Time to Start: Business Ideas in Kazakhstan in 2025

As of July 1, 2024, Kazakhstan has registered 532,980 legal entities and 1,753,485 individual entrepreneurs. Additionally, over 2.2 million people are self-employed. The number of business representatives in each segment is steadily growing. This is due to favorable conditions created in the country: a lenient tax regime, the ability to work officially without a visa, and actively developing digitalization that simplifies most business processes.

What holds back proactive individuals from registering a business? Many face the problem: wanting to start their own business but not knowing what kind. What businesses are currently relevant in Kazakhstan? Let's explore the top business ideas for 2025.

Catering: Self-Service Coffee Shop and Donut Shop

This niche has high competition, but there are segments that are not as well-developed. For example, coffee shops and coffee points have become commonplace, but opening a self-service coffee shop can be a justified investment. This is a good option not only for metropolises—the idea is also suitable for those considering what to open in a small town.

The advantage of a self-service coffee shop is that there is no need to rent a large space. An entrepreneur only needs to purchase a self-service coffee machine and choose the right location. The speed of service also attracts people: the client selects a drink, pays by card or cash, and picks up the coffee within a couple of minutes. Therefore, machines should be placed in high-traffic areas, such as business centers: office workers don't have time to stand in line at a coffee shop; they need to quickly get a drink and return to work.

A self-service coffee shop can be considered in 2025 as a business idea with minimal investment. The average price for a quality self-service coffee machine is 1.5 million tenge. This amount is less than what is needed to open a traditional coffee shop.

However, coffee is just one of the mini-business ideas. For example, you can open a donut shop or prepare other desserts popular on social media—croissants, Belgian waffles, or French crepes (thin pancakes with various fillings). A small donut shop with takeaway products is something that can be opened in a small space. You don't even need a rented facility: prepare desserts at home and promote and sell them through social media.

There are other options for what can be produced and sold at home: cream honey, jam and preserves, dried fruits.

Education and Development: Activities with Children

The field of children's education and development is one of the most promising. If you have the appropriate diploma, you can consider this as an idea for the simplest yet profitable business in 2025. If you conduct sessions with children at home, you won't need to rent and equip a space or pay utility bills. The following areas are popular: speech therapy, child psychology, mental arithmetic (developing intelligence through mental calculation), speed reading, homework assistance, foreign languages, creativity (from finger painting for the youngest to comic book creation and sculpture for teenagers). This can also be a business idea for students.

Other suggestions in the "children's" sphere: working as a nanny or animator, organizing themed photo sessions.

Physical Activity: From Dance to Yoga

A healthy lifestyle continues to gain momentum. As a result, the demand for various types of physical activity classes is increasing. It's not necessary to open a gym—you can limit yourself to a small studio. These can be dance classes (zumba, Latin, contemporary, oriental dances) or yoga. One of the popular directions is aerial yoga, which combines classic yoga poses with elements of acrobatics and aerial gymnastics, Pilates, even ballet.

These new business ideas are also advantageous because they are interesting not only to adults: separate classes are opened for teenagers and children.

This niche is worth exploring for those interested in how to start their own business from scratch without money. For example, if you conduct online workouts, there will be no need to rent a space. The peak of popularity for such classes was during the pandemic, but even in 2025, home online workouts provide a good income on the internet with virtually no investment.

IT: Website Creation and Consulting

Digitalization increases the demand for IT specialists. This field is not limited to developing websites or applications. You can try yourself in IT consulting, which involves studying a company's business processes, analyzing and evaluating them, and providing recommendations to improve work efficiency. Consulting is also in demand in other areas (tax consultants, accountants, personnel development consultations).

It's important to consider the specifics of this niche: it has very high competition, so you need to offer potential clients a unique proposition.

A couple more ideas in the IT segment: opening a robotics club for children and adults, teaching web design.

Services: From Decorating Premises to Customization

If you want to try yourself in a seasonal business, you can decorate premises for holidays. This service is used by owners of shopping centers and business spaces, banks, beauty salons. Consider also such a business idea from scratch as thematic decoration of photo zones. Office workers will post beautiful photos on social media, and businesses can use this content for promotion.

Those who can draw, make bead or sequin appliqués, embroider, might consider work related to customization. Customization refers to modifying mass-produced goods for a specific person. In other words, it's personalization. You can make appliqués on jeans, paint leather jackets or bags, create prints for T-shirts and tote bags, customize shoes. Note that items with a national flavor are becoming popular in Kazakhstan: this niche can be considered by craftswomen who work with embroidery. Such a business is suitable for women even in small towns: thanks to mail and delivery services, orders can be sent across the country.

Repairs: Apartment and House Design

Turnkey repairs will remain in demand in 2025. Services of a "handyman for an hour" are still relevant: these are specialists who perform minor tasks—from replacing fittings in a toilet tank to installing shelves and assembling furniture.

Another trend is that Kazakhstani people are increasingly turning to designers to develop projects. This is a promising business idea in the service sector.

An experienced designer will create a project that aligns with modern trends, help with space zoning, outlet placement, and wire masking to maintain the interior's integrity.

A designer can work from home and doesn't need expensive equipment (unlike professional builders). At the same time, the business is quite profitable: the cost of designer services reaches 3,000 tenge per 1 m².

Sales: From Handmade to Children's Products

In recent years, there has been a steady growth in the popularity of marketplaces like OZON or Wildberries. They allow sellers to list their products and handle delivery.

In traditional market segments (clothing, footwear sales), competition is high. Therefore, unique products are prioritized: handmade jewelry and souvenirs, soap and candles, designer accessories, and stationery. Children's products are also in demand. However, the focus is on exclusive eco-friendly items, such as wooden toys, biodegradable tableware. Mothers who follow fashion trends choose Scandinavian-style clothing, footwear, and interior items for their children—this idea is also worth noting.

If you're considering what business to open for a woman in a small town in 2025, then a home-based candle or soap-making venture can be an excellent mini-production idea. It requires minimal investment, and your imagination will add uniqueness to your product offering. Such home-based business ideas are more oriented towards women, but the concept is also relevant for men: some men engage in artistic forging or leather goods production. These skills can also be monetized through marketplaces.

Green Business: Selling and Producing Goods

Despite the general interest in environmental topics, this niche for business in 2025 is still open. Consider segments like producing vegan cosmetics without packaging, aligning with the trendy Zero Waste movement. Another option is sewing tote bags and other items (pouches, cosmetic bags) from eco-friendly materials. Various knitted products are currently in high demand. You can start a business selling reusable items, such as mesh shopping bags that replace plastic bags, travel coffee mugs, beeswax wraps, fabric makeup remover pads.

In large cities, eco-education schools are gaining popularity. Eco-tourism routes are also in demand.

Many green initiatives resonate with the government: grants are often allocated for implementing eco-projects. This support can be helpful as you take your first steps in business.

Agriculture: Livestock and Flower Cultivation

The agricultural sector in the country remains one of the most attractive. The government provides subsidies to farmers, offers preferential loans, special insurance and leasing programs. Individual entrepreneurs who registered their activities less than a year ago can participate in the "Business Bastau" program and have a chance to receive a grant of up to 400 MRP. The grant funds are intended for purchasing equipment and renting premises.

Cleaning: Window Washing and Post-Renovation Cleaning

In the past, cleaning services were considered a “luxury,” but in 2025 this is exactly the kind of business that can be profitable — many people simply don’t want to spend time on cleaning. Among the most in-demand services are window washing and post-renovation cleaning. Washing panoramic windows in new buildings can take hours, and without specialized cleaning agents, the desired result may not even be achievable. Professionals can handle it much faster.

Cleaning services can be offered as part of a moving package. Sorting and packing items into boxes and transporting them to a new apartment takes time — something busy people often lack. The service list for moving assistance can also include transportation of large items (furniture, appliances). However, in this case, you’ll need a vehicle and movers.

We’ve reviewed several business ideas for 2025. Each of the suggested areas has a relatively low entry threshold: some offer benefits for new businesses, others make it easy to find first clients, and in some cases, the government provides grants — today it is possible to start a business with a small investment. But if you require financial support, explore the loan options from Bank CenterCredit, which works with individual entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals, and legal entities. Our bank offers online loans, agricultural lending, auto leasing, and financial leasing programs. Corporate clients also have access to business tools such as letters of credit, bank guarantees, and factoring.