If you’re a sports enthusiast, you will be pleased to know that there are plenty of possibilities to turn your love of sports into a profitable business. And the good news is that you can get your sports startup off the ground without having to invest everything you have in it.
For example, one in three small business owners starts their business with less than $5,000. Obviously, the most discouraging part about running your own startup is the failure rate, but since you are tackling a pretty popular niche, you’ve got a good chance of turning it into a success story. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best startup ideas if you are a sports enthusiast.
1. Start a Sports Blog or a YouTube Channel
If done right, blogging and vlogging can be quite lucrative. You can earn money through views, different sponsorship deals, and ads.
Now, it’s easier to start blogging, as you only need to pay for hosting and web design (or you can even do it yourself). Vlogging, on the other hand, requires filming equipment and knowledge about the whole filming and editing process. Whatever you decide, keep in mind that it’s better to focus on a specific niche, like for example accessories for golf carts or basketball analysis, because there is too much competition in broader sports niches.
2. Become a Fitness Coach
What’s great about this is that you can also do it online by offering individual sessions and/or having your own video channel where you will share your knowledge of fitness. Of course, your first step should be to earn relevant certificates and obtain enough experience so that your credentials speak for themselves. You can also expand your reach by focusing not just on individuals but on sports teams as well.
3. Create Your Own Sports Apparel Brand
Sports apparel, performance clothing, and athleisure wear are more popular than ever, and starting your own brand is easier than you might think. Plenty of brands nowadays come up with their own designs, but the actual sewing process can be outsourced to third-party companies. The same goes for branding. Brands like Lululemon have stepped into the business with only a handful of employees, and now they have their own chain of retail stores, as well as their own trademarked materials.
4. Get into Sports Photography
If you love both sports and photography, the choice is pretty obvious. You will need a professional camera and a handful of lenses (telephoto lenses are a must), which can cost quite a bit. On the flip side, you can build an incredible portfolio, license your work, and make money by selling your photos to media outlets, as well as by offering photo sessions to athletes and sports teams.
5. Open a PR Agency for Athletes
Athletes are scrutinized not only for their on-court performances but for their actions off the court as well. This is where public relations specialists come in to help athletes cultivate their public image. Good publicity is important because it can open new opportunities for them, such as different sponsorship deals. Plus, PR specialists are there to step in and keep their clients out of the media spotlight when needed. If you have experience in journalism or marketing, starting a PR agency might be a good idea.
6. Invent a New Sport
If you are creative and have an idea for a brand new sport, you should try to go through with it. It might be more profitable than you think. Some new sports have been gaining traction lately, such as teqball, which is a cross between football and table tennis, or crossnet, which is a hybrid of foursquare and volleyball. If your unique sport attracts a following, there’s a lot of money to be made from selling specialized equipment, as well as from sponsorship deals and perhaps even TV rights.
7. Develop a Sports-Related App
People are pretty much glued to their smartphones for most of the day. A lot of them also care about health and fitness, so why not build an app that helps them do that? It can be anything from a simple step counter app to an app that creates a custom workout program for the user based on the parameters they enter. You can also focus on apps that capture statistical and telemetry data, which could be interesting to different sports teams.
Final Word
And there you have it, seven great ideas about starting your own sports-related business. Even though it might seem challenging at first, it’s far from impossible, especially if you already have some of the skills we’ve listed in this article. Good luck!
