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One of the most lucrative customer bases for small businesses are, in fact, other businesses. If you ever worked for a large company, you likely know that those businesses often require outside services. So, instead of continuing to work as an employee, use your skillset to strike out on your own and start your own B2B business.1. Accounting and BookkeepingAre you a licensed CPA or a business accounting software wizard? Your less math-friendly entrepreneurs could use your help in keeping their personal and business finances in order.As a bookkeeper, you’ll process invoices and payroll, compile expense reports, and more. If you have a CPA license, you can help business owners file taxes, generate balance sheetsand other accounting documents, and make your professional recommendations about your client’s bottom line.If you have the skills to make your own accounting or bookkeeping service happen, then this is the best, and most lucrative, small business idea for you.2. ConsultingIf you’ve been in the business world for a long time, folks might be clamoring for your knowledge and expertise within your industry. Why not turn all that know-how into a new career as an independent consultant? You can get paid to speak at industry conferences or events, serve on a board of advisors for a fledgling business, or lend your expertise to shape the strategy of an existing business on a contract basis.Whatever your field of expertise, starting a consulting business is a great way to make a sizable income while working on your own terms.3. Marketing ServicesMost business owners have some idea of how they want to market their companies. Executing that plan, on the other hand, can be a whole other ballgame—especially for new business owners with little, or zero, marketing experience.As an independent marketing professional, you can work with small businesses who don’t have the in-house bandwidth to execute their marketing plans. Write their blogs, firm up their SEO strategy, generate ad campaigns, deploy inbound marketing tactics, and do whatever it takes to get their name in (proverbial) lights.4. Social Media ManagementSocial media is a specific marketing specialty that most business owners know they need, but few are capable of doing well. If you’re glued to your phone, Instagram all your meals, and carry out most of your conversations in 280 characters or fewer, consider cultivating a client base of business owners who need help managing their brand’s social media platforms.5. Business Planning ServiceIf you’re the serial business owner type—and have successfully launched and run a few businesses now—you’ve probably crafted a couple business plans in your time. Writing a business plan is a crucial start to any business, but it’s a process that not all entrepreneurs have down.One of the best small business ideas for seasoned business owners ready for their next venture is a business planning service. If you know how to see the whole process of writing a business plan through—including business funding plans, market analysis, competitor research, and so on—clients will be lining up for your services.Best Small Business Ideas for Creative EntrepreneursOften, the best small business ideas are born of an entrepreneur’s greatest passion. So, those with a creative edge might have an easy time coming up with business ideas—but some may be more financially viable than others. These in-demand small business opportunities definitely suit artistic types, but there’s also opportunity to make some good money.6. PhotographyProfessional photographers are in high demand for weddings, corporate events, family portraits, and more. And because you can build this business out of your home (with the right tools, of course), a freelance photography business has relatively low startup costs. Plus, you’re in charge of your client load and schedule, so professional photography is a great way to build a side hustle while working full time elsewhere.7. Event PlanningMore and more individuals and companies are hiring freelance event planners to manage the design, logistics, and coordination of pulling off major events. If you love every little detail of coordinating your kid’s birthday or your dad’s retirement party, start offering your Type-A services to partiers in your community or within your personal network. You just need to pull off one great party, to start, and your event-planning business will take off with all those word-of-mouth recommendations.8. Event SpaceTake a look at your local market: If there’s a demand for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and fundraisers, but few venues to host those events, seize the opportunity and start an event space yourself. You could offer planning services along with the venue, or partner up with another local event-planning business to become the ultimate party-planning team.9. Interior DecoratingRather than redecorating your living room for the 14th time, apply your love of design to an interior decorating business. To start out, leverage your personal network to offer help decorating residential and commercial spaces. You can charge an hourly fee to clients for your work, partner with your favorite furniture stores or manufacturers to work on commission, or a combination of the two.10. Woodworking or Furniture BuildingDo you love working with your hands to build beautiful, custom furniture? Take a page from Harp Design Co. in Waco, Texas (of “Fixer Upper” fame), and start your own custom woodworking business. You might start working weekends out of your garage, but as business takes off, you’ll be well on your way to your own shop and a brand new, full-time career doing what you love.11. Graphic DesignIf you have a background in design or art, then this business idea is a no-brainer. Even if you don’t have a background in this field, consider taking a course in graphic design—it’s relatively easy to pick up.Plus, the tools to get this business started are pretty minimal. With just a few handy computer programs—think Adobe, Sketch, or Canva—you could be operating this lucrative business out of your home in weeks. You do need to find clients though, so try networking with small businesses in your community. Everyone could use a well-designed website, online materials, email campaigns, physical print work, and more.Best Small Business Ideas for FoodiesIf the kitchen is your favorite place to be (by which we mean cooking in the kitchen, not just eating there!), consider one of these food-related small business ideas for your next entrepreneurial venture.12. Bed and BreakfastDo you live in an interesting tourist destination? Does your home have a guest house, mother-in-law suite, or even just a spare bedroom? Do you love to cook and entertain guests? If so, you might be the perfect candidate for turning your home into your own B&B. Sites like VRBO and AirBnB have made it easier than ever to market your home to travelers in need, and you may even make new friends along the way.13. CateringIf you’re a professional chef but tired of the restaurant grind, starting a catering service is a great opportunity to strike out into the world of self-employment. You’ll need access to a commercial kitchen, a part-time staff of servers, and a couple of assistant cooks to start. But, compared to opening your own restaurant, the overhead costs of starting and running a catering company are much more manageable.14. Custom BakingSimilarly, if you’re a professional (or semi-professional, or aspiringly professional) baker or cake designer, consider starting your own custom-design bakery. Unlike caterers, bakers are often allowed to work out of a non-commercial home kitchen as long as they meet health department requirements. Check your state and local regulations to confirm exactly what you’ll need to get your bespoke bakery started.15. Food TruckFood trucks are hugely popular, often offering unique, specialty foods that often wouldn’t sell as easily in brick-and-mortar restaurants. Take your mom’s famous dumpling recipe or your off-the-wall dessert idea and hit the road to local events, farmer’s markets, your local town square, large corporate complexes at the lunchtime rush—wherever you’re likely to draw a crowd. Keep in mind that food trucksusually have to meet a special set of ordinances and safety compliance standards, so contact your local health department to determine what your mobile restaurant will require.16. Restaurant or CafeIf you’re truly culinarily (and entrepreneurially) ambitious, your ultimate dream might be to open your own deli, diner, cafe, or full-service restaurant. Although opening a restaurant is one of the most challenging, risky, and expensive business ideas on our list, the reward can be great for those willing to put in the work. If you’d like a safer bet than starting your own restaurant from scratch, consider opening a franchise of an established restaurant chain, and reap the benefits of an already-popular brand.17. Craft BreweryCraft breweries, aka microbreweries are booming in the United States—in fact, 98% of operating breweries in the U.S. are independently owned. So, if you’ve been tinkering with beer-brewing in your garage, calling it official and opening up a microbrewery can be a great way to monetize your hobby.Best Small Business Ideas for Outdoor EnthusiastsFor some people, the prospect of spending their lives in a cubicle or behind a desk is a recipe for disaster—or at least serious ennui. If you’re happiest when you’re active, ideally with the sun on your face, check out these small business ideas that allow you to spend most of your days outside.18. Landscape ServicesIf you have a green thumb, an eye for design, and a love for the sweet sound of lawnmowers (to each their own), consider starting up your own landscape service. You’ll mow lawns, plant flowers, and even design elaborate landscape plans for homes and office complexes. If you’re uncertain about the administrative side of the landscape business, check out software options like Arborgold to help you out with the back-end management so that you can focus on your happy customers.19. Private Lifeguarding ServiceIf you have experience as a lifeguard, or you’re CPR-certified, consider launching a private lifeguarding business to service pool parties and other aquatic events. This business would pair well with a private swimming lessons service for children.Obviously, this business is best suited for climates that stay warm year-round. But you can swing private lifeguarding as a seasonal business if you live in a cold climate, as long as you’re supplementing this service with another stream of income—just take your pick from any of the other small business ideas on this list!20. Moving CompanyHere’s your fun fact for the day: The average American will move 11.7 times in his or her lifetime. That accounts for a lot of boxes, sofas, refrigerators, and dining room tables that need to be hauled from place and place every single day. If you hate spending time behind a desk and don’t mind lifting heavy stuff—or hiring, managing, and coordinating a team of super-strong friends to help you do that heavy lifting—consider starting your own moving company.21. Pet GroomingAnimal enthusiasts can probably think of nothing better than hanging out with pets all day. It might take some time to build up the funding to open up your own pet-grooming facility. So, keep overhead low in the beginning by offering a mobile service, and bring your grooming skills and tools directly to your clients’ homes. You can also offer dog-walking services to supplement your grooming business.22. Guide ServiceIf you live near a tourist attraction or in a highly trafficked town, you could start your own walking tour or speciality guide service. This is the perfect small business idea for those who love to hike, bike, walk, explore the outdoors, and who are deeply knowledgeable about their local areas.Best Small Business Ideas for Health and Wellness ProfessionalsYou’ve probably noticed an exponential increase in the number of green juices, kale smoothies, and gluten-free everything on cafe and restaurant menus around your town. That’s because the health, wellness, and personal care spaces are rapidly gaining in popularity, and money: As of 2016, the wellness industry was worth $3.72 trillion and grew by 10.6% from 2013 to 2015, with no signs of slowing down.So, if you’re passionate about helping people feel and look their best, now’s the time to start your own small business—whether you heal with your hands or a mascara wand.23. DoulaDoulas guide expectant mothers through all the non-medical aspects of the labor and delivery process, operating either in a home setting, at a hospital, or both. And because doulas primarily travel to their clients to perform their work, you won’t need to splurge on office space. Of course, you’ll need to go through training and earn certification to work as a professional doula. But if you’re passionate about women’s health and wellness, inspired by the prospect of bringing new life into the world, and don’t want to work a regular 9-5, that training will be worth it.24. Massage TherapistThere are so many healing modalities in the world, but massage therapy is one of the most tried-and-true (and enjoyable) practices out there. As an occupation, massage therapy is in high demand: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 26% growth in massage therapy jobs between 2016 and 2026, a much higher rate than average.You’ll need special training and licensing to legally operate as a massage therapist, so check your state requirements to make sure you’re operating within local laws. But once you’ve jumped through the licensing hoops, you’ll be free to open an in-home studio, travel to your clients (check out Zeel to start, an on-demand massage therapy service), or eventually open your own facility.25. NutritionistIf you’re a proudly gluten-free, vegan, whole foods health junkie, and you love sharing your clean-eating habits with others, consider starting your own business as a nutritionist and getting paid to help others achieve their health goals. But before you start prescribing those spinach-and-chia smoothies, do your research about licensing requirements. As is the case with every personal-care occupation on this list, you’ll need training as a registered dietician to operate your practice.26. Personal Trainer or Fitness InstructorIf you’re the first one in the gym every morning, or dream of taking over from your yoga instructor, the next step might be to take that physical energy and put it toward becoming a licensed trainer. As a licensed personal trainer, you can offer private training sessions in your own home or in clients’ homes, lead group sessions in local parks, become a certified instructor for a whole host of workouts (Zumba, anyone?), and, eventually, even open your own gym or studio.27. Beauty ServicesWhether you’ve graduated from cosmetology school, developed a following for your makeup tutorials on YouTube, or you’re your friends’ go-to for hair and makeup recommendations, becoming a freelance hair or makeup artist is a logical next step. Before you set up a brick-and-mortar salon, or carve out a space in your own home, get started by signing up as a professional stylist for an on-demand beauty app, so you and your tools will travel right to your clients’ homes. Working on the weekends or evenings is the perfect way to slowly transition out of a 9-5 job and build up a loyal client base.Best Small Business Ideas for Teachers and AidesHere are some great small business ideas for entrepreneurs who love teaching, guidance, or taking care of toddlers or the elderly, but who don’t want to work in schools/daycare/nursing homes anymore (or at all).28. College Application ConsultantAccording to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, only 28% of public schools employ at least one college counselor. And yet, the process of studying for entrance exams, completing college applications, and navigating the financial process is complex. If you’re organized, knowledgeable about the higher education process, and enjoy working with adolescents and their parents, consider starting a side business as an independent college application consultant to help more smart, ambitious, and qualified kids get into the schools of their dreams.29. Daycare ProviderOpening up a daycare facility can be a great option for parents who want to work from home, or simply for people who love working with toddlers. The process to becoming a licensed child care provider is relatively simple, but be aware that requirements vary by state. Cities, towns, and municipalities occasionally have their own regulations, too.30. Senior Care ProviderAs the baby boomer population ages, more and more senior citizens are in need of at-home care. These needs range from medically specific requirements to simple companionship or help with cooking, tidying up, or transportation to and from appointments. This is a great option for anyone with nursing experience who would like to move into working for themselves.31. TutorAlmost every kid needs access to tutoring at some point in their academic careers. And not only is tutoring a highly demanded occupation, but on average you can earn up to $40 an hour as a private tutor. So, if you’re fluent in a foreign language, or you excel in math, science, or writing, set yourself up as a freelance tutor for students of all ages in your local community.Better yet, grab your equally qualified, eager-to-teach friends and establish a full-service tutoring business. By offering a variety of subject areas to parents in your neighborhood, you’ll quickly build a client base eager to pay you for your help in achieving the best possible academic results.Best Small Business Ideas for Repair ServicesNo matter how much of the world has gone digital, people still wear clothes, drive cars, and live in houses—and all of those physical comforts will inevitably fall apart, break down, or get a little messy from time to time. That’s why repair-service jobs will always be in demand, and these businesses have the potential to become quite lucrative. So, if you love working with your hands, and don’t mind getting them dirty, these small business ideas for repair services might be right up your alley.32. Alterations ServicesEven with millions of shopping and fit options, it’s rare that 100% of a person’s wardrobe will fit perfectly 100% of the time. If you’re a fit and alteration expert, consider building your own, in-home alterations service. Better yet, supplement your basic alterations service by launching a custom clothing company. By designing and manufacturing bespoke suits, or repairing well-worn favorites, you can develop a client base by helping out those of us who just barely passed home economics in high school.33. Automotive RepairFrom oil changes and engine repairs, to tire services and body work, to interior and exterior deep-cleans, automotive repair businesses run the gamut of all things car-care. Alternatively, car repair businesses can focus on an automotive specialty, such as foreign cars, antique cars, or specific brands. Whatever niche you choose for your car repair business, watch out for state licensing or insurance requirements to make sure your venture complies with local laws.34. Handyman ServicesAs a handyman, you have a couple of options: You can either complete odd repair jobs, or you can specialize in certain repairs, such as plumbing, electrical, locksmith, home security installment, or HVAC work. It all depends on your skill set, and on whether you have, or are willing to earn, special licensing (your state might require a contractor’s license to do certain repair work). But, once you’ve established a client base, you can hire a team of handymen with complementary skills to your own.35. HousecleaningAs the economy bounces back, more Americans have a little extra disposable income—and since we’re all busier than ever, the market is ripe with opportunity for professional house cleaners. If you’re willing to get your hands dirty, you can keep your business small and strike out on your own. Or, if you have dreams of a larger enterprise, hire a few employees or contractors and you can manage several cleaning teams. Overhead might include equipment, marketing costs, and wages for personnel, but otherwise starting a cleaning service is a relatively low-cost enterprise.Best Small Business Ideas for Entrepreneurs Who Work From HomeWhether you’re a student, a working mother, or you’re simply tired of the 9-to-5, in-office grind, you might be ready to strike out on your own—and right onto your couch—with these work from home small business ideas. (By the way, many of the small business ideas on this list are conducive to working at home, particularly those in the B2B service industry.)36. Virtual Assistant ServiceIf you’re the most organized person your know, your best small business idea from home just might be a freelance virtual assistant service: You might be surprised by how many companies are increasingly outsourcing administrative tasks to remote workers. As a virtual assistant, you can choose your clients, then manage their emails, schedule meetings, book travel, and complete other essential tasks to make your clients’ lives and businesses run more smoothly—all from the comfort of your own home. To become an admin yourself, all you need is a laptop, an internet connection, and a true passion for daily planners.37. Freelance Copywriting and Content CreationNeed to support yourself while you chip away at your magnum opus? Then starting a copywriting or content creation service could be one of the best work from home small business idea for you.You might have heard it before—”content is king.” And with more businesses trying to produce high-quality written resources—like blog posts, ebooks, white papers, and newsletters—there’s tons of room in the freelance market for a wordsmith like you.38. Music LessonsChances are, if you’re a musician—either professionally, semi-professionally, or professionally only in your daydreams—you already have the skills, and tools, needed to become a freelance music teacher. Make those daydreams a reality by offering music lessons out of your own home. Reach out to your local schools and newspaper and ask whether you can offer flyers, or ad space, to begin building up your client base.39. BloggingFor a certain kind of person (i.e., the hermetic kind), blogging is a true dream job: You get to write about your passions, test out new products/recipes/lifehacks (or whatever your specialty is), and earn money through advertising or by earning sponsorships from companies in exchange for reviews—all without ever needing to get out of bed. It takes some time, dedication, and hard work to build up your readership enough to make blogging your full-time job. But, if you stick with it, you just might join the ranks of the world’s top-earning bloggers.Best Startup Business Ideas for Tech-Savvy EntrepreneursWhile it’s the dream of many tech-savvy entrepreneurs to found the next unicorn startup like Uber or AirBnb, there are a number of practical, low-cost startup business ideas that can earn reliable income from the jump (even if they’re not revolutionary).40. Website Development and DesignEvery business needs at least a basic website to succeed, but many business owners don’t know how to set one up for themselves. So, if you’re an IT and design wizard, you’ll have endless opportunities to custom-build websites. Use a platform like Upwork or Envato to gain your first clients, then use your portfolio and word-of-mouth recommendations to grow your client base (and eventually boost your prices).41. EcommerceThanks to online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Etsy, and apps like Depop, it’s easier than ever to sell your items online. If you open up an ecommerce store, you won’t need to handle the logistical and financial stress of leasing a space, finding small business financing, and hiring labor that you would if you were to open up a brick-and-mortar store. Plus, unlike a physical retail location, ecommerce stores are open 24/7, so you’ll supercharge your earning capacity—making this one of the most potentially lucrative small business ideas from home on this list.42. SEO ConsultantSearch engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving a website or webpage’s rank for specific keywords in organic search engine results. An SEO agency is tasked with improving a client’s organic search results to generate more inbound visitors and thus leads for top-of-funnel keywords by optimizing the client’s website, building links to the website, and/or optimizing the website technically. To get started on launching this low-cost startup business idea for yourself, ensure you’re a trained SEO or hire a trained SEO, and launch a website to advertise your services.43. App DevelopmentLaunching a successful app is no easy task but there have never been more resources at your disposal to get started. Whether you want to develop apps for Android or iOS, there are large markets available for games, productivity tools, and much more. App development is an excellent startup business idea because so many businesses want apps developed or alternatively, you could develop apps for consumers.

Yes, for the most part Quora business discussion revolves around tech startups operating on the Silicon Valley model (slightly broader than consumer apps or VC-funded, but that's the core of it). Perhaps when Quora ripples out into wider society other business communities will coalesce. My observation is that non-tech entrepreneurs don't chat as much online and aren't as reflective about the meta-stuff we talk about. You find small business wisdom in newspaper columns, books, chambers of commerce and other local civic groups, trade associations, entrepreneurs clubs, even reality TV shows.A few pieces of wisdom are applicable for sure. Take the time to communicate your expectations and write them down, have a business plan and budget, don't undercapitalize, consider vesting / co-sale / rights of repurchase or some other exit mechanism, hire a lawyer. Learn how to pitch and sell. Watch your burn. But the tools used in the startup tech world are a streamlined, simplified subset of the larger business world. Topics that are often ignored include:TaxationAccountingWealth management and planningFamily successionEmployment and management agreementsVoting and control conditions among foundersCompany structure. There are a bunch of ways to organize a small business, but really only one way to structure a tech startup. So the discussion here centers around how to do it, not what your choices are.Permits, zoning, licenses, fees, etc.Politics, lobbying, civic participation.Inventory, accounts payable and receivable, collections(Physical) security, fraud, theftVendor managementMerchant accounts and bankingHR, payroll, employee handbooks, discrimination and harassment, labor lawsPricing, discounts, coupons, sales, promotions, advertisingDesign, architecture, interior decorating, maintenance and repair, phone systems, parking, insurance, fire safety, office management, janitorial, leases and leasehold improvements, pest control, utilities, hazardous materials, signage, music licensing, etc.Many of these apply to tech startups too, but whereas a small family business is like a trusty car where everything has to work just right, a tech startup is like a rocket shooting off into points unknown - you can't slow down to worry about how safe or comfortable the ride is or else you won't get anywhere.

Question: “How was it possible that a family could be supported comfortably on a single income in, for example, the 1950s, yet today people struggle with two incomes?”OK. having actually lived in the 1950s and disagreeing with many of the posted answers I will have to answer this, giving real and verifiable examples. In particular, I must respond to an extremely inaccurate and misleading answer posted by Quora writer Heather Johnson.To put things in perspective, I grew up in southeastern and south central Wisconsin. My father was an engineer, i.e., he had a modest middle class income. My mother, although she had worked before marriage, was a housewife and parent without outside income. The family consisted of my parents and six children, all of whom went to college. Everything about our lives was normal mid-western, middle class.Johnson writes: “[A]ppliances were bought on 5yr hire purchase plans. Once you paid it off you kept it for 20 yrs”. NO. Just no!My parents paid cash for every appliance purchase, as did most people in the middle class. Credit cards, other than American Express and Diner’s Club, both for business use, did not exist. Consumer credit did not exist, other than time payments from Sears if you bought their Kenmore brand and small loans at bad terms from Household Finance stores which catered to the improvident. Sensible people never borrowed money. Other than gas cards, there were no non-business credit cards in the 1950s and ‘60s. No one had ever heard the term “Master Card” or the phrase “Minimum Monthly Payment”.Appliances, although well made and, unlike today, designed so that they could be serviced, seldom lasted for “20 years”. A heavily used automatic washing machine or dryer might last 5 to 7 years. A kitchen range might be kept for 10 years, after which maintenance issues involving heating elements, clocks, timers, and switches made replacement likely. Automatic dishwashers and garbage disposers and garage door openers all had limited life spans. Tube type televisions in the 1950s ran hot, needed frequent service, and lasted no more than 5 years before needing to be replaced.Johnson writes: “Houses were small…a kitchen resembling a walk-in closet.”NO. This is the house my family lived in in the 1950s.It had a very large kitchen, a separate formal dining room, a living room with masonry fireplace, 3 large bedrooms all with closets, a closed in porch, solid oak floors throughout, a full basement, a cedar shingle roof, and a separate garage, all on a large wooded lot on a quiet street. The quality throughout was far higher than that which one can buy today. There were two Bell System dial telephones, one in a telephone alcove in the dining room and one in my parent’s bedroom.It was a typical middle class home.In 1962 my father had this built.It had a large kitchen, with a dish washer (!), formal dining room, living room, two masonry fireplaces, family room, office, laundry room, four large bedrooms, 2 and ½ baths, hardwood floors, full finished basement (with a bar and a pool table), two car attached garage, patio, breezeway, all on a two acre wooded lot with a view. Again there were two dial telephones, one of which was in my parent’s bedroom. This was a very typical home for a middle class salaried employee. In the 1950s American middle class families did not live in tiny shacks.Johnson claims that Americans in the 1950s: “[B]ought one car and maintained it for decades.” NO! Cars did not last for “decades”.In the 1950s a car was considered old at 60,000 miles when it was traded in on a new model. It was unheard of to own a car whose odometer had turned over from 99,999 to 0. The odometers did not even have a 100,000 mile dial. Most people traded in their cars every 3 to at most 5 years. Many car guys had arrangements with their car dealer wherein they would trade in their car every 2 years for a new version of the same make and model for a fixed amount of money. These are some of the cars my father owned in the 1950s. Note the upward mobility shown by the car models over the years.And from 1958 on, like many middle class American families, we had two cars, one for my father and the other shared by my mother and the children. They always paid cash for their cars, regarding auto loans as wasteful.This was my mother’s car.Johnson writes: “You had a modest closet consisting of one Sunday best outfit, 2 work outfits and 2 casual outfits.NO! My father wore suits to work and casual slacks and golf shirts on the golf course. I never saw him in a t-shirt or a pair of jeans. My mother dressed nicely, owned a few outfits by Dior and Balenciaga and Chanel and had a seldom worn mink stole. Although she knew how to dress well, this was not unusual or extravagant for the wife of a salaried engineer. In the 1950s and ’60s one dressed up to go shopping downtown or out to dinner or take an airline flight.Johnson claimed: “You ate out infrequently”.Not exactly. Fast food joints did not exist. Nor did family casual restaurants, aside from Italian pizzerias or the Friday fish fry at the neighborhood bar. Families seldom went out to dinner with the children. But my father frequently took my mother out on Friday nights to a nice supper club with dancing afterwards.My family in the 1950s lived this way while my parents, after having struggled through the depression and war years, paid off a mortgage, paid for parochial school for the children, sent six children to college, had no debt, and invested enough money in the stock market to be well off in retirement. Unlike what Johnson implies, the American middle class in the 1950s did not live in some sort of austere deprived poverty.OK, how was that possible? The economic system of the post-war period was different.Unlike today where all of the gains in productivity in the economy are directed to the 1%, from 1945 to 1980 productivity gains were shared and enjoyed by all segments of the working classes.Employment was secure. If you were employed and did your job well you did not have to worry that you would lose your job to a KKR or Bain Capital leveraged buyout scheme or some balance sheet manipulator’s desire to create paper “share holder value” or enhance his own stock options. The term “down sizing” had not been thought of. Looting of pension funds, a standard tactic of leveraged buyouts today, would have been a criminal offense in the 1950s and 1960s..The forty hour week was the norm. Workers were not expected to either work when they were not being paid or take work home. Blue collar workers got overtime for anything beyond 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week. And that overtime was enough to allow my wife’s machinist father to pay off the mortgage of a new house in five years.Medical costs were reasonable. Hospitals were run by religious orders or owned by municipalities, not predatory corporations. The cost of having a baby, including days recovering in a pleasant sun lit room, was ~$250.Companies paid good wages and salaries and all good companies included medical insurance and defined benefit pensions.Employment included paid vacation time.Unions insured safe working conditions and good wages for working men. In the 1950s more than 30% of the jobs were unionized. (Today that figure is 11%, and most of those are public employees, i.e., cops and teachers.) Those union wages set a floor that kept up the wages of non-union workers and white collar employees.Union Pensions allowed comfortable retirements. I will describe for example the work and retirement history of a friend with whom we discussed work in the 1960s yesterday: Went to work in the late 1960s immediately after high school for an automobile manufacturer. Worked as a sweeper, i.e., a janitor. Retired after 30 years, and not yet 50 years old, on generous full pension. Pension includes excellent medial coverage from Kaiser-Permanente. Has been retired for 20 years. Owns, for personal use, a home in Florida and a condominium in Colorado, and farm land in Wisconsin. Travels.The public schools were good and staffed with good teachers. The courses included typing and secretarial skills and mechanical trades as well as academics. Thus, students graduated prepared either for college or for a trade.The cost of higher education was reasonable and a college education was easily affordable, especially at one of the excellent land grant universities, by anyone in the middle class or skilled blue collar class who qualified.Savings and Loan Associations and the post-war GI Bill offered affordable home mortgages while not lending either to speculators or those who were trying to live beyond their means, thus adding to both the growth and stability of home ownership. For a fixed rate 20 year mortgage the interest rate was ~4.5% in the 1950s and ~5.5% in the 1960s.Public transportation was better and far more extensive than today, offering an alternative to private cars.Work was closer to home seriously reducing commuting time and expenses for those who chose to drive to work.Americans who were adults in the 1950s had lived through the Great Depression. That taught those who were intelligent the value of savings and the danger of debt. Thus, they avoided consumer loans, paid cash for appliances and cars, put a large down payment on their homes, paid off mortgages quickly, lived within their means, and saved and/or invested.Finally, one must not forget that in the 1950s, because much of Europe had not yet recovered from the devastation of the war, American industry was given an extremely profitable decade and the American dollar was substantially overvalued making imports of goods to the United States, or travel by Americans to Europe, extremely inexpensive.The 1950s and 1960s were different. The American middle class in those decades did not live simple austere pleasureless lives. Nor did they lack nice things. But the difference was caused: 1) by a “Depression Mentality” which taught those who experienced the depression to avoid the debt trap, and 2) by structural differences in government regulations, differences in the tax system and who it was designed to serve, differences in business ethics, and differences in the economy. The different type of government in the 1950s and ’60s and different economy in that era allowed middle class families in the 1950s and 1960s to live nicely on one earner’s salary.As Quora writer Denis O’Sullivan said in the comments (see below): “ The old tradition of the poor getting poorer returned in the 1980′s. It was a good run from 1940 to about 1980 for both blue and white collar employees.”Note re wages and prices in the 1950s: In 1957 the Federal Minimum Wage was $1.00 per hour. Adjusted simply for inflation that would be $9.20 today. The Georgia State Minimum Wage today is $5.15…half of what adjusted for inflation the Federal Minimum Wage was in 1957. The median income for an engineer with 10 years experience in 1957 was $10,000. Beginning pharmacists earned $125 per week or $6,500 per year. In 1955 the median income of a physician in general practice was $15,000. In 1957 a classroom teacher in a city of 50,000 earned $4,500 per year. The hourly wage for an automobile assembly line worker worker was $2.27 per hour, for a tool and die worker $2.95 per hour or $118 for a 40 hour week. The price for the 1950 Ford Deluxe V8 shown in the above photos was ~ $1,100. The 1953 Nash Ambassador sold for $3,100, the 1958 Oldsmobile $4,200. The two story colonial house shown in the photos sold for $17,500 in 1957. It was originally built in 1937. The 1962 house with attached garage was built for $34,000. In 1950 an Admiral black and white console television with radio and phonograph cost $500. In 1954 a top-of-the-line Admiral Dual-Temp two door refrigerator-freezer cost ~$500.Note re union wages in the 1950s: In unionized plants workers were paid time and one-half for hours worked over 40 hours per week and double time for working on holidays. Overtime was available based on seniority. My wife’s father was a skilled machinist at an automobile plant. Having started his employment there as a young man before enlisting in WWII, he was one of the 6 most senior employees in a factory of thousands of workers. He, thus, could bid for and get well paid overtime work whenever he wanted. One year he worked every day of the week including Saturdays and Sundays and Holidays for at least 8 hours per day, taking off only for one day, Christmas. By doing so he paid off the mortgage on a new home in five years. The UAW Pension allowed one to retire after 30 years regardless of age at full pension. That pension included full medical coverage including eyeglasses and dental care.Note re charge plates: The embossed aluminum charge pates issued by some department stores,gasoline station charge plates, Diners’ Club cards, and American Express cards used in the 1950s and ’60s were not credit cards as we use the terms today. These cards had to be paid off in full monthly. Diners’ Club and American Express cards, which were printed on paper with typed in names and addresses, were for business, not personal, use and were only available to the trustworthy and wealthy.Note that the above card from 1955 is described as a CREDIT IDENTIFICATION CARD. It was a card that informed the merchant that the holder’s income and reputation for paying his bills had been verified. Merchants and restaurants who accepted charge card placed the sticker(s) for the card(s) they accepted on the entry door. But you could not trust that. Restaurant owners would terminate their contract with the credit card issuer without removing those stickers.Department store plates could only be used at one store or one association of stores. They were often limited to a relatively small amount, often $50 or less. These were in use into the 1970s. Gas station cards, of course, could only be used at named gas stations. Sears did offer a “Revolving Credit Account” to holders of its charge cards. But these, again, could only be used for purchases at Sears stores. The Sears Roebuck and Co. card eventually became the Discover Card. The first actual Credit Card was the Master Card. (known as Interbank from 1966–1969 and Master Charge from 1969–1979). The first Interbank Cards were issued in 1958 to a restricted group. Charge Cards were not widely distributed until well into the 1970s. And even in the ’70s one had to check with restaurant servers before ordering to determine if your card or any card was valid at that restaurant. Many businesses refused to accept charge card purchases below a set amount.As late as the 1970s women desiring a Department Store Charge Plate had to get it in their husband’s name and the application needed his approval and signature, regardless of the wife’s employment or income. My wife encountered this when she applied for an account at Charles A. Stevens, a woman’s fine clothing store in the Chicago Loop, and was told she needed my approval and signature although she had a better job and higher salary than I did!Note re Changes in Relative Costs: In the 1960s my best friend’s father was a factory worker at the big dirty, but unionized, Fairbanks-Morse plant. My blue collar family friend could afford to take flying lessons and, before he was allowed to drive a car, had a private pilot’s license and enough flying hours by the time we were in high school to have both an instrument rating and a dual engine rating.As teenagers we were allowed and could afford to rent and fly aircraft, usually a Cessna, over Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, sometimes taking our dates out for night flights. We were high school students, and we paid for those flights with our own earnings from part time or summer jobs. Today flying lessons and airplane rentals are only available to the rich.Life was very different in the 1950s and 1960s.