Melbourne is an exciting city where modern architecture and design is juxtaposed with heritage buildings reflecting Australia’s unique history. As the capital of the state of Victoria, Melbourne’s resource boom presents the single most significant opportunity for the state economy over the next 20 years.
Beneath the city’s impressive façade, lies the true heart and soul of the city; laneways which snake the city grid to reveal cafés and bars, fashion houses, boutiques, innovative cuisine, galleries, theatres and museums.
Melbourne has an eclectic mix of residents from students, business people and tourists. Melbourne’s many free public events, Aboriginal cultural centres, sophisticated secret laneways, and golf courses create countless business opportunities for any budding entrepreneur who wants to do business in Melbourne. Below are a few business ideas you can start up:
Top 20 Small Business Investment Opportunities in Melbourne
1. Events Promoter: Events like business meetings, product launch, even family reunions all need people to organize them. If you like to plan and coordinate events, this is a perfect opportunity for you.
2. Restaurant/Eatery: People love to eat innovative cuisine that is different from what they eat daily. If you can cook creatively, you are bound to be very profitable in this business.
3. Club/Bar: The club scene in Melbourne is always buzzing; looking for the next hot place to go. If you are very sociable, and like to party, then this is for you!
4. Event DJing: If you have a great collection of music and a good sound system, you can hire yourself out as a DJ to various events and receptions.
5. Food Vendor: You can open a business selling food to people in the business districts from a food cart. It requires very little start-up capital and you perform a service to busy people.
6. Transportation Business: As a city with numerous bus lanes, waterways, tramways; most people find it a bit tedious to move about. You can offer a motor pool service that would reduce the time people spend using public transport.
7. Wine shop: With the numerous vineyards in Melbourne, a wine shop dedicated to serving the local wines could be a good boost for the industry.
8. Retail Store: A lot of tourists and even local residents like to shop at bargain prices. You can open either a physical store or an online store to render your services.
9. Fashion Boutique: Buy fashion pieces from brand name designers at discount prices and start your own fashion outlet. A lot of Melbourne residents are label conscious and will patronize your shop.
10. Coffee/Tea Shop: There’s nothing that breaks the ice between strangers than sharing a cup of coffee or tea. Offering coffee delivery services and also selling health teas are also some side-line business that would earn you more money from your coffee shop.
11. Tourist Guide
If you know your way round the city and have a good knowledge of the secret laneways, you can start your own tourist guide business for newcomers to the city.
You can even take it further by being a resource person and showing them how to use the transportation system, where the good shops are, where to go for entertainment and other essential services that they need to start up their new lives in Melbourne.
12. Laundry Delivery Service: You can offer to pick up people’s laundry and deliver it to them either at their homes or offices; saving them time.
13. Interior decorating: Being touted as a designer city, Melbourne boasts of tasteful homeowners. If you have an eye for design, many people would be more than happy to hire you to decorate their homes.
14. Landscaping Services: If you are physically fit and willing to mow lawns, plant gardens and trim trees, you can start your own landscaping business that would make you quite a tidy sum of money.
15. Business Consultant
A lot of new businesses move their base of operations to Melbourne every day. If you have an idea of the legal and financial procedures and hoops they need to go through to establish their business, then you can consult for them for a fee.
16. Golf Trainer
With its 15 championship golf courses, a lot of people would pay to improve their golf game or to even learn the sport; especially as many business deals are concluded on the golf course. Many of Melbourne’s golf courses would be willing to accommodate your business especially if it brings more income for them.
17. Cleaning Services: Many business and civic centers have a need for individuals who can provide cheap cleaning services after business hours.
18. Personal Shopper: Many very busy people and the elderly need people who would do their shopping and go on other errands for them. For a little fee, you can offer this service to them.
19. Produce Selling
With the growing organic trend, you can grow or purchase organic vegetables and other food items and sell them to people who buy them. Giving the fact that these organic produce cost money; the profit margin is very high especially if you buy at wholesale prices and sell at retail prices.
20. Sewing and Alterations: If you are handy with machines and can sew, you can offer a wide range of services to people like basic garment repair, modification and hemming for a small price.