15 Productivity-Related Business Ideas You Can Start Today
Let's face it - one way or another, everyone wants to be more productive.
So, where do most people turn to? Tools and software to make them more productive (or at least feel more productive).
Businesses like Trello, Monday.com and Hubspot are all wildly successful - and more businesses like these are coming into the market every day.
If you have a passion for productivity and are looking to start a business, we put together 15 different productivity-related business ideas you can start today.
Here they are:
1. Start a podcast
The podcast business involves creating and producing audio content that people can listen to online.
It’s a popular form of entertainment and information-sharing.
To start a podcast business on a budget, you'll need a few key steps.
First, choose a niche or topic that you're passionate about and that has an audience.
Next, get basic recording equipment like a microphone and headphones.
Then, find a free or affordable hosting platform to publish your episodes.
Finally, promote your podcast through social media, online communities, and word of mouth to build an audience and potentially attract sponsors or advertisers.
How much you can make: $400 — $1,020,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,055 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 2 hours/week
A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.
2. Start a team collaboration app
How much you can make: $3,000 — $1,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 200 days (?)
Meister Labs, creators of MindMeister and MeisterTask, have close to $10 million ARR with their Freemium subscription business model, providing software tools for small to medium-sized businesses from all verticals and private users as well, which include 11 million MindMeister and 3 million MeisterTask users.
3. Start an email automation platform
How much you can make: $3,500 — $400,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 150 days (?)
Two entrepreneurs developed Coldinbox, a bulk LinkedIn messaging tool that assists B2B business development managers in converting high-value prospects into leads and customers, resulting in $35,000 in monthly profits.
4. Start a time tracking app
A time tracking app is a tool used allows its user to clock in/out via an internet-connected device or to use a stopwatch to record the start and end of tasks. The time tracker apps also have analytics and reporting features that consolidate the data so that users can gain insights into time spent on different tasks, projects, and clients.
The growing need among managers and enterprises to improve employee productivity and adopt a remote work culture contribute to the high demand for time-tracking apps.
Therefore, if you are looking for the best App-based business, you may consider developing a time tracker application. Here is a high-level overview of some steps to get you started working on your business idea of the time tracker App
- Define the project scope
- Choose a software development methodology
- Formulate the approach for your development project
- Create a project team
- Develop the project plan with timelines
- Test the prototypes
- Find suitable API solutions
- Publish the Apps
How much you can make: $350 — $500,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
Labor Sync is a mobile application that provides business owners with the ability to track the time and GPS location of their mobile workforce and after just one year of use, they saved $104,000 across 45 employees despite starting off with no funds for advertising or marketing.
5. Create an online course
An online course business involves creating and selling digital classes teaching specialized skills or knowledge to subscribed students.
As an entrepreneurial course creator, you identify educational gaps around topics you have expertise in and develop engaging video lessons and supplementary materials.
With flexibility around self-paced or cohort-based structures, building a student base provides passive income potential.
For founders who enjoy information-sharing, launching an online course platform presents a lucrative way to monetize your instructional talents with small startup costs by serving eager lifelong learners seeking convenient access to emerging subjects.
How much you can make: $350 — $3,735,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,850 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Learn how one couple created a successful personal finance blog, The Savvy Couple, that now makes over $20,000 per month and has sold thousands of digital workbooks and courses, by focusing on purposeful content and optimizing their ROI with efficient time management.
6. Create a website builder
How much you can make: $200 — $350,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $4,750 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Luke Van Der Veer's Website Rental Coaching business teaches people how to create passive income by renting lead generation websites to local businesses, which has helped him generate $42,000 per month as of April 2022.
7. Create a calendar sync tool
How much you can make: $1,500 — $177,000/month
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Resource Guru is an online team calendar software, used by around 20,000 people in 88 countries around the world to help them manage their team's time, and has a current ARR of $2.1m.
8. Start a journal brand
A journal is a newspaper or a magazine that covers a particular subject or a professional activity based on the author's thoughts and feelings. The beauty of journaling is there is no right or wrong way to start.
The approach depends on your personal experience and can take many forms.
Find a journaling habit that works for you and create a writing routine. Get creative and journal about anything that comes to mind, so long as it interests your target audience.
How much you can make: $200 — $150,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 105 days (?)
Chasing Planner Peace is a planner company that has expanded from selling planner inserts on Etsy, to offering a one-stop shop customizable planner experience with over 300 inserts, a planner line, and various other related products, gaining a monthly revenue of around $25,000 at its busiest time of year.
9. Start a task management software
How much you can make: $700 — $45,000/month
How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)
SmartTask is a project management tool that has received $300K in seed funding this year and it currently has 40,000+ active users, serving prominent brands such as Amul, Adecco, Ecolab, and ABB, among others, aiming to make people 3x more productive.
10. Start a time management/productivity coaching business
How much you can make: $4,500/month
A time management coach and project management consultant shares how she transitioned from a corporate career to self-employment, built a successful coaching business, and launched a transformative program that has received rave reviews and changed lives.
11. Become a youtube personality
YouTube personalities produce videos on YouTube and post them on their channels. YouTube personalities make money through the following:
- Advertising revenue - Ads revenue from the display, overlay, and video ads
- Channel Memberships – members earn recurring revenue in exchange for special perks they offer
- Merch Shelf – When channel fans browse and purchase official branded merchandise, you showcase it on watch pages.
- Super Chat & Super Stickers – Fans pay to get their messages highlighted in chat streams
- YouTube Premium Revenue – Get part of a premium subscriber’s subscription fee when fans watch your content.
You can start earning money through either or all of the above options, so long as you meet their YouTube-defined criteria and they are available in your location.
If you want to make money on YouTube, you must apply and be approved for the YouTube Partner Program, which gives creators greater access to YouTube resources and features.
How much you can make: $3,055 — $4,500,000/month
This case study explores Thomas Frank's successful business teaching people how to use Notion and selling templates, with sales reaching $2.1 million in two years and template sales currently at $120k/mo, showcasing his journey from blogging and YouTube to e-commerce and SaaS.
12. Start a project management tool
A project management tool business involves developing software that helps managers and teams organize, plan, and track projects.
Features may include task lists, Gantt charts, time tracking, resource planning, collaboration tools, reports, and more.
You can offer the software as a web or mobile application through a software-as-a-service subscription model.
Building an innovative and user-friendly project management tool has excellent business potential as organizations constantly seek solutions to improve workflow, accountability, and efficiency.
How much you can make: $3,000 — $1,466,666/month
How long does it take to build: 271 days (?)
GreenRope, a self-funded CRM and marketing automation platform with over 1,000 customers in 20 countries, was built organically and focused on creating a positive, customer-centric culture without outside investment, with an all-in-one interface solving challenges in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.
13. Create a goal setting app
How much does it cost to start: $500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 730 days (?)
14. Start an online calendar business
How much you can make: $50,000/month
How long does it take to build: 100 days (?)
Spurwing, a scheduling API start-up, developed a cost-effective solution to help developers and managers avoid the complex process of building custom scheduling solutions from scratch, resulting in powering millions of appointment bookings for thousands of companies.
15. Start a to do list business
How much you can make: $1,466,666/month
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
