The best business ideas in the USA in 2020 for Russians

More than 300 million people live in the United States; only a very active and productive business can serve, clothe and feed so many people. Therefore, you should not be surprised that America became the birthplace of a huge number of business ideas, which were then replicated throughout the world. A successful idea can bring billions to an American entrepreneur, since the number of potential buyers in the country is large; In addition, in many areas, America is a trendsetter for other continents.

Urban farms

The idea of using skyscrapers to grow greens and vegetables was prompted in the United States by the demand for organic farming. The shelf life of natural plant products is short; during delivery, vegetables lose valuable vitamins. Greenhouses on roofs are organized in Canada, South America, Singapore, but it was the Americans who came up with the idea of growing edible herbs using a high-rise building not horizontally, but vertically.

Enthusiasts have installed a device that resembles a Ferris wheel: instead of booths, the vertical farm has trays with plants. The electric drive rotates them, providing uniform watering and access to light. Another popular idea is to grow greens without any soil at all - using the hydroponic method. In this case, the soil is replaced with mineralized water, which is proposed to be collected during rain in special tanks on the roof.

This is interesting! Skyscrapers are located mainly near the coast, so enterprising residents of the United States use abandoned warehouses and factories for organic farms. An example is the agricultural firm FarmedHere, in an empty warehouse in Chicago; its owner, Jolanta Hardey, grows organic greens here.

It is estimated that the yield of 1 square meter of a vertical farm is 20 times higher than with the traditional method of cultivating plants. But such a small business requires additional investments - for equipment, electricity, and mineral supplements. However, urban eco-farms are considered not only popular, but also profitable, because the costs of delivery, staff salaries, chemical fertilizers, heating and irrigation systems are reduced. Plants on the innovative farm grow 2 times faster, and crop losses (due to the elements, pests, temperature changes) are minimized.

Which field to go into?

Friends, we have sorted out the organizational issues, now let’s talk about what kind of business is especially in demand in the USA today. As in Russia, trade, manufacturing, services and public catering remain the leading sectors in America, but each area has its own local nuances.

At the moment, the most promising and easily parted with their “bucks” group in the states are people born almost before or with the advent of the new millennium, that is, in nineteen ninety-five - two thousand, and are 20-25 years old. Therefore, when opening something new or buying an existing business in America, you definitely need to analyze what is especially popular among young people now. Such information is easy to find on the Internet, both for the United States as a whole and separately for each specific state.

I will try to tell you about the most profitable options for American small businesses and give you some specific ideas.

Trade

Let's start with trade - let's talk about popular goods in America and how best to organize their sale. In this country, unlike Russia, opening a small private store of clothes or shoes (especially a branded one) is unprofitable - providing it will take a lot of time and effort, and the income will be minimal, since Americans prefer to buy such goods in large corporations, shopping centers or the Internet -boutiques. Therefore, it is better for a non-resident entrepreneur to place a bet on:

Separate “islands” in large shopping or entertainment centers. It is worth choosing various little things as a product, since Americans love to surround themselves with them, making life comfortable and enjoyable - souvenir soap or candles, glasses, hair accessories, jewelry, belts, wallets, small gadgets, and so on.
Vending machines. People in the USA prefer a dynamic lifestyle, maximum convenience, automation and a minimum waste of time, so vending machines loaded with anything (food, drinks, hygiene products, disposable chargers, books, newspapers and magazines, and even socks or tights) are used in huge demand. In this case, it is important to take into account competition, because large corporations have already installed vending machines with the most popular products. The more original your idea is, the more likely it is to survive.
Natural flowers. In the states, it is customary to give flowers not only on “great holidays,” but also just for a good mood. Americans also constantly use them to decorate offices, shops and events. Therefore, selling “fragrant blooming mood” in this country is very profitable.
Internet trading. Here, a non-resident can choose any direction, however, you should not initially focus on large expensive goods, but rather bet on all kinds of small things. At the same time, there is no need to emphasize your foreign origin, so as not to irritate distrustful Americans. Win-win options for online stores include those that sell small gadgets and pet products.

Restaurant and hotel business

The food industry is one of the most promising business areas in America; it is a well-known fact that its residents love to eat delicious food and prefer ready-made food to standing at the stove for a long time to create culinary masterpieces. A restaurant in America and in Russia are two different places. In our country, people of the upper and middle social strata go to restaurants, but only on special occasions, and in the states, ordinary Americans eat breakfast, lunch or dinner in these establishments, so opening such a business is an excellent option for a beginner.

There are three ways to start a restaurant business in the states:

Open a fundamentally new establishment with its own twist to attract visitors. It would be better if it was a coffee shop or bar. However, a non-resident will have to face bureaucratic delays and enormous competition.
Buying a ready-made establishment is easier, but when further organizing the business, you need to take into account the past image. If a restaurant has a negative reputation, then you need to get rid of it by radically changing its appearance and direction, and if it has a positive reputation, then it is better to leave everything as it is in order to maintain an established customer base.
Buying a franchise is the most preferable option to start with, which will allow you to get a ready-made profitable business and get acquainted with all the intricacies of running a restaurant business.

Another promising option for a novice non-resident businessman is to open a hotel or hostel in the states. And in this case, on the contrary, it is worth focusing on your foreign origin and using the traditions and flavor of your homeland to create a unique image and focus for the establishment. There are countless hotels of different classes in America and the prices for accommodation in them are quite high, but thanks to the incredible influx of tourists, they invariably remain in demand.

Services

Friends, if you are thinking about what kind of business you can open in the USA without money, as an immigrant from Russia, then pay attention to the service sector. Here are the possible options:

Assistance to compatriots - legal, in learning the language and culture, finding new acquaintances, choosing housing, the services of a nurse or nanny, and others.
Services for Native Americans can be standard cleaning, electrician, plumber, gardener, dentist, repairman, or something unique like a personal messaging service, a houseplant hostel, or 24-hour support for the elderly.

If a non-resident has some start-up capital or has acquired an investor, then he can consider the following interesting business ideas in the USA:

You can open a moving company. Such services are in great demand. And again, the American mentality is to blame for everything. Unlike Russians or Ukrainians, when moving, they will never run around their friends in search of freight transport and free movers. It’s easier for them to make one call, give a certain amount and have reliable guarantees of the safety of their property when moving.
The same applies to service stations. No American would waste time and effort digging under the hood of a car. For what? If you can entrust this matter to professionals. But a non-resident will not be able to open a service station quickly and easily, since the states have high requirements for its equipment and the performance of this activity, compliance with which is carefully and regularly checked. And also, if something is not repaired correctly, then any American will sue the repairman, so no one in the USA is afraid to leave their cars in car repair shops because of the likelihood that they will “unscrew a working spare part and replace it with a worn-out one.”
A promising option for women of foreign origin is to open a beauty salon in America - this can be either narrowly focused beauty establishments, for example, hairdressers, or multifunctional centers with a full range of beauty services. Nail salons (manicure salons), SPA salons, Tanning salons (tanning studios), Waxing salons (sugaring and depilation) and Skin Care Centers (cosmetology centers) are extremely popular among American women.
One of the profitable options for men is to open a construction business in America. However, non-residents should take into account that there are plenty of similar companies in the states and workers there receive high salaries, which guarantees the excellent quality of the work they perform. Therefore, you will have to “plow” hard, sometimes around the clock and “from the heart,” in order to compete with them. But if these conditions are met, you can get incredible profits and quickly get back on your feet.

Phytowalls

A “relative” of the previous concept is a kind of indoor mini-farms; in America they are called phytowalls. Walls made of living plants are created in institutions, hotel lobbies, and catering establishments - in the latter case, the greens can be edible and served to the client’s table directly from the wall.

The idea spun off from small businesses on vertical farms: flowers in pots were replaced by vegetation that does without land. The plant wall works for the positive image of the restaurant (hotel) and saturates the air with oxygen, so the number of customers for the new product in the United States is growing - this startup promises to become one of the most popular in the near future.

In what state to open

Despite the fact that America has a single Constitution, each state sets its own requirements for applicants to become entrepreneurs, so which one is better to open a business in? This is a controversial question; when choosing a “field” for activity, you need to take into account a number of nuances - evaluate the competition in each state depending on what you plan to do and take into account personal characteristics. For example:

In California, registering a company is more expensive, and there are more delays, and tax rates are not low, but the chances of finding investors are the highest in the USA, so it is better to start some certain types of business there.
There is an opinion that in the state of Delaware, due to preferential tax conditions, it is worth registering IT companies, but by saving on taxes, you can run into difficulties finding clients, since Americans consider businessmen from Delaware to be greedy and unreliable.
There is no income tax in Florida, which is beneficial for starting individual entrepreneurs, so it ranks second among American states in terms of the frequency of starting a business, and what kind of business needs to be assessed here - supply and demand must be assessed. Nevada is in first place - it has the best economic factors for starting a new business for a non-resident; a little further in our improvised ranking are Wyoming, Texas and Alaska, although the latter is suitable only for those who are not afraid of the cold.
Virginia has a wealth of qualified professionals in any field, which will allow you to select an excellent team of workers, but it is very difficult to bring a company to a high level in this state.
The state of Missouri is in 5th place in the number of business startups. One of the decisive reasons is the low cost of housing.
Illinois has the highest per capita GDP and one of the lowest cost of living expenses in the country, making it easy to recruit workers quickly.
You should not start a business in the states of Hawaii, Maine, Arkansas, Vermont and Wisconsin, as more businesses are closing than opening due to unattractive economic conditions and harsh requirements.

Business selling individual food

The principles of healthy eating are actively promoted in America - they also make a business out of proper food. Chop't Café's new offering is an offer for customers to “design” their own salad. The visitor chooses vegetables, fruits and other ingredients - they are immediately cut by the cook into an empty container and seasoned with sauce. A serving of fresh salad made to order costs from $8 to $14.

Other catering establishments install small-format ovens with grates directly into the tables so that visitors can prepare their own hot food from fresh pieces of meat or fish. The idea itself comes from Japan, but it has managed to become extremely popular in New York restaurants.

Important! It will not be possible to implement the above ideas with minimal investment, but the business of healthy eating and fresh food is rated by experts in the USA and Canada as the most promising.

Business in New York

New York has the peculiarity of fierce American competition in the job market. And although the city is considered a “white collar city,” Manhattan is worth it! The restaurant business is still considered the most popular business; it is the most popular industry.

Then come:

medical practice,
diagnostic medical services,
legal practice,
reconstruction and repair of buildings,
dentistry and dental prosthetics,
trade in clothing and footwear,
pharmacy business,
car service.

These types of businesses are considered the most in demand and popular.

Vending machines with hot food and fresh salads

The Americans' interest in healthy food was picked up by the creators of vending machines - for them, the USA is a real haven. Lux Saunders of Chicago created the Farmer's Fridge, a vending machine that sells fresh salads. The ingredients are packed in layers in a special jar so that the products do not mix spontaneously. Every morning the portions are updated. The founder of the startup was outraged by the fact that unhealthy food can be bought on every corner, and healthy food can only be bought in special restaurants. Now Saunders' network of machines is expanding.

Another profitable small business in the United States was the invention of hot vending machines. The startup also grew out of Americans' desire for nutritious nutrition. The machine has a built-in microwave oven that will heat up food. The price of the device is from $10,000.

Mobile applications for cafes and restaurants

When a resident of a large North American city is faced with the question of where to eat, he launches an application on his smartphone that allows him to make a virtual overview of restaurants and eateries located nearby, compare prices, select a suitable set of dishes and place an order right there - through his smartphone. By the time the client arrives, the order will be ready.

The mobile application market in the United States is developing rapidly, offering users of smart gadgets more and more new conveniences. Recently, a new feature has appeared in the WillCall mobile application that sells concert tickets: along with the purchase of a ticket, you can order a drink (snack), pay in advance and avoid standing in line during intermission.

Degradable plastic utensils

According to Freedonia Group Inc, the disposable tableware market in the United States is growing by 3.5-4% per year, with annual turnover in this area approaching $20 billion. But soon the usual plastic will be replaced by dishes made from biodegradable plastic resin and recycled materials. Technologies for creating bioplastics are constantly being improved - America takes a leading position in this matter. For example, Biofase has launched a business making plates and forks made from biomass-processed avocado seeds, and Californian firm Reduce.Reuse.Grow specializes in biodegradable paper coffee cups. The latter’s know-how is the inclusion of seeds in the body of the glass: after the dishes decompose, the seeds sprout and green the city.

The most interesting business ideas from America that brought the greatest profit

Among the first are Brad Hughes (USA) – $5.3 billion. This man started his business in America from the usual installation of storage lockers on highways . In those days, once a business began to be established and grow, it could be classified as a small business idea. But at the same time, in its originality and simplicity, it was able to surpass an incredible number of all other areas of successful business start.

Ralph Lauren rightfully deserves second place - $5 billion . The essence of his idea, from our point of view, in principle characterizes all US small businesses. More specifically, the whole idea was just to put horse tag stickers on T-shirts. It’s very simple, uncomplicated and, most importantly, extremely profitable.

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Single product store

America was once conquered by the idea of selling all products in one store, but now the opposite trend is popular: opening stores that offer only one product (headphones, shirts, umbrellas, flower vases). Such a store does not require billions of dollars in investments, fits into a small space and evokes special confidence among customers, since its narrow specialization presupposes deep knowledge of the salon owners about the product presented.

Important thought! A similar idea can be inexpensively implemented through an online store.

An analogue of this idea in the United States was the startup Silvercar, a car rental company. The nuance is that the company rents out cars of only one brand. Customers found it convenient to drive the same cars and not waste time studying other brands. Small businesses that have paid off in San Francisco and Dallas are expanding into other cities.

Today's trends

The philosophical idea that there is nothing new in this world is not applicable to business. If a specialist wants to sell his skills profitably, he must update them to modern realities and take into account new business trends:

digitalization – the modern client wants most issues to be resolved remotely;
mobility – but the consumer wants to receive a service or product as close to himself as possible;
interactivity – often the buyer is interested in the process of creating a product and even participating in it;
individual approach – taking into account individual “wants” means an increase in income;
originality of the idea - the product must stand out from a number of analogues or be completely unique.

Along with innovative endeavors, the ability to sell is as valuable as the ability to do something with your hands, so talent in promoting products can become the basis for creating your own online store.

The original denim store

North America is the birthplace of denim. It is not surprising that a new way to sell them has appeared here and has become a profitable small business for the owner. Nadya Shurabura invented the know-how, and the first Hointer store opened in Seattle.

The essence of the idea. It is difficult to choose jeans from a huge assortment: searching for the required size, color and model is problematic for the seller and the buyer. Therefore, the new showroom is not filled to capacity with goods. The models are hung on hangers so that they can be conveniently viewed from all sides, and are presented in one version. Having found a nice pair of trousers, the buyer scans the QR code on the jeans, indicates the size and color, and in a few minutes the model is in the fitting room. (You must first install the application from Hointer on your smartphone).

Pros of a startup:

originality
convenience for the buyer
savings on store space and number of service personnel.

Important! In fact, such a small business is not difficult to replicate to other types of clothing.

Virtual attendance at sports games

Large and small businesses in the United States earn almost as much from sports as from food. Famous athletes and sports-related corporations receive millions in royalties, but in the field of small businesses, an application that allows fans to attend the game virtually has become popular. LiveLike VR, compatible with virtual reality headsets, allows you to be an active fan without leaving home and watch the game with your friends.

Interesting fact! This startup won a $50,000 grant from Stanford Business School. It is popular in America due to its novelty and simple algorithms for the user.

What forms of business exist

Let's say you've decided what to do next? You need to decide on the form of business:

Sole Proprietorship (individual entrepreneurship) is the simplest type of American business activity with simplified registration and a minimum of reporting, but a non-resident with such a business will find it more difficult to find investors or partners, hire employees or attract clients. Americans automatically elevate individual “foreign entrepreneurs” to the status of not the most reliable people. An individual entrepreneur in the USA is not a legal entity and bears all financial responsibility independently.
Partnership – this form implies the presence of several partners, one of whom is financially responsible. The business is registered with the state secretariat and is subject to rather strict conditions. It implies high tax rates on non-resident income and a flexible form of reporting.
LLC (limited liability company) is one of the cheapest ways to open a company in the US for a non-resident, but it is not very popular, since it is almost impossible to sell such a business in the future. An entrepreneur becomes a legal entity to whose activities various forms of taxation may be applied, and every five years he has the right to change them.
Corporation C (INC) – open and closed corporations (joint stock companies). Shares can be distributed both among the founders and among ordinary employees of the company. This is one of the best ways to motivate when looking for employees and investors. In terms of registration, such a business is more expensive, but it develops much faster due to the interest of shareholders.

An original small business from the USA

Sometimes Americans come up with such strange ideas for making money that people in Russia or European countries would only laugh at. But in America they become popular (and, therefore, profitable) precisely because of their originality. For example, there is a store in Los Angeles that sells time travel products. There is a strip club for vegetarians in Portland. All over America they sell plastic bags with a timer for opening for $40. You can put any item in the package (cigarettes, cake, car keys) and set the time when the package can be opened. The startup is popular because it helps you limit yourself in entertainment, overeating, and smoking.

Shoes

30% of the goods in our warehouse are shoes, and this is the situation at any time of the year. Shoes in America are of better quality, cheaper, the collections are fresher... but you yourself know all this. In Russia, sneakers for 5000-6000 rubles are the absolute norm, and in an American store $30, $40 and $50 are the average price for a pair of good quality branded shoes.

Look here:

6pm – the most famous stock store for its prices and selection
Shoes – all the shoes of the world in one place
Zappos and Zappos Luxury - shoes for every taste and budget
Timberland, UGG, Coach, Nike, New Balance – official online stores of your favorite brands
Joesnewbalanceoutlet – large and cheap New Balance outlet

There is also an interesting store - Vibram. Vibram soles are used by UGG and many other famous sports brands. Excellent shoes, widely distributed in Europe.