35 AutoCAD Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2023]
Interested in starting a autocad business in 2023?
We put together 35 of the best autocad businesses you can start in today.
For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of other autocad businesses to help you see what it really takes.
Here's the full list:
1. Start a staffing agency ($2.04M/year)
Eddie Edwards Jr from Sunrise, Florida, USA started CEI Staffing over 18 years ago, a staffing agency.
- Revenue: $170,000/ month
- Founders: 1
- Employees: 68
- Location: Sunrise, Florida, USA
I had worked in various positions in the Broward County Sheriff’s office. One of those positions being an investigator for the Child Abuse Division. I also gained some supervisory experience overseeing the Commissary Department of the Broward Sheriff’s Office Central Jail.
If a company can’t meet your price to do business, then you need to move on, stick to your guns. Don’t drop your rates. You need to know exactly what it’s going to take to make money. Then go up from there, not down.
These positions were a far cry from what I was about to undertake in the opening of a staffing business. After growing weary of the bureaucracy of my early career I wanted to become an entrepreneur. I wanted to jump in with both feet and was excited and anxious to start my own business but being married and the father of four I decided to become an independent Contractor for an established Staffing Company based in Atlanta Georgia.
2. Start a 3d printing business ($3.96M/year)
Roy Kirchner from Odesa, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine started Ultimate 3D Printing Store over 7 years ago, a 3D Printing Business.
- Revenue: $330,000/ month
- Founders: 2
- Employees: 4
- Location: Odesa, Odesa Oblast, Ukraine
In 2014, I was one-half of a partnership working primarily in advertising and marketing. At that time, my partner and I were successful and wanted to explore other verticals. We began working with a client who had a product that we believed was singular and unique throughout the world, and we put forward a significant amount of capital out of our own pockets to try and develop that product, only to reach a point where the deal went south and litigation ensued.
Make plans to do things as a family, and do your best not to let work interfere with those moments, but know that there are going to be times when you will have to sacrifice an outing, a dinner date, a holiday weekend.
In trying to think outside the box and figure out a way to create a similar product, I found myself for the first time in an innovation lab in Tampa, Florida, where I saw a 3D printer in operation for the first time. I couldn’t look away. I realized immediately that 3D printing had the potential to change the world as it became more integrated into daily business activities such as manufacturing. That’s when I decided to leap of faith.
3. Create an online course ($1.44M/year)
Rasmus & Christian Mikkelsen (or Mikkelsen Twins) from Chester, New Jersey, USA started Mikkelsen Twins almost 5 years ago, a online course.
- Revenue: $120,000/ month
- Founders: 2
- Employees: 2
- Location: Chester, New Jersey, USA
We never had a moment like “Ah ha! Let’s start an online education company!”, it just naturally evolved and grew into what it is today.
But I can tell you exactly how we got here. Before we get into how we first discovered what entrepreneurship even is, I want to paint the picture of what life was like even before that.
Up until we were 21 years old, we were 2 guys just going through life on autopilot with no regard for the future. Worrying about what my next week would look like was hard enough. Then we basically “woke up” and found ourselves in a 1 bedroom apartment in Aarhus, Denmark, not showing up to our part-time job anymore and smoking pot every day. For the first time, we reflected on ourselves, what we were doing and we just felt embarrassed. We were wasting our precious time away doing absolutely nothing. I don’t want to get too into the emotions felt, but it was a rock bottom for us. Long story short, we have a private twin meeting and said to each other “this is f\cking sad, we have to change”. And because we had each other, we developed motivation and ambition to prove we weren’t useless, waste-of-space losers (but that’s exactly how we had acted).
4. Start a freelancer platform ($480K/year)
Abby (Abhinav) Verma from New York started SkillSoniq over 6 years ago, a freelancer platform.
- Revenue: $40,000/ month
- Founders: 1
- Employees: 7
- Location: New York
I have 15 years of professional experience across Investment Banking, Tech Consulting, and Entrepreneurship and have studied in 3 continents in Asia, North America, and Europe from schools like the University of Michigan, Indian School of Business, and the London School of Economics.
I have been an entrepreneur 3 times now and founded my first company at the age of 19 to sell paint jobs to homeowners in Detroit while studying full-time at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. This was my first experience as an entrepreneur and got me hooked to the hustle required to get stuff done. I followed it up with a stint in Investment Banking, which taught me the meaning of perseverance and quality testing when I worked 100+ hours a week on multi-billion dollar Financing and M&A deals.
I came across the idea of starting SkillSoniq when I was working with outsourced talent on a tech project a few years ago, where I was sitting in the United States and working with contractors in the Philippines. That experience was extremely excruciating, as I worked at odd hours to keep up with the time zone differences, had difficulty communicating with the contractors and there was a lot of concern around IP security and trust. That experience put me in major depression and when I started looking for better alternatives to hire talent in the US quickly and at affordable rates, I found that the recruiting space in the US was broken.
5. Start an AutoCAD toolset generator business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD toolset generator business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD toolset generator business:
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
- Introduction To The Autocad Architecture Toolset
For further info, check out these books and products:
- 100 AutoCAD Exercises - Learn by Practicing: Create CAD Drawings by Practicing with these Exercises
- The Idea Generator: Tools For Business Growth: Ken Hudson
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD toolset generator business ➜
6. Start a mechanical drafter business
Examples of a successful mechanical drafter business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a mechanical drafter business:
- Start Business In Design Engineering
- Top 20 Profitable Mechanical Engineering Business Ideas ( Best Businesses For Mechanical Engineers )
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Basic Drafting: A Manual For Beginning Drafters: Leland Scott
- Learning To Read & Make Mechanical Drawings: Mcgraw-Hill
Learn more about starting a mechanical drafter business ➜
7. Start an Electrical drafting business
Examples of a successful Electrical drafting business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a Electrical drafting business:
- How To Start A Electrical Business
- How To Be An Electrical Contractor - Start Your Business The Right Way
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How To Start And Operate An Electrical Contracting Business
- Electrician's Book How To Read Electrical Drawings: Barbu
Learn more about starting an Electrical drafting business ➜
8. Start an AutoCAD blogging business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD blogging business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD blogging business:
- How I Transformed My Beginner Blog Into A Real Business In 1 Year
- 5 Blog Niches You Should Avoid When Starting Your Blogging Business
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD blogging business ➜
9. Start a surveying and mapping technician business
Examples of a successful surveying and mapping technician business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a surveying and mapping technician business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Construction Surveying And Layout: A Step-By-Step Field
- Land Surveyor Reference Manual: Harbin, Andrew L., Harbin
Learn more about starting a surveying and mapping technician business ➜
10. Start an office furniture business
Examples of a successful office furniture business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a office furniture business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Thrift Store: Ravel Buckley
- How To Start & Operate Your Own Successful Office Cleaning Business: Start, Expand And Develop Your Own Office Cleaning Business For Profit: James Revie
Learn more about starting an office furniture business ➜
Hi, my name is Greg Hayes. I’m the CEO and co-founder of Branch Office Furniture, but you can just call us “Branch.” We’re taking a new approach to the office furniture industry, selling our line of desks, chairs, and other essentials directly to businesses and saving them thousands of dollars along the way.
With Branch, we’ve brought together the best of both worlds. We saw an opportunity to produce high-end office furniture and sell it directly to our clients, applying D2C principles to an antiquated B2B industry littered with middlemen. The result is a series of desks, ergonomic chairs, storage products, and conference furniture sold at between one-third and one-half of the price of comparable quality products, with space design, delivery and installation included. We also offer a trade-in program, so you can add and exchange furniture as your team grows and needs change. Since launching our first products in Q1 of 2019, we’ve done over $1M in sales, including nearly $400k last month!
11. Start an industrial designer business
Examples of a successful industrial designer business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a industrial designer business:
- How This Industrial Designer Became An Entrepreneur
- How To Start & Run A Design Business: Pricing & Estimating Creative Design Jobs
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How To Start Your Own Business: The Facts Visually Explained
- How to Start Your Own Shoe Company: A start-up guide to designing, manufacturing, and marketing shoes. (How shoes are Made): Wade Motawi
Learn more about starting an industrial designer business ➜
Our vision is to digitize the MSME consulting space, in a country that is majorly unorganized using AI technology.
12. Start an AutoCAD permitting websites
Examples of a successful AutoCAD permitting websites:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD permitting websites:
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD permitting websites ➜
13. Start a CAD drafting business
Examples of a successful CAD drafting business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a CAD drafting business:
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
- 9 Ways You Can Make Money With Autocad In 2020
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Basic Drafting: A Manual For Beginning Drafters: Leland Scott
- Manual Of Style For Contract Drafting: Adams, Kenneth A
Learn more about starting a CAD drafting business ➜
14. Start an online AutoCAD tutorial business
Examples of a successful online AutoCAD tutorial business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a online AutoCAD tutorial business:
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
- Autocad Basic Tutorial For Beginners - Part 1 Of 3
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Tutorial Guide To Autocad 2021: Shawna Lockhart
- Practical Autodesk Autocad 2021 And Autocad Lt 2021: A No-nonsense, Beginner's Guide To Drafting And 3d Modeling With Autodesk Autocad
Learn more about starting an online AutoCAD tutorial business ➜

15. Start an AutoCAD blocks sales business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD blocks sales business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD blocks sales business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Autocad For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer
- Beginning Autocad® 2021 Exercise Workbook: Shrock, Cheryl
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD blocks sales business ➜
Hi, I’m Tom Strickland and I co-founded Bookblock. We’re a gifting business and manufacturers, creating anything from candles to chocolate to stationery, along with personalised cards and children’s books, which we sell through our gifting platform online.
We currently have an annual turnover of £2m, and this is predominantly down to our corporate manufacturing arm rather than the new consumer arm which is about to take off.
16. Start a process drafter business
Examples of a successful process drafter business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a process drafter business:
- Drafting Services Business Package
- A Day In The Life Of A Drafter & Bim Manager - Illia (Full Interview)
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You'll Ever Need (Entrepreneur Magazine Small Business Series): Rieva Lesonsky
- Small Time Business Operator: How to Start Your Own Business, Keep Your Books, Pay Your Taxes and Stay Out of Trouble (Small Time Operator)
Learn more about starting a process drafter business ➜
17. Start a landscape AutoCad specialist business
Examples of a successful landscape AutoCad specialist business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a landscape AutoCad specialist business:
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
- How To Start A Landscape Business: Company Mission & Legal Structure
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Mastering Autocad For Mac: George Omura
- Digital Drawing For Landscape Architecture: Contemporary Techniques and Tools for Digital Representation in Site Design: Bradley Cantrell
Learn more about starting a landscape AutoCad specialist business ➜

18. Start an AutoCAD specialist business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD specialist business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD specialist business:
- 7 Rules For Success For Designers And Drafters
- Autocad Testing For Job Interviews (You'll Fail Unless You Ask This!)
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD specialist business ➜
Fragrancebuy is Canada’s largest online fragrance retailer. We give fragrance enthusiasts access to a variety of discounted designer & niche fragrances through an impeccable online shopping experience.
It may come as a surprise to most, but we’re just a team of three dedicated and passionate individuals managing a multi-million dollar operation. Our secret lies below :)
19. Start an AutoCAD tutoring business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD tutoring business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD tutoring business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- The Autocad Tutor: Frank Conner
- How to Start a Tutoring Business: A guide to starting your own tutoring business
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD tutoring business ➜
20. Start an AutoCAD floor plan designing business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD floor plan designing business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD floor plan designing business:
- Making A Simple Floor Plan In Autocad: Part 1 Of 3
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD floor plan designing business ➜

21. Start a CAD designing business
Examples of a successful CAD designing business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a CAD designing business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Autocad 2022 For Beginners: Cadfolks: 9798742738978: Books - Amazon.Com
- Re-Use Your Cad: The Model-Based Cad Handbook: Learn How To Create
Learn more about starting a CAD designing business ➜
There are so many project examples but an interesting one in the early years was a portable vacuum to clean up dog poop when you walk your day. It was called the “Vacapoo”
22. Start an architectural drafter business
Examples of a successful architectural drafter business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a architectural drafter business:
- Architectural Drafting: How To Start A Design Project
- A Day In The Life Of A Drafter & Bim Manager - Illia (Full Interview)
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Architectural Drafting For Beginners
- Architectural Drafting: Procedures & Processes: Marcia G. Martin
Learn more about starting an architectural drafter business ➜
23. Start a blueprint machine business
Examples of a successful blueprint machine business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a blueprint machine business:
- Make Money 3d Printing - How To Start A Business Step By Step
- How To Print Ammonia Copy Of Blueprint
For further info, check out these books and products:
- The Business Plan Blueprint: How To Create A
- Blueprint: How To Start A Residential Assisted Living Business: Gene Guarino
Learn more about starting a blueprint machine business ➜
24. Start a digital art & design business
Examples of a successful digital art & design business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a digital art & design business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How to Start a Home-based Fashion Design Business (Home-Based Business Series): Angela Wolf
- The Graphic Design Business Book
Learn more about starting a digital art & design business ➜
My name is Courtlyn Jones and I am the CEO and the founder of The Design Database, an online platform, and community designed to be a support system for Creatives (designers, artists, writers, photographers, architects, etc.) by connecting them with clients who are looking to hire now.
Since launching in late July, over 200 Creatives and 25 companies have created accounts on our platform, we have received grant funding from the HerRise Pitch Competition by HerSuiteSpot, and we’ve raised over $10,000 crowdfunding on Kickstarter. We are off to a very exciting start!
25. Start an AutoCAD plans sales business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD plans sales business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD plans sales business ➜
26. Start an AutoCAD laser cutting business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD laser cutting business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD laser cutting business:
- Getting Started Guide For Laser Cutting
- Start A Laser Craft Business With Desktop Or Large Cabinet Laser Cutting And Engraving Machines
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Laser Secrets Notebook: Barbery, Manuel: 9798674259398
- Getting Started With 3d Carving: Five Step-By-Step
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD laser cutting business ➜
27. Start an electronics drafter business
Examples of a successful electronics drafter business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a electronics drafter business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How To Start And Operate An Electrical Contracting Business
- Electrical Contractor: Start And Run A Money-Making Business: Dan Ramsey
Learn more about starting an electronics drafter business ➜
28. Start an AutoCAD software business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD software business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD software business:
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
- How To Start A Software Company With No Money
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD software business ➜
29. Start an aeronautical drafter business
Examples of a successful aeronautical drafter business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a aeronautical drafter business:
- How To Start An Aircraft Manufacturing Company - Ag Technologies Usa, Llc™
- How To Start A Business In Aviation. Startups Tips
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Basic Drafting: A Manual For Beginning Drafters: Leland Scott
- Start Your Own Private Jet Charter Brokerage Business: Your Step By Step Guide To Success: Amir Nada
Learn more about starting an aeronautical drafter business ➜
30. Start a drafting table business
Examples of a successful drafting table business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a drafting table business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Basic Drafting: A Manual For Beginning Drafters: Leland Scott
- How To Start A Business On Your Kitchen Table: Nix Jones
Learn more about starting a drafting table business ➜
31. Start an AutoCAD estimator business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD estimator business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD estimator business:
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
- How To Start & Run A Design Business: Pricing & Estimating Creative Design Jobs
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD estimator business ➜
In 2009, Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was ignited five years earlier when he was helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer. They loved his clear explanations and soon he was posting free tutorials on Youtube, where they started to attract the attention of thousands of users around the world. Sal realized he could help democratize learning by building a free platform to teach math, science, and the humanities. Today, Khan Academy offers hundreds of free recorded tutorials in dozens of languages. During the pandemic, its popularity surged to 30 million users a month. Order the How I Built This book at: https://smarturl.it/HowIBuiltThis
Read the full story on npr.org ➜
32. Start a civil drafter business
Examples of a successful civil drafter business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a civil drafter business:
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
- How To Start A Civil Engineering Consulting Firm - Everything You Need To Know
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Basic Drafting: A Manual For Beginning Drafters: Leland Scott
- Manual Of Style For Contract Drafting: Adams, Kenneth A
Learn more about starting a civil drafter business ➜
33. Start an art and drawing tools business
Examples of a successful art and drawing tools business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a art and drawing tools business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- My First I Can Draw: Thomas Nelson: 9781783931248: Amazon
- Manga For The Beginner: Everything You Need To
Learn more about starting an art and drawing tools business ➜
34. Start a filling cabinets business
Examples of a successful filling cabinets business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a filling cabinets business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting a filling cabinets business ➜

35. Start an AutoCAD designer business
Examples of a successful AutoCAD designer business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD designer business:
- How To Start Business With Autocad In Zero Budget
- 5 Ways To Make Money With Autocad (Business Of Autocad)
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Autocad For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer
- Start Your Own Graphic Design Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide To Success (StartUp Series)
Learn more about starting an AutoCAD designer business ➜

Hey! 👋 I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.
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