Top 25 Small Business Ideas for Immigrant Indians in the UK

As an immigrant Indian, it is a very good decision to start your business as a foreigner in the United Kingdom (UK). The liberal and advanced economy of the UK will give you a good opening.

The UK has a very high ranking concerning ease of doing business. Therefore it will be easy for you to set up and grow your business in the UK.

The population of the UK is large as well as with a good purchasing capacity. This will help you to get more profits from your business in the UK.

The UK will give you the advantages of skilled manpower as well as advanced infrastructure. These two are extremely important for any business. Therefore you will get an edge in starting your business as an immigrant Indian in the United Kingdom.

At present, more than a million Indians are living in different parts of the UK. Many business ideas are profitable and prospective for you in the UK as an immigrant Indian.

25 Small Business Ideas in the UK for Indians & Immigrants

1. Indian Restaurant

Indian food has great demand around the globe. Hence as an immigrant Indian, you can start an Indian food restaurant in the UK. There are different varieties of Indian food. You can create your niche or serve different types of Indian cuisine in your restaurant. Having a traditional Indian décor will give you an edge. Digital marketing and word of the mouth publicity are important for your restaurant business.

2. Online Food Delivery

Online food delivery is a lucrative business option for you as an immigrant Indian in the UK. Serving Indian food is a good option. You can deliver food through an app or digital or social media orders. Good quality food, prompt delivery, and a great deal of digital marketing will make your food delivery business more profitable.

3. Indian Dress Boutique

Indian dresses are very popular, especially in the UK. Hence you can start your Indian dress boutique as an immigrant Indian in the UK. Sell different types of Indian dresses for both men and women for festivals as well as daily use. The boutique can also be an online one. Good networking, your website, and digital and social media marketing are very important for your boutique business.

4. Accounting Services

Providing accounting services is a good business option for an Indian immigrant in the UK. You can start your accounting service company and provide services like bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, bank reconciliation, preparation of balance sheets, detailing of accounts payable and receivable, etc. Use the latest software and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for the best results. Good marketing and networking are necessary for your accounting service business.

5. Financial Consultancy

Many immigrant Indians are successful financial consultants in the UK. Following this, you can also start a financial consultancy firm in the UK. As a financial consultant, you can serve medium and small-scale business houses along with private business persons. Your responsibilities include financial planning, investment planning, tax planning, assessment of profitability, preparation of project reports, etc. Online and offline marketing play important role in the growth of your financial consultancy firm.

6. Grocery Store

The grocery store is a very profitable business and many immigrant Indians have their grocery stores in the UK. Hence as an immigrant Indian, you can also start your grocery store. Have a separate section of Indian grocery items in your store to attract the Indian population. Find a good location and hire efficient salespersons for your grocery store. Door-to-door publicity and good marketing are essential for your grocery store business.

7. Salon

The salon is also a very prospective business for immigrant Indians in the UK. Start a unisex salon and sell beauty products in your salon for greater profits. Good location and decor are important for your salon along with skilled stylists and the use of good beauty products. Online and offline marketing play important roles in the growth of your salon.

8. Virtual Assistant

Working as a virtual assistant is a good business idea for you as an immigrant Indian in the UK. You can work from home with little investment of a computer and high-speed internet. To be a good virtual assistant you need good organizational skills along with knowledge of office procedures and related software. You must have your website, good contacts, and planned digital marketing for becoming a successful virtual assistant.

9. Waste Removal

Waste removal is a profitable business option for you as an immigrant Indian in the UK. You can collect the waste and sell them to the waste recycling units. Alternatively, you can set up a waste recycling unit where you can recycle waste and produce different other objects from the waste and dispose of the waste that cannot be recycled.

10. Garden and Lawn Maintenance

If you have good knowledge of gardening, you can start a garden and lawn maintenance service business in the UK. It has a good demand as there are plenty of houses as well as office premises with garden and lawn. Personal networking and publicity will fetch you more clients in the garden and lawn maintenance business.

11. Car Wash and Servicing

Car washing and servicing is a profit-making business in the UK. Hence as an immigrant Indian, you can start a car washing and serving unit in a good location. It will be more profitable if you can provide the service of a mobile car wash and service in the place of your customers. Online and offline marketing is very important for the growth of your car washing and servicing business.

12. Power Washing

Power washing the exterior of houses, office buildings, and housing complexes is a profitable business for you as an immigrant Indian in the UK. You will need good knowledge of power washing, the necessary equipment, and hardworking assistants for this business. A personal network along with well-planned marketing will give you more business in power washing.

13. Laundry

 The laundry business is profitable in the UK and hence you can start this business in the UK as an immigrant Indian. You can take a franchise of any reputed chain of laundries. Alternatively, you can start your laundry independently. Good location, prompt service, and good public relations along with advertisement and publicity will fetch you more clients.

14. Home and Office Cleaning

Cleaning services is a prospective business in the UK. As an immigrant Indian, you can start your cleaning company in the UK and provide home and office cleaning services. Offer disinfection and sanitization services along with cleaning. Use good cleaners, disinfectants, and equipment, hire efficient workers and maintain a good marketing network for fetching more clients for your cleaning business.

15. Online Teaching

Online teaching is a good business option for you in the UK as an immigrant Indian. It is gaining popularity with time. You can teach students of different levels starting from schools to colleges or higher. Teaching professional courses like web designing or graphics etc. is also a good option. You will need your website and a good deal of digital marketing to get more students for online teaching.

16. Child Care

Child care is a prospective business in the UK as there are large numbers of working parents who need a reliable person to look after their children in their absence. As an immigrant Indian, you can start a child care center or a nanny agency for taking care of the children. You need to be loving, caring, and responsible in this business. Personal network along with website, word of the mouth publicity, and marketing will fetch you more clients.

17. Old Age Care

Old age care is also highly demanded in the UK. You can start an old-age care business in different ways. Firstly, start an agency of caregivers who will provide daily assistance and care to the seniors. Secondly, if you can invest more you can start an independent or assisted living facility or a nursing home for the aged. Digital publicity and personal contacts are very important for the growth of this business.

18. Dog Walking

The UK is a pet-loving nation. Hence, as an immigrant Indian, you can start a dog-walking business in the UK. You have to be a dog lover to be successful in this business. The business can be done in your capacity. Alternatively, you can start with a team of dog walkers who will work for your company. Dog walkers are paid on an hourly basis and you will be able to earn a good profit with multiple shifts throughout the day.

19. Furniture Making and Repair

Furniture making and repair is a lucrative business in the UK for immigrant Indians. You can start a furniture store or an online furniture store and provide repair services. Make different kinds of furniture like office furniture and home furniture etc. Website and good digital publicity are key factors for the success of your furniture business.

20. Event Planning

There are different kinds of events happening in the UK. Hence event planning is a good business idea for you in this country as an immigrant Indian. As an event planning company, you may focus on Indian events like marriages, parties, etc. On a bigger scale, you can also provide services to different corporate and other events. Your company’s website, good contact marketing skills, and word of the mouth publicity will fetch you more clients.

21. E-Commerce

E-commerce is a booming business concept. As an immigrant Indian in the UK, you can start an e-commerce business in any area of your choice. It can be goods like groceries, food, dresses, electronic gadgets, computers, medicines, etc. A good app, an efficient logistic network, and widespread marketing are key factors for the success of your e-commerce business in the UK.

22. App Development

App development in a prospective business idea in the UK. If you are skilled in programming you can start this business as an immigrant Indian. As an app developer, you can develop apps for various businesses along with apps for public interest and utilities. For example apps for health care, child care, hospital information, area-based caregiver information, buying and selling different items, etc. Good digital marketing and social media publicity are very important for your business of app development.

23. Yoga Instructor

If you are trained in Yoga, you can start your business as a Yoga instructor in the UK. Yoga has a great demand for fitness, healing, and meditation. Therefore you will get a lot of clients. On a larger scale, you can also start a Yoga Center to train several people and earn more profits. A good personal network and publicity will fetch you more clients.

24. Computer Repair

Great numbers of immigrant Indians are successfully doing the business of computer repair in the UK. You can also start your computer repair business in the UK and earn a good income. Provide service to the computers of different offices, medium and small business houses, residential computers, etc. Good publicity, timely and efficient service, and advertising will help to grow your business.

25. Tourism

The UK is visited by thousands of tourists every year. Hence, as an immigrant Indian, you can start your tourism business in the UK. Apart from the Indian tourists, you can also serve tourists from all around the globe as tour operators, making all the arrangements for their UK trip from booking tickets, to accommodation and local sightseeing trips. Get the necessary license and permits for the tourism business. You must have a website and a good online advertising network for your tourism business.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get financial assistance as an immigrant Indian for my business in the UK?

Yes, there are provisions for financial assistance for immigrant entrepreneurs in the UK. The UK government offers funding assistance to immigrant start-ups. Along with that, there are private funding sources like angel investors, venture capitalists, and banks.

What are the best places in the United Kingdom(UK) to start a business?

The top 6 places to start a new business in the UK are the following:

• Oxford
• Leeds
• Bristol
• London
• Edinburgh
• Cambridge

What kinds of visa assistance are provided for entrepreneurs in the UK?

There are provisions for different types of visas for immigrant entrepreneurs in the UK. They include Start-up Visa, Innovator Visa, Tier 1 Investor Visa, Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa, Tier 1 Exceptional Talent, and Visa for Digitech specialists.

Over the years, the business opportunity for immigrant Indians in the UK have become more promising with new business areas and ideas becoming successful. It will create a new fortune for you too.