assignment new ideas

121+ Innovative Project Ideas For School Students

Get ready to spark your curiosity! Explore our designed list of 121+ innovative project ideas for school students, containing 14 diverse categories and loaded with 10 engaging ideas each. From Science and Technology to Arts, Entrepreneurship to Space Exploration, these projects are primed to inspire.

Discover hands-on experiments, creative innovations, and problem-solving ventures perfect for students eager to dive into the depth of engineering, health, and social impact. Unleash your potential with projects in maths, sustainability, and digital creativity. Step into history, explore cultures, or delve into agriculture the possibilities are endless. With these project ideas, learning becomes an exciting journey, fostering innovation and sparking the imagination of every student. Let us start this journey.

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7 Advantages Of Project Ideas For School Student

Hands-On Learning

Projects offer hands-on experiences, allowing students to use their learnings to real life problems. They make learning more interactive and engaging, helping concepts stick better. Projects let students roll up their sleeves and dive into practical tasks, giving them a deeper understanding of how things work beyond textbooks.

Promotes Creativity

Project ideas encourage creativity by allowing students to discover, experiment, and have unique solutions to challenges. They’re like blank canvases where ideas flourish.They offer the freedom to think outside the box, fostering innovative thinking and honing creative problem-solving skills.

Enhances Critical Thinking

Working on projects requires students to analyse, evaluate, and make decisions, enhancing their critical thinking abilities. Projects challenge students to think critically, helping them weigh options, solve problems, and make informed choices.

Encourages Collaboration

Many projects involve teamwork, promoting collaboration and communication skills among students.Collaborative projects encourage students to share ideas, work together, and learn from each other’s strengths.

Boosts Confidence

Successfully completing projects, especially those that require effort, boosts students’ confidence in their abilities and accomplishments.As students overcome challenges and finish projects, they gain confidence in their skills and capabilities.

Real-World Application

Projects often simulate real-life scenarios, by enabling students to use their theoretical knowledge to real life situations. They remove the gap between theory and application, showing students the real-world relevance of what they learn.

Encourages Self-Directed Learning

Projects allow students to take charge of their learning journey, fostering independence and self-motivation. Students get to choose topics, plan, and execute projects, developing autonomy in their learning process.

Whether you’re a student looking for a unique project idea or a teacher looking for inspiration, this article will surely spark your interest and ignite your imagination. Let’s dive into the world of innovative school projects and discover the amazing things students can achieve when they put their minds to it. Here is a list of project ideas duly categorised and they are as:

Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Science And Technology
Renewable Energy Models
Smart Home Automation System
Biodegradable Packaging Solutions
Aquaponics: Sustainable Agriculture
Robotics in Healthcare
Virtual Reality Learning Environments
Waste-to-Energy Innovations
AI-Powered Educational Apps
Hydroponic Farming Systems
3D Printing in Medicine
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Engineering And Robotics
Automated Garden Irrigation System
Robotic Arm for Recycling Sorting
Smart Traffic Management System
Solar-Powered Vehicle Prototype
Autonomous Delivery Drone
Voice-Controlled Home Automation
AI-Based Waste Management Robot
Biometric Attendance System
3D Printed Prosthetic Limbs
Virtual Reality Educational Tool
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Environmental Sustainability
Solar-Powered Community Garden
Waste-to-Energy Recycling Initiative
Green Roof Installation for School Buildings
Portable Water Filtration Systems
Eco-Friendly School Supply Drive
Urban Vertical Farming Modules
Bio-Diverse Habitat Restoration Project
Plastic Upcycling Workshop
Renewable Energy Awareness Campaign
Sustainable Transportation Solutions Program
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Health And Medicine
Virtual Health Assistant App
Biodegradable Medical Implants
AI-Powered Disease Diagnosis Tool
Nutrition Monitoring Wearable Tech
Smart Medicine Dispenser System
Telemedicine Platform for Remote Areas
Personalized Medicine Kits
Health Education VR Modules
Microbial Detection in Food Packaging
Mindfulness and Mental Health App for Teens
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Social Sciences And Community Impact
Community Storytelling Archive
Mental Health Awareness Campaign
Urban Garden Initiative
Diversity and Inclusion Workshops
Civic Engagement App Development
Sustainable Community Recycling Program
Youth Mentorship Program
Anti-Bullying Campaign
Local History Preservation Project
Poverty Alleviation Task Force
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Mathematics And Computational Thinking
Fractal Geometry Exploration
Cryptography and Code Breaking
Data Analysis Through Sports Statistics
Algorithmic Art and Design
Mathematical Modeling in Ecology
Game Theory Application in Everyday Situations
Robotics and Geometry: Building Mathematical Machines
Quantum Computing Concepts for Beginners
Number Theory and Music Composition
Probability and Predictive Modeling in Finance
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Arts, Creativity, And Design
Recycled Art Sculptures
Interactive Digital Storytelling
Sustainable Fashion Design Showcase
Augmented Reality Art Gallery
Community Mural Project
Wearable Technology Fashion Show
Kinetic Sculpture Installation
Eco-Friendly Architecture Models
Designing a Green Urban Space
Experimental Film-making Project
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Business And Entrepreneurship
Sustainable Business Initiative
Virtual Business Simulation
Social Impact Startup Plan
E-commerce Platform for Local Artisans
Entrepreneurial Podcast or YouTube Channel
Innovative Product Design Challenge
Business Pitch Competition
Green Entrepreneurship Project
Financial Literacy Campaign
Tech-Based Entrepreneurial Solution
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Education And Learning Enhancement
Interactive Learning Apps for Specific Subjects
Gamified Study Platforms for Different Age Groups
AI-Powered Personalised Tutoring Systems
Virtual Reality (VR) Field Trips and Educational Experiences
Language Learning through Immersive Technology
Mindfulness and Mental Health Apps for Students
Project-Based Learning Modules on Real-World Issues
STEM Workshops Focused on Practical Applications
Community Engagement Programs for Peer Learning
AI Chatbots for Instant Homework Help
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Space Exploration And Astronomy
Space Habitat Design
Martian Colony Simulation
DIY Telescope Construction
Satellite Technology Innovation
Lunar Rover Prototyping
Virtual Reality Space Exploration
Exoplanet Discovery Project
Space Debris Cleanup Initiative
Astrobiology Research for Student Scientists
Designing a Space Mission Patch
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Psychology And Behavior Studies
Impact of Music on Mood and Concentration
Effects of Social Media on Adolescent Behavior
Influence of Colour Perception on Emotions
Memory Retention in Different Learning Environments
Stress Management Techniques for Teenagers
Role of Exercise on Mental Health and Well-being
Perception of Body Image and Self-esteem
Behavior Analysis in Different Social Settings
Investigating Dreams and their Interpretations
Impact of Nature and Environment on Mental Health
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Historical And Cultural Studies
Interactive Virtual Tours of Historical Sites
Recreating Historical Artifacts Using 3D Printing
Creating Educational Historical Board Games
Documentary Series on Local Cultural Heritage
Digital Archive of Historical Photographs
Cultural Exchange Program with Partner Schools
Historical Podcast Series on Significant Events
Creating a Historical Cooking Show
Storytelling Workshops on Folklore and Legends
Historical Reenactment Performances
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Agriculture And Food Science
Hydroponic Farming Models
Smart Irrigation Systems
Vertical Farming Techniques
Food Preservation Innovations
Soil Quality Monitoring Devices
Aquaponics Integration in Agriculture
Drone Technology in Crop Monitoring
Biofuel Production from Agricultural Waste
Sustainable Packaging Solutions for Food Products
Urban Agriculture Initiatives
Top 10 Innovative Project Ideas On Multimedia And Digital Innovation
Interactive Storytelling Apps
Virtual Reality Educational Modules
Augmented Reality Museums/Guides
Digital Art Installations
Gamified Learning Platforms
Social Media Awareness Campaigns
360-Degree Video Tours
AI-Powered Educational Chatbots
Digital Music Composition Tools
Multimedia Journalism Projects

Exploring over 121+ innovative project ideas for school students opens up a world of possibilities. These ideas aren’t just assignments; they’re paths to exciting discoveries. They help us learn in fun ways, solving problems and sparking creativity.

With these projects, we become active learners, enjoying the journey of exploration. They’re like keys to unlocking our curiosity, making learning a thrilling adventure. So, let’s dive in, explore, and find inspiration in these innovative projects they’re not just about school, they’re about embracing our love for learning and discovery.

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43 brainstorming techniques and games for creating new ideas

Finding new and innovative ideas is a vital part of the growth and success of any team or organization . While brainstorming techniques are rightly perceived as creative and exciting , it’s important to find a framework and idea-generation process that empowers your group to generate meaningful results.

Innovation is important for many businesses, but what brainstorming activities might you use to help make true innovation a reality? Find out in this collection of effective brainstorming techniques!

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What are brainstorming techniques?

Brainstorming is a process of enabling people to think freely and creatively when trying to come up with ideas, solutions, or sharing knowledge.

Brainstorming techniques are proven activities and frameworks for coming up with lots of ideas quickly. They’ll often include steps to shift perspective, facilitate team collaboration and refine initial ideas into something even better.

Some examples of brainstorming activities include classic mind mapping and brain writing where you quickly try to generate as many ideas as possible.

Teams often use these techniques to generate creative ideas to tough problems and to explore possible solutions . They can also be used as part of more in-depth brainstorming workshops where team members then refine and choose ideas to put into action.

Some of the core concepts of brainstorming include: reserving judgment, go for quality over quantity, listen to all ideas, and think outside of the box in the pursuit of radical new ideas and creative solutions. Bring these concepts and a proven technique to your session and you’re already on the route to success!

If you’re finding your team with a problem they don’t know how to solve, a technique that encourages creative thinking might be just the ticket! Use these activities as part of a complete workshop process to refine those ideas into something actionable.

In SessionLab, it’s quick an easy to create an effective agenda for a brainstorming workshop in minutes. Drag and drop blocks in the session planner to create your structure. Add timing for each item to ensure you stay on time. Color-code your blocks to get an instant sense of your learning flow.

Core group brainstorming techniques

Brainstorming has been around as long as individuals and teams have tried to find creative and innovative solutions, or come up with new ideas or products. Whether a group is ideating on how to solve an organizational problem or generate ideas for new features or initiatives, getting people together to quickly ideate and come up with something new is time well spent.

In this section, we’ll first explore some of the core techniques that have been used time and again to create meaningful results and great ideas.


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Popcorn Brainstorming

One of the classic brainstorming techniques, chances are you’ve done a popcorn brainstorm already. It’s been used by everyone from school teachers to CEOs to generate ideas and create energy around new initiatives – much like the popping of corn in a microwave!

Start by posing a question or problem statement and invite participants to take a minutes silence to think on it. Once the minute is up, start a timer and invite everyone to contribute ideas out-loud and build on each other’s ideas too. Have a single person take notes and encourage quality over quantity: no evaluation, no criticism or discussion yet – just rapid ideation!

Brainstorming – Popcorn and Round Robin #idea generation #brainstorming Simple, classic brainstorming with two variants. Popcorn – where participants speak out-loud and Round Robin – where participants work in silence and pass their ideas to the next person in turn.

Round-Robin Brainstorming

A tried and tested idea generation technique, Round-Robin Brainstorming provides a little more structure and ensures everyone in a group can contribute to a brainstorm by ensuring the discussion isn’t dominated by the loudest voices.

In this group method, seat everyone in a circle and hand them an index card. In silence, everyone writes an idea on their index card before passing it to the person to their left. Each participant then writes an idea based on their neighbour’s card and passes that along.

The result is a more relaxed session that encourages a combination of idea development and co-creation while ensuring everyone is heard. Perfect for teams with big personalities!

SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) is a tried and tested technique that teams often using when planning new initiatives or solving problems. It also happens to be a great tool for generating new ideas while also taking into account potential problems and opportunities.

The act of brainstorming around your weaknesses or threats can result in innovative solutions and ideas you might not have otherwise come up with. Try using each point of the process as a jumping off point for ideation or explore a topic from each of the different angles for best results.

SWOT Analysis #project planning #strategic planning #environmental analysis #planning #issue analysis #online #remote-friendly A SWOT Analysis is used in project planning, strategic planning and other processes where agreement is needed about the current situation of a project, team, department or organization. It stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

Brainwriting

No single person is as smart or as creative as a group. With the brain writing technique, tap into the ideas and approaches of multiple collaborators and co-create effectively.

Start by writing down the topic or area for which you’ll be generating ideas. Have all team members silently write down an idea related to the topic on a card and then, pass that idea to the person to their right. The receiving player reads the card and then adds an idea inspired by the original OR enhances the original idea before passing the card along.

By asking participants to grow and improve on one another’s ideas, Brain writing helps a group ideate effectively and come up with better ideas. You can even bring this to an online brainstorming session by using an online whiteboard and have participants pass post-its to the working spaces of their partners.

Brainwriting #gamestorming #idea generation Some of the best ideas are compilations from multiple contributors. Brainwriting is a simple way to generate ideas, share them, and subsequently build on them within a group. Access to multiple hands, eyes, and minds can yield the most interesting results.

Question storming

Sometimes, shifting perspective and starting from a different angle can generate the best ideas. Q-Storming, or question storming invites participants to brainstorm questions, rather than solutions.

After rounds of gathering qualifying data and assumptions, ask your group to think of all those questions that they still have which might help the team think the matter through. This approach can be really useful at finding ideas your team might not have considered and ensuring that what you come up with is truly going to solve the problem at hand.

Walking Brainstorm

Brainstorming methods come in many forms – you might have a quick-fire session that encourages excitement and verbal exchanges. Alternatively, you might find your group will create better ideas by working together in a more relaxed, introvert-friendly manner.

Walking Brainstorm is designed to help large groups work on idea generation dynamically but without creating scenarios where only the loudest participants are heard.

Create a space where different topics or questions are spread on posters/post-its around a room or virtual space. Silently and individually, each participant is encouraged to walk around and visit each question/topic in turn and add ideas to each. By moving around and working individually, this method helps create a more reflective, dynamic ideation session and can also help ensure group-think doesn’t set in!

Walking Brainstorm #brainstorming #idea generation #remote-friendly This introvert-friendly brainstorming technique helps groups of any size to generate and build on each other’s ideas in a silent but dynamic setting. As the participants keep moving, the exercise is ideal to kick-off a full day workshop or re-energize the group after lunch.

For those who prefer a more organized approach to idea generation, mind mapping is a great activity for creating ideas quickly and effectively.

Begin by writing the key topic in the center of a piece of paper or in an online whiteboard. Invite participants to brainstorm related topics and ideas by adding branches to the central idea and create new nodes or elements. As a facilitator, you’ll want to group ideas by color and also amend the thickness of the branches to show the strength of various ideas and concepts.

When you’re done mind mapping, the result will be a diagram that visually represents your ideas and makes it clear how the various parts interrelate – a great resource for idea development or for future sessions!

Mind map #idea generation #concepts #create #issue analysis #design A mind map is a diagram used to represent a number of ideas or things. Mind maps are methods for analyzing information and relationships.

Brain Netting

The concept of brain netting is to not only take your brainstorming online, but to use online tools and virtual spaces to make the session a truly engaging experience.

The key is to use an online tool that the group is familiar with, can co-create in easily and which works both synchronously or asynchronously. Using an online whiteboard or shared document for brain netting means participants can contribute in both a live online workshop as well as in their own time. This is a unique benefit of online brainstorming, and it’s one we’d recommend taking advantage of with your team!

We’d especially recommend using an online tool that supports easy commenting, images, videos and links – encourage your group to use whatever assets best communicate their ideas!

Six Thinking Hats

Exploring a problem or idea from multiple perspectives is a great way to generate new ideas and inform your brainstorming process. In this brainstorming activity, start by explaining the six different hats and that at various points, each person will wear the different hats to explore your chosen topic. For example, the green hat is for creative thinking while the white hat is all about information and facts.

Invite the group to start with the blue hat, which is to control the process and then move between hats to explore, define, ideate, identify risk and gather information around a topic in a sequence. By asking the group to all wear the same hat at the same time, you can ensure your brainstorm moves forward while also ensure all perspectives are explored.

The Six Thinking Hats #creative thinking #meeting facilitation #problem solving #issue resolution #idea generation #conflict resolution The Six Thinking Hats are used by individuals and groups to separate out conflicting styles of thinking. They enable and encourage a group of people to think constructively together in exploring and implementing change, rather than using argument to fight over who is right and who is wrong.

Rapid writing

Different teams and workshops need different approaches to generating fresh ideas. While a carefully structured approach can be effective, using quick-fire brainstorming techniques like Rapid Writing can help create a sense of energy, urgency, and get heaps of ideas out quickly.

For this method of brainstorming, start by setting a timer and encouraging your participants to get as many ideas out as possible within that time limit. Remember that at this stage in the idea generation process, there is no such thing as a bad idea and by quickly ideating without being critical, your group can be creative without prematurely shutting down possible ideas. Be sure to collect all the ideas and share them without judgment at the end, whether you’re brainstorming online or in person!

Lotus Blossom

Some of the most effective techniques are those that encourage free-thinking and rapid ideation while also having some rules that can keep things structured. Lotus Blossom combines these concepts while also creating a great visual representation of your brainstorming activity.

Lotus Blossom helps facilitate idea generation by working out from a central concept and adding eight additional themes or ideas inspired by the first on sticky notes. Once you have those eight ideas, you then invite participants to take each of those and add another eight and effectively blossom them around the original. By clustering ideas in this way, this ideation method also creates a visual resource you can come back to later and follow the brainstorming process from start to finish.

Lotus blossom #concepts #create #design #idea generation The lotus blossom method is a creativity exercise. It is a framework for idea generation, starting from one central theme. Eight conceptual themes grow out from the main theme and each of them are used as central theme to generate 8 more themes. Explore!

Starbursting

Complete freedom without an ideation framework isn’t always the best way to find and develop ideas. Structured techniques like Starbursting can help guide a team through more effective idea generation and ensure all key elements are considered at an early stage.

To begin, create a six-pointed star on a large piece of paper or online whiteboard. At the tip of each point of the star, write down the words Who, What, Why, Where, When and How. Invite the group to brainstorm ideas and questions related to each of these points in turn.

At this stage, the group only needs to brainstorm questions in each of these sections, leaving answers until later, though creating follow-up questions can also be helpful in effectively ideating on your central concept or problem.

When ideating on solutions to problems, it’s very easy to come to the table with underlying assumptions that can affect the course of the idea generation process. You can avoid this potential pitfall by using The 5 Whys to go further and deeper in a very simple, group-friendly manner.

Kick-off by working as a group to create a problem statement that you’ll work on solving. Once you have a concise statement, ask the group why you have this problem and discuss the answer. After working together to form a cohesive answer, ask the group why you have the problem again. By repeating the process, you and your team can dig deeper and find the root cause of the issue and move past the first, most obvious ideas.

The 5 Whys #hyperisland #innovation This simple and powerful method is useful for getting to the core of a problem or challenge. As the title suggests, the group defines a problems, then asks the question “why” five times, often using the resulting explanation as a starting point for creative problem solving.

Creative brainstorming techniques

All brainstorming is creative. Generating ideas and finding solutions often asks groups and teams to find new ways of looking at things but in this next section, we’ll look at techniques that aim to approach the ideation process from a unique or especially creative starting point.

If you’re finding your typical exercises aren’t yielding results or want to try something new, creative games like those below can create space for innovation. Let’s dig in!


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Imagie-ination

Words are often our primary tool when it comes to starting a brainstorm or kicking off an idea generation workshop. While these kinds of techniques are tried and tested, it can also be useful to try something different that can unlock your team’s creativity.

With Imagie-ination, you’ll use images to help your group generate ideas that go beyond the norm. First, collect an assortment of images for your brainstorm and write down a simple description of the topic you want to generate new ideas around. Have each participant select an image and then come up with as many ideas as they can for how the image relates to the topic.

After the first round, you’ll then cluster ideas together and find an image and title to best illustrate those clusters. This kind of clustering and titling can help refine the ideas your team has generated and move them towards action – a great outcome for any brainstorming session!

Imagie-ination #idea generation #gamestorming Images have the ability to spark insights and to create new associations and possible connections. That is why pictures help generate new ideas, which is exactly the point of this exercise.

Bad idea brainstorming

Idea generation is at its best when groups are encouraged to add their ideas without being self critical or overthinking. Often, individuals involved in ideation can put pressure on themselves to offer only great ideas and so don’t contribute everything that comes to their minds.

Use this brainstorming technique to help free your group’s creativity and encourage them to come up with the absolute worst ideas they can in relation to a central topic or problem. Like reverse brainstorming, this brainstorming technique is a great way to find alternative routes to more creative ideas. Just be sure to use a swot analysis to figure out what should make it into reality!

Bad Idea Brainstorm #brainstorming #creative thinking #idea generation Name all the bad ideas to make room for good ones. Coming up with the perfect solution right off the bat can feel paralyzing. So instead of trying to find the right answer, get unstuck by listing all the wrong ones.

Brainstorm questions instead of solutions

Our first instinct when it comes to problem-solving can often be to jump straight to giving answers and finding solutions. Though this can be effective, when it comes to generating creative ideas, a different tact can be more effective.

With this reverse brainstorming game, challenge participants to offer questions instead of solutions so they can respond to a central concept creatively and from a new angle. If you’re finding your group can become blocked when generating ideas, it might be that your existing questions or frameworks aren’t sufficient. By taking a new ideation approach, you can unblock your team!

Brainstorm questions instead of solutions #questions and answers #brainstorming When we are given a problem our reflex is to find answers. But it can be difficult to leave the comfort zone and to come up with creative answers. This exercise will encourage to think out of the box.

Stakeholder Round Robin Brainstorm

Bringing together groups of different stakeholders with their own areas of expertise is a great idea whether you’re brainstorming or finding solutions. That said, it’s worth noting that in these kinds of mixed groups, participants will be coming from different places and have different priorities and approaches to idea generation.

Start by creating a flipchart or whiteboard space for each stakeholder’s perspective and writing this at the top. Give each stakeholder two minutes to brainstorm on the central idea from their perspective and add those to their flipchart before then inviting each participant to move to the next one and brainstorm from this different perspective. By using this round-robin brainstorming exercise, you can help the group understand the perspectives and insights each member brings to the table while also generating fresh ideas as a result!

Backcasting

A simple change in perspective can have a massive impact on how your team approaches solving a problem. Backcasting is a simple but effective brainstorming exercise where a team is invited to work backwards from an ideal future state in order to come up with concrete actions they can take today.

Start by listing your long term goals in a time frame of 1-20 years. Then work backwards from that state to today, listing every action necessary to achieve that goal state. Collect insights on what difficulties might come up, what steps your team needs to take and what resources you might need in order to brainstorm effectively and find a new way to reach your team’s long term goals!

Backcasting #define intentions #create #design #action Backcasting is a method for planning the actions necessary to reach desired future goals. This method is often applied in a workshop format with stakeholders participating. To be used when a future goal (even if it is vague) has been identified.

Walking Questions

A brainstorming technique with a What if learning style, Walking Questions is a great way of encouraging group members to share knowledge, ask questions to personal problems, and explore a topic dynamically.

Best used at the end of a training session or workshop, each participant writes a question they have on the top of a sheet of paper then hands it to the person to their right. The person receiving the paper then writes any ideas or answers they have underneath and passes it to the next person.

By the end, the original piece of paper will be returned to the owner filled with ideas and answers from the entire group. It’s a great way of generating ideas from a group quickly and efficiently and of utilizing everyone’s expertise in a structured way. Give it a go!

Walking questions #what if learning style #idea generation #learning This is a great facilitation technique to answer open questions of trainees with a “What if” learning style. It prevents the facilitator from answering all questions herself. With this method trainees can: close knowledge gaps find solutions for personal problems imagine themselves using their new knowledge in future and prepare themselves for obstacles

Guided Imagery

Coming up with new ideas doesn’t always have to be boisterous! You can also get the creative juices flowing in a relaxed way by tapping into mindfulness and imagination with this method.

Start by inviting participants to close their eyes and get comfortable. Next, progress through a guided meditation designed to inspire creativity. Afterward, ask your group to reflect on what came up for them in the meditation and use this as the basis for further brainstorming!

Guided Imagery #idea generation #creativity #online facilitation #reflection This can be used for idea generation especially when the group is stuck.

Headlines from the future

Starting from the desired outcome and working backward with a reverse brainstorming technique can be a great way to solve a problem. Thinking into the future can also be inspiring in a way that encourages free thinking and big ideas – a great result for any brainstorming workshop.

In this idea generation game, ask your group to imagine it’s twenty years in the future and that your project or organisation has been a huge success. Invite each participant to draft a headline and sketch an image for a New York Times feature of this reality. Encourage big, bold ideas and debrief by discussing any common themes or ideas before moving onto idea development as a team!

Headlines from the Future #creative thinking #design #idea generation #creativity Get inspired today by a world 20 years away. Sometimes it helps to start from the end. This exercise will help you align with your team on an audacious vision for your project – one that you can work backward from.

Brainstorming techniques for problem solving and refining ideas

When you want to go beyond initial brainstorming and generate more refined ideas, the following complex idea generation techniques can effectively guide you through the process.

These activities combine brainstorming with idea evaluation, idea selection, and then going into concept development to help you come up with the best options. Let’s dig in!


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25/10 Crowd Sourcing

Group ideation can be tricky to manage, and not all techniques are up to the task of managing creative input from large groups effectively. 25/10 Crowd Sourcing is a fantastic exercise that not only invites big, bold ideas, but can ensure everyone takes part in generating ideas as a group.

After first inviting participants to write a big, bold idea on an index card, start a timer and invite the group to move around the space and exchange cards without reading. Stop the timer and ask each person to read the idea and give it a score from 1 to 5. Repeat five times so that each idea has a score out of twenty-five and then find and share the top ten ideas with the group.

Group brainstorming techniques with a mix of blind scoring and sharing can be especially useful in avoiding bias and encouraging bold ideas – especially useful when ideating in large groups!

25/10 Crowd Sourcing #idea generation #liberating structures You can help a large crowd generate and sort their bold ideas for action in 30 minutes or less! With 25/10 Crowd Sourcing , you can spread innovations “out and up” as everyone notices the patterns in what emerges. Though it is fun, fast, and casual, it is a serious and valid way to generate an uncensored set of bold ideas and then to tap the wisdom of the whole group to identify the top ten. Surprises are frequent!

3-12-3 Brainstorm

Brainstorming is often associated with fast ideation and energetic idea generation sessions. While many standard techniques can be slowed down and run in different ways, there can be obvious benefits to maintaining energy and proving the value of short working bursts to your ideation group.

The 3-12-3 Brainstorm technique taps into the power of speed to generate great ideas and can help a team generate, develop, and present ideas in just less than twenty minutes. By combining speed and structure, this ideation method can help a group pressed for time use the session effectively, and we love how much ground can be covered by a group with this exercise!

3-12-3 Brainstorm #gamestorming #idea generation This format for brainstorming compresses the essentials of an ideation session into one short format. The numbers 3-12-3 refer to the amount of time in minutes given to each of three activities: 3 minutes for generating a pool of observations, 12 for combining those observations into rough concepts, and 3 again for presenting the concepts back to a group.

Mash-Up Innovation

Some of the best ideas come from taking existing ideas and putting them together. Brainstorming that takes advantage of what your group already knows and loves can really supercharge the idea generation process and this creative exercise is a perfect example of that.

In Mash-Up innovation, first ask your group to brainstorm around three different topics or areas and add them to a shared space or whiteboard. Next, organize your participants into small groups who will spend the next twelve minutes combining and mashing up as many of the elements as possible to make even better ideas. After a short idea presentation, you can even take your group through an idea development stage to really make the most out of this activity. You’ll be surprised at what comes out!

Mash-Up Innovation #hyperisland #innovation #idea generation Mash-ups is a collaborative idea generation method in which participants come up with innovative concepts by combining different elements together. In a first step, participants brainstorm around different areas, such as technologies, human needs, and existing services. In a second step, they rapidly combine elements from those areas to create new, fun and innovative concepts. Mash-ups demonstrates how fast and easy it can be to come up with innovative ideas.

Large group brainstorming can be dynamic, exciting, and productive but without structure and strong facilitation, it can also become disorganized and frustrating. 1-2-4-All is a classic idea generation process that not only helps ideas find space to allow idea development but also ensures the entire group can contribute to the session.

Start by inviting silent self-reflection on a shared challenge or question before then moving to pairs, foursomes, and then entire group ideation. One of the many benefits of this brainstorming technique is that everyone gets a chance to contribute freely and share their ideas in a structured way. In groups where conversation can become dominated by strong personalities or not everyone gets a chance to speak, this method is well worth employing.

1-2-4-All #idea generation #liberating structures #issue analysis With this facilitation technique you can immediately include everyone regardless of how large the group is. You can generate better ideas and more of them faster than ever before. You can tap the know-how and imagination that is distributed widely in places not known in advance. Open, generative conversation unfolds. Ideas and solutions are sifted in rapid fashion. Most importantly, participants own the ideas, so follow-up and implementation is simplified. No buy-in strategies needed! Simple and elegant!

One will get you Ten

Ideas most often spring from other ideas, and the sharing and co-creation of ideas during a brainstorm or idea generation workshop is where the magic really happens. This technique uses the sharing of ideas between teams as a central concept and it’s a great way of having participants communicate and learn from one another’s ideas meaningfully.

After first generating ideas solo and as a team, this ideation game asks team members to pair up with members of another team and share ideas. Each member then returns to their own team and presents two ideas – one of their own, and one from the other team – while the rest of the team guesses whose is whose. It’s interesting to see how participants package and present generated ideas and find ways to improve them organically as part of a rapid ideation.

One will get you Ten #thiagi #idea generation #team If I give you a dollar and you give me a dollar, we both end up where we began. But if I give you an idea and you give me an idea, we end up with two ideas each, benefiting from a 100 percent return on our investment. In One Will Get You Ten, we leverage this principle so that you and all other participants receive a 1000 percent return on your investment on ideas.

The Creativity Dice

When approaching the idea generation process it can be tempting for a team to go with what’s worked in the past and get locked into what appears to be working. Games that challenge the status quo and challenge teams in ways they don’t expect can be especially effective when generating ideas.

The Creative Dice is a brainstorming technique that encourages participants to work in three minute bursts and work on either specification, investigation, ideation, incubation, Iteration or integration based on a roll of the dice. By moving between different modes, this method prevents premature closure of one line of ideation and keeps the session energized and engaging. What’s more, the non-linear thinking can help with idea development too!

The Creativity Dice #creativity #problem solving #thiagi #issue analysis Too much linear thinking is hazardous to creative problem solving. To be creative, you should approach the problem (or the opportunity) from different points of view. You should leave a thought hanging in mid-air and move to another. This skipping around prevents premature closure and lets your brain incubate one line of thought while you consciously pursue another.

Affinity Map

Using brainstorming techniques to get a large number of ideas together quickly and efficiently is a great first step to developing new solutions or solving problems. But what to do once you’ve generated lots of ideas and want to work on idea development? Affinity Map is a great method for organizing your group’s brainstormed ideas and for both seeing and challenging existing patterns.

Starting with a simple brainstorm, Affinity Map asks that the group collectively organizes the ideas into columns or groups based on relationships. By doing this idea clustering as a group, your team can take ownership of the idea generation process and discover patterns of thinking together! It’s a great way of identifying and improving a group’s natural inclinations while also creating meaningful ideas.

Affinity Map #idea generation #gamestorming Most of us are familiar with brainstorming—a method by which a group generates as many ideas around a topic as possible in a limited amount of time. Brainstorming works to get a high quantity of information on the table. But it begs the follow-up question of how to gather meaning from all the data. Using a simple Affinity Diagram technique can help us discover embedded patterns (and sometimes break old patterns) of thinking by sorting and clustering language-based information into relationships. It can also give us a sense of where most people’s thinking is focused

Fun brainstorming games

Brainstorming is often a fast-paced and engaging process that results in a group having fun. Creative brainstorming games that help participants have fun while generating ideas are also effective ways of loosening folks up and getting into new ways of thinking. If you’re finding your group stuck

In this section, we’ll look at brainstorming games that intentionally take a fun angle as a means to create better ideas.


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Energy, fun, and creativity go hand-in-hand, and brainstorming techniques that encourage these items and generate ideas quickly and effectively – especially with large groups!

In MindSpin, teams of 3-5 participants are challenged to write as many ideas as they can in two five-minute rounds. Whenever a person writes an idea, they slam it down on the table. If they cannot think of one, they can take an idea from the person on their left and hopefully be inspired to write an additional card they also slam on the table. Remember that this brainstorming game is designed to be fast and loud while getting creative juices flowing. Encourage all participants to really slam their ideas down and keep things moving!

MindSpin #teampedia #idea generation #problem solving #action A fast and loud method to enhance brainstorming within a team. Since this activity has more than round ideas that are repetitive can be ruled out leaving more creative and innovative answers to the challenge.

Figure storming

One potential difficulty when generating ideas is that not everyone feels comfortable sharing or holds back their ideas for fear of judgment. Creative brainstorming is all about removing restrictions or hesitation, and enabling your group to ideate freely – figure storming is a great method for achieving this!

Start by asking the group how a famous person, fictional character or well-known creative would approach the problem or topic at hand. You might ask how Albert Einstein, Elizabeth Bennett or Barack Obama might think about the ideas or concepts at hand. By inhabiting a different person’s perspective, not only can teams and individuals access new ideas, but they can also do so free of judgment. Also, it can be great fun to invite Atilla the Hun or Cleopatra to your creative exercises!

Flip and Rip

Images can often unlock our creativity but when using them to generate ideas, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start. This visual brainstorming technique places some rules on how a group will both source and use images, and can encourage some really creative ideas!

Start by giving participants two magazines or image sets each. Then, invite each person to tear our whatever images stand out to them or grab their attention. Next, give them a problem statement and encourage them to find the connections between the problem and their chosen images. These unexpected connections between visuals can then be used as the foundation for further ideas! Plus, who doesn’t love the sound and feeling of tearing paper!

Flip and Rip #idea generation #problem solving #creativity #online Creativity through pictures and images

Forced Connections

An important part of the ideation process is giving your team permission to be silly and bring ideas to the table without fear of judgement or inhibitions. Empowering your team to be creative without limiting themselves can massively affect the effectiveness of your brainstorming and so it’s worth spending time to unblock your participants early.

Assemble a collection of random objects or images and invite participants to choose two or more items and brainstorm how they might be used together or connected in some way. Encourage out-of-the-box thinking and unusual ideas by bringing a collection of odd items to the table and you’ll be surprised at all the ideas your team can generate!

The Thing from the Future

Science fiction and speculative thinking about the future has long been a great source of ideas. In this brainstorming exercise, invite groups to co-design their ideal future by creating tangible objects with their imaginations.

Begin by sourcing a heap of prototyping materials and craft supplies. Invite participants to imagine an ideal future state and create an object that has time travelled back to the present. After spending some time creating strange and wonderful objects, participants then present them to the group and tell stories about the objects to inform future strategies and ideas.

If you’re looking for a fun, practical exercise to bring to your brainstorming session and encourage creative thinking, this activity is a great choice!

The Thing from the Future #imagination #storymaking #idea generation #issue analysis Help a group to time-travel and tap their imagination by fictional objects. With tangible objects and the stories your participants make up w/ them you’ll get so much richer inputs and context to inform joint visioning / strategizing: The future doesn’t look that far away when you can pick it off the shelf.

Making Lemonade

Sometimes, the best ideas come from moments of adversity or struggle. This brainstorming exercises leverages the power of positive thinking and attempting to make the best of a bad situation to generate creative ideas.

Start by sharing a couple of negative scenarios that might radically change something in the world. For example, everyone in the world has a cold, it rains constantly or we lost all our customers over night.

Next, ask your group to take something that appears negative and aim to reframe it to be as positive as possible while coming up with ideas of how that change might actually have a positive impact. Rain every day? That might be the end of drought and a boom to umbrella sales!

Making Lemonade #creative thinking #creativity #design #idea generation Try on a relentlessly positive, can-do attitude before tackling the big stuff. The proverb goes “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Practice the art of positive thinking to unlock creative ideas. Use this as a warm-up before brainstorming or to energize your team meetings.

Visual brainstorming techniques

Visual brainstorming is a great way of helping your teams out of creative roadblocks and encouraging fresh ideas. When words fail, images can enliven, invigorate and inspire your process. In this section, we’ll look at some great brainstorming techniques that focus on drawing or creating visual responses when ideating. Let’s take a look!


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Brainstorming shouldn’t stop when you have your first good idea. Fast iteration and refinement can help your group discover better ideas and develop ideas in record time. With 6-8-5, you can encourage your team to move from brainstorming to idea development in just a few minutes, and by asking participants to draw, you can keep things flowing easily!

Start by inviting your group to sketch 6-8 ideas in response to a central question or topic in five minutes. Encourage your team to be rough and not to worry about finesse at this stage – remember that the first stage of brainstorming works best when it’s free and unrestricted!

After a quick round of presenting ideas, go through the sketching process again and encourage idea development or ideas that have come out of group sharing. The result will be a heap of ideas and sketches you can move forward with too!

6-8-5 #gamestorming #idea generation Part of the reason we end up with under-developed ideas is that we stick with the first good idea we have — rather than taking the time to explore complementary approaches. 6-8-5 is designed to combat this pattern by forcing us to generate lots of ideas in a short period of time. The activity can then be repeated to hone & flesh out a few of the best ideas.

Four Step Sketch

Visual brainstorming techniques can be great right at the start of the process but they can be equally effective later on when it comes to idea development. In this exercise pulled from the design sprint playbook, take your group through a structured ideation process that encourages reflection, quick sketching and a completed idea too.

Begin by reviewing any existing materials or outputs from earlier exercises before then having your group do a round of Crazy 8’s, where they create eight sketched variations on their idea. At this stage, you then invite participants to finesse their idea and create a final polished sketch to share with the team. By mixing reflection, ideation and development, this brainstorming technique offers a structured path towards better ideas!

Four-Step Sketch #design sprint #innovation #idea generation #remote-friendly The four-step sketch is an exercise that helps people to create well-formed concepts through a structured process that includes: Review key information Start design work on paper, Consider multiple variations , Create a detailed solution . This exercise is preceded by a set of other activities allowing the group to clarify the challenge they want to solve. See how the Four Step Sketch exercise fits into a Design Sprint

Drawing Together

Visual thinking is a powerful tool for any creative process or brainstorming workshop. This brainstorming game asks teams to tell stories about a personal or group challenge personal by expressing themselves with just five simple symbols drawn on paper. After a first draft, participants are then invited to refine their stories with colour, size and placement before the group interprets them.

By expressing themselves in a novel way, participants can exercise their creative muscles and consider new ways to express ideas nonverbally.

Drawing Together #skills #liberating structures #visual methods You can help people access hidden knowledge such as feelings, attitudes, and patterns that are difficult to express with words. When people are tired, their brains are full, and they have reached the limits of logical thinking, you can help them evoke ideas that lie outside logical, step-by-step understanding of what is possible. Stories about individual or group transformations can be told with five easy-to-draw symbols that have universal meanings. The playful spirit of drawing together signals that more is possible and many new answers are expected. Drawing Together cuts through the culture of overreliance on what people say and write that constrains the emergence of novelty. It also provides a new avenue of expression for some people whose ideas would otherwise not surface.

Brainstorming games for warming up

Generating ideas and thinking creatively isn’t always easy. Finding ways to energize and prepare your group for brainstorming with simple and fun warm-ups can help ensure the success of the workshop or session and introduce key idea generation concepts too.

While these creative games don’t necessarily create ideas in themselves, they are a great way to get teams ready for the next step. Let’s take a look!


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When it comes to warming people up for an idea generation workshop, simple is best. With Draw Toast, you can introduce your group to visual thinking, working memory and systems thinking, all through the prism of a simple warm-up that works well online or offline!

For this creative exercise, invite your participants to illustrate how to make toast with a sketch or diagram without using any text. Afterward, share observations and insights as a group and outline the fact that there is no right or wrong diagram, and that differing and unique approaches to a problem or concept are all valid and useful. Not only is this a fun, fast brainstorming technique, but it prepares a group for the next stages of idea generation too!

Draw toast #problem solving #opening #design #gamestorming #idea generation You can use the Draw Toast exercise to introduce people to the concepts of visual thinking, working memory, mental models and/or systems thinking. This also works as a nice warm-up exercise to get people engaged with each other and thinking visually. Plus, it’s fun!

The Paper Clip Method

Even established and successful groups have preconceptions about brainstorming or how to generate ideas. Warming up a team by introducing the power of brainstorming practically can prevent stumbling blocks later on and ensure everyone is on the same page when approaching the brainstorming process.

The Paper Clip Method is a creative exercise that challenges your group to brainstorm all possible uses for a paper clip. After some silent brainstorming, debrief by sharing what the group has come up with and highlight how the group has cumulatively come up with a greater quality and quantity of ideas than any single person could.

The paper clip method #sharing #creativity #warm up #idea generation #brainstorming The power of brainstorming. A training for project leaders, creativity training, and to catalyse getting new solutions.

Apple-Drawing Ideation

Learning how to approach creative brainstorming as a group is a worthwhile way to kick-off your idea generation workshop. In this simple creative game, split your participants into groups and invite them to take it in turns to fill a grid with drawings of apples, with the challenge that no apple can be the same as another.

When the time is done or the grid is full, debrief and highlight some of key concepts for effective brainstorming including the fact quantity is a precursor to quality and that we should try to build on the ideas of others. This brainstorming game is flexible by design and you can use it with something other than apples for a more practical application: e.g., draw 30 logos, write 30 taglines, draw 30 new cars.

Apple-Drawing Ideation #hyperisland #innovation #idea generation The purpose of this simple exercise is to demonstrate three key principles useful for creativity and idea generation: quantity is a condition for quality; building on the ideas of others; the ideas we come up with are usually all the same. The format is simple, with small groups standing and drawing apples. At the end of the exercise, the whole group reflects and draws out learnings and reflections.

Activities to support a brainstorming workshop

We’ve covered everything from fast and fun creative games to in-depth brainstorming techniques, but what about if you’re looking for ways to improve or kick start your brainstorming process? Preparing for a brainstorming workshop with research on inspiration collection can really help your team make the most of the upcoming session.

In this section, we’ll look at some techniques and methods you can use to inform, enable and improve your group brainstorm and bring better quality ideas to the table!


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Rapid Research

Like all effective workshops, idea generation sessions generally want to limit the number of participants in the room to ensure productivity. That said, ideas and insight can come from anywhere in an organisation and this brainstorming technique can tap into the expertise of people outside of the room.

Start by asking participants to think of a colleague or peer outside the room and call them to get a perspective on the topic or question at hand. For remote teams, you can arrange quick calls or use Slack or other tools to get quick and useful feedback. After collecting input, bring the group back together to share and document insights. You’ll be surprised at how quickly and effectively you can get a wide variety of useful information!

Rapid Research #hyperisland #innovation #idea generation A simple exercise that complements exploratory, discursive, and creative workshops with insights and opinions from outside. Use this exercise when brainstorming ideas, developing a new product or service or creating a strategy or plan that will include others. Participants phone a co-worker and ask them questions relevant to the task. This quickly generates meaningful input from a range of “outside” perspectives. Often, participants will be surprised at how simple it was to solicit this input and how valuable it is to the process.

Lightning Demos

No idea is wholly original. Brainstorming is all about taking existing ideas and learning from others while also bringing our own insights to the table.

With this activity, you and your group will look for inspiration from how other organizations, products or thought leaders have solved or approached the problem or topic at hand. Invite participants to spend a little time gathering 2-3 examples before then presenting ideas back to the group. By the end of the exercise, you’ll have a set of ideas you can use as the basis for further discussion or idea development.

If you’re working online, collect demos in an online whiteboard and even explore the possibility of gathering inspiration before the workshop if your team has a busy schedule.

Lightning Demos #design sprint #innovation #idea generation This is an exercise to inspire your team with products or services that they think they can use as inspiration for their concepts in the next phases of their design sprints.

The Medici Effect

Great ideas can often come from sources outside of your own industry or field. The Medici Effect is inspired by Frans Johansson’s book The Medici Effect, which explores how game-changing ideas and breakthroughs can occur when concepts and ideas from one area are applied to another and used as the basis for innovation.

In this exercise, invite participants to find examples of how individuals from other fields have achieved their goals and come up with great ideas. Think of successful scientists, creatives, business owners, musicians, entrepreneurs, educators etc. have found success and what inspiration you and your team might take from them. If working online, encourage participants to include images, links and quotes so you can create an inspiration wall for further exploration of the problem you are trying to solve!

Brainstorming session templates

Are you looking to run a workshop or meeting where you need a complete group process to come up with ideas and turn those into actions?

Check out the brainstorming session templates below to see how to build upon an initial brainstorming session with appropriate idea selection and prioritization tools to arrive at sound group decisions.!

Ideation Workshop

In this one-day workshop template, follow an entire ideation process from start to finish, going from brainstorming and idea generation through to idea development and pitching. Tap into concepts such as disruptive cases, future tech & trends and opposite thinking to create innovative ideas and empower your team!

One Hour Brain Sprint

Have imited time for group brainstorming? Try the One Hour Brain Sprint to generate ideas quickly and effectively, all while avoiding unproductive discussions and the pitfalls of some brainstorming approaches.

One-hour Brain Sprint

Remote Problem Solving Workshop

Want to solve problems with your remote team? This virtual workshop template includes several stages of ideation and development and provides a great example of how you might utilize lightning demos and research as a basis for experimental ideas and solutions.

Remote problem solving workshop

What are the benefits of group brainstorming ?

While the primary measure of success for a brainstorming workshop will be the quantity and quality of ideas generated, the benefits of this kind of session can go much further.

Establishing an ideation mindset and encouraging creative thinking will benefit your organization in the long term, and finding new ways to push your team in the direction of generating effective ideas has positive effects for your whole organization. Let’s see some of the benefits that can come from bringing team members together for a brainstorming session.

Encourage creativity

Creative games and exercises can yield instant results when it comes to creatively engaging a team and generating ideas but beyond that, regular brainstorming can help participants be more creative in their regular work and find methods of finding new ideas and solutions that work for them. Being creative is a wonderful way to engage a group and getting out of a regular workflow can be the key that unlocks innovation.

Inclusive, easy-to-understand activities

Brainstorming is a simple group activity that is easy to understand and contribute to. Whatever skill level or competency a person has, the first stage of the idea generation process is something that can be involved in with little overhead or difficulty. This can have massive value in helping a team come together toward a shared goal in an inclusive and simple way!

Diverse ideas

Relying on certain teams or individuals to generate ideas alone can lead to stagnation. By pooling together a diverse group of people to contribute to generating and developing ideas, brainstorming can be a great way to find innovative approaches and diverse ways of thinking. Every point of view you bring to the table is another way of approaching the issue and the results generated by diverse groups are often more robust and multi-facted than those made in a silo.

Quantity of ideas

When it comes to brainstorming techniques, quantity often comes before quality. In order to find great ideas, a group first needs to flush out as many ideas as possible and share before moving onto idea development. The best brainstorming exercises encourage the creation of large amounts of ideas in a short period of time, providing a great foundation for the next steps!

Get past creative blocks

Problem solving or idea generation can go around in circles if a team isn’t given the freedom to think creatively and approach things from a new angle. Brainstorming methods like those featured here are great ways to unblock a team’s creative and find new ways to approach stalled conversations.

Improve team morale

Brainstorm sessions are often fun and energetic by their nature, and games and exercises that focus on idea generation allow for everyone to contribute and feel heard as part of their team. These kinds of idea generation activities can really help bring a team together and improve team morale too – everyone wants to take part in developing new ideas and being creative!

Get project buy-in

Involving participants across departments and specialties early in the process by inviting them to contribute to generating and developing ideas can not only lead to great ideas but also ensure that a project is followed through on. Get buy-in early by involving stakeholders in early brainstorming sessions and help that creative energy continue throughout your project!

Kickstart projects with energy

The opening stages of a project can determine the tone for the rest of it, and by kicking off your projects with a fun, energetic brainstorming workshop, you can ensure everyone is energised for the work ahead. Try creative games to help your team approach the project with a sense of creativity and experimentation and use brainstorming techniques that see proven results to help move a team forward effectively.

Brainstorming sessions made simple

An effective brainstorming session means creating a balanced agenda of activities and group discussions while keeping everyone engaged.

With SessionLab, you drag, drop and reorder blocks to build your step-by-step agenda.

Your session timing adjusts automatically as you make changes and when you’re done, you can share a beautiful printout with your colleagues and participants.

Explore how facilitators use SessionLab to design effective workshops that create results or watch this five minute video to see the planner in action!

Over to you

Brainstorming can be simple or complex, visual or virtual, but whatever method you choose to use, the results should be the same – great ideas. Finding new ways to facilitate innovation is something we’re passionate about here at SessionLab, and we hope you find the above brainstorming techniques useful!

Did we miss anything? Are there any great brainstorming or idea generation methods you’d like to add? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.

James Smart is Head of Content at SessionLab. He’s also a creative facilitator who has run workshops and designed courses for establishments like the National Centre for Writing, UK. He especially enjoys working with young people and empowering others in their creative practice.

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Top 30 Mini Project Ideas For College Students [UPDATED]

By Srinithi Sankar

Sep 02, 2024 6 Min Read 187195 Views

(Last Updated)

Finding the right mini project for your UG & PG assignments is a tough battle , isn’t it? As a beginner just starting out in tech, you might feel overwhelmed by the project submissions and deadlines, but we’re here to make that easy for you.

This comprehensive guide with Mini-Project Ideas for college students will become your go-to handbook for all your project deadlines . This blog lists 30 tailored ideas for your college mini project, ranging from beginner to pro-level projects.

We’ve designed it in a way that the time and effort involved in project creation will be minimal . Do go through the entire blog so that you can find the project idea that best suits your specialization.

The Top 30 Easy-to-Build Mini Project Ideas For Students
Word Processors like Notepad or Notepad++
Syntax Checker
Code Indenter
Simple Paint Application
Library Management System
Hospital Management System
Code Editor
Website for Business, Portfolio website, Website for your city
Inventory System
Mini Search Engine
Resume Builder Software
IRCTC Railway Booking System Clone
GUI for Databases like MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, etc.
Build your own Linux Commands/ DOS Commands
Mini Facebook/ Twitter
Online Banking System
Online Ticket Booking System
Music Organizer
Price Comparison Website
Amazon/ Flipkart Clone
YouTube Clone
Matrimonial Website
WYSIWYG HTML Editor
Web Scraper
Simple Chat Program
Quiz Website
Stack Overflow Clone
Online Voting System
Expense Tracker App/ Website
Wrapping Up
How do I select a mini-project topic?
How do I find a good project topic?
How do you make a mini project in college?
What are the latest project topics?

The main objective of creating a mini project for college is to facilitate students to gain profound insights on the subject matter with practical knowledge .

Project creation helps evolve your creative thinking, analytical skills, and reasoning ability. These real-life projects will be the foundation for a successful career in the future. Let’s get started!

Before diving into the next section, ensure you’re solid on full-stack development essentials like front-end frameworks, back-end technologies, and database management. If you are looking for a detailed Full Stack Development career program, you can join GUVI’s Full Stack Development Career Program with Placement Assistance. You will be able to master the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) and build real-life projects.

Additionally, if you want to explore JavaScript through a self-paced course, try GUVI’s JavaScript self-paced certification course.

1. Word Processors like Notepad or Notepad++

Creating a word processor like Notepad can handle characters and fonts from a pre-defined library. This mini project is very practical because as it is already a widely used software.

You can create a primary document with menus such as File, Edit, and Help. You can develop this project using Python and JAVA.

2. Syntax Checker

You can build a simple syntax checker, a widely used application by students like you. Developing a syntax checker would require a good understanding of parsing techniques .

One would also need to create a complete description of the language parsed.

3. Code Indenter

Another interesting mini project idea related to your study is code Indenter. Code Intenders are generally used to improve code readability and facilitate easy formatting .

Using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, one can build a code indenter to help format and indent the input code. You can introduce features like syntax highlighting and light and dark themes to make the indenter more professional and operational.

4. Simple Paint Application

Try to invent an Interactive Painting or drawing application with adequate drawing tools using Java or an API like Open GL or even HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

5. Library Management System

A Library Management System(LMS) is a programmed software to organize books in the library in a way it is easy to access by the readers and the library itself.

With the help of LMS, one can track the books available in store, lost/ out-of-stock, books issued and returned, etc. The LMS streamlines the operational processes of a library.

Creating a library management system is a popular project among college students. You can accomplish this mini project with SQL and a programming language like Java or Python . You create login provisions and profiles for each user to maintain the records in the database.

6. Hospital Management System

A hospital management system is a cloud-based system that facilitates managing the effective functioning of the hospital. When you create HMS software, confirm you turn all paperwork functionalities into online services such as prescriptions, insurance details, treatment charges, and more.

You should build respective databases, forms, and pages to manage all the information regarding patients, doctors, staff, Pharmacy, Lab, Billing, etc. You can follow HTML, CSS, JScript, ASP.Net, C#, and SQL Server to construct HMS for your project.

7. Code Editor

Code Editor helps programmers develop codes in a streamlined manner. Creating a code editor requires basic knowledge of web development, i.e., HTML, CSS, and JavaScript .

Styling the editor, compiling the code, and representing the result can make it look like a complex project, but this isn’t true when you start exploring the learning part behind it.

8. Website for Business, Portfolio website, Website for your city

You can build a highly-operational website for yourself, your business, and your city. It is a gratifying idea because you get a portfolio/your business site, and an academic project in one go .

A simple website with several web pages and a navigation system can be a simple yet rewarding mini project for college students.

9. Inventory System

You can build an Inventory System application using PHP and MySQL . The steps involved include designing the database, setting up the phpGrid, and creating a user interface.

10. Mini Search Engine

You should include servers and content pages to enable the engine to index while creating a mini-search engine like Google.

This search engine should be programmed to perform parsing, crawling, indexing, and query-serving functions, and return the results on a result page .

11. Resume Builder Software

You can create resume builder software using web development tools, a PHP server, and MySQL . Ensure your software encrypts passwords, converts web pages into PDF formats, and secures the data. Also, incorporate a creative dimension to the User interface of the website.

12. IRCTC Railway Booking System Clone

This mini-project idea is a simple replica of IRCTC, a railway booking system. This booking system will create and manage ticket reservations, display timings, routes, and availability, and generate PNR numbers for passengers.

13. GUI for Databases like MySQL, Oracle, MongoDB, etc.

One of the best ideas in this list is to build a user-friendly GUI for databases. It helps users access the underlying database efficiently. You can achieve this project using Python frameworks like pyQT or Tkinter .

14. Build your own Linux Commands/ DOS Commands

There are millions of commands we use in Linux. Have you ever thought of creating your commands?

You need to have a good knowledge of Linux commands with their attributes to build this project. Try to focus on integrating Linux knowledge with scripting. You can construct Linux commands by creating a bash script and making it executable.

15. Mini Facebook/ Twitter

You can build your social networking site or Facebook/Twitter clone for your Mini project. Creating a social networking website can be exciting and rewarding. These real-life-adjacent projects will help you identify an innovator within and develop similar useful apps or products in the future. To execute this project, you need frontend and backend development, a clean UI with defined information architecture, a prototype , and an interface concept.

16. Online Banking System

Developing an admin-controlled banking system is a great idea. Equip users to create an account and carry out seamless transactions. You could construct an online banking system using PHP and MySQL .

17. Online Ticket Booking System

It is similar to the banking system project. You would require a database, a homepage, and modules for agents, administrators, and users to produce this fascinating mini project. Plus, you can define your frontend UI with the utmost creativity and usability to make your mini project stand out from the rest of the class.

18. Music Organizer

Everyone loves Music. “Music organizer” is a solution project for our hassle-free music experience. Basically, you’ll be creating like a very mini-version of something like Spotify.

You could use Java programming to create a system that organizes digital music files. You can incorporate features such as filter, sort, and sync.

19. Price Comparison Website

A price comparison website should enable users to access price data from other websites and compare them for random products. In addition to web development, this project would require web scraping tools.

20. Amazon/ Flipkart Clone

Building Amazon/ Flipkart is similar to building a website. Since it is an e-commerce site, it involves creating an online store and a payment gateway . Using Python and Django is a popular way to build such a website, even if it is a professional need.

Want to learn in-depth concepts in Python to create a website like Flipkart? Learn Python in your language for free by signing up for GUVI’s comprehensive course today!

21. YouTube Clone

A YouTube clone is another impactful mini-project idea for you. When you create a YouTube clone application, allow users to update, convert, play videos, like, dislike, and comment, and generate thumbnails for the videos.

You can develop this clone successfully using your object-oriented programming skills.

22. Matrimonial Website

You can build a matrimonial website using PHP . You can create a web portal to connect users and allow them to make impressive profiles. You can bring out your creativity in UI/UX to communicate the matches, chat features, etc.

23. WYSIWYG HTML Editor

WYSIWYG stands for what-you-see-is-what-you-get . Creating this document editor with HTML can be beginner-friendly and a last-hour mini project idea for college students.

Do you have to revisit the concepts of HTML to build this project? Sign up for this beginner-friendly HTML & CSS course that gives you globally recognized certifications and free access to gamified practice platforms (here, you can build your mini project for free).

24. Web Scraper

Web scrapers are useful for mining and extracting data from the web, provided it occurs within the legal framework. Explore the most popular Python’s Beautiful Soup library for building a web scraper.

25. Simple Chat Program

You can establish a simple chat room program using socket programming and multithreading concepts. You have to write both server-side and client-side scripts to achieve this mini-project .

26. Quiz Website

A Quiz website revolves around a set frame with repetitive actions. So, it is very uncomplicated to build a quiz website. You can create your interactive quiz website using HTML, CSS, AngularJS, and Bootstrap .

27. Stack Overflow Clone

Stack Overflow is a popular online community for developers like you to learn, share their programming knowledge, and build their careers.

You can try a replica of this site with all its signature features for this mini-project. While Stack Overflow is not open source , you can reciprocate a Q&A website with discussion forums.

28. Online Voting System

You can create the need-of-the-hour online voting system using PHP and MySQL . You should include various modules, such as a voter module, a committee module, and an admin panel with a defined set of functions.

29. Expense Tracker App/ Website

The expense tracker website/app is similar to building any website or app. Specifically, this project requires a spreadsheet and budgeting features.

You can bring in visual and graphical illustrations such as graphs, pie charts, and other statistical representations to boost the user experience of the website/app.

30. A Chatbot

You can build a super-simple chatbot for your college’s mini-project. It can be designed for mobile and web. The project aims to understand the user intent in the queries and to give them more human answers.

The basic functionality would be this: when a user enters a question in the system, the bot will analyze the keywords and generate an appropriate response specific to the user’s intent.

Ensure you feed data on different topics such as art, science, psychology, food, entertainment, education, culture, travel, health, politics, and more. Since chatbots are a show-stunner in today’s world, this project would be an excellent choice for you.

Kickstart your Full Stack Development journey by enrolling in GUVI’s certified Full Stack Development Career Program with Placement Assistance where you will master the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, Node.js) and build interesting real-life projects. This program is crafted by our team of experts to help you upskill and assist you in placements.

Alternatively, if you want to explore JavaScript through a self-paced course, try GUVI’s JavaScript self-paced course.

All the above mini-project ideas don’t just boost your scores in college but will also help you understand the infinite possibilities to practice real-life cases.

Remember that getting your hands on these projects helps enhance your technical, non-technical, and “problem-solving” skills and land a dream career in your respective fields.

Are you looking for self-paced online courses on technical concepts & programming languages to help you build your next project?

1. How do I select a mini-project topic?

Choose a problem statement that needs a solution in real-life. Create a software/ website/ app or any related project to establish the solution for the objective. This way, you’ll have a structured approach to your mini project. Also, ensure that this project aligns with your future career goals.

2. How do I find a good project topic?

Always choose a topic that interests you. Remember that this project will have an impact on your portfolio. So, choose a topic that will align with your career goals.

3. How do you make a mini project in college?

Follow these steps to make mini project in college:

1. Find a simple topic that interests you 2. Draft a clear-cut plan before you start working on your project 3. List 3 potential topics and choose the one that fits your future career goals 4. Always have a backup project idea & plan ready. 5. Construct a business problem statement and provide a solution for it via your project

4. What are the latest project topics?

The following are the latest project topics & ideas: 1. Mini Search Engine 2. Sentiment Analysis system 3. Music organizer 4. Chatbot 5. Social media apps, read the article above to find many more!

Career transition

About the Author

Srinithi sankar.

I am a media graduate who found love in words. I started my content writing journey when I realized simple words build big brands. I’ve worked as a freelancer with multiple brands in different fields yet found my sweet spot in ed-tech. Now, I am a content writer bringing you a step closer to GUVI.

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29 brainstorming techniques: effective ways to spark creativity

Bright ideas don’t come as easily as flicking on a light.

When it’s up to one individual to dream up a solution, it can be time-consuming and cause a lot of pressure. And when it comes to a group of people tasked with solving a problem, ideas might clash. Not to mention, everyone has a preferred method for their creative madness, making it difficult to get every team members’ wheels turning in the same direction.

That’s where brainstorming techniques come in. These techniques provide structure for brainstorming sessions, ignite creativity across all brainstormers, and ensure your ideas come to fruition. And luckily, there are lots of effective brainstorming techniques to choose from.

What is brainstorming?

Here’s a general brainstorming definition: it’s an approach taken by an individual or team to solve a problem or generate new ideas for the improvement of a product, organization, or strategy.

No matter your preferred method, most brainstorming techniques involve three steps:

Capture ideas

Discuss and critique the ideas

Choose which ideas to execute

Every brainstorming technique also involves the same ingredients. All you need is an individual or group of people, a problem to solve or an opportunity to address, and time.

Brainstorming challenges

The golden rule of all brainstorming sessions is quantity over quality. The more ideas you have, the better your chances are that one will be worthy of execution. For these reasons, especially in group brainstorming sessions, be sure all team members check their criticisms at the door and let it be known that the only bad ideas are no ideas.

Of course, not every brainstorming session will go off without a hitch. Some common brainstorming challenges include:

Unbalanced conversations, sometimes due to extroverts dominating discussions

The anchoring effect, meaning brainstormers cling to the first few ideas shared and don’t move on to others

Awkward silences, which often occur when participants are not prepared

Perhaps you’ve experienced some of these uncomfortable brainstorming sessions yourself. Thankfully, there are plenty of tried-and-true, and also some unorthodox, brainstorming techniques and tools that tackle just these issues.

Analytic brainstorming techniques

When you need to look at an idea from all angles or vet a problem thoroughly, analytic brainstorming techniques might be worth implementing. Consider the following brainstorming methods and tools to generate and qualify ideas.

1. Starbursting

A visual brainstorming technique, starbursting should be used once you or your team of brainstormers has homed in on a single idea. To begin starbursting, put an idea on the middle of a whiteboard and draw a six-point star around it. Each point will represent a question:

Consider every question and how it might pertain to your idea, such as, “Who will want to buy this product?” or, “When will we need to launch this program?” This will help you explore scenarios or roadblocks you hadn’t considered before.

Best for: large group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly

2. The five whys, a.k.a. why analysis

Similar to starbursting, the five whys brainstorming technique helps you evaluate the strength of an idea. Challenge yourself to ask “why” questions about a topic or idea at least five times and consider what new problems you surface—and, importantly, note how you can address them. To help organize your thoughts, consider using a flowchart or fishbone diagram in hand with this brainstorming technique.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, vetting ideas thoroughly

3. SWOT analysis

You might be familiar with SWOT analysis as it relates to strategic planning , and you might also be surprised to know that this concept can also be applied as a brainstorming exercise to help qualify an idea. The notion? Discuss the following aspects of your topic to determine whether it’s worth executing:

Strengths : how does the idea dominate or stand out from competitors?

Weakness : are there any flaws in the idea that could jeopardize its execution?

Opportunities : what else can you capitalize on based on this idea?

Threats : what are potential downfalls that could arise if the idea is launched?

4. How Now Wow

The How Now Wow brainstorming technique is all about categorizing ideas based on how unique they are and how easy they are to implement. Once you’ve collected several ideas, either individually or from team members, talk through where they fall in the How Now Wow spectrum:

How ideas are ideas that are original but not executable.

Now ideas are unoriginal ideas that are easily executable.

Wow ideas are never-been-pitched before ideas that are also easy to implement.

Obviously, you want as many “Wow” ideas as possible since these are executable but also because they might set you apart from competitors or dispel monotony in a company. To help organize your ideas, consider using a matrix of four squares with difficulty weighted on the Y-axis and innovation on the X-axis.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, homing in on an executable solution

5. Drivers analysis

Just as the name implies, driver analysis is a brainstorming technique that analyzes the drivers or “causes” of a problem. To use this brainstorming technique, simply keep asking yourself or your team of brainstormers: “What’s driving [insert problem]?” and then, “What’s driving [insert answer to the previous question]?” Similar to why analysis, the deeper you dig into a problem, the more well-vetted it will be and the more confident you will be in executing solutions for those problems.

6. Mind mapping

Another visual brainstorming technique, mind mapping addresses the anchoring effect—a common brainstorming challenge where brainstormers fixate on the first ideas instead of coming up with new ones. Mind mapping does this by using the first idea to inspire other ideas.

You’ll need a large piece of paper or whiteboard to do this. Begin by writing down a topic and then drawing lines connecting tangential ideas to it. This essentially helps you paint a picture of your topic at hand and what might impact its execution or even expedite it.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, visual thinkers

7. Gap filling, a.k.a. gap analysis

When you’re struggling with how to execute an idea, that’s where gap filling comes in—to address the obstacles standing in your way. Begin by starting with a statement of where you are and then a statement of where you want to be. For example, “Our company creates smart watches; we want to expand our portfolio to also include fitness trackers.”

It’s worth writing these out on a large piece of paper or a whiteboard for all of your brainstormers to see, perhaps using a flowchart or mind map to do so. Then, list obstacles that are preventing you from getting where you want to be and work through solutions for each of them. By the end of your brainstorming session, you should have a clearer plan of how to get where you want to be.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, visual thinkers, honing in on an executable solution

Quiet async brainstorming techniques

Best for businesses that are crunched for time or teams with more introverted individuals, these quiet brainstorming techniques allow brainstormers to contribute ideas on their own time and often anonymously. Look to the following methods to get your creative juices flowing, especially for remote teams with frequent virtual meetings .

8. Brainwriting, a.k.a. slip writing

A nonverbal and in-person brainstorming technique, brainwriting addresses the brainstorming challenge of unbalanced conversations head-on. That’s because it requires participation and teamwork from every brainstormer, beginning with each person writing down three ideas relating to a topic on three separate slips of paper. Then everyone passes their ideas to the right or left and their neighbor builds on those ideas, adding bullet points and considerations.

The slips of paper continue to be passed around the table until they’ve made it all the way around. Then, the brainstorm facilitator can digest all of the ideas themselves, or the brainstormers can discuss each idea out loud and determine what’s worth pursuing. Pro tip: limit this brainstorming technique to no more than 10 people to not be overwhelmed with ideas or time constraints.

Best for: group brainstorms and introverted team members

9. Collaborative brainwriting

You can think of collaborative brainwriting like a herd of cows grazing in a field, except it’s brainstormers grazing on ideas throughout a week, anonymously jotting down thoughts or ideas. Oftentimes a brainstorming facilitator will kick off this technique by posting a large piece of paper, sticky notes, or sharing a cloud-based document to jot down a few brainstorming ideas.

From there, team members can build off of those ideas on their own time and anonymously provide feedback. Be sure to set a clear deadline of when the brainstorming session closes to ensure all brainstormers have an opportunity to chime in.

Best for: individual brainstorming

10. Brain-netting, a.k.a. online brainstorming

Great for remote teams, brain-netting is essentially a place for a team to brain dump their own ideas, whether that’s a Slack channel, Google Doc, or your project management tool .

The notion is that brainstormers can add ideas whenever inspiration strikes and that the list will be ever-evolving. Of course, the team leader might want to inform their team of brainstormers of any important dates or deadlines when they need solutions to a problem. They may also want to hold a meeting to discuss the ideas. All brainstormers’ identities can be left anonymous even in the meeting.

Best for: group brainstorms, introverted team members, remote teams

11. SCAMPER

The SCAMPER brainstorming technique encourages brainstormers to look at an idea from different angles and it uses its acronym to inspire each lens:

Substitute : consider what would happen if you swapped one facet of a solution for another.

Combine : consider what would happen if you combined one facet of a solution with another.

Adapt : consider how you could adapt an idea or solution in a new context.

Modify : consider how you can modify an idea to make it higher impact.

Put to another use : consider how else you could leverage your idea.

Eliminate : consider what you could remove from the idea or solution so that it’s simplified.

Reverse effective : finally, consider how you could reorganize an idea to make it most effective .

When used in a group brainstorming session, you might want to use templates to track responses or pair the SCAMPER method with a brainwriting session to encourage all brainstormers to evaluate ideas from every angle.

12. Lightning Decision Jam

Known as LDJ for short, the Lightning Decision Jam brainstorming technique requires 40 minutes to one hour to complete. What will you have by the end? Tangible results and buy-in from an entire team of brainstormers.

This brainstorming technique is great for remote team alignment . It all begins with writing down positives about a topic or what’s working regarding the topic, then writing down negatives and identifying what needs to be addressed most urgently. This is followed by a few minutes of reframing problems as questions, then brainstorming solutions for those problems.

Finally, your team uses a matrix to determine how high impact and how high effort your solutions are to decide which ideas are worth pursuing. For a more robust explanation of LDJ, watch this video by design agency AJ&Smart, which created the brainstorming technique.

Best for: group brainstorms, remote workforces, tight deadlines, honing in on an executable solution

13. The idea napkin

Similar to LDJ, the idea napkin is essentially a brainstorming template that distills a broad topic into tangible solutions. How it works: Every brainstormer has an “idea napkin” that they commit one idea to, beginning by writing down their idea, as well as an elevator pitch for it.

The idea napkin also includes a column for who the idea is targeting—meaning who you’re solving a problem for (customers, teammates, etc.)—and a column noting what problems your idea addresses. Brainstormers can fill out their napkins ahead of or during a brainstorming session, each is expected to present or share them. The final ideas will be placed on an impact and effort matrix to determine which are worth pursuing.

Best for: group brainstorms, honing in on an executable solution

Roleplaying brainstorm techniques

Drama lovers rejoice! These roleplay brainstorming techniques encourage brainstormers to figuratively walk in someone else’s shoes or put on their hat—or six hats, in one instance—to address a problem or dream up ideas from a new perspective. An added benefit of this? When brainstormers take on a personality that’s not their own, it lowers inhibitions since it’s technically not their point of view being brought to the table.

14. Six thinking hats

This brainstorming technique requires a minimum of six brainstormers to wear imaginary hats—hence the name— that require them to look solely at an idea from one specific angle. For instance, one brainstormer might be wearing an impact hat and only concern themselves with the impact of an idea and another might be wearing a constraints hat and only looking at the constraints of an idea.

You can pick and choose which angles are most important to your organization. And by the end of the group discussion, the whole brainstorming group should be able to hang their hats feeling confident about the ideas you’ll pursue.

Best for: group brainstorms (six or more people), introverted team members, vetting ideas thoroughly

15. Figure storming

Ever heard the phrase, “What would Abe do?” That’s pretty much the premise of this brainstorming technique in that brainstormers take on the identity of a famous or prominent figure, whether that’s a leader or celebrity, and put themselves in their brain space and how they’d approach an idea.

This helps teams look at a topic through a different lens and, in the case of group brainstorms, alleviates any nervousness that brainstormers will put out bad ideas. Because they’re not putting out their ideas—they’re sharing someone else’s. So go on and give yourself a new job title for the day.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, extroverted team members

16. Role storming

Role storming is similar to figure storming in that brainstormers take on different personalities to dream up ideas, but with one dramatic twist—brainstormers act out those ideas.

Generally, brainstormers are asked to take on the role of an average person who will be affected by the idea or solution in question, whether that’s an employee, client, or another party, and they act out a scenario that could stem from the idea to help them decipher what problems might arise from it. Consider this brainstorming technique for more extroverted teams.

Best for: group brainstorms, extroverted team members

17. Reverse brainstorming

Reverse brainstorming is grounded in a little bit of chaos. It encourages brainstormers to play the role of disruptors by brainstorming problems first and then solutions. To kick off the brainstorming questions, a team leader will usually ask, “How do we cause [insert problem]?”

Once your team has listed the causes, they’ll have a new and different perspective for coming up with solutions to problems.

Best for: group brainstorms, idea generation, problem-solving

18. Reverse thinking

Reverse thinking is a bit of a mashup of the figure storming and six thinking hats brainstorming techniques. It encourages brainstormers to merely ask themselves, “What would someone else do in this situation?” Then, it prompts them to think through why that person’s solution would work or not and if your current solution is more effective.

Best for: group brainstorms, extroverted team members, vetting ideas thoroughly

Group brainstorm techniques

Most brainstorming techniques can be applied to groups of brainstormers, but these specific brainstorming techniques promote (and some even require) participation from everyone. When facilitated well, group brainstorming techniques not only yield more ideas but they can also:

Boost team morale through lighthearted brainstorming games and by involving participation in every step of the brainstorming process

Promote creative thinking, especially when brainstormers are given time to prepare their ideas and a structured approach to solve problems

Bring more diverse ideas together, thanks to the unique perspective each brainstormer has and their individual strengths

All this to say, group brainstorming techniques are all about putting people’s heads together.

19. Eidetic image method

The eidetic image method is grounded in setting intentions, and it begins with group members all closing their eyes to do just that. For example, if a company is setting out to design a new smartwatch, the brainstorming facilitator would encourage all brainstormers to close their eyes and quietly meditate on what smartwatches currently look like.

Then the group would discuss and close their eyes once more and quietly imagine new features to add to the device. They’d all open their eyes and discuss again, essentially layering on the possibilities for enhancing a product. This brainstorming technique is ideal for revamping or building on an existing product or solution.

Best for: visual thinkers, creating an idea anew

20. Rapid ideation

Great for teams that get sidetracked or have difficulty staying focused in meetings, the rapid ideation brainstorming technique encourages brainstormers to race against a clock and come up with as many ideas as possible—and importantly, not take themselves too seriously. This can be done by having brainstormers shout out ideas to a facilitator or write them on a piece of paper. You might find that some of the same ideas keep popping up, which likely means those are worth pursuing.

Best for: extroverted team members, tight deadlines

21. Round-robin brainstorming

Participation is required for the round-robin brainstorming technique. Everyone must contribute at least one idea before the entire group can give feedback or share a second idea.

Given the requirement that everyone must share an idea, it’s best to allow brainstormers time to prepare ideas before each round-robin brainstorming session. This brainstorming technique is great for introverted team members and also for larger groups to ensure everyone can contribute. Moreover, the round-robin brainstorming technique also promotes the notion that the only bad idea is no idea.

Best for: introverted team members and developing a surplus of ideas

22. Step-ladder brainstorming

Ideal for medium-sized groups of five to 15 people, the step-ladder brainstorming technique prevents ideas from being influenced by the loudest brainstormers of a group.

Here’s how it works: A brainstorming facilitator introduces a topic to their group of brainstormers and then dismisses all but two brainstormers from the room. The two brainstormers left in the room discuss their ideas for a few minutes and then one brainstormer is welcomed back into the room and shares their ideas before the original two brainstormers divulge their ideas.

Brainstormers are added back into the room one by one, with each new brainstormer sharing their ideas before the rest of the group divulges theirs, and so forth. Once the entire brainstorming group is back in the room, it’s time to discuss the ideas they’ve built together, step by step.

Best for: introverted team members, vetting ideas thoroughly, honing in on an executable solution

23. Charrette

You might want to book a few rooms for this one. The charette brainstorming technique helps break up a problem into smaller chunks and also breaks up your brainstormers into separate teams to address them.

For instance, you might reserve three rooms, write a topic or problem on a whiteboard, and have three sets of brainstormers walk into those rooms to jot down their ideas. Then, the sets of brainstormers rotate rooms and build off of the ideas of the group that was there before them. Consider it effective teamwork at its best.

Best for: vetting ideas thoroughly, honing in on an executable solution

More brainstorming techniques

For more unconventional approaches to get your individual or your team’s wheels turning, consider adding some of these brainstorming techniques to your arsenal of ways to ideate.

24. ‘What if’ brainstorming

A very off-the-cuff brainstorming technique, “what if” brainstorming is as simple as throwing out as many “what if” questions surrounding a topic as possible, similar to the rapid ideation brainstorming technique. For instance, “what if this problem occurred in a different country,” or, “what if this problem occurred in the 1800s?”

Walking through the scenarios might help spur new obstacles pertaining to your problem. Essentially, the “what if” brainstorming technique helps your team evaluate all the possibilities.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, creating an idea anew, vetting ideas thoroughly

25. Change of scenery

It’s no secret that physical surroundings can impact your team workflow and even creativity. When your brainstorming session is in a rut, consider relocating to another location, perhaps a park, a walking meeting, or even a coffee shop.

Being in a new setting might spur new ideas and even loosen up your brainstormers so that they’re more open to sharing ideas and helping you achieve quantity over quality.

Best for: individual and group brainstorms, creating an idea anew

26. Random word picker

As this name implies, this brainstorming technique is a little random. Begin by tossing words into a hat and then pull them out and discuss how they relate to your brainstorming topic at hand. You may want to use a template to keep track of your thoughts and any new ideas the word association sparks.

To further organize your thoughts, consider pairing this brainstorming technique with word banking, meaning categorizing random words together and then drawing associations between their category and the brainstorming topic.

Best for: group brainstorms, creating an idea anew

27. Storyboarding

Turns out, storyboarding isn’t only for television and film. You can also apply this as a brainstorming technique, meaning illustrating or drawing a problem and possible solutions. Consider it another way to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, especially those your solution impacts. It’s also a means to visualize any roadblocks you might experience when executing a solution.

Best for: individual or group brainstorms, problem-solving, vetting ideas thoroughly

28. Wishing

Wishing is as simple as it sounds: You just wish for the solution you want to build. Think: “I wish our company was carbon neutral,” and then think of the possible ways in which you could achieve this, as well as areas that might be impossible to address for this. This will help uncover obstacles you might face and maybe even shed light on what you’re capable of overcoming.

Best for: individual or group brainstorms, creating an idea anew

29. Crazy eights

A short and fun brainstorming technique, crazy eights delivers on quantity by encouraging brainstormers to think quickly using a template that has eight boxes and only eight minutes on the clock to sketch out eight ideas. Once the timer stops, the group discusses their ideas.

For a larger group, consider having each brainstormer narrow in on only three ideas and give them a longer time limit of six minutes to sketch them out in more detail.

Best for: group brainstorms, visual thinkers, developing a surplus of ideas

8 tips for a productive brainstorming session

No matter which brainstorming technique is right for you and your team, consider the following best practices to brainstorm most effectively . Of course, it all begins with the brainstorming facilitator and how they set the tone for the session.

1. Allow time to prep

A brainstorming facilitator isn’t the only one in a brainstorming session who needs time to prepare for a meeting . They also should give brainstormers some context ahead of the session, such as in the form of a meeting agenda , to get in the correct mindset for the brainstorming session.

At least one day is standard but as little as two to 10 minutes is useful. Moreover, brainstorming facilitators should also have a few ideas in their back pocket for any creative ruts that might creep in.

2. Set a clear intention

The more context you can provide brainstormers from the get-go, the more fruitful ideas they can produce. For instance, clearly spell out what types of ideas you’re looking for. Whether it’s quickly executable ones or ones that are entirely pathbreaking, identify specific targets to address.

Additionally, be sure to let brainstormers know of any constraints you or your organization is operating under, including project timelines or budgets, so they’re generating executable ideas.

3. Invite new teammates and ideas

When the same people brainstorm together over and over, they can tend to produce the same ideas over and over. For this reason, consider introducing new people to your brainstorming session to shake up the usual and lend a fresh perspective—and hopefully fresh ideas—to your brainstorming topics. Invitees can be colleagues from different departments, customers or clients for a focus group, or an outside consultant.

4. Promote inclusivity

Every brainstorming session should be considered a safe space to share ideas—even unconventional ones. Remember, the only bad ideas are no ideas, and any idea shared shouldn’t be shot down or judged. In addition, the brainstorm facilitator should ensure every brainstormer is treated equally and given the same amount of time to talk. This might mean setting a timer for each brainstormer to talk and acknowledging those who are dominating conversations. Likewise, every brainstormer should be open and curious to ideas.

5. Think out of the box

Creative thinking begins with not taking ourselves too seriously. Just as you encourage inclusivity, encourage imperfections and out-of-the-box thinking, too. This could include anything from fun team building games to unique icebreaker questions. Hey, even a bevy of silly ideas to build off of is better than no ideas at all. Brainstorming techniques like wishing can encourage team members to open up.

6. Amplify creativity with music

Similar to how a change of scenery can inspire new ideas, even a little background music can promote creativity. Consider putting some on for your brainstorming session, and for the best results ensure it’s:

Instrumental

In a major key

On a fixed tempo and volume

7. Mix and match brainstorming techniques

Just as brainstorming techniques aren’t necessarily one-size-fits-all, they also aren’t all one-type-fits-every-session. Be prepared to pivot your brainstorming technique depending on what your group of brainstormers is most receptive to and also how many ideas you're juggling.

8. Execute your ideas

Coming up with bright ideas is great. But they’re pretty useless unless you effectively execute them. While some brainstorming techniques build the execution process into them, others might require you to follow up with brainstormers using project templates to map out a plan using creative solutions.

Brainstorming is about quantity over quality

When done right, a brainstorming session shouldn’t feel like a chore but rather an opportunity to create something together, especially when your brainstorming technique supports different styles of thinking and expression.

And whether you're operating as an individual or on a team, there’s something uniquely satisfying about seeing your ideas come to fruition. Get the creative ideas flowing, then customize your workflow management tool to turn those ideas into action.

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Listening to understand: How to practice active listening (with examples)

Unmasking impostor syndrome: 15 ways to overcome it at work

7 idea generation methods for out-of-the-box thinking

By Anabelle Zaluski

Successful organizations run on great ideas.

Whether you want to improve standard protocols or pitch original initiatives, fresh ideas keep your team and projects from growing stagnant. But idea generation sessions can get messy, with disparate thoughts or unfocused tangents stealing focus from more pressing issues.

Luckily, various techniques exist for encouraging focus and more innovative solutions. Find the right method for your team and enjoy a tried-and-true way of turning out-there concepts into actionable innovation.

Idea generation definition: What is it, and why is it important?

Idea generation — or ideation — is the collaborative creation and development of ideas. It kicks off the idea management process, through which you can build out abstract, concrete, or visual concepts to determine solutions or explore new opportunities.

Fostering a culture that welcomes fresh ideas allows teams and organizations to grow with market shifts and fluctuating consumer demands. When a marketing team brainstorms a new campaign or product managers scout expansion opportunities, diverse perspectives in the ideation stage empower innovation. Varied viewpoints enrich the proposal pool and encourage innovative insights, paving the way for more strategic and successful strategies and initiatives.

How a proactive idea generation process benefits your team

Creative thinking turns vague ideas into groundbreaking changes, turning your team into industry leaders. Here are a few more pointed ways effective idea generation benefits your team:

Offers a competitive advantage — The right ideation method for your team brings out the best in them, resulting in initiatives that help you stand out in the market. Getting creative with brainstorming techniques doesn’t mean you have to act on every wild idea. It’s about setting the stage for forward-thinking concepts. And when an innovative, worthwhile idea pops up, you’re ready to refine it into a product or service that resonates with consumer needs and market trends.

Enhances team engagement and morale — effective idea-generating techniques bring all stakeholders on board, making team members feel vital to the company’s mission. And when insights transform into actionable strategies, it fosters collaboration, productivity, and more open communication.

Enables anticipatory problem-solving — being proactive with regular solution generation lets you anticipate challenges rather than scramble for solutions. Consistent brainstorming focused on improvement pinpoints potential hurdles early, leaving room for preemptive problem-solving. This forward-thinking approach facilitates strategy adjustments and lets you capitalize on emerging opportunities.

7 idea generating techniques to try with your team

Depending on your objectives, here are seven idea generation methods to tease innovative concepts out of your team.

1. Mind mapping

Mind mapping is more than just a visual outlining method. It’s a structured approach to organizing complex information and concepts.

Imagine you’re launching a new product. To create a mind map, you’d write the product's name in the center of your outline. From there, you’d draw branches representing major categories, such as marketing, product design, and distribution. Next, you’d add sub-branches that detail specific actions or elements.

This visual representation focuses on organizing every project detail, highlighting interdependencies, and ensuring teams see the big picture so they can collaborate effectively. It’s a useful way to plan complex projects while keeping sight of overarching objectives.

2. Blue sky thinking/brainstorming

Blue sky thinking, or brainstorming, encourages unrestrained creativity. When developing a new project, team members throw out specific details or constraints and voice any and every idea, no matter how unconventional.

While the approach might sound chaotic, focusing on quantity rather than the quality lets groundbreaking concepts emerge. Once brainstorming concludes, you scrap unrealistic suggestions and turn viable ones into actionable strategies aligned with your product vision board .

3. Brainwriting

Like brainstorming, brainwriting focuses on amassing different perspectives. But rather than shouting out ideas, team members jot everything down on paper. They then pass their papers around in a circle, and receiving teammates build on each other’s ideas by adding new perspectives or pointing out pain points. The cycle continues until everyone has their original paper back — now fleshed out with team reactions and elaborations.

This technique diversifies ideas and stimulates inclusivity, which is useful for large groups where some team members might be more comfortable verbally sharing ideas than others.

SCAMPER stands for substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate, and reverse. It’s a technique to reimagine existing ideas, services, and products. For teams aiming to refresh their offerings, SCAMPER is a structured way to dream up enhancements and new directions.

Imagine a product development team brainstorming ways to revitalize an old product to meet current consumer trends. Using the SCAMPER method, they explore multiple options for reinvention. The “substitute” prompt might lead to swapping a material for another with a lower cost, while “adapt” might stimulate ideas for tweaking the product to cater to a new audience.

5. Role-playing

Sometimes, it’s helpful to step out of your role as a designer, developer, or project manager and think from your consumer's perspective. Role-playing requires you to simulate the users you aim to serve.

Think about building a mobile app. Instead of relying on market data alone, role-playing would have you consider the app from the perspective of your target audience. You might think of how busy parents and teenagers uniquely navigate the app, providing real-time feedback to generate potential refinements and spotlight user concerns.

If your team struggles to reverse roles, build AI-generated scripts based on customer metrics to create an accurate back-and-forth.

6. Storyboarding

Like frames in a comic strip, storyboarding sequences your idea's journey from concept to final product. Using images, quotes, and other graphics brings procedural or product management to life. Storyboarding transforms abstract ideas into clear visual narratives, pointing out potential areas for enhancement and friction points in a way that suits visual learners.

7. Synectics

Teams sometimes get stuck on existing thought patterns, struggling to look beyond solutions they’ve already discussed or executed. Synectics utilizes unrelated problem analogies to stimulate creativity and generate new ideas.

Consider a development team that misunderstands customer needs and wastes time and resources designing unnecessary functions. The team could liken their situation to buying expensive toys for a dog who doesn’t like to play with them. The team would then brainstorm ideas to fix the issue in the analogy — like letting the dog choose a toy at the pet store. This idea can inspire the team to approach their problem in a similar way — by letting the consumer dictate their own preferences rather than prescribing them.

To put this idea into action, the team could generate customer surveys or lead focus groups to gather user insights and then refine their development approach accordingly.

Tools for managing ideas

You experimented with several idea generation techniques and now have many concepts to iron out. Without proper management, potential catalysts for innovation might get lost. Arming yourself with effective tools and alignment strategies ensures that change is innovative and purposeful.

Templates and management tools let you store all your ideas in one place. A shareable template ensures all stakeholders can revisit and organize thoughts in a centralized space. And materials like vision-to-values boards let teams measure the value of an idea against the organization’s overarching mission and goals.

3 tips for successful idea generation sessions

Solution generation requires more than just choosing a method. It’s up to managers to set the scene and create guidelines to push brainstorming in the right direction. Here are three tips to consider.

1. Clearly define the problem or opportunity

Ideas that successfully tackle a problem or seize an opportunity need clear frameworks. Start by giving a detailed definition of what ideation seeks to accomplish. When team members understand the core issue, it directs brainstorming efforts and ensures targeted and relevant suggestions.

2. Involve the right people

Idea generation benefits from diversity of thought, experience, and expertise. To enrich your solutions pool, welcome insights from team members across various departments and roles. Incorporating varied viewpoints helps you anticipate cross-departmental challenges, identify overlooked opportunities, and craft well-rounded solutions.

3. Consider execution

Throwing out ideas is just the beginning of successful ideation. It’s just as essential to develop a clear plan for evaluating, refining, and implementing new initiatives. Tools like Notion’s idea-to-execution template help nurture suggestions from start to finish.

From brainstorm to breakthrough with Notion

Idea generation is a fun — and oft-chaotic — team exercise. But with structured tools, you can turn out-of-the-box thinking into actionable strategies.

Notion’s idea generator and product and content idea generator templates enrich the process by structuring your process. Or search the template gallery to find something that perfectly suits your needs.

Keep reading

Why AI gets better when we let it explore

Cultivate collaboration with communities of practice

Turn ideas into reality with an agile engineering design process

Team synergy and its importance in project management

Problem-solving: Steps, strategies, and skills

Top 9 brainstorming techniques to drive innovative thinking

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Generate topic ideas for an essay or paper | Tips & techniques

Generate Topic Ideas For an Essay or Paper | Tips & Techniques

Published on November 17, 2014 by Shane Bryson . Revised on July 23, 2023 by Shona McCombes.

If you haven’t been given a specific topic for your essay or paper , the first step is coming up with ideas and deciding what you want to write about. Generating ideas is the least methodical and most creative step in academic writing .

There are infinite ways to generate ideas, but no sure-fire way to come up with a good one. This article outlines some tips and techniques for choosing a topic – use the ones that work best for you.

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Understanding the assignment, techniques for generating topic ideas, tips for finding a good idea, other interesting articles.

First, you need to determine the scope of what you can write about. Make sure you understand the assignment you’ve been given, and make sure you know the answers to these questions:

What is the required length of the paper (in words or pages)?
What is the deadline?
Should the paper relate to what you’ve studied in class?
Do you have to do your own research and use sources that haven’t been taught in class?
Are there any constraints on the subject matter or approach?

The length and deadline of the assignment determine how complex your topic can be. The prompt might tell you write a certain type of essay, or it might give you a broad subject area and hint at the kind of approach you should take.

This prompt gives us a very general subject. It doesn’t ask for a specific type of essay, but the word explain suggests that an expository essay is the most appropriate response.

This prompt takes a different approach to the same subject. It asks a question that requires you to take a strong position. This is an argumentative essay that requires you to use evidence from sources to support your argument.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Getting started is often the hardest part. Try these 3 simple strategies to help get your mind moving.

Talk it out

Discussing ideas with a teacher, friend or fellow student often helps you find new avenues to approach the ideas you have and helps you uncover ideas you might not have considered.

Write down as many ideas as you can and make point form notes on them as you go. When you feel you’ve written down the obvious things that relate to an idea, move on to a new one, or explore a related idea in more depth.

You can also cluster related ideas together and draw connections between them on the page.

This strategy is similar to brainstorming, but it is faster and less reflective. Give yourself a broad topic to write about. Then, on a pad of paper or a word processor, write continuously for two or three minutes. Don’t stop, not even for a moment.

Write down anything that comes to mind, no matter how nonsensical it seems, as long as it somehow relates to the topic you began with. If you need to, time yourself to make sure you write for a few minutes straight.

When you’ve finished, read through what you’ve written and identify any useful ideas that have come out of the exercise.

Whichever strategy you use, you’ll probably come up with lots of ideas, but follow these tips to help you choose the best one.

Don’t feel you need to work logically

Good ideas often have strange origins. An apple fell on Isaac Newton’s head, and this gave us the idea of gravity. Mary Shelley had a dream, and this gave us her famous literary classic, Frankenstein .

It does not matter how you get your idea; what matters is that you find a good one.

Work from general to specific

Your first good idea won’t take the form of a fully-formed thesis statement . Find a topic before you find an argument.

You’ll need to think about your topic in broad, general terms before you can narrow it down and make it more precise.

Maintain momentum

Don’t be critical of your ideas at this stage – it can hinder your creativity. If you think too much about the flaws in your ideas, you will lose momentum.

Creative momentum is important: the first ten in a string of related ideas might be garbage, but the eleventh could be pure gold. You’ll never reach the eleventh if you shut down your thought process at the second.

Let ideas go

Don’t get too attached to the first appealing topic you think of. It might be a great idea, but it also might turn out to be a dud once you start researching and give it some critical thought .

Thinking about a new topic doesn’t mean abandoning an old one – you can easily come back to your original ideas later and decide which ones work best.

Choose a topic that interests you

A bored writer makes for boring writing. Try to find an idea that you’ll enjoy writing about, or a way to integrate your interests with your topic.

In the worst case scenario, pick the least boring topic of all of the boring topics you’re faced with.

Keep a notepad close

Good ideas will cross your mind when you least expect it. When they do, make sure that you can hold onto them.

Many people come up with their best ideas just before falling asleep; you might find it useful to keep a notepad by your bed.

Once you’ve settled on an idea, you’ll need to start working on your thesis statement and planning your paper’s structure.

If you find yourself struggling to come up with a good thesis on your topic, it might not be the right choice – you can always change your mind and go back to previous ideas.

Write a thesis statement Make an essay outline

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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Appeal to authority fallacy
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Shane Bryson

Shane finished his master's degree in English literature in 2013 and has been working as a writing tutor and editor since 2009. He began proofreading and editing essays with Scribbr in early summer, 2014.

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37 Of The Best Creative Project Ideas For Fun And Relaxation

Whether you’ve hit a creative dry spell or you’re looking for new ways to express your creative genius , you’ll enjoy the list we’ve cooked up for this article.

What can it hurt, after all, to learn about creative project ideas that could enrich your life and the lives of others?

Or maybe what you learn from one project will translate into new ideas for another.

The potential for cross-over with these creative projects is what makes them potentially life-changing.

But what makes creativity so powerful in the first place?

Why are creativity and creative projects important?

1. Create a bucket list collage.

2. write flash fiction., 3. write a poem., 4. write a personal mission statement., 5. write a letter to the universe., 6. become an idea machine., 7. draw zentangles., 8. create blackout poetry., 9. plan a harmless prank or surprise., 10. audition for a part in a community theater production., 11. write your own version of “keep calm and….”, 12. make origami creatures., 13. create a children’s picture book., 14. create a scrapbook., 15. create an around-the-world weekly menu., 16. crochet, knit, or sew a gift for someone., 17. collect and polish rocks., 18. create a new journal (focused on a particular interest)., 19. plant a garden (outdoor or a kitchen herb garden)., 20. learn to draw or paint, and create your own wall art., 21. learn photography and post your best photos online., 22. make jewelry., 23. create your own personal style., 24. start a life-changing journal., 25. make a birdhouse/feeder., 26. take a pottery class., 27. tidy up your living space., 28. buy (or build) and furnish a dollhouse., 29. rethink your wall space., 30. redesign your bathroom (or your kitchen, bedroom…), 31. create a customized “birthday box” for someone., 32. make a mosaic., 33. redecorate a room., 34. hand make greeting cards., 35. try paint by numbers., 36. make unique face masks., 37. create a vision board..

Before we go into how to boost creativity, it’s important to know why creativity is important.

And knowing your why can help you choose the best idea for a project of your own.

So, what can creativity do for you, anyway? It provides:

Fuller consciousness of your self and its creative potential
Increased confidence (every new creation is a “win”)
A new and better direction for your life
Increased energy and productivity
Better mental and emotional health

To be fully human is to embrace and explore our creative abilities and to see where they lead us.

You wouldn’t be reading this article if someone else hadn’t followed a creative lead and invented the tools you’re using right now.

person making crafts Creative Project Ideas

So, how do you boost your own creative power? And what are some creative things to do when you're bored? We have the answers to both of these questions with our extensive list of creative projects.

37 Creative Project Ideas

Enjoy the following 37 creative ideas for your next project.

Choose one that stands out to you, and commit to trying it at least once.

Get started, pay no attention to the “I don’t know if this is turning out as it should” voices, and bring it to completion.

However it turns out, you’ve added a valuable experience — a new win — and made your life richer than before.

Get some poster board and magazines (those likely to have what you want), and cut out pictures that represent items on your personal bucket list .

These could be images of an Irish castle, a canoe in the middle of a serene lake, a skydiver, a bicyclist on a South American trail, or anything that calls out to you.

Make this collage all about the experiences you want to have in your life.

Maybe you’ve read writing samples of flash fiction on social media and thought, “I could do that.”

So, take an idea — yours or someone else’s — and start writing your own captivating story in 1,000 words or fewer.

However it turns out, you’ll have a finished work of flash fiction and a better idea of whether you’ll want to create more of them.

Whether you’re drawn more to free verse or to poetry that rhymes, everyone should try to write a poem at least once.

Choose a poetic style — rhyming couplets, a sonnet, or something inspired by Shel Silverstein — and start by getting your thoughts down on the page.

Then fine-tune each sentence to make it fit your chosen style or until it feels natural and “poetic” to you.

How do your strongest beliefs influence your intentions for your life and your impact on the world?

Get those thoughts down and fine-tune them to create a clear, focused, and eloquent personal mission statement .

Just writing this will help you reacquaint yourself with the person you are at your core. And it might just lead you to make some necessary changes.

Write a letter to the Universe – addressing it however you prefer — about your frustrations, about what you want to see developing in your life, and about how you see the life you want to live.

Your own words coupled with your emotional investment gives the letter its power.

When you’re finished, you can either burn it, shred it, or “mail it” to a small, sealed box you’ve prepared for that purpose.

Then stop asking, and trust that the life you want is taking shape.

Make it your mission for at least a full week to brainstorm a daily list of ten ideas for something.

We credit James Altucher for this idea, and it’s well worth trying at least once.

We know you’ll be surprised by how many ideas you can come up with when you put your mind to it.

And at least some of those ideas will be pure creative gold.

Coloring books aren’t the only way to relax while creating art.

person journaling Creative Project Ideas

Learn how to create zentangles — using a website like this one — and discover how they can make you a more mindful and artistic person.

Share your designs with others and be inspired by what they share. Who knows what it could lead to?

Choose a random book or an extra copy of a book you love and, one page at a time, circle or underline the words you want for your blackout poem .

Then use paint or a felt-tip marker to black out everything else.

Each book furnishes as many ideas for poems as it has pages of text.

Think of a surprise or a harmless prank you could plan that would make someone’s day (or week, etc.) better.

After all, what’s the point of a prank if it doesn’t let the other person know you considered them worth the time and effort it took to plan a surprise that would either delight them or make them laugh?

That said, it’s probably best to involve more than one person to ensure your planned surprise or prank won’t do more harm than good.

If you’ve always felt drawn to the stage, why not try out for a part in a local theater production.

If you love costumes and enjoy making them, why not volunteer to help with those behind the scenes.

Even if you don’t get a starring role, you’ll have an experience that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

And it might lead to another exciting creative outlet.

In the creative life, you’ll often face frustration and overwhelm, but you don’t have to let them beat you.

Think of what you’d say to your younger self when you were faced with a challenge and turn it into a “Keep calm and …” statement.

Then turn that statement into a poster (printed or digital), using a tool like Canva.com, and put it somewhere you’ll see it often.

Whether you’re folding 1,000 paper cranes or creating origami renditions of your spirit animal (or someone else’s), this is a relaxing art form that produces tangible (and shareable) results.

Leave one with hosts as a thank-you for their hospitality.

Add a customized origami critter to each gift you give. Or decorate your home with elaborate origami creations.

If you have children, and you enjoy telling them stories or reading to them, why not create a children’s picture book for them?

Write the story, break it down into scenes of a sentence or two, and draw a picture (it doesn’t have to be perfect) to accompany each scene.

Put it all together into a book you can publish in both digital and printed form — using your own illustrations or someone else’s. Make sure to buy at least one copy for each of your kids.

If you have envelopes full of photographs from your travels, from family get-togethers, or other memorable experiences, why not create an artful scrapbook to display them.

person painting outside Creative Project Ideas

Few people are going to want to look through envelope after envelope of assorted photos, but most will be curious about a scrapbook you put together.

Make a party of it, even if you’re working alone. Play your favorite music, and dress in clothes that fit your style. And celebrate every scrapbook’s completion.

If you’ve wanted to try making authentic dishes from all around the world, take at least one week, and choose recipes that come from countries other than your own.

Make a new dish every day or, if you have leftovers, every other day.

Take note of the dishes you and others in your family enjoy, so you can make them again.

Get out your hooks or needles and create something useful or adorable for someone.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to try crocheting amigurumi animals or knitting an infinity scarf.

Or maybe you’ve been eyeing that pair of slippers your friend made from yarn scraps.

Maybe you’re itching to make your first quilt.

Whatever it is, get your materials together, and get started.

1 thought on “37 Of The Best Creative Project Ideas For Fun And Relaxation”

I love this article…it’s sooo inspiring! I’m jumping off the couch right now and am going to start a few of these. Thank you.

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65+ Real-World Project-Based Learning Ideas for All Ages and Interests

Find and implement solutions to real-world problems.

Collage of project based learning ideas, including a school garden and volunteering with seniors

Project-based learning is a hot topic in many schools these days, as educators work to make learning more meaningful for students. As students conduct hands-on projects addressing real-world issues, they dig deeper and make personal connections to the knowledge and skills they’re gaining. But not just any project fits into this concept. Learn more about strong project-based learning ideas, and find examples for any age or passion.

What is project-based learning?

Project-based learning (PBL) uses real-world projects and student-directed activities to build knowledge and skills. Kids choose a real-world topic that’s meaningful to them (some people call these “passion projects”), so they’re engaged in the process from the beginning. These projects are long-term, taking weeks, months, or even a full semester or school year. Students may complete them independently or working in small groups. Learn much more about project-based learning here.

What makes a good PBL project?

Chart showing the difference between traditional projects and project based learning

In many ways, PBL is more like the work adults do in their daily jobs, especially because student efforts have potential real-world effects. A strong PBL project:

Addresses a real-world issue or problem
Requires sustained and independent inquiry, in and out of the classroom
Allows students voice and choice throughout the project
Combines elements of many disciplines
Includes collaboration with public partners, such as universities, community organizations, or businesses
Produces a public product that is seen by those outside the school community
Covers a complete process, including activities like research, design, production, marketing or public awareness, and enlisting supporters or investors

Outdoor Project-Based Learning Ideas

Children holding produce standing in a garden they've grown themselves

Create a new local park, or improve an existing one by adding new features or providing needed maintenance.
Plant a community garden to provide food for a soup kitchen, food pantry, or other organization.
Design and create a butterfly, pollinator, or other wildlife garden to support the local ecosystem.
Build a new walking or biking trail that’s safe for people of all ages to use.
Devise and implement a way to reduce litter in your community.
Set up and manage a school or community compost pile, and distribute the resulting soil to those who need it most.
Find and help the public use a new way to grow food that requires less soil, water, or fertilizers, which are in short supply in some parts of the world.
Design, build, and install a completely unique piece of playground equipment that serves a specific purpose or need.

School Community Project-Based Learning Ideas

Students and adults reading student-produced newspaper (Project Based Learning Ideas)

Start a comprehensive recycling program at school, or substantially improve participation in an existing one.
Add collaborative artwork like murals or other displays to school hallways, bathrooms, or grounds.
Determine a location or program at your school that needs improvement, then make a plan, raise the funds, and implement your ideas.
Come up with ways to celebrate your school’s diversity and improve relationships between all students.
Start and run a school store , including inventory, financial plans, and marketing.
Write a school handbook for new students, with tips and tricks for helping them feel at home.
Figure out how to offer healthier, better-tasting meals and snacks in the school cafeteria.
Implement a mentoring program for older students to help younger students, with planned activities and appropriate training for older students.
Design and propose a new style of grading system that ensures equity.
Find ways to improve the indoor recess experience at your school.
Set up and run a new school newspaper, magazine, podcast, video channel, etc.

Greater Community Project-Based Learning Ideas

Children and senior citizens working on an art project together

Coordinate a community art project in a central location to celebrate local culture or artists.
Set up a program for schoolkids to socialize with senior citizens in nursing homes, hospitals, or retirement communities.
Create a program to offer free translation services for ESL families in the community.
Help a local animal shelter improve its facilities, or find new ways to match homeless pets with their forever families.
Build and maintain Little Free Libraries around your community, especially in underserved areas.
Help local businesses become more environmentally conscious, increasing sustainability and decreasing waste.
Create and lead a walking tour of your community, highlighting its culture, history, landmarks, and more.
Find a way to record and celebrate local voices in your community’s history.
Come up with ideas for welcoming immigrants and other newcomers to your community.
Set up a series of events that will encourage the community to mix and experience each others’ foods, cultures, and more.
Create and implement a new program to inspire a love of books and reading in preschool students.
Set up and help run a new charitable organization your community needs.

Social Issues Project-Based Learning Ideas

Poster with question: "How can we as students create a space where people feel like they belong and are safe in order to impact students at Asbury?"

Start an awareness campaign on a topic that’s important to you, like anti-bullying, healthy living, protecting the environment, civil rights, equality and equity, etc.
Come up with and implement ways to increase voter turnout in your community, especially among younger voters.
Write, record, and share with a wider audience your own TED Talk–style video on an issue that hasn’t been covered yet or on which you have a unique perspective.
Devise and implement ways for unheard voices to be amplified in your school or community.
Write and publicly perform a play that highlights a social issue that’s important to you.
Look for areas in your community that present challenges to those with disabilities, and help to improve them to overcome those challenges.
Research, write, and publicly present and defend a position paper on an issue that’s important to your community.
Choose a real court case, then research the law and work with legal experts to prepare and present your own case as you would in a courtroom.
Write, edit, seek, and incorporate real-world feedback, and publish or publicly present your own book, poem, or song on an issue that’s important to you.
Start a program to teach a specific group (e.g., preschoolers, senior citizens, business owners) to care for and protect the environment.
Plan and hold a fundraiser to support an issue you care about.
Choose a law you feel is unjust, and write, research, and publicly present and defend a position paper about your desired change.

STEM Project-Based Learning Ideas

Two students holding a large model rocket built as part of project based learning

Create an app that meets a specific purpose for a specific audience.
Invent something new that the world needs, and then fund, create, and sell your product in the community.
Design a game to help students learn important STEM concepts.
Find a simple way to improve an existing product, especially if it cuts costs or improves environmental sustainability.
Explore ways to reduce the amount of waste we produce, especially plastic and other landfill-bound items.
Write a book or graphic novel that’s entertaining but also teaches kids about science or math.
Devise new ways to provide clean drinking water to communities where water is scarce.
Build an effective solar oven people can use to cook during extended power outages, or in areas where electricity isn’t available.
Work with a university or STEM organization to gather, analyze, and present real-world scientific data.
Design a building to fit a specific purpose or need, including researching the requirements and zoning laws, accurately drafting a plan, determining the costs, and presenting the plan to the proposed client.
Create an interactive hands-on exhibit to teach people about STEM concepts.
Determine a type of website you believe is missing, then research, build, and publish the site you envision.

Creative Arts Project-Based Learning Ideas

Student and parent standing by artwork at an art show

Organize an art show for the community, seeking out those who ordinarily might not have a chance to display their work.
Create and teach an art class in your area of expertise to children, the elderly, or another segment of the population.
Design a mural for an area in your community that needs beautification, and seek funding or other assistance from community members to install it.
Write a play about a topic that’s meaningful to you or your community. Work with the community to stage a performance for all to attend.
Invite local dancers to perform at a school or community Festival of Dance, highlighting a variety of cultures and dance styles.
Start a regular writer’s workshop where community writers can come together to share and seek feedback. Invite local authors or publishing experts to speak as guests.
Collect stories, poems, and essays from local authors, and put them together into a book. Sell the book to raise money for a cause that’s important to local writers.
Gather singers or instrumentalists from your community into a choir or band. Put on a concert to raise money for a special cause, or take your choir on tour to local retirement homes, hospitals, etc.
Write a song about a person or cause that’s important to you. Produce and record the song, then find a way to share it with others.
Make a short film about a local hero, community event, or local place. Invite others to do the same, and organize a local film festival.

What are some your favorite project-based learning ideas? Come share your thoughts in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

Plus, meaningful service learning projects for kids and teens ..

These project-based learning ideas are real-world applicable and student-directed, requiring outside collaboration and public results.

How to Start a Student-Run School Store

For sale: pencils, T-shirts, and important life skills. Continue Reading

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How to Come Up with an Innovative Business Idea

Aspiring female entrepreneur researching innovative business ideas on a laptop

21 Jul 2020

Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity beyond currently controlled resources. By definition, entrepreneurs seek to fill a need in a new way.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, however, generating strong, novel business ideas can be challenging.

If you’re interested in being an entrepreneur , brainstorming ways you can satisfy needs and solve problems is a good place to start.

Remember the golden rule of brainstorming: There are no bad ideas. As your thoughts flow, jot them down so you can later prune the list to focus on your strongest concepts.

Here are some thought-starters for coming up with innovative business ideas and examples of how entrepreneurs have used them to build successful companies.

Access your free e-book today.

How to Come Up with a Business Idea

Is there an easier way.

One place to start brainstorming potential business ideas is by asking yourself, “What task can I make easier?”

A common denominator for successful businesses is their ability to fulfill customer needs . In this case, the need is to create a product or service that makes people’s lives easier.

Related: How to Identify an Underserved Need in the Market

The most innovative businesses have flourished from simple ideas. For example, HelloFresh has taught people how to cook and provided tools to prepare meals more efficiently. It started with a need to make meal planning and grocery shopping easier. By preparing meal kits that directly fulfill busy people’s needs, this idea has seen major growth.

Check out our video on how to come up with innovative business ideas below below, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more explainer content!

This method of creating a product to fill a need can be viewed through the lens of Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen’s jobs to be done theory , which he presents in the online course Disruptive Strategy .

“A ‘job to be done’ is a problem or opportunity that somebody is trying to solve,” Christensen says. “We call it a ‘job’ because it needs to be done, and we hire people or products to get jobs done.”

Look for these kinds of opportunities in your own life. Every “job” presents an opportunity to create an easier way to get it done.

By centering your business plan on a particular need, you can increase your chances of building a profitable business.

Related: Jobs to Be Done: 4 Real-World Examples

Can I Make This More Accessible?

There are many useful products and services that aren’t readily available to the entire market, creating an opportunity to produce a similar, more accessible product offering.

The founding of Airbnb by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia is an example that HBS Professor William Sahlman uses in the online course Entrepreneurship Essentials .

“Chesky and Gebbia observed how hard it was to find housing during big local events,” Sahlman explains. “They decided to list online three air beds in their apartment for people coming to San Francisco for a design conference.”

From there, they added a third member to their founding team, Nathan Blecharczyk, who built the platform for connecting people with spare rooms to travelers needing a place to stay. They called it AirBed and Breakfast, which later became Airbnb .

Chesky and Gebbia noticed hotel rooms weren’t easy to book during large events, recognized a business opportunity, and devised a solution to fulfill a need for accessible, short-term lodging.

There are countless industries and companies whose offerings are inaccessible to certain market segments or during specific periods. Consider how you might fill those needs.

Related: 10 Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

What Can I Improve About This?

For every successful product offering, there's a multitude of ways to make it better. Think of companies you admire and imagine how you could improve their products. As you do so, consider the following four factors.

Graphic showing four factors to consider to improve a product: delivery process, location, cost, and customer experience

1. Delivery Process

Your business idea doesn’t have to be entirely new—it just has to fill a need. If you can identify a more convenient way of delivering an existing service, it could be an opportunity for your business.

Uber is used as an example in Entrepreneurship Essentials . Taxis have existed for decades, but Uber delivered its services in a new, innovative way by linking drivers in their own cars to customers via an app.

This example also shows there are no limits to what type of business you can create. Your business’ ability to fulfill a need will matter more than whether it’s a brick-and-mortar or online business.

Related: 3 Effective Methods for Assessing Customer Needs

2. Location

One of the simplest improvements to a product or service is bringing it to a new location.

Returning to the Uber example in Entrepreneurship Essentials , ride-sharing company Didi was founded in China—a location Uber hadn’t yet reached. Didi used a similar platform and model as Uber but filled a location gap Uber had left open.

What products, services, or concepts have you experienced in other places that you’d like to bring to your community?

Entrepreneurship Essentials | Succeed in the startup world | Learn More

One improvement that can make a significant impact is cost. Determining how to make a high-quality equivalent to a leading product and offer it for a fraction of the price has great potential.

Home security brand Wyze was founded using this logic. After four ex-Amazon employees discovered they could produce high-quality security cameras and sell them for one-tenth the cost of leading competitors, they sold one million security cameras in their first year as a company.

It takes testing to ensure product quality isn’t sacrificed for a lower price, but finding a way to reduce the cost of an in-demand item could jumpstart your entrepreneurial journey.

4. Customer Experience

Taking an existing offering and improving the customer experience for all or a segment of the market can be a valuable way to fill a need.

One example of an organization that’s done this well is Wanderful , a platform that, similar to Airbnb, connects travelers to locals who can offer lodging and travel advice—with the provision that all users are women.

Beth Santos, founder and CEO of Wanderful, noticed that female solo travelers made up 11 percent of the travel industry , which failed to take into consideration the safety, gender norm, and cultural concerns of women traveling alone.

She improved this experience by creating a network of women that can be tapped into for lodging, travel advice, or just a friendly face in a new location. Wanderful has since expanded its mission to give female and non-binary travelers voices in the travel industry through conferences, communities, and recognition programs.

If there’s an opportunity to improve the experience of a specific group of people, act on it and see where the opportunity leads.

Related: 6 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Business

Is It Time to Pivot?

When starting a business, you may need to pivot from your original idea as new needs arise in the market.

For instance, Jebbit , a tech startup that originally offered a platform to pay students for the advertisements they watched, saw a rising need for privacy and consent in the consumer data space. It pivoted to create a platform for secure, declared customer data.

Another instance in which it makes sense to pivot is during technological evolution.

In Disruptive Strategy , Christensen explains that technological advancements can be either sustaining or disruptive innovations , depending on how they impact your company.

Take Netflix : The service was created to allow people to watch movies without going to the video store and accomplished this by mailing DVDs to customers’ homes with prepaid return envelopes.

When streaming came on the scene in 2007, Netflix implemented the new technology into its business model and has continued to adapt as it’s evolved. Because Netflix was able to adopt new technology to continue serving its customers, streaming was a sustaining innovation.

In the case of video store Blockbuster , streaming was a disruptive innovation that it tried but couldn’t affordably adopt. It ultimately led the business to shut down.

When technological advancements arise, think of how your current business model could shift to use innovation as a sustaining force.

More Examples of Innovative Business Ideas

As you think of ideas for businesses, take inspiration from the world around you. Analyze the foundational needs other businesses have fulfilled for society and how they’ve adapted to what customers want.

Remember: As a future business owner, it’s critical to understand your company’s core mission. Focusing on that can help align your startup ideas and provide a greater chance for success.

To gain even more insight and inspiration, consider the following examples, which show how diverse your business model and mission can be.

Notarize , the first online platform for legally signing and notarizing documents is just one example of an online startup that discovered an overlooked need. For many, it’s a hassle to find a notary public to sign a document in person. This prompted Pat Kinsel, founder and CEO of Notarize, to make this difficult, but necessary, task more convenient.

"It really struck me that notarized documents are often some of the most important things people sign, and yet, we have this system that’s 100 years old," Kinsel said in an interview with Inc .

Kinsel designed the Notarize app to connect people to licensed notary publics via video chat so they can see their documents signed in real time.

This need for notarized documents seemed to be a common, but overlooked, need for many professionals. By thinking outside the box, Notarize seized a business opportunity and brought it to its fullest potential.

The development of Starbucks under former chairman and CEO Howard Schultz is another example that highlights how to efficiently choose locations for your brick-and-mortar.

“Schultz admired the sidewalk coffee shops he’d visited in Italy and decided he would introduce the same basic idea in the United States,” Sahlman says in Entrepreneurship Essentials. “That venture became Starbucks.”

Now, it’s rare to walk a few blocks without seeing a Starbucks on a corner. Strategic locations within high traffic routes created a customer base that’s made Starbucks an essential part of their lives.

Perhaps one of the most well-known companies in the world, Amazon is a prime example of fulfilling people’s need for convenience.

This e-commerce business made it the norm to buy items online—including books, music, movies, housewares, and electronics—and have them quickly and conveniently delivered.

Which HBS Online Entrepreneurship and Innovation Course is Right for You? | Download Your Free Flowchart

Think Like an Entrepreneur

Coming up with an innovative business idea isn’t difficult if you’re observant. By asking yourself key brainstorming questions, you can generate a list of business ideas that fill market needs, improve existing products, and make daily life easier and more enjoyable.

Do you want to turn an idea into a viable venture? Explore our four-week Entrepreneurship Essentials course, six-week Disruptive Strategy course, and other online entrepreneurship and innovation courses to discover how you can harness the power of innovation. Download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

This post was updated on September 19, 2022. It was originally published on July 21, 2020.

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Getting Started with Creative Assignments

Creative teaching and learning can be cultivated in any course context to increase student engagement and motivation, and promote thinking skills that are critical to problem-solving and innovation. This resource features examples of Columbia faculty who teach creatively and have reimagined their course assessments to allow students to demonstrate their learning in creative ways. Drawing on these examples, this resource provides suggestions for creating a classroom environment that supports student engagement in creative activities and assignments.

Examples of Creative Teaching and Learning at Columbia

How To Get Started

Cite this resource: Columbia Center for Teaching and Learning (2022). Getting Started with Creative Assignments. Columbia University. Retrieved [today’s date] from https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/resources/creative-assignments/

The What and Why of Creative Assignments

Creative assignments encourage students to think in innovative ways as they demonstrate their learning. Thinking creatively involves combining or synthesizing information or course materials in new ways and is characterized by “a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking, and risk-taking” (AAC&U). It is associated with imagination and originality, and additional characteristics include: being open to new ideas and perspectives, believing alternatives exist, withholding judgment, generating multiple approaches to problems, and trying new ways to generate ideas (DiYanni, 2015: 41). Creative thinking is considered an important skill alongside critical thinking in tackling contemporary problems. Critical thinking allows students to evaluate the information presented to them while creative thinking is a process that allows students to generate new ideas and innovate.

Creative assignments can be integrated into any course regardless of discipline. Examples include the use of infographic assignments in Nursing (Chicca and Chunta, 2020) and Chemistry (Kothari, Castañeda, and McNeil, 2019); podcasting assignments in Social Work (Hitchcock, Sage & Sage, 2021); digital storytelling assignments in Psychology (Sheafer, 2017) and Sociology (Vaughn and Leon, 2021); and incorporating creative writing in the economics classroom (Davis, 2019) or reflective writing into Calculus assignment ( Gerstle, 2017) just to name a few. In a 2014 study, organic chemistry students who elected to begin their lab reports with a creative narrative were more excited to learn and earned better grades (Henry, Owens, and Tawney, 2015). In a public policy course, students who engaged in additional creative problem-solving exercises that included imaginative scenarios and alternative solution-finding showed greater interest in government reform and attentiveness to civic issues (Wukich and Siciliano, 2014).

The benefits of creative assignments include increased student engagement, motivation, and satisfaction (Snyder et al., 2013: 165); and furthered student learning of course content (Reynolds, Stevens, and West, 2013). These types of assignments promote innovation, academic integrity, student self-awareness/ metacognition (e.g., when students engage in reflection through journal assignments), and can be made authentic as students develop and apply skills to real-world situations.

When instructors give students open-ended assignments, they provide opportunities for students to think creatively as they work on a deliverable. They “unlock potential” (Ranjan & Gabora and Beghetto in Gregerson et al., 2013) for students to synthesize their knowledge and propose novel solutions. This promotes higher-level thinking as outlined in the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy’s “create” cognitive process category: “putting elements together to form a novel coherent whole or make an original product,” this involves generating ideas, planning, and producing something new.

The examples that follow highlight creative assignments in the Columbia University classroom. The featured Columbia faculty taught creatively – they tried new strategies, purposefully varied classroom activities and assessment modalities, and encouraged their students to take control of what and how they were learning (James & Brookfield, 2014: 66).

Dr. Cruz changed her course assessment by “moving away from high stakes assessments like a final paper or a final exam, to more open-ended and creative models of assessments.” Students were given the opportunity to synthesize their course learning, with options on topic and format of how to demonstrate their learning and to do so individually or in groups. They explored topics that were meaningful to them and related to the course material. Dr. Cruz noted that “This emphasis on playfulness and creativity led to fantastic final projects including a graphic novel interpretation, a video essay that applied critical theory to multiple texts, and an interactive virtual museum.” Students “took the opportunity to use their creative skills, or the skills they were interested in exploring because some of them had to develop new skills to produce these projects.” (Dr. Cruz; Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning , Season 3, Episode 6). Along with their projects, students submitted an artist’s statement, where they had to explain and justify their choices.

Dr. Cruz noted that grading creative assignments require advanced planning. In her case, she worked closely with her TAs to develop a rubric that was shared with students in advance for full transparency and emphasized the importance of students connecting ideas to analytical arguments discussed in the class.

Watch Dr. Cruz’s 2021 Symposium presentation. Listen to Dr. Cruz talk about The Power of Blended Classrooms in Season 3, Episode 6 of the Dead Ideas in Teaching and Learning podcast. Get a glimpse into Dr. Cruz’s online classroom and her creative teaching and the design of learning experiences that enhanced critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and community by viewing her Voices of Hybrid and Online Teaching and Learning submission.

As part of his standard practice, Dr. Yesilevskiy scaffolds assignments – from less complex to more complex – to ensure students integrate the concepts they learn in the class into their projects or new experiments. For example, in Laboratory 1, Dr. Yesilevskiy slowly increases the amount of independence in each experiment over the semester: students are given a full procedure in the first experiment and by course end, students are submitting new experiment proposals to Dr. Yesilevskiy for approval. This is creative thinking in action. Students not only learned how to “replicate existing experiments, but also to formulate and conduct new ones.”

Watch Dr. Yesilevskiy’s 2021 Symposium presentation.

How Do I Get Started?: Strategies to Support Creative Assignments

The previous section showcases examples of creative assignments in action at Columbia. To help you support such creative assignments in your classroom, this section details three strategies to support creative assignments and creative thinking. Firstly, re-consider the design of your assignments to optimize students’ creative output. Secondly, scaffold creative assignments using low-stakes classroom activities that build creative capacity. Finally, cultivate a classroom environment that supports creative thinking.

Design Considerations for Creative Assignments

Thoughtfully designed open-ended assignments and evaluation plans encourage students to demonstrate their learning in authentic ways. When designing creative assignments, consider the following suggestions for structuring and communicating to your students about the assignment.

Set clear expectations . Students may feel lost in the ambiguity and complexity of an open-ended assignment that requires them to create something new. Communicate the creative outcomes and learning objectives for the assignments (Ranjan & Gabora, 2013), and how students will be expected to draw on their learning in the course. Articulare how much flexibility and choice students have in determining what they work on and how they work on it. Share the criteria or a rubric that will be used to evaluate student deliverables. See the CTL’s resource Incorporating Rubrics Into Your Feedback and Grading Practices . If planning to evaluate creative thinking, consider adapting the American Association of Colleges and Universities’ creative thinking VALUE rubric .

Structure the project to sustain engagement and promote integrity. Consider how the project might be broken into smaller assignments that build upon each other and culminate in a synthesis project. The example presented above from Dr. Yesilevskiy’s teaching highlights how he scaffolded lab complexity, progressing from structured to student-driven. See the section below “Activities to Prepare Students for Creative Assignments” for sample activities to scaffold this work.

Create opportunities for ongoing feedback . Provide feedback at all phases of the assignment from idea inception through milestones to completion. Leverage office hours for individual or group conversations and feedback on project proposals, progress, and issues. See the CTL’s resource on Feedback for Learning . Consider creating opportunities for structured peer review for students to give each other feedback on their work. Students benefit from learning about their peers’ projects, and seeing different perspectives and approaches to accomplishing the open-ended assignment. See the CTL’s resource Peer Review: Intentional Design for Any Course Context .

Share resources to support students in their work. Ensure all students have access to the resources they will need to be successful on the assigned project. Connect students with campus resources that can help them accomplish the project’s objectives. For instance, if students are working on a research project – connect them to the Library instruction modules “ From Books to Bytes: Navigating the Research Ecosystem ,” encourage them to schedule a consultation with a specialist for research support through Columbia Libraries , or seek out writing support. If students will need equipment to complete their project, remind them of campus resources such as makerspaces (e.g., The Makerspace @ Columbia in Room 254 Engineering Terrace/Mudd; Design Center at Barnard College); borrowing equipment (e.g., Instructional Media and Technology Services (IMATS) at Barnard; Gabe M. Wiener Music & Arts Library ).

Ask students to submit a self-reflection with their project. Encourage students to reflect on their process and the decisions they made in order to complete the project. Provide guiding questions that have students reflect on their learning, make meaning, and engage their metacognitive thinking skills (see the CTL’s resource of Metacognition ). Students can be asked to apply the rubric to their work or to submit a creative statement along with their work that describes their intent and ownership of the project.

Collect feedback from students and iterate. Invite students to give feedback on the assigned creative project, as well as the classroom environment and creative activities used. Tell students how you will use their suggestions to make improvements to activities and assignments, and make adjustments to the classroom environment. See the CTL’s resource on Early and Mid-Semester Student Feedback .

Low-Stakes Activities to Prepare Students for Creative Assignments

The activities described below are meant to be scaffolded opportunities leading to a larger creative project. They are low-stakes, non-graded activities that make time in the classroom for students to think, brainstorm, and create (Desrochers and Zell, 2012) and prepare them to do the creative thinking needed to complete course assignments. The activities can be adapted for any course context, with or without the use of technology, and can be done individually or collaboratively (see the CTL’s resource on Collaborative Learning to explore digital tools that are available for group work).

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a process that students can engage in to generate as many ideas as possible related to a topic of study or an assignment topic (Sweet et al., 2013: 87). As they engage in this messy and jugement-free work, students explore a range of possibilities. Brainstorming reveals students’ prior knowledge (Ambrose et al., 2010: 29). Brainstorm activities are useful early on to help create a classroom culture rooted in creativity while also serving as a potential icebreaker activity that helps instructors learn more about what prior knowledge and experiences students are bringing to the course or unit of study. This activity can be done individually or in groups, and in class or asynchronously. Components may include:

Prompt students to list off (individually or collaboratively) their ideas on a whiteboard, free write in a Google Doc or some other digital space.
Provide formative feedback to assist students to further develop their ideas.
Invite students to reflect on the brainstorm process, look over their ideas and determine which idea to explore further.

Mind mapping

A mind map, also known as a cognitive or concept map, allows students to visually display their thinking and knowledge organization, through lines connecting concepts, arrows showing relationships, and other visual cues (Sweet et al., 2013: 89; Ambrose et al. 2010: 63). This challenges students to synthesize and be creative as they display words, ideas, tasks or principles (Barkley, 2010: 219-225). A mind mapping activity can be done individually or in groups, and in class or asynchronously. This activity can be an extension of a brainstorming session, whereby students take an idea from their brainstormed list and further develop it.

Components of a mind mapping activity may include:

Prompt students to create a map of their thinking on a topic, concept, or question. This can be done on paper, on a whiteboard, or with digital mind mapping or whiteboard tools such as Google Drawing.
Provide formative feedback on the mind maps.
Invite students to reflect on their mind map, and determine where to go next.

Digital storytelling

Digital storytelling involves integrating multimedia (images, text, video, audio, etc.) and narrative to produce immersive stories that connect with course content. Student-produced stories can promote engagement and learning in a way that is both personal and universal (McLellan, 2007). Digital storytelling contributes to learning through student voice and creativity in constructing meaning (Rossiter and Garcia, 2010).

Tools such as the CTL-developed Mediathread as well as EdDiscussion support collaborative annotation of media objects. These annotations can be used in writing and discussions, which can involve creating a story. For freeform formats, digital whiteboards allow students to drop in different text and media and make connections between these elements. Such storytelling can be done collaboratively or simply shared during class. Finally, EdBlogs can be used for a blog format, or Google Slides if a presentation format is better suited for the learning objective.

Asking questions to explore new possibilities

Tap into student imagination, stimulate curiosity, and create memorable learning experiences by asking students to pose “What if?” “why” and “how” questions – how might things be done differently; what will a situation look like if it is viewed from a new perspective?; or what could a new approach to solving a problem look like? (James & Brookfield, 2014: 163). Powerful questions are open-ended ones where the answer is not immediately apparent; such questions encourage students to think about a topic in new ways, and they promote learning as students work to answer them (James & Brookfield, 2014: 163). Setting aside time for students to ask lots of questions in the classroom and bringing in questions posed on CourseWorks Discussions or EdDiscussion sends the message to students that their questions matter and play a role in learning.

Cultivate Creative Thinking in the Classroom Environment

Create a classroom environment that encourages experimentation and thinking from new and diverse perspectives. This type of environment encourages students to share their ideas without inhibition and personalize the meaning-making process. “Creative environments facilitate intentional acts of divergent (idea generation, collaboration, and design thinking) and convergent (analysis of ideas, products, and content created) thinking processes.” (Sweet et al., 2013: 20)

Encourage risk-taking and learning from mistakes . Taking risks in the classroom can be anxiety inducing so students will benefit from reassurance that their creativity and all ideas are welcome. When students bring up unexpected ideas, rather than redirecting or dismissing, seize it as an opportunity for a conversation in which students can share, challenge, and affirm ideas (Beghetto, 2013). Let students know that they can make mistakes, “think outside of the box” without penalty (Desrochers and Zell, 2012), and embrace failure seeing it as a learning opportunity.

Model creative thinking . Model curiosity and how to ask powerful questions, and encourage students to be curious about everything (Synder et al., 2013, DiYanni, 2015). Give students a glimpse into your own creative thinking process – how you would approach an open-ended question, problem, or assignment? Turn your own mistakes into teachable moments. By modeling creative thinking, you are giving students permission to engage in this type of thinking.

Build a community that supports the creative classroom environment. Have students get to know and interact with each other so that they become comfortable asking questions and taking risks in front of and with their peers. See the CTL’s resource on Community Building in the Classroom . This is especially important if you are planning to have students collaborate on creative activities and assignments and/or engage in peer review of each other’s work.

Plan for play. Play is integral to learning (Cavanagh, 2021; Eyler, 2018; Tatter, 2019). Play cultivates a low stress, high trust, inclusive environment, as students build relationships with each. This allows students to feel more comfortable in the classroom and motivates them to tackle more difficult content (Forbes, 2021). Set aside time for play (Ranjan & Gabora, 2013; Sinfield, Burns, & Abegglen, 2018). Design for play with purpose grounded in learning goals. Create a structured play session during which students experiment with a new topic, idea, or tool and connect it to curricular content or their learning experience. Play can be facilitated through educational games such as puzzles, video games, trivia competitions, scavenger hunts or role-playing activities in which students actively apply knowledge and skills as they act out their role (Eyler, 2018; Barkley, 2010). For an example of role-playing games explore Reacting to the Past , an active learning pedagogy of role-playing games developed by Mark Carnes at Barnard College.

The CTL is here to help!

CTL consultants are happy to support instructors as they design activities and assignments that promote creative thinking. Email [email protected] to schedule a consultation.

Ambrose et al. (2010). How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. Jossey-Bass.

Barkley, E. F., Major, C. H., and Cross, K. P. (2014). Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty .

Barkley, E. F. (2010) Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty.

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Rossiter, M. and Garcia, P. A. (2010). Digital Storytelling: A New Player on the Narrative Field. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. No. 126, Summer 2010.

Sheafer, V. (2017). Using digital storytelling to teach psychology: A preliminary investigation. Psychology Learning & Teaching. 16(1), 133-143.

Sinfield, S., Burns, B., & Abegglen, S. (2018). Exploration: Becoming Playful – The Power of a Ludic Module. In A. James and C. Nerantzi (Eds.). The Power of Play in Higher Education . Palgrave Macmillan.

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40 Startup Business Ideas to Try in 2024

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Aspiring entrepreneurs are often one brilliant startup business idea away from becoming their own boss. Of course, brilliance is easier said than done when starting a business .

The best startup ideas have business plans that solve a problem, meet an unmet demand or improve upon something already on the market — if not all of the above. Here are 40 ideas to help get your wheels turning as you look to bring a company to life.

40 best startup business ideas

Even startup ideas that seemingly come out of left field can yield incredible success. Read through this list for instant inspiration.

1. Create educational content or activities

Parents are always looking for tools and activities to keep their kids entertained and engaged. Printable activity guides for different age groups, home-school lesson plans or even virtual nature walks or story time could all be viable startup ideas.

2. Offer virtual team-building

Companies need new ways to boost morale and build camaraderie among remote and hybrid teams. Enter the virtual team-builder. Cheesemongers, mixologists, chefs, magicians, artists, historians, master gardeners — almost anyone can create and offer bonding experiences for virtual companies.

3. Start a meal-prep business

The U.S. market for meal kits is expected to grow 14.2% annually between 2023 and 2030, according to market analysis by Grand View Research [0] Grand View Research . Meal Kit Delivery Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Offering (Heat & Eat, Cook & Eat), By Service (Single, Multiple), By Platform (Online, Offline), Meal Type (Vegan, Vegetarian), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030 . Accessed Feb 21, 2024. View all sources . Tap into that market and start a meal-prep service to make people’s lives easier and cater to specialized diets (keto, vegan, Whole30).

4. Create a food waste solution

Creating a startup focused on reducing food waste could not only earn you some serious funding, but also positively change the food system and help save grocery stores and restaurants money.

5. Capitalize on plant-based foods

The U.S. plant-based market was worth $8 billion in 2022, with sales of plant-based foods projected to climb 44% over three years, according to the most recent annual report from the Good Food Institute [0] Good Food Institute . U.S. retail market insights for the plant-based industry . Accessed Feb 21, 2024. View all sources . Creating a vegan supermarket or making meat-free versions of traditional foods could be the ticket to success for aspiring entrepreneurs.

6. Start a dropshipping business

The e-commerce business model of dropshipping is especially attractive because it doesn’t require you to purchase inventory upfront. Selling higher-end products with low shipping costs could become profitable quickly if you do thorough competition research.

» MORE: 25 low-cost business ideas

7. Curate subscription boxes

Subscription boxes were a $32.9 billion business globally in 2023 (up from $22.7 billion in 2021), and the industry is still set to grow, according to a market research report by the International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group [0] International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group . Subscription Box Market Report by Type (Replenishment Subscription, Curation Subscription, Access Subscription), Gender (Male, Female), Application (Clothing and Fashion, Beauty, Food and Beverages, Pet Food, Baby Products, Health and Fitness, and Others), and Region 2024-2032 . Accessed Feb 21, 2024. View all sources . Pick a niche, and then curate a collection of specialized goods to deliver unique experiences to consumers. Some subscription boxes focus on a mix of products, like makeup or dog toys; others focus on a single item or theme, like shaving or sustainability. Find the right starting point for you and run with it.

Ready to get started? Here's what to do next

Open a business bank account.

Start keeping the books.

Build your website.

Protect yourself from liability.

8. Create an airport-centric app

Creating an all-in-one app that allows travelers tonavigate unfamiliar airports with real-time information is a relatively untapped startup idea. Though various travel applications exist, an app that shows amenities, TSA line wait times, ground transportation options and airport maps could be useful to passengers.

9. Become a destination wedding planner

Planning a wedding is stressful; planning a wedding from afar could fray any couple’s nerves. That creates a niche for a destination wedding planner who can advise on venue and vendor selections, as well as manage wedding and travel logistics for the bridal party and guests. If you love exploring, have expertise in a popular wedding locale and are great under pressure, this could be the startup idea for you.

10. Make local guides

Even if you don’t consider yourself a local expert, creating local guides can get you familiar with your surroundings and help tourists enjoy off-the-beaten-path experiences in your area. Make themed guides, highlight attractions and partner with local businesses for advertising opportunities.

» MORE: 25 side business ideas

11. Create a local grocery delivery service

A grocery delivery startup can come with minimal setup costs — you only need a vehicle and a cell phone to get started. Help older people or others who are too busy to shop by offering this community-friendly service. You can even approach grocery stores in your area to see if they're willing to partner with you to get the service off the ground.

12. Start a virtual event planning company

Virtual event planning is a new booming business as in-person gatherings go online or take a hybrid approach. A skilled planner who can ensure all attendees are engaged, regardless of location, will be in high demand for years to come.

» MORE: Best business credit cards for LLCs

13. Sell zero-waste products

Starting a zero-waste company is more than just a trendy thing to do; it can be an ethical, environmentally conscious decision. Selling sustainable products such as reusable bags, bamboo toothbrushes or products with zero-waste packaging could appeal to a growing number of sustainability-focused consumers.

14. Make products for pets

Create innovative pet products to take advantage of the fact that 66% of U.S. households (about 86.9 million households) have at least one animal companion, according to the annual pet ownership survey by the American Pet Products Association [0] American Pet Products Association . Industry Trends and Stats . View all sources . Developing toys, accessories or clothing for furry friends can help you tap into that expansive market. You can also go the service route and offer pet sitting, walking or virtual dog training. Or develop an app or tech solution that makes pet parents’ lives easier.

15. Create custom clothing

Selling custom clothing or offering a tailoring service could be your winning startup idea. The custom clothing industry is gaining popularity and offers room for long-term growth.

» MORE: How to open an Etsy shop

16. Sell vintage clothing online

Demand for sustainable fashion has helped propel second-hand clothing into a $39 billion industry in the U.S. with projections to hit $70 billion by 2027, according to an annual resale report by online consignment company ThredUp [0] ThredUp . ThredUp Resale Report 2023 . View all sources . Consider selling thrifted, vintage or upcycled clothing on social media, an ecommerce platform or an app such as ThredUp or Poshmark.

17. Begin niche blogging

Find a niche (think e-sports or urban farming) and create engaging content around it. You can earn money through advertising, affiliate links and even product sales once you build an audience.

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

18. Become an e-book writer

If you’ve got a way with words, consider becoming a self-published author and selling e-books on virtual platforms.

» MORE: 14 profitable e-commerce business ideas

19. Start ghostwriting

Create content for busy professionals who don’t have the time or the skill to write themselves. If you don’t mind not attaching your name to your writing, ghostwriting is a great way to earn money with little to no startup costs attached.

20. Become a resume writer

Everyone needs a resume, but few people are skilled at or enjoy writing their own. If you’ve got writing experience and are looking to launch a startup with no setup costs, creating a resume-writing service could be the path for you.

21. Open a coworking space

Capitalize on the rising popularity of remote work by creating a modern coworking space that addresses pain points of entrepreneurs. Pick a convenient location and build it out with highly sought-after amenities.

» MORE: 35 businesses that every community needs

22. Become an online coach

If you enjoy helping others achieve their goals and are a people person, this startup idea could be fulfilling for yourself and for your clientele. You can provide wellness, business or life coaching.

23. Flip failing websites

Buy an existing website, make improvements on it and sell it for a profit. You’ll need to understand the market well and have some web development skills, but this can be a profitable pursuit.

24. Become a web developer

The need for custom websites isn’t ever going away, and if you know your way around WordPress or know a programming language or two, you can start a profitable website development startup.

25. Start a podcast

If you’re deeply knowledgeable or passionate about a subject, consider getting into podcast production or hosting. Building an audience takes time, but once established, podcasters can earn money through affiliate marketing, donations and sponsorships.

26. Be a social media influencer

Once you find a niche and build a personal brand, amassing a large following on Instagram or YouTube can lead to a solid source of income through influencer marketing.

» MORE: 30 Instagram business ideas

27. Create online courses

Obscure hobbies can lead to lucrative business ideas if you make them easy for others to learn. If you’d like to teach others but aren’t interested in the coaching route, creating an online course could lead to reliable passive income.

28. Become a marketing consultant

If you’ve got digital marketing chops, help small businesses reach their target audiences by providing SEO, social media or copywriting services.

29. Develop an app

If you’ve got a unique idea and the necessary technical skills, creating an app could be your gold mine. It’s also possible to build an app without extensive coding skills, and once it launches, it can bring in passive earnings.

» MORE: 25 tech business ideas

30. Make a smart appliance

Smart accessories and home appliances are all the rage and becoming an important part of daily life for the average consumer. For inspiration, take note of daily tasks at home or at work that would be easier with a smart appliance.

31. Tap into virtual reality experiences

VR is the future, and the future is now. Create virtual reality experiences or accessories to tap into a global industry that’s projected to grow to a $165.91 billion market by 2030, according to a report by Fortune Business Insights [0] Fortune Business Insights . The global virtual reality market size was valued at $19.44 billion in 2022 & is projected to grow from $25.11 billion in 2023 to $165.91 billion by 2030... Read More at:- https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/virtual-reality-market-101378 . View all sources , a market research firm.

32. Make a niche dating site

The stigma around online dating has decreased over the past decade, so take the opportunity to help others find love. With various dating sites targeted to everyone from sea captains to farmers, there is market demand for specialty dating options.

33. Develop a chatbot

Create a chatbot — which uses artificial intelligence to communicate with people — to help businesses improve their communication. Chatbots have become more popular in recent years, and you can create one without knowing how to code.

34. Offer matchmaking skills

This is like creating a dating site but with a personal touch. If you have a knack for knowing what types of people and which personalities get along well, you might be the perfect person to start matchmaking. You can do this online or meet clients in person as well.

35. Be a virtual assistant

Being an online assistant for someone, or starting a company of virtual assistants, can be a huge success. Everyone could use a little extra help, and creating a startup focused around getting people that help for the administrative tasks in their lives, professional or personal, can be a huge moneymaker.

» MORE: Home-business ideas: 40 remote jobs to explore

36. Reinvent exercising

If there's one thing people get bored with, it's doing the same type of exercise day in and day out to stay healthy. Plenty of people have turned the exercise industry on its head, with businesses like CrossFit and Peloton popping up. You can do the same if you have an idea for a new regimen or activity for exercise enthusiasts.

37. Create eco-friendly, health-friendly makeup and beauty products

As people become more aware of the impact their personal choices have on their health and on the environment, they're looking for more health and beauty products that are also eco-friendly. Creating safe and eco-friendly products could be a great startup idea.

38. Open a food truck or restaurant pop-up

Opening a food truck or restaurant pop-up is a great startup idea for entrepreneurs with a knack for cooking. Both options are easier to launch than a full-scale restaurant and allow you to get started with a smaller staff and menu. You can open a food truck that only sells french fries with crazy toppings, for example, or launch a breakfast sandwich pop-up in your neighborhood coffee shop.

» MORE: Best food truck loan options

39. Start an organization business

Shows like "Tidying Up With Marie Kondo" and "The Home Edit" put professional organizing on the map, exposing millions to the magic of a tidy home. If you have a knack for making order out of chaotic spaces, you could start a business offering those services to those who need them. Organizing kitchen pantries, closets, bookshelves and more are all options you could offer customers at your new business.

40. Do interior design for young professionals

Have an eye for decorating? Start an interior design business, offering your services at an hourly rate virtually to young professionals looking for inspiration. It can be as simple as them uploading some images of their new space to your site and you sending back a few links with furniture in their budget and example images of what the room might look like when it's finished.

LLC Formation

How to choose a startup idea

Do your homework before diving headfirst into a startup idea. First, make sure there's demand for the business you want to start, where you want to start it. More than 35% of businesses fail because there isn't a market need for their services or product, according to research from CB Insights [0] CB Insights . The Top 12 Reasons Startups Fail . View all sources .

You also need to write a business plan , which should include your company’s objective, sales plan, market analysis and financial projections. A good business plan can help to keep your business on track. Lenders will also want to see your business plan when considering you for a startup business loan . You should also consider the skills you already have and see how those align with any of the startup business ideas you might go with.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

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Top 50 Software Development Project Ideas [Beginners]

Software development project ideas are innovative and essential components of a Software Developer’s career graph. Here’s a list of 20 software development project ideas for students, along with their problem statements, types, areas of industry coverage, required software expertise, important use cases and outcomes, benefits, and estimated project duration. These project ideas cover a range of domains, technologies, and application areas, providing students with opportunities to learn and apply various software development skills. The suggested durations are approximate and may vary based on individual learning speeds and project complexity.

Software development projects encompass the entire lifecycle of creating, enhancing, or modifying software applications.

Software Development Project Ideas & Topics

There are many other software projects you might consider building, whether you want to work on side projects with your team or improve your talents.

Top-50-Software-Development-Project-Ideas-for-Beginners-copy

Table of Content

1. Personal Portfolio Website

2. Library Management System Project | Software Development

3. weather forecasting system, 4. online learning management system, 5. inventory management system for small businesses, 6. online chat application, 7. age calculator application, 8. expense tracker app, 9. task management system, 10. blog website, 11. language learning platform, 12. smart home automation system, 13. gold price prediction, 14. face detection system, 15. hospital management system, 16. employee management system, 17. chatbot project, 18. online code compiler and judging system, 19. personal finance dashboard, 20. smart parking system, 21. movie recommendation system, 22. calorie calculator application:.

23. E-Commerce Website Project:

24. Bank Management System Project:

25. cryptocurrency portfolio tracker:.

26. To Do List:

27. Area Calculator Application

28. content management system:, 29. house price prediction system :, 30. language translation app:, 31. smart agriculture system:, 32. waste management system:, 33. step counting application:, 34. student attendance system:, 35. ai-powered virtual assistant:, 36. credit card fraud detection project, 37. project management system project:, 38. algorithm visualizer:, 39. face recognition attendance system:, 40. restaurant management system:, 41. twitter sentiment analysis system:, 42. real estate property management system:.

43. Application for Delivery Food:

44. Calculator Application :

45. music recommendation system:, 46. blood bank management system:, 47. online jobs portal:, 48. meeting app:, 49. stock prediction using machine learning:, 50. heart disease prediction system:, what are software development projects, steps to develop or create a software project, why are software development projects important.

The following list of software development project ideas can help you improve your abilities:

1. Portfolio Website:

Problem Statement: Address the necessity for individuals and professionals to showcase their work and skills online by developing a personal Portfolio Website to create a strong online presence.
Type: Develop a Portfolio Website.
Industry Area: Personal Branding and Online Presence.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, HTML, CSS), Responsive Design, Content Management System (e.g., WordPress).
Use Cases: User Registration and Profile Creation, Project Showcase, Skill and Experience Display, Contact Information, Blog or News Section (optional).
Outcomes: Enhanced Online Presence, Professional Portfolio Showcase, Increased Visibility for Skills and Projects.
Benefits: Improved Networking Opportunities, Job or Collaboration Offers, Centralized Platform for Self-promotion.
Duration: 2-3 Months.

For further information refer to the post: Portfolio Website Project | Software Development

Conventional libraries are having difficulty integrating various formats, including multimedia and e-resources, because of outdated management systems. Inefficient cataloguing, resource tracking bottlenecks, and a lack of analytics tools hinder librarians from optimizing collections and improving user experiences. To close the gap, libraries require a modern library management system with an intuitive interface, effective cataloguing, and analytics capabilities to resurrect libraries as vibrant centres of knowledge and community involvement in the digital era.

Objective of the Project:

The objective of the Library Management System (LMS) project is to design and implement an efficient and user-friendly system that automates the various tasks associated with managing a library.

The primary goals of the project include:

Efficient Book Management: Streamlining the process of book acquisition, cataloguing, and tracking to ensure an organized and easily accessible collection.
User-Friendly Interface: Developing an intuitive and user-friendly interface for library staff and patrons to facilitate easy navigation, quick retrieval of information, and seamless interaction with the system.
Automation of Processes: Automating routine library tasks such as book check-in and check-out, reservation management, and overdue notifications to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual workload.
Inventory Management: Implementing a robust inventory management system to monitor stock levels, identify popular titles, and facilitate timely reordering of books to maintain a well-stocked library.
Enhanced Search and Retrieval: Implementing an advanced search mechanism to allow users to quickly locate books, authors, or genres, promoting a more efficient and enjoyable library experience.
User Account Management: Providing features for patrons to create accounts, track their borrowing history, and manage personal preferences, fostering a personalized and user-centric library experience.
Reporting and Analytics: Incorporating reporting tools to generate insights into library usage, popular genres, and circulation trends, enabling informed decision-making for library administrators.
Security and Access Control: Implementing robust security measures to protect sensitive library data and incorporating access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to specific functionalities.
Integration with Other Systems: Offering the flexibility for integration with other academic or administrative systems to create a cohesive and interconnected information ecosystem within the institution.
Scalability: Designing the system to be scalable, allowing for easy expansion and adaptation to the evolving needs of the library as it grows over time.

By achieving these objectives, the Library Management System aims to enhance the overall efficiency, accessibility, and user satisfaction of the library services, ultimately contributing to an enriched learning and research environment within the institution.

For further information refer to the post: Library Management System Project | Software Development

This project can be appropriate for you if you are new to software development and are looking for simple project themes.

Weather forecasting systems create precise predictions about the weather at a certain location and time by combining science and technology. Applications and systems for weather forecasting make predictions about the weather based on a variety of factors, including wind speed, humidity, temperature, pressure, and so forth.

This online application is part of the weather forecasting project.
Users can access it using a graphical user interface by entering their password and user ID. Unlike traditional weather forecasting systems that simply require the location, this application allows you to enter the weather.
In this application, on the other hand, users will manually enter the location’s current parameters, and the system will use past data contained in the database to anticipate the location’s weather.
The administrator enters historical weather data into the database on a regular basis. Since historical data is the system’s primary source of information, the predictions will be far more precise and trustworthy.

Objectives of the project:

Accurate data
Prevents mishaps by predicting the weather accurately.
Supports the economy as it helps users plan their business activities.
Healthy safety
User-friendly
Compatible with various operating systems such as Android, iOs, etc.
Cost-effective
Supports infrastructure safety
It helps in planning out disaster management.

For further information refer to the post: Forecast Weather Project| Software Development

Problem Statement: Build a platform for managing and delivering online courses, including user enrollment, quizzes, and grading.
Type: Web Application
Industry Area: Education
Software Expertise: Web development (e.g., Django, Ruby on Rails)
Use Cases: Course creation, student enrollment, assessment
Outcomes: Streamlined online education, accessible learning
Benefits: Learn web development, contribute to education technology
Duration: 3-4 months
Problem Statement: Develop a system for small businesses to manage their inventory, sales, and order fulfillment.
Type: Desktop Application
Industry Area: Retail
Software Expertise: Desktop application development (e.g., Java Swing, PyQt)
Use Cases: Stock tracking, order processing, sales reporting
Outcomes: Efficient inventory management, improved order fulfillment
Benefits: Gain desktop application development skills, contribute to small businesses
Duration: 2-3 months
Problem Statement: Address the need for real-time communication and collaboration by developing an Online Chat Application, providing users with an interactive and efficient platform for communication.
Type: Develop an Online Chat Application.
Industry Area: Communication and Collaboration.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Node.js), Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Real-time Messaging (e.g., WebSocket), User Authentication.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Real-time Chat Messaging, Group Chat and Collaboration, Multimedia File Sharing, Notifications.
Outcomes: Efficient Communication Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Enhanced User Connectivity.
Benefits: Improved Team Productivity, Seamless Communication, Accessible from Multiple Devices.
Duration: 2-4 Months.
Problem Statement: Address the need for a convenient and user-friendly solution to calculate age by developing an Age Calculator Application, simplifying the process of determining age based on birthdate.
Type: Develop an Age Calculator Application.
Industry Area: Utility and Personal Productivity.
Software Expertise: Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Frontend Development (e.g., React Native), Date and Time Calculations.
Use Cases: User Input for Birthdate, Age Calculation Algorithm, Display of Calculated Age.
Outcomes: Efficient Age Calculation, User-friendly Interface, Quick Access to Age Information.
Benefits: Convenience in Age Calculation, Time-saving for Users, Utility for Personal and Professional Use.
Duration: 1-2 Months.
Problem Statement: Develop a mobile app that allows users to track their expenses, categorize spending, and set budgets.
Type: Mobile Application (iOS/Android)
Industry Area: Finance
Software Expertise: Mobile app development (e.g., React Native, Kotlin)
Use Cases: Expense tracking, budget management
Outcomes: Financial awareness, improved budgeting
Benefits: Gain mobile development skills, promote financial literacy
Problem Statement: Create a web or mobile application for managing tasks, to-do lists, and project timelines.
Type: Web Application or Mobile Application
Industry Area: Project Management
Software Expertise: Web development (e.g., React, Django) or Mobile app development (e.g., Flutter, Swift)
Use Cases: Task creation, prioritization, progress tracking
Outcomes: Improved productivity, effective project management
Benefits: Learn project management concepts, develop organizational skills
Problem Statement: Address the demand for a platform to share insights, information, and creative content by developing a Blog Website, offering users an easy-to-use and visually appealing space for content creation and consumption.
Type: Web Development.
Industry Area: Content Creation and Publishing.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Node.js), Database Management (e.g., MongoDB), User Authentication, Content Management System.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Blog Post Creation and Editing, Media Integration (Images, Videos), User Comments and Engagement.
Outcomes: Centralized Blogging Platform, Enhanced User Interaction, Content Diversity.
Benefits: Supports Content Creators, User-friendly Interface, SEO-friendly Content.
Duration: 3-5 Months.
Problem Statement: Create a platform for learning and practicing new languages, including interactive lessons and quizzes.
Industry Area: Education, Language Learning
Software Expertise: Web development (e.g., React, Django) or Mobile app development (e.g., React Native, Flutter)
Use Cases: Language lessons, quizzes, progress tracking
Outcomes: Enhanced language skills, personalized learning
Benefits: Learn language APIs, contribute to language education
Problem Statement: Build a system that allows users to automate and control smart home devices, such as lights, thermostats, and security cameras.
Type: Mobile Application (iOS/Android) or Web Application
Industry Area: Home Automation
Software Expertise: Mobile app development (e.g., Flutter, Swift) or Web development (e.g., React, Django)
Use Cases: Device control, automation scenarios
Outcomes: Increased home efficiency, remote control capabilities
Benefits: Learn IoT integration, contribute to home automation
Problem Statement: Address the need for accurate forecasting in financial markets by developing a Gold Price Prediction System, providing investors with insights to make informed decisions in the volatile precious metals market.
Type: Machine Learning.
Industry Area: Finance and Investment.
Software Expertise: Machine Learning (e.g., Python, scikit-learn), Data Analysis (e.g., Pandas), Web Development (e.g., Flask), Database Management.
Use Cases: Data Collection and Preprocessing, Machine Learning Model Training, Real-time Price Prediction, Historical Price Analysis, User Dashboard.
Outcomes: Accurate Gold Price Predictions, Data-driven Investment Decisions, Historical Trend Analysis.
Benefits: Informed Investment Strategies, Risk Mitigation through Predictive Analytics, Improved Portfolio Management.
Problem Statement: Address the need for an accurate and reliable Face Detection System to enhance security and automate identity verification processes by developing a robust Face Detection Application.
Type: Develop a Face Detection System.
Industry Area: Security and Identity Verification.
Software Expertise: Computer Vision (e.g., OpenCV), Deep Learning (e.g., TensorFlow), Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Backend Development.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profile Creation, Real-time Face Detection, Secure Access Control, Logging and Reporting.
Outcomes: Enhanced Security Measures, Automated Identity Verification, Real-time Monitoring.
Benefits: Improved Access Control, Reduced Manual Security Checks, Enhanced Safety in Restricted Areas.
Problem Statement: Address the need for organized and efficient healthcare administration by developing a Hospital Management System, streamlining various processes within healthcare institutions.
Industry Area: Healthcare and Hospital Administration.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Django), Database Management (e.g., MySQL), User Authentication, Electronic Health Records (EHR) Integration.
Use Cases: Patient Registration and Profiles, Appointment Scheduling, Electronic Health Record Management, Billing and Invoicing, Inventory Management.
Outcomes: Streamlined Healthcare Operations, Enhanced Patient Data Management, Improved Administrative Efficiency.
Benefits: Reduced Administrative Overheads, Improved Patient Care, Enhanced Data Security.
Duration: 6-8 Months.
Problem Statement: Address the need for streamlined and efficient employee administration within organizations by developing an Employee Management System, providing a centralized platform for HR tasks and employee information.
Industry Area: Human Resources and Workforce Management.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Django), Database Management (e.g., PostgreSQL), User Authentication, HR Workflow Automation.
Use Cases: Employee Onboarding and Profiles, Leave Management, Attendance Tracking, Performance Appraisals, Payroll Management.
Outcomes: Centralized Employee Information, Automated HR Processes, Enhanced Workforce Management.
Benefits: Reduced Administrative Overheads, Improved Employee Productivity, Compliance with HR Policies.
Duration: 4-6 Months.
Problem Statement: Develop an intelligent chatbot to enhance customer support processes, providing efficient and personalized assistance.
Type: Chatbot Application
Industry Area: Customer Service
Software Expertise: Natural Language Processing (NLP), Chatbot Development (e.g., Dialogflow, Rasa), Web Integration
Use Cases: Automated Customer Inquiries, Issue Resolution, Product Information
Outcomes: Improved Customer Experience, Reduced Response Time, Scalable Support System
Benefits: Implement NLP concept, Streamline Customer Support Operations
Problem Statement: Create a web-based platform that allows users to write, compile, and test code in various programming languages, with automated judging of code submissions.
Industry Area: Education, Programming
Software Expertise: Web development (e.g., React, Django), Code execution sandbox
Use Cases: Code compilation, testing, automated assessment
Outcomes: Improved coding skills, efficient code evaluation
Benefits: Learn code execution environments, contribute to coding education
Problem Statement: Develop a web or mobile application that aggregates and visualizes a user’s financial data, including bank accounts, investments, and expenses.
Software Expertise: Web development (e.g., React, Django) or Mobile app development (e.g., React Native, Kotlin)
Use Cases: Financial data visualization, budgeting
Outcomes: Improved financial awareness, personalized financial insights
Benefits: Gain financial data analysis skills, contribute to personal finance management
Problem Statement: Implement a smart parking system using sensors and a web or mobile application to help users find available parking spaces.
Industry Area: Transportation
Software Expertise: Web development (e.g., React, Django) or Mobile app development (e.g., React Native, Kotlin), IoT integration
Use Cases: Parking space availability, reservation system
Outcomes: Reduced parking congestion, efficient parking management
Benefits: Learn IoT integration, contribute to smart city initiatives
Problem Statement: Address the challenge of finding personalized movie recommendations in a vast catalog by developing a Movie Recommendation System, providing users with tailored movie suggestions based on their preferences.
Industry Area: Entertainment and Streaming Services.
Software Expertise: Machine Learning (e.g., Python, scikit-learn), Data Analysis (e.g., Pandas), Web Development (e.g., Django, React), Database Management.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Movie Ratings and Preferences, Recommendation Algorithm, User Feedback and Ratings.
Outcomes: Personalized Movie Recommendations, Enhanced User Engagement, Improved Content Discovery.
Benefits: Increased User Satisfaction, Longer Time Spent on Platform, Enhanced Content Consumption.
Problem Statement: Address the need for a personalized and convenient solution for tracking and managing daily calorie intake by developing a Calorie Calculator Application, providing users with a tool for maintaining a healthy diet.
Type: Mobile Development.
Industry Area: Health and Fitness.
Software Expertise: Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Database Management (e.g., SQLite), User Authentication, Nutrition Data Integration.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Daily Food Entry and Calorie Tracking, Nutrient Information Display, Goal Setting for Caloric Intake.
Outcomes: Personalized Calorie Tracking, Nutrient Information Access, Goal-oriented Nutrition Management.
Benefits: Supports Healthy Eating Habits, User-friendly Interface, Progress Tracking for Fitness Goals.
Duration: 3-4 Months.

23. E-Commerce Website Project :

Problem Statement: Address the growing demand for an efficient and user-friendly E-Commerce Website to facilitate online shopping.
Type: Develop an E-Commerce Website.
Industry Area: Retail and E-Commerce.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Node.js), Database Management (e.g., MongoDB), Payment Gateway Integration, User Authentication.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Product Browsing and Ordering, Secure Payment Processing, Order Tracking, Customer Reviews and Ratings.
Outcomes: Enhanced Online Shopping Experience, Increased Sales for Businesses, Streamlined Order Processing.
Benefits: Wider Customer Reach, Improved Customer Loyalty, Data-driven Business Insights.
Problem Statement: Address the need for efficient banking operations and customer management by developing a Bank Management System, providing a comprehensive platform for banking transactions and account management.
Industry Area: Banking and Financial Services.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Django), Database Management (e.g., MySQL), User Authentication, Transaction Processing.
Use Cases: Customer Registration and Profiles, Account Management, Transaction Processing (Deposits, Withdrawals), Loan Processing, Report Generation.
Outcomes: Efficient Banking Operations, Streamlined Customer Management, Real-time Transaction Processing.
Benefits: Improved Customer Service, Enhanced Transaction Security, Automated Report Generation.
Problem Statement: Develop a web or mobile app that allows users to track their cryptocurrency investments, view real-time prices, and analyze portfolio performance.
Type of Project: Web/Mobile Application
Industry Area: Cryptocurrency
Software Expertise Required: Web/mobile development, cryptocurrency APIs
Outcomes: Crypto portfolio management, investment insights

26. To Do List :

Problem Statement: Address the need for an organized task management solution by developing a user-friendly To-Do List application to help individuals and teams efficiently manage their tasks.
Type of Project: Web Development
Industry Area: Productivity and Task Management.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Node.js), Database Management (e.g., MongoDB), User Authentication, Real-time Updates.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Task Creation and Organization, Due Date Tracking, Priority Assignment, Task Completion Tracking.
Outcomes: Organized Task Management, Increased Productivity, Time-efficient Task Completion.
Benefits: Improved Time Management, Reduced Stress through Task Organization, Enhanced Collaboration for Teams.

For further information refer to the post: To-Do List Project

Problem Statement: Address the need for a user-friendly tool for calculating the area of various shapes by developing an Area Calculator Application, providing users with a simple and efficient way to determine the area based on their inputs.
Type: App Development.
Industry Area: Utility and Productivity.
Software Expertise: Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Frontend Development (e.g., React Native), Geometry Calculation Logic.
Use Cases: User Input for Shape Selection (e.g., Circle, Triangle, Square), Dynamic Input Fields for Dimensions, Real-time Area Calculation Display.
Outcomes: Efficient Area Calculations, User-friendly Interface, Quick Access to Results.
Benefits: Convenience in Geometry Calculations, Time-saving for Users, Utility for Academic and Professional Use.
Problem Statement: Address the need for efficient content creation, organization, and publication by developing a Content Management System (CMS), providing users with a centralized platform for managing digital content.
Industry Area: Digital Content Creation and Publishing.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Django), Database Management (e.g., MySQL), User Authentication, Version Control.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Content Creation and Editing, Media Management, User Permissions and Roles, Versioning.
Outcomes: Centralized Content Management, Efficient Collaboration, Simplified Publishing Workflow.
Benefits: Streamlined Content Creation Process, Improved Collaboration Among Teams, Content Version Control.
Problem Statement: Address the demand for accurate and reliable predictions in the real estate market by developing a House Price Prediction System, providing users with insights into property valuation for informed buying or selling decisions.
Industry Area: Real Estate and Property Valuation.
Use Cases: Data Collection and Preprocessing, Machine Learning Model Training, Real-time Price Prediction, Feature Analysis, User Dashboard.
Outcomes: Accurate House Price Predictions, Informed Real Estate Decisions, User-friendly Price Assessment.
Benefits: Empowers Property Buyers and Sellers, Risk Mitigation through Predictive Analytics, Improved Property Valuation.
Problem Statement: Build a mobile app that provides real-time language translation, supporting communication between users who speak different languages.
Type of Project: Mobile Application (iOS/Android)
Industry Area: Language Services
Software Expertise Required: Mobile app development, language processing
Outcomes: Cross-language communication, language learning support
Problem Statement: Design a system that utilizes sensors and data analysis to optimize farming practices, monitor crop health, and improve agricultural productivity.
Type of Project: Internet of Things (IoT)
Industry Area: Agriculture
Software Expertise Required: IoT programming, data analysis
Outcomes: Precision farming, resource-efficient agriculture
Problem Statement: Create a system that optimizes waste collection and disposal processes, incorporating features like route optimization and waste monitoring.
Industry Area: Environmental Services
Outcomes: Efficient waste management, reduced environmental impact
Problem Statement: Address the growing interest in health and fitness by developing a Step Counting Application, offering users an effective tool to monitor and improve their physical activity.
Type: Web and Mobile Development.
Software Expertise: Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Sensor Integration (e.g., Accelerometer), Real-time Data Tracking, User Authentication.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Real-time Step Tracking, Daily and Weekly Step Goals, Distance Traveled Calculation, Progress Tracking.
Outcomes: Improved Physical Activity Awareness, Motivation for Exercise, Enhanced Health and Fitness.
Benefits: Encourages Healthy Lifestyle, User-friendly Interface, Goal-oriented Fitness Tracking.
Problem Statement: Design a system that automates student attendance tracking, incorporating features like facial recognition or RFID technology.
Software Expertise Required: IoT programming, image recognition
Outcomes: Streamlined attendance management, reduced manual effort
Problem Statement: Build a virtual assistant that uses artificial intelligence to understand and respond to user queries, perform tasks, and provide information.
Type of Project: Artificial Intelligence
Industry Area: Virtual Assistance
Software Expertise Required: Natural Language Processing (NLP), Python programming
Outcomes : Efficient task automation, personalized assistance
Problem Statement: Develop a system that uses machine learning algorithms to predict fraudulent credit card transactions with the help of machine learning models.
Industry Area: Financial Services
Software Expertise Required: Machine learning, Fraud detection
Outcomes : Improved transaction security, reduced fraud risks
Problem Statement: Address the need for organized project planning, execution, and collaboration by developing a Project Management System, providing a centralized platform for efficient project management and team coordination.
Industry Area: Project Management and Collaboration.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Django), Database Management (e.g., PostgreSQL), User Authentication, Task and Timeline Management.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Project Creation and Planning, Task Assignment and Tracking, Document Sharing, Team Collaboration.
Outcomes: Efficient Project Execution, Centralized Project Information, Real-time Team Collaboration.
Benefits: Reduced Project Overheads, Improved Team Productivity, Enhanced Communication and Coordination.
Problem Statement: Address the challenge of understanding algorithms by developing an Algorithm Visualizer, providing a platform for users to visually comprehend the workings of various algorithms.
Industry Area: Education and Computer Science.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React), Visualization Libraries (e.g., D3.js), User Interface (UI) Design.
Use Cases: User Selection of Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, etc.), Visual Representation of Algorithm Steps, User Input for Custom Inputs, Real-time Visualization.
Outcomes: Enhanced Algorithm Understanding, Visual Learning Experience, Interactive Algorithm Demonstrations.
Benefits: Improved Learning for Computer Science Students, Visual Comprehension of Complex Algorithms, Engaging Educational Tool.
Problem Statement: Address the need for an accurate and efficient Face Recognition Attendance System to streamline attendance tracking and enhance security in various environments.
Type: Deep Learning.
Industry Area: Education, Corporate, and Security.
Software Expertise: Computer Vision (e.g., OpenCV), Deep Learning (e.g., TensorFlow), Web Development (e.g., React, Django), Database Management.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profile Creation, Face Recognition for Attendance Tracking, Secure Database Management, Reporting and Analytics.
Outcomes: Automated and Accurate Attendance Tracking, Enhanced Security Measures, Time-efficient Reporting.
Benefits: Reduced Manual Effort in Attendance Management, Improved Accuracy in Tracking, Enhanced Security.
Problem Statement: Design a system that streamlines restaurant operations, incorporating features like order management, table reservations, and inventory tracking.
Type of Project: Web Application
Industry Area: Hospitality
Software Expertise Required: Web development, database management
Outcomes: Efficient restaurant management, improved customer experience
Problem Statement: Address the need for understanding public sentiment on Twitter by developing a Twitter Sentiment Analysis System, providing insights into the emotions and opinions expressed in tweets.
Industry Area: Social Media and Opinion Analysis.
Software Expertise: Natural Language Processing (e.g., NLTK, spaCy), Machine Learning (e.g., Python, scikit-learn), Data Analysis (e.g., Pandas), Web Development (e.g., Flask), Database Management.
Use Cases: Data Collection and Preprocessing, Sentiment Analysis Model Training, Real-time Tweet Analysis, Visualization of Sentiment Trends, User Dashboard.
Outcomes: Insights into Public Sentiment, Real-time Sentiment Analysis, Visual Representation of Sentiment Trends.
Benefits: Understanding Public Opinion on Twitter, Improved Social Media Strategy, Early Detection of Trends and Issues.
Problem Statement: Design a platform that simplifies real estate property management, including features for property listings, tenant management, and maintenance requests.
Industry Area: Real Estate
Outcomes: Streamlined property management, improved efficiency

43. Application for Delivery Food :

Problem Statement: Address the growing demand for convenient and efficient food delivery services by developing a robust Application for Delivery Food to connect users with a variety of restaurants and deliver their orders promptly.
Industry Area: Food and Delivery Services.
Software Expertise: Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Backend Development (e.g., Node.js), Database Management (e.g., MongoDB), Geolocation Services.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Restaurant and Menu Exploration, Order Placement and Tracking, Secure Payment Processing, User Reviews and Ratings.
Outcomes: Convenient Food Ordering Experience, Efficient Delivery Services, Real-time Order Tracking.
Benefits: Wider Food Options for Users, Increased Revenue for Restaurants, Time-efficient Food Delivery.
Problem Statement: Address the need for a simple and efficient tool for basic arithmetic calculations by developing a Calculator Application, providing users with a user-friendly and functional interface.
Software Expertise: Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Frontend Development (e.g., React Native), Arithmetic Logic Implementation.
Use Cases: User Input for Arithmetic Operations, Real-time Calculation Display, Memory Storage for Results, User-friendly Interface.
Outcomes: Efficient Arithmetic Calculations, User-friendly Calculator Interface, Quick Access to Calculation Results.
Benefits: Convenience in Basic Calculations, Time-saving for Users, Utility for Personal and Professional Use.
Problem Statement: Address the need for personalized and accurate music recommendations by developing a Music Recommendation System, providing users with tailored music suggestions based on their preferences.
Industry Area: Music and Entertainment.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Music Listening History Analysis, Recommendation Algorithm, User Feedback and Ratings, Playlist Creation.
Outcomes: Personalized Music Recommendations, Increased User Engagement, Enhanced Music Discovery.
Benefits: Improved User Satisfaction, Longer Time Spent on Music Platforms, Enhanced Music Listening Experience.
Problem Statement: Address the need for a streamlined and efficient Blood Bank Management System to facilitate the secure and organized management of blood donations and supplies.
Industry Area: Healthcare and Blood Donation.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Node.js), Database Management (e.g., MySQL), User Authentication, Inventory Management.
Use Cases: Donor Registration and Profiles, Blood Donation Scheduling, Inventory Tracking, Secure User Authentication, Blood Request Processing.
Outcomes: Organized Blood Donation Management, Real-time Inventory Tracking, Improved Blood Donation Processes.
Benefits: Efficient Blood Supply Management, Enhanced Communication with Donors, Rapid Response to Emergency Blood Requests.
Problem Statement: Address the need for a centralized platform for job seekers and employers by developing an Online Jobs Portal, providing a user-friendly interface for job searching, application, and recruitment processes.
Industry Area: Human Resources and Employment.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Django), Database Management (e.g., PostgreSQL), User Authentication, Job Matching Algorithm.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Job Search and Filters, Resume Upload and Application Submission, Employer Job Posting and Recruitment, Notifications.
Outcomes: Centralized Job Search Platform, Efficient Recruitment Processes, Enhanced Candidate and Employer Experience.
Benefits: Streamlined Job Search for Candidates, Targeted Recruitment for Employers, Improved Hiring Efficiency.
Problem Statement: Address the increasing demand for remote collaboration and virtual meetings by developing a Meeting App, providing users with a reliable and feature-rich platform for seamless virtual meetings.
Type: Web and Android Development.
Industry Area: Remote Collaboration and Communication.
Software Expertise: Web Development (e.g., React, Node.js), Mobile App Development (iOS, Android), Real-time Video Conferencing (e.g., WebRTC), User Authentication.
Use Cases: User Registration and Profiles, Schedule and Host Meetings, Real-time Video Conferencing, Screen Sharing, Chat and Collaboration.
Outcomes: Efficient Virtual Meetings, Seamless Collaboration, Enhanced Remote Work Experience.
Benefits: Improved Team Connectivity, Reduced Need for Physical Meetings, Flexible and Accessible Collaboration.
Problem Statement: Address the demand for accurate and reliable stock prediction by developing a Machine Learning-based Stock Prediction System to assist investors in making informed decisions.
Use Cases: Data Collection and Preprocessing, Model Training and Evaluation, Real-time Stock Prediction, User Portfolio Tracking, Performance Analytics.
Outcomes: Accurate Stock Price Predictions, Enhanced Investment Decision Support, Real-time Portfolio Tracking.
Benefits: Informed Investment Decisions, Risk Mitigation through Predictive Analytics, Improved Portfolio Management.
Problem Statement: Address the need for early detection and prediction of heart diseases by developing a Heart Disease Prediction System using Machine Learning, providing users with a tool to assess their cardiovascular health risks.
Industry Area: Healthcare and Disease Prevention.
Use Cases: Data Collection and Preprocessing, Machine Learning Model Training, Real-time Prediction, Risk Stratification, User Dashboard.
Outcomes: Early Detection of Heart Diseases, Informed Health Decision-Making, User-friendly Health Risk Assessment.
Benefits: Empowers Individuals with Health Awareness, Enables Proactive Health Measures, Improved Cardiovascular Health.
Beginning with a thorough requirement analysis and feasibility study, these projects involve meticulous planning, including defining scope, timelines, and assembling a skilled development team.
The design phase focuses on creating blueprints and system architecture.
The implementation stage involves coding and collaborative code reviews. Rigorous testing follows, covering unit, integration, and system levels, along with user acceptance testing.
Deployment marks the release of the software to production environments.
Maintenance and support ensure ongoing bug fixing, updates, and user assistance.

These projects are characterized by their iterative, collaborative, and client-involved nature, often following agile methodologies.

Following are steps you can follow to develop a software project:

Evaluate your project: Evaluate the viability of your endeavour. Analysing its concept, objectives, scope, and requirements is part of this.
Specify the requirements: Determine and record the project’s technical requirements. Answering questions about the target user and the problems or things this project simplifies for them is crucial throughout this stage.
Make a plan: Establish a schedule for the completion of each work and identify the specific project components. This entails determining which duties require the fulfilment of others, what resources you require, and what your financial needs are.
Conceptualize the design: Create the functionalities and architecture for the project. This phase of the software development life cycle is normally handled by software engineers and architects.
Establish metrics: Set up software metrics to assist you in monitoring and assessing the status of your project on a regular basis. To assist you in routinely gathering and analysing your data, think about utilising project analytics tools.
Develop the software: Create and Code the project. Typically, this stage of the software development life cycle is one of the longest ones.
Conduct testing: Thoroughly test the software and do quality control inspections. A number of software features should be assessed during the testing process, such as the code quality, regulatory compliance, and the product’s ability to meet predetermined requirements or metrics.
Deploy the software: Launch the software on a live system. You might deploy the programme more than once, for example, deploying it for pre-release testing, depending on aspects like the software’s complexity.
Perform post-production tasks: Perform software maintenance or updates as necessary. This could entail expanding the software’s functionality, adding new features, or updating it to support new operating systems.

Fundamentally, software development project topics help:

advance in technology,
allow for increased productivity, and
influence how we connect with the outside world.

They enable companies, groups, and people to accomplish their objectives, find solutions to challenging issues, and maintain their competitiveness in a quickly changing digital environment.

Organizations cannot function without software development projects as strategic efforts that drive innovation and meet business demands. They improve user experiences, advance technological advancements, and offer customised solutions to satisfy shifting consumer wants. In addition to increasing production and efficiency, these initiatives give businesses a competitive edge by providing innovative goods and services.

They Help in Improving Technical Skills

Working on software development projects can help further technical skills like working with programming languages, database management, user interface design, software testing, and much more. These skills are highly valued and are expected by all software companies.

Innovation and Advancement

The creation of new tools, technologies, and solutions that enhance productivity, comfort, and quality of life stimulates innovation in software development project subjects. Innovative software may create whole new markets and transform entire industries.

Growth and Competitiveness of Businesses

Businesses frequently depend on software in today’s digital environment to run smoothly, engage with clients, and effectively compete. Tailored software solutions can give an advantage over competitors by meeting specific needs and optimising workflows.

Effectiveness and Automation

By automating and streamlining procedures, the programme minimises errors and the need for manual labour. This enhances resource utilisation, lowers operating costs, and boosts efficiency.

Administration and Interpretation of Data

Innovative software ideas for projects let firms gather, store, handle, and evaluate large amounts of data. The ability to make data-driven decisions is crucial for comprehending consumer behaviour, industry trends, and company performance.

Enhanced Client Experience

Whether they are desktop, mobile, or web-based, software programmes frequently act as direct points of contact with clients. Software that is intuitive to use and well-designed can improve customer experiences, boosting client loyalty and happiness.

Worldwide Networking

Globally, individuals, companies, and devices are connected by the software. It makes it possible to communicate, work together, and share information across geographic boundaries.

Investigation and Progress in Science

Software development is essential to many academic and scientific domains for data analysis, modelling, simulations, and experimentation. Developments in software lead to innovations across a range of fields.

Medical Care and Medication

In the field of medical technology, software development is essential for everything from telemedicine platforms to diagnostic tools and electronic health record (EHR) systems. It enhances therapeutic results, medical research, and patient care.

Media and Entertainment

The entertainment sector greatly depends on software to improve people’s media consumption and interaction through video games, streaming services, virtual reality experiences, and multimedia content creation.

Social Impact

Real-time software projects can address a wide range of social issues, including poverty alleviation, disaster management, societal and educational obstacles, and environmental monitoring.

Personalisation and Adaptability

Compared to off-the-shelf software, custom software solutions offer greater flexibility and adaptability since they can be adjusted to fit unique company requirements.

Security and Privacy

Creative project ideas for software development aid in the creation of cybersecurity practices and solutions, which helps shield sensitive information and systems from online attacks.

Growth of the Economy

The software sector contributes significantly to GDP and economic growth by generating jobs, encouraging entrepreneurship, and creating jobs.

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70 Small Business Ideas for Anyone Who Wants to Run Their Own Business

Published: September 13, 2024

A good business idea may seem hard to come by, but with some planning and preparation, you can easily launch a small business to supplement your income — or become your own full-time boss.

Small business ideas symbolically showing the spirit of a small business

Maybe you already have an idea of the business you’d like to start. But while you might feel ready for a new venture and passionate about your idea, you might be looking for some direction.

So, what’s the first step to becoming a successful entrepreneur? Finding a business idea that works for you. In this article, you’ll find dozens of small business ideas you can start from home and scale up as your clientele grows.

To help get you started, here's a list of small business ideas separated into a few sections:

Table of Contents:

What Makes a Good small Business Idea?

Best Small Business Ideas

Best businesses to start with little money, home business ideas, online business ideas, easy businesses to start, business ideas for students, creative small business ideas, how to start a small business at home, starting a small business: faq, getting started with your next small business venture.

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9 templates to help you brainstorm a business name, develop your business plan, and pitch your idea to investors.

Business Name Brainstorming Workbook
Business Plan Template
Business Startup Cost Calculator

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What makes a good small business idea?

Not all small business ideas are made equal.

Some require more effort and funding than others, while some can be launched with few resources — or resources you already have. As a potential small business owner, you’ll want to save as much money as possible on training, rent, supplies, and other necessities.

Let’s quickly go over what makes a good business idea:

Requires little to no training. A good small business idea will ideally leverage your existing field of expertise and require little to no training. That will not only shorten your time-to-launch, but also lessen your expenses, since training courses can cost a significant amount of money and time. Plus, you’ll be more confident offering services that you feel prepared to deliver.
Requires low setup costs. Your business should be cheap to start. Maybe you only need to purchase a website domain or buy a desk for your garage.
Requires little hands-on inventory or supply management. A great business idea needs few supplies and little inventory management. If you want to sell physical goods, you can either try drop-shipping or manually make goods in small batches.
Is based online. The best small businesses are based online and can be carried out from your personal computer. This will automatically lower your commuting costs and give you greater flexibility over your personal and work life.
Can sustainably be managed by few people. As a small business owner, you won’t have the funds to hire other people to help you run your business — at least not at first. A good business idea should give you the ability to run your business on your own.

Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky said, “If we tried to think of a good idea, we wouldn’t have been able to think of a good idea. You just have to find the solution for a problem in your own life.”

If you’re like Brian and you’ve already thought about a solution for a problem you encounter in your life — or you’re on the path to doing so — then starting a small business may be in your future. It may also be for you if you dream of clocking out of your nine-to-five job for the last time and becoming your own boss.

Below, I’ve included the best ideas for you to start your small business, with tons of great resources, certification examples, and best-in-class advice to help you get started.

1. Handyman

Image Source

Are you always fixing things around the house? Are you often on-call when friends need small projects completed? Create a website, conduct a competitive analysis to determine what your time and expertise are worth, and turn to the friends you’ve helped before for referrals.

A handyman business is a good idea if you’ve already built a robust set of skills to help others fix up their homes. For instance, if you know your way underneath a sink and water system, you might provide sink fixing services to start and then expand your offerings once you earn more skills.

No certifications are needed to become a handyman, and there are no special education requirements. You might need, however, a license if you’re planning to undertake jobs worth more than a certain dollar amount. Some states might not require this license.

To start your handyman business, we recommend the following resources:

Handyman License Requirements by State
The Most Requested Handyman Services
Association of Certified Handyman Professionals

2. Freelance Copywriting and Content Creator

When you’re a freelance copywriter and content creator, you really do get to set your own standards for the work you do and the companies you work with.

To get started, you'll need to build a strong portfolio showcasing your writing skills. This can include samples of your work from previous projects, blog posts, or even creative writing pieces. In my own experience of putting together decks of freelance work (writing, design, or otherwise), I’d say that Canva is definitely the way to go for this part of the job.

Now, freelancing as any sort of content creator will (obviously) be a rollercoaster ride with ups and downs. Be prepared for inconsistent income, contract changes, and shifts in market trends. However, with dedication, hard work, and a love for what you do, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor quickly.

3. Creative Strategist

Got an eye for design, maybe a knack for storytelling? Perhaps you’re quite good at understanding the ins and outs of consumer behavior. If this sounds like you, you may want to consider transforming your talents into a lucrative business as a creative strategist.

By offering strategic guidance on branding , marketing, and consumer engagement , you can help businesses stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Whether it's developing compelling brand narratives, crafting effective advertising campaigns, or designing innovative marketing materials, a creative strategist plays a pivotal role in a brand’s success.

To enhance your credibility in this space, I suggest pursuing certifications in fields like marketing, branding, or design thinking. The American Marketing Association (AMA), Udemy, and Coursera offer free courses that’ll get you started in no time:

AMA’s Content Marketing Course
Coursera’s Branding Course
Udemy’s Creative Advertising Course

4. Sewing and Alteration Specialist

small business idea sewing and alteration specialist

People will always need clothing hemmed and buttons mended — and you could be the person to do it. If you love sewing and have a sewing machine at home, start by offering simple services like those mentioned above and expand your repertoire to dressmaking and design as you build a customer base and demand.

You don’t need a special license or degree to begin a sewing and alterations business, but it’s essential to build your skills so you can take on more complicated projects. High-value clients will want to customize complicated items of clothing such as suits, pants, gowns, and dresses. That’s where you’ll see the highest potential for profits.

Altering these items requires special skills, however. A few courses you might consider include:

International Open Academy's Tailoring Course for Beginners
Jackson Sewing Academy’s Basic Alterations Course
American Bespoke Tailoring Academy’s Programs

You’ll also need to shop for sewing supplies of all colors to accommodate your clients.

5. Freelance Developer

From building websites for other small businesses to providing technical support for certain projects, quality web development is in high demand right now. As a web developer, you‘ll naturally have a technical skill set. Distill your knowledge and expertise so customers who don’t have your experience are able to understand what it is you'll be helping them achieve.

To help with this, test your messaging on friends and family who don’t have a firm understanding of the work you do. If they’re able to summarize what you do, your messaging is likely effective among people outside of your industry. You can start finding your first freelance contracts by visiting different freelance websites.

Unlike a few other options in this list, a freelance developer does need some training to launch a successful business and start taking on projects, but if you’re a beginner, don’t worry. There are plenty of boot camps to get you up to speed with either full-stack or front-end web development. Some of these boot camps are even offered through accredited tech schools.

Some boot camps you might consider include:

Coding Dojo
Fullstack Academy
Georgia Institute of Technology Coding Boot Camp

These courses do vary in price, so be sure to complete lots of extensive research to find one that fits you and your budget.

6. Personal Trainer

Offer in-home consultations, personalized nutrition and exercise regimens, and community boot camps to get the word out. Don’t forget to populate an Instagram feed with inspirational quotes, free exercise videos, and yummy snack ideas as well — it’s a common way for fitness gurus to build their brands in our digital world.

If you choose to go this route, it’s OK to start small at first, then scale up. For instance, MOURfit is a personal training business in Indianapolis that started in a shared gym, then grew to a private gym that offers group fitness, personal training, and nutrition services.

To start a personal training business, you’ll need a certification. If you already earned a degree in an unrelated discipline, I recommend starting with the NASM-CPT certification , which is nationally accredited and only requires a high school diploma or GED. You can also get a Bachelor’s degree in physical and exercise science — here’s one example from Emory & Henry College .

7. Freelance Graphic Designer

Set your own hours, choose your projects, and build a portfolio and business you’re proud of. Sounds amazing, right? From website design to blog graphics and more, many companies seek out experienced graphic designers for support on a variety of projects.

And the good news? There are no special education requirements for becoming a freelance graphic designer. However, I recommend seeking a credential (like SAIC’s graphic design certificate or RISD’s graphic design certificate ) or an Associate’s degree in design so you can confidently present your portfolio and complete your first few projects.

If you’re just starting out with graphic design, try these tips and trick s that are ideal for beginners. If you’re more experienced but need to build your portfolio to attract clients, these prompts will get your creativity flowing in no time. I also recommend reviewing other people’s work on portfolio websites to get a feel for what is “trendy” and receive feedback as you grow your small business.

8. Life/Career Coach

If you have experience navigating career, personal, and social transitions successfully, put it to good use as a life or career coach. Many of us are looking for guidance in our careers — and finding someone with the time to mentor us can be tough.

Life/career coaches don’t come cheap, but they are able to offer clients the intense and hands-on training and advice they need to make serious moves in their personal and professional lives. After all, everyone needs some uplifting advice from time to time.

To start your life/career coaching business with confidence, you can look for a certification program (like the Life Coach School’s or Diane Hudson’s ), then apply your skills as you acquire new clients.

Looking for inspiration? Nariah Broadus has dedicated more than 20 years to helping people create better working environments and navigate change successfully as a career and leadership coach. Check out her story for more inspiration to get started with this small business idea.

9. Resume Writer

Creating a resume, cover letter, and — when required — portfolio for a new job can be tough and time-consuming. That’s why many people hire help. Here’s where you could potentially come in.

As a resume writer, you’d assist clients with tailored resumes, beautifully edited cover letters, and carefully-crafted portfolios that make it impossible for employers to ignore. And if you’re feeling nervous about writing resumes from scratch, you can use the templates below to get started.

A resume writing business is economical, has few overhead costs, and has few educational requirements. Now, I still recommend having an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree and a few resume samples on hand. If you still feel that you need to brush up on your resume writing skills, you can take a course like Coursera’s or LinkedIn Learning’s .

Once you’ve gotten resume writing down, you can expand your business to include cover letter writing and even offer career coaching services in conjunction with these services.

10. Freelance Writer

If you have writing skills , there’s someone out there willing to pay you for them. Write blog posts, magazine articles, and website copy galore — just make sure you have a body of work built up to share with potential clients. Even if you create a few sample pieces to have on hand, they’ll help exhibit your work and attract new business.

To become a freelance writer, it’s essential to choose a specialty. For instance, you might choose to only write for publications in the healthcare industry (maybe because you were previously a healthcare worker) or focus on lifestyle publications. Whatever the case, specializing will help you find your niche market and gain confidence as a new freelancer writer.

There are no educational requirements for freelance writing, but you do need strong writing skills. It also helps to enjoy writing. While certification may be beneficial, getting practice and writing every day is more important. Try these writing prompts to start.

11. Landscaper

Mowing, tree-trimming, and seasonal decor are all neighborhood needs. If you have or can acquire the equipment, a landscaping business could be your next lucrative affair. It’s also a great choice if you enjoy doing it for your own home and have a good eye for landscape design.

The good news is that you can start small. For instance, you could offer your neighbors seasonal planting services and start with a few perennial plants, or simply offer mulching services.

To grow your landscaping business, you should consider taking some formal training. The following organizations offer courses:

New York Botanical Gardens

After completing a course and getting enough experience, you can apply for a certificate from a landscaping organization. While a certificate isn’t mandatory to work in the field, it can build your credentials and help you make industry connections to take your landscaping business to the next level. The Association of Professional Landscape Designers offers one potential certificate you could pursue.

Some states require licensure, especially if you’ll be using pesticides and fertilizers. Don’t forget to review the requirements for your state.

12. Videographer

Video production requires you to have invested in the equipment up front, which can be quite expensive. But that’s also what makes your services so valuable. Make sure you have a reel of your work to share or create a website with several selections of your work available for interested viewers.

There are no educational or licensure requirements for starting a video production business. As with writing and other creative arts, though, it pays to specialize. Real estate videos differ radically from wedding videos, and wedding videos differ radically from in-studio interviews and testimonials. By assessing what type of videography you want to specialize in, you target a highly specific customer who’ll benefit the most from your services, and you can also skill-up more effectively in one shooting style.

While you can find general classes on videography, you should consider taking a class in the type of videography you’d like to do. For instance, you could take The Complete Wedding Videography Course .

Hot tip: If you’re interested in specializing in video marketing, check out The Ultimate Guide to Video Marketing and download our starter pack below.

13. Photographer

Getting started as a photographer is easier than you think.

First, enlist some family, friends, maybe your pet, for test shoots. As you build a body of work, ask for referrals and reviews. Photography businesses often grow by word of mouth, so create an Instagram or TikTok page where you can tag recent clients (or make your work go viral). Photos where you tag those clients will show up in their friends’ newsfeeds, where they can view your work. But similar to a video production small business, you’ll want to niche down. Will you do product shoots or portraits? How about wedding or fashion photo shoots?

Once you decide what sort of photograph to specialize in, you’ll be able to create a body of work that most accurately represents your strengths.

There are no educational or licensure requirements for starting a small photography business. Still, I recommend investing in a few photography courses, especially if you haven’t used your camera in a while. Some courses you might start with include:

Cornell’s Digital Photography Certificate Program
New York Institute of Photography’s Course

From there, seek courses that help you build skills in your chosen specialty. Also, purchasing a good backdrop and lighting kit ( Amazon has great beginner options) are a definite must, too.

14. Bed and Breakfast Owner

small business idea bed and breakfast owner

This is another business venture that will require you to research the correct licensure from your state, but it will be well worth it to see your dreams come true. Consider what guests will be traveling to your area and create special packages and themed stays that coincide with their interests in your locale.

To start a bed and breakfast business, you’ll need a physical business location and a small staff for maintenance, customer service, and upkeep. For that reason, I recommend it if you have startup funds to start your business. (Don’t have any? Here’s how to start crowdfunding to launch your new business .)

A successful bed and breakfast business will also need an SEO-optimized website with a hotel booking system. If you create your website on the WordPress platform, you can easily create a B&B website using a hotel booking plugin — so there’s no need to code the booking form from scratch.

With Airbnb and hotels stealing market share, the competition is tough in the bed and breakfast space, so I recommend providing a unique angle to the stay. As mentioned, the stays can be themed — maybe your B&B is a vintage home with all original furniture, or maybe you offer traditional fare from your homeland.

15. Clothing Boutique Owner

small business idea boutique clothing store owner

If you dream of building your own fashion empire, why not start with a local boutique? Build buzz with impressive clothing styles, inspiring social media accounts, and heavy community involvement. While you can open a physical store, you can easily start online — and if that proves profitable, you can open up a local shop.

There are a few ways you can start a clothing boutique. First, you can make the clothes yourself if you already have experience in fashion design or know how to sew, knit, and curate colors and patterns.

Alternatively, you can design certain aspects of the clothing — such as a graphic or a logo — then send it to be printed on-demand at a local print shop when orders come in.

Lastly, you can dropship the items from a warehouse you’ve partnered with. This method is less reliable because there’s less quality assurance for each item, especially if you never visit the warehouses yourself. Regardless of your chosen method, starting a clothing boutique is highly doable, and you don’t need to have a fashion degree (though it certainly helps).

Take some inspiration from Sleep Ova , a luxury loungewear boutique based in Los Angeles, CA.

16. Specialty Food Store Owner

small business idea specialty food store owner

Gourmet foods, cheeses, sake, wine — you name a food, there’s a specialty food store out there for it. Put your passion for exotic olive oils to good use and open a store like American Provisions where you offer the kind of expertise and selection your audience couldn’t dream of getting from their local grocer.

To start your specialty food store, you’ll want to curate and source the items from makers that you love and trust. Ask around your community to find local makers of the food you want to sell, and the makers will likely be open to a partnership, especially if they get a cut of the profits.

When it’s time to sell, you’ll want to find a physical location, but if that investment is too high, you can start by setting up stalls at food festivals and local markets. Or you can go the ecommerce route and sell the products through your website, taking care to carefully pack perishable items.

17. Food Truck Owner

Always dreamt of owning a restaurant but not quite ready to take the plunge? Test out your concepts with a food truck. It’s a great way to become familiar with food and restaurant licensing in your state, see what people like and don’t like, and build a ravenous following before ever opening or investing in a brick-and-mortar location.

Food trucks will require a larger investment, but thankfully, you can rent the truck itself — the Food Truck Group and Roaming Hunger are two potential leasers you could look at. The cost will be high, so I recommend renting one in preparation for an event such as a food festival or concert. There, you’ll get to test out the popularity of your cuisine and see if the food truck business is right for you.

Taco Nganas , a taco truck in Memphis, TN, started with one food truck and expanded to three, building a loyal customer base along the way.

18. Car-detailing Specialist

small business idea car detailing specialist

The devil is in the details, and you can be too. Car-detailing services that travel to the client are convenient for busy people who can’t find the time to run through the car wash. With this business, your clients only have to pay, and the service will be done for them before they know it. Just make sure you have the flexibility, transportation, and equipment to take your business on the road.

There are no educational requirements for car detailing, but you should still take a course such as Auto Finesse’s detailing training to learn core concepts and brush up on your skills.

To get your car detailing business off the ground, you’ll need an SEO-optimized website and a way for customers to book online with you. Before you take that step, however, consider listing your services on websites like Angi , Thumbtack , and even Nextdoor.com so you can get your first local clients.

Don’t have a lot of money to start your business? Check out the ideas below.

1. Translator

Speak a foreign language? Start a translation service. Consider specializing in a specific genre of translation, like medical or financial translation, as you might be able to fill a niche need in your community.

To become a translator, you should have a rock-solid grasp of two languages — ideally, you’ll be near native level for both. You don’t need special credentials to become a translator, but a certification (such as from the American Translators Association ) will legitimize your business and help you get clients.

Prior to gaining a certification, you can also pursue an online certificate, which will teach you the basics of translation. Some providers include:

University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Arizona
University of Georgia

2. Garden Designer

Many people have the willingness to do the dirty work in their backyards, but few have the know-how to complete the first part of this process — designing and planning the backyard space. Draw up the designs for your clients’ outdoor spaces and let them do the actual digging.

But you can also offer installation services, or hire your own contractors to fulfill the design.

To become a garden designer, you should seek at least one credential so you’re well-versed in the basics and prevent damage to a client’s landscape. The American Academy of Garden Design offers courses and certificates that start at $450. A cheaper option is New Skills Academy’s Garden Design Certification ($120).

Remember, the goal is to start a business for cheap, and a certification can have a high ROI after you book your first few clients for garden design.

3. Travel Planner

The time of the travel agent might be passing, but people are still looking for those with a flair for more nontraditional travel coordination. If you always plan the perfect vacations complete with beautiful hotels, the ideal location, and a bevy of delicious restaurants lined up for every evening, consider advertising your services as a more modern approach to travel planning.

You don’t have to only plan trips for individuals, either. If you’re experienced enough, you can even start a group travel company, like Art N Soul Escapes .

You can become a travel planner by first volunteering to plan a few trips for your family and friends. Try it and see if you like it. Once you feel like you’ve gotten a good taste, attend a travel planner program and get certified. Some options include:

The Travel Institute Training & Certification Program
Penn Foster Travel and Tourism Specialist Diploma

You can also seek employment at a travel agency first, then strike out on your own once you’ve learned the basics.

4. DEI Consultant

Passionate about creating inclusive and equitable spaces? This could be a great foundation for starting a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) consulting business. By offering tailored DEI strategies, workshops, and training programs, you can help organizations cultivate inclusive cultures and foster a sense of belonging.

To get started, consider volunteering with non-profit organizations in your community or joining professional organizations focused on diversity and inclusion. Then, from there, you can continue to enhance your skill set by taking 100% online, 100% free DEI programs, such as:

Coursera’s ADP DEI Course
LinkedIn’s LinkedIn Learning DEI Course(s)
Oregon State University’s DEI Course

5. Personal Chef

We all love to eat, but few of us have the time or energy to cook healthy, delicious meals. Advertise your services to local families and businesses alike. To save on start-up costs, consider scheduling certain groups of clients together — say, vegetarians — so you can cook larger quantities of the same dish.

You can also begin by selling food in batches at local farmer’s markets or via a food truck. Once you’ve generated some awareness, you can begin taking on clients. Alternatively, you can start a delivery meal prep service by cooking 5 to 7 days’ worth of meals for clients.

Chef Paul’s mouth-watering dishes are available to clients across the country. His clientele niche consists of athletes, corporate businesses, and local gyms.

6. Property Manager

Many people maintain properties they don’t live in — often based in different cities or states. As a property manager, you can help a property owner ensure their home is well taken care of, handle small fixes as they arise, and serve as a liaison to renters. It’s helpful if you have a background in real estate.

This option is a great fit if you have stupendous organizational, administrative, and customer service skills. As a property manager, you’ll be handling everything from screening potential tenants to collecting rent.

To become a property manager, you must first complete coursework in your desired state. I recommend working at an existing property management company to get your foot in the door. Once you’ve learned the basics, you can then start your own property management business.

7. Hair Stylist

If you have a flair for creating stunning hairstyles and a genuine love for helping people look and feel their best, becoming a professional hair stylist may be for you.

Firstly, enrolling in a cosmetology school is essential. Most states require a cosmetology license to operate a legitimate hair styling business. That said, look for programs that offer comprehensive training in both basic and advanced styling services. Additional certifications in specific areas like hair extensions, textured hair, or bridal styling can set you apart.

By offering services such as hair cutting, coloring, and styling, you can build a loyal clientele quicker than you like. Start by offering your services to friends and family to gain experience and build a portfolio. You can even consider partnering with local salons chains (like Ulta Beauty or Great Clips ) or photographers to expand your clientele.

Remember: Building a successful hair styling business requires not only technical skills but also strong customer service skills and business acumen.

8. Interior Designer

Similar to landscape design — many people can buy the furniture and home decor they need to fill their rooms, but few know where to start. Building a portfolio might take some time, but documenting your projects and sharing them online can build a fanbase beyond your wildest dreams.

To start an interior design business, we first recommend trying your hand at decorating your friends’ homes and working with their vision and specifications. One big aspect of interior design is providing fantastic customer service and knowing how to fulfill a client’s design vision while employing your interior design expertise.

You can then take an interior design course to round out your knowledge, such as the one offered by The New York Institute of Art and Design .

Need inspiration? Check out Sandra Cavallo’s interior design Instagram account.

9. Nonprofit Owner

If you dream of devoting your life to a cause you believe in, it might be time to start a nonprofit. You’ll need to incorporate your business and file for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status — and then you’ll be required to meet ongoing standards of compliance, but the payoff is making a meaningful impact on a cause you believe in.

The best thing is that you can begin a nonprofit easily from home, even before filing for 501(c)(3) status. First, create a nonprofit website (ideally with a .org top-level-domain). Define your mission and goals and determine how you’ll execute your non-profit activities. For instance, if you’re raising money to buy books for local schools, who will deliver them? Which retailer will you use? Start small, then expand.

After that, apply for exempt status so you’re not taxed like a regular business. The profit margins may be smaller, but the job is endlessly rewarding.

10. Color Grader

Got an eye for color? You might be onto something. Color grading is all about transforming footage from okay to awesome. If you're a visual whiz and love playing around with colors, this could be your ticket to a cool career.

Start by practicing with free editing softwares like CapCut Pro or Video Star , and building a portfolio of your work. Share your creations on Tik Tok or Instagram Reels to get noticed.

While there’s no strict certification path, learning color theory and mastering color grading software like DaVinci Resolve is a must. YouTube tutorials can also be a great starting point.

And hey, don’t be afraid to reach out to established colorists for advice or even an internship. Building relationships in the industry can really help you get your foot in the door.

11. Consultant

If you have significant experience in or knowledge of a specific subject, consider becoming a consultant. Perhaps you’re an expert at hiring practices, have a knack for SEO , or have led multiple sales teams to six-figure success. Identify your expertise, market yourself as a consultant, and charge the going rate.

Some consulting industries are more competitive than others, so be sure to complete your research before starting a small consulting business. One way to find out how competitive a consulting niche is by doing keyword search . If your target niche is highly searched or is already dominated by big companies, you may have a harder time breaking in. You can use keyword research tools to uncover keyword volume and local demand.

If there’s room for you to enter the market, the next step is to land your first clients. Be sure to participate in local networking events covering your niche and reach out to potential prospects through cold calling and emailing. Investing in dedicated sales software can also help measure and improve your emailing strategy, as well as keep track of worthwhile leads.

12. Event Planner

An event planning business is an excellent choice if you have great organizational and interpersonal skills, and it’s relatively cheap to start. You might choose to specialize in a specific type of event — like weddings or company meetings — or set yourself up as an event planner of all trades.

The good news is that event planners are always in demand. It’s not an easily automated job, so this small business idea is set to thrive regardless of the digital landscape. To start, you’ll want to look for a platform that will easily allow you to advertise your availability, such as event planner directories like Eventective and WeddingWire .

If you’re highly organized, detail-oriented, and have experience planning large events, it might be time for others to benefit from your skills.

13. Personal Assistant

Personal assistants help business owners and executives take care of administrative tasks. To launch a freelance personal assistant business, you should leverage networking opportunities on LinkedIn and attend small business events at local chambers of commerce. Most local business owners might not even know they need a personal assistant until you market your services to them.

If you’re an organized, highly-detailed person, the life of a personal assistant might be for you. Don’t want to be tied to one office or person all day, every day? Consider becoming a virtual assistant, which allows you a more flexible work environment.

To become an assistant, choose a niche — will you be helping women business owners specifically? Do you have a specific field of expertise, like bookkeeping? A website can also go a long way, and be sure to print business cards for you to hand out during networking events.

14. Consignment Shop Owner

If you have an eye for style but don’t want to invest in the inventory of a brand-new boutique, consider starting a consignment shop. It will allow you to curate a collection of clothing that matches your goals and aesthetic without the overhead of a boutique selling entirely new garments.

The beauty of a small consignment business is that you can now start one online. You can sign up on a platform such as Poshmark , Depop , and even Etsy , then easily start selling your own used fashion from home.

Once you’ve defined your niche — such as vintage clothing, unique locally made art, or colorful shoes — you can begin sourcing new products from your local stores and thrift shops.

15. Caterer

If the personal chef gig is too restrictive for your schedule, consider catering instead. Pick your projects, work on fewer but larger events, and hone in on your time management skills.

Becoming a caterer is a natural step for those who are used to cooking for large events — for instance, you may have already catered your friend’s wedding or brought a 20-person meal to a potluck (that counts, too!).

It’s essential that you have enough temperature-regulated storage for the meals prior to each event, and that you arrange for reliable, temperature-controlled transportation to and from your home kitchen. Alternatively, you can lower your costs by inviting customers to pick up their order at your home.

16. Nail Technician

This one may be a bit controversial but (regardless of how you feel about it) it’s actually one of the most popular services/businesses to date.

If you’re all about attention-to-detail, exercising tons of creative freedom, and building close-knit relationships with clients, designing beautiful nail sets as an at-home nail tech could be the perfect way to turn your passion into a profitable venture. With the flexibility to set your own hours and work from the comfort of your own home, this career path offers a great balance between work and life.

To get started, you'll need to invest in some essential equipment, such as a manicure table, UV lamp, and a variety of nail polishes and tools. Consider taking a nail technician course ( Empire Beauty School may be a great place to start) to learn the latest techniques and ensure you’re providing top-notch service to your clients.

Additionally, building a strong online presence through social media and a website ( Vagaro is what’s popular these days for independent esthetic businesses) can also help you attract new customers and showcase your skills.

However, with this business idea (just like with most business ideas), you should know that building clientele takes time and effort. I recommend starting off with offering discounted nail sets.

With dedication and hard work, you can 100% turn your at-home nail tech business into a thriving and rewarding career.

17. Boutique Agency Owner

What’s your specialty? Whether it’s marketing, social media, or PR, it might be time to start your own agency. Many other small businesses need this type of help but don’t have the resources or volume to necessitate a full-time position.

To start an agency, you would ideally have worked in your specialty for a number of years. You should also be prepared to interface directly with clients, fulfill their requirements, and temper their expectations (if they want results in an unreasonably short amount of time).

Consider building a small team and learn from other entrepreneurs who’ve successfully started their own agencies, like Duane Brown of Take Some Risk .

18. Coffee Shop Owner

Turn your caffeine addiction into something a little more lucrative. Opening a franchise or buying an existing shop are lower-risk entry points to the coffee game, but they usually require a little more cash upfront. Starting a shop from scratch requires more planning and work — but it also maximizes your earning potential in the future.

A coffee shop is an excellent fit if you already have a full-time remote job and wish to supplement your income with a small business. You can manage the coffee shop as you work at one of the tables, but be sure to have the budget to hire an experienced barista who can pick up the slack.

If you would like to open a coffee shop and run it full-time on your own, you’ll need to undertake barista training, understand worldwide coffee sources, and have excellent customer service skills.

19. Moving Company

A truck, moving equipment, manpower, and the correct permits and insurance are the building blocks of starting your own moving company . Before you buy your first fleet of trucks, however, start small with a moving van and keep your costs low.

Still sound like too much of an initial investment? Consider offering packing services only, which have a much lower financial barrier to entry. You can partner with moving companies and offer to do their packing, or have them refer clients to you.

You could even take a niche approach to the industry as Astro International has by offering international moving services.

20. Home Staging

If you have a flair for interior design, a staging service might serve as your creative outlet and professional calling. You can build a portfolio with little initial investment by staging homes using the owner’s existing furnishings and decor. Most stagers eventually build up an inventory of furniture as they become more established and network with area realtors.

To get your first home staging clients, you should first rely exclusively on networking. Find your local realtors’ association and attend their events with business cards handy. Once you’ve gotten your first clients and built your portfolio, you can begin posting your designs on your home staging website.

If you don’t yet have enough experience, be sure to pursue an interior design course before opening this small business.

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These home business ideas give you a few more business options that are either based at home or online.

Frontend, backend, and every type of code in between, this skill requires no in-person interaction with your clients. But one skill you’ll want to carry over from the in-person world for this type of business is active listening. It can be easy to zone out while building a product, but developing a connection with the client is just as important as developing the code for their website.

If you keep the client top of mind when you can’t be around physically, you can ensure that you’re meeting their development needs with your coding work.

2. Vending Machine Owner

Since 2015, the growth rate for vending machine businesses has increased 1.4%. Even as social distancing restrictions are still in place, this business can still be lucrative if you choose the right locations. High-traffic is key — places like hospitals, schools, and community centers are smart places to start placing your machines to generate enough revenue to cover cost and turn a profit.

3. Social Media Manager

If you're always up-to-date on the latest trends and can whip up an engaging post in two seconds flat, social media management could be your calling.

As a social media manager, you can use your skills to manage the social media accounts for companies and even individuals. Influencer marketing has become more common and many influencers rely on marketing agencies or employees to help them run their social channels.

And let's not forget about AI! It can be a total game-changer for scheduling posts, analyzing audience data, and even generating content ideas.

According to HubSpot’s 2024 Social Media Marketing Report , 51% of marketers say generative AI is most helpful in creating social media posts (i.e., copy, content calendars, etc.), and 58% say that's what they mainly use generative AI for. Check out the chart below for some additional insights that may skew you towards pursuing social media management professionally:

6. Voiceover Artist

Speaking of podcasts and videos, many content creators recognize the value and level of professionalism that great voice talent can bring to a project. There are gigs out there for podcast intros/outros, narration for explainer videos, or even voice work for audiobooks.

7. Dog Walker, Groomer, or Trainer

Licensing and insurance will be the two most important factors in opening a dog walking, grooming, or training business, but your canine colleagues will surely make up for the initial red tape. To test the waters before jumping in, consider walking dogs through companies like Rover. Ready to run your own show? Consider a franchise like Dogtopia .

small business idea dog walker groomer trainer

8. Food/Restaurant Reviewer

Hey… if Keith Lee can do it, you can, too.

If you’re a foodie with a passion for sharing your culinary experiences, starting a food reviewing business could be a delicious way to earn extra income. Whether you want to focus on local restaurants, specific cuisines, or niche food trends, there’s sincerely something for everyone in the world of food reviewing.

To get started, consider building a strong online presence through a blog ( Substack or Medium.com have been hot recently), social media channels ( Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts ), or a dedicated food reviewing website. Share your honest and informative reviews, accompanied by high-quality photos and videos. Then, as you build your audience, engage with them by responding to comments and participating in online food communities.

As you build your reputation, you can explore opportunities for collaborations with restaurants, food brands, and other food influencers. Additionally, you might even consider offering consulting services to restaurants. As a food influencer, the world is really your oyster. All puns intended.

If you want a business idea that you can run entirely online, check out the ones below. These ideas are ideal for those looking for a passive income stream. In other words, you shouldn’t need to do too much manual work to launch these businesses from your home or preferred business location.

1. Become an online reseller.

To become an online reseller, all you need is some business savvy and some funds to invest in product stock from manufacturers — or, of course, the willingness to sell your own used items. Generally, this is a low-touch but high-performance way of creating a passive income online business.

Online resellers usually use a platform, such as Facebook Marketplace or Amazon Sellers, to sell either their own or manufacturers’ stock. The benefit of using Facebook Marketplace is that you can begin today with your own Facebook account, and simply list items that you already own.

Interested buyers typically drive directly to your home for pick-up — but if you’re not interested in human interaction, you can leave it outside and have the buyer pay via an online platform.

But if you’re not too crafty, you don’t need to create full-on journals or beautiful art prints, either; you can create templates for <a href=" https:="" www.canva.com="" creators="" "="" rel="noopener" target="_blank">marketplaces such as Canva. There, folks are able to customize a base design to their specifications, so you don’t have to worry too much about creating something specially beautiful — it’s more about functionality and customizability.

AI can be revolutionary for this small business idea, too. It truly can help you with everything, from creating product descriptions to designing eye-catching graphics. Plus, AI-powered tools embedded in design programs (wink wink, Canva) can help you create designs quickly, without hassle.

If you plan to create digital products that buyers can print at home, think about printing specifications, such as recommended paper size, paper weight, PPI (pixels per inch; a higher PPI results in better print quality), and so on. It’s essential to create a positive customer experience, even if users are ultimately responsible for what the final result looks like.

8. Publish a subscription-based newsletter.

I’ve already discussed becoming an independent author, but if long-form writing, such as novels, seems out of reach, you can always go for something much shorter and simpler: Newsletters. And the best part about paid newsletters is that you typically don’t need to have a separate website and blog; instead, you can sign up on a platform and begin publishing right away.

A website can, of course, benefit you, but the core of your revenue will come from the newsletter itself.

With newsletter monetization platforms such as Substack or even Patreon , you can publish shorter content that features your opinion, experience, and expertise. I recommend pairing this small business idea with a robust social media marketing strategy , where your followers can learn more about you and be swayed to subscribe to a gated newsletter.

Choose a niche you’re passionate about, and this online business idea can feel less like work and more like a profitable hobby.

9. Create an online course.

If you want to monetize your expertise a little further for your online business, then creating an online course is the best choice.

To create a course, you’ll need to sign up on an online course platform such as WordPress or Teachable , sketch out a curriculum, film your lectures, and create worksheets and guides. You can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you’d like, but to make this online business as passive as possible, you’d ideally record all your lectures at once and allow users to access them by paying a premium fee.

If you’d like to try your hand at it first, you can try publishing a course on a platform such as Udemy and see if it feels viable to you. To become an online course teacher, you don’t need a specific level of education, but you should have a strong grasp on the material you’re teaching and a strong set of customer service skills , as well as software to effectively handle inquiries or course refunds.

10. Transcript videos, shows, and podcasts.

A freelance transcription business is an excellent idea for those who speak only one language and are passionate about improving communication. Transcribers listen to speech, write it out — usually verbatim — and deliver it to the original publisher in an organized document.

Oh, and AI can definitely boost your productivity here. It can automatically generate a basic transcript, which you can then clean up and polish. It's like having a super smart assistant to speed up the process. Plus, with AI extension tools like Otter.ai and Riverside , you can handle more projects and earn more money.

This small online business is a good fit for those who are looking for a part-time side business. You should be able to type quickly and have a good listening ear. Indeed has listed the top transcription companies where you can get your foot in the door.

Once you understand how the industry works, you can consider opening your own small transcription business and offering services on freelancer marketplaces such as Fiverr or Upwork .

Whether you’re looking to start your venture today or you simply don’t want to jump through the normal hoops of launching a small business, the below ideas are extremely easy to start — so easy, all you’ll need to do is sign up on a website or tell your friends about your services.

1. Vacation Host

Have you ever used a home-sharing service instead of a hotel? You could make a living by hosting visitors in your own home or renting out a room. Consider becoming a host with companies like Airbnb .

To become a vacation host, you don’t need any special skills except friendliness, courteousness, and agility (in case of guest emergencies or language barriers). A customer service course will prepare you to welcome guests and give them a pleasant stay.

You’ll need to invest in supplies and toiletries, such as new bedding and one-time soaps and toothbrushes, but the overhead is relatively small, and you can stop at any time.

2. Pet Sitter

Do you really, really love pets? Consider becoming a pet sitter. While the pet's owners are away on vacation, either host their pet at your home or make visits to their home. Join a pet sitting service like Wag or Rover to get started.

If you start a pet sitting business, be sure to have some experience with dogs, cats, and other household pets. You should also choose a niche based on timing. For instance, do you prefer long-term arrangements? You can market yourself as an excellent vacation pet sitter. Do you only do single afternoons, or only on weekends? You can pull in clients by telling them you’ll take care of their pets during their dates or weekend trips.

3. Rideshare Driver

If you didn’t know this already, rideshare driving has become a popular way to earn extra income, offering a flexible schedule and the potential for substantial earnings. So, if you're looking for a low-investment business venture that allows you to be your own boss, it might be a great fit.

To get started, you'll need a vehicle that meets the requirements of the rideshare platform you choose (e.g., Uber , Lyft ). You’ll also need to pass a background check and obtain any permits or licenses.

Once you’re approved, you can start picking up passengers, earning money, and experiencing the thrill of the open road.

Just don’t get in any accidents.

If there’s a topic you have a heavy interest in, then there’s an audience out there with a heavy interest in it too. blog %20can%20be%20used%20to%20build%20an%20online%20community%20whose%20engagement%20can%20be%20monetized.%20 Affiliate marketing , sponsored content , and co-marketing are some ways to make money once your blog develops a following.

Blogging is one of the most accessible small businesses to start, and there are countless niches to choose from. That said, because there are many blogs online, you’ll need to learn blog SEO and keyword research to ensure your audience finds you. That way, you actually make money out of your blogging efforts.

The great news is that a small blogging business has a ridiculously low overhead. All you need is a custom domain and your time for writing blog posts. Although finding the right topic ideas and outlining your posts may seem challenging at first, especially if you’re new to writing, you can let a blog ideas generator do most of the grunt work for you.

These tools leverage artificial intelligence to help you brainstorm ideas and set up your content structure. That way, you can kickstart your creative juices and begin writing about what you love right away.

5. Financial Advisor

Becoming a financial advisor could be your next calling, especially if you’re good with numbers and people. Imagine guiding folks towards financial security and helping them achieve their dreams. It's a pretty pleasing gig.

To get started, you'll need a solid understanding of investments, taxes, retirement planning… the works. But building trust with clients is the key here, so strong communication skills are also essential.

Of course, you'll need the right certifications to be a financial advisor. Things like the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation can really boost your credibility. And don't forget about networking! Building relationships with other financial professionals can open doors and help you grow your client base.

6. Ecommerce Store Owner

Do you create, collect, or curate anything special? Consider starting an ecommerce store and turning your hobby into a full-time job. Whether you need somewhere to sell all that pottery you’ve been making, or an excuse to search for the sports memorabilia you love tracking down, an ecommerce store can make it financially viable for you to pursue your passion.

Starting an ecommerce store is simple and easy. You can set up a shop using an ecommerce website builder , all of which start at a minimal monthly subscription (some even start at free). Be sure to take good photos of your products and write descriptive product pages .

If you don’t have inventory, you can always own an ecommerce store by using dropshipping . Instead of creating and shipping your products yourself, you’ll instead partner with a dropshipping website and have them mail out the orders directly to your client.

7. House Cleaner

With a low barrier to entry, house cleaning can be a great way to start doing what you love — soon. Consider advertising to homes in your neighborhood and get more bang for your buck by earning a few small businesses as clients as well. They’ll usually bring in a higher paycheck for a similar amount of work.

To become a house cleaner, you should be prepared to invest in cleaning supplies and accessories, or be willing to use your own. If you plan to serve small businesses, you should buy industrial janitorial supplies so you can get work done more effectively.

Need some inspiration? This small business cleaning service grew virtually overnight on Instagram after their content went viral during the pandemic.

8. Packing Services Facilitator

Moving is always a pain, and many people hire the entire packing process out. As a packing services facilitator, you’ll be going to people’s homes and packing up their smaller items into organized boxes. To start this business, you must be comfortable with face-to-face contact and with manual labor.

You can begin this business by advertising in your own neighborhood. Once you’re ready to expand, consider partnering with a local moving service that will refer new clients to you. That way, you’ll have a steady stream of clients, and you won’t have to invest in a moving truck (the moving service will take care of that for you).

1. Etsy Shop Owner

Creating novelties by hand is a fun and unique way to start a small business, and you can easily sell them via Etsy . Whether you make jewelry, knitted comfort items, or even custom wigs , there’s probably a market for your products and an Etsy buyer who’s ready to purchase.

This idea is excellent if you’re already an expert in the craft you aim to sell. That way, you don’t need to pursue additional education or certification courses. Once you set up your Etsy store, which is free, tap into your audience with creative marketing on social media and optimize your website using keywords that describe the products you make.

2. Tour Guide

Love the local history of your city or state? Consider becoming a tour guide. Sure, you’ll need to conduct plenty of research to be able to do the job well, but that’s half the fun. Set yourself apart by offering tours that speak to a specific niche of your community’s history.

You can start a tour guide business easily. First, decide what your specialty will be. Some tour guides, like the ones at Freedom Trail in Boston , offer historical walking tours of their town’s most haunted spots while others curate guided foodie tours for guests to get a true taste of the city.

Maybe you love the outdoors and are an experienced backpacker — you can then offer hiking tours. To begin, use a platform such as TripAdvisor or Airbnb, where you can sign up as a tour guide provider. Remember to launch a website, and to file for a sole proprietorship status.

3. Online Class Instructor

Tutoring is often done in-person and with one client at a time. But thanks to remote work software, teaching an online class offers more flexibility than ever for folks interested in educating others.

English is a typical subject for online classes because of how many people want to learn it. But anything that you have a mastery over could be translated to a virtual class. From American Sign Language (ASL) to music theory lessons, virtual teaching is an easy way to spread the wealth of knowledge (and to make money while doing it).

4. Small-Batch Goods Seller

small business idea small-batch goods seller

Fun fact: There are many products you can learn how to make at home without any preservatives, chemicals, or toxins, and for cheap.

Candles, soaps, shampoos, moisturizers, and other body/home care products are some examples of unique goods you can create and tailor with custom scents.

By offering high-quality, handcrafted products, you can build a loyal customer base and differentiate yourself from competitors.

5. Makeup Artist

small business idea professional makeup artist

Many people prefer to have a professional do their makeup because they lack the proper products or just the skills. It may be for a special occasion, photoshoot, or video shoot, or another event. But as a professional makeup artist, being able to do a variety of different looks will make your business more attractive to more customers.

You should also consider honing in on a specific niche. For instance, you might do wedding makeup exclusively, or even editorial makeup could be your shtick.

To run a successful makeup artist business, you’ll need to be social media savvy . Instagram in particular is an excellent platform to advertise your services and get new clients. Again, Vagaro is also a wonderful place to promote your makeup artistry.

6. Professional Organizer

A lot of people struggle with clutter or disorganization in their homes and offices. It can be a large undertaking to create organized systems and habits. Grab a lot of storage bins and a label maker and get started.

To become an organizer, you’ll first need to have the chops: Is your own home organized? Do you enjoy making order out of chaos? Then, launch a website to market your services locally. Be sure to create local listings to ensure people find your business, including listings on Angi , Houzz , and Thumbtack .

Meg Golightly, founder at Gosimplified , has made this small business idea into a successful career.

small business idea professional organizer

When it comes to exploring creative small business ideas, it’s essential to tap into your unique talents, passions, and interests to help your venture stand out in the market.

Creativity is a powerful tool; with the right approach, you can turn your innovative concepts into successful businesses. Finding inspiration in your passions and strengths is crucial to building a business that resonates with your audience.

Look for opportunities to blend your creativity with market demand by offering unique products or services that cater to specific niches. By aligning your passion with market trends and consumer needs, you can carve out a distinctive space for your business and create a meaningful impact in your industry.

I tapped our awesome Trends & Research experts for outside-the-box ideas to inspire your entrepreneurial journey. Here are some data-backed creative small business ideas to get you started:

1. Branding Consultant

Every company, big or small, needs a strong brand identity to stand out. That’s where you come in. As a branding consultant, you’re the architect of a company’s image, shaping how people perceive and feel about them.

The best part? You don't need a fancy office or a huge team to get started. All you really need is a keen eye for design, a deep understanding of marketing, and a knack for storytelling. With a laptop and a solid internet connection, you can start building your client base.

Now, while certifications aren’t strictly needed to start your branding consultancy, they can definitely boost your credibility. Consider courses or certifications in marketing, branding, or design. Places like HubSpot Academy and Skillshare offer a variety of online courses.

Also, building a strong portfolio of your work is crucial. Even if you haven’t worked with paying clients, you can practice by creating brand identities for your favorite companies. This will not only showcase your skills but also help you refine your ideation process.

2. Crochet/Knitwear Designer

Love getting lost in a good crochet or knitting project? Turns out, your hobby could be your next money-maker. If you’ve got the gift of creating individualistic, stylish pieces, you might be onto something.

Designing your own crochet or knitwear and selling your patterns or finished products could be a super rewarding venture. Imagine seeing people wearing something you created… That's pretty cool, right?

Building a following on social media can be a great way to showcase your work and connect with potential customers. Plus, TikTok is a great place to gather free resources on easy patterns and beginner’s best practices, from preserving materials to where to get the best bang for your buck.

3. Tattoo Artist

So, you’re thinking about turning your love of art and ink into a full-time gig? Well, you’re in luck. Tattooing can be a really enjoyable career, both creatively and financially.

First off, there’s a huge demand for tattoos. From stick and pokes to fine line tattoo art, getting a tattoo is becoming as normal as getting a haircut in most major cities. This means there’s a steady stream of potential customers out there. Now, tattoos are indeed a bit of a luxury item, which means people are often willing to pay a premium for good work. That’s where you come in. If you’ve got the skills and can build a solid reputation, you can command some pretty decent rates.

Another cool thing about the tattoo industry is that it’s relatively low overhead compared to other small businesses . Sure, you’ll need supplies and a clean workspace, but you don’t need a huge storefront or a massive inventory. This means more of your earnings go straight to your wallet.

So, is your head buzzing with small business ideas yet? After all that brainstorming, you’ll need a practical plan to get started with your new small business.

Next, let’s talk about how you’ll start your small business, right from your own home.

1. Identify your small business idea.

Whether you choose an option from the list above or have another idea up your sleeve, it’s important to have the experience, training, or skills necessary to be successful.

Want to run a daycare but have never even visited a successful daycare center? Spend time conducting research to learn whether this is really the right fit for your experience, interests, and target audience.

HubSpot’s Business Startup Kit could also be a hassle-free, easy way to begin ideating about your business plan, goals, and how to identify your target market.

2. Start as a side business or hobby.

Can you get your business off the ground as something you do in the evenings or on the weekends (a.k.a. a side job)? This allows you to make some mistakes, test the market, and understand whether your idea has legs before you quit your nine-to-five job and lose your primary income.

3. Decide on your software.

You’ve got a lot of things on your plate when first starting up. But one step that’s critical (and often forgotten by first-time entrepreneurs) is deciding on the software that can help you be more efficient as your business grows.

Every business is different — but almost all companies can use software to help with analytics, project management , accounting, bookkeeping, email marketing , and other basic day-to-day tasks.

One of the most important software tools every small business should utilize is a free all-in-one CRM platform to keep track of important customer information in one central database. It will help align your team and make sure you stay organized as your business grows. Learn how to pick the best CRM for your small business .

Learn more about choosing the right structure for your business from the Small Business Administration.

6. Create a business bank account.

Once you have a legally formed business and have been issued an Employer Identification Number (EIN) , open a bank account specifically for your business. Having a business bank account is essential for keeping your personal and business finances separate which can help you gain an accurate picture of your business’s cash flow and financial health.

Additionally, keeping your personal and business finances separate makes bookkeeping and tax preparation easier.

Many banks offer business checking and savings accounts. Business checking accounts typically do not have a limit on the number of transactions that can take place, and issue a debit card that can be used for making business purchases. However, these checking accounts do (thankfully) not accrue interest.

Business savings accounts typically earn interest over time but have a limited number of transactions that can occur each month. When you’re just starting out, look for a business bank account that does not have a minimum balance requirement so you are not penalized for having low funds as you work to build your business.

7. Determine if your business idea works well from home.

Ask yourself whether your business idea will work well from home. Some businesses simply aren’t suited to be based from home. If you want to run a dog boarding center but live in an apartment without a backyard, you might want to consider a dog walking business instead.

8. Set up an office.

If your business idea is well-suited for being run from home, it’s still important you have a designated workspace. While a home office might not be possible, consider setting aside a corner in your living room or putting a desk in your bedroom for a space that inspires you and creates the conditions for success.

Need a more professional space? If you conduct client-facing work requiring you to be on video calls, no one wants to see your rumpled sheets in the background.

Check out local coworking spaces for memberships that earn you access to conference rooms, desk space, and more. WeWork and PeerSpace are great places to start looking.

9. Get to work!

You’ve put in the hard work, but I’ve got some bad news — it’s only going to get harder. But most entrepreneurs will agree that the payoff of being your own boss, making your own hours, and working on projects that you’re passionate about will pay dividends for the rest of your life.

What are the types of small businesses?

The types of small business structures are sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and corporations.

Sole Proprietorship: The simplest type of business structure is a sole proprietorship, which is also the easiest to start. As a sole proprietor, you are personally responsible for the business's liabilities and profits, and you have complete control over your business. If you are a solopreneur, you are automatically considered a sole proprietor.
Partnership: A partnership is a business model involving two or more individuals who agree to share the business‘s profits and liabilities. Each partner contributes to the business and shares the risks and rewards. It’s essential to have a partnership agreement that defines each partner's roles and responsibilities to ensure clarity and prevent potential misunderstandings.
Limited Liability Company (LLC): An LLC, or limited liability company, is a common option for small businesses because it protects its owners by separating personal assets from the company's liabilities. To form an LLC, the business owner must file the required paperwork with the state.
Corporation: A corporation is an independent legal entity distinct from its owners. It provides limited liability protection to its shareholders, who are not held personally accountable for the company's debts. Corporations have formal requirements and often raise capital by issuing stocks or shares.

Which business type is best?

The best business type is a limited liability company (LLC). Operating as an LLC means that your personal assets are separate from your business assets. If your business goes bankrupt, your personal holdings won’t be affected. That said, it’s also one of the costlier types, requiring a fee paid to the state.

The easiest business type to start is a sole proprietorship. The main downside is that there’s no differentiation between you and your business.

It's crucial to seek advice from legal or accounting professionals to determine the best business structure based on your unique needs and objectives. Each structure has advantages, legal requirements, tax implications, and flexibility considerations.

How do I create a business idea?

To create a business idea, determine your skill set, work preferences, startup budget, and available resources. It’s important to strike the right balance between what you can feasibly offer and what you can feasibly afford in the short and long term.

We recommend starting with your skill set so that you can easily determine the niche in which you can effectively compete. For instance, if you have ample experience as a writer, you might consider starting a freelance writing business. But if you know you’d prefer to work with clients face-to-face, you might choose to start a ghostwriting business instead. That’s why it’s so important to take your work preferences into account, as well.

After that, take a look at your budget and determine the type of business you can start based on the resources at your disposal.

For instance, you might not be able to afford a physical office or location, so a location-based business will likely not be a good fit. In that case, starting an online business is your best option.

What resources or tools can I use to refine and validate my business ideas during the brainstorming process?

Online market research tools like Google Trends, Keyword Planner, and SEMrush can provide insights into market demand, competition, and keyword trends related to your business niche. Industry reports and market analyses from reputable sources such as IBISWorld, Gartner, Statista, and industry-specific publications can offer valuable data and trends to inform your decision-making. Ensure you know the industry risk before embarking on your small business venture.

Additionally, joining entrepreneurial communities, forums, and social media groups can provide opportunities to seek feedback, network with like-minded people, and gain insights from experienced entrepreneurs . Finally, consider conducting surveys or interviews with potential customers to gather feedback and validate your business concept before investing significant time and resources.

What are some of the most successful small businesses?

Every small business has the potential to be successful and profitable, provided it’s backed by a strong product-market fit and a robust business plan . These two elements are essential. Maybe postnatal services are one of the most successful small businesses to launch, but if you live in an area with declining population or a large elderly population, then that small business idea won’t yield a high return on investment.

Think carefully about the market where you’re launching your business, and you’ll be more than likely to see lasting success.

What are the top growing small businesses?

The top growing industries are healthcare support, technology, personal care, food preparation, and community and social service. As such, launching a small business in any of these fields is bound to yield a high return on investment, but remember to take your target market into account.

Here are some small business ideas for each of those industries.

Healthcare Support

In-home care assistant
In-home elderly care provider
Psychological care provider
Prenatal and postnatal support specialist
Freelance programmer or web developer
Freelance IT support specialist
Freelance cybersecurity expert

Personal Care

Hair stylist
Nail technician

Food Preparation

Personal chef
Food truck owner
Food delivery

Community and Social Services

Non-profit owner
Education specialist

How do I fund a small business?

If you are looking to fund your small business, there are several options you can consider, including:

Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping is building a business from scratch with limited finances, relying on personal savings, borrowing or reinvesting early profits. The main advantage is you have control over your vision and decisions, which allows you to innovate and adapt without being beholden to investors' demands.

Small Business Grants

Small business grants are a great option for smaller companies seeking initial support without the need for traditional venture capital routes. These grants offer modest funding ranging from a few hundred dollars to substantial sums.

They‘re available from government agencies, nonprofits, or corporate social responsibility programs. Unlike loans, grants don’t require repayment, and they also don't entail equity stakes like traditional investors.

Angel Investors and Venture Capital

As an entrepreneur with a great business idea but no financial resources, you can seek funding from angel investors or venture capitalists . Remember to present a compelling business plan to increase your chances of securing funding.

Besides financial support, these investors can offer valuable expertise, industry connections, and resources to help your business grow. Leverage online platforms and networking events to connect with potential investors and achieve your goals.

Bank Loans and Lines of Credit

You can approach banks or credit unions for small business loans or lines of credit, leveraging your business plan and credit history.

You can explore loan programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) designed to assist small businesses with financing needs.

Alternative Financing

As a small business owner, you may find securing traditional financing options, such as bank loans, challenging. However, there are other ways to finance your business.

One such option is microlending , where you can borrow money from individual investors through online platforms like Kiva. Another option is crowdfunding , where you can raise funds for your business by asking a large group of people to contribute small amounts of money. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo are good places to start.

What are the best small business grants?

Here are 19 small business grants you can apply to today. Eligibility criteria vary by provider, so make sure your business aligns with the grant's size, industry focus, and target demographics before applying.

How does copyright apply to my small business?

Copyright laws offer legal protection to creators of original works, allowing creators to control the use and distribution of their creations, which can include books, music, artwork, designs, and software. As a small business owner, you‘ll need to be aware of copyright law since you may encounter copyright issues if you create any original content, such as a brand logo, website content, blog posts, videos, or marketing materials. It’s important to ensure that you don't infringe on the copyright of others and to protect your own creative assets.

How can I protect the copyright of my creations?

Though copyright protection is automatic when you create something original, taking additional steps to protect your work is a good idea. Here are a few essential tips:

Include copyright notices. Adding copyright notices on your creative works (e.g., “Copyright © [Year] [Your Business Name]”) helps deter potential infringers and informs others that your work is protected.
Register your work. Registering your work with the appropriate copyright office can provide additional legal advantages and may be necessary in certain situations to enforce your rights in court.
Consider licensing your work. Licensing allows you to permit others to use your work under specific conditions while still retaining your ownership rights. You can create licenses that determine how others can use your creations and even charge licensing fees.

Selecting a small business idea to work on is a personal decision. Money is important, but you’ll need more motivation than that to keep going.

Bounce ideas off your friends and family until you reach the perfect idea that works for your schedule, fulfills your life’s passion, and makes financial sense.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help throughout this process — and remember to have a little fun while you’re putting in the work.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2024 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Written by Jesse Sumrak | March 12, 2024

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Can there really be that many good business ideas? Yes, there can. This is actually our filtered-down list—you should have seen how many other almost-good ideas nearly made the cut.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or brand new to the scene, we’ve compiled the best-of-the-best business ideas for you to bring to life in 2024. These range from freelance writing to career coaching to dog walking and everything in between.

Ready to find your next big idea? Keep scrolling.

What Makes a Business Idea Good or Bad?

It’s not always just the idea you need to think about. Sometimes it’s you, the situation, market circumstances, or industry trends.

One business idea can be good today and bad tomorrow. It all depends on various factors (both predictable and unpredictable). Not every good business idea will be right for you, and that’s OK.

Fortunately for you, you don’t need 50 good business ideas—you really just need one. Here’s what to keep in mind when finding the right startup idea :

Personal Interests: Don’t start a freelance writing business if you hate writing. Align your interests with your business. That’s the freedom you get when starting your own business—don’t throw it away from the get-go.
Bandwidth: Some business ideas require more input and investment. For example, opening and managing a new Italian restaurant will be more time-consuming than launching a restaurant consulting business. Neither is better than the other—just under your capacity and limitations.
Budget: Starting a business isn’t free. Some ideas cost less than others, though. Keep in mind your budget constraints when planning your venture.
Trends: You want to be on the climbing side of a trend curve—not the decline. Thinking of starting a business centered around Pokémon GO? You’re only about 6 years too late.
Problem-Solving: Find a business idea that solves a problem. Start with the issue, then find a product or service solution.
Renovation: A good business idea doesn’t need to be innovative—it can be renovative. Fix a broken idea or build upon an already successful one.

Once you’ve found the right business idea, don’t quit your day job (yet). Test it first.

Foundr plus dollar trail build business banner

54 Good Business Ideas in 2024

We’ve broken down these good business ideas into a few different sections. Here’s how they’re categorized:

Types of Good Business Ideas

Low-Cost Startup Ideas

Online Business Ideas

Remote Business Ideas

Freelance Ideas

Business Ideas for Women

Side Hustle Ideas

Recession-Proof Business Ideas

Don’t Skip: How to Start a Business from Scratch (Step-By-Step Process)

7 Good Low-Cost Startup Ideas

Starting a business can be expensive. Rent, wages, inventory, advertising, web hosting, marketing—it all starts to add up quickly.

Fortunately, not every good business idea costs a fortune. You can find plenty that cost little to no cash to launch. Let’s start with these low-cost startup ideas first :

1. Freelance Writing: Turns words into income as a for-hire freelance writer . Find an industry that interests you and start writing. This could be thought-leadership articles, SEO-driven content, email campaigns, social media posts, or web pages.

2. Consulting: Freelancers tend to provide deliverables, while consultants provide advice, strategy, and expertise. If you’ve been in an industry for quite some time, there’s a good chance businesses will pay for your wisdom as a consultant . Develop expertise in emerging industries, like AI, to be an early adopter in a niche agency.

3. Course Creating: Have lucrative know-how? Bundle it all up into a well-designed online class and sell it as a course creator . We’re all for it—that’s what we do at Foundr.

4. Podcasting: Total podcast listeners are growing 20% each year . Jump in on the action by creating your own audio-based show. Here’s how to make your podcast stand out from the rest .

5. Blogging: Everyone likes blogs—you’re reading one right now. If you like to write, drive traffic to a website with blogging . Once you have an audience, you can monetize your visitors with ads, ecommerce, sponsorships, donations, and affiliate marketing. Speaking of affiliate marketing…

6. Affiliate Marketing: Instead of selling your own products, sell other businesses’ goods. You’ll make a commission every time someone clicks through your links and makes a purchase. Learn how Catena Media’s Erik Bergman used affiliate marketing to launch an IPO (initial public offering) his consultancy firm.

7. Website Building: Over 627,000 new businesses open each year in the US, and every single one of them needs a website. If you have a knack for building them, sell your services as a website builder. Here’s how to build sites quickly .

6 Good Online Business Ideas for Beginners

We won’t pretend starting a business is easy. It comes with a suite of challenges that bring even the best entrepreneurs to despair, headaches, and tears.

However, it’s worth the challenge.

Lucky for you, some business ideas are easier to start than others. If you’ve never dabbled in launching a business, then these online business ideas for beginners are a great place to start.

8. Ecommerce: Ecommerce is just selling stuff on the internet. Find a product , sell it online, and make a killing. That’s easier said than done, but our guide on how to start an ecommerce business will walk you through the entire process.

9. Virtual Assisting: Help businesses, executives, and freelancers schedule appointments, make phone calls, submit invoices, and manage basic finances as a virtual assistant .

10. Social Media Managing: Many businesses don’t have the bandwidth to manage social networks across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok ( yes, TikTok ). If you’re a savvy social media marketer, you can provide management services across paid and organic channels.

11. Branding: Designing a top-notch logo is hard. Writing a clever tagline is a challenge. Tying it all together into one cohesive brand—that’s the struggle of a branding expert. If you have a talent for it, sell your services in a freelancing or consulting capacity.

12. Domain Flipping: Instead of building websites from scratch, buy existing sites from domain marketplaces. They could be in great, semi-rough, or poor condition—your job is to polish them up and sell them for a profit.

13. Subscription Box Curating: Create a subscription box for a niche in need. There’s a lot of competition in this space, so you’ll need to be clever with your offering and targeting—but Henrik Werdelin built a 9-figure subscription box business just for dogs .

4 Good Remote Business Ideas

New business ideas have blossomed due to the acceptance of remote work. Give these remote work ideas a try to launch a business and help alleviate unexplored problems.

14. Wellness Programming: Remote work isn’t great for everyone—some folks struggle with stress and isolation. As a wellness programmer, you can provide ways to relax, decompress, and focus on mental and emotional wellbeing. This could be in the form of yoga, meditation, stretching, training, or just healthy habits.

15. Remote Work Services: Provide remote-empowering solutions to businesses in need. While it feels like remote started decades ago, some companies are still learning to adapt and cope. Offer services to boost collaboration or fill holes left open by work-from-home policies.

16. Virtual Fitness Training: Peloton doesn’t have a monopoly on online fitness—some people want other forms of exercise, and others prefer a more local community feel. Become a hyper-specialized fitness trainer in specific niches, such as ultramarathon training, rowing, ski mountaineering, or rock climbing.

17. Content Marketing: Upstart brands and corporations alike are looking for help to churn out content for their organic channels. As a content marketer , you can offer to create pieces like newsletters, website articles, social media copy, or short-form videos, all from the comfort of a home office.

7 Good Freelance Job Ideas

Freelancing has been on the up and up in recent years, and the pandemic has only been a catalyst for the movement. Especially with the Great Resignation upon us , companies need freelancers to step up to the plate and take over heaps of work.

If you have the right skill set, you can fulfill that need with one of these freelance job ideas .

18. Video Shooting and Editing: Video content is all the rage, but it’s not easy for busy businesses to produce. If you know your way around a camera and video editing software, you can find plenty of work as a freelance video specialist.

19. Career Coaching: Help clients find their way through their dream careers. You might guide them towards a more appropriate, fulfilling job, or you could give them the tools they need to negotiate their next big promotion.

20. Public Relations: Help businesses land press coverage with media kits, networking, press releases, and storytelling. It’s a demanding job, but it’s right if you like working in a non-stop, fast-paced environment.

21. Marketing: Use content marketing, email, social media, and advertising to market your clients’ products and services . Marketing is all-encompassing, and you’ll likely choose to niche down to a specific channel or strategy down the road.

22. App Developing: Apps are becoming a must-have part of most businesses’ products and services. However, finding an available engineer to build an app is near impossible. If you know your way around Java , Swift , or Kotlin , you’ll be in high demand for mobile app development.

23. Integrating: Some leaders inspire, others innovate, and a few dream. Integrators get things done. They take dreams and aspirations and turn them into reality. It’s a hands-on job, but it’s high-visibility and high-reward.

24. AI Consultant : With so many AI tools available , businesses are struggling to know how to implement them. Be someone’s go-to for AI implementation and consulting.

How To Find The Next BIG Business Idea | Nextdoor's Sarah Leary

12 Good Business Ideas for Women Entrepreneurs

There are 114% more women entrepreneurs now than 20 years ago. Women are looking for more autonomy, work-life balance, and financial freedom—and they’re finding it on their own rather than waiting for the corporate world to change.

If you’re looking for a good business idea that promises location flexibility and work schedule independence, we have a few thoughts. Plus, these business ideas for women entrepreneurs are typically in women-dominated industries—helping you escape the gender discrimination more prevalent in male-dominated sectors.

25. Etsy Shop: Esty is the go-to marketplace for creative entrepreneurs. Want to make one-of-a-kind products? This is where to go to sell them.

26. Interior Designing: Have an eye for design? Become a residential or commercial interior designer. Ergonomic setups and feng shui (arranging furniture for balance) are becoming more of a priority in the business world, meaning more opportunities for you.

27. Graphic Designing: Logos, landing pages, websites, hero images, email campaigns—anything with pixels needs a graphic designer’s touch. While tools like Canva are growing in popularity, they’ll never replace a need for graphic design experts.

28. Dropshipping: Sell products without storing them in your home or a warehouse. It’s the perfect anti-Lula Roe way to sell goods without risking inventory issues.

29. Life Coaching: Coaching isn’t just for career advice. Sometimes, people need life advice. It’s less therapy and more guidance.

30. Tutoring: Online course instructing is when you want to teach the masses—tutoring is for more private 1:1 teaching. Have an in-demand skill? There’s a good chance someone will pay you to teach it to them.

31. Real Estate: Purchase investment properties, find a tenant to pay rent (hopefully covering the monthly mortgage), and sell the property after it appreciates substantially. That’s real estate for you.

32. Wedding Planning: A wedding is the most important day of two partners’ lives. If you can navigate all the moving parts and piece together something beautiful, you’ll be on everyone’s contact list come springtime.

33. Personal Chef: You don’t need to own a restaurant to be a chef. More individuals and families are hiring personal chefs to cook in private settings.

34: Event Planning: Conferences, parties, meetings, conventions, trade shows—they need talented event planners to come together. If that sounds like you, you’ll always have a job in event planning.

35. Makeup Artist: Makeup isn’t as easy as it looks in the commercials, and that’s why makeup artists are killing it on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok showing people how it’s done.

36. Cleaning Business: Everyone needs cleaning: commercial and residential. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty (or managing the business), you’ll find plenty of messy people begging for your help.

How Her Rejected Pitch Led to a Billion-Dollar Startup

14 Good Side Hustle Ideas

Some ideas start better as a side hustle until they bloom to maturity. Side hustles (for better or worse) are less committing than full-time ventures. You can often grow them on the side while maintaining your 9-to-5 until the timing is right .

You also have the option to keep them as a side hustle. Not everyone wants to quit their full-time job and become an all-in entrepreneur, and that’s OK. These are the perfect side hustle jobs for pursuing a passion, making an extra buck, or laying the roots for your next business.

37. Ghostwriting: If you don’t mind trading credit for income, ghostwriting can be a lucrative business idea.

38. Podcast Editing: Some people thrive doing podcast interviews, but they can’t navigate the editing process. That’s where you come in.

39. Influencer Marketing Specialist: Most businesses are hesitant to start with influencer marketing simply because they don’t know how. Tell them what they need to know and hold their hand through the process.

40. Lead Generation Consulting: Sales aren’t always the root of the problem—sometimes, it’s lead generation. Guide a client through how they can build and optimize their lead funnel.

41. Browser Extension Developing: Mobile apps are nice, but sometimes a built-in browser extension is more appropriate.

42. Data Scientist: Know your way around numbers? Businesses have more data than they know what to do with. Help them understand the stories behind the numbers.

43. Quality Assurance Testing: There’s a lot of pressure for apps to be built quickly, but that doesn’t mean quality assurance isn’t a priority. Your job is to break apps so that developers can fix them before they go public.

44. Public Speaking Coaching: Public speaking will likely always be a struggle for a large number of individuals. If you can help executives and would-be presenters overcome their fears and step up to the stage, you’ll have a job in public speaking coaching.

45. Media Training: Don’t put an executive in front of a microphone until they’ve been trained on what to do (and more importantly: what not to do). It’s your job to make sure they don’t screw up.

46. Contract Writing: Know your way around legalese? Help businesses write up contracts.

47. Translating: If you’re bilingual, there’s a good chance you can find gigs for translating the two languages.

48 Dog Walking: Just because more people are working from home doesn’t mean they don’t want a dog walker. Sometimes, they don’t want to leave the house, and other times they can’t with illness or kiddos.

49. Pet Sitting: People want to travel and see the world, but they can’t always bring their furry friend. Keep them company for payment.

50. Travel and Experience Host: If you live in a major metropolitan city or somewhere that’s a destination for travelers, it’s easy to take advantage of platforms like Airbnb to host guests in your home or plan custom experiences that only a local can provide. Whether it’s a food tour in your neighborhood or a guided historical hike, travelers will fork out cash to experience your home like you do.

Find YOUR Side Hustle Idea (9 Questions of Doom)

4 Good Business Ideas During a Recession

Sketchy economic times require backup plans. With 9 to 5 jobs in flux, starting a business during a recession is a secure way to make side income and take advantage of shifts in the market.

51. Finance Coach: With a tightening economy comes tightening budgets. As a finance coach, you can help families objectively adjust their monthly budgets and offer suggestions on cutting costs to free up cash.

52. Content Creator: Making entertaining and engaging content for platforms like TikTok, Twitch, or YouTube doesn’t seem like a stable idea, but it meets two criteria of a recession-proof business. First, it’s low-cost to start. All you need is a phone, ideas, and your personality. Second, it meets consumers’ demands during tight economic conditions—escapism and low-cost entertainment.

53. Home Repair: No matter what’s happening with S&P 500, pipes will burst, lights will flicker, and furnaces wig out. Starting a home repair business will keep you in demand no matter the economic climate because what can go wrong will go wrong with a house.

54. Cleaning Services: Almost half the families in America have both parents employed, meaning there’s not much time to make the house squeaky clean for a hosting. It doesn’t matter if the economy is up or down; people are willing to pay for a cleaning service on the regular or in a pinch before their in-laws come from the weekend.

Keep Learning: How to Start an Online Business

Bring Your Good Idea to Life

Once you’ve zeroed in on your good business idea, it’s time to make it a reality. However, you need more than just an idea—you need skills and know-how.

That’s where we can help.

About Jesse Sumrak

Jesse Sumrak is a writing zealot focused on creating killer content. He’s spent almost a decade writing about startup, marketing, and entrepreneurship topics, having built and sold his own post-apocalyptic fitness bootstrapped business. A writer by day and a peak bagger by night (and early early morning), you can usually find Jesse preparing for the apocalypse on a precipitous peak somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

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Project 2025

And Its Threat to Free Expression

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What is Project 2025?

Project 2025 is a set of policy proposals from the Heritage Foundation –a think-tank that describes its mission as building and supporting conservative public policies. The centerpiece of Project 2025 is its “Mandate for Leadership”, a 922-page set of policy proposals that represents a wish list of policies that it hopes the next conservative Presidential Administration – whoever the candidate – will implement, beginning immediately upon assuming office. Developed primarily by Heritage Foundation staff and consultants, Project 2025’s proposals have also been endorsed by approximately 100 other conservative think-tanks.

Project 2025 repeatedly and explicitly positions itself as a pro-free speech document–pushing back against government, corporate, and ‘elite’ intrusion into speech at universities, on social media, and amongst people of faith. But many of the policies it puts forth are in fact unabashedly hostile to free speech, as PEN America will explain. This is the first of a two-part series analyzing Project 2025 and the threat its ideas – which have significant traction well beyond any single white paper – pose to freedom of expression in the United States.

PEN America Experts:

Director, Research

Part 1: The Freedom to Read, Learn, and Teach

Free expression in public education is under threat. For four years, state legislators have passed educational gag orders and facilitated book bans, inflicting a considerable weakening of students’ freedoms to learn and read. This summer, new laws are taking effect in multiple states continuing the worrisome trend, leading to book bans from Utah to Tennessee, and the dismantling of DEI offices and programs from Kentucky to Texas.

These attacks on the freedom to read, learn, and teach have largely occurred at the state level. But Project 2025, a set of policy proposals created by the Heritage Foundation, proposes to mimic these efforts federally, and to do so using as many levers of federal power as possible.

Project 2025 makes major policy proposals in the education sphere–proposals that, if adopted, would dramatically reshape the landscape of American public education. Project 2025 actually proposes dismantling the Department of Education in its entirety, which would eliminate essential data on America’s public schools and related research – like student demographics and attainment or curricula effectiveness. Dismantling the Department of Education would also weaken the federal government’s capacity to focus national attention on key educational issues, like reading and censorship, and as well as address discrimination and ensure equal access to education.

Other groups in the education sphere have already shed light on what this would mean. But in this paper, PEN America focuses on Project 2025’s other proposals that would affect the country’s educational system–specifically, the proposals that would most affect the freedoms to read, learn, and teach.

This effect would be a deeply negative, even a catastrophic, one. If adopted, Project 2025 would ramp up book banning, impose a greater climate of censorship and self-censorship on schools and college campuses, and silence educators and students–all on a national level.

While there’s much to be concerned about, here are 4 Key Threats Project 2025 Poses to the Freedom to Read, Learn, and Teach:

1. Project 2025 wants to enshrine educational censorship as federal policy

Project 2025 is clear in its intent to wield culture war politics in children’s classrooms. Heritage Foundation’s President Kevin Roberts writes in his Foreword , “Bureaucrats at the Department of Education inject racist, anti-American, ahistorical propaganda into America’s classrooms.” Project 2025 also posits that higher education has been “captured by woke ‘diversicrats’”. In particular, Roberts argues, “The noxious tenets of ‘critical race theory’ and ‘gender ideology’ should be excised from curricula in every public school in the country. These theories poison our children”.

We have seen these arguments before–as providing the rhetorical justification for state-level laws that silence educators, ban books, and chill honest classroom conversations around difficult subjects like racism and sexism in American history. Project 2025 is tripling down on the “ Ed Scare ”–a nationwide effort to foment anger and anxiety about public education.

Since 2021, PEN America has tracked dozens of bills that seek to ban “Critical Race Theory” or “divisive concepts” in schools. 28 of these bills have already become law, in 18 states. The result, as PEN America has amply reported , has been to effectively chill education about slavery, racism, or white supremacy, and to facilitate bans on thousands of books that touch on issues including race, sexuality, and gender. It is for this reason that we call such laws “educational gag orders”–because their true intent and effect is censorship.

But what has been a disaster for the freedom to learn and teach in this country is apparently a victory in the eyes of the Heritage Foundation. Project 2025 heartily endorses a ban on “Critical Race Theory”, writing : “Lawmakers should design legislation that prevents [Critical Race] theory from spreading discrimination … school officials should not require students or teachers to believe that individuals are guilty or responsible for the actions of others based on race or ethnicity.”

What Project 2025 envisions is a federal ban on Critical Race Theory–or what it defines as such–within K-12 schools controlled directly by the federal government. Federally-administered schools include Washington D.C. public schools, and schools administered by the military and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This means that a federal ideological ban will directly affect hundreds of thousands of families: the D.C. school system alone educates almost 100,000 children.

But the damage may not stop there. Project 2025’s expansive language indicates that its overall goal is a set of ideological bans that apply across the nation. A federal ban on Critical Race Theory would send the message to all censorship-minded state legislators that such bans are the new national norm, turbocharging efforts to impose ideological restrictions on teaching and learning.

Project 2025 makes a set of additional proposals whose foreseeable effect would be to water down K-12 education. As PEN America has examined numerous times before , each of these proposals may sound reasonable on their face–particularly in their framing that they are in support of “transparency” or “prohibitions on compelled speech”.

Project 2025 proposes that

“Educators should not be forced to discuss contemporary political issues but neither should they refrain from discussing certain subjects in an attempt to protect students from ideas with which they disagree”
“At the state level, states should require schools to post classroom materials online to provide maximum transparency to parents.”
“For K–12 systems under federal authority, Congress and the next Administration should support existing state and federal civil rights laws and add to such laws a prohibition on compelled speech.”

But federal law already provides transparency requirements and prohibitions on compelled speech. The way these proposed policies would actually be used–and in fact, have already been used in states that have adopted them–is as a means for enabling censors, and for prohibiting the inclusion of specific ideas in the classroom that are disfavored by the government.

2. Project 2025 Would Use “Parental Rights” Rhetoric to Target Specific Ideas in Education

In Chapter 11, its education section, Project 2025 leans heavily on a framing of “parental rights”, as a means of legitimizing school-wide restrictions on LGBTQ+ content. Project 2025 proposes that the next Administration work to pass a federal Parents’ Bill of Rights , and ensure that any education-related regulation contains similar “parental rights” protections. It even calls on Congress to give parents a “private right of action” against schools–in essence, enabling parents to sue public schools for including any curricular content that offends them.

While this rhetoric may seem neutral on its face, PEN America and numerous other groups have repeatedly warned that such “parental rights” rhetoric has been weaponized to erase content in schools that includes LGBTQ+ people, or that involves depictions of race and racism that may be challenging but truthful. This framing of “parental rights” very explicitly prioritizes the rights of some parents, while running roughshod over the rights of others.

As we noted in our 2023 report Educational Intimidation : How “Parents’ Rights” Legislation Undermines the Freedom to Learn , these “parental rights” proposals largely “have an ulterior motive driving them: to empower a vocal and censorship-minded minority with greater opportunity to scrutinize public education and intimidate educators with threats of punishment. Introduced alongside educational gag orders and widespread efforts to ban books, these bills can limit educators’ ability to utilize their professional judgment and create an antagonistic learning environment that impedes children’s education.”

This campaign has placed new pressures on educators. According to a January 2023 RAND / Center for Reinventing Public Education survey , 46 percent of school district leaders say that their ability to educate students has been compromised because of political polarization over LGBTQ+ issues, and 41 percent say the same about the debate over critical race theory.

Project 2025 seeks to replicate these alarming trends on a federal level, giving censorship-minded parents anywhere in the country the power to browbeat schools into withdrawing lessons that offend them personally or that they just disagree with–even by suing them. The result would likely be schools facing expensive lawsuits for teaching anything but the most watered-down, sanitized version of American history, civics, and literature. In practice, that lowest-common denominator approach to public education would likely lead schools and educators to pull back from or abandon altogether efforts to make their curricula more inclusive and representative, and could purge schools of entire areas of scholarship, inquiry, and debate.

3. Project 2025 Wants to Define LGBTQ+ content as “Porn”–and Treat Librarians Like Criminals

Project 2025 is up-front about its intent to equate LGBTQ+ content in children’s books and in school curricula with pornography, and to treat making such content accessible as a crime. PEN America has repeatedly warned that this type of rhetoric directly facilitates book bans, many of which target books with LGBTQ+ characters or that tell LGBTQ+ stories.

In the Foreword to the Project playbook, Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts writes, “children suffer the toxic normalization of transgenderism with drag queens and pornography invading their school libraries.” He goes on to say, even more explicitly, “Pornography, manifested today in the omnipresent propagation of transgender ideology and sexualization of children … has no claim to First Amendment protection…. Pornography should be outlawed… Educators and public librarians who purvey it should be classed as registered sex offenders.”

Already, three states have passed laws that would treat librarians as criminals for refusing to pull books from their shelves, and seventeen states are considering or have considered similar legislation this year. Meanwhile, PEN America has recorded thousands of instances of book bans since 2021, occurring in almost every state.

All of this has made life more dangerous for librarians. “I have been called a porn peddler in an open meeting,” one librarian told PEN America last year. “One person on Facebook has said I should be stoned to death.”

If Project 2025 has its way, these alarming trends would spread nationwide. While Project 2025 does not expand on Roberts’s proposal in its Education section, the Heritage Foundation President’s words in the Foreword are clear, calling for a clear policy position from the next Administration to treat at least a portion of LGBTQ+ content as pornography, and treat librarians as criminals if they keep such books on their shelves.

If Project 2025 is meant to be a policy “playbook” for the federal government, then presumably the vision laid out here is for a federal law or executive policy. That would be the culmination of a years-long campaign from some activists to ignore or broaden existing definitions of obscenity, paving the way to censor LGBTQ+ voices and stories, as well as a broader array of stories that contain sexual content, including those that tackle difficult issues such as sexual assault.

Such a law or policy would almost certainly be unconstitutional; but we have seen how it can take many years and legal challenges to unwind such pernicious laws once they are on the books. The victims won’t just be librarians, but authors who write–or hope to write–such stories, and LGBTQ+ kids and their families, who deserve to see themselves reflected in books available in schools and libraries.

4. Project 2025 wants to give politicians greater ideological control over universities, by stripping away guardrails

Project 2025 also takes direct aim at colleges and universities, proposing to strip away the guardrails that help defend public colleges from the ideological whims of state politicians.

The first way Project 2025 seeks to do this is by significantly altering

the system of university accreditation. Accreditation agencies establish professional standards to ensure that higher education institutions are doing their job. They are composed of nonpartisan educational professionals, who evaluate whether colleges and universities are meeting educational standards. Universities that lack accreditation lose access to federal student aid, which 55% of all students receive .

Project 2025 alleges that these agencies’ processes are too expensive and “stifle innovation,” that they are “unnecessarily focused on schools in a specific geographic region,” and–most damningly in Project 2025’s eyes–that they are too concerned with promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

So Project 2025 proposes a series of steps to eliminate these agencies’ oversight authority. First, it proposes new prohibitions on these agencies, designed to prohibit them from “intruding” on the governance of state-supported colleges. But it goes further, proposing that the next Administration authorize state governments to recognize and appoint their own accreditors, or serve as accreditors themselves.

As a whole, these changes would be catastrophic for academic freedom and higher education in the United States. Instead of nonpartisan accreditors applying impartial standards to determine access to federal student aid, accreditation would be controlled by a state government’s handpicked agency, or by the state itself. Governors who have built their political brand on attacking higher education–like Florida’s Ron DeSantis–would be handed a powerful new mechanism to punish universities whose faculty or academic programs they disapprove of, and to reward universities that promote their ideological preferences.

This would have disastrous effects. Many of the worst educational gag orders, along with DEI bans and faculty tenure bans, have been voted down or toned down because legislators realized they were putting their schools’ accreditation status in jeopardy. If Project 2025’s recommendations are adopted, that guardrail disappears, effectively eliminating accreditation agencies’ watchdog role as a bulwark against state actions or laws that intrude on university autonomy .

Project 2025 would also substantially narrow the tools of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and move it out of its home in an education-focused agency to the Department of Justice. The OCR’s primary mechanism for enforcing civil rights law on college campuses is investigating specific complaints of civil rights abuses. From these investigations, the OCR often comes to an agreement with a school district or college or university to take corrective action. Project 2025 would strip the OCR of this power by mandating that it can only engage in litigation, removing the Office’s most effective tool for ensuring compliance with federal civil rights law.

With both university accreditors and federal regulators out of the way, state governors and legislatures would be given drastically expanded powers to remake public universities in their image–including by favoring or disfavoring academic programs on ideological grounds. We have already seen how state officials like Florida’s Ron DeSantis have used such powers. The end result can only be injurious to the freedom to teach and to learn at the college level.

This is a blueprint for handing elected state governments total ideological control over higher education, shifting power from professional educators and federal watchdogs to political actors at the state level. The results would be deeply damaging–for academic freedom, the freedom to learn, and for American democracy overall.

In sum, Project 2025 proposes a radical overhaul of the United States education system, with the foreseeable effect being a frontal assault on the freedoms to read, learn, and teach. If implemented, this slate of proposals would turbocharge the forces of censorship that have been running rampant in states across much of the country for the past four years.

PEN America is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization. Our educational and advocacy work defending free expression has long focused on laws and policy proposals that threaten academic autonomy and broader freedoms to learn, read and write.

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Architects to give preview of designs for new Sarasota Performing Arts Center

The public will get a first glimpse of the initial ideas developed by the architects hired to design a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center during two town hall sessions on Sept. 18.

Renzo Piano Building Workshop , the Italian firm selected as design architects for the project, will provide updates on the development of their work and seek feedback from attendees. They will be joined by representatives of Sarasota-based Sweet Sparkman , the local architect of record for the building.

“This will be the first presentation of a scheme and design,” said Kerry Joyce, an associate at Renzo Piano, a firm with main offices in Genoa, Italy and Paris and extensive experience designing cultural buildings around the world.

Plans for the new performing arts center grew out of discussions about the need for a larger venue than the 1,700-seat Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the desire to transform the Sarasota Bayfront around the hall into a public park. The first phase of the park opened in October 2022, and the second is expected to be completed in late 2026.

The new venue, which is being overseen by the Foundation in partnership with the City of Sarasota, which owns the land, is expected to have about 2,200 seats in its main theater and a smaller flexible seating holding about 300 people. It will essentially supplant the Van Wezel as the main center for touring Broadway shows, comedy, concerts, dance and more. A special panel appointed by the City of Sarasota is exploring alternative uses for the 54-year-old Van Wezel.

Tania Castroverde Moskalenko , CEO of the foundation, said the new building could be completed by 2030.

The city has agreed to share the costs (estimated to be between $250 million and $300 million) with the Foundation, which is working on raising its share for a facility that is expected to last into the 22nd century.

Earlier this year, Moskalenko, who was named CEO in February, said she is eager to have new drawings to use to help sell the project to the public. The only image that has been available for the last five years is a conceptual drawing of the Bay Park master plan that includes a nondescript performing arts building on the northern end.

Joyce described that drawing as a “great step in the Bay Park master plan to get people thinking of what the site can be. The drawing has been out there for a long time and people get used to it, but it doesn’t influence us much. What we appreciate with the Bay Park is that it pushed us forward into seeing how the building can be incorporated into the park.”

Joyce and Renzo Piano partner Mark Carroll spoke with the Herald-Tribune in a recent video interview about how they get started with ideas, how the project may evolve, juggling different partners and public expectations and meeting the financial limitations set.

Following are excerpts from the conversation.

What are you planning to share and what do you want or expect to hear from the public at the Sept. 18 town hall sessions?

Mark Carroll: “Every project starts with a few big moves and we hope, the public and the commissioners hope, that we’re able to express what these big moves are and why we’re suggesting them. That will be the starting point. Once that’s understood we can move forward. The second part is hearing from the public. If one person says it’s ok or if three or four people say it, you realize it is an issue you have to hear about. We all know parking will be an issue. We know somebody will say something about that. They don’t want to worry about auditorium space.¨

How does your firm, with dozens of architects, work?

Mark Carroll: “We believe in teamwork, collaboration among ourselves. Architecture is a social job and the more people that participate, the richer the project tends to be.

Kerry Joyce: “We definitely have a lot of experience and shared memory among our pretty diverse team. We come in with this experience and this shared knowledge, which can help address the brief, the landscape, topography, whether extreme winds or extreme flooding events are issues and we rely on both our local architects, in this case Sweet Sparkman, and the peoples’ voices from the City of Sarasota.”

Mark Carroll: “It’s about listening and understanding and that’s what we do well. We’re just listening to people, listening to the site. The site tells you certain things and scale is a big issue with architecture.”

Kerry Joyce: “There’s no blank slate. (The Foundation and City) came with a clear set of aspirations and ambitions. That’s what they’ve asked us to accomplish. That will be a main introduction to the town halls when we’re there.”

What have you been asked to create?

Mark Carroll: “The ambitions are for resiliency and sustainability, which is an important discussion. It should be a place for all people, with accessibility to everyone.”

Kerry Joyce: “If you have a premiere theater with a set number of seats, tickets are expensive and many people can’t afford to go out to the theater. We want to make a building that is accessible to all people, even if they don’t go to the shows. We want them to feel it’s a building they can go into. It’s theirs. It’s not just a building with a theater.”

How do you design with a cost factor involved?

Mark Carroll: “We have two years of design work ahead. Costing is a delicate process, a back and forth process. The costs of the project, that’s an ambition, too. We always have to go back and understand and adjust. The budget is part of the cleansing process. The good ideas remain, the things that are less important fall to the side.”

Did you have ideas from the start?

Kerry Joyce: “We don’t approach projects with a large formal agenda. We don’t want to go to a site and create this curvy object because that’s what we want to do. It doesn’t have to be all marble. We try to listen to the site, to start simply with simple designs, test them out on the site and see how they work. If you start simply you don’t have to worry about budget. But if you start with a big spaceship, then you can get in trouble.”

What kinds of challenges and obstacles are you dealing with in designing the performing arts center just feet from Sarasota Bay?

Mark Carroll: “I talk to my colleagues in the Northeast about a project in Florida and the first thing everybody says is ‘What about water level or climate change?’ Our first thought is the resiliency of the project. That’s an important one. Sustainability is a big issue, making a project that looks toward the future, something that will last. We want to make a great theater space, with great acoustics, great lighting, places for people. There are also more subtle things, like talking about places for people. How do we make our building beloved by the community? What does that mean?”

Is there a perfect design for a theater that you can just bring to Sarasota?

Mark Carroll: “You can’t put designs into a photocopy machine and enlarge them and think they’re going to work anywhere.”

Kerry Joyce: “There are theaters ranked around the world for their excellence, but they’re based on topology of the theater and of the city and audience. There are different demographics. Maybe you have steeper balconies. There are things about the site, the program, the audience, the director, the city’s involvement. It’s probably not possible to have the ‘perfect’ theater.”

What is your connection with the Bay Park Conservancy and the creation of the park that will surround the center you are designing?

Kerry Joyce: “We’ve been meeting with the Bay Park. We shared some of our ambitions and they shared their ambitions and we’ve seen what their ambitions are in the master plan. We’re all on the same page. One of the lines is more park for all, which is something we really agree with. It’s a benefit for the city that these two things are working together, talking together.”

Is there a certain configuration or orientation that you have in mind for the building?

Kerry Joyce: “We’ve seen different orientations, one from the master plan and studies from Studio Gang (an architectural firm that the Foundation hired to help determine the needs for the building). It may be necessary to rotate the theater to accommodate changing FEMA flood plane lines. Or maybe we shift it based on various factors. One would better accommodate the adjacent view corridor easements and development at the park. It would be silly to take it as set in stone.”

Performing Arts Center town hall sessions

Representatives from Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the design architects, and Sarasota-based Sweet Sparkman, the architect of record, and others will talk about the project and get input from the public during two sessions on Sept. 18. Noon-1:30 p.m. Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. 6-7:30 p.m., Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 John Rivers St. (34th St.) Sarasota. Childcare will be provided by foundation teaching artists in the evening. To RSVP: performingartsfoundation.org/ask-our-architects

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK

Parliament, Office Building, Building, Architecture, Urban, Postal Office, Grass, Plant, City, Town

Clinical Project Coordinator

Columbia University Medical Center
Opening on: Sep 12 2024
Job Type: Officer of Administration
Bargaining Unit:
Regular/Temporary: Regular
End Date if Temporary:
Hours Per Week: 35
Standard Work Schedule:
Salary Range: $62,400.00 - $65,00.00

Position Summary

The Clinical Project Coordinator (CPC) will be working with Principal Investigators to coordinate multi-center research studies of Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly other neurological/psychiatric diseases. The CPC is an essential member of the research team.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Identify, recruit, and consent eligible participants; conduct visits as outlined in study protocols and accordance with Good Clinical Practices (GCP) and HIPAA guidelines.
Perform research-related services, such as coordinating study visits, scheduling study visits, data collection, data entry, and transmission.
Perform research visits, including study questionnaires and patient assessments.
Collect data and complete case report forms for all study visits through research visits, chart abstraction, or telephone, as required by the protocol and consistent with GCP, HIPAA, FDA/HHS, and state and institutional regulations.
Responsible for collecting, transporting, processing, and shipping blood samples in accordance with federal, state, and institutional policies.
Create, prepare, and maintain research protocols for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to ensure compliance with research and ethical requirements; report to IRB regarding research-related changes or events.
Interface with various hospital departments and additional centers for material such as medical records, the CTSA, the IRB/HRPO, and others as needed.
Coordinate protocols and human subject approvals between various sites.
Create and maintain patient research records. Enter research data into study-specific electronic databases.
Coordinate research data collection between multiple sites.
Conduct basic statistical analysis; assist with the preparation of study publications and presentations.
Assist PI in drafting and preparing all grant applications (clinical, non-clinical, basic, etc.)
Collaborate with PI, internal and external departments and divisions to create categorized budgets and justifications. Confirms accuracy and completeness of all budgeted costs.
Partner with OSP, SPA, Finance, Division Administrator for all grant submissions and matters.
Track award financial and progress milestones.
Connect with appropriate team/department to fulfill such requirements and remain compliant with award terms and conditions.
Assist PIs in preparing new protocol submissions, protocol amendments, and renewals of ongoing studies.
Collaborate with PIs to prepare IRB/HRPO and any other regulatory submission documents as required by the protocol.
Prepare, establish, and organize other study materials. These study materials include but are not limited to, the informed consent document, case report forms (CRFs), and enrollment logs.

Project Coordination and Management:

Coordinate research projects across various performance sites; ensure research compliance with sponsor requirements and timely submission of progress reports.
Coordinate regular meetings for administrative, grants, and scientific updates. Track research progress and data and resource sharing among research networks.
Ensure that all aspects of a project are organized and in conformance with timeline and deliverables requirements.
Report project risks and outcomes to appropriate management channels and escalate issues according to project work plan.
Serve as point of communication between company teams and external resources.
Deepen partnerships with outside resources, including third-party vendors and researchers.
Assist with and conduct routine and standardized experiments for relevant research projects.
Petty cash management and disbursements.
Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience required.
Proficient record-keeping skills, organizational, and time management skills.
Proactive, adaptive, strong work ethic.
Experience in coordinating teams and clients.
Proven success in a corporate or higher-education setting, working with all levels of management.
Strong written, oral, and presentation skills.
Willing to travel and attend domestic and international conferences.

Preferred Qualifications

2+ years in Basic or Clinical research.
3+ years of experience in project coordination.
Works well independently and in a team setting with a broad spectrum of patients, scientists, medical personnel, and administrative departments.
Professional certification such as PMP (Project Management Professional).
Experience with Medical Records, RedCAP, IRB protocols.
Prior experience in building grant proposals, budgets, applications for various sponsors (i.e. NIH, DOD, Foundations).

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

Commitment to Diversity

Columbia university is dedicated to increasing diversity in its workforce, its student body, and its educational programs. achieving continued academic excellence and creating a vibrant university community require nothing less. in fulfilling its mission to advance diversity at the university, columbia seeks to hire, retain, and promote exceptionally talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. , share this job.

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Research Project Coordinator

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Depending on your objectives, here are seven idea generation methods to tease innovative concepts out of your team. 1. Mind mapping. Mind mapping is more than just a visual outlining method. It's a structured approach to organizing complex information and concepts. Imagine you're launching a new product.
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12) Practice quantity over quality. One of the things that holds many people back from how to come up with new ideas, is that they self-censor too much. "Oh that idea's stupid, forget it!". You need to silence or at least temporarily mute this harsh inner critic.
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8. Create blackout poetry. Choose a random book or an extra copy of a book you love and, one page at a time, circle or underline the words you want for your blackout poem. Then use paint or a felt-tip marker to black out everything else. Each book furnishes as many ideas for poems as it has pages of text. 9.
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Clinical Project Coordinator
Job Type: Officer of Administration Bargaining Unit: Regular/Temporary: Regular End Date if Temporary: Hours Per Week: 35 Standard Work Schedule: Building: Salary Range: $62,400.00 - $65,00.00 The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty ...