Business Ideas You Can Start for Under £1,000

150 ideas

A small budget doesn't have to hold you back. These 150 ideas all have startup costs of up to £1,000, so they suit people testing a business alongside a job, returning to work, or keen to avoid borrowing.

Swipe through these ideas →

An artist working on a painting on an easel in a bright studio.

Home studio painter taking commissions

Paint to order from a spare room: pet portraits, houses and landscapes for people who want something personal.

£150-800
Side hustle
From home

41,489 UK companies in this field, 27% registered in the last 2 years

A cleaner vacuuming and tidying a modern office floor with equipment.

Evening office cleaning round

Clean small offices, surgeries and shops after hours on a regular contract, working mostly on your own.

£200-1k
Side hustle
Out and about

24,607 UK companies in this field, 48% registered in the last 2 years

Composer writing notes on a score beside a piano.

Music tutor teaching online or at home

Teach your instrument or voice to beginners and improvers, online or in your own front room.

£100-800
Side hustle
From home

41,489 UK companies in this field, 27% registered in the last 2 years

Tutor helping a student with homework at a table in a study centre.

Home-based tutoring for small groups

Teach small groups of pupils in a spare room after school, starting with a subject you know well.

£200-1k
Side hustle
From home

41,442 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

Online tutoring and study support

Run live online lessons and study support for pupils from home, one-to-one or in small groups.

£100-800
Side hustle
Online

41,442 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

A tutor helping a pupil work through maths problems on a whiteboard at a desk.

Home-based maths tutor

Teach maths one to one or in small groups from a quiet space at home, mostly after school and at weekends.

£50-500
Side hustle
From home

41,442 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

Online maths tutor

Teach maths over video to pupils anywhere in the UK, with no travel and flexible evening hours.

£100-800
Side hustle
Online

41,442 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

Students and a tutor working together at a desk in a classroom.

Online exam prep classes

Run live online revision classes for small groups of pupils, with no premises to rent.

£100-800
Side hustle
Online

41,442 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

Man having leather shoes polished with cloth at a shoe shine stand.

Pop-up shoe shine stand

Set up a shoe shine stand at events, offices and weddings, and give shoes a smart finish while people wait.

£150-800
Side hustle
Out and about

374 UK companies in this field, 28% registered in the last 2 years

Local business owners chatting and exchanging contacts at a networking breakfast.

Online networking group for a niche

Host online networking meetings for a specific group, such as local firms or women in business, funded by membership fees.

£100-800
Side hustle
Online

3,269 UK companies in this field, 22% registered in the last 2 years

Visitors browsing handmade goods at a busy craft fair stall.

Local craft fair organiser

Hire a hall a few times a year and run a fair where local makers pay for stalls.

£200-1k
Side hustle
Out and about

7,380 UK companies in this field, 47% registered in the last 2 years

Technician installing a card payment terminal on a shop counter.

Card machine reseller for local traders

Help local shops, cafes and market traders choose and set up card machines through a payment provider's reseller scheme.

£100-800
Side hustle
Out and about

6,604 UK companies in this field, 37% registered in the last 2 years

Person typing information from paper documents into a computer at an office desk.

Freelance data entry from home

Type up documents, forms and records into spreadsheets or databases for small businesses.

£0-500
Side hustle
From home

1,929 UK companies in this field, 29% registered in the last 2 years

Courier loading parcels into a delivery van ready for customer drop-offs.

Evening and weekend delivery rider

Deliver takeaways and groceries by bike, scooter or car in your spare hours, working for yourself.

£50-800
Side hustle
Out and about

10,831 UK companies in this field, 43% registered in the last 2 years

Agent wearing headset making calls at a desk in an office.

Freelance B2B appointment-setting caller

Call businesses from home to book meetings and demos for small firms that lack the time to chase leads.

£200-1k
Side hustle
From home

1,530 UK companies in this field, 38% registered in the last 2 years

Customer tapping a contactless card on a payment terminal at a counter.

Local card machine reseller

£100-500
Side hustle
Out and about

91,318 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

Printed sheet music and songbooks stacked on a desk in a publishing office.

Home-based sheet music publisher

Publish your own arrangements and teaching pieces as PDFs and print-on-demand copies from home.

£200-1k
Side hustle
From home

19,836 UK companies in this field, 26% registered in the last 2 years

Artist painting on a canvas in a light, airy studio.

Online artist selling prints and digital art

Sell prints, cards and downloadable artwork to buyers across the UK through an online shop.

£100-800
Side hustle
Online

41,489 UK companies in this field, 27% registered in the last 2 years

Staff packing and labelling parcels at a busy mailing counter.

Home parcel packing and posting for small sellers

Pack, label and send parcels for online sellers and busy locals, working from your spare room.

£150-800
Side hustle
From home

10,831 UK companies in this field, 43% registered in the last 2 years

Person managing online store orders on a laptop at a desk.

Done-for-you online store management

Run day-to-day online shop tasks for businesses on a monthly retainer: listings, orders, updates and reporting.

£100-1k
Part-time
Online

91,318 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

Students studying together at desks in a tutoring centre classroom.

Home and online exam preparation tutor

Coach pupils one-to-one for 11+, entrance and admissions exams from home or online.

£100-800
Side hustle
From home

41,442 UK companies in this field, 34% registered in the last 2 years

Travel agent helping a customer book flights at a desk.

Home-based flight and holiday booking agent

Book flights and holidays for friends, families and small firms from home, earning commission or a booking fee.

£200-1k
Side hustle
From home

15,731 UK companies in this field, 37% registered in the last 2 years

An editor reviewing printed book pages and manuscripts at a desk.

Niche online newsletter or magazine

Publish a regular digital newsletter or magazine for a specialist audience and earn from subscriptions or sponsors.

£100-800
Side hustle
Online

15,512 UK companies in this field, 29% registered in the last 2 years

Shoe shine and clean service from home

Collect scuffed shoes, restore them at home and return them gleaming, for professionals and special occasions.

£100-600
Side hustle
From home

374 UK companies in this field, 28% registered in the last 2 years

About these ideas

Many sell your time and skills rather than stock, such as a tutor visiting pupils at home, a paid house and pet sitter, or a freelance transcriber working from home. Others, like online calligraphy classes, let you build an audience from your kitchen table. Before choosing, work out what you already have: skills, equipment, spare hours and local contacts. Then check what insurance, registration or checks your chosen idea might need, as these can use up a surprising share of a small budget. Start with one simple offer and grow from there.

More ideas

Questions

Can I really start a business in the UK for under £1,000?

Many service and online businesses can start within this budget, especially if you already own a phone or laptop. List your likely costs first, including insurance, software, travel and any training, then check they fit before you commit.

What should I check before I start trading?

Check whether you need to register as self-employed with HMRC, and whether your idea needs insurance, licences, safeguarding checks or council permission. Requirements vary by activity and location, so confirm details with official GOV.UK guidance or your local council.

How do I choose between so many low-cost ideas?

Shortlist ideas that match your existing skills, available hours and where you live. Then test demand cheaply by asking people you know, posting locally or offering a trial session before spending money on equipment, branding or advertising.