Are you thinking about self employed ideas for 2024? January and the start of the year always brings about a refresh for people, and an evaluation of careers are a big part of this.

We will explore 25 self employed ideas, different ways you can start your own new side hustle or even a brand new self employed career!

Self Employed Business Ideas for 2024

Life success means different things to different people. Some people want to spend more time with their family. Some people want to be in control of their time. Others want to earn financial freedom by being in charge of their own working schedule, rather than someone else’s.

If all those things sound good to you, then becoming a self employed business owner might be just the answer you’ve been looking for. While running a successful self employed business is a challenge, it’s also a highly rewarding process. And plus, in this day and age, there are plenty of options available to you. In this post, we’ll run through 25 self employed ideas for 2024. Get started today, and you’ll be on your way to making a year when all your professional dreams come true. 

Self Employed Idea 1 – Accredited Personal Trainer

If you’re passionate about all things fitness, then why not consider becoming a personal trainer? Each day, you’ll help clients become the best version of themselves, and get paid for it. Being a personal trainer offers a lot of flexibility and freedom, and it can be highly satisfying to know that you’re making a real difference in other people’s lives.

Having the right, recognised personal trainer qualifications is essential to making your self employed business idea as a personal trainer a success. Here at The Fitness Group, we offer a wide range of personal trainer courses that can give you the skills, knowledge, and confidence you need to get your new business off the ground. 

This is one of the highest paid jobs in the UK and an excellent self employed idea that you can start today with complete flexibility around your existing career.

Self Employed Idea 2 – Graphic Designer

Do you have an eye for detail and a creative mind? Then becoming a freelance graphic designer could be the ideal self employed idea for you to check out in 2024.

This self employed business idea as a Graphic designer can earn you £38,000 a year on average and have a lot of scope for the type of work they can do. In vibrant cities like London, the demand for creative talent is particularly high, providing numerous opportunities for junior graphic designers to contribute their skills to dynamic and diverse projects that thrive in this bustling metropolis.

Once you’re all set up, you’ll work closely with brands to bring their ideas to visual life, working on websites, newsletters, brochures, and anything else that has a visual component. Similar to many of the other self employed ideas this is something that you could do freelancing around your current work or you could turn this into a self employed business idea and start your own company.

Self Employed Idea 3 – Life Coach

Do you love the thought of helping others become the best versions of themselves? Then perhaps you have a calling as a life coach. This business involves working closely with clients, offering advice, support, and guidance as they journey on their way to success. 

Life coaching is a broad field. Some help clients with their careers; others provide relationship guidance or general life support. You don’t necessarily need a degree to call yourself a life coach. 

Self Employed Idea 4 – Create an Online Course

The e-learning market has ballooned in popularity in recent years, with more people than ever signing up for online courses that they can complete in the comfort of their own homes. If you’ve got experience and expertise in a particular discipline, then consider putting together a course (or series of courses) that allows you to share your knowledge with a wider audience. 

Online courses provide passive income. Once the course is online, you can sit back and wait for the money to roll in with only minimal maintenance and work required. There are a number of online tools you can use to create, organise, and manage your course content. 

Self Employed Idea 5 – Become a Consultant

Becoming a consultant is an excellent option for workers who wish to stay in their current field, but also move to a more autonomous professional life. Consultants tend to earn more than traditional employees, allowing you to increase your income (or keep the same salary but work fewer hours).

You should have at least a few years of experience working in the field. From there, it’ll be all about identifying your area of expertise, networking, and building your client list. 

You could take on a self employed job as a consultant in any range of industries, usually the industry where you currently work or perhaps an industry where you have worked in previously. This self employed idea can therefore be something that you do round about your current role or again could develop into a full self employed business idea.

Self Employed Idea 6 – Photographer

Do you have the creativity of an artist, the technical skills to edit, and the discipline to market yourself? Then consider becoming a photographer. This position, while not as well paid as other self employed business ideas on this list, offers a lot of freedom and satisfaction. 

Most photographers pick a speciality and market themselves to clients in those specific fields. You may choose wedding, event, corporate, or branding photography, to name just a few of the most popular photography sectors. You don’t necessarily need qualifications to work as a photographer, but it can be useful to take a course to brush up on your skills. 

This self employed idea will require a bit of initial investment for a high range camera and lighting. The good news though is that if you operate this as a self employed business idea then you can write this cost off as an expense.

Self Employed Idea 7 – Social Media Management 

The whole world is on social media, and businesses are increasingly eager to reach those audiences. If you have plenty of social media experience and know-how (that is, you use the main social media sites a lot), then you may be the perfect candidate for a social media management role.

It’s easy to get started, and you don’t particularly need to have a background in marketing (though it helps). If you think you have what it takes, then reach out to local businesses and see if they need a social media manager. Your job will be to post content, build audiences, and map out effective social media marketing campaigns, which will be available to 4.8 billion users – and you can do it all from the comfort of your own home – it’s a great business from home idea. 

When you start off with this self employed idea then you should consider your own social media profiles, they will serve as an example for your prospective customers on what you can do and demonstrate your competence. As a self employed business idea this one can grow from supporting a small business with their social media to growing your own agency!

Social Media Management is one of the other top 27 self employed ideas that are the highest paid jobs without the need of a degree.

Self Employed Idea 8 – Social Media Influencer 

Already have a large social media followers list of your own? Then you may consider becoming a social media influencer. Several years ago it felt that this position was doomed to failure, but it’s become a respected and genuinely successful marketing strategy in recent years that brands are eager to tap into.

You’ll need a fair few followers — ideally at least 10,000, though the more, the better — and to have a speciality. Once you have those, it’ll be all about reaching out to brands, though once you have some success, brands will likely approach you. 

As a self employed business idea this is one you can start today with absolutely no costs – social media is free to post and create profiles. You just need to approach this self employed idea with a bit of a plan and some dedicated action, instead of posting infrequently with no aim you should start to think about planning your content, and sharing more often to drive authenticity with your audience.

Self Employed Idea 9 – Home-Cleaning Business

Did you know that more UK homes are employing cleaners than ever before? According to one report, a third of all UK households now have a regular cleaner tidying up their properties. If you’re a whizz at cleaning, know how to organise your time, and are ready to market yourself, then starting a home-cleaning business could be a no-brainer.

You don’t need any qualifications to become a cleaner, but you will need products. Depending on where you’re located in the UK, you can expect to earn between £12 and £25 per hour. 

Self Employed Idea 10 – Drop Shipping 

You don’t need us to tell you that the e-commerce market is huge. And it’s getting bigger. With an average annual growth rate of more than 12%, the UK’s e-commerce market is expected to be worth a whopping £200 billion by 2025. 

Setting up your own e-commerce business from scratch is difficult. Dropshipping, on the other hand, is much more straightforward. With this, you’ll run a website that offers products for sale, but the fulfilment part of the process is operated by another company. That means you’ll just need to manage the website, without the need to manage stock. 

Self Employed Idea 11 – Learn a Trade

If you’re handy with your hands, then becoming a tradesperson might be one of the decisions that you make. There’s a growing demand for electricians, plumbers, and other tradespeople, and these jobs have proven to be remarkably future-proof, too. You’ll definitely need some qualifications to work in this field, but once you have, you can expect to earn £40,000 plus each year.

Self Employed Idea 12 – Sports Massage Therapist

Don’t want to use your hands to fix faulty electrical systems? Then perhaps fixing other people’s bodies is more up your street. Sports massage therapists help athletes recover from injuries and muscle soreness, and play an important role in the UK’s sports industry.

When you train to become a sports massage therapist you’ll work with everyday people and sports stars and can expect to earn between £19k – £80k per year. At The Fitness Group, we offer comprehensive sports massage courses that can get your near career off to the perfect start. 

Self Employed Idea 13 – Write a Book

The eBook industry continues to grow at an impressive rate, with more people than ever before trading real-world books for digital versions. While it can be difficult to release a physical book, releasing a digital book is relatively straightforward. There are a range of platforms that allow you to publish digital books and keep the majority of the revenue.

You don’t need to be Shakespeare to write and release a book. You can write about anything, such as non-fiction topics like travelling, starting a business, or even how to sell a book online!

Self Employed Idea 14 – Travel Planner

If you love travelling, then you’ve probably built a wealth of travel experience over the years. And while it will have cost you a fair penny at the time, now could be your opportunity to put some money back in your account. Travel planners earn, on average, £32,000 a year. It’s a diverse field that can be tailor-made to your speciality. For instance, you may organise itineraries for people to visit remote corners of the world, or you may handle the travel requirements of large organisations that travel frequently. 

Self Employed Idea 15 – Catering Business

Demand for caterers has never been higher, and that’s good news for people who love nothing more than spending time in the kitchen. While the basic principle of a catering business is straightforward, you’ll need a strong entrepreneurial spirit to succeed in this sector. It’s hard work, but it can pay off, both financially and in terms of job satisfaction. Some key catering markets include weddings, private events, and corporate events. 

Self Employed Idea 16 – Running Websites 

If you have plenty of web experience, then you may consider running — and then monetising — your own websites. It’s difficult to get visitors in an age when there are more websites than ever, but if you have a unique offering and can build an audience, then you’ll have plenty of scope to monetise. Most website owners earn money through advertising, affiliate marketing, and selling premium content. 

Self Employed Idea 17 – Landscaper

Spending the day outside with their hands in the soil is many people’s version of a great day. By becoming a self employed landscaper, you can make this your reality and get paid for it. Landscapers can earn up to £50,000 a year in some areas, though the average is closer to £25,000. You’ll need some experience to make this business idea work, but that experience can be limited to your own garden. Start local and small, and then build up from there. 

Self Employed Idea 18 – Home Mover

Some 100,000 people move within the UK in any given month, and a significant portion of those people would rather have someone else move their belongings for them. If you’re in good physical condition and own a van, then you might succeed in setting up your own moving company. You’ll get to pick your own hours and, depending on where you’re located, find that there’s plenty of work available. You will need to have an extra set of hands to help with the moving, and perhaps even more than that for the bigger jobs. 

Self Employed Idea 19 – Personal Shopper

If you’re all about style and fashion, then why not help people who need a helping hand in deciding what to wear? Succeeding in the personal shopping sector can be tough, but if you’re good enough, then you’ll find people willing to outsource their style decisions to you. Experienced personal shoppers can expect to earn around £25,000 a year. 

Self Employed Idea 20 – Beauty Therapist

Becoming a beauty therapist is another way for style-focused entrepreneurs to make a living. With this, you’ll help clients with their makeup (or hair, nails, etc.) from the comfort of their own homes, or you can set up your own studio either in a rented place or your home. Expect to start slow, but once word-of-mouth marketing has kicked in, you should have plenty of work if you’re good enough. 

Self Employed Idea 21 – Sell Subscription Boxes 

If you’ve got an eye for the best products on the market, then starting a subscription box business could make sense. It’s a relatively low-cost business to set up, especially since you only have to buy the products you include in the box once someone has made an order.

You can sell subscription boxes based on any theme. The point is that you’re ‘curating’ special, themed goodie boxes, which customers then buy. You can also use this business idea as a way to supplement your primary business; for instance, if you’re a personal trainer, then you may sell monthly subscription boxes that include the latest fitness products. 

Self Employed Idea 22 – Open a Food Stall / Food Truck

Food trucks have become increasingly popular in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why — the British public loves eating tasty dishes while they’re out on the town. If you’re known as a wizard in the kitchen, then starting your own food truck business is a great way to put your talents to good use. You’ll need to have a few standout products (food items) that are suitable to be cooked within a confined space, a food truck, and a licence to operate at a market (or wherever else you find food trucks in your local area). You can get started with as little as £5,000, though most food truck operations require £15,000 or more in startup capital. 

Self Employed Idea 23 – Business Bookkeeping

If you’re good at maths, have a background in finance, or have accounting qualifications, then your self employed business could involve helping other businesses stay on top of their finances. You don’t necessarily need qualifications to become a bookkeeper, though you should have the required mathematical competency. It’s best to get clients by approaching local business owners directly, though you should also have a modern, well-designed website that outlines your services, experience, and rates. 

Self Employed Idea 24 – Airbnb Host

If you have a spare room in your home, or have a vacant second property, then you’ll be in a prime position to become an Airbnb host and make money from your existing assets. There are a few different approaches to being an Airbnb host. You can take a casual approach, or be a professional Airbnb host. Take the latter option, and you might find that your property brings in significant income in 2024, especially if you’re located in an in-demand part of the country. 

Self Employed Idea 25 – Craft Making 

Do you have a passion for making crafts? Your creations don’t have to sit on your shelf — or the shelves of your friends and family. If you’ve perfected your goods, then consider selling your creations online. It’s easy enough to set up an Etsy store. You can even begin your business without having any items in stock; instead, you can create your products “to order” whenever someone makes a purchase. 

In addition to selling online, take a look at craft markets in your local area.

Get Started Today for 2024 Success

A new year offers the ideal opportunity to make your dreams come true. If you’re tired of working as a traditional employee, or you’re just eager to try something new, then take a read of the self employed business ideas for 2024 outlined above and see if there’s one that’s suitable for your skills and area of interest.

And remember: if you’re interested in becoming a personal trainer, then be sure to check out the courses we have available here at The Fitness Group.