Entrepreneur Tim Armoo ​​​​picks his best business ideas and trends for 2024

Blue Monday is over and you may have already overlooked your New Year’s resolutions.

Dry January may not have worked out, or you may already be regretting buying that new gym membership.

Maybe you swore to yourself that you would make some extra money on the side, or that you would start your own business full-time, but you still don’t know how.

Unlike the other promises you’ve made to yourself, this is a resolution you can keep.

It doesn’t have to be difficult and staying up to date with the latest trends, opportunities and movements happening can keep you one step ahead.

Here are the top six trends I’m most excited about that will explode in 2024.

Vertical courtyard gardens

Simply put, vertical indoor gardens are the latest innovation in gardening. They offer homeowners the chance to grow plants indoors on vertical structures, improving space efficiency and eliminating the need for your home to have a garden.

Gone are the days when lush gardens were reserved for those with vast plots of land. Now you can grow your own fruits and vegetables from the comfort of your own home.

Tim’s tactics: Earn a tasty side income by starting your own microgreens business. Microgreens such as basil, parsley and fennel can fetch a good price if you grow enough of them.

Earnings Potential: €250 to €500 per month

Tool libraries

When was the last time you used that Makhita XPH10Z drill?

Did you forget you had it? You’re probably not alone.

The good news is that tool rentals are becoming increasingly popular, especially in local communities.

Power tools are extremely expensive and people often only need them once or twice. So if you have an extensive tool collection, consider renting them out.

Tim’s tactics: Go to local Facebook groups and advertise your tool rental service. Charge a daily rate (not an hourly rate, because that is difficult to keep track of) and use a strict return and deposit system. You don’t want anyone wandering around with your tools.

Earnings Potential: £1,000 per month

Walking book clubs

Are you retired or are you just a bit tired of everyday life? Then this might be something for you.

The concept is extremely simple: read the same book as your group and then go for a walk to discuss different aspects of the book. Scheduled reading stops are optional but recommended.

But how do you turn it into a business?

Tim’s tactics: Contact several small and local authors to inquire about bulk pricing for their book.

Write down the price and then go to local libraries and post flyers on their boards, and check out local book communities on Facebook.

Advertise the club and explain that you are providing the books in exchange for compensation for your club membership. Now make sure the bulk prices are cheaper than retail and keep the difference.

It takes some effort up front, but once you’ve planned routes, signed up members and purchased books, it won’t take much effort. For just a few hours a week there is a chance of decent additional income.

Earnings Potential: €250 to €500 per month

Upcycled fashion workshops

Interested in fashion? This is for you.

Upcycling is the process of turning old clothes into new fashion items, such as cutting the legs of your jeans short to make a pair of jeans.

DISCLAIMER: I do not condone this. The fashion choice is terrible. This is for clarification only. Please don’t do this.

Workshops hosting these types of sessions are becoming increasingly popular as the world becomes more environmentally conscious and waste-averse.

So, how can you make a few extra bucks from this?

Tim’s tactics: Work with a local fabric store or charity shop and buy fabrics in bulk.

Then find a hosting location – your local town hall will do – and create a weekly session inviting people to come and upcycle their clothes. Charge a fee to access the vast selection of materials and promote it through local publications, Facebook pages or even local influencers and figures.

Earnings Potential: £500 – £1,000

Fitness meetings for seniors

This one is perfect for personal trainers.

Organize senior-friendly fitness events to promote exercise and socialization to help combat the common problem of loneliness and fatigue among the elderly.

No, you don’t have to be an expert to organize these sessions; they are designed to be simple.

Walking for cardio, lifting very light weights, and so on are all ideal activities.

So, how do you make some money from this?

Tim’s tactics: Buy some light weights from Amazon and come up with some basic marketing materials, like flyers.

My advice is to use Canva software to create these; it’s free and very good.

Hang these flyers in coffee shops, libraries, local cafes and other places likely to be frequented by older people. Pay a monthly fee and enjoy!

Earnings Potential: £1,000 per month

Local craft subscription boxes

This is a particularly interesting trend.

Shopping local and supporting small businesses is becoming increasingly popular as many people see their local stores disappear at an alarming rate. The problem is that not everyone has time to visit these stores during the day.

A local craft subscription box is a perfect solution for this.

Consider locally manufactured goods, non-perishable foods, decorations, and so on.

How to turn it into a business?

Tim’s tactics: Go to your local farmer’s market and check out some local stores.

Ask them if they would like to be included in the subscription box.

Local Facebook groups are best suited here because people have an emotional connection to the area and are likely to buy based on that feeling.

Buy items in bulk from your partners, ship them to customers and add a little handwritten note for extra sentiment. Finished.

Earnings Potential: €1,000 – €2,500 per month