55 No Inventory Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2023]

55 No Inventory Business Ideas You Can Start Today [2023]

Interested in starting a no inventory business in 2023?

We put together 55 of the best no inventory businesses you can start in today.

For each business idea, we’ll show you real-world examples of other no inventory businesses to help you see what it really takes.

Here's the full list:

1. Start a dropshipping business ($0/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$6,000 — $3,000,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$11,116
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 10 hours/week
Skills
Interests
Business model

Amanda Austin from Erie, Pennsylvania, USA started Little Shop of Miniatures about 6 years ago, a dropshipping business.

  • Revenue: $/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Erie, Pennsylvania, USA

Case Study

I was unhappily working in marketing for a Fortune 500 insurance company when I started looking at ways to create a new income stream. I became interested in ecommerce and invested in a course to learn more. I compiled a list of keywords for products that had decent search volume and not terribly competitive to rank for in organic search. I used Long Tail Pro to get ideas--I had so many when I first started!

My business is a small, mostly passive income stream and I’m okay with that. There is so much more I could be doing with my store, but right now I am loving the extra income stream that allows me to work part-time at my day job and spend more time with my infant daughter.

A bunch of keywords in the dollhouse miniatures space fit the bill. I used Long Tail Pro and looked for keywords that were competitive--which on there is a score in the twenties or low thirties. I also wanted them to have at least 2,000 searches per month. This is not a ton, but five keywords with that search volume that are not that competitive can lead to a decent number of organic traffic if you build your site the right way. My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to find a niche with a nice handful of keywords you can rank for with quality content and a nice backlinking strategy. Don’t try to be number one for some saturated keyword that has a million searches a month. Go for keywords where you stand a chance of ranking--this is usually so-called long tail keywords that are really phrases--for example, “wooden dollhouse furniture” instead of just “dollhouse.”

how-i-started-a-part-time-dropship-business-on-shopify

2. Start a vacation rentals business ($150K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$12,500 — $295,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$160,000
Skills

Julio Sanchez from Cardiff started Cardiff Vacations almost 12 years ago, a vacation rentals business.

  • Revenue: $12,500/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 12
  • Location: Cardiff

Case Study

I was born in Guatemala, moved to the USA in the ‘80s, and went to school at Harvard Westlake. I managed to get US citizenship after serving for 4 years in the marine.

After marrying my wife, Alison in 2001 we’ve lived with her mom for 10 years to take care of her.

Once she passed away we were left with the question of what to do with the properties she and her husband have worked so hard to build.

how-we-started-a-12k-month-beachside-vacation-rental-business

3. Start a resume writing business ($36K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000 — $42,857/month
Average Initial Investment
$50,017
Skills

Mike McRitchie from El Dorado, California, USA started Critical Path Action about 8 years ago, a resume writing business.

  • Revenue: $3,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: El Dorado, California, USA

Case Study

Over the years I’ve built quite a bit of business knowledge (was a Director of Operations and helped build a company from 5 employees to 100 and $2.5 million to $16 million in revenue; also was a five-year member of Vistage, a business mastermind group) and wanted to leverage that.

Get started with something inexpensive that interests you. Then keep going as you try things and learn.

I started a website through an online marketing/website building course and began blogging on business and career topics. But I found monetizing that to be difficult. I wanted to do business strategy consulting and paid $1,000 for a three-month insert in a coupon mailing that did nothing and found trying to get that type of consulting off the ground part time around my day job wasn’t working.

how-i-make-30k-year-on-the-side-writing-resumes

4. Start a language learning app ($224K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$9,000 — $13,500,000/month
Skills

Alex Chernikov from Berlin, Germany started Gikken ago, a language learning app.

  • Revenue: $18,635/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 1
  • Location: Berlin, Germany

Case Study

Gikken’s foundation was laid in 2011 or so. I don’t remember the exact year but I was in high school. I was amidst my most active English learning years. I was trying to read as many articles, blogs, essays, etc in English as possible. At some point, an idea that it’d be great to double click on words to get them translated right there struck me. It was the early days of Google Chrome that wasn’t the most popular browser yet. And, I think it already could translate pages entirely, but it was totally useless for me because when I can understand 80% of the text, why would I translate it entirely? It’s also terrible for mastering a language. Guessing the meanings of words from the context works better for memorizing new vocabulary. The more effort your brain takes, the stronger neural connections are.

So, physiology aside, I wanted a fast way to translate single words I didn’t understand or double-check sentences. The previous flow involved copying it, switching to a new tab with Google Translate opened there, translating it, and then switching back. Terribly inefficient and annoying when you have to do it 10 times per article, 100 times per day.

By the time I was obsessed with this idea, I could already easily implement anything I wanted on the web. I started coding at 13, so I had already at least 2 or so years of experience with copycatting news portals, trying to build my social network (who didn’t!), and reinventing a few popular JavaScript libraries. It was the early days of not only Google Chrome but also Chrome Web Store—the extension store. I made an extension that I needed for my own needs, called Instant Translate, and uploaded it to the Chrome Web Store. Uncunningly, the timing was perfect for organic growth through the store as Instant Translate happened to be one of the first extensions there. The 15-year-old me knew something only about building apps but absolutely nothing about turning them into a business. Thus, I relied on "organic growth". In other words, routinely checking analytics and praying that it grew. I did nothing more than that for the first few years.

how-we-started-a-18k-month-app-and-browser-extensions-development-business

5. Become a proofreader ($24K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
Skills

Lenny Bron from New York, New York, USA started The Blog Proofreader almost 7 years ago, a proofreader.

  • Revenue: $2,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: New York, New York, USA

Case Study

This business idea was born in 2016, but the journey really began in 2014.

After working for a company for 8 years, I hadn’t really gotten far financially and felt stuck. I decided to find a job with better financial prospects and the possibility of advancement. After 6 months of searching, I was hired at a new employer and managed to double my salary in one fell swoop!

Just start! That little voice inside your head giving you doubts will always be there. Push through that voice and keep going until you reach a point where you’re lost.

how-i-added-2-000-to-my-monthly-income-proofreading-blog-posts

6. Start a travel booking app ($33.6K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$200 — $1,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$96,374
Time To Revenue
300 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Andrew Norton from England, United Kingdom started SkyAlliance about 4 years ago, a travel booking app.

  • Revenue: $2,800/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1
  • Location: England, United Kingdom

Case Study

It all started at Heathrow Airport. I was and currently still work at the airport as a security officer in Terminal 5.

When I first started the role I had learned how to develop software, code and also web design. However, I didn’t know what direction of business to pursue with these skills. In the role of a security officer, you interact with the masses of passengers passing through every working day.

It all started at Heathrow Airport. I was and currently still work at the airport as a security officer in Terminal 5.

how-this-airport-security-officer-is-building-a-profitable-travel-search-engine

7. Start a dog walking business ($648K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$8,000 — $54,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$2,125
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 2 hours/week
Skills

Melodi Landi from Bristol, TN, USA started Furry Fellas Pet Service LLC almost 17 years ago, a dog walking business.

  • Revenue: $54,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 19
  • Location: Bristol, TN, USA

Case Study

I have always had a passion for animals. I was going to school full time at the University of Rhode Island as a Pre-Vet student while working full time at a local veterinary hospital AND picking up pet sitting and dog walking clients on the side.

Since my late teenage years, I have known that I wanted to work with animals. While working at the animal hospital, I saw a great need for this type of service, and soon after decided to start this business!

I would often come across clients who had not traveled in years because their pets required specialized care or medications or because they did not know who to ask or whom they could trust with their pets and their home.

how-i-started-a-54k-month-pet-sitting-and-dog-walking-business

8. Start a sewing and alteration business ($12K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
Skills

Saara Hafeez from New York, New York, USA started ALTRD almost 5 years ago, a sewing and alteration business.

  • Revenue: $1,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: New York, New York, USA

Case Study

We’ve been friends for awhile - we met right out of college in New York and stayed close even though we took fairly different professional paths.

Saara worked in the corporate world for a number of years before moving to Mexico where she launched a jewelry business aimed at rehabilitating sex trafficking survivors. Stephanie was a business consultant before going to law school and becoming a corporate lawyer; along the way, she launched an argan oil company that empowers women in Morocco.

these-two-founders-started-an-on-demand-clothing-alterations-startup

9. Start a stock photography business ($0/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000 — $45,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$3,500
Skills

Serban Enache from Brentwood, TN, USA started Free Stock Images about 11 years ago, a stock photography business.

  • Revenue: $0/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 25
  • Location: Brentwood, TN, USA

Case Study

By 2012, stock photography was well established as an accessible and inexpensive visual content resource and Dreamstime was already a thriving Top 3 agency, counting the world’s largest stock photo community. It already featured a small free download library that subscribers were able to access unlimitedly, still available today. As donations grew, we felt these files needed a dedicated home and audience and this is how Stockfreeimages appeared. In the first year, we had around 110,000 customers and 1,5 million images and numbers continued to grow constantly. Its aim was to upgrade budget-oriented customers instead of eroding current revenues.

Not hiring talented people soon enough or hiring the wrong people and having to start all over, avoiding making leaps of faith, and being overcautious are some of the things that may change the course of your business for better or worse.

A large pool of individuals and freelancers were in need of good imagery for personal or start-up projects, at no cost at all if possible. Stockfreeimages came to answer this need for safe content with model released, high-quality photos, and illustrations that they were able to download for free. It also served as the next step in image copyright protection for both contributors and consumers and helped users protect themselves from the costly fines that often result from copyright violations.

how-i-started-a-royalty-free-stock-photo-platform

10. Start an embroidery business ($78K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$6,500 — $10,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$2,000
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model

Cailey Golden from New York, New York, USA started The Patchsmith over 5 years ago, a embroidery business.

  • Revenue: $6,500/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: New York, New York, USA

Case Study

I’ve been in the customization industry for over 10 years. I started with screen printing first. Eventually I was hired to work for the Yankees and was taught how to embroider caps. A company reached out to me for a production embroidery job and I accepted. I was taught how to run production but was left alone a lot. I ended up teaching myself a lot of different embroidery methods, it was also the place I made my first patch. I ended up creating patches for my supporters club of the local MLS team, NYCFC, and sold them for $7 each. I stopped after a few months and didn’t think about patches for awhile.

In 2017 I was going through a huge change in my life, a previous employer in the City attempted to permanently remove me from the industry, very unsuccessfully. I’d say it’s part of the reason why I’ve been able to be as successful as I have been so far. I spent months grasping at straws to come up with a business idea that I knew could do while keeping my mind busy while I was on a rollercoaster of repercussions from that employer.

I was in the bank one day after work and was sitting down with a representative, I did that a few months prior with the same guy and we spoke a bit about my career. This time he asked me if I was able to embroider patches for his fantasy football league called “Fight Club”. It was the first time anyone had ever asked for patches, I had no idea what to charge him but I knew I could definitely do it. I said yes and charged him $6 per patch for 25 of them. He was all too excited and agreed. I had no idea if I undercharged, overcharged or was right on the money but it was too easy. I was completely hooked.

how-i-m-turning-my-patch-embroidery-side-project-into-a-full-time-business

11. Start a dog training business ($60K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$5,000 — $8,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$325,000
Time To Revenue
210 days
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests
Business model

Donald Hutcherson from Manhattan Community Board 1, New York, USA started Fraternity K9 over 3 years ago, a dog training business.

  • Revenue: $5,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Manhattan Community Board 1, New York, USA

Case Study

I started as a young kid who always loved dogs but never knew how to take care of them. I had several dogs in my life. A Lab/terrier mix, a pit bull, and several other mix breeds. I would always watch Cesar Milan and think “I could do that”. It wasn’t until I had a dog that would bite your hand when you took its food bowl that I realized it was a lot harder than I thought. I decided I was going to learn this dog training.

Everybody always says do what you love, but what if that thing you love makes no money?

I spent hours studying and then I got wrapped up in it. I would learn something new and become obsessed with dog training even more. I ended up learning from different teachers and knew I wanted to be the best.

how-i-started-a-5k-month-dog-training-business

12. Become a mobile personal trainer ($720K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$600 — $8,333,333/month
Average Initial Investment
$75,005
Time To Revenue
240 days
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 4 hours/week
Skills
Interests
Business model

Chris Anderson from Overland Park, Kansas, USA started Live Fit about 12 years ago, a mobile personal trainer.

  • Revenue: $60,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1
  • Location: Overland Park, Kansas, USA

Case Study

I started Live Fit because I felt I was running out of options in the industry I loved so much. Personally, I felt the misses in the personal training industry and wanted to change that. Personal Training, as well as all types of fitness, can be very intimidating to most people. And honestly, the people that are most intimidated by fitness are often the people that need it the most. I set out to create a company that provided the same types of exercises, programming, and results as generally all fitness companies, but I wanted to make it a comfortable experience from the moment a potential client stepped through our doors.

All our processes, our studio layout, our team of trainers we have hired, and our entire mission are based on making clients feel comfortable, appreciated, and valued. We do things differently and over the past 10 years, I have seen other companies in our area follow our lead. Long gone are the days of slamming weights, extremely loud music, and uncomfortable gym environments. People want to go where they feel comfortable and respected.

I have always loved sports and started at a young age, with my dad as my coach. I continued athletics through high school and went on to run college track where I based my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees entirely on building my career in the fitness industry. The last thing I was willing to do was to throw it all away based on a lack of opportunity, so I created my own with Live Fit. I believe in spirituality and the law of attraction and base my life on those principles. So in early 2011 when I couldn’t focus on my spiritual study and spiritual growth because my mind was consumed with running numbers about opening my own company, I knew that was a sign from God it was time to create something great.

how-i-started-a-60k-month-personal-training-company

13. Start a niche web design business ($300K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$200 — $200,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$30,881
Skills

Scott Bishop from Boston, Massachusetts, USA started Up And Social almost 9 years ago, a niche web design business.

  • Revenue: $25,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1
  • Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Case Study

I began my business career with the family in-store sampling business, C.A. Courtesy, in the 1990s, while at the same time attending college at Johnson and Wales University, where I pursued a degree in Web Management & Internet Commerce.

I’ve always had a knack for marketing and technology, and when I left C.A. Courtesy, I was the Vice President of Marketing and Technology.

People don’t remember what you say as much as they remember how they felt when you said it.

how-i-started-a-20k-month-web-design-agency

14. Become a virtual assistant ($12K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $850,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$4,289
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model

Julmar Grace Locsin from Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines started FVA Business Consultancy ago, a virtual assistant.

  • Revenue: $1,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 14
  • Location: Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines

Case Study

Ten years ago, my husband and I were working in an office set-up. Due to a mix of struggles experienced, my husband and I decided to quit our job and transition into freelancing. The transition phase was difficult since we didn't have the facilities needed like a computer and internet connection. We worked in an internet cafe for the first month of our freelancing career until we bought our personal computer and had our internet connection.

We had experience downtime in our new career at first, but we grow and learn from our mistakes as we go along. Freelancing changed the quality of our lives, our family, and so with our marriage. We embrace these benefits to realize that if mothers can work at home, they can earn while taking care of their family.

Another thing is the overseas workers. They have been working far from their family to make a living. Those who are exhausted and feel unproductive because of many circumstances like long hours of commute eat a lot of their time, endangering their work-life balance. These are a few of our realizations why we come up with putting Filipino Virtual Assistance. Because we know how difficult it is to work far from our family, we want to empower Filipino families, one freelancer at a time. We want to provide our graduates an avenue to earn dollars at their homes' comfort, without the hassle of traffic, toxicity of the environment, and an excellent opportunity for those who never got the chance to go to College.

on-starting-a-business-training-virtual-assistants

15. Start a tutoring business ($1.2M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$1,000 — $375,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$1,723
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Adam Shlomi from Miami, FL, USA started SoFlo Tutors about 4 years ago, a tutoring business.

  • Revenue: $100,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2
  • Location: Miami, FL, USA

Case Study

I come from an entrepreneurial family. My father works for himself and my maternal grandfather started a clothing factory. Working for myself has always been encouraged by my family, but before I could get started, I needed to learn a skill. At Georgetown, I study international politics and business. Most students with these backgrounds go on to work at prestigious firms like J.P. Morgan. I really didn’t know what kind of business I could start, and frankly, planned to work as a (boring) data analyst after graduation.

If you have an idea but don’t have the knowledge to execute, use that idea as motivation and go learn how to turn your vision into reality.

Tutoring first came to mind because I had spent significant time working for other tutoring companies and cutting my teeth/learning how the industry works during my teen years. I first started tutoring when I was 15. I was hired by College Experts, a local test prep center in Davie, Florida. My first student was three years older than me, and I spent our first session teaching him how to use his calculator rather than trying to explain any complicated formulas. Being a student myself, I was able to bring a student’s perspective to tutoring. I worked for College Experts until my senior year of high school when I began tutoring on my own and finding clients on Craigslist.

how-i-started-a-15k-month-sat-tutoring-business-while-in-college

16. Become a social media marketer ($120K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$100 — $250,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$16,437
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model

Mahsun Avci from Frederiksberg, DenmarkTaastrup started Avci socso over 3 years ago, a social media marketer.

  • Revenue: $10,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Frederiksberg, DenmarkTaastrup

Case Study

Growing up, I went to private school and was very blessed that my parents cared about my education. Somewhere around 9th grade, my perspective on the education system changed. I realized through books and YouTube videos that the life trajectory of a lot of the people I looked up to, was not aligned with what I wanted in life.

I was never a fan of what was taught in schools. Instead of religiously following what was being taught in high school, I self-educated in business, personal development, and leadership. When I was fifteen, I tried out various online businesses. I failed miserably at first. At this time I was very much into Fitness and I tried to sell training and diet plans. I managed to sell a few plans to my classmates for like $50, but it never really amounted to anything and most importantly it wasn't scalable.

After that, I tried stock trading and the likes. That too didn’t really work for me. One day I stumbled across SMMA. I was so intrigued by the concept, so I went ALL IN. I didn’t care what people thought. I was going to make it big here. I needed some proof of concept, so I convinced my dad to make me run his restaurant's Facebook Ads. I watched 100’s of videos and read tons of blogs, to know how to run successful ads and we were both pretty stoked about the results.

I knew it was the right business for me, but it was not all gold and green forests. In fact, at the start of my “agency journey,” it was so hard getting my feet on the ground and getting my first few clients after my dad.

how-i-built-a-10k-month-online-marketing-agency

17. Start a life coaching business ($120K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$100 — $660,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$3,375
Time To Revenue
240 days
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Sinem Günel from Vienna, Austria started Personal Growth Base over 3 years ago, a life coaching business.

  • Revenue: $10,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Vienna, Austria

Case Study

One and a half years after starting my studies in business administration I came into touch with entrepreneurship and I immediately knew that I wanted to dig deeper into how to build your own business and be your own boss.

So I started reading books, especially biographies, of successful entrepreneurs.

Pretty soon I found out there’s one major component all of them have in common: They all talk about their personal growth and how they had to improve themselves so that their businesses could grow.

This immediately triggered me and I started digging deeper into the topic of personal growth.

how-i-started-a-10k-month-personal-growth-advice-business

18. Start a podcast ($60K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$400 — $1,020,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$4,284
Time To Revenue
90 days
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 2 hours/week
Skills
Interests
Business model

Noah Labhart from Dallas, TX, USA started Code Story about 4 years ago, a podcast.

  • Revenue: $5,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0
  • Location: Dallas, TX, USA

Case Study

I have a passion for solution architecture. Having worked in many leadership roles over the past 13 years, I’ve gained vast experience in software implementation – from web applications to mobile apps to platform architecture. The sweet spot for me is creating solutions that impact people's lives and doing so by applying development best practices, methodologies, and building world-class user experiences. When I’m not being a geek or reading old calculus books, I can be found chasing after my beautiful bride, being chased by my kids, enjoying a good cup o’ joe, reading good fiction, or being outdoors.

Just jump out and do it. The more you wait, the more likely someone else is going to do it and beat you to the punch.

Why do I love building software? It's the intersection of the left and right brain, technology meets creativity, engineering meets art – the balance between structure and a free spirit. But more than what it does for me, I enjoy seeing lives impacted by creative technology and elegant solutions.

how-i-started-a-podcast-interviewing-tech-people-that-has-been-downloaded-over-80k-times

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

How Much Can You Make?
Skills
Business model

Abigail Butler from Denver, Colorado, USA started Chirps & Cricket Design Studio about 8 years ago, a handmade paper goods business.

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

Case Study

In 2010, while living in Chicago, IL, I interviewed for a graphic design position at an international commercial real estate company located here in Denver.

After almost four years with the company I began growing restless with a desire to challenge myself creatively and to continue to grow both as an artist and as a person.

After several phone conversations and a Skype interview, I was offered the job. Craving adventure and a big change, I packed up a U-Haul and moved myself across the country to Denver to begin this new chapter in my life. I loved my new corporate job at first! Commercial real estate was a foreign language to me in the beginning, but made sense after some time, and of course what I loved was that I was able to apply my knowledge as a designer to my work. The bulk of my work at the time was spent designing marketing items, such as brochures, mailers, email marketing, etc. And every once in a while, I had the opportunity to design something very fun like a logo or a website.

leaving-my-corporate-career-to-start-my-own-design-business

20. Start a freelance writing business ($1.5M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$700 — $320,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$405
Time To Revenue
90 days
Skills
Business model

David Tile from Toronto, Ontario, Canada started Article-Writing Co about 12 years ago, a freelance writing business.

  • Revenue: $125,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 25
  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Case Study

In 2011, coming out of college, I miserably tried to start a penny auction website. I studied Political Science at University, which had absolutely no bearing on this idea. I knew I wanted to do something entrepreneurial and was consumed by this auction model. I had my own specific mechanics that I thought would make the game a lot more fair for the average consumer. But alas, 6-8 months later, after burning through thousands of dollars trying to get the technology right, I was absolutely nowhere.

I was resigned to not give up, but the mechanics of the auction are critical to the smooth operation of the website and if you can’t get it right you don’t have a business. So I decided to start taking on some freelance writing work, just to get some cash in.

One thing led to another and I started getting some bigger clients with bigger asks. Eventually, I snowballed hiring some writers and copy editors. Turning this thing into a full-time business operation.

how-i-started-a-80k-month-content-writing-business

21. Start a blog ($60K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$200 — $160,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$2,687
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Chhavi Agarwal from New Delhi, Delhi, India started Mrs Daaku Studio almost 5 years ago, a blog.

  • Revenue: $5,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 3
  • Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India

Case Study

I am a licensed attorney in India and right after my master’s in law, I started working with a leading company as a lawyer. I worked there for about two years before I quit my job to become more location independent.

Choose a niche in whatever you start. It is critical for streamlining your efforts and make money.

My job paid me well but I worked 12 hours a day, I was exhausted by the end of each day, spent my weekends sleeping and I almost quit the things I liked to do - for example, sketching, yoga, traveling, etc.

how-this-couple-makes-5k-month-generating-content-about-ways-to-make-money-online

22. Start a custom illustrating business

Examples of a successful custom illustrating business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a custom illustrating business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a custom illustrating business ➜

article

23. Start an e-book writing business

How Much Can You Make?
$2,000 — $42,857/month
Average Initial Investment
$67
Skills

Examples of a successful e-book writing business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a e-book writing business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an e-book writing business ➜

Case Study

I'm Vaibhav Kishnani, an engineer but a passionate writer by profession. I established Content-Whale in 2017 when I was in my third year of engineering. Going by the maxim that quality writing is everything, Content-Whale caters to 42 different content types that form the backstory of every company’s digital presence and marketing efforts.

I started this content agency with a mere sum of Rs. 2,500. Today, we have drawn a revenue turnover of Rs. 4 Crores! In my opinion, it is not individual progress. Instead, a start-up is about connecting with the right individuals at the right time, who keep the show running ahead with their strife for perfection.

how-we-started-a-514k-year-content-curation-agency-with-just-35-from-india

24. Start an art collectible business

How Much Can You Make?
$350,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$150,000
Skills

Examples of a successful art collectible business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a art collectible business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an art collectible business ➜

Case Study

Hi, my name is Adam Vieira, and I’m the creative director for Station 16 Gallery, a contemporary art gallery in Montreal heavily influenced by graffiti and street art.

We showcase original art, sculptures, and works on paper, which changes every month, sometimes every week. We also launch a new limited edition silkscreen print every month with international artists.

growing-an-art-gallery-to-150-000-month

25. Become a youtube personality

How Much Can You Make?
$3,055 — $4,500,000/month
Skills

Examples of a successful youtube personality:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a youtube personality:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a youtube personality ➜

Case Study
  • Zoella has a total net worth of more than $5 million as of January 2021.
  • She earned this fortune by uploading her YouTube videos and has almost a billion views.
  • She has 10.8 millions of subscribers on YouTube.
  • Her popularity made her appear in several advertisements and has also appeared on television.

article

Read the full story on influencermatchmaker.co.uk ➜

26. Start an used book store

Examples of a successful used book store :

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a used book store :

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an used book store ➜

article

27. Start an errand service

Examples of a successful errand service:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a errand service:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an errand service ➜

article

28. Become a social media influencer

How Much Can You Make?
$2,500 — $300,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$601
Skills

Examples of a successful social media influencer:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a social media influencer:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a social media influencer ➜

Case Study

My name is Asia Crawford and I am a Motherhood, Life, and Travel blogger that resides in Vancouver, Canada. I am a wife and mother to two sweet little girls aged 4 and 2!

I started with no community, 0 followers on any media page I had and in just two years have grown to 18.5K followers on Instagram, 1.2 MILLION monthly viewers on my Pinterest, 12.5K Pageviews a month on my blog website and have been nominated for 3 blogging awards.

how-i-started-a-2-5k-month-blog-about-motherhood-life-and-travel

29. Become a business consultant ($60K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$5,000 — $1,500,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$10,390
Skills

Examples of a successful business consultant:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a business consultant:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a business consultant ➜

Case Study

I am Christos Kritikos and I am the founder of Emerging Humanity. I see entrepreneurship as a catalyst for business activity, economic development, and (ultimately) social progress especially in developing parts of the world.

Since we started (3-4 years ago) I have personally helped more than 50 founders/entrepreneurs. We are also seeing promising activity with our (more recent) educational offerings like the accelerator and the eCourses.

i-built-a-60k-year-blog-that-helps-startups-succeed

30. Become a graphic designer ($360K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$15,000 — $81,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$333
Skills

Examples of a successful graphic designer:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a graphic designer:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a graphic designer ➜

Case Study

Hi, I’m Mike Moloney, the founder of FilterGrade. FilterGrade is a marketplace for creators where you can find digital assets such as presets, LUTs, video templates, and much more.

Today thousands of creators from all around the world buy and sell digital products on FilterGrade and more than 450,000 users visit the site every month.

how-we-created-a-30k-month-marketplace-of-photo-filters-and-digital-assets-for-creatives

31. Become a yoga instructor

How Much Can You Make?
$60,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$25,300
Time To Revenue
240 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Examples of a successful yoga instructor:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a yoga instructor:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a yoga instructor ➜

Case Study

Hey everyone! I am Chris and in March 2011 I started Live Fit. Live Fit is a personal training company that was created to change the standards in the personal training industry. Early on I focused on building a company that is not only based on results, as most fitness companies are, but that is also focused very heavily on relationships. Relationships create trust, trust creates buy-in, and buy-in leads to the accountability and dedication it takes to get results.

how-i-started-a-60k-month-personal-training-company

32. Become a dance choreographer

How Much Can You Make?
Skills

Examples of a successful dance choreographer:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a dance choreographer:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a dance choreographer ➜

Case Study

Turning a passion into a 6-figure business is the goal of many entrepreneurs, and Jennifer Sobel has made that happen.

She has taken her long-term passion for belly dancing and used her three years of knowledge in digital marketing to build a successful belly dancing coaching business online.

Her company is called TheBellyDanceSolution.com and she inspires hundreds of women to attain their positive body goals with the help of belly dancing.

Jennifer uses belly dancing as a tool to live a healthy and happy life and helps her clients live a stress-free life while guiding them to regain their confidence & self-esteem.

article

Listen to the full podcast on sidehustleschool.com➜

33. Become a music tutor ($840K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$30,000 — $70,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$5,035
Skills

Examples of a successful music tutor:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a music tutor:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a music tutor ➜

Case Study

Hi! I’m Jacques Hopkins, creator of Piano In 21 Days. My online piano course helps adults of all ages learn to play piano as fast as possible. Most of my students are people who never had the time or failed piano lessons before. Some are retirees who are excited about a new hobby but don’t want to wait years for results. Others are busy parents or professionals who need a low-pressure, flexible learning schedule.

My business brings in five figures every month, and I built everything from the ground up. I knew I had a unique take on piano lessons, but I had to learn everything about digital entrepreneurship and marketing in real time. It took a lot of effort, but it worked: I quit my engineering job and have been supporting my family this way for over eight years now.

i-created-a-480k-year-online-piano-lessons-business-with-100

34. Become a tee shirt designer

How Much Can You Make?
$6,600 — $101,000/month
Skills

Examples of a successful tee shirt designer:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a tee shirt designer:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a tee shirt designer ➜

Case Study

Hi, I am Alex Dumitru and I am a co-founder at Designious. Designious is a graphic design library that provides extra tools like an online designer app and an API that helps both graphic designers and print-on-demand entrepreneurs. At the moment we make around $12-13k per month.

My background is in IT and business development, but I’ve worn many hats along the way, from sales to customer support.

generating-15k-month-in-extra-income-with-a-graphic-design-library

35. Start a bookkeeping business

Examples of a successful bookkeeping business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a bookkeeping business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a bookkeeping business ➜

36. Start an auto detailing business ($72K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$3,000 — $6,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$3,250
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 8 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Examples of a successful auto detailing business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a auto detailing business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an auto detailing business ➜

Case Study

My name is Matt Paskow. I started a mobile auto detailing business called Fresh Look Mobile Auto Detailing which services North County, San Diego.

i-left-tech-built-my-own-car-detailing-business-my-hobby

37. Start a child care business

Average Initial Investment
$100,000
Time To Revenue
180 days
Skills
Business model

Examples of a successful child care business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a child care business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a child care business ➜

article

38. Start a tax preparation business

Examples of a successful tax preparation business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a tax preparation business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a tax preparation business ➜

article

39. Become an interior designer ($1.32M/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$100,000 — $415,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$2,000
Skills

Examples of a successful interior designer:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a interior designer:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an interior designer ➜

Case Study

Well, to make a long story short, my mother and I started this company together in 1996. I was working as a staff interior designer at a private firm in NYC, and my mother, Rosemarie was the manager of the Estate and Trust department at a large Law Firm. We both HATED our jobs and dreamed of doing our 'own thing'. We had no idea what that looked like, and so we turned to our passion..antiques and design.

That passion has morphed into a boutique design firm that boasts over 1M in annual revenue and has completed hundreds of trophy projects.

how-we-mother-and-daughter-started-a-1m-year-boutique-design-firm

40. Start a data entry service

How Much Can You Make?
Average Initial Investment
$200,000
Skills

Examples of a successful data entry service:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a data entry service:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a data entry service ➜

Case Study

My name is Rahul, I'm the co-founder at Flamon cloudtech. Which is the parent company that owns our primary product TeleCRM. Taking a step back and looking at the big picture of what we are trying to achieve with TeleCRM - What if there was a way to bring software, automation, and intelligence together in a way that salespeople would only have to do the human part? Instead of spending countless hours every week entering data into specific formats and then more hours crunching that data to figure out who are the leads that they need to focus on, the system that collects all the data do the crunching and return a simple list of people who have already been warmed and just need that human touch.

i-built-a-crm-to-solve-my-own-problem-now-it-makes-60k-year-india

41. Become a ghost blogger ($147K/year)

How Much Can You Make?
$450 — $24,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$125
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 5 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Examples of a successful ghost blogger:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a ghost blogger:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a ghost blogger ➜

Case Study

Hey, I’m Lacy and I’m a content strategist, author of the bestselling Kindle ebook Make a Killing With Content, and the Director of The Content Direction Agency. We specialize in done-for-you content strategy and writing retainers for the content between launches or promotions that helps businesses grow, nurture, and prime their audience to say “hell yes!” before they ever see the offer.

Over the past 9 years, we’ve helped hundreds of business owners create bespoke content strategies to consistently drive quality traffic to websites, increase monthly email leads by 300% or more, improve search engine rankings, enroll dozens of clients per month into membership programs, support multi-six figure launches, and drive millions of views of our articles.

i-make-300k-year-with-a-team-of-ghostwriters-that-create-content-for-brands

42. Build an online research software

How Much Can You Make?
Average Initial Investment
$550,000
Skills

Examples of a successful online research software:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a online research software:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an online research software ➜

Case Study

Hi, I’m Prof. Jed Macosko, and I have the privilege of telling the story of how AcademicInfluence.com got started. I serve as president and academic director under the capable leadership of our CEO, Wayne Downs, and alongside an incredible team that includes Prof. Robert Marks, Drs. Winston Ewert, Brian Carlson, and James Barham, and Dave Tomar, Jenn Finley, and Dan Edelen. Our website helps parents and students find colleges that are a good fit. But more importantly, we strive to connect learners to leaders, which is why a large portion of our site is devoted to highlighting the works and lives of influential people.

We launched the current version of our website in August 2020, and as of the time of this writing in August 2021, our traffic, as measured by SEMrush, has grown to over 100,000 organic search visits per month. We monetize by generating leads for universities and college consultants and by licensing our proprietary ranking algorithm to other sites.

academicinfluence-com-pioneers-a-new-way-to-compare-colleges-and-scholars

43. Start a bakery

How Much Can You Make?
$3,750 — $25,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$3,642
Skills

Examples of a successful bakery:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a bakery:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a bakery ➜

Case Study

Bonjour! My name is Anthony Rosemond. I'm a Parisian chef & founder of Pastreez, an online French bakery.

We’ve sold over 1 million macarons to this date, with only a team of two.

how-this-couple-left-france-to-build-their-american-dream-a-six-figure-online-french-bakery

44. Become a freelance editor

How Much Can You Make?
Skills

Examples of a successful freelance editor:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a freelance editor:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a freelance editor ➜

Case Study

I’m Daniel Waldman and I’m a freelance writer. My business is called Daniel Waldman Writing and I’ve been in business for about 3 years. That said, I’ve worked in marketing and public relations for nearly my entire career (over 15 years), and writing has always been a central element of my professional activities.

I offer a wide variety of writing and editing services, but mainly clients come to me for help with blogging, article writing, their website copy, and video script writing. I’ve also helped one writer with editing a business book and continue to expand my editorial services. On average, I earn about $3500/month (before taxes).

leaving-the-agency-grind-to-start-my-own-freelance-writing-career

45. Start a sports magazine publishing business

Average Initial Investment
$1,000
Skills

Examples of a successful sports magazine publishing business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a sports magazine publishing business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a sports magazine publishing business ➜

article

46. Become an event promoter

How Much Can You Make?
$10,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$60,000
Time To Revenue
210 days
Skills
Business model
Work from home

Examples of a successful event promoter:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a event promoter:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an event promoter ➜

Case Study

Hello! I am Mark Thomas, the managing director of the Thomas Hemingway Group of companies and CEO of EventBookings, which I founded in 2017.

Fast forward to today, we are now running the business with 25 employees and are currently on track to reach our next revenue target of $1M.

how-i-built-a-120k-year-event-booking-platform

47. Become a voiceover artist

How Much Can You Make?
Average Initial Investment
$10,000
Skills

Examples of a successful voiceover artist:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a voiceover artist:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a voiceover artist ➜

Case Study

My name is sandeep salwann, A professional voice actor based out of New Delhi, India, and I operate from my recording studio. I have been in the voice-over domain since 2005.

We aim to provide the best voice-over projects to our voice talents so that clients can get thriving benefits from their products and services.

i-turned-my-passion-for-voice-acting-into-a-108k-year-business-india

48. Become an event planner

How Much Can You Make?
$108,000/month
Skills

Examples of a successful event planner:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a event planner:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an event planner ➜

Case Study

I’m Natasha Miller- raised in Des Moines, Iowa but high-tailed it out of there as soon as I could at the age of 23. I thought I’d be a performer only - a classical violinist and jazz vocalist, but as it turns out those careers might have been the catalyst for where I am today.

  • Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies in America
  • Entrepreneur Magazine 360 List “Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America”
  • San Francisco Business Times Fast 100 “Fastest Growing Companies in the San Francisco Bay Area”
  • Special Event Top 50 Event Planners in the World

how-natasha-miller-started-a-4m-event-management-company

49. Become a personal chef

How Much Can You Make?
Average Initial Investment
$50
Time Commitment Per Week
Min. 15 hours/week
Skills
Interests

Examples of a successful personal chef:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a personal chef:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a personal chef ➜

Case Study

I am David Buchanan, a professional chef, and owner of Chefs-Resources.com, a website geared towards providing professional chefs with free detailed culinary info (seasonality, flavor profiles, etc.) about fresh fish, oysters, and cuts of meat, as well as tons of free kitchen management articles. Paid subscribers get access to our premium kitchen management resources such as Excel sheets (prep sheets, recipe templates, ordering guides, etc.), video tutorials, and kitchen management articles.

The site is not about recipes, but I am a Chef, so here is one of my favorite personal creations...seared scallops, spring pea puree, lemon beurre blanc, fingerling potatoes, golden beets, asparagus, corn kernels.

i-built-a-resource-site-for-chefs-like-me-that-generates-60k-of-extra-income

50. Become a scrapbooker business

Examples of a successful scrapbooker business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a scrapbooker business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a scrapbooker business ➜

article

51. Start an online course creation business

How Much Can You Make?
$1,666,666/month
Skills

Examples of a successful online course creation business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a online course creation business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an online course creation business ➜

Case Study

Shaan Patel is the founder and CEO of Prep Expert, a test preparation platform that provides online SAT and ACT prep courses.

He founded the firm from his dorm room eight years ago with just $900 left over from his undergraduate scholarships.

His SAT and ACT prep classes, books, and licensed items have already brought more than $20 million in sales. In 2016, he pitched Prep Expert on ABC's "Shark Tank" and secured an investment from billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

He spent no money on marketing during the first five years of starting Prep Expert. Despite this, the company's sales doubled yearly based on word-of-mouth marketing.

The SAT prep classes offered by Prep Expert increased the students' SAT scores by hundreds of points. As a result, parents would refer it to other parents, enabling this company to grow quickly and for free.

When he first founded Prep Expert, Patel approached the local TV station about doing a piece on SAT preparation suggestions for parents and kids. He moved from having no clients to having several when the television interview aired.

Patel attributes his entrepreneurial success to self-control and never giving up.

article

52. Start an ebay reseller business

Examples of a successful ebay reseller business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a ebay reseller business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting an ebay reseller business ➜

article

53. Start a window cleaning business

How Much Can You Make?
$60,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$50
Skills

Examples of a successful window cleaning business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a window cleaning business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a window cleaning business ➜

Case Study

While he was still a full-time student, Johnny Robinson built OrangeWindowCleaning.com into a $700k/year operation.

One day while hanging out with his friend Sergio, Johnny came up with the idea of the window cleaning business. He first approached door-to-door marketing and approached local stores to offer window cleaning services.

Later, after he discovered digital marketing and how tools and software could help him multiply his client base was when this journey started to take off for real.

His story proves that if you want to start your own business, it doesn’t necessarily take a never-before-seen business idea to have a never-before-seen impact on your life.

article

Listen to the full podcast on sidehustlenation.libsyn.com ➜

54. Start a house painting business

Examples of a successful house painting business:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a house painting business:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a house painting business ➜

article

55. Sell digital products

How Much Can You Make?
$6,000 — $350,000/month
Average Initial Investment
$13,900
Skills

Examples of a successful sell digital products:

Here are some great videos on how to get started with a sell digital products:

For further info, check out these books and products:

Learn more about starting a sell digital products ➜

Case Study

I’m Codie Sanchez, and I am the Founder and owner of Contrarian Thinking. Our mission is to free minds and build the bank accounts of our readers. Specifically, we strive to help one million people become financially, philosophically, and physically free.

We currently have over 100,000+ newsletter subscribers and a community of over 1.5 million people across our social media platforms with a run rate of $3m this year.

my-finance-newsletter-community-hit-a-3m-run-rate-this-year

Pat Walls,  Founder of Starter Story
Want to find more ideas that make money?

Hey! 👋 I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.

Get our 5-minute email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.

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.

Starter Story
Unlock the secrets to 7-figure online businesses
Dive into our database of 4,418 case studies & join our community of thousands of successful founders.
Join thousands of founders