35 Businesses You Can Start With $60k Or Less [Updated for 2024]

Updated: February 22nd, 2024

If you're looking to start a business on a budget, you'll be pleased to know that there are plenty of options out there. You can start many businesses for under $60k.

So if you're ready to take the plunge, here are some great ideas to get you started.

1. Start a petroleum tank farm servicing and maintenance business

Tank farm servicing entails cleaning and inspecting all services, including non-piggable pipelines and tank floors. According to market research, the global petroleum tank cleaning market is expected to reach $1.3 Billion in a few years.

Cleaning and inspection of tank farms after a certain period is mandatory, per the oil & gas regulations. In that regard, there is a ready market for a tank farm cleaning and servicing startup.

2. Start a perfume business

A fragrance or perfume business creates and sells products made from various ingredients, such as oils and extracts, which are mixed together to produce a pleasant smell.

And perfumes are no small business: the industry is expected to reach over $40B in the next few years.

There are a few ways to get started with creating your own perfume. You can start by choosing which ingredients you would like to use and then find recipes that will work for those ingredients. Or, you could start with a fragrance that you already love and try to recreate it as closely as possible with natural ingredients.

How much you can make: $19,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

3. Start a fruit and vegetable chips business

Are you interested in offering solutions that support change in consumer lifestyle? If yes, consider starting a business inclined towards healthy fruit and vegetables. According to experts, the global healthy fruit and vegetable chips market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 8.1% over the next few years.

The market growth results from increased awareness and preference for functional, convenient, and flavored ready-to-eat snacks. Opening a fruit and vegetable business could be a lucrative business based on the market potential.

4. Start a candle business ($210K/month)

The candle industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.

Candle making was one of the first industries to be industrialized, and now up to 90% of all candles are made by machinery. Yet most of us still make our own candles from home, creating a demand for handcrafted, high-quality candles from candle manufacturers even in today's automated world.

A candle business is a worthwhile idea for an entrepreneur who wants to make some extra money in their free time from the comfort of their own home. There are many opportunities for this type of business if you consider it seriously.

How much you can make: $500 — $1,000,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 75 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

5. Become a mobile makeup artist

A makeup artist is a beautician who offers general makeup services, including facial aesthetics, thorough makeup, and creating custom looks for celebrities and even actors on movie sets.

You can serve clients from their homes or offices as a makeup artist. Therefore, makeup artists avoid paying rent or paying expensive licenses. Besides, makeup artists get to meet different famous people.

To stand out as a professional makeup artist , keep up with the developments in the cosmetology industry, and focus on providing personalized customer service.

More business ideas

  • 6. Start a smartphone accessories business

7. Start a mobile hair salon

With the ever-increasing number of people in the world becoming increasingly mobile, the demand for mobile hair services will also increase. Mobile hairstyling is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Making money while driving around in your car or truck may sound enticing.

Listed are the steps to start a mobile hair salon business.

  • Plan your business
  • Register your business
  • Secure permits and licenses
  • Get certificates
  • Purchase needed materials and supplies.
  • Connect with clients. Promote your business

8. Start a fresh fish shop

According to the American Heart Association, eating fish twice a week is part of a healthy diet. Fish is rich in calcium, potassium, and magnesium, making it a nutritional meal supplement.

Therefore, with the increasingly health-conscious population, starting a fresh fish shop can be a rewarding business.

You need not be a fish farmer to be a successful fish monger. You can source fish from fish farmers across the country or the food hub and distribute it to your target customers.

9. Start a handmade soap bars business

How much you can make: $1,000 — $3,000/month

10. Start a laser cut jewelry business

Increasing disposable income and innovative jewelry designs are some of the top factors influencing the jewelry industry's growth. Modern consumers classify jewelry as a status symbol, a trend boosting the demand for custom and unique jewelry.

According to a market research report, the jewelry industry the global jewelry market size will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 8.5% in the next decade. If you are in jewelry production, you may consider using laser technology to make unique or custom handmade jewelry pieces.

Regardless of the shape, design, or engraving you want to make, using a laser cutter makes it possible.

11. Start a forex trading information business

How much you can make: $1,200/month

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

12. Start an online beauty products ($5.75K/month)

How much you can make: $1,500 — $40,480,000/month

How long does it take to build: 150 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 3 hours/week

13. Start a fashion design business

How much you can make: $650 — $4,660,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $7,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)

14. Start a dry cleaners business

Dry cleaning is a business that takes clothing, linens, and other fabrics and cleans them with no water. The dry cleaning process uses chemicals to clean the fabric and make it look new again. This process can remove stains, soil, and odors from your clothes.

People will always need their clothes washed so that this business model can succeed. Starting a dry cleaning business is a great way to enter the industry.

To maximize profitability, offer multiple services beyond the typical dry cleaning like wash and fold service.

How much you can make: $26,500/month

How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)

15. Start an agriculture equipment wholesale distribution business

Modern farming machinery helps ensure minimal human labor and, in turn, results in increased productivity.

According to experts, increased mechanization of agricultural operations across the agricultural value chain will boost the demand for agricultural equipment. This trend creates a massive opportunity for farm equipment wholesale distribution businesses.

Therefore, starting an equipment wholesale distribution business can be a good business.

16. Start a drain repair service

Over time, drain pipes at commercial and residences will become clogged and require regular servicing to keep the dirty water flowing. When it comes to the efficiency of drainpipes, residential and commercial property owners want to hire a reliable plumber.

To become a drain pipe specialist, you need at least a high school diploma or GED. To gain a higher skill level, you may take a degree course before joining a company for an internship to gain the necessary plumbing experience.

How much you can make: $40,000/month

17. Start a sports equipment manufacturing business

How much you can make: $475,000,000/month

18. Become a real estate investor

How much you can make: $5,000 — $1,500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)

19. Start a freight moving business ($65K/month)

Freight moving business is something that you can make real money with if you are in the right state and have plenty of resources to access the freight, then this is something you should think about.

As a freight mover, all you have to do is pick up cargo from one place, get to its destination, and repeat.

Freight moving business requires a lot of investment but at the same time, there is a lot of profit to be made out of it.

How much you can make: $65,000 — $2,500,000/month

How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)

20. Start an art reselling business

One of the most direct ways to make money is by reselling artwork. You can resell art you originally bought from a gallery through another gallery where the artist is represented.

Ideally, artists retain copyright to their art pieces, so it is illegal to sell, publicize and publish a copy of artwork unless the artist has given prior permission. Therefore, you cannot resell their piece to a gallery they are not represented.

21. Start a flying school business

Do you love aviation, and are you looking for a business opportunity within the aviation industry? You may consider owning an aviation school.

To start a flight school, you must own or lease at least one aircraft. As the business grows, you can increase the number of flights and hire more flight instructors to meet the growing demand. Some flight schools also invest in a flight simulators. A flight simulator is a rare investment that helps you to increase your revenue and to decrease the cost of regular flight school operations.

Owning a flight school can be a lucrative business opportunity. However, operating a flying school business is full of good and not-so-good surprises. You must know how to wear several hats and be ready to face the challenges of investing in a flight school.

More business ideas

  • 22. Start a sea food business
  • 23. Start a popcorn making machine manufacturing business
  • 24. Start a bead making business
  • 25. Start a beverages importation business
  • 26. Start a handbag design and manufacturing business
  • 27. Start a postcard printing business
  • 28. Start a restaurant supply business
  • 29. Become a scuba diving instructor

30. Start a virtual reality arcade business

A virtual reality arcade provides an immersive experience, taking the entire gaming concept to another level. As VR display technology gets integrated into more types of amusement games, starting a VR arcade can be a profitable business.

If you own an entertainment park, converting it into a VR arcade can attract new customers, increase spending from existing customers, and increase the overall quality of experience for all customers.

How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)

More business ideas

  • 31. Start a satellite dishes production business
  • 32. Start a workwear retailer business
  • 33. Start a mexican restaurant
  • 34. Start a musical instrument sales business
  • 35. Start a banana paper making business
meet the author
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.