The 39 Best Home-Based Businesses To Start In Idaho [2024]

Updated: January 20th, 2022

Interested in starting a business in Idaho in 2024?

We put together 39 of the best businesses you can start in Idaho today.

For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of how you can start your profitable, home-based small business in Idaho.

Here's the full list:

1. Create an online course ($6M/year)

Stuart Draper from Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA started Stukent, Inc. over 10 years ago, an online course.

  • Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
  • Revenue: $500,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 50

Case Study

Hi, I'm Stuart Draper and I'm the founder and CEO of Stukent. I am the co-author of Digital Marketing Essentials, the bestselling text in higher education of its kind. I gained valuable experience doing internet marketing for companies that range from mom and pop shops to Fortune 500 companies.

Before being acquired in December 2015, I bootstrapped GetFoundFirst.com and now work on Stukent.com, a digital courseware company that provides the world’s #1 digital marketing simulation, the world’s first social media marketing simulation, and a variety of other texts, videos, and projects. This simulation gives users hands-on experience in creating, scheduling, promoting, and monitoring social posts for a virtual business. This training allows students to get comfortable and familiar with making marketing decisions before they graduate. In 2018, Stukent became the #268 fastest growing company in the US and was featured in Inc. Magazine on the Inc. 500 list.

My work in education has taken me all over the globe. I have been to Romania, Mexico, China, Puerto Rico, Germany, and India to speak to audiences ranging from ten to north of 1,500 people about entrepreneurship and digital marketing that will be used by over 100,000 students this year.

how-i-started-a-500k-month-digital-education-company

2. Start a finance blog ($90K/year)

Alexis Schroeder from Colorado, USA started FITnancials about 11 years ago, a finance blog.

  • Location: Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $7,500/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hey! My name’s Alexis and I run a personal finance blog called Fitnancials. I teach millennial women how to manage their money, save & invest more, and earn extra money with side hustles.

I actually started my business back in 2013 as a fun hobby. Fitnancials was originally a health and fitness blog (as well as personal finance), but I ended up ditching the health portion altogether because it no longer resonated with me anymore. I wanted to be hyper-focused on finances.

I had zero intention of creating any income from Fitnancials. It was purely a passion project where I shared tips and tricks with my friends and family (because people were always asking me for weight loss tips since I had lost 60 pounds).

how-i-started-a-7-5k-month-blog-about-personal-finances

3. Start a backpack line ($300K/year)

Kelly Belknap from Denver, Colorado, USA started Adventurist Backpack Co. over 6 years ago, a backpack line.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $25,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$7K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My name is Kelly Belknap, and I co-founded Adventurist Backpack Co. along with my wife Matilda Sandstrom.

We design minimalist backpacks for travel, and for every backpack purchased, 25 meals are provided to families in need across the U.S. (We do this through our partner Feeding America, providing meals to over 200 food banks across the country.)

Our flagship product is our Adventurist Classic backpack, which is made as a daypack for travelers, hikers, students, and everyday use. It’s padded front/back for electronics and completely weather-resistant for any adventure - and also fits perfectly underneath the seat of an airplane. We have the Adventurist Classic available in 6 colors, and have 2 new designs on the way which will be available on our website starting at the end of August.

how-this-husband-wife-duo-started-a-backpack-brand-that-gives-back

4. Start an automated web browser business ($600K/year)

Joel Griffith from Portland, Oregon, USA started Browserless over 6 years ago, an automated web browser business.

  • Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
  • Revenue: $50,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$500
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Hey folks! I’m Joel Griffith, founder and sole entrepreneur for a business called browserless.

browserless is one of those newfangled “SaaS” businesses (software-as-a-service), and lets users automate all the stuff you’d normally have to do manually with a web browser. This can be as simple as taking screenshots of your page, perusing the internet for data, or even generating PDFs of a cool dashboard on your site.

I’ve been building the company over the last two years, and this September we did about $28,000 in sales.

how-i-built-an-automation-tool-for-developers-and-grew-it-to-28k-month

5. Start a woodworking business ($480K/year)

Andrew Stokes - Cameron Vilcsak from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada started MTN SIDE BUILDERS almost 6 years ago, a woodworking business.

  • Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Revenue: $40,001/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$50K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 5

Case Study

Hi there!

My name is Cameron Vilcsak, the founder of Mountain Fire Woodworks, a passion - project - turned - business of mine born from my love of carving and building things out of wood.

The business has grown and evolved towards log cabins, chainsaw carvings, and the main source of income - YouTube videos.

how-i-gamed-the-youtube-algorithm-and-went-viral-with-25m-views

6. Become an it consultant ($25.2K/year)

Dan Khadem from Denver, Colorado, USA started Access Database Support about 12 years ago, an IT consultant.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $2,100/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

My everyone. My name is Dan Khadem. I’m from Denver, Colorado and have a wife and 2 kids. I might have the most interesting or unique story because I have two very opposite things going on in my life. For my first business, I started a database consulting service for small and medium-sized organizations. This is using my technical skills and is very much using the Type A side of my personality. On the other end of the spectrum I do commercial acting and modeling. This is essentially for advertising in the form of print ads and commercials.

I’ll start with my database consulting business since that’s what I started with and what I’ve been doing longer. I essentially help organizations manage and declutter their data. My full-time day job is a database programmer in medical research so I’ve taken this skillset and applied it towards helping small and medium-sized businesses and organizations tackle a data problem that is holding their business back.

Typically it’s an organization that is struggling with managing their data and need some help moving from disorganized spreadsheets to a clean and efficient database program. Other times it’s a business that needs a custom program to automate or support a task like managing their human resources, their clients or some sort of maintenance schedule that they need to run their business.

how-a-database-consultant-became-a-commercial-model

7. Start a tea business ($900K/year)

Andy Hayes from Portland, Oregon, USA started Plum Deluxe Tea almost 12 years ago, a tea business.

  • Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
  • Revenue: $75,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 7

Case Study

I’m Andy Hayes and I’m the founder of Plum Deluxe, an online purveyor of delicious loose leaf teas.

We’re based in Portland, Oregon. We are well known for our popular tea of the month club community - subscribers receive a surprise tea in the mail each month, in addition to perks like free shipping and discounts. Members also a lot of joyful community aspects such as tea swaps, postcard pals, and much more.

In addition to that, we also have an online store where you can purchase a la carte teas of your choosing. We have our own in-house production team and hand-blended each batch, to ensure the freshest flavor. We also carry a very carefully curated selection of pretty and practical tea accessories such as infusers, mugs, and tea add-ins like honey and sweets.

how-andy-hayes-started-a-7-figure-tea-business-online

8. Start a cloud management software ($3.96M/year)

Savitra Sharma from San Francisco, CA started Third Wave Analytics over 9 years ago, a cloud management software.

  • Location: San Francisco, CA
  • Revenue: $330,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$200
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 7

Case Study

My name is Savitra Sharma, and I founded Third Wave Analytics in 2014. We are a cloud computing company specializing in “SaaS for science” - a platform for managing your entire laboratory in one place. We created Lockbox LIMS, the world's first cloud-based, end-to-end laboratory information management system (LIMS) built on the Salesforce platform. It provides laboratory staff with the world’s most customizable laboratory management system including sample management, protocol/procedure execution, freezer/storage management, inventory, and instrument management.

Lockbox is used internationally in a wide variety of organizations including R&D, quality control testing, life science research, and industrial laboratories to streamline operations and reduce the time needed to see results.

Sample product screenshot

how-we-partnered-with-salesforce-to-develop-a-330k-month-laboratory-information-management-saas

9. Start a photo booth business ($4.2M/year)

Scott McInnes from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada started TapSnap over 11 years ago, a photo booth business.

  • Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Revenue: $350,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 18

Case Study

Hi guys! I’m Scott McInnes, founder of TapSnap, a photo booth company with franchised locations in most major cities in the United States and Canada as well as Sydney, Australia. Our flagship product is our TS-42, an open-air photo booth that features a giant 42-inch touch screen and a high quality DSLR camera for fantastic image quality.

The oversized touch screen makes using our photo booth a very unique and interactive experience. We were one of the first companies to offer photo booths that didn’t actually have a booth at all, so we can take photos of large groups of people at one time, and afterwards everyone can gather around the photo booth to view, edit and share photos together.

We launched TapSnap in 2012, and within a few years grew to over 100 franchised locations in North America. Our photo booths are used at over 10,000 events every year, for everything from a wedding for a few hours to a multi-day conference, or a 40 city movie premiere.

my-journey-to-starting-a-4-2m-year-photobooth-company

10. Become an author ($240K/year)

Nick Thacker from Colorado, USA started Conundrum Publishing about 7 years ago, an author.

  • Location: Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $20,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Nick Thacker, and I’m a full-time thriller writer. I write action-adventure fiction for armchair adventurers, and my books have been insultingly referred to as “airport books,” a descriptor I absolutely adore and use as often as possible.

I started like any author — making no money, and begging for people to read my stuff. Now I generate about $10-14k/month in revenue, between writing, business, and related projects.

nick-thacker-update-landing-a-three-book-publishing-deal-staying-focused

11. Start a seo agency

Mike Leonhard from Seattle, WA, USA started Compose.ly about 6 years ago, a SEO agency.

  • Location: Seattle, WA, USA
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 9

Case Study

After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Information Systems, I joined Accenture as a consultant, where I worked mainly with telecommunications companies. The “big company” environment and experience helped me to understand the value of scalability and process creation/improvement—but I was left feeling like a small cog in a huge machine. Simply put, I wanted to see my efforts impact the bottom line.

In 2008, I joined a small mobile accessories company based out of Asia that was looking for help building its business in the U.S. It was a big move from Accenture: I was brought on as the President of its Americas business and responsible for expanding the brand into a whole new continent. I started out working on a kitchen table and packing customer orders right in my living room.

Fast forward two years, and we had grown into a $40M annual business with major customers like Apple, Amazon, AT&T, and BestBuy. There were many mistakes along the way, but it was the most challenging and satisfying learning experience I’ve ever encountered.

on-starting-an-seo-content-agency-platform

12. Develop a seo software ($2.64M/year)

Todd Hooper from Boulder, CO, USA started Prerender.io over 10 years ago, a seo software.

  • Location: Boulder, CO, USA
  • Revenue: $220,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 4

Case Study

My name is Todd Hooper, and I’m a software engineer. I founded Prerender.io in 2014. Prerender.io allows search engines to crawl SEO-friendly versions of React, Angular, and Javascript websites.

As a solo founder and employee, I bootstrapped Prerender.io from zero to $2.5 million in ARR over 5 years!

how-i-bootstrapped-my-saas-company-to-2-5m-year-in-5-years-as-a-solo-founder

13. Start a gift store ($96K/year)

Tiffany Reimer from Fresno, California, USA started Passport 4 Change about 10 years ago, a gift store.

  • Location: Fresno, California, USA
  • Revenue: $8,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

I'm known as the Traveling Tooth Fairy because I’m a flight attendant and my husband is a pilot. We have traveled to more than 60 countries. I started collecting (tooth fairy) coins from around the world as I traveled.

One day, I asked my 5-year-old niece where she would go if she could go anywhere in the world. Her reply, “Target!”

Wanting to make her world bigger I created a traveling tooth fairy adventure named Passport 4 Change. My educational tooth fairy kits include 20 real foreign coins, a colorful world map, a passport book to store the coins and an optional tooth fairy pillow. I gave the first kit to my sister and a few weeks later my niece called to tell me that the tooth fairy had just been in England having tea with the Queen and she left her some British pounds.

how-this-flight-attendant-started-an-e-commerce-business-on-the-side

14. Start a transcription business ($1.2M/year)

Ben Walker from Denver, CO, USA started Transcription Outsourcing, LLC over 13 years ago, a transcription business.

  • Location: Denver, CO, USA
  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$150K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 5

Case Study

My name is Ben Walker and I am the CEO and Founder of Transcription Outsourcing, LLC in Denver, Colorado.

We provide guaranteed transcription services to the medical, legal, law enforcement, financial, academic, and general business industries. This means we work with doctors, lawyers, law enforcement agencies, wealth management companies, universities, authors, podcasts, and even insurance companies to help them run their offices better.

Transcription Outsourcing was awarded the NASPO ValuePoint ($16 billion in annual sales from 65 contracts) transcription services contract three years ago, over 26 other companies, and haven’t looked back since.

how-we-started-a-100k-month-company-that-provides-transcription-services

15. Start a children's clothing business

Cameron Olthuis from Park City, Utah, USA started Sawyer over 6 years ago, a children's clothing business.

  • Location: Park City, Utah, USA
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

Hi there, I’m Cameron Olthuis, owner and operator of Sawyer. Sawyer is a high-quality kids clothing brand that makes soft, durable products with timeless designs that inspire them to get outside and explore the natural world.

We discovered a striking statistic:

Kids today spend less time outside than maximum security prisoners.

starting-a-kids-clothing-brand-and-growing-to-12k-mo

16. Become a freelance app developer ($600K/year)

Cam Upson from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada started Appsitude about 9 years ago, a freelance app developer.

  • Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Revenue: $50,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 8

Case Study

Hey! Well to start my name is Cameron Upson, and I am a 22-year-old entrepreneur. I recently acquired an app development company called Appsitude that a friend of mine started. I am not the original founder but I think of myself as one as I had to completely restart the company from the ground up and get it moving again.

It sat stagnant for a year or so when the former CEO moved on to another project as app development wasn't his calling in life. I have really been there since the beginning of everything and plan on being there all the way through until we are one of the biggest app development companies in the world. We tend to do quite a lot of B2B but we also really enjoy doing B2C as the app ideas can always get to the next level! We are currently doing around $30,000 to $50,000 a month and have big plans to continue our growth, watch out world.

acquiring-a-stagnant-app-development-company-and-leading-it-to-50k-month

17. Start a sporting goods store ($300K/year)

Kyler Russell from Midwest, Kansas, USA started Comfy Cup LLC over 7 years ago, a sporting goods store.

  • Location: Midwest, Kansas, USA
  • Revenue: $25,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$25K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Kyler, I am the inventor and co-founder of the Comfy Cup. I am currently 12-years old, but I was 8-years old when I came up with the idea to create a more comfortable athletic cup for boys.

I was frustrated by the protective athletic cup my baseball coach required boys on my team to wear. It was hard and uncomfortable. I would fidget with it in the batter’s box, on the field, and in the dugout. It was a constant interference from focusing on the game. I tried a variety of athletic cups available in sporting goods stores and online, but couldn’t find a better solution.

Instead of whining about it, my parents challenged me to come up with a solution. And now, I hit a homerun! Comfy Cup is changing the game for youth boy athletes. My simple invention has grown into a successful business venture for me and my family. Comfy Cup is now available on Amazon and The Grommet and in my local Scheels sporting goods store.

how-a-12-year-old-started-a-100k-athletic-cup-product

18. Start a mom blog ($36K/year)

Audrey Marshall from Utah, USA started Mommy Enlightened almost 6 years ago, a mom blog.

  • Location: Utah, USA
  • Revenue: $3,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Audrey and I am a blogger at Mommy Enlightened. This site is focused on giving new mothers advice on pregnancy, babies, toddlerhood, and motherhood in general. I started Mommy Enlightened with the intention of making money, but I genuinely wanted to give moms like me a place to find good information. A year after I started it, I realized the mother’s I wanted to reach were the ones who were struggling with their self-confidence, so this is who I write to now (when I write - I have a writer who I pay to write most of the content).

I sell a small pregnancy journal. Graphic design is another passion of mine (and I actually have another blog that I share with my husband on it) so I made it for fun and now I sell it. It does fairly well, but I do plan to create a toddler product this month because that is where my most engaged audience is. My target reader is a toddler mom who wants to discipline her child in a loving way but isn’t really sure how to do it without being a pushover. She is overwhelmed by motherhood and life in general, and my hope is to ease that overwhelm and help her build up confidence.

My current flagship product is actually on my graphic design site, and it’s a complete graphic design course focused on Pinterest pin creation for bloggers and other online business owners. My partner and I started doing virtual assistant work at the same time I started my blog, and I ended up working with some big names in the blogging world. Because of that, I have others sell my graphic design course. I do not have an audience of my own (yet), but I’ve still profited greatly from the sales of the course because of my affiliates.

how-i-started-a-3k-month-blog-writing-about-motherhood

19. Start a moringa product business

Lisa Curtis from Oakland started Kuli Kuli about 10 years ago, a moringa product business.

  • Location: Oakland
  • Starting Costs: $$2K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 14

Case Study

I’ve always been interested in how developing economies can achieve a high quality of life for their citizens without wrecking the environment in the way that the US and Europe developed. I spent my early career as an environmental activist and even had the opportunity to represent the voices of North American youth at international sustainable development conferences. When I graduated college, I decided that I wanted to understand sustainable development firsthand and so joined the Peace Corps as a Volunteer in Niger, West Africa.

I truly believe that anyone can start anything if they have enough passion and grit to make it happen.

I’m a vegetarian, and while in Niger found myself feeling weak and tired off a diet of mostly rice. A few friends in my village recommended that I try a local plant called moringa. They pulled small, green leaves off a tree and mixed them into a popular peanut snack called Kuli Kuli. I started eating this Kuli Kuli moringa snack every day and felt my strength and energy return.

on-starting-a-moringa-superfood-business-with-11k-stores

20. Start a skin care product line ($1.1M/year)

Kismet Andrews from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada started LoLo Body Care over 17 years ago, a skin care product line.

  • Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Revenue: $92,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 4

Case Study

Hello! I’m Kismet Andrews, Founder/Formulator of LoLo Body Care. LoLo Body Care makes all types of head-to-toe eco luscious moisturizers.

Our flagship products are the trademarked Lo-Lo Barwhich is a solid head-to-toe moisturizer available in a plethora of memory-making scents, in four sizes, two different application methods, TSA compliant, absorbs into the skin quickly leaving no residue and lasts through multiple hand washings; Our Face Pudding available in three formulas, Beautiful, in three sizes, and O’ For Feet Sakefor those longing for baby bottom soft feet, two sizes and two scents.

Sales last month reached $96,000 and our goal is to increase sales this year by 50%.

how-i-started-a-92k-month-sustainable-moisturizer-brand

21. Start a marketing agency ($1.2M/year)

Travis Richardson from Denver, Colorado, USA started Impressions Agency over 10 years ago, a marketing agency.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 20

Case Study

From Honeymoon to Prosperous Company

I’m Travis Richardson. My wife Charisa and I started our company Impressions Agency in 2013--an online digital marketing agency. At that time we were living in Costa Rica on the beach. Our end goal then was to pay our bills of $800 per month (dreaming big :)) while living the Pura Vida lifestyle. My hidden motive was to turn our Costarican experience into an indefinite honeymoon. At that time we had been married for 6 months.

how-we-started-a-100k-month-marketing-agency-during-our-honeymoon-in-costa-rica

22. Start an art business ($36K/year)

Ursula Barton from Portland, Oregon, USA started URSULA BARTON about 12 years ago, an art business.

  • Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
  • Revenue: $3,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

My name is Ursula Barton and I am an artist who has built two small businesses. My first business started with paper goods featuring my artwork of the Portland bridges: postcards, greeting cards, and archival prints.

It has grown over the past seven years and now I have locally screen printed apparel, enamel pins, and my most popular product, hand-mounted wooden prints that are ready to hang. This eliminates the expensive and time-consuming step of framing, a step I myself dread every time I buy art. This is how I choose new products to add to my line, I think hard about what I would use and what I would want to live with, and then start researching how to create it. It is important that even in product form my art is an authentic extension of me and my point of view.

My newest business is a retail shop called Jailbreak, it is an extension of my art studio in southeast Portland. I opened this with my new business partner Bethany Von Steuben, having a partner with the same ethics, but a different skill set has made owning a business more productive and fun. Jailbreak showcases not only my full product line, but also art and handmade goods created by people of color, the queer community, and female makers.

how-i-built-two-successful-small-businesses-as-an-artist

23. Start a crime scene cleanup business

Nick-Anthony Zamucen from Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA started Bio-One about 16 years ago, a crime scene cleanup business.

  • Location: Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 7

Case Study

Hello readers, this is Nick-Anthony Zamucen again. I have created four franchised organizations, working on the fifth as I type this. I have sold two of those organizations to private equity companies for an 8x multiple and frankly, after the second sale, I don’t have to work another day in my life, but how boring would that be?

The reason for living is giving and creation and I love to do both. Plus, I enjoy showing aspiring Entrepreneurs actually how to be successful and not become Wantrepreneurs. Success breeds success.

how-we-grew-to-127-locations-and-got-featured-on-a-tv-show

24. Start a solar energy business ($7.2M/year)

David Gomez from California, USA started Clean Energy Solutions about 10 years ago, a solar energy business.

  • Location: California, USA
  • Revenue: $600,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 20

Case Study

My name is David Gomez and I’m the founder and CEO of Clean Energy Solutions, based out of Los Angeles, California. We’re a solar energy provider that provides homeowners and businesses with low-cost solar power.

From 2014 to 2019 we have grown over 6700%. Our unique solar program allows clients to save money using solar energy, but without having to actually purchase a solar system. We provide the client with a solar system at no upfront cost, and the client only pays for the energy that the system produces, but at a lower price than their utility would charge them.

Our monthly revenue is around $600,000 with big plans to keep growing. A lot of our growth in the new year will be focused on our energy-efficient affordable housing division.

how-i-started-a-600k-month-company-selling-low-cost-solar-energy

25. Become a facebook ads consultant ($96M/year)

Kean Graham from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada started MonetizeMore about 14 years ago, a Facebook ads consultant.

  • Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Revenue: $8,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 290

Case Study

I’m the Founder & CEO of MonetizeMore. I started MonetizeMore in 2010 with the goal to build a bootstrapped business that would dramatically increase ad revenues for publishers.

Over the years, I perfected the proprietary MonetizeMore ad optimization model which has surpassed $20M annual revenues by increasing ad revenues for hundreds of publisher networks in over 40 countries.

how-i-disrupted-the-ad-industry-and-grew-my-business-to-20m-year

26. Start a mobile karaoke experience ($144K/year)

Kelli L Bielema from Seattle, Washington, USA started The AirScream over 4 years ago, a mobile karaoke experience.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $12,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

We are Kelli Bielema & Vanessa Resler and we run The AirScream, a mobile karaoke lounge in a vintage Airstream located in Seattle, WA. The AirScream is an experience like no other where we bring the trailer to your special event, park it & let the party ignite! Our customers are marketing and brand specialists who want a unique activation at their events that bring people together. We also work with event planners who plan corporate parties as well as private social celebrations like birthday parties and weddings.

We created The AirScream out of a desire to scale up the karaoke game & capture the heat of mobile experiences that doesn’t show any signs of cooling. Because karaoke can be a challenge to place in a venue where it doesn’t take over the whole affair, The AirScream is its own self-contained unit that can go directly outside an event space (or indoors when it fits). The basic operation of the trailer runs on a standard household outlet with a dedicated 20 amp circuit (and a second one to run the air conditioning). There’s also an option to utilize a generator in cases where power is too far remote. And no, you can’t ride in it while it’s in motion.

We are new to the market and are slowly scaling up as we get comfortable with our processes so we can perfect everything before we debut to the public. Currently, we are operating focus groups with event planners & vendors, our friends & family and with upcoming pop-up events at select locations where we truly will experience The AirScream in the wild.

how-we-raised-45k-to-build-a-mobile-karaoke

27. Start a shoe brand ($48M/year)

Steven Sashen from Broomfield, Colorado, USA started Xero Shoes over 14 years ago, a shoe brand.

  • Location: Broomfield, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $4,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 67

Case Study

Hi, I’m Steven Sashen and I’m the co-founder (with my wife, Lena Phoenix) and CEO of Xero Shoes.

Xero Shoes are addictively comfortable, lightweight, minimalist, casual and performance shoes and sandals that people in 97 countries wear for everything from a walk on the beach to a mountain hike to running a 256k ultra marathon across Madagascar.

Everything we do is based on what’s natural.

xero-shoes-growing-a-shoe-brand-to-460k-month

28. Start a niche blog ($6K/year)

Aleksey Weyman from Seattle, Washington, USA started Millennial Moderator ago, a niche blog.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $500/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hello! My name is Aleksey Weyman and I’m the founder of Millennial Moderator. Millennial Moderator is an online publication that shares valuable tips and best practices across a variety of topics including technology, business, lifestyle, and more.

Our mission is to be a treasure chest of valuable insights on how to get ahead in life- both personally and professionally. Today, we are averaging $500 USD/month and around 3000 monthly readers, with imminent plans to scale upward. Millennial Moderator earns revenue from affiliate advertising networks such as AWIN, sponsored editorials, and our brand new service- Coupon Book.

how-i-coded-a-blog-from-scratch-and-monetized-it

29. Start a niche blog ($72K/year)

Bryn Todd from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada started I should have said almost 2 years ago, a niche blog.

  • Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  • Revenue: $6,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

One day I was at the planetarium with my two sons, who were 4 and 6 at the time, and my older son commented to me that a picture of earth from space was ugly. I didn’t think much of it until another boy came up to me and told me that my son had said the earth looked ugly. I told him that my son was entitled to his opinion thinking it wasn’t a big deal.

Two minutes later the boy’s father stomps on over to where I am sitting with my kids and starts yelling at me in front of twenty other families! He is screaming “How dare you talk to my son like that! I can see why your husband left you, he didn’t want to be with someone like you.”

Everyone in the room was staring at me, it was horrifying and I was so embarrassed with all eyes in the room on me. I had lost my wedding ring a couple of months before. I pathetically replied, “I am still married, I just lost my wedding ring.”

how-i-created-a-profitable-blog-helping-people-defend-against-bullies

30. Start a drinkware brand

Jon Fox from Boulder, Colorado, USA started EcoVessel about 13 years ago, a drinkware brand.

  • Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA
  • Starting Costs: $$15K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 11

Case Study

I grew up in a family where both of my parents started their own businesses, so I have had an interest in being an entrepreneur since I was fairly young. My brothers developed the same interests and one of them teaches entrepreneurship at an International University in Barcelona, and I have a twin brother that chef and founder of multiple restaurants in San Francisco.

To be successful, you can never stop innovating and trying out new ideas.

I studied Business with an emphasis in Marketing in college and got started in my career in technology sales in Arizona and then in the Bay Area. After working in technology for several years, I decided that I wanted to have a larger impact on people’s lives and do something that would help people, so I started an alternative health wellness center, called Whole Body Balance, in Boulder, Colorado. From there I got interested in designing and developing products and started a company that manufactured and sold water filtration systems.

on-starting-an-insulated-drinkware-brand-and-growing-sales-100

31. Start a supplements company ($2.4M/year)

Benjamin Hebert from Seattle, Washington, USA started Natural Stacks over 10 years ago, a supplements company.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $200,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 10

Case Study

Hi, I’m Benjamin Hebert and I’m the co-founder of NaturalStacks.com. We’re a rapidly growing supplement company that specializes in brain health.

Our products are designed to target concerns like memory, cognitive function, and processing speed.

Our flagship product CILTEP is a patented nootropic formula (a unicorn-like event in the supplement industry). We’ve funded three different clinical trials and have been able to build an incredible brand built on transparency and trust.

starting-a-mental-health-focused-supplements-company-and-growing-to-200-000-month

32. Start a publishing business ($7.2M/year)

Jeremy Hendon from started Nourishing Brands ago, a publishing business.

  • Location:
  • Revenue: $600,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$500
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 10

Case Study

Hi - I’m Jeremy Hendon, one of the co-founders of Nourishing Brands (a direct-to-consumer media company that operates popular sites like KetoSummit.com). My wife and I started the company just over 5 years ago to help people make the transition to eating a healthy diet easier and way more delicious.

Today, our main products are cookbooks (both digital and physical) and challenges and courses centered around various diets. To provide a bit of context, we sold over 300,000 cookbooks in 2020 alone. But our first really successful product in late 2016 was the Keto Summit, a digital summit with over 30 Keto experts.

how-we-started-a-600k-month-business-selling-keto-cookbooks-and-mealplans

33. Start a puppet fabric store ($120K/year)

Laurie Nickerson from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA started Puppet Pelts about 11 years ago, a puppet fabric store.

  • Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
  • Revenue: $10,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Laurie Nickerson and I and the co-owner of Puppet Pelts. At Puppet Pelts, we manufacture and sell hand dyed fabric used for puppet skins to professional puppet builders around the world.

Our Pelts are made from a textile that is really only used for puppets. It is a wonderfully stretchy nylon fleece fabric that is milled in the United States. We buy the fabric in white and dye it a bunch of colors to sell to our customers.

growing-to-9-000-month-selling-hard-to-find-puppet-fabric

34. Start a software integration plugin ($500K/year)

Jae Jun from Seattle, Washington, USA started Gorilla ROI almost 6 years ago, a software integration plugin.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $41,666/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Jae and I’m a spreadsheet nerd. 👊

Gorilla ROI is a Google Sheets add-on that connects Amazon Seller Central to Google Sheets.

If you sell on Amazon via FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon), our tool is for you.

how-i-launched-a-12k-month-amazon-seller-central-and-google-sheets-integration

35. Start a children's clothing business ($12K/year)

Rosalee Rester from Portland, Oregon, USA started Baby Wit LLC over 19 years ago, a children's clothing business.

  • Location: Portland, Oregon, USA
  • Revenue: $1,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$900
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My name is Rosalee Andrea Rester and I launched a baby apparel t-shirt company 16 years ago called Babywit.com. When I launched it was immediately successful (enough to fully support my husband while writing a novel and two children) but the landscape changed tremendously over the years and I wanted to share with you some of the lessons I learned along the way.

lessons-learned-from-20-years-in-e-commerce

36. Start a graphic design business ($120K/year)

Mimi Council from Mammoth Lakes, California, USA started Above 8000 Creative over 6 years ago, a graphic design business.

  • Location: Mammoth Lakes, California, USA
  • Revenue: $10,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Mimi Council and I’m the owner of Above 8000 Creative. I started and own this business with my husband, Delaney. Above 8000 Creative was started as a side hustle to help us build our home, and since then it’s become my husband’s full-time job and we’re close to hitting six figures of yearly revenue.

We are a creative firm that offers photography, content creation, copywriting, graphic design, website design, styling, interior design, and Instagram marketing. We work with many clients within the food, outdoor, and lifestyle industries, but specifically a lot within the food industry.

We are always willing to take on a project where we can help someone transform something creatively. All the services we offer have that in the common, creative transformation which is what we specialize in. We have an eye for content, design, and style.

on-setting-goals-to-work-landing-more-clients

37. Start a clothing boutique ($6K/year)

Jess Michelle from Seattle, Washington, USA started Jess Mi Boutique about 7 years ago, a clothing boutique.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $500/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$1K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Carter, popularly known as Jess Michelle, and I am the founding owner of Jess Mi Boutique. I cater to women of all shapes and sizes on more of the dressier side than casual.

We offer dresses, jumpsuits, matching sets, tops, bottoms, swimwear, activewear, and accessories! Through my boutique, I am also a blogger! My business has always been more than just clothes for me. So in my blog, I express some of the hurdles I have overcome as well as what my boutique truly means on a deeper level. Everything I do stems from my desire to help women see themselves through the eyes of God and the beauty they have always possessed!

The main products I offer that receive the most attention are my dresses; they are my staple pieces! Just like the famous Fashion Nova is well known for its jeans, my boutique is often known for its dresses!

on-starting-an-online-women-s-boutique-without-previous-e-commerce-experience

38. Start an online food business ($768K/year)

Kyra Bussanich from Lake Oswego started Kyra's Bake Shop, LLC almost 15 years ago, an online food business.

  • Location: Lake Oswego
  • Revenue: $64,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$62K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 11

Case Study

Hey everyone! I’m Kyra Bussanich, founder of Kyra’s Bake Shop, an exclusively gluten-free bakery in Portland Oregon. You may have seen us on the Food Network dominating the sweet competition on Cupcake Wars!

Our claim to fame, if you will, is that everything we make is gluten-free, though you would never know it by tasting our products. When I was first developing the recipes, it was very important to me that everything we make and sell is delicious enough to appeal to anyone (and not just those who must eat on a restricted diet). I think this is part of why we continue to be so successful today.

We started the business with a cottage industry certified home kitchen, and following our success, the first time on Cupcake Wars we were able to expand to a tiny little brick and mortar. It wasn’t long until we outgrew that location, and now we have a 3,500 square foot flagship bakeshop/cafe and we just opened our second location (an urban outpost) in downtown Portland. Looking back over the years, I am still shocked to see our revenue growth.

how-i-started-a-120k-month-business-selling-award-winning-pastries

39. Start a home decor business

Suzan Allen from West Linn, OR, USA started French Italian LLC over 3 years ago, a home decor business.

  • Location: West Linn, OR, USA
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 4

Case Study

I began my career in sales and marketing and after helping to grow and expand sales for several companies, I decided to start my own business. I launched BlueMarble Recruiting LLC in 2017. BlueMarble focuses on recruiting top-tier talent in a multitude of industrial markets. I’ve enjoyed seeing my business grow and am still recruiting for top companies in many industrial industries.

Always remember, your plan might change from time to time but the end game will always remain the same.

About a year ago, I decided to follow a passion of mine - interior design. I’ve always loved design and appreciated the beauty of European design. From that passion and appreciation, I’ve developed French Italian LLC. Coming from a large Italian family and being around the culture, food, language, art, textiles, and furniture, developed my love and passion for traditional European design melded with my appreciation for modern and contemporary pieces. This passion continued to grow throughout my life and can be seen in the products that I’m hoping to bring to the U.S. consumer market.

on-building-a-business-around-her-passion-for-interior-design

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.