Do you live close to the beach but you don’t know what business to start? If YES, here are 50 fun but highly lucrative business ideas for beach communities.
If you live in a beach town or community, and your town is often visited by tourist and fun seekers, you can make money legally off them, either as extra cash or a full time hobby. Living in a beach town presents numerous unique business ideas with which you can make money from.
This is due to the fact that beach-side towns and communities are always having a lot of tourist attraction and activity. This means there is money to be made from the needs of these tourists and fun seekers, when specialized products and services are offered.
You must however bear in mind that, beaches are usually more active during certain periods like summer and mostly inactive during periods like the winter. So, whatever business you are planning have to done with this in mind.
When also planning such kind of business, you need to ensure that you have carried out the necessary research, and have all the resources on ground to help ensure you make as much money during the busy period to cover up for the inactive or off peak periods.
So, if you are looking to start a business for the beach-side, then you may want to consider some of these business ideas that are being listed below.
Best Business ideas for Beach Communities
1. Home Rentals
Since people love to travel during the summer, some will definitely want a place to stay that isn’t a motel or hotel. If you live close to a popular beach that attracts lots of tourists, you could engage in the home rental business.
You would need to know a couple of people in your neighborhood that would be traveling, and wouldn’t mind renting out their homes to incoming tourists and fun seekers.
You could also rent out your home as well, and travel some place yourself. This kind of business requires you being smart, if you would be helping others rent out their homes, you’d have to decide on a commission that will be fair to you.
2. House-Sitting
Since beachside communities usually have a lot less activity during the winter period, many people aren’t usually around in their homes, because most homes are usually summer homes, therefore leaving the houses unoccupied during the winter. This presents an opportunity for any smart entrepreneur.
You can offer your house-sitting services so as to allay the fears of the homeowners. Your task will likely be to ensure that no one breaks in while the owners are away, and carrying out little tasks as might be demanded for by the homeowners; and getting paid for your services.
3. Surf Shop
If there are surf beaches close to you, this can present a great business opportunity for you as an entrepreneur. You can make money by opening a surf shop that is stuffed with various surfing equipment. Most tourists who come from other places and that like to surf don’t usually come with their surfing equipment, which allows you to make money during this period.
Your surf shop need not only sell but could also carry out rentals of surfing equipment. This will naturally make your store the go-to store during winter. However, you need to be aware that you will have competitors in this business, ensure that you map out strategies that will attract customers to you.
4. Fishing Tours
Most beach communities are usually fishing hotspots, and most tourists like to engage in the fishing activity when they travel on vacation to beach communities.
If you have a boat and are business savvy, you could turn this activity into a money spinner, by offering fishing tour services and taking tourists out to the reef. This will really be beneficial to your business especially if you have unique fishing spots that are likely to make tourists fall in love with.
You’d have to smart in this business, and ensure that you are always on the lookout for special spots, especially as your competitors will be trying the same.
5. Restaurant
Tourists usually want a taste of the food experience in beach communities while on vacation. If you have great culinary skills and can cook up delicious local meals fast, you can go into this business, but you would really need special dishes that would allow you stand out from the threat of competition.
You might have a regular brick and mortar restaurant business, or you might just have an open air arrangement without much fanfare by the beach. This should totally depend on how deep your pockets are.
6. Coffee Café
Coffee cafés do well in beach communities because tourists are always attracted to coffee. Coffee cafes are almost everywhere one goes and is therefore a good business for an entrepreneur who is looking towards making money, can start.
So, if you are looking towards opening a business in your beach community, you should look towards opening a coffee shop.
The key thing for this kind of business is location; you would have to be located in an area where you can easily be accessed. However, if you do not have the finances for a brick and mortar building, you can open a mobile/cart coffee shop business.
7. Sales of local merchandise
Most time tourists usually buy local items to take back home with them. They are usually attracted to items that are unique in nature and not readily available in their cities and hometowns. This therefore presents an opportunity to any smart entrepreneur.
You can start by getting yourself involved in this kind of business and making money from it. You would need to go into really unique items if you want to make money off tourists and fun seekers, your items might vary depending on the kind of clients that you are targeting.
8. Photography
If you have good photography skills and are adept at handling the camera, then you can make money with your skills. Most tourists travel without their cameras, whilst some do; you can easily make money from the ones that don’t.
Apart from taking shots of tourists, you can also take shots of fascinating photos as well as natural scenes, and sell them to tourists with cameras as well as those without.
You won’t be the only photographer offering such service, so you would have to make your services unique so as to distinguish you from other photographers. You can frame your photos so as to make it more appealing.
9. Taxi Service
This is another means of making money in your beachside community as an entrepreneur. If you have a car you can easily start off this business, and drop off tourists, where they might need to go. All that is required is that the tourists as well as locals are aware of your services.
Any dedicated and hardworking entrepreneur can likely grow the business from just one taxi to a fleet of taxis that might cover the entire community or city. The taxi business is a very profitable one, and is guaranteed to bring a steady flow of income.
10. Laundry Services
Tourists that go on vacation do not behave like those who go on business trips; they spend more time in the various places where they are vacationing. This often means that these tourists would need to get their clothes cleaned but are unlikely to do these themselves.
If they are vacationing in hotels, they might want cheaper laundry options. This is where you come in as an entrepreneur. You can offer laundry services to those who need it for a certain price. Ensure that you aggressively market your services, by handing out fliers in places that has a high influx of tourists.
11. Entertainment
The summer is usually a time for parties, from that of the children to that of the young adults and adults. You could offer your services as a party entertainer especially in children’s party by offering to be a clown or a juggler. You would not only be entertaining the children, but keeping the adults interested as well, and opening up more business opportunities.
You do not have to limit yourself to being a clown or a juggler; you could try out simple magic tricks that would keep your audience engaged. Ensure that you are really good at what you do, because tourists want their vacations filled with memories.
If you have a good voice and are adept with instruments, you could also sing at weddings or play the instrument for a fee.
12. Bar
This is a very lucrative business for any entrepreneur. Most people – locals and tourists alike – patronize bars in the evenings, either alone or in a company of friends and family. This would mean that any smart entrepreneur can earn very well from this business.
You would need to find out regulations from the local authorities about starting up a bar, and would also need insurance as well. However, regardless of the season, this is a business that is guaranteed to bring in a good amount of steady income.
13. Community Museum
If you love arts and culture, and your community has a lot of history that is worth sharing, you should consider starting a community museum, a place where the art and culture of your community can be preserved.
Many tourists are always bound to visit the museums whilst on vacations. Starting this kind of business might require that you partner with your local government and if possible institutions of higher learning in your community (if there is one).
Apart from the revenue that this business will generate from visitors and tourists, your business will also receive grants and funding from individuals, donor agencies, corporate organizations, as well as the government.
14. Car Rental Services
This kind of service is all about making cars available for rent to those who might need the cars for one purpose or another. This is a very good business to go into, especially as tourists do not usually come with cars to move around with, and may decide to rent a car so as to be able to move around.
This type of business will thrive in a beach-side community that receives a huge influx of tourists. Ensure that the cars are well kept, and that maintenance is carried out as at when due.
15. All Purpose Store
In as much as tourists like local merchandise, they will however not abandon shops that will serve all the purposes they need. While local merchandise stores will suffice for once or twice visits, an all purpose or general merchandise shop will definitely have more visits, as most tourists will need some basics from this kind of store throughout their stay.
However, you would need to ensure that your store is well stocked, attractive, and easily accessible to locals and tourists. This kid of business is guaranteed to give you a steady income all year round.
16. Nightclub
This is another business that any entrepreneur who is looking towards starting a business should do as it does well in a community that has high local residents or huge influx of tourists. Although this type of business is quite profitable, it might not thrive in a small town or beach side community.
This means that before venturing into this type of business, you would need to conduct a thorough feasibility study and market survey, to ensure that your business will thrive.
17. Language Translation Service
This kind of business can be very lucrative for a smart entrepreneur. If your community is one that has a huge influx of tourists not only from your country but from abroad, you could offer this service that will ensure you not only raise your profile but income as well.
All that is required for this type of business is that, you are fluent in one or two languages such as French, Spanish, Chinese, English, German, as well as other local languages and so on. This kind of business requires little or no start-up capital.
18. Boat Rental Services
One common thing in beach communities is boats. Some people like to go out on the water during the summer, either to fish or just to have a quiet time on the boat, and most of these people don’t usually have their own boats, and will be required to rent one for any water activity they want to indulge in. This is an opportunity for you if you own a boat, or know people that do and won’t mind renting out.
You could go into this business, and make money for yourself. Ensure that you print colorful brochures and distribute them to motels, hotels, and tourist attractions. The brochures should contain information such as your rates and size of boats.
19. Jet Ski Rental Business
A rental business for certain products is often a good way to start out as an entrepreneur, especially if you cannot afford to go through the challenges involved in the production of the goods. Living in a beach community means that there are people who ski for fun or sports, and would sometimes need to rent a jet ski.
Rentals will earn you good money, if you come out with a strategy that will ensure that you have an advantage over your competitors.
20. Private Escort Business
Private escort firms provide security for individuals most especially tourists and other kinds of visitors who would want to move from one location to another with valuables, which could involve cash, jewelry, art and other of such kind of valuables.
A private escort business could also provide security for transport and haulage companies as well. In starting this kind of business though, it is important to know what will be required – licenses and permits – from you by the regulatory authorities. However, this is a business that is guaranteed to bring you good income.
21. Event or Carnival Organizer
This is another interesting means of making money. If you are good in organizing events, then you should look into starting this kind of business, as you could start in organizing carnivals or other related events, especially during periods where there is a high influx of tourists and locals.
If you ensure that your event is well packaged, you can also get financial supports and local deals from your local government and corporate organizations within your community. Also, the success of your event can make it to become a yearly one.
22. Online Lodge Booking Site
This is another fantastic business for any smart entrepreneur, which can bring in a good income. Tourists often require a place to stay, and most are comfortable booking for their lodging before they arrive. You would need to network with lodges, bed and breakfast places, hotels, motels and so on, to get them listed on your site.
To do this business and make money, you would need to agree on a commission or percentage that you will get once a customer books for lodging through your site. You would need to massively advertise your site to both lodges and customers.
23. Boat Cruise Business
The boat cruise business is another money spinning venture. Tourists do not go on vacation to do anything else but catch fun, and this include boat cruises. Those who are into this business always need to ensure that there are printed tickets that tourists can purchase for the boat cruise, and that there are varieties of activities available to keep tourists occupied.
Although this kind of business is capital intensive, it is also highly profitable; which means that adequate research has to be carried out before starting this business.
24. Ferry Business
If your beach community is an island, or you live in the riverine part, then you should consider starting a ferry business. Islands in particular rely on ferries for transport of humans, packages, and cargoes, and this therefore makes this business an attractive one to start, especially as you will be the go-to in the community.
Ensure you carry out a thorough feasibility before you start this business, and find out if you will be required to own a license, especially as you might be transporting certain packages that would require clearance to do so from the authorities.
25. Scooter Rental Business
Scooters are an easy way to move around, and if you are looking for a small scale business, where you could easily make money from, then you should consider the scooter rental business. This would be of help to tourists who do not want to bother with renting cars, especially if the tourists are single individuals or a duo.
However, before starting this business, you have to carry out all the necessary research, so that you can know the rates your competitors are offering theirs, and then map out strategies, on how you will attract customers to your business.
26. Lodging
Visitors will always need a place to lodge whenever they visit any town, not all would like to lodge in bed and breakfast places, and unless they have a host to accommodate them for the duration of their stay, most would stay in hotels and lodges.
If you do not own a hotel or any lodging yourself, you can provide the service of informing customers beforehand of the best hotels and lodges in town and their rates. If you have the finances, you could go into the lodging business yourself, and ensure it is up too standard for tourists.
27. Swimming Lessons
The swimming lessons business can be a bit complicated and costly to start, but if you limit yourself to just the summer, you are likely not to invest a lot of money, while making some money as well. You can also proceed to teaching more experienced students at the beach.
During the summer, there are children and kids of toddler age that you might be required to teach. If you are careful with your overhead and have good publicity, you can generate good income during the summer.
28. Welcome Service
The truth is most tourists and fun seekers that travel to beach communities, are often at a loss as regards certain information that might be vital, like where to go, best affordable stores and the likes.
The welcoming service is all about welcoming tourists to the beach community or town and giving them useful information, available opportunities in the town, and also in some cases several coupon packages. The welcoming service type of business requires little or no start-up capital, and is a cool way of earning money if you are looking for a business to start.
You also could make money from merchants who will have to pay you to include them in the useful information; you would give to the tourists.
29. Vintage Clothing Store
You can set up a vintage clothing store in your attic or backyard, and either hang goods that are yours, that of your friends or neighbours, or that was bought. You can choose a theme for your vintage store or a decade in particular.
However, you would need to ensure that you check with the local zoning board to make sure that what you are doing is allowed, as you might need to acquire a permit to do this occasionally. Your store could have clothes, shoes, and other stuffs from whatever theme you decide to operate in.
30. Document Special Events
If you are quite skilled in making videos of the special gatherings of your friends and families, then you can take your skill a notch higher by doing it for others and getting paid. Start with taking your video camera and starting a business by recording special events and happenings around the town for your clients.
This could range from a wedding, school picnic, special town event, gigs and so on. You would however need to get a tripod, special lights, and extra batteries to start up this business. You would also need to save your receipts as these supplies are tax deductible.
31. Jet Skis Repairs
Due to the popularity of jet skis, it has led to the growth of different kinds of small businesses, including Jet Ski service and repair providers. However, launching this kind of business might be difficult especially as most Jet Ski stores offer Jet Ski repair and maintenance.
This means that to compete effectively, you would need to offer something unique and different. You can choose to offer your repair service by focusing on delivering a high level of service and also have capabilities on a broad variety of craft.
32. Shape Surfboards
If you have a lot of experience and knowledge about riding boards, and how they feel and perform, then this is a business that is for you. You could shape for those that sell and those that want to surf. However, this business can only be done in a town where there is a huge influx of tourists who come to the community mainly for surfing.
33. Rental of Horses
This is an easy means of making money. Living in a beach community means having tourists over in certain seasons; these tourists often pay to enjoy certain things like riding horses. This could be parents paying for their children or lovers wanting a ride, either way; this is money for such an entrepreneur.
This type of business isn’t hard to start. However, you would need to ensure that your horse is well kept, and trained. You wouldn’t want your horse throwing someone off.
34. Home Inventory Business
Keeping a good inventory of all possessions especially in beach communities is very important, especially where there is likely to be horrible storms and tornadoes. Inventory is also necessary in case of other circumstances like fire, robbery, mudslides, and so on; especially as insurance companies want to see documentation before writing checks to help homeowners recover from tragic losses.
This is a good business opportunity for you, as you can record all your client’s possessions in a written, as well as photo or video report. You would need a laptop computer, writing pad, and camera.
35. Delivery Service
Delivery is one of the hottest business opportunities any smart business minded person can go into. This is because people are usually pressed for time, are lazy, or have their priorities set and do not want any distraction. Apart from that, there are also more elderly citizens, who do not have the strength to carry out certain tasks and would not mind paying someone to deliver certain things for them.
The thing about the delivery business is that you might be asked to deliver anywhere, home, offices, hospitals, etc; this therefore means that you would need to set your rates depending on the delivery distance and importance of package. You might also partner with stores that do not delivery, and handle the delivery for them.
36. Computer Biz Wiz
If you are great with computers, then you should consider starting a business that will be of immense help to small business owners, and residential customers if you help them set up their computers as well as perform certain tasks for them.
There are several things you could do for your clients such as compiling a mailing list for them, setting up their bookkeeping and accounting systems, and help residential customers install software packages for their children. This is a good way for you to make money off your talents.
37. Personal Shopper
If you are one who loves shopping, then imagine how much fun it’d be for you to get paid for what you love doing. In your beach side community or town, there are single mums, busy executives, senior citizens, who might not have the time or the ability to go shop for their needs.
Your service will fill in the gap, help the affected individuals as well as put money in your pocket. You can offer other services too such as gift wrapping, where you select, choose and even wrap the gifts for your clients. Ensure that your clients refer you to their friends and colleagues.
38. Boat Cleaning Service
Boating is a popular past time for those that live close in a beach community, and also have the income to own and operate a boat. Even though most cleaning services are usually considered competitive, the boat cleaning service is a niche area.
The boat cleaning is usually divided into two major categories, preventative maintenance and detailing (cosmetic appearance).
As an entrepreneur, you would need to decide if you can offer both services, as preventative measures often require scuba diving qualification, while detailing requires no qualification at all. Both kinds of cleaning are usually in high demand.
39. Tailor
During the summer, most people – young and old – usually want trendy wears that they could wear at the beach or summer parties, if you are skilled and creative, you could go into this business of stitching together trendy wears and selling them to tourists, which will ensure you make a steady stream of income.
The good thing about this business is that you can make income all year round from this kind of business. You could also offer to stitch up torn clothes as part of your services. You would have to be proficient in the use of needles, and sewing machines.
40. Water Sports Instructor
Summer time is usually a time for most people to go to their local beaches, or travel to other beaches. Some of these people are out for adventure such as surfing and waterskiing. If you possess such skill and also live near the beach, this could be an opportunity for you to act as an instructor for tourists in the area.
You would need to possess charisma and have a great set of confidence around you, so that people could trust your abilities, or even so that parents could allow you teach their children.
41. Backyard Ponds/Water Gardens
Living in the beach community does not mean that there are those, who would not want to have water gardens or backyard ponds in their homes. Some people actually want to have this sanctuary in their yard, as they love the sound of water splashing over rocks, or even fish in the ponds.
As an enterprising individual you can go into this business right away, as these ponds today can be easily built, there are kits available, pumps that can keep the water going, and lights that can help keep the ponds looking beautiful at night. You might not offer the fish attraction; only do so once you have stiff competition.
42. Landscape Design
People want to have different plants in their gardens and also have the garden looking beautiful; since not many are creative enough; they usually desire the services of a landscape designer.
Being a landscape designer doesn’t mean you do all the planting; however, if you are good with handling a computer, you can check out available landscape and garden design programs and then start or run a landscape design for your clients.
If you are contracted to design as well as plant, you can contract another business that specializes in plantings and partner with them.
43. Kayak/Canoe Rental
Beach side communities often have lakes, pond, or bays in abundance, and so if you have such around you, you can go into the rental of canoes and kayaks, and make some nice cash from customers. Clients can come and rent your canoes and use for whatever purpose they want and then return at the agreed time.
You could offer the service of dropping off and picking up the canoes and kayaks. Also, make sure that your clients sign an agreement that will release you from all liability should any incident occur.
44. Plant Service
This kind of business is similar to a pet sitting and house sitting business as you would need to tend to the plants of folks who are either away on business trips or vacations, either for a short or extended period. the only difference from other sitting businesses of this kind is that, you can either care for the plants in your home or in that of your client, depending in what you both agree on.
You can also offer extra services by starting a plant service that is geared towards commercial customers. This means that after selling off your plants, you would have to go by, once or twice a week to maintain them
45. Beach E-book author
Nowadays books can easily be published online at little or no costs; you can pick a niche in your community and write on it. IT can be on a topic most people do not know about, or it can be on essentials that should be done in any beach community.
Ensure you pick a topic you are knowledgeable on. Also ensure that you pick a catchy subject that people are likely to want to pay to know about.
46. Bed and Breakfast Business
If you live in your own house, and you have an extra room or two, then you can easily start your own bed and breakfast business. This is a business that you can start without much hassle. If you also provide a private bath too, it would give you leverage over other bed and breakfast businesses.
However, before starting this business, you would need to get in touch with your insurance company for advice on the best policy to pick. Living in a beach community will mean that you do not have to carry out aggressive marketing, as people would always need lodgings.
47. Move-In Service
Moving companies are different from move-in services. While the former helps clients move to a new location, the latter helps client prepare the new location beforehand. This is so that clients do not move-in and start to make the apartment cleaned up, or re-modeled to their taste; especially if they are busy or single parents.
Offering this service means having a steady flow of income. Entrepreneurs can also market such services to those that buy new homes.
48. Bikini and Trunk Sales
A beach side community always has an abundance of activities that occur at the beach especially during certain cities like the summer, where locals and tourists alike throng to the beach. Almost every one that goes to the beach requires beachwear like bikinis for the females, bathing suits for the young children, and trunk for the men.
This is a business that a smart entrepreneur can go into, and make money especially as some tourists usually do not come with their bathing suits, preferring to buy locally. Your shop can be located close to the beach so that it would make it easier for those that are without to get on for themselves.
49. Self – Service Laundromat Business
This is another means of earning an income, and is an offshoot of the dry cleaning and laundry services. A self-service Laundromat business is usually operated with coins, and is a laundry facility where people come in and personally wash and dry their own clothes with the available laundry equipment.
The laundry business is a highly competitive one, but this doesn’t stop savvy entrepreneurs from earning good income from this kind of business. You would need to ensure that your location is easily accessible to clients.
50. Picnic Baskets
Due to the fact that beach communities are usually serene, people often take picnics. The picnic can be anywhere, and can be for a short or long duration, that is it might take the whole day or less. Due to this, most people usually go with a picnic basket so as to have something to nibble on when hungry.
A picnic basket usually contains an assortment of food and liquids. Going into this business, you can decide to offer your customers various kinds of picnic baskets especially now that more people are becoming vegetarians. You could have different picnic baskets for children, adults, families, vegetarians, and so on.
You need to be aware that while you live in a beach community, all lucrative business ideas are not limited to the beach front but to the community or town as a whole. While most businesses only last for a certain period, others can continue operations regardless of the season. While starting out any of these businesses, ensure that you carry out the needed research.