About 80% of the population of Russia lives outside the capital and regional centers. Rumors that it is impossible to create a profitable business on the periphery are greatly exaggerated. The article gives five examples of quite successful businesses, and highlights the characteristics of provincial cities.

The answer to the question of what kind of business to open in a small town cannot be unambiguous. In addition to the common features inherent in small administrative centers, each of them has its own unique features. Counting on the success of the enterprise, it is necessary to take into account both groups of influencing factors as fully as possible. As life shows, the advantages in this regard are on the side of local residents. In contrast to the "alien Vikings", who develop new territory by trial and error.

Pros and cons of a small town

Two professors of the Higher School of Economics: Simon Kordonsky and Yuri Plyusnin, in 2011-2014, made 30 traveling expeditions, studying the provincial cities of the Russian hinterland. The results of the study were announced in June of this year as part of the round table “Russian society outside big cities”.

Hence the conclusion: there are prospects in any place. The main thing: when choosing which business to open in a small town, all ideas must be considered through the prism of specific local features.

General specifics of small towns

• one, less often two city-forming enterprises;
• low-rise buildings, low population density;
• low incomes and solvency of residents;
• high level of administrative "press".

At first glance, all of the above limits the choice of business ideas. But on the other hand, these same factors provide some advantages: low initial investment, no high advertising costs and relatively low level of competition.

As an example, we can cite federal retail chains: Magnit, Seventh Continent and others. Despite the widespread development in large cities, on the periphery, they, as a rule, do not receive the expected profit. In small cities, they lose their main advantage: population density savings that reduce their costs, and crowd out small retail outlets in a small radius of their influence. In addition, the average salary of residents of small towns is 5-7 times lower than even the regional level, which significantly reduces trade turnover from 1 sq. m. and the amount of the average check. Lack of knowledge of the local market and consumer tastes also has an effect.

Administrative support, as a rule, is received by socially oriented: educational, sports, cultural, health projects. When developing a trading business, it is necessary to take into account the interests of local producers. In general, the authorities are interested in the development of those activities, the revenues from which go to the local budget.

What business ideas to look for

Intending to open a business in a small town or village, it will not be superfluous to ask: what do small and medium-sized enterprises in Russia do in general (Fig. 1).

Even at a cursory glance, everything is obvious. About 40% of SMEs are occupied by retail, catering, household repairs. Under the "other" are hidden: hotels, restaurants and cafes; housing and communal services, education; entertainment, tourism. How to evaluate the prospects of this or that idea, to understand which business is the most profitable in a small town?

The main feature of a business idea for a small city is that it must take into account local specific factors, both positive and negative.

In most cases, the bet is successful:

• to the local flavor, unique nature: organization of non-standard tours, including agritourism, which is gaining popularity; horse breeding; opening a mini-hotel;
• on historically established habits: fishing and fish breeding, production of dairy products, potatoes - in agricultural areas; knitwear production in places of breeding goats and sheep.
• to the current needs of the population: private kindergartens, cafes, paintball clubs, entertainment for children, developing and sports centers.

The proposed services should solve the pressing, vital problems of the city's residents. Practicality, usefulness - the main criterion for choosing a business idea for a small town, and not its pretentiousness, exclusivity.

A separate topic is services for business. Surprisingly, they are in demand! For accountants, economists, lawyers, experts in various industries, this is an underfilled and very promising niche. This is shown by the results of a survey recently conducted by the Small Business Resource Center (Fig. 2). The project was implemented on the example of three cities: Suvorov (20,126 people), Buturlinovka (26,241 people) and Ostrogozhsk (32,310 people).

The biggest deficit in legal advice. There is no firm providing such services in any of these cities.

Is a successful business on the periphery a reality? Yes!

The examples below are taken from real life. This is a clear illustration of everything that has been said above.

Private kindergarten "Umka"

City of Sibay, Bashkiria, 62 35 inhabitants;

Ilmira Gatiyatova faced a problem when she could not go to work: there was no place for her 2.5-year-old daughter in the kindergarten. It took 6 months from the birth of the idea to its implementation. 200,000 rubles of their own funds were invested in the organization, and 300,000 were received from the city budget under the program to support small and medium-sized businesses. The private kindergarten is the first and so far the only one in the city. 30 children go to it, and 50 parents have already signed up for the queue. In the video below, the entrepreneur talks about his experience.

The Ministry of Labor has prepared a draft law which is under consideration. It will allow using maternity capital funds to pay for private kindergartens and individual entrepreneurs who look after and care for children. If the law is adopted, then this type of business will receive an additional impetus for development.

An interesting franchise: Baby Way is an innovative technique for raising children.

Consulting in a small town?

Engineering group "Compass"

G. Glazov Udmurtia, 94,610 inhabitants.

In Europe and the USA, about 90% of small and more than 50% of medium-sized enterprises use the services of accounting firms. In Russia, it is still much less, but the number of applicants is constantly growing. The Compass Educational and Methodological Center has grown from a small firm providing services in the field of law, accounting, and business consulting. The organization was founded in 2002, and now it is already a group of companies. Its partners and clients include the largest enterprises in the region. In 2008, the Expert RA Rating Agency assigned the company a 5th quality rating. Its director Makarov Andrey Anatolyevich in 2010 was recognized as the best businessman of the city in the "Services" nomination.

Uryupinsk: "Russia is a province - a hole"?

The town is located in the south of the Volgograd region, the population is 39,171 people. Two years ago, he officially registered the brand "Capital of the Russian Province". The following three examples of successful businesses show that entrepreneurial people find business everywhere.

Let's replace Polish apples with Russian ones

In 2007, a young entrepreneur Nikolai Sayutin purchased one of the apple orchards abandoned in the 90s. The mild climate makes it possible to grow excellent apples here, and over the past years, the renovated orchards have entered the season of active fruiting. Considering the course towards import substitution, the entrepreneur hit the bull's-eye. A video from local Uryupinsk TV shows the whole process in detail.

The entrepreneur organized the recycling of garbage

The enterprise created by Ali Ibragimov in 2010 is flourishing - there is enough garbage in the city. It makes a profit, employs 10 workers. There is a loader, two presses. Recycled aluminum cans, waste paper, plastic bottles. So far, it is the only one in the city, but there are plans to expand housing and communal services. In what directions - is kept secret from future competitors. B.ZYu

Knitting enterprise "Uzory" LLC

A small enterprise was organized by Raisa Kazimirova in 2000. It employs 10 homeworkers, 7 knitters, 3 spinners. Uryupinsk is the only place in Russia where goats with a down length of up to 13 cm are bred (according to the locals, the glorified Orenburg goats have it shorter). Now Vyacheslav Zaitsev, Andrei Malakhov, members of the families of Ryzhkov and Chubais flaunt in products from Uryupinsk. On his 55th birthday, Putin was presented with down shorts, a T-shirt with the inscription "I'll drop everything, I'll go to Uryupinsk" and socks. We got into the rating of "The Best Gifts to the President", compiled by the newspaper "Trud".

Only 5 examples, and small and medium-sized cities in Russia - more than 80% of the total. There is a field for activity, there would be a desire.

An important condition for organizing a business in a small town is small initial costs. In a special section of the Moneymaker Factory, we have collected 45 projects with investments starting from 15,000 thousand rubles. Here you will find real stories of beginners and successful businessmen, examples of business plans and interesting ideas.

Business in Russia. Guidelines for starting a business in the regions.
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What profitable business can a beginner in a small town open with minimal investment? We offer 25 business ideas relevant in 2019 in small towns, as well as detailed launch guides.

Key making shop

To open a point for making keys, you will not need any impressive investments: 150 thousand rubles will be enough, most of which (about 90 thousand rubles) will be required for the purchase of machine tools. The main service in the workshop will be the production of duplicate keys to the front doors, garages, cars, porches and intercoms. Additionally, you can earn money by sharpening knives, scissors and drills, selling locks, key fobs, performing emergency opening of locks, etc. It is possible to recoup a point for making keys in six months of work. This is a great idea for beginners, relevant in 2019. To accommodate the workshop, 4 square meters is enough. meters.

Kindergarten at home

If you are looking for a home-based business option and have experience raising children, then consider opening private day care centers at home. This is a socially responsible business that reduces queues for kindergartens and is subsidized in many regions of the country. Private kindergartens are most in demand in new high-rise districts, where local authorities often do not have time to meet the population's need for public kindergartens. In such places, parents are looking for an opportunity to leave the child under the supervision of at least someone. The profit of a kindergarten at home will be 50-100 thousand rubles. per month.

Carpet cleaning

The carpet cleaning business is one of those activities that require minimal investment. Its essence is simple - you organize the cleaning of customers' carpets on-site or provide services for the removal / delivery of carpets to your own workshop, where you carry out the cleaning. The second option is more suitable for serious business, as you can significantly increase the number of orders and productivity. When working at home, you can get by with a minimum amount of equipment, household chemicals and small cleaning appliances (you can even meet 100 thousand rubles). With 4-5 orders per day, net profit can reach 90-120 thousand rubles.

Production of decorative candles

Candlemaking is a fun and relaxing activity to do for fun or in retirement. To start, you need a minimum of funds and skills, and all training materials can be found on YouTube and needlework sites. Simple calculations make it clear that a hobby in this business is much more than a business. If we assume that the price of one candle will be about 270 rubles (the average price for decorative candles), then when selling 200 candles per month, you can earn 54 thousand rubles. Then, taking into account the costs, the profit will be about 40 thousand rubles. Another thing is whether you will find so many buyers and distribution channels for your candles.

Making handmade soap

A business idea for beginners that can be opened with a minimum of funds is the production of natural handmade decorative soap. The main investments will be spent on raw materials: soap base, fragrances and essential oils, dyes. Soap making is a creative process from start to finish, right up to the packaging and sale of products. Business is possible both as a side job and in large-scale formats.

Sale of seedlings

A good seasonal business for beginners in 2119 can be selling seedlings. Seedlings of cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers and other vegetables are in the greatest demand. You can grow seedlings even at home: on windowsills or on a balcony, in a greenhouse or greenhouse. If you grow seedlings on several levels, then even on 18 square meters, you can fit about 7.5 thousand cups with seedlings. If each cup is sold for 10 rubles, the revenue will be 75 thousand rubles, the profit, taking into account costs, will be about 50 thousand rubles.

Fish smoking

Fish is one of the most beloved products in domestic and foreign cuisine, but few people offer it to customers ready-made. Opening a smokehouse does not require large investments. The purchase of smoking equipment, freezers and a container for raw materials will require about 250 thousand rubles. The main conditions for success are a competent recipe and the presence of fresh fish suppliers nearby.

Sale of beer bouquets

A popular business idea for beginners in 2019 is the sale of all kinds of edible bouquets, including the so-called beer bouquets and baskets for men. Usually this is a beautifully decorated set of beer and beer snacks: sausages, fish, crayfish, squid, chips, and so on. The whole thing is decorated with chili peppers, garlic, cherry tomatoes. There are a million possibilities here - you just have to look at ready-made ideas.

Ready-made ideas for your business

If you have a presentable white premium car or a retro style car, this is a great opportunity to earn money by renting your car for weddings and other celebrations. You can earn 1-2 thousand rubles on rent. per hour, and extract additional profit from the rental of decorations for the car. All that is required is to find a good and advertising platform or classifieds site so that the client can find you.

Donut

A donut shop is a great option for a mini cafeteria or mall food court department. The margin on these products without much damage to demand can reach 1000%. Donut baking technology is quite simple, and there are many manual units and automated systems on the market that can increase productivity. In addition, donuts are a product that will leave you room for creativity.

gingerbread houses

The gingerbread house business has several undeniable advantages. Firstly, recipes for their preparation can be easily found on the net and mastered for free. Secondly, you can make them at home. And thirdly, gingerbread is stored for a long time, which allows you to stock up for future use before the holidays. You can offer your products through social networks. As you can see it is also a great business idea for beginners.

Sale of shawarma

Street food is considered one of the best destinations in terms of the “low investment / high return” ratio. For example, to open your own business selling shawarma, 270 thousand rubles and two employees are enough. When choosing a good place, a small outlet can bring 100 thousand rubles. net profit.

Mobile planetarium

Today it has become possible to open a planetarium for anyone who has at least 250 thousand rubles. Mobile planetariums are spherical domes, inside which spherical films with a 3D effect are shown using a projector and a special coating as a screen. As a rule, the work of planetariums is aimed at school-age children. Such a business can pay off in 2-3 months, and its profitability can reach 150%.

Sale of worms and biohumus

Worms farming is a money-for-nothing idea, if we're only talking about single sales of worms to fishermen, of course. Such earnings can be completely easy: after all, you do not need to monitor the worms, and they can eat manure and food waste. It is especially good if your personal area is located on the way to the reservoir: hang the “worms” sign in a conspicuous place - and you're done. You can also sell vermicompost produced by worms. It can even be produced on an industrial scale. But keep in mind - according to the reviews of people with experience, it is not worth betting on one vermicompost. It is better to sell biohumus only in combination with other activities, for example, if you have a rabbit farm, whose droppings can become food for worms.

Conducting a fire show

Let's start with the most interesting - all in 5 minutes of a fire show you can earn 10-15 thousand rubles. Fire show is an opportunity to receive orders for holidays, weddings, celebrations and get good money for it. Large investments are not required: to buy basic equipment (poi, staffs, fans and other devices for “spinning” fire) 5-10 thousand rubles will be enough. You will also need to purchase or tailor-made stage costumes. The main thing in this business is mastering the skill of fire, as well as working on promotion in social networks. Another obstacle is competition. In large cities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to surprise people, which forces the organizers to look for new directions, combine fire shows with light shows, Tesla shows, and so on. But in small towns, you can still be the first.

Ready-made ideas for your business

Mobile 3D cinema

For some reason, when they talk about the entertainment business, they mean only large cities with a million population or cities with a population of 500 thousand people. However, a huge audience living in small towns and villages, where there is simply no entertainment, but the need for them is huge, remains completely uncovered. An interesting idea in this area could be the organization of a mobile 3D cinema, working in cooperation with local schools, rural houses of culture and other organizations that freely and gladly provide their space for such events to the organizers.

Meat trade

Meat is a commodity of daily demand. Even with the appearance of a large retail chain in the neighborhood - “death with a scythe” for any grocery store, a butcher shop can not only stay afloat, but also thrive due to the ability to vary the assortment and offer customers fresh and unique products that you will not find in a supermarket. A butcher's shop can be opened with an investment of 600 thousand rubles, the profit of small outlets is 75-100 thousand rubles.

beer shop

Beer is the number one drink in Russia, which will never leave an entrepreneur without a profit. To open your own beer store with equipment for bottling 10 types of beer, you will need about 500-600 thousand rubles. of which equipment costs will amount to about 240 thousand rubles. You can save money by renting equipment from local beer producers. The store's turnover of 300-350 thousand rubles will allow reaching a net profit of 50-70 thousand rubles.

Women's clothing store

Selling women's clothing is a business that will always be relevant. Even in the face of fierce competition, the new store has the opportunity to find its audience thanks to its unique assortment. Womenswear is the largest segment in the apparel industry, accounting for about 60% of the market. 400 thousand rubles may be enough to open a small women's clothing store.

mini bakery

The bakery is one of the most popular small business destinations. You sell a product of daily demand, investments in opening are small, and if consumer tastes change, you can instantly adapt to new trends and requests. You can open your own mini-bakery if you have 885 thousand rubles, which can really be recouped within 7 months of work.

Tool sharpening

To make money on sharpening tools, no special investments are required. At the same time, the service is in great demand both among ordinary housewives and among hairdressers, manicurists, cafe staff. Investments in the arrangement of a small room and the purchase of equipment will amount to about 130 thousand rubles.

Geological exploration and well drilling

Geological exploration and drilling is a business with a wide choice of formats and scales of activity. With minimal investment (about 450 thousand rubles), you can engage in private orders - shallow drilling during the construction of wells and the launch of installations for the extraction of groundwater. It is also possible to work for legal entities in large-scale construction.

Ready-made ideas for your business

Split system installation

Air conditioners today are almost a mandatory unit of any houses and apartments. Although this business is frankly seasonal, it is extremely in demand: after all, split systems can be needed by everyone. Depending on the characteristics of the premises, the installation time can be from 2 to 6 hours. With the cost of services from 1 to 3 thousand rubles, you can earn from 2 to 12 thousand rubles a day on installation.

Barbecue

A barbecue is a one-dish establishment, which makes running such a business a little easier than, say, running a restaurant or cafe. By focusing on one dish, you can “know” all the secrets of cooking barbecue so much that you can collect a base of eternal customers with whom you can not be afraid for the fate of your business. To open a barbecue in the format of a cafe for 12 people, preparing various types of barbecue and snacks, as well as working to take away, it will take about 1.1 million rubles, which can be recouped by the middle of the second year of operation.

pancake stall

Pancakes are a product that is easy to prepare, but extremely promising in its capabilities. You can fill the pancake with anything, and this leaves a wide scope for culinary creativity. Your business selling pancakes is attractive with low investment in equipment and the ability to set a markup of up to 300%. To open a pancake cafe on an area of ​​100 sq. meters will require about 1.25 million rubles. For a small town, the format of a pancake kiosk is ideal, the opening of which will require about 500 thousand rubles.

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small town business ideas

What profitable business can be opened in a small town? It all depends on your preferences, opportunities, starting capital. It is best for a beginner to try to gain a foothold in the field of trade. To begin with, it is enough to open a small food shop or a press kiosk. In the service sector, you can also organize a small but profitable business. Small towns often lack the basic services that city dwellers need. For example, dry cleaning, car diagnostics, clothing repair, entertainment center, etc. When choosing a niche for organizing your business in a small town, consider competition. You should not open another grocery store if there are already several in the neighborhood. Competently analyze what people in their city lack and give it to them.

Do you live in a small town and want to start your own business, but don't know where to start? In fact, everything is not as scary as many used to think. It is important to know some features of provincial cities, to take them into account when choosing your business.

In small towns, there is often a shortage of basic goods and services. For example, an inexpensive cafe with delicious food will be popular among locals. But it is unlikely that the turnover in an unusual boutique with handmade designer clothes will become high. Therefore, we advise you to initially focus on the needs of future buyers.

🎓 Features of small towns for starting a small business

• Geographical position. For example, in a northern city, a 24-hour tent selling beach slippers is unlikely to be popular. And in the southern resort - a salon of elite fur products
• The solvency of the population. It is unlikely that people with an average salary of 15,000 rubles will be happy to open a restaurant with an average check of 2,000 rubles.
• Availability of the required personnel. If you open, for example, a complex production, you should understand that among the local population there may not be the necessary highly specialized specialists
• Needs for specific goods and services. In a metropolis, you can open the thirtieth eatery in a row, but in a small city there may simply not be visitors
• Limited growth. When a business reaches a certain “ceiling”, you will have to develop it not by increasing the average check, but by opening branches or developing a related area

⚖ Pros of starting a business in a small town

For business development in the provinces, there are many positive aspects that may not be in a large city.

• The opportunity to occupy a free niche. You can become the first in your industry or identify the weaknesses of competitors and profitably rebuild from them.
• Savings on basic expenses. In small towns, the rent of premises or land is much lower than in the metropolis. Salaries for staff can also be calculated according to local tariff scales.
• Support for private businesses. In small towns, various loyalty programs for new businesses often operate, grants and preferential subsidies are issued.
• Easy understanding of customer needs. When all customers are literally in plain sight, it is not too difficult to understand their requests.

🏆 Best small town business ideas that will work

It is not necessary to come up with a mega-unique idea that no one has implemented before you. But set yourself apart from competitors in the service. For example, free shipping or a cumulative bonus system.

It is necessary to focus on the needs of the majority of the population of the city. In this case, you will not work at a loss.

It might be worth looking into a complementary business. For example, the area has an excellent butcher shop, but lacks farm-based dairy products. In this case, you will easily occupy your niche.

And we offer you a large catalog of business ideas for small towns! More than 150 options for developing your business. Explore, apply and discover what you like!