54 Home-Based Business Ideas You Can Start in Your Basement [2023]

54 Home-Based Business Ideas You Can Start in Your Basement [2023]

Interested in starting a basement business in 2023?

We put together 53 of the best basement businesses you can start in today.

For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of other basement businesses to help you see what it really takes.

Here's the full list:

1. Become a proofreader ($24K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
Skills

Lenny Bron from New York, New York, USA started The Blog Proofreader almost 7 years ago, a proofreader.

  • Revenue: $2,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: New York, New York, USA

Case Study

This business idea was born in 2016, but the journey really began in 2014.

After working for a company for 8 years, I hadn’t really gotten far financially and felt stuck. I decided to find a job with better financial prospects and the possibility of advancement. After 6 months of searching, I was hired at a new employer and managed to double my salary in one fell swoop!

Just start! That little voice inside your head giving you doubts will always be there. Push through that voice and keep going until you reach a point where you’re lost.

how-i-added-2-000-to-my-monthly-income-proofreading-blog-posts

2. Start a woodworking business ($78K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $1,600,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$17,833
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Sasha Weekes from Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, Canada started Timber Grove Studios almost 6 years ago, a woodworking business.

  • Revenue: $6,500/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Case Study

I was always the art kid growing up, so I naturally began my post secondary education by pursuing a degree in Fine Arts. I spent my summers refinishing furniture and doing photography and that’s how I got my feet wet with business, so by my second year, I was also pursuing a minor in Commerce.

I had never really done much woodworking at all but became a lot more interested in design and home decor during those years. After finishing my third year, I was itching to do something more practical than becoming a gallery artist, so I set my sights on furniture design and enrolled in a college cabinetmaking course instead. It really wasn’t where I had ever expected to end up, but it was sort of a natural progression and I’m so glad I did it!

I started making mountain shelves in the morning before class to sell on Facebook and Kijiji. It was intended to be a fun side project but they were so popular that I started my business shortly after graduating with the mountains as my first product.

how-i-took-my-woodworking-hobby-full-time-to-build-a-successful-brand

3. Start a barber shop ($1.5M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$125,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$500,000
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model

Antonio Camilleri from Balzan started Antonio’s Barber Shop almost 8 years ago, a barber shop.

  • Revenue: $125,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 25
  • Location: Balzan

Case Study

My career has been a long road before I found success. Firstly I was a bar manager, then a soldier, then a bus driver, then a restaurant owner and chef. Finally, I decided to follow my grandfather's steps and become a barber. My grandfather was a barber on navy ships during WWI and WWII. I also worked in the UK for 5 years as a barber before opening in Malta.

The idea came about identifying a business opportunity and taking full advantage before the eventual competition, our success was the fact that we re-introduced old school barbering modernized and hip to cater for today’s gentlemen. In barbering, competition, when we started in Malta was non-existent. There were the typical hairdressers and 2 old school barbers which were unchanged since the ‘60s.

The idea was validated by my clients, one day a multi-millionaire came to get a haircut and I was discussing my concerns of growing and investing all my life savings into the business, his reply was “I just bought a company for 5 million euros over breakfast,” he just told me, “now is the time to invest and try creating something revolutionary.”

how-i-started-a-125k-barber-shop-beard-grooming-brand-and-barbering-academy

4. Start a watch brand ($300K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,500 — $320,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$7,333
Time To Revenue
240 days
Business model

Ronnie Teja from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada started Branzio about 5 years ago, a watch brand.

  • Revenue: $25,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 10
  • Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Case Study

My family moved to Canada in May 2007 which makes me a first generation immigrant. I was 21 around the time, and I came from Mumbai, India where I already had a job in advertising.

I continued to experiment with drop shipping and other small ecommerce niches, till it hit me - I needed to build a brand, which was focused on longevity, I wanted to start a purpose-driven brand, not just any watch store.

In those days, Vancouver was still a small market and the opportunities in advertising and other related industry were very limited, so I got a job selling Indian (Punjabi) radio and for my first year in Vancouver, Canada. I took public transit to do sales at mom and pop Indian stores door to door to sell radio advertising.

how-i-built-a-booming-watch-brand-from-nothing

5. Become a business coach ($1.2M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$2,250 — $9,259,259/month
Average Initial Investment
$197,119
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Kamil Sattar from Telford, England, United Kingdom started E-commerce Mentoring almost 6 years ago, a business coach.

  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 6
  • Location: Telford, England, United Kingdom

Case Study

Finding my first drop shipping supplier was by searching over AliExpress and looking for the supplier with the best reviews and years in business and most importantly communication reliability I would get on skype calls with the suppliers and do a mini-interview to see if they fit the criteria I was looking for, also another important thing was making sure my supplier had a license to sell these products I was marketing/selling.

My supplier would handle all the logistics like inventory and fulfillment that’s how the drop shipping business model works.

I set up an LLC in the US I got an accountant to manage the books using a Shopify app called Taxjar.

how-i-started-a-100k-month-business-mentoring-dropshipping-entrepreneurs

6. Start a mobile app development business ($960K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$7,500 — $2,333,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$191,806
Skills

Rob Bentley from Minneapolis, MN, USA started The Jed Mahonis Group about 11 years ago, a mobile app development business.

  • Revenue: $80,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 8
  • Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA

Case Study

Growing up, I’ve always been into technology. I built my first website when I was in first grade, I built my first graphing calculator app when I was in sixth grade, and I used to run the internet’s largest website dedicated to Ralph Wiggum from The Simpsons.

I waited in line for the iPhone the day it launched in 2007, and I was instantly hooked. I knew I had to learn how to build software for this device. Eventually, I learned how to jailbreak my device which allowed me to run custom apps on it (this being before the launch of the App Store).

Even though I had a passion for technology, I never really wanted a career in it. My dream job was to work as a technical director for live television broadcasts, and the only class that was close to that at my school was the capstone course for the Professional Journalism program. I ended up switching my major from Computer Engineering to that and abandoned any dreams of professionally writing software.

how-we-started-a-82k-month-custom-ios-and-android-apps-development-agency

7. Become a toy maker ($2.4M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$9,999 — $200,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$5,125
Skills

Ben Baltes from Oakland, California, USA started Toybox over 5 years ago, a toy maker.

  • Revenue: $200,000/ month
  • Founders: 4
  • Employees: 3
  • Location: Oakland, California, USA

Case Study

The process of building the product was brutal and we learned a lot of hard lessons along the way.

There were two major components to this product. First, was the hardware system that powered the product, and second was the software system that enabled kids to print thousands of toys and design their own - both were pretty massive feats of engineering and design.

Given that we were well versed in software and experience design, building the software system was relatively easy compared to the black box that hardware was. Don’t get me wrong, building the entire cloud operating system and bringing in thousands of toys and testing them was very very time consuming but the hardware design, was a whole different animal that we didn’t have the expertise for. We considered designing and building our own in-house because Zach (our CTO) and I had some experience prototyping some, but we quickly found out that product design, manufacturing, and supply chain setup would quickly cost half a million to a million dollars.

on-creating-a-3d-printer-and-creativity-platform-for-kids

8. Start a sewing and alteration business ($12K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
Skills

Saara Hafeez from New York, New York, USA started ALTRD almost 5 years ago, a sewing and alteration business.

  • Revenue: $1,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: New York, New York, USA

Case Study

We’ve been friends for awhile - we met right out of college in New York and stayed close even though we took fairly different professional paths.

Saara worked in the corporate world for a number of years before moving to Mexico where she launched a jewelry business aimed at rehabilitating sex trafficking survivors. Stephanie was a business consultant before going to law school and becoming a corporate lawyer; along the way, she launched an argan oil company that empowers women in Morocco.

these-two-founders-started-an-on-demand-clothing-alterations-startup

9. Start a jewelry making business ($48K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $2,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$38,333
Time To Revenue
210 days
Skills

Lindsay Ann Gottschall and Courtney Joy Bleier from Miami, Florida, USA started Ann + Joy ago, a jewelry making business.

  • Revenue: $4,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2
  • Location: Miami, Florida, USA

Case Study

Courtney Joy always wanted to be a teacher as a little girl. She used to pretend to teach in her childhood home basement on Long Island, New York. Growing up in an artistic family, she became a figurative and landscape artist and eventually attended art school. After college, she decided to merge her two childhood passions together and became an art teacher.

Lindsay Ann expressed herself through art in a different way. She was in the theater and went to school for drama in New York City. While pursuing her dream of acting, she also made beaded jewelry on the side. It quickly became a passion of hers and would help lead her down a new path in life.

Within our first 3 months, we sold over 100 orders, resulting in more than $3,000 in revenue. By the end of our first year, we had sold over 2,300 orders, resulting in more than $65,000.

how-we-started-a-4k-month-handmade-flower-and-resin-jewelry-business

10. Become a graphic designer ($360K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$15,000 — $81,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$333
Skills

Michael Moloney from Boston, Massachusetts, USA started FilterGrade over 9 years ago, a graphic designer.

  • Revenue: $30,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Case Study

I started FilterGrade in late 2013 after getting some encouragement from a friend and mentor of mine. I was selling digital products on a few different marketplaces and just starting to get curious about entrepreneurship and software. In the beginning, it was just a collection of Photoshop Actions I made and packaged under the FilterGrade brand. I didn’t even launch my website with a store at first, I sold through Creative Market to test the products and see if there was any traction. I wrote more about this on Medium where I detailed the experience of using marketplaces to build an MVP.

Business models that worked 2-3 years ago are not as effective anymore, so we are constantly looking at new ways to adapt and better serve people who are both buying and selling on the marketplace.

After 6 months and some reasonable traction, I decided to set up a full eCommerce website and store using WooCommerce. It started slow. I was just focused on product development, marketing, and building the brand and learning about the industry.

how-we-created-a-30k-month-marketplace-of-photo-filters-and-digital-assets-for-creatives

11. Start a mobile photography ($1.32M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000 — $500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$24,583
Skills

Kyle Nelson from Chico, California, USA started Results Imagery almost 6 years ago, a mobile photography .

  • Revenue: $110,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 8
  • Location: Chico, California, USA

Case Study

We both had previous experience in another start-up called Soul id which was a social media platform for action sports. We ran the marketing and media at that company which was a blast. After we left that company, we split directions. Eli got involved in the eCommerce industry by starting a brand called Winterial which he grew to hundreds of SKUs. Kyle headed in the media direction and started a commercial photography company where he worked with Fortune 500 companies and small businesses.

At this time Kyle wanted to be able to get back in the start-up world, grow a large brand and a team of like-minded creatives and innovators. So like any entrepreneur, he jumped on Google and started to search for media companies that were also technology-based companies as well. That is where the inspiration of starting a digital agency that solely focused on the media portion for brands and product companies came to life.

Culture is the centerpiece of a successful company. Creating a place for employees to come to work and enjoy what they do, the environment and who they work with will pay long term dividends.

how-we-started-a-45k-month-product-photography-and-video-company

12. Become a mobile personal trainer ($720K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$600 — $8,333,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$75,005
Time To Revenue
240 days
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 4 hours/week
Skills
Interests
Business model

Chris Anderson from Overland Park, Kansas, USA started Live Fit about 12 years ago, a mobile personal trainer.

  • Revenue: $60,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1
  • Location: Overland Park, Kansas, USA

Case Study

I started Live Fit because I felt I was running out of options in the industry I loved so much. Personally, I felt the misses in the personal training industry and wanted to change that. Personal Training, as well as all types of fitness, can be very intimidating to most people. And honestly, the people that are most intimidated by fitness are often the people that need it the most. I set out to create a company that provided the same types of exercises, programming, and results as generally all fitness companies, but I wanted to make it a comfortable experience from the moment a potential client stepped through our doors.

All our processes, our studio layout, our team of trainers we have hired, and our entire mission are based on making clients feel comfortable, appreciated, and valued. We do things differently and over the past 10 years, I have seen other companies in our area follow our lead. Long gone are the days of slamming weights, extremely loud music, and uncomfortable gym environments. People want to go where they feel comfortable and respected.

I have always loved sports and started at a young age, with my dad as my coach. I continued athletics through high school and went on to run college track where I based my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees entirely on building my career in the fitness industry. The last thing I was willing to do was to throw it all away based on a lack of opportunity, so I created my own with Live Fit. I believe in spirituality and the law of attraction and base my life on those principles. So in early 2011 when I couldn’t focus on my spiritual study and spiritual growth because my mind was consumed with running numbers about opening my own company, I knew that was a sign from God it was time to create something great.

how-i-started-a-60k-month-personal-training-company

13. Start a niche web design business ($300K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$200 — $200,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$30,881
Skills

Scott Bishop from Boston, Massachusetts, USA started Up And Social almost 9 years ago, a niche web design business.

  • Revenue: $25,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Case Study

I began my business career with the family in-store sampling business, C.A. Courtesy, in the 1990s, while at the same time attending college at Johnson and Wales University, where I pursued a degree in Web Management & Internet Commerce.

I’ve always had a knack for marketing and technology, and when I left C.A. Courtesy, I was the Vice President of Marketing and Technology.

People don’t remember what you say as much as they remember how they felt when you said it.

how-i-started-a-20k-month-web-design-agency

14. Start a freelance writing business ($1.5M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$700 — $320,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$405
Time To Revenue
90 days
Skills
Business model

David Tile from Toronto, Ontario, Canada started Article-Writing Co almost 12 years ago, a freelance writing business.

  • Revenue: $125,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 25
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Case Study

In 2011, coming out of college, I miserably tried to start a penny auction website. I studied Political Science at University, which had absolutely no bearing on this idea. I knew I wanted to do something entrepreneurial and was consumed by this auction model. I had my own specific mechanics that I thought would make the game a lot more fair for the average consumer. But alas, 6-8 months later, after burning through thousands of dollars trying to get the technology right, I was absolutely nowhere.

I was resigned to not give up, but the mechanics of the auction are critical to the smooth operation of the website and if you can’t get it right you don’t have a business. So I decided to start taking on some freelance writing work, just to get some cash in.

One thing led to another and I started getting some bigger clients with bigger asks. Eventually, I snowballed hiring some writers and copy editors. Turning this thing into a full-time business operation.

how-i-started-a-80k-month-content-writing-business

15. Start a blog ($60K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$200 — $160,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$2,687
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Chhavi Agarwal from New Delhi, Delhi, India started Mrs Daaku Studio over 4 years ago, a blog.

  • Revenue: $5,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 3
  • Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India

Case Study

I am a licensed attorney in India and right after my master’s in law, I started working with a leading company as a lawyer. I worked there for about two years before I quit my job to become more location independent.

Choose a niche in whatever you start. It is critical for streamlining your efforts and make money.

My job paid me well but I worked 12 hours a day, I was exhausted by the end of each day, spent my weekends sleeping and I almost quit the things I liked to do - for example, sketching, yoga, traveling, etc.

how-this-couple-makes-5k-month-generating-content-about-ways-to-make-money-online

16. Become a virtual assistant ($12K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $850,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$4,289
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model

Julmar Grace Locsin from Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines started FVA Business Consultancy ago, a virtual assistant.

  • Revenue: $1,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 14
  • Location: Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines

Case Study

Ten years ago, my husband and I were working in an office set-up. Due to a mix of struggles experienced, my husband and I decided to quit our job and transition into freelancing. The transition phase was difficult since we didn't have the facilities needed like a computer and internet connection. We worked in an internet cafe for the first month of our freelancing career until we bought our personal computer and had our internet connection.

We had experience downtime in our new career at first, but we grow and learn from our mistakes as we go along. Freelancing changed the quality of our lives, our family, and so with our marriage. We embrace these benefits to realize that if mothers can work at home, they can earn while taking care of their family.

Another thing is the overseas workers. They have been working far from their family to make a living. Those who are exhausted and feel unproductive because of many circumstances like long hours of commute eat a lot of their time, endangering their work-life balance. These are a few of our realizations why we come up with putting Filipino Virtual Assistance. Because we know how difficult it is to work far from our family, we want to empower Filipino families, one freelancer at a time. We want to provide our graduates an avenue to earn dollars at their homes' comfort, without the hassle of traffic, toxicity of the environment, and an excellent opportunity for those who never got the chance to go to College.

on-starting-a-business-training-virtual-assistants

17. Start a tutoring business ($1.2M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $375,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$1,723
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Adam Shlomi from Miami, FL, USA started SoFlo Tutors about 4 years ago, a tutoring business.

  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2
  • Location: Miami, FL, USA

Case Study

I come from an entrepreneurial family. My father works for himself and my maternal grandfather started a clothing factory. Working for myself has always been encouraged by my family, but before I could get started, I needed to learn a skill. At Georgetown, I study international politics and business. Most students with these backgrounds go on to work at prestigious firms like J.P. Morgan. I really didn’t know what kind of business I could start, and frankly, planned to work as a (boring) data analyst after graduation.

If you have an idea but don’t have the knowledge to execute, use that idea as motivation and go learn how to turn your vision into reality.

Tutoring first came to mind because I had spent significant time working for other tutoring companies and cutting my teeth/learning how the industry works during my teen years. I first started tutoring when I was 15. I was hired by College Experts, a local test prep center in Davie, Florida. My first student was three years older than me, and I spent our first session teaching him how to use his calculator rather than trying to explain any complicated formulas. Being a student myself, I was able to bring a student’s perspective to tutoring. I worked for College Experts until my senior year of high school when I began tutoring on my own and finding clients on Craigslist.

how-i-started-a-15k-month-sat-tutoring-business-while-in-college

18. Start an antique business ($180K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$15,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$10,500
Skills
Business model

Tim Showalter from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA started Hoosierboy Restorations LLC almost 10 years ago, a antique business.

  • Revenue: $15,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 4
  • Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Case Study

At 10-years-old I saw a bicycle in a neighbor’s trash can and asked if I could have it. I ended up with two broken bikes and combined them to make one, which I rode and eventually sold.

In junior high school, I took woodshop and fell in love with woodworking. Evenings, my father, the school superintendent who had started out as a shop teacher, would take me to the school’s woodshop and we’d build furniture and Christmas presents and fix things.

Today, my career is based around restoring old bicycles, pedal cars, Coke machines as well as other items. I previously worked at Beech Grove schools doing education technology, but began to get burned out and wanted to do something that I really enjoyed. Around that same time a TV show called “American Restoration” was on the History Channel, and it inspired me. I thought, ‘Wow, that guy [on TV] is making a living at restorations, maybe I can do the same”. So I just kind of blindly cashed in my 401k and jumped into it not knowing what to do or how to run a business or anything like that. I started in my mom’s garage, and I put up a website right away.

how-i-left-a-25-year-career-to-start-a-15k-month-antiques-restoration-business

19. Start an e-commerce order fulfillment business ($216K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$18,000 — $25,000,000/month
Skills
Business model

Nick from Athens, Ελλάδα started SFKshop over 3 years ago, a e-commerce order fulfillment business.

  • Revenue: $18,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 3
  • Location: Athens, Ελλάδα

Case Study

I have a background in web development, iOS development, WordPress, and digital marketing. For a long time, I was a freelancer creating and managing WordPress websites for my clients. I've been creating websites and doing digital marketing for over 7 years now. The first success was an iOS app that I did the marketing planning and execution that generated over $60,000, with a starting budget of $350. I also spent a couple of months as an eCommerce manager in a very big eCommerce store with beauty products. So, it made sense to me to create an eCommerce business.

Treating your existing customers as VIPs will encourage repeat business, reviews, and referrals and it's much easier than finding a new customer!

Before SFKshop.gr I was looking for an opportunity where I could make a bigger impact and build a ‘real’ business I could be proud of. Then, I thought that if I took advantage of my father's collaborations I could do a great business with infinite possibilities.

how-i-started-a-18k-month-smart-home-appliances-online-store

20. Start a dog training business ($60K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$5,000 — $8,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$325,000
Time To Revenue
210 days
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests
Business model

Donald Hutcherson from Manhattan Community Board 1, New York, USA started Fraternity K9 over 3 years ago, a dog training business.

  • Revenue: $5,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Manhattan Community Board 1, New York, USA

Case Study

I started as a young kid who always loved dogs but never knew how to take care of them. I had several dogs in my life. A Lab/terrier mix, a pit bull, and several other mix breeds. I would always watch Cesar Milan and think “I could do that”. It wasn’t until I had a dog that would bite your hand when you took its food bowl that I realized it was a lot harder than I thought. I decided I was going to learn this dog training.

Everybody always says do what you love, but what if that thing you love makes no money?

I spent hours studying and then I got wrapped up in it. I would learn something new and become obsessed with dog training even more. I ended up learning from different teachers and knew I wanted to be the best.

how-i-started-a-5k-month-dog-training-business

21. Start a greeting cards business ($1.2M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000 — $100,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$11,166
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model

Travis Peterson from Irvine, California, USA started Joker Greeting almost 8 years ago, a Greeting Cards Business.

  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Irvine, California, USA

Case Study

My background is in finance. I worked in investment banking for six years in New York. I loved the job, the people, and the hours. But as a service job I wanted to be making things not just helping others make things. This desire has led me to where I am today.

My brother and I have always loved to make fun of everything. Around 2014, we visited my mom’s house and she had this musical greeting card. We thought it was annoying. We asked each other, "Who wants to listen to this!?" Then Nick asked, “What if it didn’t stop?”

That was it. Nothing more. No market research.

i-created-a-prank-card-company-grew-it-to-30k-month

22. Start a mobile pet grooming

Examples of a successful mobile pet grooming:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a mobile pet grooming:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a mobile pet grooming ➜

article

23. Become a computer refurbisher

How Much Can You Make?
$13,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$15,000
Skills
Business model

Examples of a successful computer refurbisher:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a computer refurbisher:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a computer refurbisher ➜

Case Study

My name is Lawrence O'Connor, aka 'OWC Larry.' I am the founder and CEO of OWC (Other World Computing, Inc.).

Our CAGR over the past 33yrs is 43.78% (average growth rate since inception). It was 18.4% in the most recently completed year 2019 vs 2020 with just over 148 million revenue in 2020.

i-was-too-young-to-drive-but-started-my-business-anyway-now-we-re-approaching-200m-year

24. Start an ecommerce reselling business

How Much Can You Make?
$6,000 — $140,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$37,599
Skills
Business model

Examples of a successful ecommerce reselling business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a ecommerce reselling business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an ecommerce reselling business ➜

Case Study

My name is Greg Shuey and I am the founder of Empyre Off-Road. Empyre Off-Road is an online e-commerce business that sells aftermarket parts for Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, and 4Runner vehicles.

my-side-hustle-makes-1-2m-year-selling-car-accessories

25. Start a laundry business

How Much Can You Make?
$24,000 — $83,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$465,000
Skills

Examples of a successful laundry business:

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

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a laundry business ➜

Case Study

Hello! My name is Nishant Tripathi, and I founded Dhobilite, a premium online dry cleaning, and laundry service. I started this company in 2011 with a vision to pioneer laundry service in India.

We started operations in the year 2011. Over the years, we experimented with and developed our business model and software. In 2015, we disrupted the laundry market and became India's first app-based, on-demand laundry service provider. We have expanded into more than 15 cities in the last two years and have around 20+ stores today. In addition, we have 30 plus franchises. We also have factories in Gurgaon, Noida, Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Faridabad.

i-built-a-318k-year-business-by-digitalizing-the-laundry-industry

26. Start a smartphone repair service

Examples of a successful smartphone repair service:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a smartphone repair service:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a smartphone repair service ➜

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27. Start a product assembly service

Examples of a successful product assembly service:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a product assembly service:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a product assembly service ➜

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28. Start a recycling business

Examples of a successful recycling business:

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

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a recycling business ➜

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29. Start a tech refurbishing business

Examples of a successful tech refurbishing business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a tech refurbishing business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a tech refurbishing business ➜

30. Start an online course creation business

How Much Can You Make?
$1,666,666/month
Skills

Examples of a successful online course creation business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a online course creation business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an online course creation business ➜

Case Study

Shaan Patel is the founder and CEO of Prep Expert, a test preparation platform that provides online SAT and ACT prep courses.

He founded the firm from his dorm room eight years ago with just $900 left over from his undergraduate scholarships.

His SAT and ACT prep classes, books, and licensed items have already brought more than $20 million in sales. In 2016, he pitched Prep Expert on ABC's "Shark Tank" and secured an investment from billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

He spent no money on marketing during the first five years of starting Prep Expert. Despite this, the company's sales doubled yearly based on word-of-mouth marketing.

The SAT prep classes offered by Prep Expert increased the students' SAT scores by hundreds of points. As a result, parents would refer it to other parents, enabling this company to grow quickly and for free.

When he first founded Prep Expert, Patel approached the local TV station about doing a piece on SAT preparation suggestions for parents and kids. He moved from having no clients to having several when the television interview aired.

Patel attributes his entrepreneurial success to self-control and never giving up.

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31. Start a craft class business

Average Initial Investment
$1,500
Skills

Examples of a successful craft class business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a craft class business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a craft class business ➜

article

32. Start a bookkeeping business

Examples of a successful bookkeeping business:

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

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a bookkeeping business ➜

33. Become a music tutor ($840K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$30,000 — $70,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$5,035
Skills

Examples of a successful music tutor:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a music tutor:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a music tutor ➜

Case Study

Hi! I’m Jacques Hopkins, creator of Piano In 21 Days. My online piano course helps adults of all ages learn to play piano as fast as possible. Most of my students are people who never had the time or failed piano lessons before. Some are retirees who are excited about a new hobby but don’t want to wait years for results. Others are busy parents or professionals who need a low-pressure, flexible learning schedule.

My business brings in five figures every month, and I built everything from the ground up. I knew I had a unique take on piano lessons, but I had to learn everything about digital entrepreneurship and marketing in real time. It took a lot of effort, but it worked: I quit my engineering job and have been supporting my family this way for over eight years now.

i-created-a-480k-year-online-piano-lessons-business-with-100

34. Become a yoga instructor

How Much Can You Make?
$60,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$25,300
Time To Revenue
240 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Examples of a successful yoga instructor:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a yoga instructor:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a yoga instructor ➜

Case Study

Hey everyone! I am Chris and in March 2011 I started Live Fit. Live Fit is a personal training company that was created to change the standards in the personal training industry. Early on I focused on building a company that is not only based on results, as most fitness companies are, but that is also focused very heavily on relationships. Relationships create trust, trust creates buy-in, and buy-in leads to the accountability and dedication it takes to get results.

how-i-started-a-60k-month-personal-training-company

35. Start a social media management business

How Much Can You Make?
$15,000 — $166,667/month
Average Initial Investment
$3
Skills

Examples of a successful social media management business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a social media management business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a social media management business ➜

Case Study

I’m Amanda Shepherd, the owner and lead mentor at the Social Media Manager Society. Aside from social media consulting to businesses in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries, I created a program to teach other women how to run successful social media businesses so they can have the time and financial freedom they’ve always wanted!

I quit my 9-5 and in one year made almost $100,000 working an average of four hours per day - and still growing!

how-i-started-a-7-5k-month-social-media-consulting-and-training-business

36. Start a cardio based dance instructor business

Examples of a successful cardio based dance instructor business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a cardio based dance instructor business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a cardio based dance instructor business ➜

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37. Start a furniture upcycling business

Examples of a successful furniture upcycling business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a furniture upcycling business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a furniture upcycling business ➜

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38. Start an e-book writing business

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000 — $42,857/month
Average Initial Investment
$67
Skills

Examples of a successful e-book writing business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a e-book writing business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an e-book writing business ➜

Case Study

I'm Vaibhav Kishnani, an engineer but a passionate writer by profession. I established Content-Whale in 2017 when I was in my third year of engineering. Going by the maxim that quality writing is everything, Content-Whale caters to 42 different content types that form the backstory of every company’s digital presence and marketing efforts.

I started this content agency with a mere sum of Rs. 2,500. Today, we have drawn a revenue turnover of Rs. 4 Crores! In my opinion, it is not individual progress. Instead, a start-up is about connecting with the right individuals at the right time, who keep the show running ahead with their strife for perfection.

how-we-started-a-514k-year-content-curation-agency-with-just-35-from-india

39. Start a soap making business

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $600,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$5,400
Skills

Examples of a successful soap making business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a soap making business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a soap making business ➜

Case Study

My name Warnisha Foster I am the CEO of Kiss My Crown Essentials. I founded Kiss My Crown Essentials in March of 2020 and I started offering my products a few at a time to see how they would go over with the public. My first product was Strawberry Rose’ Champagne Soap. The idea for this soap came from looking at my life as a single mom of four I started to feel burned out. I needed something to make me feel feminine, Make me feel like a woman, Grown and sexy. This did the trick.

Our mission here a KMCE is to let mothers like myself know that we are seen, we are beautiful and we are a necessity.

on-starting-a-homemade-organic-soap-brand-from-the-kitchen

40. Start a resume and cover letter business

How Much Can You Make?
$2,500 — $42,857/month
Average Initial Investment
$33,346
Skills

Examples of a successful resume and cover letter business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a resume and cover letter business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a resume and cover letter business ➜

Case Study

Hi, my name is Ana Colak-Fustin and I am the founder of ByRecruiters, a website and resume shop for job seekers (originally named Recommended By Recruiters). In 2018, I started an Etsy shop selling resume templates that have since supported over 6,000 job seekers on their career journey.

Since 2018, I have sold over 6,000 resume templates supporting job seekers from 50+ countries. Today my business brings in between $1,500 to $4,000 per month.

i-launched-a-30k-year-etsy-shop-that-sells-resume-templates-side-hustle

41. Become a tee shirt designer

How Much Can You Make?
$6,600 — $101,000/month
Skills

Examples of a successful tee shirt designer:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a tee shirt designer:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a tee shirt designer ➜

Case Study

Hi, I am Alex Dumitru and I am a co-founder at Designious. Designious is a graphic design library that provides extra tools like an online designer app and an API that helps both graphic designers and print-on-demand entrepreneurs. At the moment we make around $12-13k per month.

My background is in IT and business development, but I’ve worn many hats along the way, from sales to customer support.

generating-15k-month-in-extra-income-with-a-graphic-design-library

42. Become a candle manufacturer

How Much Can You Make?
$4,000 — $1,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$5,200
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Examples of a successful candle manufacturer:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a candle manufacturer:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a candle manufacturer ➜

Case Study

My name is Kevin Gillespie, and along with Garrett Le’ Tourneau, we created Wax & Wick, the 100% soy candles with wood wicks.

Some notable differentiation between Wax & Wick and traditional candles is that our branding is simple, the style of the candle will fit with any decor, and we use only 100% soy wax and Fsc-Certified wood wicks. Our impact on the environment is intentionally small.

selling-over-4-500-candles

43. Start a framing service

How Much Can You Make?
$50,000/month
Skills

Examples of a successful framing service:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a framing service:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a framing service ➜

Case Study

Hi, my name is Saleh Sokhandan, I am the founder of Vidavin. I am a designer of creative and artistic products that are made based on 3D art and optical illusion techniques.

Our imagination is endless, and we like to accompany others in the joy of new experiences.

i-started-a-600k-year-business-creating-3d-art-optical-illusions-from-iran

44. Start a clothing designing business

How Much Can You Make?
$5,000 — $9,975,000/month
Skills

Examples of a successful clothing designing business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a clothing designing business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a clothing designing business ➜

Case Study

We are Rob Williams and Tom Lovelace, Directors and Founders of Hawthorn, clothing manufacturers, based in the UK. Hawthorn was founded in 2014, however, we have personally been in the fashion industry for around 9 years now, having started clothing brands before starting Hawthorn.

Hawthorn has come a very long way from the first iteration. We initially set out to be an “all things to all people” business, offering every conceivable thing imaginable that a clothing brand might eventually want, including eyewear, footwear, and leather goods. We quickly realized that although we had the capability to produce these items, our time was best spent honing the service that is central to our business; men’s casual clothing. Our website has been through around 8 versions, and we’ve learned a lot during our entrepreneurial journey.

how-we-started-a-50k-month-business-manufacturing-clothing-for-other-brands

45. Become a massage therapist ($2.88M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000 — $240,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$37,500
Skills

Examples of a successful massage therapist:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a massage therapist:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a massage therapist ➜

Case Study

Hi there! My name is Sam Varnerin and I created Snuggle with Sam, my independent professional cuddling practice, while I was still working full-time as a construction engineer.

Here’s all of the contributors on the panel at CuddleXpo in Chicago presenting how we came up with the Code of Ethics for Professional Cuddling. Back left to right: Maryelen Reid, Madelon Guinazzo, Samantha Varnerin (me!), Samantha Hess, Jean Franzbleau, Fei Wyatt, Janet Trevino. Front left to right: Keely Shoup, Lisa Meece. Photo credit Rellian Chen Merrin

how-i-make-a-living-professionally-cuddling-with-people

46. Start a data entry service

How Much Can You Make?
Average Initial Investment
$200,000
Skills

Examples of a successful data entry service:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a data entry service:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a data entry service ➜

Case Study

My name is Rahul, I'm the co-founder at Flamon cloudtech. Which is the parent company that owns our primary product TeleCRM. Taking a step back and looking at the big picture of what we are trying to achieve with TeleCRM - What if there was a way to bring software, automation, and intelligence together in a way that salespeople would only have to do the human part? Instead of spending countless hours every week entering data into specific formats and then more hours crunching that data to figure out who are the leads that they need to focus on, the system that collects all the data do the crunching and return a simple list of people who have already been warmed and just need that human touch.

i-built-a-crm-to-solve-my-own-problem-now-it-makes-60k-year-india

47. Start a software development business

How Much Can You Make?
$8,300 — $43,700,000/month
Skills

Examples of a successful software development business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a software development business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a software development business ➜

Case Study

Hey there! My name is Andrey and I’m the co-founder of Twelvedevs and want to share our story. Together with my friend Alexander, we created an IT consulting and custom software development company. Since 2012, we have provided a wide range of software development services for SMBs and enterprises. Our core services include software engineering, digital consulting, blockchain implementation, as well as UX/UI design, quality assurance, and legacy software modernization.

Now we are one of the leading custom software development companies with over $100k revenue per month, fifty employees, and a soon-to-be-open branch office in the U.S.

these-two-friends-met-in-college-and-started-a-custom-software-development-company-1-2m-year

48. Become a florist

How Much Can You Make?
Average Initial Investment
$250
Skills

Examples of a successful florist:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a florist:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a florist ➜

Case Study

with-just-300-i-started-a-dried-flower-arrangement-business-and-now-make-10k-month

49. Become a carpenter

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $18,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$26,250
Skills

Examples of a successful carpenter:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a carpenter:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a carpenter ➜

Case Study

Hello, my name is Brett Burdick and I am the founder (this is the first time I’ve used that term) of Brex International, LLC which is sort of the umbrella company for The Hedgehog business that I’ll be talking about here.

The other products I sell are small stacking accessories that are used to stack two featherboards on top of each other for extra stability when cutting thicker boards on a table saw or band saw. Both products are shown below.

how-i-designed-and-patented-a-18k-month-woodworking-accessory

50. Start a car flipping business

Examples of a successful car flipping business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a car flipping business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a car flipping business ➜

51. Become a hair youtube channel

Examples of a successful hair youtube channel:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a hair youtube channel:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a hair youtube channel ➜

52. Start a bicycle repair service

How Much Can You Make?
$300,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$30,000
Skills

Examples of a successful bicycle repair service:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a bicycle repair service:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a bicycle repair service ➜

Case Study

Hello! My name is Stephan Aarstol. I'm the CEO of Tower Electric Bikes.

In October of 2019, Tower was named one of the "Top 20 Shark Tank Products of All Time" in USA Today. We've done over $36 million in sales since getting a $150,000 investment from Mark Cuban in 2012.

how-i-partnered-with-mark-cuban-to-start-a-250k-month-company-selling-ebikes

53. Start a vintage clothing business

Examples of a successful vintage clothing business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a vintage clothing business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a vintage clothing business ➜

article

Pat Walls,  Founder of Starter Story
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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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