The 38 Best Home-Based Businesses To Start In Montana [2024]

Updated: January 20th, 2022

Interested in starting a business in Montana in 2024?

We put together 38 of the best businesses you can start in Montana today.

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

Here's the full list:

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Start a fitness facility ($240K/year)

Paul Dickey and Alec Abend from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada started Hexbox Fitness over 4 years ago, a fitness facility.

  • Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • Revenue: $20,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 7

Case Study

Hello! Our names are Alec Abend and Paul Dickey, Co-Founders of Hexbox Fitness. We are a state of the art, upscale Fitness Facility. The combination of our own branded class and 24 hour Member access has created our own unique model carving out our own lane within the ever growing Fitness Industry.

Our HXBX® Class combines HR Technology, community, and a strength and conditioning based program; in a game structured format to give our Members the best and most fun workouts they’ve experienced. With an emphasis on building lean muscle, all while improving cardiovascular endurance.

On top of being a community driven facility, our members get the convenience of 24 hour access to come in and use the equipment any time, any day. We currently have 1 location in the Monterey, CA area, and are working on locking in a few franchise and licensing deals to expand.

how-we-started-a-20k-month-fitness-facility

20. 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

21. Start a food tour company ($900K/year)

Jessica Baumgart from Denver, Colorado, USA started Delicious Denver Food Tours about 6 years ago, a food tour company.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $75,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$2K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

Hi, I’m Jessica Baumgart, and in 2017 I founded Delicious Denver Food Tours to connect Denver locals and visitors to my city’s amazing food scene.

Many people don’t know what a food tour is, although they are the fastest growing sector in tourism. Food tours are walking (sometimes driving or biking) city tours that feature local restaurants, dishes and chefs.

how-i-started-a-wildly-successful-food-tour-business

22. Start an iot startup ($96K/year)

Craig Rabin from Seattle, Washington, USA started The Airhook over 9 years ago, an IoT startup.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $8,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

My name is Craig Rabin, my team & I invented a travel gadget called The Airhook in 2015 and have seen great success over the last 5 years… until the pandemic hit. The Airhook is a small travel gadget that anchors to the back of a locked airline tray table – which holds your beverage and electronics device. All the convenience of the tray table with the ability to move your knees!

Leading up the pandemic we were shipping products all over the world and to every state in the U.S. Business was booming as we had just won the award for the Most Innovative Travel Gadget. Then, the travel world completely froze and has since been thawing incredibly at an incredibly slow rate. What to do, what to do??

how-we-re-pivoting-during-the-pandemic

23. Start a shipping company ($240K/year)

Dvir Edri from Denver, CO, USA started Car Shipping Calculator about 13 years ago, a shipping company.

  • Location: Denver, CO, USA
  • Revenue: $20,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$100K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 7

Case Study

Hi! I’m Dvir and I run Nationwide Auto Transportation. NAT is an auto shipping broker, which means that we connect consumers in need of car shipping services with truckers who transport vehicles across the United States.

Since the inception of our company 12 years ago, we have served more than 50,000 customers - many multiple times. We ship approximately 4,000 vehicles per month.

Transporting the Batmobile

how-i-started-a-20k-month-auto-shipping-broker-business

24. Start a remote hiring company ($1.02M/year)

Gino Ferrand from Seattle, Washington, USA started TECLA almost 11 years ago, a remote hiring company.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $85,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 12

Case Study

Hey! I’m Gino Ferrand and I’m the founder of TECLA. I’m originally from Lima, Peru, and I’m currently living in Seattle, Washington. My business makes it easy for startups to interview and directly hire software developers from an invite-only network of the top talent in South America (same time zones as the U.S.).

TECLA is a hiring platform designed specifically for startups and software agencies that are looking for pre-screened, vetted, talent and are open to working with remote team members. Today, we have almost 9,000 remote candidates on our platform from all over Latin America. We’ve successfully connected hundreds of senior-level engineers and designers with companies from across the U.S. for full-time positions.

how-i-started-a-85k-month-business-connecting-companies-with-tech-talent-in-south-america

25. Start a flip flop brand ($6M/year)

Matt Griffin from Issaquah, Washington, USA started Combat Flip Flops about 11 years ago, a flip flop brand.

  • Location: Issaquah, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $500,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$2K
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Matt Griffin, and I'm the CEO of Combat Flip Flops--a team of people that believe we can bring sustainable, peaceful solution to armed conflict with education and economics.

Combat Flip Flops is an e-commerce company employing artisans and entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, Colombia, Laos, and the United States.

With a team of five, Combat Flip Flops distributes products direct-to-consumer through our website, Amazon, and a handful of boutique dealers. Collectively, we refer to our customers, dealers, and supporters as “The Unarmed Forces.” In 2017, The Unarmed Forces (UAF) funded 217 years of school for Afghan girls and cleared 2814 square meters of landmines in Laos.

growing-an-e-commerce-company-with-a-positive-mission-to-350-000-mo

26. Start a marketing agency ($1.8M/year)

Kenn Kelly from Denver, Colorado, USA started Never Settle over 11 years ago, a marketing agency.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $150,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$5K
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 15

Case Study

Hello, I’m Kenn Kelly and co-found Never Settle with two dear friends Andrew Lundquist and Shaul Hagen. Never Settle is a Digital Agency where relationships with our customers come first - after all, they are everything in our business. Although small, we’ve been globally recognized as a leader in mobile, website & marketing solutions.

Our clients range from small mom and pop businesses to enterprises. Our flagship product is eCommerce development. Whether helping a business sell products for the first time online or helping a company manage online sales + in-store purchases + Amazon from one unified inventory and reporting system, we’ve completed a very diverse set of work inside the eCommerce ecosystem. While we technically do a lot of eCommerce, marketing, and web development - really what we’re experts in, is helping our customers build bigger stories.

We’re huge fans of ‘lean methodology’ and that’s one of the things that sets us apart. We’re the first to help clients reduce their overall budget while coming up with creative ways to leverage what’s needed at that moment to create the maximum impact. Because we’re in it for the long haul, we’re not focused on getting the most out of our clients, but rather we’re focused on building a long-lasting mutually beneficial relationship. From that starting position, everything else falls in line.

how-i-left-silicon-valley-and-started-a-100k-month-digital-agency

27. Start an education products business ($18K/year)

Alex Bricker from Fort Collins, Colorado, USA started ESL With Purpose over 6 years ago, an education products business.

  • Location: Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $1,500/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My name’s Alex and I started ESL With Purpose, LLC. Our mission is to see millions of English learners change their lives through English skills.

Our flagship products are the Phrase It™ cards and Phrase It™ dice. I currently make between $600-$1,000/month, depending on inventory flow and availability of profit reinvestment.

I started with 0 sales a day in 2017 and now average 2-3 sales per day. In 2019, I started an online course to teach English called Learn American English Online: English on the Street. I designed this to help more students plus increase cash flow to keep my inventory cycles going.

how-i-started-a-side-hustle-making-an-extra-1000-month

28. 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

29. Start a dog clothing line

Tyson Walters from Irvine, California, USA started Shed Defeder over 7 years ago, a dog clothing line.

  • Location: Irvine, California, USA
  • Starting Costs: $$50K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

I’m Tyson Walters, the founder and CEO of Shed Defender. The company officially launched in October 2016, but I came up with the idea about 6 years ago and spent a few years testing out fabrics and designs so it’s been a long road to get to where we are today.

The only product we sell right now is the flagship product - the Shed Defender, which is a versatile onesie that contains pet hair and dander, reduces anxiety and can replace the medical cone for dogs with hotspots, skin conditions, allergies, surgical sites and more. We have nine different sizes so we are able to fit dogs from about 5 lbs. up to 200 lbs.

To date, we’ve sold over 30,000 units and generated over $1.7 million in sales. In 2019 were expected to continue growing and have some exciting new products in the works!

the-shed-defender-70k-per-month-selling-onesies-for-dogs

30. Start an athletic clothing line ($180K/year)

Paul Dickey from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada started Spuds over 6 years ago, an athletic clothing line.

  • Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  • Revenue: $15,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Hi, my name is Paul Dickey, I'm 23 years old, and I am the founder of Spuds, a men’s performance apparel company currently based out of the Monterey, California area.

We started our life out by first being funded through our Kickstarter campaign this past Summer 2017. Our vision as a company is to create performance apparel built for everywhere, not just at the gym or for running.

Whether you are going out to dinner, a family gathering, for a hike, a run, or even to the gym, our pieces of clothing combine performance fabrics, intelligent details, modern technologies, and a classic design. Men don’t really have the “yoga leggings for women”, a single article of clothing that can look good and perform well depending on how you dress them. We are aiming to change that.

raising-15-000-for-a-cross-functional-pair-of-shorts

31. Become a nutritionist ($42K/year)

Haley Hughes from Anchorage, AK, USA started RDRx Nutrition about 10 years ago, a nutritionist.

  • Location: Anchorage, AK, USA
  • Revenue: $3,500/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

I’m Haley Hughes, owner of RDRx Nutrition where I provide individualized nutritional counseling. I am a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, CrossFit Level 1 Coach, as well as an avid athlete and adventurer. I am measuring progress this year by being able to have a better work-life balance.

This year I was able to increase my rates by over 100% which has been an incredible way to provide higher quality service and prevent mental fatigue and burnout.

how-adding-virtual-counseling-sessions-increased-our-revenue

32. Create an online course ($1.5M/year)

Gabriel Kramer from Eagle Mountain, UT, USA started SI Certs about 13 years ago, an online course.

  • Location: Eagle Mountain, UT, USA
  • Revenue: $125,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$2.5K
  • Founders: 4
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hello, I’m Gabriel Kramer, a co-founder and the CEO of SI Certs. We sell online test prep courses to construction inspectors who want to pass important certification exams. Our courses include custom tutoring support through Intercom chat.

Currently, we help people pass the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) exam by the American Welding Society (AWS) and the Special Inspection exams by the International Code Council (ICC). We’re also in the process of creating courses for other exams including the Commercial Building Inspector exam.

We made around $45,000/month in revenue last year. Based on first quarter revenue, we’re probably going to make around or more than $60,000/month this year.

my-past-career-helped-me-build-a-60k-month-online-business

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

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

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

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

34. Start a watch brand ($240K/year)

Steve Christensen from Alberta, Canada started NOVO watch over 12 years ago, a watch brand.

  • Location: Alberta, Canada
  • Revenue: $20,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$5K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Hi! My name is Steve Christensen and I handmake watches using reclaimed materials such as military tanks and train tracks at Novo Watch. I consider myself a horologist so my profession ends in -ist and my mom thinks I made it.

Our flagship product is BY FAR our Coalbanks collection watch. They’re timepieces made using train tracks made between the years of 1882 - 1885! Originally they were made in Wales or the UK and shipped to my hometown of Lethbridge to be used at Mine #8 where they facilitated the transportation of coal to build our city.

It is an iconic place to many people and it’s where we found our original traction. It even made the National news in Canada, which was wild. We completely sold out of our first limited 15 piece editions immediately and had our first-ever $16,000 day!

steve-christensen-is-building-watches-from-old-train-tracks

35. Start a handmade paper goods business ($13.2K/year)

Abigail Butler from Denver, Colorado, USA started Chirps & Cricket Design Studio about 9 years ago, a handmade paper goods business.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $1,100/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$500
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Hello again! My name is Abigail Butler and I am the owner and sole designer at Chirps & Cricket Design Studio, located here in Denver, Colorado. Chirps & Cricket is a design studio that specializes in Bespoke Wedding Stationery, Graphic Design and Illustration, and Handmade Paper Goods.

Currently, my design services are heavily rooted in custom illustrations, wedding invitations, and marketing materials, including brochures, branding, and email/digital marketing. My clients typically range in variety (which I love!) from soon-to-be-married couples, small business owners, to commercial real estate brokers.

I am currently making a little over $1k/month on average. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, that amount has fluctuated over this past summer, with some months being significantly higher, and some months being a bit under that amount. However I am happy to report that not only has my average monthly income increased since this time last year, but there also seems to be a much more consistent influx of new projects every month (even despite Covid)! This includes projects coming in from repeat clients as well as new clients.

how-i-gained-new-projects-and-designed-more-products

36. Start a membership management software ($480K/year)

Mitch Colleran from Seattle, Washington, USA started Join It about 7 years ago, a membership management software.

  • Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
  • Revenue: $40,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

Hi there!

My name is Mitch Colleran and I’m bootstrapping Join It -- a SaaS platform that helps organizations sell and track their memberships.

Previous to starting Join It, I spent 6 wonderful years at Eventbrite -- where I got a broad ‘tech education’ through roles on the Sales, Marketing and finally Product Management team.

how-i-quit-my-job-and-launched-a-saas-company-from-spain

37. Start a leather business ($132K/year)

Brad Gadd from Alberta, Canada started The Populess Company about 11 years ago, a leather business.

  • Location: Alberta, Canada
  • Revenue: $11,000/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

My name is Brad Gadd I am the owner and operator of The Populess Co. Handcrafted Leather Goods and Apparel.

We sell handmade leather goods, mostly daily carry/wear items like Wallets, Belts, Notebooks covers, Fobs and accessories and have a line of apparel as well. We love to work with other creatives to showcase and deliver their authenticity to collaborate on our products. Our customers are people that understand and appreciate simple quality and timeless design. We are a very small company that has been organically growing year after year.

We recently just did a project with a talented Tattoo artist that tattooed leather for us and we crafted various wallets out of each piece. We love working with talented authentic creatives to showcase their work and tell their story.

starting-a-handcrafted-leather-brand

38. Start a cryotherapy business ($420K/year)

Brittney Scarlett-Torres from Alberta, Canada started Glace Cryotherapy over 9 years ago, a cryotherapy business.

  • Location: Alberta, Canada
  • Revenue: $35,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

Hi, I am Brittney Scarlett, I along with my brother Skyler started a Cryotherapy business in 2014 in our tiny hometown of Carmel, CA which now five years later has evolved into a recovery/wellness business with 5 additional services located inside of a big box gym in Mountain View, CA (Silicon Valley).

Our main service is whole body cryotherapy, a 1-3 minute cold therapy that reduces overall inflammation in the body. Since starting we have brought in more modalities that fit in with pain management, fitness recovery and even fat loss- compression therapy, LED light therapy and facials, electric stimulation and Cryoskin. Our customers are people seeking natural pain management, faster fitness recovery, beauty, wellness, and fat loss.

When we started in Carmel a busy day would be 10 people and our monthly membership peaked at 30 members, today we are in a higher populated area inside a big gym owned by Fitness International (City Sports Club/LA Fitness) and see a minimum of 25-30 people a day and have 200 monthly members.

how-we-started-a-successful-cryotherapy-business-that-landed-shark-tank

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.