24 million-dollar business ideas that you can start

Start reading to find 24 ways that you can make a million dollars from selling AI prompts, online courses, monetizing a community, or creating a podcast.

Selling online courses, monetizing a community, building SaaS, selling digital templates... there are more million-dollar business ideas than you think. 

The creator economy is predicted to be worth $480 billion by 2027, and there are more ways than ever for creators, side hustlers, and entrepreneurs to cash in.

Maybe you’re just starting out, or maybe you’re looking to switch up your current hustle – whichever it is, these ideas should spark some inspiration (and maybe even launch your million-dollar business). 

Let’s dive in.

Top 10 trending ways to earn your first million dollars

Before we jump into the complete list, let's take a glance at some of my favorite beginner-friendly ways to earn your first million dollars.

Most of these require little to no experience, startup costs, or qualifications.

*SaaS can be $0 if you already know how to code or have access to no-code tools.

Alright, now that you're feeling inspired, let's dive a little deeper:

Easiest million-dollar business ideas

1. Launch an AI-powered business

AI might sound intimidating, but starting an AI-powered business is way more doable than most people think.

You could build:

• AI chatbots for customer support
• Automated content tools that save creators hours
• Predictive analytics software to help businesses make smarter moves

Or, go even simpler and sell AI prompts— as this creator tells us, you don't even need to know AI to sell AI prompts:

I know what you're thinking— "I know nothing about AI prompts!" — well, you don't actually need to. I found an app that will write AI prompts for you and help you sell them.

If you’re comfortable experimenting with new tools and spotting gaps in the market, an AI-powered business could easily be your next million-dollar play.

2. Sell PLR products

Private Label Rights (PLR) products include any pre-created content that you can purchase, rebrand, and resell as your own.

The real money is in digital PLR: things like ebooks, planners, SaaS, online courses, templates – the list goes on.

For entrepreneurs, these products are a shortcut. Instead of spending weeks creating something from scratch, they can grab a PLR product and get selling faster.

As a creator, it’s a win too: make the product once, then resell it over and over again.

3. Build a social brand that you can monetize

Influencer marketing is still one of the fastest-growing ways to make money. Anyone can build an audience, share content people love, and get paid through brand deals, sponsored posts, merch, and more.

And here’s the good news: you don’t need millions of followers to earn a solid income. Many influencers make anywhere from $50K to $1M+ a year once they find their niche and grow a loyal community.

The secret? Authenticity and consistency.

• Build a personal brand that feels real.
• Post content your audience actually loves.
• Connect with your followers daily.
• Stay on top of trends without losing your unique style.

Tip: Don’t try to be everywhere at once. Start with one or two platforms, get really good at them, then repurpose your content across other channels.

Once your audience is growing, you can take it even further. With Whop, you can launch paid communities, run competitions, or sell exclusive content — giving your fans more ways to support you directly.

4. Sell an online course

Anyone can sell a course – you only need to know more than the people you're selling to.

Take Rob Percival, for example: his coding courses have made him millions.

Depending on the subject and your marketing efforts, you could earn between $10,000 and $500,000 a year (or more).

But to make a million? You'll need to create a course with high-quality content and a measurable result.

Whop makes it easy to create and monetize an online course, no matter what your subscription model or topic is. Using Whop apps, you can customise your offer with chatrooms, modules, giveaways, and more.

Plus, it's free to list your course, and fees are as low as 2.7% - we only make money when you do.

5. Create a paid community

Communities = cash. The creator above owns multiple online communities, and he says:

Choose the right platform to host your community. There's platforms like Skool and Kajabi, but Whop is the number one choice.

BTW: Some communities on Whop even pull in as much as $250,000 per month.

The key is keeping members engaged. Share content that actually helps them, keep things fresh, and interact often so people feel connected. Listening to feedback also goes a long way in making your community better over time.

This hustle works best if you enjoy bringing people together, have knowledge to share, and don’t mind staying active in your group.

6. Become a coach

Coaching can be one of the most rewarding hustles out there — both financially and personally. 

Plus, you can coach on just about anything these days: business, life, fitness, or career coaching. 

Successful coaches usually have three things in common: expertise in their field, a passion for helping others, and a strong personal brand that attracts clients.

Take Tony Robbins. Sure, he’s a controversial figure, but his coaching empire makes millions every year.

Most coaches, though, earn anywhere from $30,000 to $300,000 annually, with top performers hitting seven figures.

To stand out, you’ll want to create helpful content like blogs, videos, or podcasts that show off your skills and funnel buyers into your offer.

Testimonials, case studies, and networking can build trust and attract more clients.

7. Digital asset flipping

Instead of flipping property, digital asset flipping means buying undervalued online "properties" and reselling for a profit.

This could be domain names, websites, and email newsletters.

With the right strategy, you could be onto a million-dollar business idea by turning overlooked digital assets into lucrative investments.

8. Print-on-demand products

Print-on-demand (POD) is a lot like dropshipping — you don’t have to worry about inventory or shipping. Win.

It lets you sell custom-designed items like t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, and posters, all with minimal effort.

And no, you don’t need to be a designer to get started. AI can help you come up with unique designs in seconds.

Platforms like Printful, Printify, or Teespring handle printing and shipping, so your products go straight to your customers.

Want to learn more? Whop communities have tips and guides to help you master POD and start selling fast.

Intermediate million dollar business ideas

9. Subscription-based offers

Subscription products are all about recurring revenue — you sell something your customers pay for every month.

This could be anything from digital tools, meal kits, fitness programs, or exclusive content.

The beauty of subscriptions is that once you get a loyal base, income becomes predictable and scalable.

Depending on your niche and pricing, subscription businesses can earn $1,000 to millions per month. Yeah. Crazy.

To succeed, focus on giving customers something they love and can’t get elsewhere. Keep your offerings fresh, interact with your subscribers, and adjust based on their feedback.

With the right approach, a subscription product can easily become a long-term, high-profit business.

10. Rent out through Airbnb

Whether you have a spare room you can rent out, or your own property portfolio, there's a huge amount of money to be made through platforms like Airbnb.

This is especially true if your property is located somewhere people want to visit, such as a big city, or popular holiday destination.

As a host, you have complete control over your pricing, with opportunities to use dynamic pricing to your advantage during peak season. Even a spare room or granny flat can be profitable.

11. Dropship trending products

Dropshipping is one of the most popular online business models — and for good reason.

You sell products online, but instead of managing inventory, your supplier ships directly to the customer. That means low risk, almost zero overhead, and easy scalability.

Not every niche is dropshipping-friendly, so you’ll want to research demand and make sure your marketing stands out.

This model works best if you’re creative and ready to lean into social media and paid ads.

Successful dropshippers can pull in anywhere from $50K to $1M+ per year, depending on niche, branding, and strategy.

If you’re after a million-dollar idea with low upfront costs, dropshipping deserves a serious look.

12. Start a podcast

Sure, there are memes about everyone starting a podcast these days — but it’s popular for a reason.

If you post consistently and grow your listener base, you can make money through sponsorships, ads, and listener support.

Big names like Joe Rogan reportedly earn around $30 million a year, but most podcasters make between $10,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on their audience and strategy.

Podcasting is perfect for anyone who loves storytelling, teaching, interviewing, or creating audio content.

You can even start for free if you know the right tools.

And with Whop, you can monetize by paywalling premium episodes, selling digital products, or even building a paid community.

13. Virtual tutoring sessions

While this might not sound like a huge money-making opportunity, it's all about expanding your offering as your business grows.

For example, you might start by offering group tutoring sessions, but over time, build a paid community, paywalled content, or even 1-1 tutoring.

What may start as a small business can quickly expand with the right digital marketing strategy!

14. Create and sell SaaS

SaaS lets you sell software via subscriptions, creating a steady, scalable income.

Big names like Slack and Zoom make millions, and smaller SaaS businesses can pull in $500K–$10M+ per year. Success takes some tech know-how, marketing, and good customer support.

With the Whop App Store, you don’t even need to code (check out our dev docs for building with LLMs).

Developers earn via installation fees, revenue share, or per-member subscriptions.

Get started by creating your Whop, exploring the App Store, and adding apps your audience will love.

Trust me: the future is courses + community + software = all on Whop.

15. Start a freelance service marketplace

Creating a platform where freelancers can connect with clients could be a huge earner.

Just look at Upwork and Fiverr: they've tapped into the gig economy (worth over $3 trillion, BTW) by linking freelancers with businesses that need their skills.

These platforms earn by taking a cut from each transaction, and their annual revenues can range from $1 million to $50 million.

This kind of business works well for those who are good at building and managing platforms and can grasp the needs of both freelancers and clients.

With Whop, you could create a community where freelancers join, showcase their skills, and get hired directly.

Add apps for portfolios, bookings, and payments, and you’ve got a fully functional freelance marketplace, all without building a platform from scratch.

16. Start a digital dropshipping business

This is one of the easiest businesses to start. Digital dropshipping means selling digital products without creating or owning them. 

The trick is finding a niche you care about — like digital marketing tools or beginner coding guides.

Even if you’re not an expert, you can start with beginner-friendly guides. Once you have an audience, you can partner with reputable creators and earn via affiliate sales. 

Essentially, you’re selling products without ever owning them.

You can promote any digital product on Whop, and earn 30% commission for each successful referral.

17. Subscription box for digital products

Instead of physical subscription boxes, curate and sell a monthly digital subscription box with items like premium stock photos, website templates, exclusive ebooks, and niche online courses.

With low fulfilment costs and high scalability, there is plenty of room to make some serious money.

Whop makes it easy to sell, regardless of your niche. Simply create a whop, shape your subscription service and offer multiple tiers of subscriptions, from free to annual payments.

18. Automated resume & cover letter generator

AI is changing the way people apply for jobs — and you can turn that into a business. 

With the right AI tool, you can automate resumes and cover letters using just a few prompts. 

Offer it as a one-time service or a subscription, helping job seekers save time while earning yourself a steady (possibly passive) income.

19. Hyper-niche job board

General job boards are competitive, but niche job boards for specific industries - such as remote AI engineers, esports professionals, or sustainable tech startups - can attract high-paying employers and job seekers.

How you choose to monetize this business is up to you; it could be through paid job postings, memberships, or recruiter partnerships.

You can even create a job board right here on Whop!

The Job Board app makes it easy to share details with your whop members, with an advanced dashboard to keep track of responses, contact rates, and much more.

Advanced million dollar business ideas

20. Get into wholesale real estate

Wholesale real estate means finding undervalued properties, securing them under contract, and then selling that contract to an investor for a profit.

Companies like New Western Acquisitions have made this work really well, seeing impressive returns.

Wholesalers can earn $50,000 to $500,000 a year, depending on how many deals they do and their size.

To succeed, you need a sharp eye for good deals, strong negotiation skills, and a solid network of buyers and sellers. Knowing the market and understanding property values is key.

This is perfect for anyone who’s good at negotiating and knows the real estate game. You won’t master it overnight, but there are plenty of online communities to help you get started and learn the ropes.

21. Try trading

If you've got a big interest in finance, money, and the stock market, trading could be a great way to build a successful business with high annual revenue.

We asked Michael Poarch for his take on trading, and his advice? Enter cautiously:

I started trading with just a $20 deposit, and I kept depositing a little more here and there with each paycheck.

You'll need to be good with data in order to analyze market patterns and make data-driven decisions to bring in some strong income.

Essentially, you'll be buying and selling stocks, currencies, commodities, or other financial instruments to earn a profit from the price changes.

22. AI-powered YouTube automation

Worried everything’s just AI hype? Don’t be — AI is a huge time-saver and opens plenty of ways to make money.

Content creators are always looking for tools to streamline their workflow, and that’s where you can step in.

We asked Leroy, a YouTube strategist, for his take:

I've helped creators get 500M+ views in the last 12 months, and it's not because I'm smarter. It's because I follow a system that I've developed and created over the past few years that simply works.

You could offer a turnkey service that uses AI to handle scriptwriting, video creation, voiceovers, and SEO optimization.

With these tools, you can charge high-ticket clients (like entrepreneurs and brands) to automate their entire video content strategy.

23. Launch a niche ecommerce store

Niche ecommerce stores focus on a specific product category or audience, which makes marketing easier and helps you build a loyal customer base.

Take Beardbrand, for example — they sell grooming products for men and have made bank online.

Depending on your niche and how well you run things, these stores can make $50,000 to millions a year.

If you’re passionate about a product and good at ecommerce marketing, you can make a million dollars.

Focusing on a niche helps you stand out from big, general retailers and build a dedicated community around your brand.

Create your store on platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, or Square Online (for digital products, Whop is the obvious choice).

Pay attention to customer feedback, refine your products, and keep improving your strategy — that’s how niche ecommerce stores grow and thrive.

24. Upgrade an existing product

Trying to invent something totally new can be tough: the market is crowded, and chances are your idea already exists. 

A smarter move? Take something that’s already out there and make it better.

This could mean adding new features, redesigning for easier use, or using new technology. 

I mean, look at what Dyson did with a hair straightener – it won the ELLE International Beauty Award. And they started as a vacuum brand. 

The key is spotting gaps in existing products and fixing them, keeping up with trends, and listening to customer feedback. 

Companies that improve products can earn $100,000 to several million a year. 

This hustle works best for inventive thinkers who understand what customers want and know how to develop products that stand out.

Start your million dollar business with Whop

Feeling inspired? Hell yeah. I'm serious, there’s never been a better time to start a business – especially online.

By this time next year, you could be running something that not only makes money but also builds freedom and community.

When you’re ready to launch, do it on Whop. Your whop is your storefront on the internet, a place where you can list your offers, paywall premium content, connect with customers, and grow a loyal following.

You set the vision, and we take care of the rest — payments, hosting, scaling, and community tools. With no monthly fees and no upfront costs, you only pay when you make a sale.

So what’s stopping you? Start your business, grow your audience, and scale your revenue — all on Whop.

FAQs about starting a million-dollar business

What business is most likely to make me a million dollars?

Some of the most profitable business models include AI-powered tools, SaaS products, dropshipping, digital courses, and paid communities. These businesses scale easily, which makes reaching seven figures more realistic than traditional brick-and-mortar models.

How much money do I need to start a business?

It depends on the model. Many online businesses — like dropshipping, digital products, or coaching — can be started with under $1,000. Higher-capital ideas like real estate or SaaS typically require tens of thousands in startup costs.

Can I start a business from home?

Yes! Most of the ideas in this list — from launching a podcast to selling PLR products or building a paid community — can be online businesses with just a laptop and internet connection. Even physical product models like print-on-demand don’t require warehousing or upfront inventory.

Are million-dollar businesses realistic for beginners?

Yes, but not overnight. Most successful entrepreneurs start small, validate their ideas, and scale. For example, many creators on Whop began with a single digital product (like a guide or course) and grew into six- and seven-figure businesses by expanding their offerings and building communities.

Which business is the easiest to start?

Digital-first businesses are the most beginner-friendly. Selling PLR products, starting a niche dropshipping store, or creating a paid Whop community all have low barriers to entry and can be launched in just a few days.

What are the risks of starting a business?

The main risks include choosing the wrong niche, underestimating costs, and relying on trends that fade. That’s why market research, testing demand early, and building an engaged audience are so important before you scale.