Do you know your city like the back of your hand? Maybe you live in an area like the Napa Valley, or sometimes you know the best biking routes through a popular scenic area. If so, you can leakage one of the best low cost business ideas by becoming a tour guide. Tourists, travelers and others are more than willing to pay good money to have someone experienced show them things that would otherwise not experience. You do not have to live in Paris, London or Napa to do it, either.
Demand – With the increasing cost of travel, more and more people are choosing to look closer to home for their getaways. Rather than flying to a tropical beach, they're driving a few hours away. You can make the most of that trend by leveraging your knowledge and natural inclination to get out and about. There's a lot of demand out there, even in rural areas where you might not expect it. Is there a state wine or craft beer trail in your neck of the woods? Know the most impressive Civil War battlefields and monuments in your area? You can turn that into a lucrative business.
Cost – It costs virtually nothing to get up and running as a tour guide. You can advertise free by creating a Facebook page and starting a presence on Yelp and other similar sites. You'll have fuel costs getting to and from your tours, surely, but you might not have much, particularly if you decide to become a bike guide or take hiking tours out.
Room for Expansion – One of the best things about this particular business idea is that you're able to expand your services as you see fit. You can introduce new tours, plan out new hiking options for clients, create interesting restaurant or bar tours through your town, or become an art guide. You can add a line of products to sell like water bottles or t-shirts with your logo. The sky's the limit here, and all you need is a little bit of creativity and the drive to get out and help others experience those unique sights and sounds.
You'll also find that you can expand your business as it grows by hiring other guides and serving more clients. It's simple, takes only a little time, and as long as you provide outstanding service, you can expect to continue building a great reputation that will drive even more clients your way.
