The terms businessman or businesswoman generally conjures up images of someone with gregarious and outgoing personality combined with glib tongue. Indeed, possessing these traits is helpful but not prerequisite to opening business.
Top, Successful Introverts
A few top business personalities of this world are introverts. These include Bill Gates, Founder, Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg, Founder, Facebook, Marissa Meyer, current CEO, Yahoo as well as author JK Rowling, creator of Harry Potter were all introverts. Closer home, Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was a known introvert and chose to speak only when extremely necessary or while addressing a gathering.
These names aptly prove, being an introvert need not hinder you from entering business or limiting you vistas. The main problem most introverts face while opening business however remains getting finances. They are shy to approach banks for loan or seek financial help from relatives and friends. Yet, with a small capital, you can open a business that can burgeon into a great corporation someday, with right attitude and effort. Though there are hundreds of best business ideas but here we provide you a dozen low cost business ideas suitable for every diehard introvert.
Food Service
Food service, also called ‘Tiffin’ service is a very popular business in India. It can be launched with very low investment and does not even require you to interact with clients. Your investment is limited to large cooking utensils, raw material and some helpers to assist you in kitchen and deliver meals to customers. You are not required to deal directly with customers.
Mushroom Farm
Nowadays, mushrooms are farmed indoors, in controlled climate. Governments of various Indian states are promoting mushroom farming since the fungi has inherent nutritional properties. However, you will require some space to launch this low business since it involves setting up a greenhouse with locally available, cheap material. Mushrooms grow rapidly and command a good price in the wholesale market. There is no need to interact with many people.
Incense Sticks
India, with myriad religious practices is a huge market for incense sticks. Though Bangalore and its adjoining areas are hub for incense stick or agarbatti manufacture, easy availability of raw material is now causing small entrepreneurs across India to venture into this business. You will require a simple agarbatti rolling machine to produce your own brand or hire some manpower for hand-rolled versions.
Prayer Beads
People of all faiths use prayer beads of various types. They are in demand round the year. Making prayer beads and rosaries is simple and low cost business that also suits introverts. You can order the required material through online stores like Amazon, ShopClues and Flipkart among others. Customers include small stalls who sell these beads at religious shrines. You can also market your products by enrolling as supplier with any good online store.
Packing and Repacking
Wholesalers and retailers as well as companies require small businesses to pack or repack their wares. Such service is essential since these businesses receive goods in bulk and have to make smaller packages for the retail market. Packing and repacking is a low cost business that any introvert can launch. You may need a few helpers. Packing material is provided by your customer. Alternatively, you can make a small investment in such material and charge your client.
Cakes and Cookies
Cakes, cookies and other high quality bakery items made from home are in great demand across India. The business suits every introvert, provided they have good culinary skills and can create excellent cakes, cookies and biscuits. It only involves tie-ups with stores in your neighborhood, who will sell your products. Investment is limited to a good oven, food ingredients and packaging material.
Pickles and Jams
Health conscious people nowadays prefer homemade pickles and jams rather than mass produced varieties. There are several reasons for this: Firstly, homemade stuff is not expected to contain artificial flavors and food colors or chemical preservatives. Also, they are prepared with traditional recipes and hence, not commonly available in the market. Your customers include stores in the neighborhood. They can also be sold by relatives and friends to their contacts.
Mobile Handset Repairs
For people, especially introverts with low investment. You can get trained at any private institute or take a short course at state-run Industrial Training Institute (ITI) for opening this business. You may either operate from home or a small, street-side stall. With burgeoning number of mobile users in India, this is a very profitable business. Contact with customers is very limited. All you need know is problems with the mobile handset and provide the quotation for your work. Investment would be in the short vocational course and appropriate tools as well as some common spare parts for mobile handsets.
Software Development
Software development is an avenue that IT experts in the field can explore. The business involves working from home, which saves the cost of renting offices or getting a plethora or clearances and licenses from the government. The investment here will be a computer or laptop that most IT professionals will usually possess.
CCTV Monitoring
Large companies, housing complexes and other installations often find it expensive to hire staff for round-the-clock monitoring of surveillance cameras. Thanks to Internet technology, you can offer monitoring services from home. This business attracts a lot of customers since it involves safety of property and life. Again, your investment is limited to a couple of computers or laptop and a reliable mobile or landline phone for alerting cops or installation owners, if need arises.
Compost Manufacture
Buy a few inexpensive composters and launch your business within a few days. Raw material used for compost fertilizer consists of discarded cooked or raw food that can be collected by a worker from nearby restaurants. With more emphasis on organic gardening, an increasing number of people look for compost fertilizer from nearby sources.
Costume Jewelry
Assembling beads and colored thread to make costume jewelry including necklaces, wristbands, bracelets and earrings is fairly simple. You can order the raw material for making these products online. Such costume jewelry can be sold online by enrolling as supplier with any good e-retailer or through social media pages on Facebook.
Points to Remember
Being an introvert is no handicap or limitation that prevents you from launching a low cost business. However, you will need to use the social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to promote your products and services. Further, you can also enlist help of relatives and friends to assist you in sales and marketing efforts. However, it serves your interest to acquire a few bargaining skills since these are vital for the success of any business. Research by psychiatry and psychology experts indicates, introverts are generally honest and well meaning people. This means, you can utilize these character traits for furthering the low investment business.
Wrap Up
Globally acclaimed skydiver from Austria, Felix Baumgartner said: “The only limits are the ones you set yourself.” You may be an introvert but that does not mean you limit your entrepreneurial skills. Introverts have struck it big in various businesses, as some of the examples we provide earlier amply highlight. Starting a business involves astute planning, identifying the market and exploiting opportunities. The same holds true for extroverts too. There are no studies that indicate extroverts are more successful, either in business or life, when compared with introverts. This should encourage you to launch a low cost business.
