The results are in from our most recent Entrepreneur Poll.

I asked you “What is the best business to start in a recession?” and you responded in record numbers!

The top 5 results were:

1. Online Business
2. It Doesn’t Matter – Just Love What You’re Doing
3. Healthcare
4. Education
5. Video Games

Here is what you had to say:

Online Business (11)

- Online Business for sure!
- I agree with Ninh, a web startup is something I am currently working on setting up.
- Online business. Selling information, no physical products.
Personally I have started a coaching business on self confidence, helping people conquer their self
defeating and limiting beliefs about life in general and the things around us.
- Do what I did. I started my own online travel agency. Great benefits and the cheapest flights ever.
- Online business and marketing is hot and it will continue in the future.
- I think that when times are tough people to startup an online business because, as long as they have the know-how to start it up, it will cost little (virtually nothing). Starting up a business that sells physical goods or services, on the other hand, takes much more investment in terms of money.
- Pursuing an online business is probably winning as it is one where you don’t have to throw in your old job – your start-up emails can be checked in lunch, you can work on it when you get home from the regular job and not have to worry about looking fresh and smart.
- Online seems to be the way to go but can I inquire what those suggesting an online business are actually selling?
Sky Minor.
- Timothy, I total agree with you. Right now America is facing a recession which is the closest thing we’ve seen to the Great Depression since the Great Depression. If you are an entrepreneur or an aspiring entrepreneur, creating low start-up cost business is the way to go. Where is the best place to make substantial sums of profit with extremely low start-up costs? the WEB.
- I’d say online business tools, to help businesses grow.
- A website for employment (since in my country, thousand of workers being laid off). Luckily, I wouldn’t need to find a job
- i suggest online business like selling in ebay, blogging and etc…..

It Doesn’t Matter – Just Love What You’re Doing (7)

- It doesn’t matter as long as it is something you love and are passionate about. The economy will always go up and down but you will have to stick with and push your business forward no matter what.
If you truly love what you do you will be successful in the end.
- I agree with Jared — as along as you are doing what you love, it doesn’t seem like work. If you can’t but happiness, you need to make it for yourself. You will put alot more energy and passion into a job you love than one you don’t, and customers/guests/consumers will see that passion and gravitate towards your company.
Yikes — sounded a little preachy, but very true!
- you can start any business as long as you have the passion for it and creativity in terms of differentiating yourself.
- Any time is a good time to start a business. You can always find a reason not to do something. If you’re passionate about what you do, it will resonate with your target audience. There is always opportunities for leaders to succeed. Sometimes too much thinking spoils the excitement. If it feels right take the chance.
If you fail – so what. Pick yourself up and try again. There are no guarantees, but the experience is well worth the effort. True entrepreneurs are invigorated by the challenges. Don’t look for recession-proof or any other protections because there are none. Every business can fail, and most new business do. But, if you believe in yourself and your customers – you will succeed. Build a winning brand, and enjoy the journey.
- You can start any type of business as far you do extensive market research before starting to see if its viable to you.
- Absolutely anything (to an extent)
I think the current recession is perfect for entrepreneurs! I believe it is possible to start a business in any sector as long as budgets are well thought out. I think if any venture has a well formed business plan and the capital available to stay a float for a year then they are almost certain to pick up clients from struggling companies and growth and success is almost guaranteed.
The companies that have been worst hit by this recession arent in the prcarious position because of a lack of sales they are in it due to a lack of planning. It is the larger companies that have been hit the hardest as many have over commited themselves and it is this which spells out the end for many companies.
If you can start a business now, and keep it running for a year, your likely to survive and most likely profit from it on the way.
- Be passionate about what you are marketing and/or the team you are building, or don’t even bother. Most of all be honest, realistic, and enjoy yourself so it won’t even feel like work. Avoid hype and ”get rich quick” scams at all cost. They never work. You have to…hard and consistently. Dedication is paramount.

Healthcare (6)

- Healthcare all the way! At least that is what I am working on right now. In a down economy people don’t stop getting sick, injured or old!
- Health care companies are known to do quite well in a recession because people get sick just as much and sometimes more. Also as baby boomers age, the market will surely grow quite a bit for products and services that assist people to live longer and a more comfortable life.
- Have to agree with the “health care” field – it’s never going to get smaller. And just thinking out loud – things/products/services that (1) make people feel better, or (2) make their life easier. How to lose weight. How to make money. How to find the love of your life. Those three “fields” (ideas) are never out of style and there’s always a demand – if you can sell *your* notion.
- These are the businesses that will survive no matter what the economy is doing, quite simply because they provide services that society in general cannot go long without. 1. Health Care: Health services occupations including medical assistants, home health aides, physical therapists and medical records technicians.
- I absolutely agree with Bizguy… Health care business never declines.
- I would think health care or credit repair/debt counseling.

Education (4)

- I have another thing to mention: A recession-proof business plan or eydea should involve the basic needs of consumers and the mainstay markets. Education will always be around. Energy. Food. And so on. Stay away from the luxury products/businesses or the type of business that is something most people consume if they have the extra dough ($)
- These are the businesses that will survive no matter what the economy is doing, quite simply because they provide services that society in general cannot go long without. 2.Education: Teaching is generally immune to a shaky economy, particularly if you’re teaching in an area with a high growth rate.
- Continued education (online and offline
- My number four is childrens abduction safety protection and educational business. If ever there was a recession proof business, this is it. With rising problem of children safety, with 850,000 reported missing children last year alone, what parent would not want their children protected from abduction or sexual molestation? This industry is ripe for growth with abducted children in the news every day, and getting worse every day. Low cost, no selling, just telling, a very solid choice in my experience researching this industry.

Video Games (4)

- I think video game is pretty good business. It’s recession proof.
- Video game programmer/designer (When times turn rough, people tend to stay home more. That means plenty of home movie nights, less eating out, and more video games.) Reports show that some video game companies sales were up 20% in 2008.
- I think a used video game store would be good to start.
- Video game business is one of those recession proof business. Also, used or recycled item shop is.
When you are in game business, you naturally deal used games also.

Here are some other popular entries that didn’t quite make the top 5.

Real Estate (3)

- In my area starting a business to take care of and maintain foreclosed properties would be good, this would be a nice on going business. You could also do a business to clean out the foreclosures.
- Besides Network Marketing companies, I think if you have large amounts of money to invest, that you should invest in real estate properties to rent out and keep for the long run. Only because the bank owned homes are going for such a good price, it is hard to ignore the good deals they have out there. My husband and I bought our first investment home back in September and it has worked out great.
- Speaking of real estate, a mainstay in the wealth building arena for years, and with the longest upward trend lasting 17 years, a record, it is all coming unwound, and in my area, prices have already receded back to 2004 levels, so this is a major hit on most people equity wealth which has evaporated over the past year, and continues to drop in most areas. See this trend, the best opportunity I have researched is a new home equity profit sharing concept which is so unique, it cannot be fully explained in one post. If I was to suggest the best recession proof business for the times, I would say this is my number one in my own personal seven recession proof list of businesses. Again, with banking collapse, sub prime mortgages are long gone, and never to return, and with banks not loaning, even after gov. bailout, 80% of previous home buyer market is now shut out of home ownership. Not only do you have to have 20% to 30% down, you have to have 720 plus FICO scores, so could you qualify for a new home in this market, ever with spotless credit?

Adult Entertainment (3)

- I have to be the one to say it? Adult Entertainment
- We have been expanding into the Adult arena as we can see this being good in Recession and beyond.
- sex is a cheap alternative to going out so sell them sex toys and porn

Renewable Energy / Ecological Living (3)

- Also I think renewable energy, ecological living, ecological housing could be viable option.
- Anything having to do with ecological awareness and infrastructure for broadband connectivity. These are two of the fields that Obama is going to use to try and recreate the “New Deal” for this economy. If you are developing a startup in these industries you can almost count on a governmental grant in the near future.
- My number two recession proof business is the Environmental Energy Audit Industry. With so many businesses trying to survive, saving money is critical, and since every business is bleeding wasted energy, this is a gold mine if you are looking for a low startup, low overhead home business. Having been in contruction, I can tell you first hand how many contractors took shortcuts in the good times and combined with low energy costs for years, these small to medium buildings are energy inefficient, and with 5M plus businesses in this catagory, you can make a small fortune even part time if you have business contacts. Learning the business is easy, and with a little effort, this can easily be a full time business, so perfect for those who are not comfortable in their current jobs. Energy auditors and consultants are good long term businesses as we are all more green motivated now, so you have two points to approach business owners with, saving money, and going green.

Network Marketing (3)

- I know that many people are misinformed about Multi-level Marketing companies aka. network marketing. I have been network marketing for over 2 years now and I have seen a big jump in my business lately. Maybe it is because of the low costs compare to other companies and that the products are Jerky and snacks that people consume and reorder. But I also think it is because so many people are being laid off and are turning to the internet to look for a home based business and I am ranked on some of the search engines in the first couple pages.
- network marketing and online/home business are extremely viable
- Find a product you like that you can distribute! Network Marketing can be such an inexpensive way to create additional income.

Liquor / Beer Store (3)

- A drive through liquor and beer store. Sell cigarettes, drug paraphernalia, liquor, lottery tickets, liquor, and beer… Set up shop in the worst part of town and hire a few big dudes to handle security/check out… Put them on rotating shifts.
- +1 on the liquor store
- people need to drown their sorrows so sell them alcohol

A Product/Service That Helps Save Companies Money (3)

- I work in the high tech (software) industry, and i have a different opinion from most folks who think that high tech is most impacted in a recession.. My thoughts are this really depends on the type of product/service your company can provide..if you can come up with a product/service that actually helps save companies money overall(or better still make more money), they will jump on the opportunity as everyone is looking to shave off those extra dollars..On the other hand, a product/service that is more of a nice to have that sits pretty on the shelf will not sell in such a climate..selling vitamins vs selling painkillers analogy kinda works great to gauge the likely hood of what products/services will fly in such an economic climate.. My $0.02
- The success of a business relies on how well it gives customers what they want/need. During a recession I believe it is the same thing. Just do “it” better than the rest of the guys (the competition) and you should be fine. “It” could be any commodity.
- Products/Services based on needs rather than wants that will not require people to change their buying habits will offer the greatest potential for success and residual income. Work smart and stick to what works. Use the Internet as an invaluable resource for generating endless targeted leads so you don’t have to rely on family and friends who often end up being your harshest critics. Brand YOU Inc. and establish yourself as a knowledgeable leader and people will seek you out, rather than you having to chase them.

Web Development (2)

- I’m actually starting a website development LLC at the end of this month / early next month. Web development is a great business to enter if you plan to bootstrap. You can use software like Gimp for free (and later upgrade to Photoshop when money permits).
- Personally, I was laid off back in July of 2008 and needed to do something rather quickly and started a small web design business. I have been really surprised that even during this slow down in the economy of how busy I am. This may not be the case everywhere but if you have the skills I would suggest this line of work because of the low overhead and start up costs especially if you already have good pc or laptop and design software.I think one major reason I am staying busy is because small businesses are looking for alternative ways to garner new business and a website is one avenue.

Personal and Repair Services (2)

- Cars and trucks still break down, plumbing gets backed up, and the lawn mower still has issues. So electrical, plumbing, termite proofing, roof repair, lawn care, and other specific home-repair functions should continue to do well in a recession. While homeowners may try and put off maintenance and repairs, that only means that ultimately they will pay a higher price for a greater amount of work as things tend to get worse if not fixed.
- Shoe Repair (as people look to repair not replace)

Credit Repair (2)

- credit repair lol
- I would think health care or credit repair/debt counseling.

Biotech

- I vote for biotech. See my blog on 12/30 on this subject “Biotech Startups are Hot” by linking from www.startupprofessionals.com. Also a see a related one “Recession Means Selected Startups Can Win Big”. Marty Zwilling, CEO & Founder, Startup Professionals
- The guy who said Biotech is 100% uneducated on the subject. The funding for Biotechs is 100% dried up. There are currently 300 or so public Biotechs and over 1/2 of those have less than 1 years cash on hand. 50% of those have less than 6 months cash.Fact is, biotechs are hurting right now and many, many will go under in the next year. A BAD time to start a Biotech firm.

Payroll Check Cashing Business

- Payroll Check Cashing Business…..more and more people lose their credit ratings in a recession. They are unable to get a bank account, those who specialize in high risk loans and credit offerings stand to gain tremendously in this sort of environment.

Receiver / Debt Recovery

- Being a receiver would probably do well in a recession! As would a debt recovery business! Couldn’t say I’d enjoy either though…Sean

Recruitment Agency

- I’d like to say recruitment agency, but I don’t think there are that many companies hiring – I guess it falls both ways.

Small Business

- Another good market to focus on are small businesses. There are millions of small businesses who have a vast array of problems. A startup only needs to focus on a niche solution for these businesses and charge a nominal fee per month to make Profit! =)

Infrastructure

- I would suggest to do something connected with infrastructure. This seems to do well in bad times.

Pet Shop

- I’m thinking about a pet shop. Do ya think it’s a good aidea?

Just Get A Job

- just get another jobs, never start on your business

Home Inventory

- I plan on starting a home inventory business for my retirement. Well, actually I want to be up and running when I retire.
This appears to be a up and coming industry. I’ve done some research and it seems to be wide open in my area. This is my first business venture and sites like this are a great resource. Thanks

Dating, Love, Marriage

- Growth of the general-interest online dating sites has slowed nationwide, but the carefully targeted new niche dating markets has seemed to be growing. Site that are aimed at specific market segments, such as specific religions or Baby boomer singles or a particular ethnic focus.

Technology

- And some technology fields are still growing!!

Financial Consulting

- Hello all! New member this is my first post, I must say I really like this forum alot and am happy to be a member of the community. I must say a great business to start during these tough economic time’s would be a financial consultant company.. just a company out there to help people who may be feeling the panic of the current economy. Alot of people these days are going to consult with financial advisors and things of this nature and in turn that is producing a good steady flow of activity for the advisors. I myself am a personal investor.. i play in several markets ranging from the Forex market to the day trading the stock market (If your not investing in the market right now you are missing out on a great opportunity) and i find my friends and family turning to me in near panic asking for help with financial issues. they are always wanting to know what to inest in and where to put there money when to get out when to get in just all kinds of things. Financial Consultants are making the money right now due to the downturns of the market and if you know your stuff you can as well.

Forums

- I think forums are the way to go in times of Recession, so I would say FORUMS!

Dollar Stores

- Dollar Stores

Healthy Food

- Healthy alternatives to cheap, fast food chains.

Death Industry

- In my general research, the number one growth industry is the death industry, as in, funeral homes, cemeteries, casket companes, etc. After all, we are all going to die, and with babyboomers reaching this final phase in their lives, 70M or so, this is the business to be in. The only real estate you will see appreciating in value over the next five years will be cemetery plots as I see it.

Discount Cooperative

- My number five is a discount business cooperative, similar to Chamber of Commerce, whereby you offer members group benefits such as reduced health care which is most common benefit of memberhip. Anyone who is or was member of any local chamber will understand what I am talking about. But with this cooperative membership, you not only access low cost health care, but low cost advertising and every other critical aspect of running a business at discount. This is one of the easiest businesses to promote to other businesses desperate to save money. Sadly, in a recession, most businesses cut advertising first, and this is suicide in business, yet most don’t know this until it is too late. Trimming advertising is important, but from a cost point, not eliminating it, and that is what this business cooperative is all about, saving money, finding more cost efficient advertising, not wasting money.

Non Tobacco Cigarettes

- My number six was a no brainer. With smokers always making a new years resolution to kick the habit, never mind the new health care tobacco taxes which will bring a pack to over $10.00 in most areas, this is an industry which is booming. As the recession is hitting smokers too, here is a money saving and life saving alternative, electronic nano non tobacco cigarettes. With no tobacco taxes, plus the cartridge system, a smoker can save hundreds, if not thousands over the year, in fact, most won’t pay anything if they also choose to be in the business sharing technology with other smokers. Once people see it, they want it. Simply put, this product sells itself, and for this reason, the perfect recession proof business as smokers look to save money, even if they don’t care about saving their lives. After all, the cancer, heart disease and emphysema issues are well proven, so here are two powerful reasons why people would want to stop smoking tobacco, or kick the nicotine addiction.

Pawn Shop

- My number seven is addrssing the big ticket luxury millionaires market. With the Madoff $50B ponzi, many millionaires lost everything, and with the stock market collapse, trillions have been lost requiring the disposal of luxury big ticket items like, yachts, exotic motorcars, mansions, jewelry, antiques, paintings, you name it, the rich are going to be dumping it. This is a rising star in my portfolio, about to launch, and well worth adding to anyones list as you will soon see. Pawn shops are booming, look at the online gold exchange industry, also exploding, so again, anything which addresses the impact the recession has on everyone will be the businesses to choose for the long term.

Used Articles

- Used articles for consignment. People are needing to save a dime even more these days.

Thank you everyone for the fantastic feedback! We’ll continue again next week with a brand new entrepreneur poll!