The world of business holds immense attraction for people looking to make a living. Lebanese people are no exception. The small middle-eastern country is home to less than 5 million people. But that doesn’t mean there are no startup business opportunities there. So, in this article, we are going to share with you 10 best small business ideas in Lebanon that do not require big money and huge setting up costs.
Most of these business opportunities are likely to be profitable in a short time if you do them right.
Before we delve into what business to open in Lebanon, let us first know what small business and the challenges of doing small businesses in Lebanon is.
What is a small business?
A small business or startup is privately owned and operated enterprises.
Also, have fewer employees and lesser capital.
They have simple operations and can run with little costs.
A small business can have a sole proprietor or several partners managing its affairs.
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The size is about the scale of its operation, scope, and finances.
Despite the small size, these businesses present a host of small business opportunities for their owners.
You just have to tap on the right best small business ideas in Lebanon.
Challenges of doing business in Lebanon:
Before we discuss ideas for small startup business opportunities, let us take a look at some of the challenges that you can encounter while running your small business in Lebanon.
Volatile region
Lebanon is locate in a hotspot of conflicts.
With the Israeli-Palestinian issue on one side and the Syrian conflict on the other.
The spillover effects of these burning issues keep affecting small businesses in Lebanon.
There is nothing much you can do about it except for a grin and bear it attitude.
Size
Lebanon is a small country with a small population.
You have to keep this in mind.
Your business in Lebanon can boom, but it can grow only up to a certain level.
The market size will be an inherent handicap.
The economy is also services-oriented, so if you are thinking of setting up a manufacturing facility, please do a thorough analysis of it.
Small business opportunities in Lebanon is subject to limitations.
The startup business opportunities are there, but the scale will remain small.
Corruption and red tape
Lebanon is among the 50 most corrupt countries in the world.
Public officials are generally corrupt and incompetent.
You can also expect bottlenecks and slow working while dealing with government departments.
All these things negatively affect doing small business in Lebanon and various business opportunities there.
10 small business ideas for Lebanon
Now let us begin our main topic and shed light on 10 best small business ideas for Lebanon.
So, in no particular order here is our list;
1-Fruit processing
As we mentioned above that Lebanon produces very good quality fruits so besides dealing in raw fruits, you can also add value to them and sell them.
We are talking about making jams, purees, juices, etc. from these fruits.
There is no need to set up a state of an art manufacturing plant to do this kind of startup some best small business ideas in Lebanon.
You can do it on a small scale, within your limited budget too.
You can sell your products as being natural and organic free from any harmful preservatives and additives.
People are getting health conscious, and there is a growing demand for organic products all over the world.
As a smart entrepreneur, you should be taking stock of small business opportunities.
Gradually, you will create your niche market.
Quality, purity, and freshness of ingredients should be your topmost concerns for these small business opportunities, and you will taste the fruits of your success. Pun intended.
2-Internet club
The internet is a big reality in our modern times.
Life without it is difficult to imagine.
Anything related to the internet is bound to click.
It presents an array of small startup business opportunities.
No doubt the penetration of smartphones is increasing day by day that gives you access to the internet, yet there is still a market for internet clubs.
Location is very important in making this small business opportunity a success.
If you open it near a university or school or in an area that is still lacking in fast internet access, you have a fairly good chance to succeed.
It doesn’t require much investment, either.
You can get refurbished computer units at very cheap rates.
The main cost would be the rent and electricity bill.
Rent depends on your location if it is away from the city’s centre then it would automatically come down, and the bill of electricity depends on the usage, so you have it all covered here.
3-Cafes and bars
Lebanese love to hang out and party.
The capital Beirut has a thriving nightlife.
There was a time when it was called the Paris of the East.
While those days are long gone, the nightlife is still rocking and happening.
Foreign tourists also come in good numbers to enjoy the legendary Beirut nights.
You can cash in on the trend by catering to those hordes of local and foreign revellers.
While opening a night club requires big money, you can set up your eating joint and a bar with considerably less investment.
There are hundreds of such roadside cafes and bars dotting Beirut’s cityscape.
It is one of the best small business ideas in Lebanon Beirut.
Most of them are doing brisk business in Lebanon.
Quality is the key to success for every food-related small business opportunities.
Then comes the service delivery and lastly the ambience of the café.
If you can control these three aspects, then there will be no dearth of startup business opportunity for you.
People will flock your place and come from far off places just to have a sip of your famous fruit punch or munch on your popular exotic meat.
4-Selling your skills
If you know any skill, craft our a subject it can translate into startup business opportunities for you.
You can teach what you are good at to others and earn handsomely in the process.
It could be anything like drawing, painting, sculpting, designing, etc. you can transfer your craft, your knowledge to other small business opportunities.
There are a lot of other skill sets too like music, dance, cooking, gardening, sewing, etc.
You can do it on both online and offline bases.
Especially in the current times, holding online classes is much more feasible and preferable.
In either case, if there is a market for your skill, your craft, you can sell it and make money, and it won’t cost you anything.
That is probably the best thing about this as you will be selling a service.
The services sector, by the way, is the biggest employer in Lebanon and full of untapped small business opportunities.
5-Bakery & coffee shop
Everyone has a sweet tooth.
People in Lebanon love their sweets too.
So, the bakery business in Lebanon is flourishing, and it is one of the best business ideas.
Lebanon has its fair share of European settlers.
The immigrants brought with them their culinary habits and cuisine as well.
This has led to the development of a unique flavour that is Lebanese with European influences.
Such baked delights have a huge small business opportunity in Lebanon.
You can open a small bakery shop, and you can also run these startups in Lebanon from your home by going online.
It is all possible and not hard to achieve.
You can also learn baking if you do not know it but are interested in it.
It won’t take more than a month or two, and you will be a capable baker.
Coffee shops: Likewise, people’s love affair with coffee won’t go away anytime soon.
Lebanese love coffee too.
Beirut has already a lot of coffee shops.
Again the quality is the key to your success.
There are tons of variety both for baked items and coffee.
You will find customers that like your taste and baking style.
All these small business ideas are likely to be profitable in Lebanon for the coming years.
6-Hair salon and spa
People in Lebanon love to take care of themselves.
Lebanese are among the most well-groomed people on earth.
So the grooming and wellness industry offers you numerous good startup business opportunities in Lebanon.
Since this is an acquired skill, you need to learn it.
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You can try both men and women’s salons.
Both are equally popular and enjoy good patronage among their target market.
Besides hair cutting, you can master other skills like make-up, manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, skin exfoliation, waxing, etc.
You will find clients for all of these skills.
It is up for you to tap the right business opportunities this sector offers for small businesses in Lebanon.
7-Online delivery services
Online delivery services have registered a surge in their demand, especially in the days of lockdown.
Its demand would remain in place even after this pandemic is over.
It is among the up and coming business opportunities that you can explore to your benefit.
People find it very convenient and easy to order anything from the comfort of their homes.
You can count on this trend and run this small stof delivering orders from door to door.
It is up to you that you can be a general order supplier or be specific like delivering food like food panda, although food panda now delivers groceries too.
All you need is to invest in a couple of motorcycles and hire some riders.
Many students would love to take it as a side hustle and make money.
To your advantage, they would be willing to work at lower rates too.
So, it is going to be a win-win situation for all.
This is one of the few business opportunities in great demand right now.
8-Online fitness trainer and Nutritionist
Fitness is another big industry in Lebanon, and there are various small business opportunities associated with it.
You have to be in good shape to look good, and people from Lebanon love to take care of themselves.
Since gyms were closed due to COVID 19, people are resorting to home-based workout routines.
And here, online fitness training comes into the scene.
You can take a group of persons and conduct a virtual training session, or you can train them individually according to their unique needs.
In either case, you will have many persons willing to pay you to have a healthy physique.
The wellness and fitness industry is ripe with startup business opportunities.
9-Farming
Lebanon has fertile land, and this small country has the largest tract of cultivable land in the whole of the Arab world.
In Lebanon, there are loads of startup business opportunities in the field of farming.
You can also become part of it and reap the benefits.
We are not just talking about crops but fruit farming as well.
Lebanon produces fruits of amazing quality like figs, olives, avocadoes, bananas, oranges, apples, peaches, etc.
If you do not own a farm or orchard of your own, you can find owners willing to lease their farming lands to farmers in return for some rent or profit.
This can be one of the lucrative startup business opportunities, and as you earn more profits, you can buy your orchards multiplying small business opportunities for you.
10-Nutritionist
Another thing related to a healthy body is your eating habits and nutrition.
Again, COVID 19 has reignited people’s interest in healthy foods and healthy living.
If you know the nutritional value of food, macros, calories, then you can make a good living out of it as well.
You can also advise people about treating common ailments like fever, flu, joints, pain, headache, etc. using the food we eat.
Everything can be healing if we follow a healthy, wholesome meal and diet plan.
This can be one of the great small business opportunities in Lebanon.
Mistakes to avoid
If you want to have a thriving startup business in Lebanon here are the mistakes that you should not commit;
Do not limit yourself.
Lebanon is a small country, and we are talking about small business opportunities here, so why should we think big?
The answer is you can start with a small startup but must you remain small throughout?
So always aim for the stars and encourage growth in your small business in Lebanon.
Branch out to other areas of the same city or other cities.
Grab the small business opportunities as they unfold.
The Middle East has more or less the same small business culture and work ethics.
You can move out of Lebanon too.
Do not be afraid of competition.
There will be competitors.
There will be businesses that will be doing similar or the same startup like yours.
Do not be intimidated by their presence.
Take them as an opportunity, an opportunity to learn, to grow together, to be different yet alike, and to better yourself.
This is especially true if you are choosing to open a startup and are afraid of the competition.
Not many people understand, but competitors provide business opportunities too.
Do not lose your focus.
Often we get so busy in promoting and advertising our small business or startup on different mediums that we lose focus on our core business.
This must not happen.
Your business in Lebanon should be your top priority.
Marketing is important, and we cannot deny it, but a happy and satisfied customer is your best brand ambassador.
Never forget that.
Build a personal relationship.
The power of friendship and personal relationship in furthering your startup in Lebanon cannot be deny.
This is especially true in the Middle East, where business opportunities thrive on personal connections.
Develop a rapport with your client and win his trust.
He will keep coming back to you if you greet him with warmth and love.
Do not complain.
If you want to own a successful startup, please stop complaining about all the hurdles and challenges along the way.
Nobody forced you to start your startup.
It was your decision, and you should take full ownership of your decision.
Nagging and complaining will take you nowhere.
If anything, it will drain your energies and make you feel like a loser.
A winning attitude is very important when it comes to succeeding in a small business or startup, even when you are not winning, your attitude should be positive and confident.
Remember to feel like a king, and you will be a king.
Conclusion
So, there you have it our list of best small business ideas in Lebanon that you can easily establish with minimum hassle.
Now, we hope you have a fair idea of what startup to open in Lebanon?
They require very little capital investment from you, and most of them are services-oriented small businesses, only requiring some skills from you.
You can also look for the best small business ideas in Lebanon, buy it and work on its progress.
It requires time, energy, resources, commitment, and above all, passion from you to turn these small business opportunities into a successful venture.
Just believe in your business in Lebanon and give it your best shot, and you will succeed.
There are plenty of small business opportunities lying out there we have highlighted just a few.
You can create your small business ideas and set up your own small business in Lebanon as well.
