5 City Maps Business Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A City Maps Business

The city maps business involves creating and selling customized maps of cities, neighborhoods, or specific areas.

The city maps can be used for decorative purposes, navigation aids, or as unique gifts.

To start this business on a budget, you can begin by researching and selecting popular cities or areas to create maps for.

Next, design the maps using graphic design software or outsource the design work if needed.

Finally, consider selling the maps online through platforms like Etsy, your own website, or at local markets and events.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a city maps business:

1. Mapsery ($42K/year)

Love Regefalk and his twin brother, Daniel, came up with the idea for Mapsery during their second year of university. Frustrated with inventory management in their previous business, Love wanted to create a product that didn't require keeping inventory. They decided to offer customizable map posters, taking inspiration from existing competitors in the market. Since launching in 2018, Mapsery has attracted customers from over 30 countries and continues to grow, although the founders admit they haven't spent enough time on marketing and customer acquisition. Currently, Mapsery generates around $3.5K in monthly revenue.

How much they make: $42K/year
Current team size: 0

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How Two Brothers Started A $3.5K/Month Side Hustle Sells Custom Maps

How a pair of engineering students co-founded Mapsery, a unique custom map poster business, and grew it into a $3.5k/month side hustle with a 25% profit margin in just over two years, despite facing increasing competition in the map poster niche.

About
Love started Mapsery over 6 years ago
Revenue
Love grew the business to $3.5K/month
Read by 8,481 founders

2. No Code Map App ($2.4K/year)

Nan, the founder of No Code Map App, came up with the idea while working on Pebblar, a collaborative trip planner. Recognizing the importance of visualization, they received inquiries from businesses wanting to utilize their map interface. This led to the creation of No Code Map App, a no-code platform for building custom interactive maps.

How much they make: $2.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
Current team size: 0

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How We Built A No-Code Map Builder [400 Users In The First 3 Months]

No Code Map App is a no code builder that allows businesses to create custom interactive maps with dynamic filters automatically based on their dataset, generating >$400 in the first full month of monetization.

About
Nan started No Code Map App about 2 years ago
Revenue
Nan grew the business to $200/month
Costs
It cost Nan $200 to start the business
Read by 4,229 founders

So... can you actually make money with a city maps business?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

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3. Badger Maps ($5M/year)

Steve Benson, the founder of Badger Maps, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the need for a software solution that combined a map, routing algorithm, calendar, and customer data for field sales teams. With his background in sales, Benson saw an opportunity to create a product that would save field sales teams time and improve their efficiency. Now, 7 years later, Badger Maps is making $3.3 million a year and has 60 employees.

How much they make: $5M/year
Current team size: 42

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Badger Maps: Building A Sales Route Planning App To $3.3M ARR

Badger Maps founder and CEO Steve Benson created a complete field sales app to help sales teams save time by combining Google Maps, CRM data, route optimization, schedule planning, and lead generation, resulting in the company earning $3.3 million annually and employing 60 people.

About
Steven started Badger Maps over 12 years ago
Revenue
Steven grew the business to $417K/month
Read by 4,937 founders