When a lot of people heard about the world credit crunch they were in so many economic woes that they wished they had started a small business. When unemployment hits all sources of income are immediately cut-off and ultimately indebtedness ensues. The one good thing about starting a small business is that if you lose you job you will have something to fall back on. But for some brainstorming small business ideas is the real problem.

Selling doughnuts; pancakes; sandwiches and cakes is an excellent opportunity to make extra income if you work at a place with a lot of busy employees who don’t have enough time to go out for lunch. This is exactly what a former business colleague used to do and he used to earn a decent amount of money every day. All you must do is ensure that your prices are reasonable and affordable.

Christmas is the time where everyone is good natured, even the short tempered act like they never raised their voices in their entire lives. Capitalise on this if you are a good graphic designer and make your own Christmas cards. Buy a good colour printer; cartridges and paper and market yourself with fliers and posters. If you’re cheap and have nice cards you can actually end up getting orders from stationery stores.

Grab the rainy season by the throat and siphon it of all it can surrender. During summer grass grow a lot and many families would love it if there was someone who cuts grass for them once in a while at an affordable charge. The good thing about this is that you don’t need a huge workforce; you can even employ your children and provide them with income for their own expenses.

Professional skills are being wasted by people who possess them. Instead of starting a small business that accommodates your skills you spend all your time working on someone else’s business. Utilise your teaching skills after work by having extra lessons at least 2-3 days a week. Make your services cheaper than most if you want the most out of this. On the other had if you’re a lawyer you can open a small firm and represent a few clients every month. Eventually you can even start your own firm.

Installing Christmas lights is an opportunity to be pounced upon. When Christmas approaches families are busy trying to beautify the house in a splash of bright lights. Buy your stocks 4-6months before the festive season to get the cheapest prices and you’ll be able to make more money than established businesses. But to get an extra edge it would be wise to be consistent and good at what you do.

But if you are good at plaiting hair you can look for affordable office space and open your own salon. To be competitive you had better have good quality services at a fair price.

Want to find out more about small business ideas, then visit Al Delgado’s site on how to choose the best small business ideas for your needs.