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30 Million Dollar Business Ideas [That You Can Start]

30 Million Dollar Business Ideas [That You Can Start]

Have you ever wondered how entrepreneurs have built a business to $1M+/year?

Well, we've got the answers for you, because we've interviewed thousands of founders running million dollar companies.

Here's a list of 50 million dollar business ideas, along with real-world examples of founders who built them.

1. Start a supplements company

A supplement business makes money by selling dietary supplements, vitamins, protein powders, and health foods to customers.

These products are often sold directly to customers or through distributors and retailers.

Your target customers will likely include fitness enthusiasts, health-conscious individuals, wellness influencers, and those who prioritize their nutrition daily.

Starting a supplement brand is becoming increasingly popular because it's relatively inexpensive, and you can run the business from your home.

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $3,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$152,681
Time To Revenue
420 days
Skills

Case Study

My name is Nick Bare and I own Bare Performance Nutrition. We are a sports nutrition and health supplement company based out of central Texas, just about 20 minutes north of Austin.

I built the brand while working as an active duty Soldier, sleeping very little and working very much. Bare Performance Nutrition has always specialized in sports performance (pre-workout, pump enhancers, whey protein, BCAAs) but is now adding to the line of health supplements (greens superfoods, red superfoods, multi-vitamin, joint support) due to the increased demand and popularity from the current customers. The flight is our flagship product (pre-workout) which launched the brand in 2012 and has been one of our fastest moving products to date.

how-an-active-duty-soldier-built-6m-year-bare-performance-nutrition

2. Create an online course

Online course businesses are one of the fastest-growing online business models. Creating an online course is an awesome way to generate extra income because it allows you to monetize the knowledge you already have. More people are taking online courses every day, and the COVID pandemic has accelerated that, with some online learning platforms having seen 15-fold growth in the number of users.

Another advantage is that these new platforms are so easy to use for instructors that you don't have to worry at all about the tech side of the business. You just need to focus on creating exciting content that is informational & engaging at the same time.

Starting an online course allows you to eliminate some of the huge costs associated with setting up a physical training facility, and it's a great way to reach as many people as possible.

How Much Can You Make?
$350 — $3,735,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$6,531
Time To Revenue
150 days
Skills

Case Study

Hey! We are Kelan and Brittany Kline the founders and co-owners of the popular personal finance blog The Savvy Couple.

We are currently on pace to make over $250,000 this year alone with our personal finance blog!

how-this-28-year-old-couple-quit-their-jobs-and-make-20k-month-running-a-blog

3. Start a hair product line

Starting a hair product line can be a fun and profitable way to build a new income stream. It's also fairly easy, as long as you plan it out (and maybe do a little bit of market research before creating your sales funnel). There's a reason we often talk about trends in hip-hop and pop culture when we talk about hairstyles — they often have a lot to do with advancements in the hair product industry. The industry is expected to grow to 102 billion dollars by 2024.

How Much Can You Make?
$550 — $2,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$675,492
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model

Case Study

Hi! My name is Mikey Moran and I am one of the owners of Private Label Extensions. We started this company a little over 5 years ago to create another option for women looking for amazing quality hair and entrepreneurs looking to get into the hair industry.

We’ve made a lot of mistakes during our business journey but have learned from them all and have seen an increase in business. We went from selling a few thousand dollars a month to over $650,000 monthly and even had a $1,000,000 month. One of our biggest accomplishments was being ranked #278 of the fastest-growing companies by Inc Magazine for 2018.

how-i-started-a-650k-month-hair-extensions-and-products-business

4. Start a bedding company

At the end of a hard day, we all need a good night’s sleep. A good quality mattress, bedsheet, or pillow makes all the difference when it comes to sleeping comfortably. That’s why many people invest in quality bedding materials, making it a profitable business idea.

The first step to starting a bedding business is to choose your niche. You need to decide what bedding you want to specialize in, which will help determine the products you’ll sell. Do you want to focus on luxury sheets? Or perhaps more affordable linens that are still high-quality?

Next, you’ll need to find a manufacturer who can supply the bedding products you want to sell. You’ll want to research different options and ensure they can provide what you need at a reasonable price.

Once you’ve got all that lined up, start setting up your website and social media accounts! These are essential tools for any business owner—especially in today’s digital landscape.

How Much Can You Make?
$10,000 — $14,166,667/month
Average Initial Investment
$47,937
Skills

Case Study

I’m Colin McIntosh, Founder & CEO of Sheets & Giggles, a pun-based, eco-friendly bedding brand that launched in May 2018 on Indiegogo with our first product: lyocell bed sheets made from eucalyptus trees.

That’s me in the middle after winning Denver Startup Week back in September.

starting-a-bed-sheet-business-making-600k-in-first-8-months

5. Start a socks business

Socks are a low-cost, high-profit business. One of the more affordable businesses you can start.

The market itself has a size of 47 billion USD in 2020 with an annual growth rate of 6%..

If you want to be successful in this industry, it is important that your socks are comfy to wear and stylish to look at. People would want to wear socks that will make them look great without sacrificing comfort.

How Much Can You Make?
$2,500 — $1,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$24,600
Time To Revenue
210 days
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 10 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Case Study

Hi, Dane Jensen here, my business partner Noah and I run Sock Club. Our flagship product is socks of course. We started Sock Club as a monthly subscription where we would deliver a pair of unique socks to our customers every month. As we’ve grown we’ve developed a manufacturing supply chain here in the United States. Having the ability to make our own socks made it possible to enter the new market of custom socks. Now making custom socks is 90% of our business and the subscription 10%. Last year we did $12M+ in revenue and we plan to do more than that this year.

how-i-started-a-1m-month-business-selling-custom-socks

6. Start a skin care product line

The skincare business is a multi-billion dollar one, and it shows no sign of slowing down. New anti-aging products are entering the market at a nearly exponential rate, and the competition for consumers' money is growing more and more.

The industry was valued at 130 billion USD in 2021 and will expand at an annual growth rate of 4.6% up to 2030. This is surely a type of business that you should not miss. You'll need to build your creativity on your products and make sure that it is all safe and useful in improving the skin of your customers.

How Much Can You Make?
$300 — $1,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$99,213
Time To Revenue
360 days
Skills

Case Study

Oh My Balm was founded two years ago and we make kitchen-crafted all-natural body products. Our tagline is “Two Mom’s Making it Real.”

We promote them through our marketing, as they work on several different projects that create a life of prosperity for African women and their families. You can find more about them here. The other charity that is close to our hearts is Behind The Scenes, which provides financial support to entertainment technology industry professionals if they, or their immediate dependent family, are seriously ill or injured. We make a body butter, “Crew,” and we give a portion of the proceeds of every tin sold to BTS. This got us mention in several entertainment industry magazines.

how-two-moms-started-a-business-selling-homemade-body-butter

7. Start a pet store

Pet stores are retail businesses that sell animals and pet supplies. They are a leading industry category with sales of approximately $4.5B U.S dollars and positive sales growth of 2.7%.

You can set up a pet store in many places, like supermarkets, malls, or pet supply stores.

The first thing to do is to find a location for your store. A good place would be an area with many residential buildings, schools, and colleges as this will give you access to many customers. It would help if you also looked for a location near public transport as it will make it easier for people to come and visit your store.

How Much Can You Make?
$20,000 — $1,200,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$18,600
Skills

Case Study

I am Mike Leon, mechanical engineer, an avid bike rider, service dog trainer and inventor of the 1-Running-Dog Bike Tow LeashⓇ for safe bike, trike, scooter, and wheelchair dog-rides.

I am the owner of LEON Engineering, Inc. We design, build and sell the 1-Running-Dog Bike Tow Leash® to dog owners, walkers, trainers, military and law enforcement, search and rescue and those with special needs. Having sold less than 200 BTLs prior, My on-the-side hobby turned into a true business in 2009 with the launch of our first website. We went from shipping hundreds/year to thousands/year. Now, our business allows me to work comfortably from home, making 6 figures, while caring for my wife and enriching the lives of tens of thousands of dogs and their humans.

how-i-started-a-6-figures-business-selling-a-dog-accessory

8. Start a smart home camera business

Consumers use smart home cameras to capture video of or around their homes. This can be done remotely via a smartphone. It can also be used for security purposes.

Starting a home camera business will require some investment, such as equipment, software, and other R&D costs.

The smart home camera market is on fire. The worldwide wireless home security cameras systems market size is projected to reach $18B by 2030. There's a new, exciting, and fast-growing business opportunity.

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000,000/month
Time To Revenue
270 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Case Study

My name is Yun Zhang and I am the CEO of Wyze Labs, as well as one of the founding members. We founded WYZE Labs in July 2017 and launched our first product, a smart home camera – the Wyze Cam – in October of the same year.

going-viral-and-selling-300-000-cameras-in-6-months

9. Start a quilt business

If you're crafty and creative, then selling quilts might be a great business for you.

Approximately, the size of the quilting industry is 4.2 billion USD.

How Much Can You Make?
$14,000 — $800,000/month
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Case Study

My name is Ross Lohr, and I’m a co-founder of Project Repat. We make it easy and affordable for customers to turn their memorable t-shirts into a one of a kind, custom t-shirt quilt backed with cozy fleece.

We currently make 2,000 custom t-shirt quilts per week at 2 production facilities in the United States. In 2018, we will make 90,000 t-shirt quilts and do $10MM in sales per year.

project-repat-10mm-business-making-quilts-from-old-t-shirts

10. Start a cleaning service

A housecleaning side business is a beautiful idea for people with free time on weekends or even weekdays. The side hustle idea requires little capital to start. During the launch, you can choose to offer the service to your neighbors and scale as you gain experience. The average salary for a house cleaner is $17.32 per hour.

By starting a house cleaning business, you are tapping into an enormous market with plenty of clientele. There could always be demand for your cleaning service, which keeps you in business as you help homeowners keep their homes spotless.

How Much Can You Make?
$3,000 — $600,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$12,645
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 7 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Case Study

Hey! My name is Neel Parekh and I am the Founder and CEO of MaidThis® & MaidThis® Franchise, a cleaning franchise that helps residential homeowners and short-term rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO, etc) with their cleanings.

  • We made our niche focus on cleaning Airbnbs and vacation rentals, in addition to regular home cleaning, which is a rapidly growing industry. We became the first cleaning franchise specializing in vacation rental cleaning.
  • Local businesses are often pretty old school and typically aren’t the best with marketing, especially digital marketing. We’re bringing new-age marketing tactics to this old-school industry.
  • Remote work: we’ve been able to stay extra nimble and lean with having a global workforce. This was initially done out of necessity so I could travel, but quickly became a huge competitive advantage. Our office team works across 8 different countries.

how-i-started-a-100k-month-home-cleaning-service-for-busy-individuals-and-airbnb-hosts

11. Start an idea management software

Idea management software is designed to help businesses and teams collaborate and track their ideas. The act of managing ideas can heavily influence the outcome of teams and projects, which can mean the difference between success and failure for a company.

You'll need to ensure that you have a solid foundation of coding and prototyping to build this kind of software. On top of that, you'll want to have good sales and marketing skills to sell this software to companies and executives.

How Much Can You Make?
$66,000 — $750,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$20,000
Skills

Case Study

Hello, my name is Charlie de Rusett and I’m the CEO and Founder of Idea Drop. We are a software-as-a-service (SAAS) that helps businesses identify, refine and execute their most innovative ideas. Our company was founded on the premise that the best ideas already exist, they just need to be discovered!

Companies across multiple global industries have seen success with Idea Drop. Examples range from multinational enterprises such as Ericsson and MTV to public sector organizations such as the NHS and Kent Police Force. We have an established track record of delivering long-term value for our clients. For instance, Covea Insurance found that an idea implemented as a result of Idea Drop would save them £2.5m over the next 5 years.

how-we-designed-a-200k-month-idea-management-software

12. Start a drinkware brand

A drinkware brand sells home and houseware products like cups, koozies, mugs, and other drinking accessories. If you've decided to try and create a business selling drinkware, there are certain things you need to know. You can do it from the comfort of your own home. You can get started for free, avoiding the hefty cost of setting up a brick-and-mortar shop. And if you take advantage of the right marketing strategies, you could be on your way to making money within a few weeks. The demand for custom-branded drinkware in the workplace has increased substantially over the past decade.

How Much Can You Make?
$416,000 — $12,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$23,400

Case Study

Hello, my name is Dylan Jacob and I am the founder of BruMate, AKA, The Dehydration Company. We are a unique insulated drinkware brand with a sole focus on the adult beverage community.

I launched our first product line in November 2016. We did $250,000 in sales from November-December 2016, 2.1M in sales in 2017, and we are now doing over 1.1M/mo in sales, in over 1000 retailers nationwide, and are on track to do 20M this year with roughly 35-45% bottom line depending on our ad-spend.

i-grew-a-drinkware-brand-to-1-1m-month-at-23-years-old

13. Start a dog treat business

Dog treats are a cornerstone of the dog food market, so when you are looking at how to sell your own dog treat, it's important to make sure that your treats are healthy ensuring that they meet all the nutritional requirements of dog food and will be safe for their consumption.

This market has a 66 billion USD market size. It can be a great place to start if you want to get into the pet industry, or if you're a total dog enthusiast.

How Much Can You Make?
$15,000 — $1,750,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$1,500,000
Skills

Case Study

We’re Lucas Walker and Riley Wallbank, and we are from Toronto. We make all natural dog treats with our company Treats Happen.

One of our biggest learnings is that we aren’t just an e-commerce company, we’re a brand. Many people who want to start a business look to be direct to consumer through their own website. We look to be available on as many profitable channels as possible.

how-this-couple-started-a-healthy-dog-treat-business

14. Start a fulfillment business

As e-commerce becomes the pillar in our retail landscape, fulfillment businesses are becoming more important.

Fulfillment companies enable e-Commerce by processing order receipts, packing, delivering, and handling returns from clients. These businesses act as a third-party warehouse and their core responsibilities include preparing and shipping orders. Thus, they store goods until they are ready to send to stores and customers. If you are planning to start a fulfillment service, some of the services will include:

  • Same day-delivery
  • Customer support through chat, text, and phone call
  • Complete order tracking from arrival at the fulfillment center to delivery to customer's door
  • Custom API integration
  • Climate-controlled storage space

To start a fulfillment center you need to find space, streamline with software, and set up and understand business KPIs with the target e-Commerce companies.

How Much Can You Make?
$90,000 — $25,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$39,997
Skills

Case Study

Hi! My name is Jan Bednar and I’m the CEO and founder of ShipMonk, a technology-driven fulfillment center based in South Florida.

Last year, we were named America’s Fastest Growing Fulfillment Center and scored a spot at #29 on Inc. 5000’s list of fastest growing companies. We made the list again this year at #154. With projected revenue of $60M for 2019, we absolutely can’t wait to see what else is in store for us!

how-this-immigrant-entrepreneur-built-a-60m-year-fulfillment-business

15. Start a CRM business

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software keeps track of prospects, clients and their contacts and also helps you monitor your sales pipeline as well as to create reports for business intelligence.

The CRM market is a $50B and growing industry.

How Much Can You Make?
$5,000 — $2,100,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$229,166
Skills

Case Study

My name is Lars Helgeson and I am the founder of GreenRope, a CRM and marketing automation platform. Our company started in 2000 as an email marketing SaaS and in 2008 decided to focus on the challenges that businesses face in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.

GreenRope has over 1,000 customers in over 20 countries, ranging from startups to universities and municipalities.

on-starting-a-160k-month-crm-automations-company-after-a-us-air-force-career

16. Start a publishing business

Starting a publishing business can be a rewarding and lucrative endeavor for those with a passion for literature and strong business acumen. This type of business involves producing and distributing written materials such as books, magazines, and digital content.

To start a publishing business, you need a solid business plan outlining your goals and target market. You will also need to secure funding to cover the costs of printing and distributing your materials. This can include obtaining loans or seeking investors.

In addition to financial resources, you will need a team of professionals with expertise in editing, design, marketing, and sales. It’s important to build a diverse and skilled team to ensure the success of your business.

Success in the publishing industry requires a strong understanding of current trends and adapting to changing market conditions. Stay current on industry news and continually seek new opportunities to grow and expand your business.

Starting a publishing business requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to take risks. But with the right team and strategy, it can be a fulfilling and profitable venture.

How Much Can You Make?
$1,200 — $2,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$99,585
Time To Revenue
270 days
Skills
Business model

Case Study

Hello! I’m Ricardo Fayet, one of the four founders and the Chief Marketing Officer of Reedsy. First and foremost, Reedsy is a marketplace connecting authors (or anyone looking to publish a book) with all the people they’ll need to prepare, publish, and market that book successfully — think editors, proofreaders, cover designers, illustrators, ghostwriters, book marketers, and even literary translators.

Since starting in 2014, the marketplace has become home to over 1,500 vetted freelance professionals and close to a million authors, driving 1,000+ projects every month with a GMV of over $1m.

how-our-book-publishing-services-marketplace-hit-1m-month-in-gross-merchandise-value

17. Start a cannabis business

Have you ever thought of starting your own cannabis business?

The cannabis industry has been continuously growing throughout the years. The legal marijuana sales are projected to reach $22 billion by 2022.

No matter your level of experience, the cannabis industry has a lot to offer. There are inspiring stories of entrepreneurs that made it big in this particular industry.

How Much Can You Make?
$2,500 — $3,100,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$46,250
Skills

Case Study

I’m Evan and I started Plain Jane with my college roommate, Duane Dennis.

Within 5 months of starting to sell, we’re now generating more than $20K a month in sales. We have customers in 47 states and we’re in more than 12 retail locations.

how-two-college-roommates-started-an-online-cbd-business

18. Start a diagnostic tools business

How Much Can You Make?
$4,200,000/month
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model

Case Study

My name is Tyler Robertson, and I’m the founder and CEO of Diesel Laptops.

In three short years, it went from me in my dining room table and garage to a 21,000 square foot facility with over 90 employees.

diesel-laptops-from-selling-on-ebay-to-making-20m-year

19. Start a custom prints business

Custom print businesses often focus on printing everything, including business cards, photos, and even custom T-shirts.

To start an online custom prints business, choose a niche to help your business stand out and attract the right target audience. Then, focus on producing quality prints of different sizes, materials, and designs. You may hire designers online or search for designs in online design communities. Then, validate the designs before you begin mass production. Finally, set up an online store, and launch the business.

Remember that with the growth in popularity of selling custom prints, expect to face stiff competition. Therefore, you should market your custom prints on social media to maximize your reach.

How Much Can You Make?
$3,700 — $3,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$135,000
Skills

Case Study

Hi! I’m Zach Katz, and I started Framed Tweets to give people a simple way to beautifully frame their favorite tweets as art, to remember and enjoy forever.

how-i-stumbled-into-a-300k-business-framing-tweets

20. Become a vehicle exporter

How Much Can You Make?
$2,300,000/month
Skills

Case Study

I am the founder and President of Marshal Group LLC, a licensed Illinois dealer specializing in exporting vehicles from the U.S. and Canada to destinations abroad.

Our first full year, 2008, we had $26MM in gross sales, working from the bedroom of my house with myself and my mom as the only two employees. Sales slowed in 2009 with the recession but from 2010 to 2015 we grew each year peaking at $50MM in sales and 650 vehicles sold.

how-i-started-a-2-3m-month-business-exporting-vehicles-abroad

21. Start an online food business

How Much Can You Make?
$4,000 — $12,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$77,633
Time To Revenue
360 days

Case Study

When we first started, we sold around 200 bowls each week. We currently sell around 10,000 bowls each month. Most companies like this start the same way, cooking from their primary residence for family and friends. We were no exception. But as we continued to grow, we spent time and money to work out of rentable commercial kitchens until we were able to afford our own.

how-we-started-a-meal-prep-delivery-business-and-did-1-8m-in-sales

22. Start a mystery game store

How Much Can You Make?
$85,000 — $5,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$2,500
Skills
Business model

Case Study

Hello, my name is Ryan Hogan and I am the Co-founder and CEO of Hunt A Killer, an innovative entertainment company that delivers clues, items and correspondence to your doorstep each month, which immerses Members in an interactive story. We have a total of four brands: Hunt A Killer, our murder mystery for true crime fans; Empty Faces, our paranormal investigation for horror fanatics; Escape The Invasion, our science fiction thriller for those looking to survive an alien apocalypse; and Team Building Kits, our business-to-business product that brings corporate teams together and improves company culture through quarterly experiences that create a fun and challenging environment.

Hunt A Killer started with 146 subscribers in October 2016. In August 2019, we shipped our one-millionth episode and continue to see signs of massive growth in the immersive entertainment space.

how-we-created-a-2m-month-subscription-based-mystery-games-business

23. Start a hygiene product company

Starting a hygiene products business can be a lucrative and rewarding venture. This type of business involves producing and selling products that help people maintain cleanliness and personal hygiene, such as soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes.

To start and run this business successfully, you will need to have a solid understanding of the market and the needs of your target customers. You will also need a reliable source of raw materials, such as oils and fragrances, to create your products.

In addition, you will need to have a good business plan in place, including a marketing strategy and a financial plan. You will also need to be willing to invest time and resources into research and development to ensure that your products are of high quality and meet the needs of your customers.

Finally, it is essential to have a solid online presence to reach a wider audience and market your products effectively. This can include a website, social media accounts, and an email list to stay in touch with your customers.

Overall, starting a hygiene products business requires a combination of market research, product development, and effective marketing. With hard work and dedication, this business can be a rewarding and profitable venture.

How Much Can You Make?
$30,000 — $5,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$55,250
Time To Revenue
270 days
Skills
Business model

Case Study

My name is Jonathan Bradford and I grew up in a household with a father who built his own successful engineering business (my mother would have always said it was in fact always on the verge of bankruptcy fighting off the bailiffs).

As one that has always been very aware of the importance of CLEAN HANDS, I firmly believed from the outset that this concept had legs, in that if I could provide a nice looking dispenser that looked at home in all environments, hold a good number of antibacterial wipes at a reasonable cost, it had to add value to both the club, office or workspace, for it enhances the overall perception of cleanliness within the organization. It puts hand and surface wipes easily within reach of both staff and members leaving NO room for excuses - convenience improving compliance!

how-my-forward-thinking-hygiene-solutions-company-is-thriving-in-covid-19

24. Start a jewelry making business

The global jewelry market size was valued at $278B in 2018 and is expected to reach $292B by 2025.

The industry comprises manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and jewelry designers. Unlike many other industries that have gone through leaps in technology, the jewelry industry has remained untouched for over 40 years.

If you know how to make jewelry, then this might be a great way to make some extra money.

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

Case Study

Hello there! We are Lindsay Ann Gottschall and Courtney Joy Bleier, two sisters from Miami who started Ann + Joy. We make handmade real flower and resin jewelry and sell online and in stores around the world. We take pride in being one of the first companies to make real flower jewelry. During our first year of business, we blossomed almost immediately into a very successful Etsy shop. Etsy was constantly featuring our products on its website and in promotional emails. We are proud to say that since starting in early 2017 we have had over 5,000 sales online.

For all the readers, we are providing a 20% off coupon to our Etsy shop. Use code: STARTERSTORY at checkout!

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

25. Start a photo printing business

How Much Can You Make?
$27,400 — $1,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$5,075
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model

Case Study

Hello, my name is Jainam Shah, and I am one of the founders of CanvasChamp. We make a variety of custom photo products for home decor and gifting purposes, most notably canvas prints, acrylic and metal prints. We have a lot many other products already launched and soon will introduce even more.

We started in March 2012, with just custom canvas prints and now have more than 60+ personalized photo gifts products with revenue of 1.5m$+/mo. We still have a long way to go with the potential of scalability and growth.

how-we-started-a-1-5m-month-custom-canvas-prints-business-online

26. Create a digital wallet app

A digital wallet is a financial transaction application that runs on mobile devices. In today’s digital era, people demand the freedom to purchase anything and be able to pay from their digital wallets.

With technological advancement, making digital payments has become easier than ever before. Anyone can use mobile payment platforms to pay and accept payments online. Therefore, creating a digital payments wallet can be a great business opportunity.

To create a digital wallet, conduct extensive market research and create a business plan. It would help if you could hire competent programmers to create a secure payment gateway.

How Much Can You Make?
$220,000 — $1,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$700,000
Time To Revenue
240 days
Skills
Work from home

Case Study

My name is Yavor Petrov and I’m the CEO of iCard - a unique and 100% digital bank account alternative.

Since the launch in late 2017 , the iCard app got around 500,000 downloads. An increasing number of our users opt to use our accounts for getting salaries paid in because of the security tools we have embedded. Everyone has their own particular favourite feature, but spending money in a way that provides better than expected funds protection is the main conversion point and we seek any opportunity to emphasize it.

how-we-launched-a-1-5mm-month-digital-wallet-and-financial-services-company

27. ($18M/year)

Jeffrey Mora from Los Angeles, California, USA started Food Fleet over 11 years ago, a business.

  • Revenue: $1,500,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 6
  • Location: Los Angeles, California, USA

Case Study

I started my career at the world-famous Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles Apprenticing under Certified Master Chef Raimund Hofmeister.

Food Fleet’s growth Year after year has been at an at over 30 %. From 2017-2018 we had an unprecedented 160% growth spurt. With a team of 6, including my partner and I, we managed over 20 million in sales for our clients. As an example. We took over a convention center 3 years ago managing their food truck business. For their largest event of the year, we were up 53% over the previous year. I honestly would have to equate some of that success to the under-reporting of sales by the previous operator. But the following year we were up 19% from that figure and again close to that this year. That is due in large part to our understanding of transaction times, menu mix, the equipment in each truck or pop up and other factors.

27. Start a mattress brand

Do you want to start a mattress business? Starting a mattress brand is a lucrative business you can set up in any part of the world. The truth is that the demand for mattresses is increasing as the population continues growing. Data shows that the global mattress market is growing by a CAGR of 6.7% over the past few years, and this growth will not slow down anytime soon. However, whether you shall be a wholesale or a retail mattress business, finding a good location is the key to the success of your business!

In recent years, strip malls have remained a good position for consumer goods such as mattresses.

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000,000 — $3,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$28,125
Time To Revenue
240 days
Skills
Business model

Case Study

My name is Joe Nashif and I operate US-Mattress.com. We are an online mattress retailer shipping all across the US and we also have some stores in Michigan. We specialize in selling name-brand mattresses, like Sealy, Serta, Tempur-Pedic, and Beautyrest, but we also offer many other brands like Nectar and other lesser-known names. We have a great team of dedicated folks helping to take care of our customers no matter where they live.

Our business is very competitive and it would be hard to start an online mattress company today. We were fortunate to get started when nobody was selling mattresses online. Today, we have competition from online giants, big brick and mortar retailers, and newer, direct-to-consumer brands. We generate $750,000 a month now, one customer at a time.

how-i-started-a-750k-month-mattress-ecommerce

28. Start a publishing business

Starting a publishing business can be a rewarding and lucrative endeavor for those with a passion for literature and strong business acumen. This type of business involves producing and distributing written materials such as books, magazines, and digital content.

To start a publishing business, you need a solid business plan outlining your goals and target market. You will also need to secure funding to cover the costs of printing and distributing your materials. This can include obtaining loans or seeking investors.

In addition to financial resources, you will need a team of professionals with expertise in editing, design, marketing, and sales. It’s important to build a diverse and skilled team to ensure the success of your business.

Success in the publishing industry requires a strong understanding of current trends and adapting to changing market conditions. Stay current on industry news and continually seek new opportunities to grow and expand your business.

Starting a publishing business requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to take risks. But with the right team and strategy, it can be a fulfilling and profitable venture.

How Much Can You Make?
$1,200 — $2,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$99,585
Time To Revenue
270 days
Skills
Business model

Case Study

Hello! I’m Ricardo Fayet, one of the four founders and the Chief Marketing Officer of Reedsy. First and foremost, Reedsy is a marketplace connecting authors (or anyone looking to publish a book) with all the people they’ll need to prepare, publish, and market that book successfully — think editors, proofreaders, cover designers, illustrators, ghostwriters, book marketers, and even literary translators.

Since starting in 2014, the marketplace has become home to over 1,500 vetted freelance professionals and close to a million authors, driving 1,000+ projects every month with a GMV of over $1m.

how-our-book-publishing-services-marketplace-hit-1m-month-in-gross-merchandise-value

30. Start an online advertising agency ($15M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$2,797 — $1,250,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$18,576
Skills

Joel Cox from Denver, Colorado, USA started Strategus almost 9 years ago, a online advertising agency.

  • Revenue: $1,250,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 21
  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA

Case Study

I’m Joel Cox, co-founder and executive vice president of strategy and innovation for Strategus, an advertising technology startup founded in Denver in 2014. The company pioneered the first programmatic OTT/CTV (Over-The-Top digital streaming over Connected Television) advertising campaign the following year.

The Strategus Managed Services Platform produces real-time automated ad campaigns that instantly deliver custom, audience-targeted messages to CTVs and other internet-connected devices. With a wide variety of brand and agency customers, our growth has been phenomenal, with revenues of $14.8 million in 2019. We’ve been on the Inc. 5000 three years running due to our geometric sales increases.

how-we-started-the-first-programmatic-ott-ctv-advertising-company

31. Start a crime scene cleanup business ($0/year)

Nick-Anthony Zamucen from Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA started Bio-One over 15 years ago, a crime scene cleanup business.

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

Case Study

Hello reader and thanks for stopping by. Let me start off by saying I hope you’re not reading this during the day when you should be working on your business.

For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on Bio-One Inc. and how I created the world's first multi million dollar crime and trauma scene franchise.

how-i-created-a-1-2m-month-crime-scene-cleanup-business

32. Start a laptop accessories brand ($12M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $1,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$100,000
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model

Jack Yao from Boston, Massachusetts, USA started Mobile Pixels about 5 years ago, a laptop accessories brand.

  • Revenue: $1,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 4
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Case Study

My name is Jack Yao, our company is Mobile Pixels Inc. We started the company when I was a graduate student at MIT. During an internship at Amazon, I urgently felt the need of using a portable monitor as I was working in a co-working space. The idea came to when I was doing some programming work, I wished that I could have had a monitor that can be expanded from the back of the main laptop display.

Our product is the Duex monitor, we did 4.3MM in sales in 2019, and are on track to do $12MM for 2020.

how-we-designed-a-1m-month-portable-monitor-for-laptops

33. Start an aerial imagery business ($12M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000,000/month
Skills

Robert Morris from San Leandro, California, USA started TerrAvion over 10 years ago, a aerial imagery business.

  • Revenue: $1,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 30
  • Location: San Leandro, California, USA

Case Study

My name is Robert Morris. I founded TerrAvion in 2013 together with Cornell Wright.

We view our job as abstracting away all the complexity and delivering maps that are ready to use so that growers can spend more time applying their expertise, more powerfully, and over a larger area. Below is a screenshot of our interface with fields shown in our vigor image data layers.

how-we-started-a-1mm-month-company-selling-aerial-imagery-for-agricultures

34. Start a speaker store ($12M/year)

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

Johnathan Price from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA started Down4SoundShop.Com over 7 years ago, a speaker store.

  • Revenue: $1,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 5
  • Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Case Study

My name is Johnathan Price, Owner of Down4soundshop.com, we distribute car audio products worldwide to fellow car audio fanatics. Mostly which consists of doing it yourself people that enjoy building their own systems with their friends.

This is my 4th year in business doing this full time and we are projecting to break 10 million dollars in sales.

how-i-started-a-1m-month-brand-dedicated-to-car-audio

35. Start a marketing agency ($10.8M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,300 — $465,583,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$33,412
Time To Revenue
330 days

Brian Cohen from Charleston, South Carolina, USA started Visiture over 15 years ago, a marketing agency.

  • Revenue: $900,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 100
  • Location: Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Case Study

Hello, my name is Brian Cohen and I’m the Co-Founder and CEO of Visiture.

In addition, our monthly revenue and profit exceed what our entire revenue was in 2015. Our MRR is approaching $1MM. It’s been a tough road to get here, but we’re going to leverage our momentum and plan to double the company annually for the next 2-3 years.

how-i-started-a-marketing-agency-that-grows-at-84-with-1mm-monthly-revenue

36. Start a cycling tools business ($9M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$750,000/month
Skills

Chris Parr from Marlow Bottom, England, United Kingdom started Pro Bike Tool almost 8 years ago, a cycling tools business.

  • Revenue: $750,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2
  • Location: Marlow Bottom, England, United Kingdom

Case Study

Hey, we’re Chris and Nicole Parr, husband and wife and owners of PRO BIKE TOOL. PRO BIKE TOOL is a manufacturer, brand and online retailer of essential, affordable bike tools & accessories for riders of all disciplines and abilities. Our flagship products include a Mini Bike Pump with innovative in-line pressure gauge, a CO2 Inflator with a unique gas regulation lever, and a precision calibrated Torque Wrench Set.

Over four years, we’ve grown from selling one tool to selling 32 products across 10 marketplaces, with a turnover of $750K per month. It’s been quite a journey.

how-we-started-a-750k-month-amazon-bestselling-cycling-tools-company

37. Start a children's clothing business ($9M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$500 — $1,333,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$28,750
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills

Erin E Hooley from Rhome, Texas, USA started Bailey's Blossoms over 14 years ago, a children's clothing business.

  • Revenue: $750,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 35
  • Location: Rhome, Texas, USA

Case Study

Hello! I'm Erin E. Hooley, proud Texas mom of 6 as well as founder and CEO of the e-commerce children's clothing line Bailey's Blossoms and it's sister brand, Peyton Bre.

Bailey's Blossoms started as a hair accessories company at my kitchen table in Arizona back in 2008 and has since grown into a multi-million dollar adventure. Both brands provide fashion-forward styles at a price that won't break the bank!

how-i-started-a-750k-month-infant-and-toddler-clothing-brand

38. Start a team collaboration app ($12M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$3,000 — $1,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$25,000
Time To Revenue
360 days
Skills

Michael Hollauf from Vienna, Austria started Meister over 16 years ago, a team collaboration app.

  • Revenue: $1,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 85
  • Location: Vienna, Austria

Case Study

My name is Michael Hollauf, I’m one of the founders of Meister, and we currently have two very popular apps for team creativity and productivity on the market — MindMeister is the biggest online mind mapping app with over 11 million users worldwide, and MeisterTask is our new agile task management tool that already has 3 million users and is catching up fast with the likes of Trello and Asana, having won both Apple’s and Google’s Best of the Year award in its launch year.

We’re currently close to US$ 10 million ARR with our Freemium subscription business model on both apps.

how-our-team-collaboration-apps-generate-600k-month

39. Start an ecommerce platform ($16.8M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$100 — $83,333,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$438,707
Skills

Eyal from Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District, Israel started StoreYa almost 11 years ago, a ecommerce platform.

  • Revenue: $1,400,000/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 18
  • Location: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District, Israel

Case Study

Hi, my name is Eyal Reich and I'm StoreYa's co-founder and COO, along with Yariv Dror, the CEO (and my brother:) and Pasha Zaft, the CTO.

We launched StoreYa 7 years ago, with the idea of building a valid business, one with a strong business model behind it. As opposed to many startups that pursue their dream and don't think about how to make money in the early stages, we didn't want to be dependent on fundraising, we wanted to reach the profitability stage as soon as possible. We raised a seed round of ~$900K when we first started and for the past 3 years, we've been profitable, generating an average of $700K MRR.

how-we-started-a-700k-month-business-getting-targeted-traffic-for-online-sellers

40. Start a marketing agency ($8.4M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,300 — $465,583,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$33,412
Time To Revenue
330 days

Chris Ciunci from Boston, Massachusetts, USA started TribalVision over 13 years ago, a marketing agency.

  • Revenue: $700,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 70
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Case Study

My name is Chris Ciunci and I’m the Founder and Managing Partner of TribalVision. We are an outsourced marketing department for hire, dedicated to helping organizations grow. We do this by first crafting an overall marketing strategy tailored to the client’s specific needs. From there, we execute that strategy tactically, acting as our clients’ marketing team and keeping their best marketing interests in mind. Digital marketing tactics that we implement include; Google Ads, SEO, retargeting, social media marketing, email marketing, account-based marketing, and more.

Since 2010, we’ve served a variety of industries, including manufacturers, professional service firms, non-profits, startups, and a myriad of B2C organizations. Our Google reviews speak to the caliber of work we provide and reflect our rapid growth trajectory over the past decade. We’ve been listed as an Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company on multiple occasions and are also frequently recognized as the Best Place to Work in the Boston and Rhode Island markets.

how-i-started-a-700k-month-marketing-agency

41. Start a dermatology business ($12M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$250,000
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model

Scott R. Melamed from Penfield, New York, USA started ProMD Health over 4 years ago, a dermatology business.

  • Revenue: $1,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 28
  • Location: Penfield, New York, USA

Case Study

Hello, my name is Scott Melamed and I run ProMD Health, along with my co-founder/business partner and close personal friend Dr. George O. Gavrila, MD. ProMD Health operates in the Aesthetic Dermatology space, but we are so much more than that. I believe that it is every company’s duty to do their part to change the world for the better and we accomplish that mission by delivering great results, taking care of our patients, our staff, our vendors, and the community at large through a number of charitable initiatives under our corporate giving program ProMD Helps.

ProMD Health started as a single location practice and has quickly grown to include 4 offices, a franchise, a philanthropic initiative, a tattoo removal business, a telemedicine company, and so much more. Since inception, our CAGR has been over 40% and we are rapidly expanding through our independent ownership program aimed at giving physicians from any industry seeking to enter this space the tools and training they need to succeed as the owner of their own ProMD Health.

how-we-started-a-700k-month-aesthetic-dermatology-business

42. Start an outsourcing business ($16.8M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$120,000 — $1,399,996/month
Average Initial Investment
$186,120
Skills
Business model

Cody McLain from Austin, Texas, USA started SupportNinja about 8 years ago, a outsourcing business.

  • Revenue: $1,399,996/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1021
  • Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Case Study

How many times have you failed and got back up? My life has been nothing but failures, hurdles, and obstacles, and I continued to get back up. I started my first business when I was just 14, had to borrow my mom’s credit card to pay for a reseller account at hostgator.com. The plan was to get rich selling web hosting! I didn’t get rich, per se, but after losing both my parents before the age of 18, it was the only thing I had left that gave me purpose.

The business presently generates over $9M ARR with around 103 clients. Our growth rate in the past 3-years was 3,684%.

how-i-started-a-9m-year-company-outsourcing-support-for-startups

43. Start a newsletter ($25.6M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$100 — $2,133,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$61,208
Time To Revenue
330 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Matt Paulson from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA started MarketBeat over 12 years ago, a newsletter.

  • Revenue: $2,133,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 6
  • Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA

Case Study

My name is Matt Paulson and I’m the founder of MarketBeat, a financial media company that empowers individual stock investors to make better trading decisions by providing objective financial information and real-time market data.

MarketBeat is expected to generate approximately $8 million in revenue in 2019 and end the year at about 1.3 million unique email subscribers.

how-i-started-an-8m-year-stock-market-research-website

44. Dropshipping men's grooming products ($7.8M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $650,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$113,500
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model

Matt Dryfhout from Chicago, Illinois, USA started BAKblade over 10 years ago, a dropshipping men's grooming products.

  • Revenue: $650,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 10
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Case Study

Hello, my name is Matt Dryfhout and my wife is Angelina Dryfhout. We are the co-founders of BAKblade, LLC, a brand offering easy and pain-free solutions to solve back and body management.

Our mission statement is to design and create unique products with unique content to solve unique problems. Our goal to restore confidence back in our customers which ultimately breeds success in their lives.

bakblade-7m-per-year-shaving-men-s-hairy-backs

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

How Much Can You Make?
$600,000 — $2,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$50,750
Time To Revenue
360 days
Skills
Business model

David Gomez from California, USA started Clean Energy Solutions over 9 years ago, a solar energy business.

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

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.

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

46. Start a dolly product ($7M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$583,000/month
Skills

Michael Reznik from Columbus, Ohio, USA started Upcart about 8 years ago, a dolly product.

  • Revenue: $583,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 4
  • Location: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Case Study

Hello, my name is Michael Reznik and I am the Co-Founder and CEO of TriFold LLC, the company that invented the UpCart ® line of products. We are dedicated to revolutionizing mobility with innovative products that give people the freedom to do what they love by enhancing their mobility. When people have greater mobility, they can do more and be more productive.

Our first product, the UpCart Original, became available in August 2015 and promptly sold out of stock within 10 days of going viral on Facebook after Thanksgiving. We did $385,000 in sales from August – December 2015. Revenue continued to grow with $3.2M in 2016, $5.4M in 2017, and we are on track to exceed $7M in sales this year. We are excited to note that UpCart ® products are for sale in Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Lowe’s and other major retailers.

how-two-unlikely-partners-invented-the-upcart-and-went-viral-on-qvc

47. Start a mobile veterinary service ($6.96M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$580,000 — $649,999,999/month
Skills

Lisa Aumiller from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, USA started housepaws about 13 years ago, a mobile veterinary service.

  • Revenue: $580,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 82
  • Location: Mount Laurel, New Jersey, USA

Case Study

HousePaws started 10 years ago this April. I had become disenchanted with practicing in a “normal” veterinary environment: appointments every 10-15 min, stressed owners/ pets/ workers, etc. I was starting work and it was dark outside and leaving work and it was dark outside. Clients, despite liking me as a vet, did not perceive the value of the visit was worth what they were paying, and the hospital I worked out was corporate-minded. The practice had one size fits all plans which were not consistent with how I like to practice. I consider every patient as an individual. Each pet, even those living in the same house, have different lifestyles sometimes.

At the end of 2010, I was working alone, 80 hours a week, and making $60,000 in revenue. Today we have over 100 employees and are making more than 7 million in revenue and thankfully I am not working 80 hours a week anymore!

how-we-started-a-mobile-veterinary-service-serving-our-community

48. Start a proposal software app ($6.84M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$570,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$100
Time To Revenue
360 days
Skills

Kyle Racki from Halifax, Canada started Proposify over 10 years ago, a proposal software app.

  • Revenue: $570,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 76
  • Location: Halifax, Canada

Case Study

I’m Kyle Racki, CEO and co-founder of Proposify. Proposify is an online business proposal SaaS (software as a service) company that streamlines the process of creating, sending, and closing proposals, quotes, contracts, and other sales documents. We do this by making the process of creating documents faster and more efficient, and by allowing sales teams to send out beautiful, professional sales documents and get them signed.

We currently serve over 8,000 customers, have 75 employees based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and do over $7M in annual recurring revenue (and growing).

how-we-built-proposify-and-grew-to-7m-arr

29. Start a white pages tool

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

Case Study

My name is Harrison, and I am the CEO and Co-Founder of Spokeo. We are a people information service that helps over 15 million users a month to search and connect with others. Whether it’s finding long-lost families and friends, or helping people research before they date, we organize over 14 billion records into easy-to-understand reports so that we can make trust a little easier.

pivoting-from-social-media-aggregator-to-6m-month-people-search-tool

30. Start a business communications software

How Much Can You Make?
$5,000 — $10,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$209,333
Time To Revenue
330 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Case Study

My name is Matthew Roberts, and with the help of co-founder Nathan Anderson and our great friend Benjamin White, we started our company PEAR and launched our first product: PEAR Cards.

We are based in Chico, CA and are currently awaiting our first order of PEAR Cards. They should be here sometime in the January - February time frame, and we are so excited to finally hold them in our hands & share them with the rest of the world!

raising-19-000-building-a-positive-card-game

Pat Walls,  Founder of Starter Story
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