35 AutoCAD Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2023]

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Updated: January 20th, 2022

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)

How Much Can You Make?

$170,000 — $320,000/month

View all 2 case studies

Time To Revenue

270 days

Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Customer Service Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Business model

Consulting

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

Case Study

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.

how-i-started-a-staffing-service-company

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How I Started A Staffing Service Company ➜

2. Start a 3d printing business ($3.96M/year)

How Much Can You Make?

$42,000 — $330,000/month

View all 4 case studies

Average Initial Investment

$407,500

Time To Revenue

240 days

Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Customer Service Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Design Skills

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

Case Study

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.

how-i-started-a-330k-month-ecommerce-specialized-in-3d-printing

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How I Started A $330K/Month Ecommerce Specialized In 3D Printing ➜

3. Create an online course ($1.44M/year)

How Much Can You Make?

$350 — $3,735,000/month

View all 52 case studies

Average Initial Investment

$6,531

Time To Revenue

150 days

Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Writing & Research Skills

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

Case Study

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).

how-we-launched-a-120k-month-audiobook-publishing-course

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How We Launched A $120K/Month Audiobook Publishing Course ➜

4. Start a freelancer platform ($480K/year)

How Much Can You Make?

$3,000 — $5,000,000/month

View all 9 case studies

Average Initial Investment

$83,738

Time To Revenue

300 days

Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Customer Service Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Writing & Research Skills

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

Case Study

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.

how-i-started-a-40k-month-ai-powered-recruiting-app

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How I Started A $40K/Month AI-Powered Recruiting App ➜

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an AutoCAD toolset generator business ➜

6. Start a mechanical drafter business

Examples of a successful mechanical drafter business:

designnews.com

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a mechanical drafter business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

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:

Learn more about starting a surveying and mapping technician business ➜

10. Start an office furniture business

How Much Can You Make?

$166,000 — $500,000/month

View all 2 case studies

Average Initial Investment

$350,000

Time To Revenue

270 days

Skills

Crafty Skills

Customer Service Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Business model

Brick & Mortar

E-Commerce

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:

Learn more about starting an office furniture business ➜

Case Study

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!

how-i-started-a-300k-month-premium-office-furniture-business

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How I Started A $300K/Month Premium Office Furniture Business ➜

11. Start an industrial designer business

How Much Can You Make?

$20,000/month

View all 1 case studies

Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Customer Service Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Negotiation Skills

Examples of a successful industrial designer business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a industrial designer business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an industrial designer business ➜

Case Study

Our vision is to digitize the MSME consulting space, in a country that is majorly unorganized using AI technology.

we-built-a-240k-year-online-platform-from-india

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We Built A $240K/Year Online Platform From India ➜

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an online AutoCAD tutorial business ➜

15. Start an AutoCAD blocks sales business

How Much Can You Make?

$260,000 — $8,333,333/month

View all 2 case studies

Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Customer Service Skills

Self Motivation Skills

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:

Learn more about starting an AutoCAD blocks sales business ➜

Case Study

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.

how-we-grew-our-corporate-gifting-platform-to-2m-year

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How We Grew Our Corporate Gifting Platform To $2M/Year ➜

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a landscape AutoCad specialist business ➜

18. Start an AutoCAD specialist business

How Much Can You Make?

$2,000,000/month

View all 1 case studies

Skills

Writing & Research Skills

Design Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Customer Service Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Examples of a successful AutoCAD specialist business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD specialist business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an AutoCAD specialist business ➜

Case Study

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 :)

launching-and-growing-canada-s-largest-online-fragrance-retailer

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Launching and Growing Canada’s Largest Online Fragrance Retailer ➜

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:

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Autocad 2022 For The Interior Designer

Learn more about starting an AutoCAD floor plan designing business ➜

21. Start a CAD designing business

How Much Can You Make?

$8,000/month

View all 1 case studies

Average Initial Investment

$15,000

Skills

Writing & Research Skills

Design Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Customer Service Skills

Self Motivation Skills

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:

Learn more about starting a CAD designing business ➜

Case Study

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”

how-i-left-my-job-to-start-a-9k-month-cad-design-business

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How I Left My Job To Start A $9K/Month CAD Design Business ➜

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a blueprint machine business ➜

24. Start a digital art & design business

How Much Can You Make?

$4,500 — $30,000/month

View all 4 case studies

Average Initial Investment

$5,000

Skills

Writing & Research Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Self Motivation Skills

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:

Learn more about starting a digital art & design business ➜

Case Study

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!

i-left-my-dream-job-to-build-an-online-community-for-creatives-and-designers

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I Left My Dream Job To Build An Online Community For Creatives And De... ➜

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

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:

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

Learn more about starting a drafting table business ➜

31. Start an AutoCAD estimator business

How Much Can You Make?

$3,735,000/month

View all 1 case studies

Skills

Writing & Research Skills

Design Skills

Business Savvy Skills

Customer Service Skills

Self Motivation Skills

Examples of a successful AutoCAD estimator business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a AutoCAD estimator business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an AutoCAD estimator business ➜

Case Study

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 ➜

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Khan Academy: Sal Khan - How I Built This ➜

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

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:

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:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an AutoCAD designer business ➜

Pat Walls, Founder of Starter Story

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Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.

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