhatsApp groups, delivery

9. Handmade products

• Needs: materials, packaging, consistent quality
• Found through: markets, gifting season, an online shop page

10. Delivery and errand services

• Needs: a motorbike or car, a phone, reliability
• Found through: tuckshops, restaurants, repeat business customers

What every one of these still needs

Without a shopfront, your website and your WhatsApp are your premises. They are where people check whether you are real, what you charge, and how to reach you.

Designing the website with MatSiteBuilder is free. You then pay $15 a year for the domain and $10 a month for hosting.

Common mistakes

• Running everything from a personal phone with no business name
• Refusing to publish prices, so every enquiry stalls
• Using stock photos instead of your own work
• Having nowhere for a new customer to check you are legitimate