When trying to turn a profit while not being able to produce the top of the line and most in-demand items, I've found that the best place to start looking is actually crafting materials. Ingots, nuggets, leather etc. Basically make the stuff people making the fancy stuff need but don't want to waste time making themselves. This is especially profitable if you can HQ on a frequent basis.
V'aleera's Wiki - https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/pages...eera_Lhuil
V'aleera's Tumblr - valeeralhuil.tumblr.com
V'aleera's Tumblr - valeeralhuil.tumblr.com