15 Part-Time Business Ideas That Are All the Rage
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Undertake in booming markets and with concepts that are gaining ground in Mexico and the world.
1. Local gastronomic tourism
To really immerse themselves in the culture, many tourists who travel to Mexico want to try authentic dishes that only the locals know. Offering a tour of the best markets in your city, the most traditional restaurants and those hidden places of popular tourism will attract foodies from all over the world to your business. Reach your customers with a website in different languages that allows them to make reservations. A good idea is to add to your offer the10 gastronomic routes that exist in different states of the Mexican Republic.
+ Example: Sabores México Food Tours
2. Motorcycle tours
In Mexico, tourism is an activity that offers endless possibilities to explore, such as the 111 magical towns spread over various states. Enter this industry by organizing motorcycle tours that surprise national and foreign visitors. A tour on a motorcycle or moped will allow you to transport your clients quickly and flexibly, depending on their tastes and interests, while offering curious information about the places to visit, achieving a memorable experience. Keep in mind that you will need a guide / driver for each client, as it is not safe for tourists to drive their own motorcycle or for more than one person per unit.
3. Children’s entertainment for events
Those who have children know that balancing the parental role with that of social life is difficult. Offer parents the opportunity to enjoy the events they attend with a care service
and entertainment for the youngest members of the family at weddings, baptisms and other gatherings. And so that you don’t get overwhelmed, train support staff (don’t exceed more than four children for each caregiver). Put together different activity packages according to the age of the children and combine fun with education. A fact: Mexican mothers have, on average, 2.4 children, according to Inegi figures.
4. Pet sitters
55% of Mexican families have a pet, according to a 2014 Mitofsky Consultation survey. Going on a trip is complicated for these owners, especially if they cannot bring their dog or cat , or do not have someone to order it with. It serves this market by managing a platform to connect owners with certified caregivers who provide lodging and pampering. Ensure the safety of pets by partnering with veterinary services 24/7 and ask caregivers to send owners photos and videos frequently to check that everything is going well. Charge an annual subscription or a daily fee.
5. Rent of rooms to students
Having vacant rooms in your house can detonate your part-time business. Focus on the student market and anticipate its needs with adequate facilities (Internet connection, a space to work and another to relax, etc.) and modern decoration. Specify in a contract the cost of the rent and the services it includes, the forms of payment and the start and end dates of the agreement. One piece of information: the National Survey of International Student Mobility of Mexico reported that 90% of international students in Mexico are studying for a bachelor’s degree and 9% a master’s degree.
6. Online crafts
If you have a knack for creating quality handmade products, consider selling your creations online. If you don’t have enough capital to set up your own ecommerce, an alternative is the Etsy platform – launched in 2005 and with more than 25 million members in 200 countries. This site gives consumers the feeling of shopping in an online boutique. Make your business stand out from the rest by creating a brand identity and ensuring quality. Take into account that for each product you upload, Etsy will charge you US $ 0.20 plus 3.5% commission on the final price of each sale.
7. Analysis of social networks
Monitoring and analyzing the information generated by consumers on social networks is a common practice of many companies, since the data obtained helps them make business decisions. Start an agency that uses platforms such as HowSociable , Addictomatic or Social Mention to collect this information and obtain relevant data for your clients; build reports that show the results of your campaigns and launches. This trend is increasing, since according to Twitter figures, 85% of its users follow a brand or company on this social network.
8. Electric recharge
Smartphones are an important part of most people’s day-to-day lives, since they not only use to call or send messages, but also to surf the Internet, make purchases or transfers. Therefore, keeping them with a good battery charge is essential. Hence, installing cell phone charging points in public places is an alternative to undertake. The business model is to sell the advertising space of the loading modules. A study by Millward Brown found that 84% of Mexicans have a mobile device; four out of 10 of them are smartphones.
9. Development of apps for children
It is no longer strange to find the smallest of the household using mobile devices. Start within this segment with a business dedicated to the development of children’s apps. Do not lose sight of the fact that although your end user will be children, their parents are your real customers and you must convince them to download your application, so offer them solutions that promote? Development, education and values, as well as fun, they are an excellent alternative. A fact: the Mexican Internet Association ( Amipici ) reported in 2014 that 82% of Mexican Internet users have downloaded and installed apps on their smartphone.
10. Robotics school for children
Interest in robotics in the country has increased significantly in recent years. In 2015, more than 90 teams of children – between eight and 17 years old – and 10? Of young people – between 18 and 25 years old – participated in the national final of the WRO ( World Robot Olympiad ) robotics competition in Guadalajara, Jalisco . Start with a specialized school for children and teens that in the afternoons, weekends and during the holidays, offers workshops and classes that combine theory with practice. If you do not have knowledge in the field, start with a recognized brand to obtain specialized training.
11. Products for celiacs
Celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Specialists from the Fundación Clínica Médica Sur found that this condition can affect up to 4.3% of the Mexican population. For these consumers, taking care of their diet is a necessity rather than a fad. Serve them with an online store in which you distribute an extensive catalog of specialized products (such as bread, pasta, flour, cereals, etc.) that comply with the “SC” (Gluten Free) certification granted by the Celiac Civil Association of Mexico. Include home delivery and consider that cost when setting your prices.
12. Commercialization of Nanotechnology
This discipline seeks to manipulate matter on a molecular and atomic scale to design structures with new properties and applications. According to figures from the National Council for Science and Technology (Conacyt), in Mexico there are 56 institutions and more than 159 laboratories dedicated to developing this technology. Distributing products of this type will allow you to offer your customers innovative solutions both for home cleaning and for industries and businesses. Undertaking in this field does not require scientific experience, but you must understand the properties and benefits of the products; the advice is to join a network that offers training.
13. Freelancer online
It is no longer necessary to have a physical office to start a business thanks to technological development and easy access to the Internet that have driven the independent economy around the world. According to Freelancer.com CEO Matt Barrie, industries such as design and manufacturing “struggle to adapt to the unstoppable avalanche of crowdsourcing and 3D printing,” and offering freelance services is an alternative for those who work. in creative industries. If this is your case, use platforms like Fiverr, which has 4,000 services in 120 categories, from graphic design and digital marketing to video animation.
14. Online translations
If you speak two or more languages, have a computer and an Internet connection, you can start a business as a remote translator no matter where you are. Create an Internet page where you offer your services and break down your rates – consider that according to the TranslatorsCafe.com forum these are around US $ 25 per hour, for non-specialized jobs. According to the Mosa Lingua online school, in addition to English and Spanish, the five languages most in demand for translation work are: Portuguese, French, Mandarin Chinese, German and Italian. This is partly due to the relevance they have in business.
15. Personal care for men
The demand for products focused on improving the appearance of men is increasing: Kantar Worldpanel – a market research company – found that 87% of men in Mexico have some concern about their physical appearance. For this reason, many beauty brands have adapted their direct or catalog sales offer to them. If you choose to join one of these companies to serve this market, seek to be part of a professional network that offers quality products, as well as training and a good compensation scheme for its sellers.
