The 35 Best Home-Based Businesses To Start In Wyoming [2024]

Updated: January 20th, 2022

Interested in starting a business in Wyoming in 2024?

We put together 35 of the best businesses you can start in Wyoming today.

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

Here's the full list:

1. 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

2. Start a finance blog ($90K/year)

Alexis Schroeder from Colorado, USA started FITnancials over 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

3. 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

4. Become an it consultant ($25.2K/year)

Dan Khadem from Denver, Colorado, USA started Access Database Support over 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

5. Become an author ($240K/year)

Nick Thacker from Colorado, USA started Conundrum Publishing over 7 years ago, an author.

  • Location: Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $20,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 2

Case Study

My name is Nick Thacker, and I’m a full-time thriller writer. I write action-adventure fiction for armchair adventurers, and my books have been insultingly referred to as “airport books,” a descriptor I absolutely adore and use as often as possible.

I started like any author — making no money, and begging for people to read my stuff. Now I generate about $10-14k/month in revenue, between writing, business, and related projects.

nick-thacker-update-landing-a-three-book-publishing-deal-staying-focused

6. Start a motorcycle parts business ($7.2M/year)

Justin Pflanz from Lincoln, Nebraska, USA started TAB Performance over 20 years ago, a motorcycle parts business.

  • Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
  • Revenue: $600,000/ month
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 9

Case Study

Our names are Justin and Casey and we are two brothers who have spent the last 10 years building and growing an aftermarket motorcycle exhaust and accessory business. Our main product is exhaust, but have been able to expand our business by adding several complimentary branded products as well as kitting package deals that might include non competing complementary products made by other companies. If someone needs another product to enhance or use the product you make, you might as well offer it to your customer to create a more complete and pleasant shopping experience for your customer base.

We have grown a little over double every year for the past 4 years and are using that income to reinvest into new products and new capabilities for our company. Just this year we were able to purchase new equipment to allow us the ability to manufacture many complex parts ourselves which cuts down on cost and enhances our ability to be agile and adapt to new products quickly.

how-we-added-200k-worth-of-manufacturing-equipment-and-added-new-employees

7. 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

8. Start a transcription business ($1.2M/year)

Ben Walker from Denver, CO, USA started Transcription Outsourcing, LLC almost 14 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Start a marketing agency ($1.2M/year)

Travis Richardson from Denver, Colorado, USA started Impressions Agency almost 11 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

12. 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

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 drinkware brand

Jon Fox from Boulder, Colorado, USA started EcoVessel over 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

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

Jessica Baumgart from Denver, Colorado, USA started Delicious Denver Food Tours over 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

16. Start a niche accessories brand ($7.2K/year)

Alex from Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA started AR Catch22 about 15 years ago, a niche accessories brand.

  • Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $600/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hi! I’m Alex Corstorphine, founder of AR Catch22. AR Catch22 produces and sells bolt catches for .22lr converted AR-15 rifles.

Before getting into the business side of things, it’s probably worthwhile to explain a bit about what a bolt catch is and does.

Standard AR-15s shoot a .223 caliber round and, like most other semi-automatic rifles, the bolt (the part that moves back and forth to load new rounds and eject old ones) is automatically held open by a bolt catch after the last round is fired. This feature is helpful because an open bolt shows the rifle is clear (i.e. no rounds are loaded) and helps with quicker magazine changes.

how-i-designed-an-accessory-to-use-multiple-types-of-rounds-in-a-rifle

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

Dvir Edri from Denver, CO, USA started Car Shipping Calculator over 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

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

Kenn Kelly from Denver, Colorado, USA started Never Settle almost 12 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

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

Haley Hughes from Anchorage, AK, USA started Haley Hughes over 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

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

Gabriel Kramer from Eagle Mountain, UT, USA started SI Certs over 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

24. 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

25. Start a newsletter ($36M/year)

Matt Paulson from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA started MarketBeat over 13 years ago, a newsletter.

  • Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
  • Revenue: $3,000,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 17

Case Study

I am an entrepreneur, a private equity investor, and an author based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. My business, MarketBeat, is a financial media and marketing business that publishes stock market news, data, and research tools for individual stock investors. Our company publishes a free daily stock newsletter, which just surpassed 2 million active subscribers. We also ended 2020 at $14.3 million in total revenue, which was up 85% compared to 2019.

MarketBeat’s growth story and my story have been documented in my book, The Ten Year Turnaround. In the book, I talk about how I grew MarketBeat from nothing and how that has informed me as an investor, a business owner, and as a leader. I also periodically write about the business lessons I’ve picked up on over the years on my personal blog.

Here’s a photo of me at our new office:

marketbeat-update-how-we-increased-revenue-from-8m-to-14m-year

26. 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

27. 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

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

Brad Gadd from Alberta, Canada started The Populess Company over 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

29. Start a resume writing service ($24K/year)

Alex Benjamin from United States started Recruiter Written almost 6 years ago, a resume writing service.

  • Location: United States
  • Revenue: $2,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hi everyone! My name is Alex Benjamin, founder of Recruiter Written. We are a resume and LinkedIn profile writing service that provides our clients with an extraordinary advantage in the job market.

As a recruiter with 13 years of experience selling candidates to hiring managers, Recruiter Written combines staffing industry best practices, keyword optimization, and a collaborative approach to create a compelling story that highlights our client’s value in the job market.

In addition, we now offer services for one-on-one job search coaching (covering topics from search and application strategies to interview preparation to offer negotiation) as well and employer services, such as job description writing, phone interview forms, and reference check questionnaires.

how-i-started-a-profitable-resume-writing-side-project

30. Start an electronics store ($48K/year)

Jeff Olson from Denver, Colorado, USA started LEVDisplay over 6 years ago, an electronics store.

  • Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $4,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 0

Case Study

Hi, my name is Jeff and I live in Denver, CO. I started LEVdisplay last year after becoming fascinated with levitating magnets.

I am currently selling 30 units/month with 50% margin and ramping up to sell 100/month during the holidays.

starting-an-amazon-business-as-a-bartender

31. Build an iphone app ($120K/year)

Chelsea Rhoads from Arvada, Colorado, USA started Ivee over 4 years ago, an iPhone app.

  • Location: Arvada, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $10,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$250K
  • Founders: 2
  • Employees: 3

Case Study

My name is Chelsea Rhoads and I am the CEO/Co-Founder of pup-eeze, the smartest device on four legs. pup-eeze is a wellness tracker for dogs that tracks activity, monitors location and automates our dog’s lives by connecting them with hundreds of smart home devices giving ourselves and our dogs the ability to monitor, maintain and change the environment of the home if we’re concerned about separation anxiety or well-being.

We’ve built out a consumer-facing application for dog owners to monitor their pets’ data, visualize trends and send alerts when necessary. We’re focusing on the happy dog by creating an adjustable ecosystem for the dog’s environment.

We’ve had great success speaking with and testing the wellness tracker among those who love their dogs and love technology. We thought, “we bring our dogs on every other journey with us, why not include them in the technology journey as well?” With the overwhelming support from the technology community we were able to strategically partner with an emerging leader in the IoT enterprise solution field; Fathym.

how-i-created-and-launched-a-fitbit-for-dogs

32. Start a skin care product line ($24K/year)

Danna Norek from COPLEY started Aura Sensory about 12 years ago, a skin care product line.

  • Location: COPLEY
  • Revenue: $2,000/ month
  • Starting Costs: $$4K
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 1

Case Study

Hello, my name is Danna Norek and I am the founder of Aura Sensory. I am a company of one, supported enthusiastically by my husband who lends the occasional genius business idea. My company offers a growing line of safer, high-quality, effective skin, and hair care products that are universally affordable.

My flagship product is Natural Shine Enhancing Shampoo, followed closely by Nourish & Hydrate Face Cream. These two products have been around since almost day one, have attracted the most repeat customers, and continue to be strong performers, and attract the most significant volume of glowing reviews and unwavering customer loyalty.

how-i-start-a-2k-month-skin-and-hair-care-brand

33. Start a maternity store ($18K/year)

Kate Johnson from Greeley, Colorado, USA started Tula Fit about 6 years ago, a maternity store.

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

Case Study

Hi! My name is Kate Johnson! I am a CrossFit and Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach in beautiful northern Colorado. I’m also a mom to two adventurous little boys!

In 2018, I started my personal training business TulaFit, to fill a much-needed gap for women. It’s my mission to help educate and empower pregnant and postpartum women with the mindset and movement strategies that support long term strength and function to handle everyday mom life and get them back to the activities they love.

I offer in-person and remote consultations, programming, workshops, and coaching services. I work 5-10 hours a week in my business but have been able to reach hundreds of women by hosting workshops, working virtually, podcasts, and utilizing social media platforms like Instagram.

how-i-started-a-business-helping-mums-get-in-shape-during-and-after-pregnancy

34. Start an online food business ($2.1M/year)

Scott Unkefer from Boulder, Colorado, USA started Just Panela LLC almost 9 years ago, an online food business.

  • Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $175,000/ month
  • Founders: 3
  • Employees: 10

Case Study

Hello, I’m Scott Unkefer - I started Just Panela, now, about 7 years ago. We purchase (from our partner farm), package, and export (from Colombia) and Import (now too) United States, Canada, and Asia, and Australia our 1lb, 5lb, bulk ingredient, and individual serving size sachets of ‘panela’ cane sugar. Panela is 100% unprocessed, unrefined, artisanal, and certified organic sugarcane.

Our core competency and primary market is retail/ customer (I hate the word ‘consumer’) packaging of Panela. It is by far the hardest ‘powder’ type substance on the planet to package due to its characteristics. Our motto is “terrible for machine consumption, great for human consumption”. As it is by far the healthiest form of sugar cane on the planet as it is 100% unprocessed, unrefined, and organic.

Flagship product? As an ingredient, it’s really a question of “flagship application” as far as what food and beverages it’s best in. The current answer is this, but the funniest part about Just Panela® is that we have end users innovating with it and telling us what they want to do with it all the time:

how-the-pandemic-increased-our-sales-by-200

35. Start a clothing boutique ($300K/year)

Emilie Casseday from Greeley, Colorado, USA started Blush Boutique Co ago, a clothing boutique.

  • Location: Greeley, Colorado, USA
  • Revenue: $25,000/ month
  • Founders: 1
  • Employees: 7

Case Study

Hello there! My name is Emilie Casseday and I own and run Blush Boutique Co in historic downtown Greeley, Colorado. Blush is a boutique full of clothes, home goods, jewelry, bath and body products and more. The goal was to have a highly curated and beautiful space full of quality products where you can find something for yourself and someone else as well. One of the most beautiful things that have evolved out of becoming a brick and mortar shop is the community. While first and foremost we are retail space, Blush has an amazing community of women and men. We host events, classes, meetups and more and the relationships that have evolved from that have been an incredible blessing.

Blush started as a humble idea between myself and a friend that quickly went from thought to action. We opened Blush in my basement in 2017 with just a few pieces of clothing, some fun jewelry, and a whole lot of hope. We quickly grew in customers and needed a new space and began to talk brick and mortar. My partner had to step away but I geared up to move into an actual space in our downtown and we continue to grow. Blush is now an established business in the downtown community in Greeley and we are going on our 4th year in business and we aren’t slowing down!

how-i-started-a-25k-month-boutique-that-sells-clothes-home-goods-jewelry

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.