President Donald Trump has vowed to bring more manufacturing jobs to America. So there could potentially be even more manufacturing opportunities in the U.S. soon. But regardless of whether or not his plans are successful, plenty of small scale manufacturing opportunities for entrepreneurs interested in small scale startup idea. Here are 50 different small scale manufacturing business ideas to consider.
Table of Contents
Manufacturing Business Ideas
Toy Manufacturer
Toys are relatively small and can be made with any number of materials. So they can be great products for small manufacturing businesses to focus on.
Smartphone Accessory Maker
Likewise, smartphone accessories like cases and chargers are popular and can be made with some basic materials.
Plastic Container Manufacturer
With some basic equipment to process and shape plastic materials, you can produce bottles and other containers to sell to consumers or even other businesses.
Textile Producer
You can also focus on producing raw fabric or other textile products to sell to individuals or businesses for use in manufacturing more finished products.
Furniture Maker
If you want to make larger scale products, you can focus on creating custom furniture products for sale. Then create a process to manufacture more of the furniture on a larger scale.
Woodworker
If you’re a skilled woodworker, you could also create a number of different products from the material, from tables to small knick knacks. Again, creating a simple process to replicate these products should allow to boost production and cut costs.
Niche Snack Foods Maker
If you’ve got an idea for a healthy snack to sell, you can follow in the footsteps of the founders of Stacy’s Pita Chips and rent a bakery space to manufacture your goods.
Candy Maker
Or if you’re interested in making less healthy food items, you could make your own candy products and package them for sale.
Bread Maker
Bakers, you can start your own bread manufacturing business and sell bread products to consumers or other food businesses.
Olive Oil Production
Olive oil is another food product that you can produce and sell with just a few ingredients and pieces of equipment.
Canned Goods Maker
Or you could focus on making canned food goods like jams and jellies to sell to consumers.
Shoe Maker
If you want to make wearable products to sell, you can create shoes from a variety of different materials. Focus on a few styles of shoe and you can probably create an assembly line process to boost production.
Belt Maker
Likewise, you can produce simple belts to sell to consumers or wholesale to clothing retailers.
Leather Manufacturer
Or you could process raw leather product to sell to those who make finished products like shoes and belts.
Wig Maker
You could also make wigs and hairpieces to sell to consumers or hair salons.
Hair Products Manufacturer
Or you could make other hair products like shampoo or hair spray and package it for sale to consumers.
Makeup Production
Makeup is another product that you can potentially make from a variety of different supplies.
Fertilizer Production
You can also make your own gardening and landscaping products like fertilizer and compost to sell to local farmers or homeowners.
Chalk Manufacturer
Or you could make chalk products with just a few materials and pieces of equipment.
Direct-to-Consumer Tech Device Producer
Manufacturing computers and other tech goods might seem like it’s only suited for large companies. But if the story of how Dell Computers got started is any indication, you can actually manufacture your own niche tech devices and sell them directly to consumers.
Electrical Fittings Producer
You can also make electrical fittings for light bulbs and other electronic products.
Locksmith
If you have the equipment necessary to produce locks and keys, you can start a business as a locksmith or make extra keys for local homeowners or businesses.
Musical Instrument Maker
For those looking for a more specialized product to manufacture, you could create a small manufacturing operation to make various musical instruments.
Watchmaker
Or you could specialize in making mechanical watches and clocks in various styles and sizes.
Eyeglass Manufacturer
You could also make eyeglass frames and/or lenses to sell to consumers.
Air Freshener Production
Air fresheners also come in many different forms and flavors. So you can manufacture your own with some basic equipment and supplies.
Sports Equipment Manufacturer
You can also specialize in making various types of sports equipment ranging from balls to protective gear.
Embroiderer
If you’re looking for a more creative manufacturing business, you can invest in some embroidery machine to make custom embroidered products like Blue Soda Promo does.
Etsy Seller
Etsy recently changed its rules to allow some manufactured goods to be sold on the site. So you can produce things like accessories or even craft supplies and sell them on the site.
Paper Maker
There are a variety of different paper goods you can manufacture and sell, from cards and envelopes to books and journals.
Bag Manufacturer
You can also make bags from various sources and materials and then sell them to consumers or to businesses to use for packaging.
Box Manufacturer
Or you can manufacture boxes from cardboard and various other materials and then sell those boxes to businesses that need packaging equipment.
Jewelry Maker
Jewelry is another popular product that you can manufacture at home or in a small studio.
Glass Bead Production
You can also create your own beads out of glass and similar materials and then sell those to individuals or to jewelry manufacturers.
Clothing Production
If you’re able to sew your own garments, you can produce your own clothing lines to sell to consumers or wholesale to local stores.
Kitchen Utensil Manufacturer
Kitchen utensils are relatively small items that you can make out of a variety of different materials. So you can build your own business by specializing in a specific type and style.
Picture Frame Maker
You can also make custom picture frames out of various materials and even offer custom framing services.
Carpet Maker
If you want to manufacture larger scale items, you can make carpeting or rugs out of various fiber material.
Pillow Manufacturer
You can also set up your own pillow making manufacturing business.
Diaper Production
Or you could focus on smaller items and manufacture items like diapers in bulk.
Ink Cartridge Maker
For those looking to manufacture office supplies, you can make ink cartridges for printers.
Drug Manufacturer
Though the pharmaceutical industry is strongly regulated, it is possible to manufacture medicine and supplement products to sell.
Chemical Production
For skilled chemists, you can also manufacture chemicals for companies that use them in various products and processes, though you’ll also still likely have to deal with plenty of regulations.
Soap and Detergent Production
Soap is another product that you can mix and manufacture as a small business.
Cement Maker
Or you could mix cement material or make cement blocks to sell to construction companies.
Tool Manufacturer
You can also focus your efforts on manufacturing a wide variety of small tools and accessories.
Nail and Bolt Manufacturer
For those looking to specialize in a smaller product, you can make small nails and bolts in bulk.
Automotive Parts Manufacturer
You can also specialize in making tools and spare parts for cars and automotive manufacturers.
Roofing Materials Manufacturer
Or you could make shingles or other materials used by roofers to repair or build roofs for homes.
Ceramic Tile Maker
You could also specialize in making ceramic tiles for homeowners or home improvement businesses.
Manufacturing Photo via Shutterstock
Manufacturing is really a big umbrella for businesses. I think that there are other types of manufacturing industries aside from those mentioned here.
Osita
can you mention
These are such amazing ideas. Thanks for the list. I didn’t know that there are so many manufacturing business types.
Praveen
Please share business ideas, i have own 2100 sqft factory space with shed
Michael Andy
That’s great!! This is a really wonderful post. Thank you for sharing. In this post, every possible business ideas are described perfectly. So which are beneficial if anyone can start with them.
Marek
Having a small manufacturing could be a great idea for life.
From perspective of 8 years as business consultant I suggest to use tools what helps management from first day of company. It shouldn’t be any expensive ERP, but You could create it for free using google calc + google form or pick up some great tool like getprodio.com
John
Nice article. We are planning to start a small business in US but before we need some strong idea and suggestion on International trade. Someone suggested us about PSD global, It seems PSD global is an International trade consultations which provides good information and idea to how we can grow our business and many more.Thanks to PSD Global
Jay
Please could I get more information on Soap & Detergent Production.
SAK
Hi World,
I want to go in with manufacturing small products for medical industry. What would the ideal product line?
Thank you for your time and efforts,
Regards,
SAK
Piyush
I want to manufacture daily use plastic household products.But dont know how to get into rerail market. Can you please help me in this regard.
amit
less of man work on small business of manufacture name of that & more profit
Manisha
Paper bag
Shamal Thube
Please could i get more information on soap and detergent products
Pradeep Vaidya
We are a Pvt Ltd Small Scale Unit from Central India. We have 8100 Sq Mts of Industrial Land in Central India with 1700 Sq Mts of RCC Structure available for setting up any Industry. We are looking for Entrepreneurs from USA with Idea for Joint Venture in any field.
Rose
Thanks for ideas. I like to start with smaller busines like homemade bread.
Nurgul
Hello evryone
Here in Turkey governement is trying to lessen the usage of plastic bags. So am in search of alternative products. Any ideas? Thank you.
mohammed
metallic straws.huge potential
Er. Sunil Yadav
I want to know about automobile spare parts shop. What is the minimum cost in which it can be opened.
Mary
I need the Information on shop & detergent production.
Sudhir
I want to start a new manufacturing company tell me the new business idea to start a industry
Chris
Turd making
Chris
Turd making FOS
Joslyn Joseph
Hi Sudhir
There are many products which u can manufacture but for the begining you can do with easy products like any dealership or distributionship franchises
Jhn
You have been provided above list to chose from
Ard
I need information about lollipops and candy production
Machinery and row materials suppliers
Dr M.Azim Samim
Hi. Dear sir i want to fix a factory here in kabul afghanistan
ROSE WANGUI
Hello Sir.
Please advise on the manufacturing business I can start in Kenya.
I don’t mind partnership with an investor who would to start their business in the country but they are stack. I ac work with them.
Regards
ROSE WANGUI
Hello Sir.
Please advise on the manufacturing business I can start in Kenya.
I don’t mind partnership with an investor who would to start their business in the country but they are stack. I can work with them.
Regards
Thanks for sharing a great article! Really starting a business is not an easy job and needs endless efforts. And an expert in your field can help you to grow your business. Do you really think a business consulting service is required for a business startup?
Abdul daud
Any suggestions for a business or manufacturing business idea to start in Malawi, Central Africa? Plz kindly advise.
GANESH
Application for a job.
Small Business Trends is an award-winning online publication for small business owners, entrepreneurs and the people who interact with them. Our mission is to bring you “Small business success … delivered daily.”
© Copyright 2003 – 2022, Small Business Trends LLC. All rights reserved.
“Small Business Trends” is a registered trademark.
