11 Best Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory

Your brain is kind of a big deal.

As the control center of your body, it’s in charge of keeping your heart beating and lungs breathing and allowing you move, feel and think.

That’s why it’s a good idea to keep your brain in peak working condition.

The foods you eat play a role in keeping your brain healthy and can improve specific mental tasks, such as memory and concentration.

This article lists 11 foods that boost your brain.

1. Fatty Fish

When people talk about brain foods, fatty fish is often at the top of the list.

This type of fish includes salmon, trout and sardines, which are all rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

About 60% of your brain is made of fat, and half of that fat is the omega-3 kind .

Your brain uses omega-3s to build brain and nerve cells, and these fats are essential for learning and memory .

Omega 3-s also have a couple additional benefits for your brain.

For one thing, they may slow age-related mental decline and help ward off Alzheimer’s disease .

On the flip side, not getting enough omega-3s is linked to learning impairments, as well as depression .

In general, eating fish seems to have positive health benefits.

One study found that people who ate baked or broiled fish regularly had more gray matter in their brains. Gray matter contains most of the nerve cells that control decision making, memory and emotion .

Overall, fatty fish is an excellent choice for brain health.

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Summary: Fatty fish is a rich source of omega-3s, a major building block of the brain. Omega-3s play a role in sharpening memory and improving mood, as welas protecting your brain against decline.

2. Coffee

If coffee is the highlight of your morning, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s good for you.

Two main components in coffee — caffeine and antioxidants — help your brain.

The caffeine in coffee has a number of positive effects on the brain, including

• Increases alertness: Caffeine keeps your brain alert by blocking adenosine, a chemical messenger that makes you sleepy .
• Improves mood: Caffeine may also boost some of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters, such as serotonin .
• Sharpens concentration: One study found that when participants drank one large coffee in the morning or smaller amounts throughout the day, they were more effective at tasks that required concentration .

Drinking coffee over the long term is also linked to a reduced risk of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s .

This could at least be partly due to coffee’s high concentration of antioxidants .

Summary: Coffee can help boost alertness and mood. It may also offer some protection against Alzheimer’s, thanks to its caffeine and antioxidants.

3. Blueberries

Blueberries provide numerous health benefits, including some that are specifically for your brain.

Blueberries and other deeply colored berries deliver anthocyanins, a type of plant compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects .

Both inflammation and free radicals, which are destroyed by antioxidants, contribute to brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases .

Some of the antioxidants in blueberries have been found to accumulate in the brain and help improve communication between brain cells .

Animal studies have shown that blueberries help improve memory and may even delay short-term memory loss .

Try sprinkling them on your breakfast cereal or adding them to a smoothie.

Summary: Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that may delay brain aging and improve memory.

4. Turmeric

Turmeric has generated a lot of buzz recently.

This deep-yellow spice is a key ingredient in curry powder and has a number of benefits for the brain.

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning it can directly enter the brain and benefit the cells there .

It’s a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that has been linked to the following brain benefits:

• May benefit memory: Curcumin may help improve memory in people with Alzheimer’s. It may also help clear the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of this disease .
• Eases depression: It boosts serotonin and dopamine, which both improve mood. One study found curcumin improved depression symptoms just as much as an antidepressant over six weeks .
• Helps new brain cells grow: Curcumin boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a type of growth hormone that helps brain cells grow. It may help delay age-related mental decline, but more research is needed .

To reap the benefits of curcumin, try cooking with curry powder, adding turmeric to potato dishes to turn them golden or making turmeric tea.

Summary: Turmeric and its active compound curcumin have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, which help the brain. In research, it has reduced symptoms of depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

5. Broccoli

Broccoli is packed with powerful plant compounds, including antioxidants .

It’s also very high in vitamin K, delivering more than 100% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) in a 1-cup (91-gram) serving .

This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for forming sphingolipids, a type of fat that’s densely packed into brain cells .

A few studies in older adults have linked a higher vitamin K intake to better memory.

Beyond vitamin K, broccoli contains a number of compounds that give it anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which may help protect the brain against damage .

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Summary: Broccoli contains a number of compounds that have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, including vitamin K.

6. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds contain powerful antioxidants that protect the body and brain from free radical damage.

They’re also an excellent source of magnesium, iron, zinc and copper .

Each of these nutrients is important for brain health:

• Zinc: This element is crucial for nerve signaling. Zinc deficiency has been linked to many neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression and Parkinson’s disease .
• Magnesium: Magnesium is essential for learning and memory. Low magnesium levels are linked to many neurological diseases, including migraines, depression and epilepsy .
• Copper: Your brain uses copper to help control nerve signals. And when copper levels are out of whack, there’s a higher risk of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s .
• Iron: Iron deficiency is often characterized by brain fog and impaired brain function .

The research focuses mostly on these micronutrients, rather than pumpkin seeds themselves. However, since pumpkin seeds are high in these micronutrients, you can likely reap their benefits by adding pumpkin seeds to your diet.

Summary: Pumpkin seeds are rich in many micronutrients that are important for brain function, including copper, iron, magnesium and zinc.

7. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are packed with a few brain-boosting compounds, including flavonoids, caffeine and antioxidants.

Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant plant compound.

The flavonoids in chocolate gather in the areas of the brain that deal with learning and memory. Researchers say these compounds may enhance memory and also help slow down age-related mental decline .

In fact, a number of studies back this up .

In one study including over 900 people, those who ate chocolate more frequently performed better in a series of mental tasks, including some involving memory, than those who rarely ate it .

Chocolate is also a legitimate mood booster, according to research.

One study found that participants who ate chocolate experienced increased positive feelings, compared to participants who ate crackers .

However, it’s still not clear whether that’s because of compounds in the chocolate, or simply because the yummy flavor makes people happy .

Summary: The flavonoids in chocolate may help protect the brain. Studies have suggested that eating chocolate could boost both memory and mood.

8. Nuts

Research has shown that eating nuts can improve markers of heart health, and having a healthy heart is linked to having a healthy brain .

A 2014 review showed that nuts can improve cognition and even help prevent neurodegenerative diseases .

Also, another large study found that women who ate nuts regularly over the course of several years had a sharper memory, compared to those who didn’t eat nuts .

Several nutrients in nuts, such as healthy fats, antioxidants and vitamin E, may explain their brain-health benefits .

Vitamin E shields cell membranes from free radical damage, helping slow mental decline .

While all nuts are good for your brain, walnuts may have an extra edge, since they also deliver omega-3 fatty acids .

Summary: Nuts contain a host of brain-boosting nutrients, including vitamin E, healthy fats and plant compounds.

9. Oranges

You can get all the vitamin C you need in a day by eating one medium orange .

Doing so is important for brain health, since vitamin C is a key factor in preventing mental decline .

Eating sufficient amounts of vitamin C-rich foods can protect against age-related mental decline and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a 2014 review article .

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight off the free radicals that can damage brain cells. Plus, vitamin C supports brain health as you age .

You can also get excellent amounts of vitamin C from bell peppers, guava, kiwi, tomatoes and strawberries .

Summary: Oranges and other foods that are high in vitamin C can help defend your brain against damage from free radicals.

10. Eggs

Eggs are a good source of several nutrients tied to brain health, including vitamins B6 and B12, folate and choline .

Choline is an important micronutrient that your body uses to create acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and memory .

Two studies found that higher intakes of choline were linked to better memory and mental function .

Nevertheless, many people don’t get enough choline in their diet.

Eating eggs is an easy way to get choline, given that egg yolks are among the most concentrated sources of this nutrient.

Adequate intake of choline is 425 mg per day for most women and 550 mg per day for men, with just a single egg yolk containing 112 mg .

Furthermore, the B vitamins have several roles in brain health.

To start, they may help slow the progression of mental decline in the elderly .

Also, being deficient in two types of B vitamins — folate and B12 — has been linked to depression .

Folate deficiency is common in elderly people with dementia, and studies show that folic acid supplements can help minimize age-related mental decline .

B12 is also involved in synthesizing brain chemicals and regulating sugar levels in the brain .

It’s worth noting that there’s very little direct research on the link between eating eggs and brain health. However, there is research to support the brain-boosting benefits of the nutrients found in eggs.

Summary: Eggs are a rich source of several B vitamins and choline, which are important for proper brain functioning and development, as well as regulating mood.

11. Green Tea

As is the case with coffee, the caffeine in green tea boosts brain function.

In fact, it has been found to improve alertness, performance, memory and focus .

But green tea also has other components that make it a brain-healthy beverage.

One of them is L-theanine, an amino acid that can cross the blood-brain barrier and increase the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA, which helps reduce anxiety and makes you feel more relaxed .

L-theanine also increases the frequency of alpha waves in the brain, which helps you relax without making you feel tired .

One review found that the L-theanine in green tea can help you relax by counteracting the stimulating effects of caffeine.

It’s also rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that may protect the brain from mental decline and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s .

Plus, green tea has been found to improve memory .

Summary: Green tea is an excellent beverage to support your brain. Its caffeine content boosts alertness, while its antioxidants protect the brain and L-theanine helps you relax.

The Bottom Line

Many foods can help keep your brain healthy.

Some foods, such as the fruits and vegetables in this list, as well as tea and coffee, have antioxidants that help protect your brain from damage.

Others, such as nuts and eggs, contain nutrients that support memory and brain development.

You can help support your brain health and boost your alertness, memory and mood by strategically including these foods in your diet.

 

Debu Nayak

Bhubaneswar

Save money on fruits. Expert gardener shares 7 fruits you can grow right at home

You don’t need a yard or even a full garden to grow fresh fruits. You can grow healthy fruit from inside your home all year around. In most situations, you’ll just need a place with lots of light and pots that are at least one foot long across and deep.

Once your plant outgrows its container, you’ll have to transfer it to a new one and prune their roots at least once a year. If your plant is fully grown, you’ll want to replace the top layer of soil with fresh compost. Plants will grow best if they have a compost with a soil base that is placed over a decent amount of drainage, like pebbles, stones, or broken pottery.

Then all you’ll have to do is feed and water regularly. Here are seven plants you can grow indoors:

Strawberries

Take a soil container that is about five to six inches deep. Make sure that your soil has a pH of 5.6 to 6.3. Fertilizer is also recommended for growing strawberries. You can start from seeds or an already sprouted plant. Be sure not to overcrowd your strawberry plants because they can become diseased or moldy.

The main thing strawberries need when you grow them indoors is to make sure they get lots of sun. So make sure you place them on a sunny windowsill and in a warm place. You can use plant lighting if you need to. They’ll need at least six hours of sun per day.

Grapes

Having your own tiny vineyard in your home is possible as long as you have good ventilation for your grapes. This will prevent mildew. You can even manipulate your vines to grow up your ceiling and up your walls. You’ll need a container that can hold a minimum of 15 gallons.

Grapes need proper drainage so you’ll have to put stones or something similar at the bottom of your container, then add your soil and a layer of mulch.

Figs

You can grow a fig tree from a seed or a pre-started fig tree. You’ll need a planter with drainage holes that you place in a well-lit area. But don’t put it in direct sunlight. Fig trees thrive at 65 degrees. You’ll want to water your tree until water comes out of the drainage holes but not enough so that your tree is sitting in extra water. Water regularly once a week.

Papaya

You can have beautiful tropical papaya plants as long as you can place it in an area that’s at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This plant needs full sun and regular watering. You will also need to trim the stems so it can stay in an indoor container. Your fruit will be ready within seven to eight months. Learn everything you need to know about growing papaya’s indoors

Mulberries

If you have 10 years to kill, then you could grow your mulberry tree from a seed. If not, you can buy a semi-dwarf or dwarf-sized tree and grow it in your home.

A mulberry tree must be kept in a warm room that is very bright with lots of sunshine. You’ll also need a very large pot (about one-third the height of the tree, excluding the roots) for this slow growing plant. This pot should have drainage holes and an attached tray to catch the excess water.

Make sure you water enough so that the roots get wet but aren’t sitting in a pool of water. Re-water when the soil is dry again. You can add a slow-release fertilizer every six months.

Watermelon

Juicy watermelons can be grown right in your own home. Watermelons will need a large pot with moist, sandy soil to grow. These fruits also need to be placed a warm and sunny spot.

You’ll need some lattice, wire, or wooden sticks to create a support system so that the vines can grow vertically. Since watermelons are heavy, you’ll need a sturdy structure.

Apricots

These colorful fruits are fairly easy to grow in pots that need to be kept in a sunny spot. They grow best in a “soil-less” environment that uses compost and a pot with lots of drainage. These plants can be hand-pollinated by using a paintbrush and going from one flower to another.

You’ll also want to get rid of any fruit that looks odd shaped or super small so that the other fruits can grow large and healthy. Learn how to properly grow apricots in your home here.

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Debu Nayak

Bhubaneswar.

10 Habits That Will Seriously Damage Your Kidneys!

The need for the kidney intended for the whole physique and general health is large, as these bean-shaped organs filtering around 120-150 quarts of urine, waste materials and extra fluid daily, and drive back the accumulation of waste in your body thus.

They may be about how big is a closed fist, and so are located below the rib cage on both sides of the spine just. Their particular function is usually to modify the electrolyte amounts and create hormones that support bone tissue wellness, make red bloodstream cells, and regulate blood circulation pressure.

Oftentimes, the person will not encounter any indicators of a harm of the kidneys, so it is crucial to figure out how to take preventative support and measures kidney health.

They are the 12 most common practices that result in severe renal damage as time passes and put a whole lot of pressure about these types of organs:

1. Excessive Alcohol use

The consumption of more than one drink daily several times a week increases the risk of kidney damage, as alcohol puts stress on the kidneys and the liver.

2. Holding Urine

Holding in urine often increases pressure which might cause kidney failure and kidney stones.

3. Not Drinking Enough Water

In the case of insufficient water intake, the waste, and toxins that should be eliminated from the body start to accumulate and lead to severe kidney damage.

4. Excessive Sugar Intake

Researchers have found that individuals who drink more than two sugary drinks on a daily basis have more chances to have protein in their urine, which is an early symptom of the improper function of the kidneys.

5. Excessive Salt intake

The excessive levels of sodium might also lead to kidney damage, as they apply pressure on these organs and raise blood pressure.

6. Sleep deprivation

Chronic sleep deprivation causes numerous health problems, including kidney disease, as the body needs to sleep and during that time, to repair the damage to the kidney tissues.

7. Vitamin and Mineral deficiency

The function of the kidneys also depends on the foods you consume, so in case your body lacks some important vitamins and minerals, like magnesium and vitamin B6, your kidneys might not be able to work properly.

8. Excessive intake of coffee

Caffeine causes stress on the kidneys and raises blood pressure, so its excessive use leads to damage of the kidneys after some time.

9. Painkillers abuse

Over-the-counter and prescription drugs are often purchased as a treatment of aches and pains, but they are loaded with dangerous chemicals, and thus lead to even more complications. One of the potential side-effects of the excessive use of these medications is severe kidney and liver damage.

10. Excessive Animal Protein Intake

The excessive intake of animal protein, (especially red meat), boosts the metabolic load on the kidneys, so the more protein you eat, the worse your kidneys will work.

Debu Nayak

Bhubaneswar.

9 Hidden And Dangerous Signs Of High Blood Pressure That Everyone Ignores

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), over 70 million American suffer from high blood pressure, or hypertension. That’s one in every three. Even more alarming is about the same number are considered pre-hypertensive. Only 52% of people with high blood pressure have the condition under control and it’s estimated that 20% of Americans are not even aware they have high blood pressure.

The greatest challenge for identifying high blood pressure is many of the symptoms can easily be attributed to something else. For example, could that shortness of breath just mean you’re out of shape? Could that feeling of being tired simply mean you’ve been putting in more hours at the office than normal? In fact, the symptoms for high pressure can seem so mild even your doctor can miss them.

So what is blood pressure? Really, it’s just a number. It’s the measurement used by doctors to gauge the pressure of blood against the arterial walls as it travels from your heart to other parts of your body. When things are running smoothly, your blood pressure should be 120/80 (120 is the systolic number; 80 is the diastolic number).

High blood pressure becomes more than just a number when you realize that over 1000 people die every day from it, or it’s by-products: cardiovascular disease and stroke.

It’s not uncommon to have an increase in those numbers when you are exercising, change posture, sleep or are experiencing some stress. The problem arises when that reading stays at above-normal ranges. A single high reading doesn’t mean automatic high blood pressure. However, if you experience a higher than normal reading your doctor may monitor the reading over time before making a health assessment.

Now you know what it is, what are the often ignored warnings signs?

Uncommon Signs of High Blood Pressure

Nosebleeds: A change in your blood pressure could spark a nosebleed. If you experience an increase in how often you get them or begin having them, consider a check of your blood pressure.

Headaches: Now, how easy would it be to miss this common ache as a sign of high blood pressure? It seems the only way to avoid a headache would be to live in a Zen-like bubble. Be aware of how often you experience pain. Jot it down in your journal along with a note about foods you ate or activities you experienced to help narrow down a possible cause.

Dizziness: That sensation of a spinning room may be more than vertigo or a wild night of partying. A lack of oxygen to the brain often causes you to feel off balance.

Housework Fatigue: It’s easy to blow off a day of housecleaning because you feel exhausted. However, if this once easy task suddenly makes you short of breath, take note.

Brain Fog: After a full day, it can be harder to process your thoughts. As you age, you may believe that slower brain function is just “normal.” However, this slowdown could be a sign of high blood pressure.

Blue Feet: When your oxygen-rich blood becomes less oxygenated due to disruption to a healthy blood pressure, your feet make take on a blueish color.

Edema or Swollen Feet: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is an extreme by- a product of high blood pressure. Swelling of your feet, legs and ankles could be the result of improperly functioning kidneys. Fluid retention is more likely the longer you have PAH.

RELATED ARTICLE: Natural Remedies for Swollen Ankles and Feet

Hostility: Is it possible your road rage is caused by high pressure rather than the other way around? In a world where it’s so easy to get angry at something, be aware that your feelings of hostility may have a health-related cause (rather than a people-related cause!)

Depression: This is an easy one to miss because every now and then, we all get the blues. But when your depression lasts longer than what’s healthy, checking in with your blood pressure may be just as good, if not better, than checking in with your therapist.

What’s the Solution?

The good news is healthy blood pressure is in your control. While you should always work with your doctor for the best treatment for you, understand that you can use natural alternatives and delicious food to eat your way healthily.

Massage Therapy: Studies reveal that massage therapy is effective in reducing diastolic pressure and the symptoms associated with hypertension. This ability to relieve stress is a healthy, drug-free way to keep your blood pressure in check.

Fish Oil: Omega 3 Fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, are known to reduce inflammation. We are learning more and more about whole body inflammation and its negative effects on the body. Many believe it’s a contributing factor for many chronic health conditions.

DASH Diet: A “diet” is not only about losing weight; it’s a way of eating. Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a lifestyle approach to blood pressure. One study revealed that a combination of DASH, weight loss, and exercise resulted in the greatest improvement in blood pressure.

Debu Nayak

Bhubaneswar,India.

Chennai oil spill clean-up hit first by late response, then an understatement of magnitude

The spill from a collision between two cargo ships on January 28 has damaged 40 km of coastline.

At 3.45 am on January 28, the MT Dawn Kanchipuram, an oil tanker, collided with the MT BW Maple, a sea vessel carrying liquefied petroleum gas off Kamarajar Port near Chennai.

Just hours after the incident, fishermen in the city’s Ennore area near the port had reported seeing an oil slick along the coast, leading to suspicion that the collision may have resulted in an oil spill.

Oil spills have the potential to cause extensive damage both to the sea and the coast, with implications for marine life and for livelihoods, if not contained quickly and efficiently. The speed and accuracy of the initial response is crucial, given that the first estimation of the spill would guide the scale of clean-up and remediation measures.

Going against this logic, the port, which comes under the Union Shipping Ministry, decided to underplay the collision. On the evening of January 28, port officials put out a press release claiming the following:

“There is no damage to the environment like oil pollution and no casualty or injury to persons. Both vessels are safely afloat and anchored.”

But what the port officials failed to factor in was that a denial through a press release cannot hide physical evidence of floating oil in the Bay of Bengal. While this position of “no oil pollution” was later retracted, attempts to cover up the magnitude of the damage continued, as is evident from a series of reports that have emerged since then.

Coast Guard calls bluff

In an affidavit filed before the National Green Tribunal, the Kamarajar Port justified its initial statements that there was no oil spill by claiming that the collision occurred in the early hours and the lack of sunlight came in the way of a proper assessment.

Port authorities stated that when they inspected the site after sunrise, there was “no oil spillage except light sheen”. The oil, the port claimed, could have drifted away beyond the port waters in the two hours between the collision and sunrise.

According to the timeline presented to the tribunal by the port, it took almost three days for the damaged oil tanker, which carried over 26,800 metric tonnes of motor spirit, a derivative of petroleum, to get clearance for berthing. It was only after berthing that the cargo of oil could be unloaded.

Though oil booms, a floating barrier used to contain the spread of oil on the sea, were placed around the vessel immediately after the collision, the fact that it took three days for the unloading of the cargo to begin meant the possibility of a continuous leak was high. By its own admission, the port said the vessel had taken a significant hit.

However, it is the stated position of the port and the Tamil Nadu government that the petroleum product did not spill into the sea, and that what did spill was the fuel in the ship after its bunker sprung a hole after the collision.

On January 30, news agencies, quoting port officials, reported that the total oil that had spilled into the sea was around one tonne. While this was an improvement from the earlier “no spill” stand, the figure was still a gross underestimation

In an assessment of its clean-up work, the Coast Guard confirmed that the port had underestimated the spill by a big margin. Its report said “187 tonnes of oil sludge and 109 kilolitres of oil mixed with water” were removed during the operation. A kilolitre is 1,000 litres. This apart, 81.5 metric tonnes of sand mixed with oil was also removed.

The state government also got into the clean-up act by getting municipal workers to remove the sludge in affected areas. Around 40 km of coastline along Chennai has been affected. In Ramakrishna Nagar near Ennore, the civic teams removed 208 tonnes of oil sludge.

If one were to go by the report of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, the coast may have paid a costly price for the port officials’ initial understatement of the magnitude of the spill.

Long-term impact

On January 31, S Mohan, professor of environment and water resources engineering at IIT Madras, sent a fairly exhaustive report to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board after a field assessment on what could be the impact of the oil spill.

In the assessment, the professor ascertained the spilled material to be “grade 6 fuel oil used in marine engines”.

Mohan said such spills tend to move several kilometres and could continue to wash ashore even three or four months later. Worse, if the spill were to interact with the sand on the beaches, they could turn into mud or tar balls that could then get back into the sea and settle on the sea bed. Such balls were spotted on the shores days after the spill, which had resulted in the death of over 50 turtles by February 5.

It is clear from the IIT Madras report that the response to the oil spill does not end with clearing the sludge but should continue for months to ensure there is no long-term damage to the coast.

We welcome your comments at

debu_nayak@rediffmail.com

Debu nayak,Bhubaneswar,India.

In Himachal Pradesh, a village is using the law to take back forest land from the Forest Department

The Forest Rights Act recognizes the rights of forest dwelling communities and entrusts them with the responsibility for conservation.

The residents of Gunehar village in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district are attempting to use the Forest Rights Act to challenge the state Forest Department’s decision to hand over two hectares of local forest land to the Wildlife Department to construct an office complex. At the end of December, the Gunehar panchayat filed a complaint with the sub divisional magistrate in Baijnath town, challenging the Forest Department for violating the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and laying their own claim on the forests.

This is an unusual occurrence in Himachal, which, like many other states, has delayed implementing the provisions of the Act.

Gunehar is located in a forested region known as the Chota Bhangal. Ninety percent of the people here rear cattle and sheep for their livelihoods. The forests around Gunehar are used as a resting and shearing ground by locals, and for passage by nomadic pastoralists.

In December, residents noticed that a patch of the local forest was being cleared for construction work. Upon inquiry, they realized that the Forest Department had handed over land in the Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary on which locals had user rights to the Wildlife Department for the construction of the complex.

As per the 2009-’10 revenue land settlement records, that patch of land is jointly owned by the Forest Department and the local community. Thus, before handing it over, according to the Forest Rights Act, the Forest Department should have mandatorily obtained a no-objection certificate from the village Gram Sabha. But it had not done so.

The Forest Rights Act grants legal recognition to the rights of traditional forest dwelling communities and entrusts them with responsibility for conservation. It was enacted to address the historical injustice meted out to forest dwellers in India because of the non-recognition of their legal right over forest land for decades. Prior to this Act, communities living in and around forests were vulnerable to harassment and the threat of eviction on charges of being encroachers.

Although implementation of the Forest Rights Act was to begin in 2009, most states, including Himachal Pradesh, have been slow in implementing it. The Act has been violated repeatedly, and both local communities and government bodies have limited awareness about its provisions.

Community rights

Gunehar’s battle with the Forest Department must be seen in the context of a fight that stretches back to 1999 when the land the village stands on was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary without the consent of the local population.

Gunehar was one of 58 villages that fell inside the sanctuary. All these villages had settlement rights over forest resources in the area dating as far back as 1887. However, once the area was declared a sanctuary, the Forest Department prevented locals from accessing forests for their livelihood needs.

Naturally, the villagers protested. After several demonstrations and petitions, the government agreed to exclude the 58 villages from the sanctuary area. However they continued to be in the buffer zone.

Kisan Sabha Baijnath, a civil society group working with forest dependent people, which was leading the struggle, filed a case in the Shimla High Court in 2011 to assert community forest rights. The final judgement in the case is still pending and the petitioners argue that till it is out, any construction related to the wildlife sanctuary is illegal.

“Up until then in Himachal Pradesh the Act had been implemented only in the Scheduled Areas of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and parts of Chamba,” said activist Akshay Jasrotia, leader of the Kisan Sabha. “In an affidavit filed in the Shimla High Court in 2012 in this case, the state Tribal Department said that the Act would be implemented in the entire state. This opened a legal route for us to us to assert our claim on the forest areas”.

Claims over the forest

By 2014, Forest Rights Committees – mandated by the Forest Rights Act – were formed in the entire state and the Kisan Sabha started working with them around the Baijnath region. It helped local residents to file individual and community claims to forest land under the provisions of the Act.

“It is only by strengthening customary user rights in this region that long term forest conservation and restoration of ecological balance can be achieved,” said Pavana Kumari, a resident of the area and activist with the Kisan Sabha.

Gunehar is one of 32 Forest Rights Committees in the state that has filed community and individual claims under the Forest Rights Act. Though its claims are yet to be accepted, the community has taken upon itself the task of conserving the forests.

“When saplings have just been planted, people take turns to guard the forest,” said Kumari. Those who are found to be flouting this community-imposed rule by entering the demarcated forests and putting the saplings at risk are warned, and repeated violators are fined.

It was the Forest Rights Committee of Gunehar along with the village youth group and the local mahila mandal (women’s group) that managed to mobilise people to block the construction of the office complex last month.

More than 70 women came forward to lead the agitation, said Kushma Devi, 38, who heads Gunehar’s mahila mandal. “Women have a close relationship with the forest,” she said. “We enter the forests on a daily basis to collect firewood, fodder and fruits. We also take the cattle for grazing.”

On a cold January evening, as it snowed on the mountains surrounding Chota Bhangal, Kumari tended to the hearth in her kitchen. Her family gathered around the fire warming themselves while chatting about the day gone by.

Kumari and her brothers collected the firewood that warmed their mud home from the forest. The house is also supported by wooden beams sourced from the forest.

“If there was no firewood and hence no fire, would you have survived the cold?” asked Kumari.

Tug of war

Asked to comment on the Gunehar construction controversy, district forest officer BS Yadav admitted: “The Wildlife Department should have taken the consent of the people and they should be questioned”.

But district wildlife officer Manohar Lal was of the view that “some people are making an issue out of a non-issue”.

He said: “If the Forest Department itself can’t construct on the forest departments land then what is the use?”

Said Bichitra Singh, deputy chief of Gunehar panchayat: “The attitude of the Forest Department of being the owner and thus unaccountable to the local people is most problematic.”

Shazia Nigar is associated with Himdhara, Environment Research and Action Collective, in Himachal Pradesh.

Debu Nayak,Bhubaneswar,India.

 

100 ideas for making money online with a budget under Rs 5,000

I can give you hundreds of ideas right away if you want to start a side business to generate a passive online income. However, you have to work hard to implement the money-generating business.

You can start while working at your full-time job. When you start making some money from your online work, you can quit your job.

When I started my online business two years ago, I was afraid of sharing my ideas with people. However, I realised that I was wrong because I can only work on two or three ideas at a time. So I decided to share all my research and ideas with you.

The only condition to being successful is that you have to dedicate between six months and a year to learning new skills. One year is a short period if a person can work hard, and even earning Rs 10,000 without leaving the full-time job is an achievement.

I spent 15 years in school to get admission in a decent college. I spent another three years in college in the hope of getting a job at the end. Although there was no guarantee of a job, I dreamt of working at a big corporate.  After completing my graduation, I found a job as a software engineer that was paying me Rs 18,000 but at the cost of spending all my hours in the office.

I think spending lakhs on education is a bad idea. In the end, you will sell all of your time for money that will not last even until the end of the month. I spent one dedicated year learning writing and online marketing skills. Now I am earning more than Rs 1,00,000 from my blog,  plus some additional income from providing consultancy services to startups in organic marketing.

How to select an industry for profitable business

You must select a topic and industry you are passionate about. I am passionate about credit cards, saving money using financial hacks, and growing businesses without spending money on advertisements. I started an online community to help people select the best credit card for cashback on shopping/fuel/travel, to enjoy long luxury travel under budget, and help people identify a passive source of income.

You should select the right channel for driving traffic to your website. There are two major ways of getting traffic to your website:

#1. Traffic from Google (+ some traffic from Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo)

#2. Traffic from Facebook (+ some traffic from Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn)

Google and Facebook dominate most of the traffic (in India). Don’t worry about the other traffic sources if your focus is the Indian audience.

Industries dominating Facebook

1. Bollywood and entertainment (fun and gossip)
2. Cricket
3. Politics
4. Startups and marketing
5. Media (news and trends)

Industries dominating Google

1. Tech
2. Shopping
3. Finance
4. Health
5. Education

Industries dominating both Facebook and Google

1. Jobs
2. Fashion and beauty
3. Childcare and parenting
4. Food
5. Travel

You can create your own ideas by taking hints from what I share. I create better ideas when I work on my passion (finance, travel, and marketing).

Focusing on your passion is more important than chasing money.

Bollywood and entertainment (celebrities, fun, and gossip)

If you are the entertaining guy in your friend circle, don’t waste your talent — get into the fun and gossip industry.

Don’t be afraid. Once you start, you will automatically learn the next steps.

Idea #1 Comedy club

Comedy videos easily go viral. There are a couple of stand-up comedians like Kapil Sharma and Amit Tandon who have become celebrities now. The young talent is waiting for their turn. There are thousands of comedians who are looking out for a channel to show their talent. You can help them by building a comedy club online.

Idea #2 Funny video library

Funny videos of kids, puppies, and cats are all over YouTube and Facebook. Can you make a library where people like me can pick the right video for their content marketing needs?

You can make money by selling the licence to startups for using the video. The creator of the original video can earn money as commission.

Idea #3 Online dance classes

You don’t need an innovative idea to become successful. All you need is a viable idea that can solve someone’s problem.

If you are a dancer and would like to teach people, start online dance classes. You don’t have to be an expert — just be better than your students, who want to learn the basics of dance.

Can you make nine short videos that can teach me some simple dance steps for the upcoming family function? Sometimes, it’s just about providing a reliable, systematic source for something basic.

Idea #4 Online reality show

When reality shows are so popular on TV, why can’t they have online versions? The internet is democratising all industries, which means that individuals and organisations no longer have total control. Anyone like you and me can become the owner of an online TV show and compete with branded channels like Star TV.

Star TV and Amazon are already going head to head for online TV viewers’ market share through their apps. There is a lot of scope if you can build an audience for reality shows online.

Idea #5 Music lovers’ group

If you don’t have the capacity to make a product, you can at least make a group of music lovers online.

Caution: Don’t try to make a generic group of music. It must be a micro niche that you are passionate about. Like a group of Honey Singh music lovers, or classical Indian music, or Kishore Kumar lovers.

Facebook must be where you begin if you are going to make an Indian-audience-centric business. You must also have a website and discussion forum. At a later stage, move to a mobile app.

Idea #6 Music school

This is a no-brainer! If you have the passion for teaching music, start an online school for it. You can start with a free YouTube video channel where you upload a couple of videos to help people learn music.

YouTube is what I turn to whenever I have to learn the basics of anything, and if I like the person, I try to find his/her online presence to learn more. You can make a good business out of a music school if you deliver high-quality lessons to your audience.

Idea #7 Party organiser

There are many ways to look at this idea. You may become an organiser for children’s parties (all of the parents are your audience, more than 50 crore people), or you may choose to organise parties for the youth.

Important note: Don’t try to be everything for everyone at the same time. Most of the people don’t get it. Any experienced entrepreneur will advise you to focus on one group in the initial days rather than building something for the whole industry.

Idea #8 Low-cost viral video maker

I will be your first customer if you can help me create viral videos at a low cost. You must start making videos yourself in the initial days and later on hire good video makers.

Video demand is increasing every day, and all startups will have to create a lot of videos in the next few years. Videos are the easiest way to go viral in a short span of time, and yet most people don’t have any knowledge of it.

Can you come up with a fixed-price video startup?

Rs 500 for a 60-second video if the client gives the concept (storyboarding), images, and text. You just have to execute. Rs 2,000 for a 60-second video if you do everything yourself. Deliver the video in 24 hours with the promise of two revisions in the next 24 hours.

If you are able to execute the idea well, you can go viral with thousands of projects in your hand. Don’t compromise on the quality and keep increasing the prices. People pay a higher price for good-quality work.

Lack of confidence? That’s the reason why most people fail. They accept failure even before starting. Success comes to those who don’t accept failure even after the actual failure.

Do you know that we lost Rs 15,00,000 in my first startup? I decided to work even harder to get the success.

Business model

There could be many business models in the entertainment industry. Depending upon your aspirations and risk-taking capacity, you can make good money from advertisements (pay-per-click and pay-per-view), selling services and affiliate products.

In the long run, your business model would be a partnership with big brands, celebrities, production houses, and TV channels.

Money potential

A single guy can make about Rs 50,000–1,00,000 with a dedicated effort of one year. A team of three to four people can make more than Rs 5,00,000 in less than one year if they execute the projects with perfection.

You can have a multi-crore annual revenue if you become an influencer in the entertainment industry (like TVF).

Cricket

I have not picked sports as the category because Indians love cricket, not sports. Cricket remains in the air throughout the year.

When you are starting something for a business purpose, you must start in a business where you can get customers throughout the year.

Idea #9 A cricketer’s fan club

Cricket works a lot like the entertainment industry. You pick your favourite player and make a fan club for him. Read the details of businesses to get more inspiration.

Idea #10 Regional sports club

India is a country of diverse cultures, and this a reality the IPL, with its regional teams, has cashed in on. You can take the idea forward and make an online sports club for your own region’s cricket. Yes, there is a business model if you can execute.

Idea #11 News and trends

The name explains it all. Pick the latest cricket news, curate interesting facts around the news, and become the next cricket news channel. You will get thousands of readers from Facebook (without spending any money on marketing).

Idea #12 Facts and surprises

Slightly different from the ordinary news, go for some interesting facts about the players, their lives, and the game as well. Your content can go really viral if you execute it well. If you are really passionate about cricket, then the ideas will come naturally to you.

Business model

The easiest way to make money is through Google Adsense and Facebook Instant Articles. In the cricket season, you could make a lot of money through the ads.

In the long run, you can sell cricket equipment on your website. Partnerships with sports brands can make you a real businessman in the industry. All you need is a regular flow of cricket fans on your website.

Money potential

Revenue from ads will be similar to the entertainment industry. A single person can execute the whole project with a dedicated effort of one year. You can make your living comfortable by earning a handsome amount.

If you are able to make the business a big success, it will make you several crores per year.

Politics

Politics has always been a hot domain and can turn out to be a great opportunity if you love debating about it.

The Indian audience spends a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter for political discussions. BJP and AAP supporters keep rocking the internet every day.

What can you do?

You can join the madness and create a yet another Facebook page to defame one political party and give benefit to your favourite party.

Or, you can become the legitimate source of well-researched news and information. You can write your own opinions about political facts. Go and read a lot of stuff about the history of political movements to become an authority on the subject.

You can win the hearts of Indian audiences without being biased to any party.

Important note: Be prepared to face the heat from political parties if you share any fake news or try to manipulate facts. Run your business with your own responsibility. I am just sharing an idea. Execution will be at your own risk.

I don’t understand political domain very well, but I still have some ideas that can be implemented to improve the political scenario in India.

Idea #13 Keeping a record of the government’s achievements

Political parties make many promises during the elections and later no one tracks the progress. You can build a platform to influence the government to fulfil its promises. You can keep track of the promises, get latest information on the progress, and keep the readers updated.

Idea #14 Curating the news

There are different types of media and everyone puts the news out in a different way. You can curate the news from different channels. The reader might be happy while looking at the opinion of all the channels and political parties in a single place.

Idea #15 App (mobile or web) to check fake news

There is too much information available on the internet. Fake news becomes a big problem for everyone. Can you come up with a system to validate if the news is genuine or fake?

Business model

Since the industry is highly volatile, you will get a lot of traffic from social media. Invest 80 percent of your time in building your Facebook page if you want to be successful. The easiest way would be to earn money through display ads. At a certain point, you will become an influencer and you can get partnerships with corporates and NGOs to sell the targeted products and services to your audience.

Money potential

You can make $100 per 100,000 page views if you show ads on your page. Even a single guy can handle such a business and make around Rs 60,000–80,000 with one year of dedicated effort. A monthly traffic of one million is not difficult. At later stages, there is no limit on how much you can earn.

There could be some more ideas to build a better environment around politics, which has been considered ‘dirty’ till date. Please share your ideas and I will include them in the list.

Startups and marketing

Content marketing is the core of the success of my online business. If you have experience in startups or marketing, you can find a lot of ideas for new businesses. You can help so many entrepreneurs in starting their business, setting up marketing, increasing sales, hiring, and project management.

Idea #16 Passive income ideas and execution (I am working on this topic)

I have gone through the phase of starting one product startup from scratch, then joining a funded startup as the marketing co-founder, working on many freelance writing and marketing projects. Last year, I resigned from a job where I was heading content marketing. My online business is my primary source of income.

If you know how to teach people to build passive sources of income, then please join me in my mission of making people self-dependent (and financially independent).

Idea #17 Teach how to sell

The next big issue is selling products. If you have experience with sales, help other startups. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with others. I know how we struggled for a single sale in our first startup where we were selling ERP to schools.

I learned the sales process by failing at it multiple times. Some of the books and blog articles helped me. You can start your blog or startup to help people in sales.

Idea #18 Design for startups

If you observe startups closely, you will find one idea each day. I am suggesting that you become a startup for startups. Finding a great design for website and app is the third biggest challenge for startups. Can you provide high-quality design (designers) to startups at an affordable cost? If yes, then start your work today.

Idea #19 Hiring and firing

We could have saved a lot of money by avoiding hiring a bad guy (who ran away with our laptop after two months). We caught him eventually but we wasted so much time on the chase. He was a designer. He was a bad hire. We should have fired him after the very first month.

One of the rules of running a successful startup: “Hire slow but fire fast when you are in doubt.”

If you know how to find the right candidates for a startup, you can help a lot of startups who are losing value because of bad hiring processes. You can come up with your own innovative ideas to select the right candidates for the right job position.

Idea #20 Content marketing at zero cost (organic)

I learned how to do marketing without spending a single paisa on paid marketing. If you know content marketing, you can help many startups which are looking out for organic growth.

A lot of people ask me to work on their startup marketing but I have to say NO to them because I do not have that much time. There is a lot of demand for good content marketing guys in the market. You can be the next successful guy if you want to build your career in content marketing.

Idea #21 Digital marketing (paid + free)

Digital marketing is about driving traffic to your website and app through Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Content marketing is more about organic growth with the help of articles, videos, and graphics (fuelled by compelling stories).

If I can bring one lead at a cost of Rs 100, a digital marketing expert can bring one lead at Rs 50. Digital marketing is all about understanding the data and optimising the cost. You can learn digital marketing in a few months and start your own digital marketing agency.

Business model

You can get most of your initial audience from Facebook. Your content can go viral if you create value for startups. There are already so many groups dedicated to startups, marketing, blogging, and SEO. Once you have an audience, you can start selling your services to startups. Affiliate and display ad marketing will always remain an option for you.

Money potential

Depending upon your skills, you can charge between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 to sell your services. There are so many technical products that you can promote to make affiliate income from $10 to $100 per conversion. If you make 10 conversions of $100 per product, you can have a monthly income of Rs 65,000. This is very doable if you put your brain and heart to work.

Media (news and trends)

You can get multiple online business ideas if you look at any news portal. Let’s see what you can get from the NDTV news website.

You can make a niche media website for business, movies, cricket, food, tech, auto, apps, art, weddings, and elections.

You can become a media outlet in any domain in which you have interest.

Idea #22 Bollywood news

There might be many channels that share Bollywood news but the market is not yet saturated. You can still write movie reviews and find interesting stories of celebrities that people want to read. Your success depends on your promotion capabilities.

Idea #23 Startup news

There is enough room in the startup ecosystem to find stories from many different angles. You can take interviews of startup founders in a particular area and celebrate that topic the whole month. For example, write stories on funding in February, matching co-founders in March, acquisition in April. and so on. If you have the mind of an entrepreneur, you can be innovative at each step of your career.

Idea #24 Tech news

If you are a passionate tech lover and spend many hours reading about the latest trends, why not start an online business in the same niche? I already gave you the source for generating as many ideas as you wish.

You can go deeper into the software development technology, tools, or design tech. There are infinite opportunities if you keep your eyes open.

Idea #25 Gadget trends

Tech and gadgets are part of the same domain. You may include both on your portal or start with your niche products. If I would have to start, I would pick just one product or a range of products from a company. You can go for the expanded scope at a later stage.

You can make an exclusive news portal on Apple products only. Make sure to keep the quality so high that you become the first source of contact if I need any information about the iPhone, iPad, or MacBook.

Idea #26 Fashion trends (focus on a few celebrities)

This is a great opportunity for all the young people who are fascinated by the latest trends in the fashion market. When we say fashion, the first impression that comes to our mind is western fashion.

You can get the same success even if you are interested in Indian fashion trends. Sarees and kurtas are the all-time favourites of Indian women. Help them choosing online what’s trending in the market.

Idea #27 Stock market and business news

Although it was once my favourite domain, I stopped reading stock and business news because of all the noise surrounding it. I do not trust the so-called market gurus who advise anything for their own benefit. There are very few people who provide information that is actually useful for investors.

Here comes an opportunity for you. If you are really interested in stocks or business, then become a trusted source of information. You can make a good business only after doing remarkable work in any field.

Do not pick my ideas to add more noise on the internet.

Business model

The best way to make money from a news portal is by the display ads. However, if you are making something in a very niche segment (like Apple products), you can make a great income from affiliate marketing. You can promote paid apps from the Apple Store as well as sell apple products through Amazon and Flipkart.

Money potential

Depending upon the audience profile and niche, you can start making an income after hitting a monthly traffic of 10,000 on your website. If you can achieve consistent traffic, you can make between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,00,000 per month within a year.

Technology and software

Software engineers can easily start an online business in the tech industry. If you are running short of ideas, just look at the Stack Overflow community.

If you are a techie, you must have come across Stack Overflow posts when searching for your tech queries.

You can pick topics like

• 3D printing
• Android
• Arduino, and many more

No, you don’t have to compete with the Stack Overflow community. What you need to do is focus on your niche. You can do a much better job than Stack Overflow if you create awesome content in one single area.

It is difficult for me to write all the ideas in detail. I will give you a single-line hint and you can refine ideas based on your interests and capabilities.

Idea #28 Tech startup

There can be more than 100 ideas within the tech startup domain. If you love to make software products, then a tech startup is good for you. Don’t try to hire people for building your idea from the first day. You should either find a co-founder for the technical development or learn yourself if you are good at sales/marketing.

Idea #29 Mobile app

If you have a little experience in mobile development, just move forward with the implementation of your idea. Low-cost mobiles and free internet perks have created big opportunities for the mobile app business. You can get a lot of success with mobile apps if you can go viral.

Idea #30 Online community

Communities will always remain the source of trusted information from the real users. Reddit, Stack Overflow, and Zomato are the communities of passionate people who want to help each other. You can come up with a new community in your niche.

Idea #31 Tech blog

I am not giving you ideas for tech blogs in this article as my purpose is to show you the potential of writing a blog on any technology. If you have something in mind, do your keyword research and start a blog.

Just for your information, 720 people search for the keyword “blue screen error in windows 7” every month. If you consider related keyword volume, you can find millions of people who are looking for help in fixing Windows.

Shopping, deals, and coupons

Till a few years ago, there was no opportunity in e-commerce. Now, however, now Indians are comfortable buying everything online.

I am not sure if Flipkart or Snapdeal would be able to make a profit or not, but I am sure that you can make a lot of money in e-commerce.

See, more than 10,000 people search for buying mobile phones in India.

You don’t have to compete against them in the same segment. In fact, you don’t even have to start your own e-commerce portal. My suggestion is to take advantage of the existing players who have already built a platform for shopping online.

Idea #32 Sell on online marketplaces

You can sell anything and everything online with the help of marketplaces like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, and Paytm. You can start with a small quantity of a product from the market and label it with your brand in order to resale. Find easy-to-ship things like sunglasses, clothes, stationery, and fashion material.

Here are details on vendor pricing on Amazon Selling, charges on Amazon Fulfilment.

Pick only good material stuff, or you will lose your brand even before its establishment. Once you learn how to sell and make some money (even without profit) you can negotiate with the factory to get materials at lower costs and make higher margins on bigger orders.

Idea #33 Start a deal/coupon/discount selling company

Deals and coupons are the primary motivation for Indian consumers to buy online. Although there are many players in the market who are selling online deals and coupons, you can still make good money if you know how to reach out to the right audience that is searching for deals and coupons.

Idea #34 Start shopping affiliate blog

You have to learn about starting an affiliate website and making money out of it. There is a lot of material available online if you really want to learn and grow. I can also write some articles on affiliate marketing. You can find some hints in many sections of this article as well.

Finance

Should I share the tips for finance? It’s my own domain of writing. You may become my competitor if you know more than me on the topic of finance.

Should I be afraid of competition or tell you how to build a strong online personal finance business?

Okay, I am not afraid of new competition.

1. Because one day I will lose the traffic anyway.
2. Nothing is permanent in the world and we should not be so possessive about our assets.
3. You can build your business with your hard work even without my help. It’s better to help you and earn some good karma.
4. You will be my friend if I help you. Friends are more important in life than money and traffic on a website.

If you are an expert in the field of finance, then the internet is full of opportunities for you.

Idea #35 Sell financial products

You can sell insurance, mutual funds, and home loans online like an offline agent. Banks are ready to share a commission with you if you send them leads.

As the number of options to choose from is very high, consumers get confused about which product they should buy and from where they should buy it.

Can you help people find the best health insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, investment policies, credit cards, mutual funds, personal loans, and home loans?

You can create a product comparison website which could help users select the product that best suits their needs. After you have helped the user select the product, you can even sell that financial product to your users online.

Money potential

PolicyBazaar, Coverfox, and BankBazaar are running on this business model.

Idea #36 Start an income tax return filing website

Very few people understand how income tax in India is levied. Even if they understand, they don’t have the confidence to file their income tax returns (ITR) themselves.

90 percent of the people in India don’t file their ITRs, preferring to get them filed through someone else.

Now, here is the opportunity. ITR filing is mandatory for everyone, even if your income does not fall within the tax bracket. You can help people in filing income tax online. You can charge a small fee from the client for filing his ITR.

Income potential

The estimated fees charged for ITR filing of a salaried individual is Rs 200–500. For business income, the ITR filing cost is Rs 5,000. You can sell more related services like company registration, GST registration, TDS returns, customised monthly packages, and startup packages.

ClearTax and H&R Block are running on this business model.

Idea #37 Blog/YouTube channel to earn through advertisements

Newspaper content is mostly written by journalists who have little knowledge about complicated financial aspects. This is one of the reasons why very few journalists write about complicated financial aspects and only cover the general news. It’s difficult to find high-quality unbiased content regarding financial management.

Income potential

For the Indian audience, you can expect to earn around Rs 80–200 for 1,000 page views through a financial blog. YouTube can give you more income through advertisements.

You can also earn affiliate commission through the sale of products on your website.

Many successful blogs like ApnaPlan, Taxguru, and Relakhs are making a decent amount this way. I also earn money through ads and affiliate marketing.

Idea #38 On-call financial advisory

People face various issues with their finances —  how to invest, where to invest, how to save tax, how to set your financial goals, and retirement planning being a few of them. Instead of helping them out, Google ends up confusing them further.

Google can split up articles on a particular topic but cannot make a personalised plan for anyone. This is where the role of the financial expert comes into play.

If you are a financial advisor, provide customised financial advice to people over the phone and solve all their queries. You can charge your clients on a per-appointment basis.

Income potential

Financial experts usually charge Rs 500–1,000 per appointment. The duration of the appointment is usually 15–30 minutes. This works out to Rs 1,000–2,000 per hour and Rs 10,000–20,000 per day.

People like Nitin Bhatia and Karan Batra are earning money through this business model.

Karan says, “I provide financial advisory services at Rs 700 per appointment and I’m overbooked most of the time.”

Idea #39 Sell subscription-based premium content

The content currently available for free on the internet may or may not be well researched and may also not provide detailed insights. To solve this problem, some authors do detailed research and then sell it for a small fee.

If you can conduct research on financial products, you can sell reports and e-books for Rs 50–1,000. Subscription-based content is certainly picking up around the globe and has massive potential.

Jagoinvestor and Capitalmind are running on this business model.

Idea #40 A community of finance geeks

I would love to execute this idea sometime. I am a finance geek and look for more people who want to have in-depth discussions on finance, economics, and money. If you can think beyond retirement, investments, and money generation, you can understand my point. Money has a certain power but a very few people are able to use that power for the empowerment of humanity. Write to me if you have thoughts around this area, maybe I can become a part of your community.

Idea #41 Help in accounting

You don’t have to be a CA or legal financial advisor to help people with accounting — a finance or commerce degree will suffice. There are multiple ways of helping people with managing their accounts. You can help frugal startups manage their accounts. You can easily find your initial clients if you are willing to work hard. You can get partnerships with CAs to complete the tax filing work.

Idea #42 Video blog in finance

There are a few people who publish good videos on finance-related topics. You can start your own video blog on YouTube. It’s all about the hard work, but you will love the income when your videos will be viewed by millions of people.

Idea #43 Help students clear finance exams

If you are seriously interested in starting your online business, you can find more ideas than I can think up for you. The easiest way to start something online is by sharing your knowledge. If you have studied anything in the finance field, you can start helping students in clearing their finance exams. Mathematics and finance are considered tough subjects to crack, and you can find your opportunity where people falter.

Health

The healthcare domain is very sensitive. You must think about getting into healthcare if you are really passionate about improving people’s health.

Don’t start something just because someone said that the Indian consumer spends billions on healthcare every year. I have some ideas in this domain but they never became a priority for me. Last year, I joined a baby healthcare startup but left the job in a few months.

If you want to do something then,

Startup idea

Idea #44 Honest reviews for doctors

Last year, I thought of starting a company to provide genuine reviews for doctors. I was thinking of listing the successes and failures of doctors so that patients can make informed decisions. But I joined a child healthcare company as a content marketer instead. The idea is still waiting for someone to implement it.

Idea #45 Discounts on major treatments

It would be a great help to humanity if you could help people get treatments at low costs.

Idea #46 Raise money for genuine patients who cannot afford the high cost

There are so many issues in the healthcare sector, which is ready to be disrupted. If you are passionate about healthcare, help the people who cannot afford costly treatments raise money.

Idea #47 A community of patients to help each other

I am sure that a lot of patients can come forward to help each other if you take the step of building a community. A doctor can provide treatment, but there are numerous questions that need answering even before the doctor comes into the picture, and that’s where the community will help.

Idea #48 A community of people who are struggling with depression

People don’t come forward to share their issues related to depression. An online community can help each other stay motivated, get the right treatment, and provide encouragement.

Blog idea

Idea #49 Men’s health blog

This is a very simple idea with a high Google search volume. Topics would be simple to research and write about.

Idea #50 Women’s health blog

Similar to men’s health, there is a potential to start a blog on women’s health. Don’t mix two topics. Stay focused on a single thing.

Idea #51 Pregnancy care blog

Be as specific as you can. Within the women’s health section, write a great quality article for pregnant women’s health care.

Idea #52 Baby health blog

Parents have a lot of queries about their babies’ health. Babycenter is a leader in this space, receiving a great amount of traffic every month. There is a high chance of your success if you pick baby health just from the Indian point of view.

Idea #53 Organic living blog

I spent some time online reading about the organic way of living. It’s not just about the food but the lifestyle. You can start writing about the food, clothes, and living spaces which are prepared using organic material. I am not an expert yet, but you can expect a blog on organic living from me in the future.

Idea #54 Home remedies blog

We tried the topic on the parenting segment and it went viral. People love to use home remedies for common diseases. You can start writing if you avoid using medicines for common diseases.

Education

My first two startups were in the education field. I can share my learning with you so that you can taste success in this domain.

Before starting anything in education, you have to figure out which audience you want to target. If you are trying to make a solution for everyone, I am afraid you are cooking a recipe for your failure.

I have written an in-depth article explaining audience selection for education startups.

Find what people are searching for related to exam preparation.

Students who have completed their graduation are searching the above keywords.

In a similar way, you can see that more than 10,000 people are looking for career counselling in India.

Startup ideas

Idea #55 Learning through games for kids [5–15 years]

If you are a game developer, you can help students learn using games.

Idea #56 Career counselling [15–21 years]

Students are still confused about selecting their career path. If you have the ability to help students with their career decisions, you can make a business out of it.

Idea #57 Help in cracking competitive exams

Don’t be afraid of the competition. The market is not saturated yet. If you know how to crack competitive exams, you can still build a great startup in the domain.

Idea #58 Help in getting government jobs

Millions of people are preparing for government jobs. You will never feel the lack of an audience. You have to figure out the best way to help people clear the exams.

Idea #59 Make students employable [job training]

One of my friends, Arun, is doing a wonderful job training students who are unemployed after graduation in computer languages. Here is his story: How this serial entrepreneur is making engineering students employable

Blog idea

Idea #60 Review of products for schools (labs, software, activity products)

I thought of executing this idea multiple times but every time something more important came up in my life. You can start a simple blog for reviewing software products for schools. You can make a great amount of money through partnerships with software vendors.

Idea #61 Review of education products for parents

You can also start a blog to help parents pick up the right education products for their children. You will solve the distribution problem for software companies who want to sell their products to parents.

Idea #62 Review of extracurricular classes and activities

Do you know how much money parents spend on extracurricular activities? The market is expanding very fast. Tap the opportunity, provide genuine reviews on classes, and help parents select the right classes for their children.

Idea #63 Blog for relationships between teens and parents

There is plenty of stuff for the age group 0-9 but not much for teens. A child has different phases of life and demands different levels of attention at each phase. I think parents need to be educated when it is their time to deal with teenage kids.

Jobs

We started some experiments with the online job section in India. The segment has a huge search volume.

The keyword “online jobs in India” has over 11,000 searches every month. Similarly, the keyword “government job” has a search volume of over 15,000.

If you go one by one, you will find keywords worth a search volume of more than 10 million.

Last year, as an experiment, we started one simple blog to share information about government jobs. In about six months, we started getting a traffic of more than 15,000 on the blog.

We recovered our invested money in a few months and decided not to invest more time into the online jobs section because I am more interested in writing about things where I can conduct research (finance and business). You should also pick something related to your passion. The blog is still making a few dollars every month without our involvement.

Since the demand is there, you can execute many ideas in this field.

Startup ideas

Idea #64 Solution papers for major government job exams

Students are already buying books (collections of sample papers) from offline and online stores. You can take market share as the demand is very high.

Idea #65 Create a niche job portal, like jobs for content writers

So many people ask me for a content writing job but I always redirect them to freelance portals. There are very few dedicated portals for writers where they can get work quickly. A dedicated portal can solve a lot of problems for writers and publishers alike.

Idea #66 Help people improve their résumés

Résumé services will remain in demand as long as companies require good candidates and job seekers do not know how to write résumés. It’s a high-demand business if you know how to improve the résumé of a candidate.

Idea #67 Personality development and HR interview training

Our education system is focused on technical education. No one tells us how to present ourselves in the interview. There is a big market to capture if you can solve the problem.

Blog ideas

Idea #68 News and updates about government jobs

No one wants to miss any job update if preparing for a government job. Don’t be shy to start just because so many other people are doing the same. You can always find a better way to do the same thing.

Idea #69 Tips and tricks to crack a government job exam

People don’t want to work hard on the exam preparation. You can help them by providing tips and tricks to clear the exams.

Idea #70 How to study like your class topper [ideas on productive study]

I wish someone had told me how to become better at memorising formulas when I was in school. It would be a great help for students if they could find techniques to learn more in less time. A mind map is one such technique that I use even today.

Idea #71 A support group for people who failed

Failure is not a failure until you accept it. I learned this lesson early in my life and that’s why I have survived the failure of my startups. You can build a support group for people who fail at exams.

Fashion and beauty

You know women spend a lot of money on fashion and beauty products. There is no doubt that they become fashion experts naturally as they use the products.

If you love fashion, then why not start an online business?

See how many people are searching for simple things like “beauty tips for glowing skin” — 1,900 searches every month and 2,900 searches if you can write in Hindi.

Similarly, you can find tons of keywords that people keep on searching online related to fashion. Some ideas for you to move forward:

• Indo-western dress for girls
• how to wear palazzo pants with kurta
• how to wear shawl

Top fashion bloggers Urmi Daga and Hemal Ved started WhatWearHow. These two friends started their blog in 2010 and created excellent content for their viewers. Brands have gone on to create videos with them in order to be promoted through their channel.

Idea #72 Beauty tips

Pick up some keywords as I have shown in the snapshot and start writing about beauty tips. Start Facebook and Instagram pages. You can find a business model for your business once you have a decent audience.

Idea #73 Skincare tips

Skincare is one of the most important topics for girls. You can easily find keywords to write your initial 10 articles.

Idea #74 Fashion product reviews

Once you are in the fashion industry, you can pick products and start writing your reviews.

Idea #75 Ideas for indo-western dresses

Do some basic research into what people are looking to wear at parties. If I can find ideas within a few minutes of research, you can find a lot of ideas if you spend a few hours.

Idea #76 Shopping places for fashion products

If you are a fashion expert, people would like you to tell them where they can buy trending products from. Depending on your audience, you can suggest budget shopping or premium shopping locations.

I am not a fashion expert, but I can suggest some tips based on my research. You can come up with a better idea if you are passionate about fashion.

Blogging tips for success in fashion and beauty

• Know your audience and dress accordingly
• Give fashion and styling tips
• Fashion is all about glamour, so make sure your images are absolutely fantastic
• Dull images are a complete put-off
• Maintain a healthy Instagram channel/account
• Give honest reviews about products, sizes, and styling

If you have a good number of followers on Instagram, companies will give you free clothes and money just to tag your handle on their post. The money would depend directly on your Instagram following.

Childcare and parenting

I was reluctant to add this topic.

Unlike other topics, childcare and parenting must be handled with utmost responsibility and love. You cannot create content for the sake of making it viral. Remember, one wrong piece of advice can have a negative impact on the health of the mother or the baby.

If you are a parent and you wish to share your parenting advice with others, you can start something on Facebook.

Most mothers can find an opportunity to work on Facebook.

Neha started her Facebook page Being Happy Mom in July 2016 and grew to 1,00,000 likes in January 2017 without any paid marketing.
Being Happy Mom is a blog on parenting and childcare. Although it started with zero traffic last year, it now has more than 20,000 mothers reading articles on it every month.

All the work and growth is organic. The page is highly engaged. On an average, her posts receive 500 shares. I get inspired to see that level of dedication in work.

If you genuinely want to help the parenting community, then I have a couple of ideas for you.

Idea #77 Care during pregnancy

Pregnant women need a lot of care during pregnancy. There could be some complicated cases where special care is required (including food, exercise, and other daily activities). Thousands of women are looking out for help in the pre-pregnancy and post-pregnancy stages.

Idea #78 Care of the newborn baby

A mother forgets about herself once the baby is in her hands. Her entire focus shifts to the newborn baby. There is an equal opportunity to do great work by helping mothers in the critical stage. Start with one segment of parenting where you have the most interest, make some business, and expand the scope of your business.

Idea #79 Home remedies for children

I loved this idea because I am a believer of using home remedies for common diseases. We don’t use or recommend chemical-based treatment unless it becomes the only option. We even observed that our immune system became stronger since we stopped the unnecessary use of medicines.

Caution: Conduct in-depth research before writing any home remedy. Try it with your own baby before recommending to others.

Idea #80 Breastfeeding help

We (including Neha) have seen some Facebook groups where mothers discuss issues related to breastfeeding only. I loved the idea of staying in a niche within an industry. If you (as a mother) experienced issues with breastfeeding, you can come up with a support group for the other mothers.

Idea #81 Help to come out of postnatal depression

This is another niche to be explored within the parenting domain. There could be many different ways to start your venture to help mothers come out of postnatal depression. Some mothers face the issue severely while some come out of the depression phase easily. But, almost every mother faces mood swings after pregnancy.

Idea #82 Help mothers find part-time work

Pregnancy and motherhood are the most beautiful phases of one’s life. In my personal opinion, no mother should work during this phase and rather enjoy her life with her baby and family. After a few years, when the child starts going to school, a woman feels a need to express herself through work. There might be a monetary need but most of the time it’s the need to feel the inner completeness and self-satisfaction.

Some startups are already helping women in getting jobs and starting ventures. The market is big enough for yours to be the next successful venture.

Idea #83 Online TV on childcare, games, and activities

The idea revolves around the consumption of video content. Last year, one of our videos had gone viral and has since been viewed by more than four million people. That’s the power of videos. Just one viral video can make you popular in your industry. There is such a requirement for quality content in childcare and activities.

Business model

Some companies in the parenting domain got funded last year. Their business model is simple — get the parents on their app, show them engaging content, and make money from partnerships with the baby care brands and hospitals. You can decide to sell the baby products on your own website.

If you don’t want to raise money from VCs for your venture, stay bootstrapped like me. Build great content and make money from advertisements and affiliate marketing.

Money potential

Don’t depend on money from advertisements. Search for partnerships and affiliates and once you have a monthly traffic of more than 10,000 on your website, you can start earning Rs 5,000–10,000 as you grow your traffic. If you find the right partners for your business, you can make more than Rs 1,00,000 just by sending a few leads to hospitals or you can charge Rs 25,000 for reviewing newly launched products by big brands like Johnson & Johnson, Dove, or Himalaya. All this depends on your own hustle and the quality of traffic you have on your website.

Food

Do you know how many groups related to food exist on Facebook with more than 10,000 memberships? More than 100 groups.

Every group is unique in itself, with millions of people who are interested in sharing recipes, cooking techniques, and nutritional information.

Do you how many people search for ‘recipes’ every month in India alone? More than 90,000 people.

 

You should not randomly start doing something in the food segment. Instead, pick one niche topic where you can make interesting combinations.

 It can be baking, Italian, paneer, snacks, or just mushroom recipes.

 Do you want to see what else people are searching for related to mushroom recipes?

You can get 2,900 monthly visitors for mushroom gravy recipes alone. Let me give you one more insight — the data is a pure estimation of traffic. The real traffic will be a lot more with all sorts of different combinations of mushroom recipes.

This much research should give you enough confidence to start your own online food business.

A lot of startups are already into food delivery and restaurant discovery like Zomato. Don’t follow them. Follow your inner self for building a great business.

Startup ideas

Idea #84 Platform to sell homemade food

You can start selling homemade food in your city. You can find people who are ready to sell home-cooked food and list their food on your website. Then find the buyers who can place orders on your website.

Idea #85 Discovery of regional food

You can start a company that helps people discover regional food in the area. I can find a South Indian restaurant in my area but it is difficult for me to find which restaurant or person makes the best dosa. It would be a food discovery platform.

Idea #86 Meetups for food lovers

There are many meetup groups for food lovers but not many dedicated platforms. Food has created a lot of opportunities for people to do business. You can certainly find a niche within food lovers’ groups.

Idea #87 Community of one particular food lover (say tea lovers)

Meetups are limited to a local area while the community can accommodate people from anywhere in the world. You can find millions of people even if you start a community on a single topic of food.

Idea #88 Organic food seller

People are becoming organic food sellers but I don’t know where the food is coming from. I don’t buy organic food from big stores or brands because I cannot trust them. I found one website, EarthBaby, which provides all the details of the source of the organic produce they stock. They sell organic material for mothers and babies. You can also become an authentic source of organic food.

Blog ideas

Idea #89 Sharing recipes in very selective niche, for example, mushroom recipes

Pick your strong area and do some basic keyword research. You can come up a lot of ideas like I came up with the mushroom recipes idea. Write all recipes on one topic rather than one recipe on many topics.

Idea #90 Sharing tips to grow organic food

People have a passion for growing organic food. If you are one of them, you can start writing tips and tricks to manage a kitchen garden or organic farm.

Idea #91 Baking techniques

If you love baking, write tips and tricks on baking along with the recipes. People will remember you for your techniques rather than just recipes.

Idea #92 How to get the best nutrition

Nutrition and health are evergreen topics. You will never go out of business if you have a strong presence in the nutrition domain.

Idea #93 Reduce weight without dieting

This is what everyone suffering from obesity dreams of. You have a big market to serve if you are a person with knowledge about weight reduction tips.

Idea #94 Recipes for children

It’s difficult to feed children, but one of the strategies is to make new recipes every day to keep children excited about the food. If you have ideas, you must start your blog today.

Travel

Travel is one of the top priorities of my life. I want to see the world before I become too old to enjoy travelling.
That’s why we spent one month in Goa in 2015, 50 days in Thailand in the summer of 2016, and travelled by road from Chandigarh to Karnataka for an entire month.

Travel is the one industry where you cannot go wrong. There is hardly any scope of failure. Just a few years old, Airbnb became a multi-billion-dollar startup without owning any hotels.

I am not sure if you would like to create another startup like Airbnb, but you can definitely make something to generate a regular income of Rs 1,00,000 per month, or at least enjoy free travel like us.

Startup ideas

Idea #95 Find local guides

I can share this idea from my own experience. It was difficult to find a good guide within a budget at popular travel destinations. What if we could book a local guide like we book cabs? This would be a great opportunity for you to explore.

Idea #96 Help people discover travel deals

I still have to spend more than one hour to discover deals when I plan my long-term travel. There is a lot of scope to start a portal that helps discover top deals within a few minutes.

Idea #97 Connect like-minded people who want to travel along

I have seen this question many times in travel groups. There is an opportunity to start a venture that connects people who are travelling for vacation and looking for companions. It will save them a lot of money on resource sharing.

Blog ideas

Idea #98 Review of high-end luxury hotels.

We prefer to stay with friends when we travel but there are a lot of people who want to stay at luxury hotels only. You can write reviews of branded hotels and get a commission when someone books a hotel through your website.

Idea #99 Which tools, gadgets, and apps are useful while travelling

We searched for what we should carry when we were travelling in jungles, deserts, and mountains. You can become a true source of information if you have travelled to different places.

Idea #100 How to enjoy the luxury of travel without spending a lot of money

If, like me, you love frugal living, you can start sharing your idea and hacks to enjoying luxury travel within budget. If you want to learn then I can help you.

Idea #101 Finding lesser-known places at popular travel destinations

People want to explore lesser-known places but you find only popular places in the Google search results. If you love to explore places, you can write your experiences on a blog.

Idea #102 Adventurous trip ideas and planning

I never went on an adventurous trip because I love to sit in one place and enjoy the vacation. If you love adventures, then start sharing on your blog.

Idea #103 Road trip ideas, challenges, and planning

We were not sure if we would be able to drive 6,000 km because we were travelling with a four-year-old baby. We have a lot of things to share with travellers like us but we don’t have time. The opportunity is open for you.

Conclusion

My article is useless without your participation. I took me an entire month to complete the article. I spent more than 50 hours on research and taking feedback from people.

All my efforts will be a complete waste if you don’t take any action. Seriously, no one can help you in becoming successful. It’s all in your own hands. Here is a step-by-step process to start your website or blog under a budget of Rs 3,000. I can even provide you with the exact content marketing templates and strategies if you wish.

As Morpheus says to Neo in the movie The Matrix, “I can show you the path, you have to walk on it.”

Don’t waste your time thinking without taking action. I am available to help you out.

A different version of this article was originally published on Cash Overflow.

 

Debu Nayak,Bhubaneswar,India.

Engineer Vs Doctor

Source: Engineer Vs Doctor

Start small to go big: here are 35 profitable businesses you can start in India within Rs 10,000

The hunt for funding has been the bane of an entrepreneur’s existence from times of yore. Many abandon their dream to build, create, and innovate in the face of this difficult struggle without realizing that a good business idea will eventually pool in the bounty-full once it has secured a place in the market.

Your idea will bring you your company, your company will bring you the people, and the people will bring you the market. And as we all know, a good idea has no monetary value, just a whole lot of bursting potential. Today, the world’s most successful entrepreneurs like Bill gate ,Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk may hold the possibility of building pyramids out of notes, but none of them started at the top of the ladder. Facebook was created out of a Harvard dorm room at minimal cost and Microsoft was formed two years after Gates decided to drop out of college.

The reason to stress on these remarkable entrepreneurial stories is because they provide an important lesson for all those wishing to embark on a similar journey – that a single great idea is the most important step to creating a game-changing business. And sometimes, if you plan it well, these ideas can build you a company at the lowest initial-costs while getting you the highest possible returns.

Tracing the business history of our country, it has been noted that the market is ripe for the ambitious entrepreneur to dominate it today. Some individuals may have the business acumen to influence the market but have not yet managed to narrow down on a single idea to begin with.

But as Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” On that positive note, here are a few business ideas that we believe can be launched within an initial cost of Rs 10,000:

Travel agency

The travel industry in India has witnessed a boom in the past decade. Keeping to people’s changing habits and their desire for the ultimate ‘wanderlust’, the time is ripe for aspiring entrepreneurs to put their money where the map is. The most cost-effective measure to open up a home-based travel agency is by tying up with a host agency. By doing so, you will receive the benefits of pace (helping you get your ARC, CLIA, or IATA number faster), convenience (they perform all the ‘back-end functions’), and help you earn higher commissions and keep your costs low. While the rates differ according to the host agencies, your main initial costs that will fall within Rs 10,000.

Mobile  recharge shop

Even with online recharge, in India most mobile-users prefer visiting a recharge shop to fill their balance. So those looking to practice this business can start by renting a space in a small local shop. This rent will be the primary (monthly) expenditure. You also need to form ties with the network providers of the area, such as Airtel, Vodafone, Idea etc., and pen down their commission rates, where they will receive a cut of your profits from the sale of the commodities taken from them. Assuming that you aren’t looking to rent out a shop-space in any expensive real-estate property, your overall costs will definitely feature below the Rs. 10,000 scale.

Breakfast joint

You must have noticed how those little breakfast and tea stores across your city are almost always filled with customers. This is because food as a commodity will always do well in a competitive market. To open up your own breakfast joint, you need to invest money in renting a space for it, after having received a permit for permit for it from the respective authorities. If your rent is within Rs 5000 a month, you can dedicate the rest of your budget on buying groceries and other raw materials as well as second-hand tables and chairs.

Tuition centre

This is possibly one of the most cost-effective businesses to launch, due to its near zero starting cost requirement. Most tuition-teachers take classes in their own homes, thus eliminating any expenditure on rent and supplies. The only effort you need to put in as a tuition teacher is to take to advertise yourself on social media or go the old school way with flyers and ‘word-of-mouth’ recommendations.

Fruit juice kiosk

Who doesn’t appreciate fresh fruit-juice on a sweltering day? To tap into this lucrative business, you have to start by requesting for a permit to open a kiosk in a chosen locality, preferably one that is hard to miss. Following this, you will need to pay rent for shop-space. Other than this, the only other investment you need to put your money up for is for the purchase of the raw materials, supplies like machines for making the juice, and the salaries of the employee(s) making the juice.

Garment tailor

In cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi, the demand for good tailors has increased tenfold due to the increasing popularity of self-made designs. Other than a small rented space, you only need to invest in powerful sewing and stitching machines, and of course electricity.

Online bakery

While names like ‘Ovenfresh’ have taken years of hard-work, recruitment, and funding to reach where they are today, it only goes to show that the market is ripe for online food-based services, especially in the realm of baked foods. Single-handedly run online baking companies are popular, too, like Confectioner’s Touch by 23-year-old Charulata Ghosh from Kolkata, which has been turning heads and raising numbers since its inception in 2013.

“I started off with very little. Like Rs 2,000. But as my business proceeded, I was able to invest in other things like Zomato, custom boxes, and cake boards,” says Charulata, who is up to her elbows in cake considering the non-stop online orders coming her way.

Blogging

This is possibly one of the most lucrative fields to tap into in the digital age. Professional blogging requires only a minimal start-up cost. You only have to invest in a domain name and hosting space –initially at least – which in its ‘unlimited’ capacity costs a maximum of roughly Rs 3600. As for promoting your blogs through the right channels, the cost-free and limitless expanse of the internet is all you need.

YouTube channel

YouTube is a hotspot for creative and talented individuals looking for great returns with little monetary investment. YouTube allows its users to create independent channels and upload their videos for free. In fact, it even pays some YouTubers whose channels are popular. To know more about how to make money out of your YouTube channel, click here.

Event organising

Event managers barely spend any time in office. They are best at networking and managing, checking out the hundreds of venues, meeting sponsors, scheduling performances, and basically being on the field 24/7. On that basis, their demand revolves around their brand image and popularity, which can be built with a good online marketing strategy. However, the overall startup cost for building this brand is minimal, if at all priced.

Wedding consultants

The term ‘big fat Indian wedding’ exists for a reason. This is because weddings are taken very seriously by almost all cultures making up our diversified society. Today, even multinational corporations like Uber are tapping into this lucrative industry and centring their campaign on it. The most important investment you need to make to launch a wedding consultancy is in maintaining a popular website for it. The best way to reach out to potential clients in this field is online. Thus, ensure that your website has the requisite base of followers and is detailed, accessible, and colourful.

Online courses

While any form of education is priceless in its ideal, it can still be priced for a good value. Developing and running an online course for students interested in learning a subject is a profitable feat. While some online-course providers may offer the course for free on their own personalised websites, most usually tie up with other digital content companies, which provide them with the tools to carry out their lessons. In this too, the maximum cost you will incurred would be the minimum amount you pay for your domain name and hosting space, or to the digital content company in question for them to feature your course on their platform.

Photography

Assuming that you intend to take up professional photography, you may already are in possession of a high-definition camera. Without taking the latter’s cost into consideration, as an aspiring photographer looking to take on independent projects, the only investment you need to make is your time in building your profile online.

Street-side book stall

If you’ve ever crossed by the Flora Fountain area of Mumbai or College Street in Kolkata, you’ve probably encountered scores of little second-hand book stalls thronged by avid readers and flustered students. The first thing to do is set up a stall with a permit, which needs the right local contacts, following which your only investment is purchasing a dozen or so books from other sellers to start the business of second-hand book exchanging.

Ghost writing

Ghost writing may not be recommended as a primary profession, but it definitely ranks as high as any of its counterparts, considering the standard amount that a prospective client is willing to pay for a story to be written anonymously. Here too, the best way to make clients reach out to you is through recommendations, be it online or in person, and your only investment, after accepting the project, is your time. This is extremely lucrative, since clients usually offer exorbitant amounts as compensation for writing their story for them.

Customised jewellery

If jewellery made from real silver, gold, and diamond were all we had as options today, we’d possibly be roaming around empty-pocketed for most of our lives. However, custom jewellery has been part of our ancient tradition and is still one of the most profitable markets today. To look into that business, you should be prepared to get into well-placed bargaining deals with the manufacturers of these customised pieces, either offering them a good cut from your sales or buying their products in a bulk, for a cheaper price. Either way, the trick is to sell it at a higher price than it was bought at, in a shop or stall (in a popular place), for which you need to pay for rented space. Despite this, your overall collective cost will possibly be covered in within Rs 7000-8000.

Advertising campaign developer

A profession that is almost exclusively online, the idea of running this kind of a business stems from the fact that most corporate advertising firms have taken to outsourcing their campaign developments, as an attempt to break the standard patterns and reduce the pressure. As a result, stand-alone advisors on a company’s advertising campaigns are in high demand in the market today. Hence, as someone looking to build a business along these lines, you should be prepared to invest your time and money in running an active website (with a domain name, hosting services, and perhaps SEOs), offering your services to potential clients.

Tea stall

Can you imagine a world without tea? What would we do with our evenings? While the tea-industry as a whole has done exceptionally well over the decades, the smaller tea stall owners have definitely been reaping the benefits of their overall success. Besides a basic budget for renting a small room or stall for space, the only other investment you need to make is on buying tea from the manufacturers and purchasing makeshift benches and tables.

Social media strategist

Social media has become the way of the world. Corporates, startups, and personal channels have all realised this and work to increase their presence on it. While most of the bigger companies (especially in the media) now have a social media team to handle this aspect, the smaller ones reach out to stand-alone social media strategists. The only investment that you, as someone looking to build a brand in this line, should be making is improving your online presence by advertising on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn and spending a basic amount on maintain your website, to ensure that it ranks higher in the search engine pages.

Fashion designing

Meghna Nayak, Founder of LataSita, a fashion brand that up-cycles old saris into beautiful unique and ethnic pieces, states, “I felt inspired and confident enough to start LataSita in India where we already have a long history of upcycling and jugaad woven into the culture-I wanted to update it and infuse it with some style and snazz!” (As stated by Vagabomb). While most of her fixed budget was spent on material for her designs, the concept of recycling saris helped defeat that splurge. Her primary investment went into maintaining a studio space and paying her two tailors.

Online fitness instructors

The world is looking to get fit. While not everyone has the time or inclination to visit the gym or join any fitness classes, the idea of a fitness instructor visiting their houses and helping them get in shape is definitely more appealing to them. So those looking to launch a business in online fitness should spend their money on maintaining a strong online presence through their website and social media pages, considering that they do not have to rent a studio space or equipment.

Graphic designing

There’s a popular conception that graphic designers often earn more by sitting at home than by being employed full-time. Although this may sound like an oversimplification, the truth is that graphic designers are the highest in demand when they work independently and are ready to take on projects from clients outside their prescribed work. Assuming the fact that they already have the necessary equipment to execute their projects (computers, software, etc.), all they need to do is make sure that their work is goes viral, so that potential clients can come across it and reach out to them for a new project.

Dance/Music school

The only investment that those looking to run dance or music schools have to carry out is in rental space. Besides this, the business runs on their skill as an instructor as well as their active presence in respected circuits. As the business grows, they may need to set aside an amount for the salary of an assistant or associate as well, but in the initial stages, the trick is to make sure that enough people are recommending your school to its potential students.

Scriptwriting

Cities like Mumbai are famous for independent scriptwriters, who work on a project-basis from anywhere and at any time. While these individuals work on deadlines and are affiliated with a production house through a contract, they do not need to spend on any initial costs to set up their brand, since they can work in the confines of their home and are negating rental space expenses. Their only investment is time allotted to each project, so that they can be recommended to others through the same.

Tiffin service

As mentioned earlier, venturing into the food industry is almost always a profitable move. Scores of working professionals today prefer to ‘eat in’ but do not have the time to make and carry home-cooked food to work. This is where you could come in. Since the cooking will probably be cooked in your own kitchen, there is no need to pay for extra space. Thus, the only big investment you’ll need to make at this stage is in a middle-man to deliver these services.

Handyman services

This includes all the unsung heroes- the electrician, the plumber, the home-staff and others without whom we wouldn’t be able to get through a single day. These handymen and women usually choose not to be affiliated with any organisation and instead take on work at homes independently at a nominal charge. Hence, their only primary initial cost will be spent in purchasing the necessary tools that befits their respective professions.

Pet-daycare/pet-friendly services

Wouldn’t you feel so much better knowing that while you were slaving away at work, there was someone taking proper care of your pet – feeding it on time, playing with it, and making sure that it isn’t lonely? Especially when you have to go for a work-trip or a vacation. This an extremely lucrative and to an extent, still largely unexplored field in our country and holds great promises for those wishing to build a brand around it. The main costs for this would be in creating and maintaining a website.

Research-based business

While most corporate companies have their own research teams, a score of newly launched startups and smaller companies tend to outsource their research work to independent researchers in the same field, on a contractual basis. As a result, you could set up a business around independent research yourself or with another person, where, unless you wish to opt for rental space, your only investment will be your time. If you’re working with another person or with someone junior to you however, then you may have to set aside an amount for their salaries as well.

Food truck

Prem Ganapathy, one of India’s richest entrepreneurs, had begun his business by selling idlis and dosas from a hand-cart opposite Vashi station, which he rented for Rs 150 a month. And while the hand-cart has been replaced by a chain of luxury restaurants across the world, it was the reason for his eminent success today. Food trucks offer the same kind of potential to those looking to get into low-cost-high-returns business, considering their growing appeal among the urban masses today. Bengaluru even had an all-women food-truck company, 7 Sin, which has been doing exceedingly well since. As for the initial costs, the only thing that those looking into this have to wager on, is to rent a sturdy food-truck for a nominal fee and to pay the salary of a driver, who is required to drive it through all the popular hot-spots in the respective cities.

Sports coaching

While we all applauded the efforts of Mahavir Singh Phogat in Dangal, not everyone can receive critical acclaim as a coach by training members of their own families. To this end, people with a history in a particular sport, who have both worked in it, around it, and understand it to the bone, should look to coaching amateurs in the same. Their experience and expertise at a sport will help build their brand value and catch the attention of the various sports academies looking to hire independent coaches for particular seasons. They should even look to cater towards aspiring sportsmen who wish to receive professional training from an independent coach instead of enrolling themselves in an academy.

Translation services

In India, the average salary for a Translator is Rs 416,093 per year. In light of globalisation, the influx of overseas business deals have risen fourfold, and in many cases, it is difficult to orchestrate the meetings, considering the lack of a common language (English isn’t applicable in all cases). Thus, translators are high in demand, and those looking to go into the business would be happy to know that the costs for setting it up are based at a bare minimum. The only real thing they need to spend their money on is to attend classes on the particular foreign language to become fluent enough to practise it.

Consultancy services

Home-based consultancy services have become quite popular in the past few years. While many still run a one-man show, many have recruited to delegate the onslaught of clients that come through for queries around the particular field. While it is important that those heading these services have a background in the field they are adhering to, the minimum cost to start this home-based business is till considerably low.

Tour guide

Are you the control freak when it comes to travel planning? Do you love planning out an itinerary, scouting the internet for hours for the cheapest and most effective ticket combinations and have the history of a heritage site mugged up? If yes, then you should look into opening up a tour-guide business, where groups of travellers (school-trips, college-trips, tourist-travels) can ask you to not only make all the arrangements for the trip but also guide them through it, as the leader of the pack. Since the entire business can be carried through the internet, there is no other starting cost that you need to worry about, other than perhaps maintaining a travel-guide website for your potential clients.

Card makers

There’s a reason we haven’t really been noting the Archies cards making the rounds anymore. It is because card-making businesses have begun to spring up all over the country, with manufacturers taking custom-made orders for nominal prices. For this too, the key factor lies in using the internet and the appropriate software and tools, for which you have to pay a standard price to enjoy unlimited usage. However, the main investment will be in maintaining an attractive website and making it a powerful presence on social media, so that enough people begin to talk it up and recommend it.

Cooking classes

Cooking classes are a hit among the urban masses because food is something that appeals to everyone. As a professional cook, you can conduct cooking classes both online and offline. For the former, you can either use a platform like YouTube and Facebook or launch your own website to serve the same purpose. For either way, the cost is a bare minimum. For the latter, you can book a studio on the days you wish to conduct the classes, which again works out to be fairly cost-effective, taking the selected number of hours and days into account.

While each of these businesses do contain its fair share of risks and surmountable barriers, they also hold the potential to become great success stories. On a closing note, here’s a quote from the legendary Henry Ford who said, “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”

Just like the bow stretches the arrow back before it is released to its target, you need to arch back and let loose. The target? The whole world.

Debu Nayak,Bhubabneswar,India.

Steve Jobs’ last words will make you change your view of life completely!

I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world.In others’ eyes, my life is an epitome of success.However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.

At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.

In the darkness, I look at the green lights from the life supporting machines and hear the humming mechanical sounds, I can feel the breath of god of death drawing closer…

Now I know, when we have accumulated sufficient wealth to last our lifetime, we should pursue other matters that are unrelated to wealth…

Should be something that is more important:

Perhaps relationships, perhaps art, perhaps a dream from younger days …

Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me.

God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth.

The wealth I have won in my life I cannot bring with me.

What I can bring is only the memories precipitated by love.

That’s the true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on.

Love can travel a thousand miles. Life has no limit. Go where you want to go. Reach the height you want to reach. It is all in your heart and in your hands.

What is the most expensive bed in the world? – “Sick bed” …

You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you.

Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost – “Life”.

When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading – “Book of Healthy Life”.

Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.

Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, love for your friends…

Treat yourself well. Cherish others.