Best Business Ideas for Women
Small business ideas in Sri Lanka are springing all over the internet as more women entrepreneurs get involved. The 21st century allows a woman to launch her own small-scale manufacturing business. Women entrepreneurs should start small without the risk of a big financial investment while being ready to scale up big if the opportunity presents itself, even if they have online business ideas or offline.
Small-scale Manufacturing is becoming more accessible to more people. Although large manufacturing companies have economies of scale, small-scale manufacturers have more flexibility and can customise. The first step before you start manufacturing a product is design. Digital design tools and online tutorials open up product design to anyone interested. Good product design is the key to selling things.
You should test your product in the market before going in for mass production. Because if the product does not work, there is no point wasting your capital on machines and materials. When you buy expensive machines, you should have a monthly payment plan. That way, you will be earning some money off the machines, while at the same time paying it off. Many women plan to start a small-scale business but still decide what to start. Here, we will provide some interesting business ideas for women to begin their small-scale manufacturing units.
Jewelry Manufacturing
Jewelry has become an extremely popular choice among women for starting a small-scale business. It is a viable low-investment business for creative people. Jewelery business can be of two types: fine or costume. Fine jewellery usually comprises precious or semi-precious metals, gems, and stones.
Costume or fashion jewellery can be made up of inexpensive materials and metals like beads, plated metal, wires, etc. If you don’t come from a family of jewellers, you would have to get some training since jewellery making is a specialised art. You could go to an institute or learn online. You must buy some tools to set up a new studio. The first thing you must buy is safety glasses to protect your eyes.
Then you will need a good worktable. A jeweller’s bench with pins is required for stone setting, soldering, fabrication, and repair. You should have the equipment to melt and cut metal. After the initial idea or sketch is developed, it is time to work on the 3D model using Computer Aided Design (CAD).
Then, you can use a 3D printing machine to produce a wax model made out of resin. In the next step, the jewellery goes through the casting process, where the wax is melted off, and molten metal like gold or silver gets into the desired shape. You have to learn to take product photos and do the marketing. Online shops like Amazon and daraz can help you in this regard. Digital channels help immensely in scaling up businesses.
Leather Bags Manufacturing Business
Leather goods are highly demanded in Sri Lanka and other countries like the USA, Japan, and Great Britain. You can make items like ladies’ vanity bags, purses, wallets, etc. A rented space of approximately 3,000 sq. ft. will be enough to start this business. This business can be started at approximately Rs 15 – 20 lakhs.
Most of the investment will go into purchasing machinery like ball press, sewing, board cutting, glazing, etc. Apart from these you would need other tools and equipment like a mini compressor, zinc block for designing and embossing, and a wooden vat for washing. The raw materials for the bags are tanned goat leather, silk and cotton lining cloth, threads, and adhesives.
To run this business, you would need skilled workers. You can make products catering to the trendy, urban, or up-scale high-fashion market. Since, there is a high competition in retail in this segment, your prices must be reasonable and quality.
Excellent. It would help if you built a network with local boutiques and fashion stores to display and sell on a commission basis. Another way to network with buyers is to participate in exhibitions and flea markets.
Manufacturing Herbal Hair Oil
Many business ideas for women at home come from traditional recipes. One of them is herbal hair oil. There is a great demand for them to cure hair ailments- from premature greying to falling. So, what are you waiting for if you have a secret sauce passed to you by your forefathers? It is easy to manufacture at home and involves mixing, filtration, and packing. You will need to have the following machinery for herbal hair oil production.
- Mixing Tank
- stirrer
- Filtering unit.
- Bottling and sealing machine.
- Testing equipment.
The total cost of machinery is estimated to be around Rs 15 lakhs. Though the ingredients vary, coconut or castor oil is commonly used as a base with raw materials like amla, brahmi, henna, tulsi, mustard seeds, etc. All these are heated in a container or tank and stirred occasionally. After 15 to 20 minutes, the mixture is filtered and cooled.
The ready hair oil is then stored in air-tight jars. You can then transfer this oil into small bottles, put your labels and seal them. You can create a website or use social media to promote your business.
Potato Chips Making Business
Do you know what’s the most consumed snacking item in the world? You would be surprised to see that it is a humble potato chip! It is a low-investment, high-profit business you can do at home. Apart from chips, you can also manufacture potato waffles, French fries, and other snacks on a small scale. The key to success in this business is good taste and high quality. The main raw materials that you need are potatoes and frying oil. You will also need small quantities of salt, pepper, chilli powder, and some other basic spices. You can add special flavours like butter, tangy, etc.
You can purchase a deep frying machine for around Rs 40,000 for small-scale production. You will also need a washing machine, a potato peeling machine (say, of 10 kg capacity), a slicer machine, a dryer machine, etc. After the potatoes are washed, they are peeled and sliced ​​into different shapes. After the moisture in the sliced ​​potatoes is removed by the dryer, they are fried in oil at 170-190 degrees C. Salt and other flavours are added at this stage. You will have to pack them in small pouches with the help of a sealing machine.
Candle Making
Today, candles make a house cozy and integral to ritualistic practices like meditation and yoga. They are also great for gifting and are available in different sizes like pillar, round, or square. These candles can be created easily at your home, so this is a great business idea for a homemaker.
The main ingredient you will need is paraffin wax to make candles. The second thing is to die or mould, which is necessary to shape the candles. The paraffin wax is melted and poured into these moulds. If you want to make scented or coloured candles, add aromatic oils and colouring agents.
You can market these candles using social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. You can also sell them at gift shops, both brick-and-mortar, and online, and it has great scope of generating extra income on the side. There is a huge demand for these candles in countries like the US or UK.
Small-Scale Manufacturing Business Ideas
These are some of the best small manufacturing businesses that need low cost and investment:
- Leather Items Production
- Cloth Making
- Eyeglasses & Frames Manufacturing
- Stationary items Manufacturing
- Fertilizer Manufacturing
- Toy Manufacturing
- Plastic Bottle Manufacturing
- Jams/Jellies/Marmalades Making
- Candle Making
- Sports Items Manufacturing
- Biscuits Manufacturing
- Hair Oil Manufacturing
- Detergent and soap manufacturing
- Manufacturing of Paper
- Home Manufacturing Business Ideas
Every business can be successful without heavy investment or capital. Here’s a list of the best small-scale manufacturing business ideas you can start at home. This list is a selection of the best business ideas for women at home :
- Handcrafted Candles
- pickle making
- Social Media Influencing
- Custom Tailoring
- Handmade Chocolates
- Papad Making Business
- Organic or Handmade Soaps
- Customized Files and Envelopes
- Handmade Fancy Paper Bags
Key Takeaways
The government has many schemes for women entrepreneurs like giving loans at low interest rates. The Ministry has many training programs and will help you sell the products. So, you should explore these business ideas for women and start your entrepreneurial journey!
