10 fastest growing small-business industries that may surprise you

When you're considering starting a small business, you want to make sure it's going to be a successful one, and one great way to do that will be by creating a business within one of the current fastest growing industries.

Grain Production - The demand for dedicated people who are willing to grow and produce grain, which can be used as livestock feed, groceries, and for fuel, is increasing. Even if you're not interested in growing the grain yourself, opening a business that is responsible for selling, shipping, or marketing grain is a very sound idea.

Green and Sustainable Energy - Between concern about preserving the planet and desiring lower monthly energy bills, there has been a huge demand for small business that can improve energy use. Whether you provide a consulting service or go into research and development, creating a company that specializes in sustainable energy means you have a long and steady business career ahead of you.

Computer Repair - It is safe to say, technology is not going anywhere anytime soon. And you don't really need a fancy shop, if you can repair computers quickly and accurately, you have the potential to become a great small business. The key is to not take on more work than you can handle.

Mobile Device App Development - Businesses have realized they need mobile device apps in order to stay competitive but don't have resources or time to develop the apps they need. And the industry itself is drastically growing with the widespread use of smart phones and tablets.

Specialty Food Stores - The only recession proof industry has always been the food industry. No matter how bad things get, people have to eat. These days, specialty food stores, such as cheese shops, chocolate stores, and vegan grocers are very popular. One thing you should keep in mind is that, while it's possible for a specialty food store to do well in a rural area, they have the most success in well-populated areas.

Engineering - Just like people will always need food, there will always be a demand for engineers, especially ones who have a strong background in architecture. A good engineering firm will be successful in all parts of the world.

Errand Running - Believe it or not, most towns are in need of a small business that does little things like picking up groceries and dropping off packages and they're willing to pay. This is a great opportunity to provide an important service and meet lots of interesting people. First and foremost, In order to be successful in the errand running business, you need to have a reliable means of transportation.

Creating Games - If you have a gift for developing software, you should start a business that creates social network games. The great thing about this type of business is that the start-up costs can be minimal, something you can do in your own home, and you can reap some huge financial rewards.

Real Estate Consulting - You should think about creating a service that helps people prepare their homes for sale. This type of business could provide repair services or focus on staging.

Professional Blogging - When Google created their Panda program, it became vitally important for businesses to routinely update their website's content on a fairly regular basis, and one of the best ways to do this is with a business blog. If you have solid writing skills, you can use them to create a small business that specializes in professional blogging. You can later expand to include web design and copy-writing services.

The great thing about most of these small business opportunities is that they're something you can start doing in your spare time and later develop into a full time business. It is always a good idea to utilize the cutting-edge business strategies obtained through an online business degree so eventually you can expand your business into a full-time career.

Taken from: Guest Post (article, By Blake Pappas), Google (images).