24 Gen Z Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2024]

Updated: July 23rd, 2023

Interested in starting a gen z business in 2024?

We put together 24 of the best gen z businesses you can start in today.

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

Here's the full list:

1. Start a mobile photography business

Want to start your own photography business? You're not alone. With the rise of social media and photo-sharing, blogging, and online retailing, it's never been easier to start making money behind your camera.

There are photographers shooting weddings, creating images for ad campaigns, freelancing for magazines, touring the world, taking photographs of destinations — the list is endless!

To start mobile photography , research the target audience and determine which specialization area is more lucrative. Invest in high-quality, professional cameras, lenses, and a computer with professional software photo-editing software.

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

How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)

How long does it take to build: 200 days (?)

Embracing the Experience Economy with a $300K/mo Photo Booth Startup

Photobooth Supply Co. offers a profitable business opportunity through their sleek and portable photo booths, with up to 97% satisfaction rate and a focus on customer experience, in a fast-growing event industry where photo booths are exploding.

About
Brandon started Photobooth Supply Co. about 11 years ago
Revenue
Brandon grew the business to $500K/month
Read by 15,173 founders

2. Start a website development business

Website developers create websites for their clients. as a website developer, your responsibility is to ensure a website is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Web developers also focus on improving the website’s performance and capacity.

To become a website developer, learn different web programming languages. Your customers can be eCommerce business owners or brick-and-mortar businesses looking to have an online presence.

How much you can make: $200 — $350,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,750 (?)

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

How I Started A $20K/Month Web Design Agency

How a founder turned his passion for marketing and technology into a successful Boston-based web design and SEO company, generating over $20k in sales each month by focusing on serving the niche market of small businesses through affordable and personalized services, while establishing his reputation through B2B networking and online initiatives.

About
Scott started Up And Social almost 10 years ago
Revenue
Scott grew the business to $25K/month
Costs
It cost Scott $2500 to start the business
Read by 25,421 founders

3. Start a tutoring business

Starting a tutoring side hustle is a great way for teachers and students to earn extra monthly income.

If you are considering becoming a tutor, find an ideal tutoring niche, and craft a tutoring website.

Then, find your tutoring clients and market your side hustle online. You can choose to offer online tutoring as a part-time or full-time engagement.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $375,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $100 (?)

How long does it take to build: 15 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How I Started A $15K/Month SAT Tutoring Business While In College

A 22-year-old entrepreneur started an online SAT/ACT tutoring company from his bedroom which has seen a linear increase in student sign-ups each month, currently bringing in an average revenue of $15,000 a month and plans to triple in 2020.

About
Adam started SoFlo Tutors about 5 years ago
Revenue
Adam grew the business to $100K/month
Costs
It cost Adam $100 to start the business
Read by 18,690 founders

4. Become a graphic designer

Graphic designing involves creating sketch designs and materials for corporate clients, advertising agencies, public relations firms, and publishers. Besides, graphic designers provide visual solutions to specific company images, log design, and branding problems.

Graphic design is an excellent career for creative thinkers who enjoy using their talent and artistic skills combined with technology and communication abilities to come up with unique solutions for their clients.

How much you can make: $8,000 — $81,000/month

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

How long does it take to build: 165 days (?)

How We Make $7.5K/Month With A Productized Service

Draftss.com is a productized graphic design and front-end code service on subscription that made $66k ARR in 2019, has an MRR of $9.6k as of July 2020, and offers add-ons such as designers being added to team in interacting tools and front-end code services on WordPress using various page builders like Elementor and Divi.

About
Junaid started Draftss almost 6 years ago
Revenue
Junaid grew the business to $15K/month
Costs
It cost Junaid $100 to start the business
Read by 11,322 founders

5. Start a water filter store

How much you can make: $1,500 — $200,000/month

How long does it take to build: 500 days (?)

Launching a Furnace Filter Store and Growing to $60k/month

PureFilters is an online supplier of furnace filters in Canada with a focus on customer experience, boasting a wide selection of the best brands and a roster of 300 five-star reviews, all achieved through rigorous process building, investments in automation and use of outsourced help to manage this $60k/mo business with less than 10-12 hours spent per week.

About
Jay started PureFilters almost 9 years ago
Revenue
Jay grew the business to $200K/month
Costs
It cost Jay $1000 to start the business
Read by 8,529 founders

6. Start a startup instructing business

The startup instructing business involves providing guidance and support to individuals or small businesses that are just starting out.

This can include advice on business planning, marketing strategies, and overall direction for success.

To start this business on a budget, first, identify your areas of expertise and consider the specific industry or niche you want to focus on.

Next, create a basic website or social media profiles to showcase your services and attract potential clients.

Finally, offer your services at an affordable rate and gradually build your reputation through satisfied customers and word-of-mouth referrals.

How much you can make: $1,000 — $100,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $200 (?)

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

How I Launched A $5K/Month Platform To Connect With Growth Mentors

GrowthMentor, a platform connecting vetted growth mentors for one-on-one calls, founded by Fotis Panagiotakopoulos, has had over 2,500 mentorship calls booked to date and has seen success in using word of mouth, content marketing, and leveraging other people's networks as the primary drivers of customer acquisition.

About
Foti started GrowthMentor over 5 years ago
Revenue
Foti grew the business to $10K/month
Read by 41,903 founders

7. Start a youtube channel

For anyone looking to start a successful YouTube channel, there are plenty of YouTube channel success stories that can be used as inspiration and encouragement. In addition, YouTube has an established monetization system and boasts incredible popularity, making it a potential platform for revenue generation.

In this article, we'll look at different approaches you can use to help promote your channel and grow your viewers. While there's no quick and easy way to success, you can take these tips to build your own YouTube Channel Success story. If you love content creation, you can capitalize on YouTube's popularity to earn extra income.

If you want to join the Youtube partner program to monetize your channel, you will need to reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months.

How much you can make: $800 — $4,500,000/month

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

How long does it take to build: 48 days (?)

Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week

How This Couple Makes $5K/Month Generating Content About Ways To Make Money Online

Learn how this entrepreneurial couple made $5-7k a month by helping others find legitimate work from home jobs and creative ways to make money online through their blog and YouTube channel, as well as offering two flagship products designed to help beginner freelancers and new bloggers accelerate growth.

About
Chhavi started Mrs Daaku Studio almost 6 years ago
Revenue
Chhavi grew the business to $5K/month
Costs
It cost Chhavi $500 to start the business
Read by 13,571 founders

8. Start an ecommerce marketing agency

Ecommerce agencies help online sellers achieve their eCommerce business goals through creative, technology, and marketing skills.

Hiring an eCommerce agency enables online sellers to start an eCommerce business or grow an existing one without employing full-time staff.

The eCommerce industry is often changing, and online sellers must match the current trends or risk being paced out by the competition. Balancing between production, launching creative services, and working on growing their eCommerce brands can be extremely difficult. Thus, the brands have no other option than hire eCommerce agencies.

Starting an eCommerce agency can be a profitable and fulfilling business opportunity. If you plan to state your eCommerce agency, educate yourself on the current trends and focus on building digital skills. You may focus on a particular niche or offer end-to-end services to your customers.

How much you can make: $1,500 — $465,583,333/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)

How I Started A $120K/Month Online Course For Social Media Marketing Agencies

Iman Gadzhi made over $1.2M in profit within two years with his social media marketing agency and education company, where he teaches entrepreneurs how to start and scale a profitable SMMA, with over 45 of his students making over six figures with their SMMA, and over 300 students having quit their regular jobs.

About
Iman started Grow Your Agency almost 7 years ago
Revenue
Iman grew the business to $120K/month
Read by 14,302 founders

9. Start a credit and debt counseling business

How much you can make: $41,667/month

$500k Revenue In 1 Year With 3 Person Team Helping Consumers Prepare To Get Loans

Daniel Massimino successfully turned his childhood passion into a multimillion-dollar company with MassTech and founded The Credit Connection to help entrepreneurs start, grow, and scale their businesses while assisting consumers in turning loan denials into approvals, believing the ongoing pandemic has created the perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs to start a business.

About
Daniel started The Credit Connection about 6 years ago
Revenue
Daniel grew the business to $41.7K/month
Read by 533 founders

10. Start a financial service business

How much you can make: $21,000 — $3,141,666/month

How long does it take to build: 100 days (?)

My Finance Newsletter & Community Hit A $3M Run Rate This Year

Contrarian Thinking is a premium membership community that teaches its 1.5 million members how to implement cash flow strategies to achieve financial freedom, with a current run rate of $3 million and a goal of $50 million ARR in five years.

About
Codie started Contrarian Thinking over 4 years ago
Revenue
Codie grew the business to $250K/month
Skills
Public Speaking, Copywriting, Community Building
Costs
It cost Codie $5000 to start the business
Read by 5,025 founders

11. Start a craft business

If you have artistic passion and the skills to make unique art, consider starting a craft business. Craft businesses make jewelry, clothing design, card making, painting, sculpting, ceramics, among others.

According to research, the global handicraft market size will reach over $1252 billion in the next decade.

The best websites to sell your crafts include:

How much you can make: $1,000 — $80,000/month

How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)

How long does it take to build: 20 days (?)

How I Turned My Passion For Crafts And Writing Into A Side Income Source

DIY Lifestyle blog owner, Theresa, turned her passion for crafting and writing into a side income source, attracting hundreds of thousands of global visitors, with her blog generating $400-$500 a month and her online Etsy store bringing in an additional $200-$300 a month, showcasing her unique, all-natural, one-of-a-kind polymer clay earrings, home decor, and huts inspired by Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, reading and home decorating.

About
Theresa started With Love From T To You over 6 years ago
Revenue
Theresa grew the business to $1K/month
Costs
It cost Theresa $200 to start the business
Read by 7,713 founders

12. Start a credit card analytics business

A credit card analytics business involves collecting and analyzing credit card transaction data to provide clients with insights and recommendations. This can include analyzing spending patterns, identifying potential fraud, and providing recommendations for optimizing credit card usage.

To run a successful credit card analytics business, it is important to have a strong understanding of data analysis and financial concepts. It may also be helpful to have a background in finance or economics. It is also essential to build strong relationships with credit card companies and financial institutions to access the necessary data.

Another key to success in this line of business is staying up-to-date on industry trends and regulations and constantly seeking out new technologies and techniques to improve the accuracy and efficiency of your analyses.

It is also essential to clearly communicate the value of your services to potential clients and clearly outline the benefits of working with your company. Building a solid reputation and providing high-quality results will be essential for attracting and retaining clients.

Overall, a credit card analytics business can be a lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs with a solid financial background and a passion for data analysis. This business can provide valuable insights and recommendations for optimizing credit card usage by staying up-to-date on industry trends and building strong relationships with clients.

How long does it take to build: 800 days (?)

13. Start an uber service

14. Start a vlog

Short for video blog, a vlog is a blog in video form. Think of a vlog as a TV channel that covers matters of a particular topic.

You can create and publish a vlog on different platforms. However, YouTube is currently the most-viewed and successful vlog, followed by platforms like Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok. Your vlog can offer instructional, performance art, or comedy-style content.

To create a vlog, develop a niche, decide the niche to specialize in, and create content.

15. Start a t-shirt customization business

A t-shirt customization business is a business that allows customers to design and create their unique t-shirts. You can do this business either online through a website or in a physical storefront location.

To start a t-shirt customization business, you must invest in a t-shirt printing machine and the necessary equipment, such as ink and screens. You may also want to consider offering a variety of t-shirt styles, colors and sizes to appeal to a broader range of customers.

One way to attract customers is to offer a user-friendly online design tool that allows customers to easily upload their designs or choose from a selection of templates and clip art. You can also offer in-store design consultations for customers who want a more personalized experience.

In addition to t-shirts, you may consider offering customization for other types of clothing, such as hoodies, tank tops, and hats. You could also provide customization services for other items, such as bags, mugs, and phone cases.

To market your t-shirt customization business, you can use social media, online, and local advertising to reach potential customers. You can also participate in local events and trade shows to promote your business and attract new customers.

Overall, a t-shirt customization business can be a fun and rewarding way to turn your creativity and passion for design into a successful business.

How much you can make: $200 — $4,255,000/month

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

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

How We Bootstrapped A $1.4M/Year Clothing Manufacturing Business [From Ludhiana]

NG Apparels is a garment export unit based in Ludhiana that caters to the clothing segments worldwide, boasting a turnover of $1,581,547 without loans or credit card limits.

About
Arpit started NG Apparels about 13 years ago
Revenue
Arpit grew the business to $1.33M/month
Costs
It cost Arpit $10000 to start the business
Read by 3,259 founders

16. Start a furniture rental business

17. Start a sole proprietorship business

18. Start a bookkeeping business

A bookkeeping business keeps track of monies coming into and out of business and maintains an accurate financial record, as per the International Association of Bookkeepers.

As a bookkeeping business, your role is to help small and medium-sized enterprises in the:

  • Preparing their year-end tax and VAT returns
  • Keeping on top of day-to-day cash flow
  • Running finances efficiently

To become a bookkeeper, you must be accurate in your work and understand financial topics well.

How much you can make: $25,000 — $100,000/month

Helping Youtubers & Online Content Creators With Their Accounting Turned Into A $300K/Year Business

A case study about FreeCashFlow.io, an accounting agency that specifically caters to the financial needs of Onlyfans models and entrepreneurs, helping them with bookkeeping, taxes, and financial management, all while overcoming the stigma associated with the industry.

About
Alan started Free Cash Flow over 2 years ago
Revenue
Alan grew the business to $25K/month
Costs
It cost Alan $500 to start the business
Read by 6,056 founders

19. Start a transitional housing business

20. Start a car sharing service

Globally, people are looking for the most cost-effective way to move about. The increasing cost of car ownership has forced people to car sharing services.

Car sharing is where vehicle owners offer their vehicles for others to rent for a short period. The arrangement saves gasoline, parking fees, maintenance costs, taxes, and other expenses. Also, car sharing is a practical alternative for those on a budget who do not necessarily need full-time access to a vehicle.

According to experts, the global car-sharing market has exceeded 2 billion and will keep growing at a CAGR of over 20% for the next decade. In that regard, starting a car-sharing service presents a lucrative business opportunity.

With enough capital, you can purchase multiple vehicles and launch your car-sharing service.

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

They want to rent out your luxurious car using software, hit first $24k in ARR

Subskryb is a luxury vehicle subscription service founded by Giovanni Smith, Kendell Johnson, and Preston Martelly that allows car owners to rent their high-end cars and renters to book them daily, weekly, or monthly, building a VAAS model with car owners and renters.

About
Giovanni started Subskryb over 3 years ago
Revenue
Giovanni grew the business to $2K/month
Read by 675 founders

21. Start a healthcare services business

How much you can make: $66,000 — $200,000/month

I Created A $2.7M/Year Software That Extends People's Lives By Analyzing Their DNA

Founder and CEO of SelfDecode, Joe Cohen, explains how his company helps people discover personalized diet, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations based on DNA and lab tests; generating about $2.7 million in revenue over the past year and raising $8 million in a crowdfunding campaign, SelfDecode provides personalized health recommendations prioritized on unique genetic variants, marking the future of healthcare.

About
Joe started SelfDecode almost 7 years ago
Revenue
Joe grew the business to $200K/month
Costs
It cost Joe $500000 to start the business
Read by 5,468 founders

22. Become a driving instructor

Time commitment per week: Min. 15 hours/week

23. Become a food critic

24. Start a drive-thru coffee shop

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.