50 Small Business Ideas for the Faith Based Economy

Religion is big business. In fact, a recent report suggests that the faith based economy brings in about $1.2 trillion a year. An industry this large, of course, has plenty of room for growth. Here are some business ideas for entrepreneurs seeking to get into the faith based economy.

Faith Based Business Ideas for Entrepreneurs

Religious Gift Shop Operator

You can open a store with little trinkets or gifts that are religious in nature, including decorative items, personalized Bibles or other written works.

Kosher or Halal Caterer

For those religions that have certain restrictions or guidelines in terms of food, you could start a specialty catering company that offers dishes with those specific guidelines in mind.

Kosher or Halal Food Stand Operator

Or if you are more interested in a smaller food operation, you could start a small food stand or truck that offers Kosher or Halal options.

Wedding Officiant

Weddings are often observed as religious events. So getting ordained or registered as a wedding officiant can afford you the opportunity to start a business performing wedding services.

Religious Dating Website Operator

If you’re looking to start a business that’s mostly based online, you can start a dating website aimed at helping people of a certain faith group find matches that share their values.

Author

There are plenty of opportunities out there for authors and writers to build businesses around their words. You can even build a business as an author that writes about religious topics.

Religious Blogger

Or you can blog about faith to share your writings with the world online.

Christian Bookstore Owner

Christian bookstores sell Bibles and other religious texts aimed at Christian consumers.

Meditation Coach

Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions practice meditation as a way of connecting with their spirituality. So you can help others of your faith practice meditation as a coach.

Seller of Meditation Items

There are also beads, incense and other supplies that you can use as part of a meditation practice. So if you make any of these items, you can build a business selling them to others who practice religious meditation.

Kosher or Halal Daycare Operator

For those who have Kosher or Halal diets, finding childcare that caters to them can be a challenge. So if you offer day care services that include food options aligning with these diets, you could attract a significant religious client base.

Religious Tutor

For those students who attend religious schools, you can offer tutoring services to help them learn about religious topics.

Bible Verse Sign Maker

There are plenty of different ways you can use art to showcase religion or spirituality. You can get creative with lettering and draw or paint Bible verses or other religious sayings onto canvas, wood or other surfaces and then sell them online or at craft shows.

Greeting Card Publisher

You can also showcase your design skills by creating greeting cards for things like holidays, weddings, baptisms and other faith based occasions.

Gospel Musician

If you’re more musically inclined, you can start a band or work as a solo artist playing gospel or religious inspired music.

Wedding Band Leader

You can also offer your services to couples getting married, either working at the ceremonies or receptions.

Holiday Décor Shop Owner

There are plenty of religious holidays throughout the year. So you can sell décor and other celebratory items related to those different holidays.

Holiday Food Shop Operator

You can also start a business intended to sell food items for holiday dinners or other special occasions.

Religious Publisher

If you want to spread the word about your faith or tell stories related to your religion, you could start a publication like a magazine or physical newsletter and sell or offer ad space.

Marriage Counselor

For people who want to work on their marriages in a faith based setting, you could offer relationship counseling services.

Online Newsletter Publisher

You could also start an online newsletter with information about your faith to circulate to a community online.

Religious Clothing Store Owner

You can set up a shop, either in your local community or online, where you sell clothing items with religious sayings or images on them.

Custom Embroiderer

Or you could offer to embroider personalized messages, including those with faith based messages on them, onto customers’ clothing or other personal items.

Wedding Dress Seller

Another wedding focused business you could start would be creating and selling wedding dresses, either traditional white gowns or those aimed at other types of religious ceremonies.

Wedding Dress Alterations Provider

You could also offer your services altering gowns for weddings.

Tuxedo Rental Service Operator

Tuxedos are also a big part of many people’s wedding day. So you could start a tuxedo rental service for grooms and groomsmen.

Specialty Florist

In addition, you can start a florist business to help people design beautiful floral arrangements for weddings, funerals and other occasions.

Wedding Planner

You can also offer your services as a wedding planner to help people plan their religious services and other important details of their wedding days.

Religious Jewelry Store Owner

Jewelers and handmade artisans, you can start a jewelry business centered around pieces that have special religious meaning, ranging from cross necklaces to Buddhist beaded jewelry.

Family Friendly Video Game Creator

There are a lot of video games out there, but not many that offer family friendly themes and faith based messages.

Family Friendly Movie Creator

Likewise, you can build a business by producing family friendly movies or videos that offer faith based messages or lessons for kids and families.

Children’s Book Author

There are also plenty of opportunities for you to create children’s books with religious themes and lessons.

Religious Illustrator

You could also offer services as an illustrator to depict images in children’s books or in other religious materials.

Handmade Seller

There are plenty of other opportunities for you to get creative and make handmade items with religious themes to sell online or at craft fairs.

Religious Influencer

You can also build an online business based around new media. Become an online influencer by posting about religious topics on social media or elsewhere. And then you can potentially work with other religious businesses or organizations to spread the word about various programs.

Religious Podcaster

Or you can get a little more specific and start a podcast aimed at talking about topics related to faith and religion.

Travel Agency Operator for Religious Groups

There are plenty of missions, youth groups and other religious groups that travel to other parts of the world together. So you can build a business as a travel agent that specializes in planning those trips.

Spiritual Artist

If you’re an artistically inclined entrepreneur, you can sell paintings inspired by religious stories or even teach art classes with a spiritual twist.

Religious Life Coach

For those who want to help others manage various aspects of life, you can offer life coaching services and emphasize faith as a strong part of your coaching program.

Cooking Class Instructor

If you enjoy cooking and want to teach others about it, you can offer cooking classes in your local area that focus on Kosher or Halal options.

Kosher or Halal Recipe Blogger

Or you can start a blog to create and post some Kosher or Halal recipes with an online audience.

Family Therapist

For those trained in counseling and therapy, you can offer counseling services to families or couples with a strong emphasis on faith and spirituality.

Religious Candle Maker

Candles are a big part of many religious services and traditions. So you can make and sell prayer candles or those meant to go in menorahs or other religious items.

Faith Based Thrift Store Operator

Thrift stores have become popular business models for faith based organizations. You can open a thrift store and accept donations from people in the community and then donate some of your profits or any unused items to religious charities.

Gift Basket Arranger

Gift baskets are popular for a lot of holidays and religious celebrations. So you can make and sell specialty gift baskets to customers looking to honor those special occasions.

Yoga Instructor

You might know yoga as a popular type of exercise. But it’s actually an important spiritual practice in Hinduism, Buddhism and a few other religious groups.

Christmas Tree Farmer

Christmas is a busy time for many businesses. But Christmas tree farmers do pretty much all of their business around the holiday season.

Ethical Business Coach

There are tons of business coaches out there. But you can create a unique niche for yourself by offering your services as an ethical business coach that works primarily with other religious or spiritual business owners.

Non-Profit Fundraiser

Fundraising is an important skill for many entrepreneurs. And if you are able to help non-profits and other faith based organizations raise money, you can build a successful business doing that.

Socially Conscious Business Owner

Even if you have a business idea that’s totally different than what’s on the list, you can add a charitable component to any business where you donate money or products to religious groups or faith based causes.

Church Candles, Dating Website, Holiday Shop, Dress Alterations Photos via Shutterstock

This article, "50 Small Business Ideas for the Faith Based Economy" was first published on Small Business Trends