80 small business ideas to start in 2025

Starting a small business can be extremely rewarding. As a small business owner, you have the opportunity to turn your passion and experience into profit.

But, the first step to becoming your own boss is deciding what kind of business you want to start.

While it seems like this would be the easy part, it is actually one of the most difficult decisions to make. There are so many small business ideas, and choosing one to focus on can give you major decision paralysis.

To help you out, we have put together a list of 80 small business ideas that you can start in 2025—including what you need, how much it costs, and how much you can earn.

Low-cost small business ideas💰

Here are a few small business ideas that you can start without having to spend a whole lot of money.

1. Personal trainer

If staying fit is a passion of yours, then why not capitalize on this by starting your own personal training business? You would need to start by gaining a relevant qualification, but once that is done you can start your business straight away!

As a personal trainer, you can design your business to suit your needs.

If you want to work with clients in a gym, you can either offer your services within a gym on a profit-split basis or instead pay a set amount of rent to use the space.

Or, you could set up a gym in your home, or even offer outdoor workout sessions.

You don't have to stop there either. Although the aim is to work face-to-face with clients, you could also offer personalized training plans for a fee to attract an online customer base.

What you need: A certification from a recognized body (e.g., NASM, ACE, ISSA), liability insurance, basic fitness equipment (if training outside a gym).
How much it costs: $500–$1,500 for certification, insurance ~$150/year. You can start small with bodyweight-focused training and upgrade as needed.
How much you can earn: $30–$100/hour depending on experience, location, and whether you’re in-person or online. Part-time can bring in $1,000–$3,000/month. Full-time trainers can earn over $6,000/month.

2. Pet sitter

They say dogs are man's best friend—so people pay good money to make sure that their pet is getting the treatment they deserve.

Pet owners hate leaving their loved ones alone when they are at work or on vacation. So why not start a pet sitting business?

Again, this is a low-cost small business idea that can be tailored to your lifestyle. You could offer pet sitting from your home, or care for the pet in their own home.

Not only this, but you can choose to offer short stays (like a doggy daycare service), long stays (vacation bookings), or even just a one-hour dog walking service. With a whole range of service options, you can attract a wide range of clients.

What you need: A safe space for pets (if hosting), basic pet care knowledge, and good reviews. Optional: pet first-aid certification.
How much it costs: Startup cost is extremely low—often under $100 for listing accounts and marketing flyers.
How much you can earn: $20–$75/day per pet. Full weekends or holidays can bring in $300+ if you have multiple pets.

3. Personal assistant

If there is one thing that business owners struggle with, it's time (specifically the lack of it). One idea is to create your business around helping others.

From everyday tasks like ensuring bills are paid or filing paperwork, to helping out with grocery shopping, booking medical appointments, and even fetching coffee, personal assistants are there to relieve busy people of the small tasks that they don't have time for.

These small tasks take time, and time is money, so overstretched individuals will pay to have someone relieve some of their stress. A good personal assistant is definitely worth the money.

What you need: Strong organizational and communication skills, a laptop or phone, and reliable transportation (for in-person tasks).
How much it costs: Startup costs are near zero. You may need to pay for a background check or listing fee on certain freelance platforms.
How much you can earn: $15–$50/hour. Working just 10 hours a week can earn $600–$2,000/month depending on your clientele.

If you can't be an in-person assistant, try starting a business as a virtual assistant.

4. Cleaning

Cleaning is an painful task, and one that is often outsourced, so consider setting up a small cleaning business to tap into the market.

You could clean residential homes, with either regular weekly cleaning or deep cleaning services. Or, you could clean offices, cafes, schools—whatever works for you.

To advertise, simply up a website or social media page for your services, and make sure to join community groups where locals advertise for cleaners in their area.

As soon as you have one contract, it will be easier to get others as your reputation grows.

What you need: Basic cleaning supplies, transportation, and liability insurance.
How much it costs: Initial supplies can be $100–$300. Liability insurance ~$200/year.
How much you can earn: $25–$60/hour depending on service level and area. One recurring weekly home could earn you $100–$200/month on its own.

How to start a home cleaning business.

5. Community maintenance

If you have a set of practical skills like painting fences, attaching fittings, and assembling furniture, then you could start a business as a maintenance worker/handyperson.

Many of these small skills have been forgotten, so you can capitalize on that and provide your services for a fee.

You could begin by advertising your services on community social media pages and physical noticeboards. You can also advertise your services for homeowner associations, schools, government departments, retirement villages, etc.

When you have the know-how and resources to do this kind of work and advertise well, your side hustle could quickly become a lucrative business.

What you need: Tools (drill, wrench, hammer, level, etc.), practical know-how, a basic online presence for bookings.
How much it costs: Tools can be acquired over time—basic kit for ~$300. Marketing ~$50–$100.
How much you can earn: $25–$100/hour depending on job type. Monthly revenue can range from $1,000–$5,000+ with recurring contracts.

6. Professional organizer

Clutter can become overwhelming, and sometimes you need to outsource the organization to someone else. As a professional organizer, you would go into homes or workplaces to order the disordered.

While the business seems simple, there are quite a few ways to make money as a professional organizer. One idea is to offer your services to new parents, getting their homes set up before the baby arrives.

Another way to attract clients is to offer pantry organization services, removing messy jars and packages and replacing them with aesthetically pleasing and space-saving glass jars and containers.

You could even offer home organization training, teaching others how to streamline the excess in their homes.

What you need: Strong sense of aesthetics, spatial planning skills, basic storage containers, and confidence in client homes.
How much it costs: Startup under $200: containers, labels, minimal marketing.
How much you can earn: $30–$100/hour. A single project could bring in up to $300–$1,500 depending on size and location.

7. Car wash

It's an age-old profession and one that you could begin as a small business today. With a bucket, cleaning cloths, and some cleaning products, you can start a car washing business today.

The tricky part is finding clients.

Advertise on local community boards, ask other small businesses to put up your flyer, and post your business offering all over social media. Why not offer interior detailing services too?

What you need: Buckets, microfiber cloths, soap, wax, vacuum. Can be mobile or set up in your driveway.
How much it costs: $100–$300 to start. Focus on quality tools and products.
How much you can earn: $20–$100 per car depending on service. 5 cars/week = $500–$2,000/month.

8. Car detailer

Car detailing is simply taking the car wash up a notch. Your business will be responsible for more in-depth cleaning of the interior and exterior while also offering maintenance, fixing minor defects and scratches, and adding enhancements to protect the car from future defects.

In terms of marketing, your approach should be the same as that of car washing. SEO, social media, and local community boards will be your bread and butter.

Plus, you can scale this a lot, as you can start out by working on cars yourself and then lead a team of car detailing specialists.

What you need: Interior shampooer, polishing gear, steam cleaner, specialized cleaning solutions.
How much it costs: $500–$1,500 to launch if going beyond basic washing.
How much you can earn: $75–$300 per job. High-end clients and fleet contracts can push monthly earnings into $5,000+ territory.

9. Personal shopper

Personal shoppers choose a niche—like clothing, furniture, jewelry, or homewares, and then help their clients find these items.

Some people may hire personal shoppers for inspiration on how to style themselves or their homes, while others work with personal shoppers to help source and secure rare or valuable items.

To get started as a personal shopper set up an aesthetically pleasing website to show off your style and expertise.

What you need: Strong sense of style, trend awareness, reliable communication, and possibly affiliate deals or resale partnerships.
How much it costs: Website, branding, and transportation (~$200–$500).
How much you can earn: $25–$100/hour or flat project fees ($200–$1,000+). Upsell with curated lookbooks or moodboards.

10. Voice acting

With so many online businesses and AI-generated marketing campaigns, there's an increased demand for voice actors.

The great thing is that you only require a good mic to start, and you can then scale to having a small home studio to improve your services (and pricing). You’ll also need a good voice, but you can take some voice acting classes to improve that.

As a voice actor, you can start by reaching out to clients wanting voiceover work for their podcasts or YouTube videos. You can also do some voice acting work for audiobooks or even video games to get your foot in the door.

What you need: A good microphone, soundproof space or booth, voice acting demo reel, and voice training (optional but helpful).
How much it costs: $200–$1,000 startup. Good mic and DAW software ($200), booth setup ($100–$400), training (~$100–$300).
How much you can earn: $100–$500 per gig starting out. Established voice actors can earn $3,000+/month with consistent work or audiobooks.

11. Custom engraved gifts

Instead of simply selling jewelry and other gifts, as we’ll see below, you can offer customized products to your potential customers. Engravings are a big market, and the tools you’ll need won’t cost you too much, make this an excellent low-cost small business idea.

You can really go ham with these or niche down to specific types of jewelry, drinkware, or any other gifts.

It’s best to start with a wider range of products and then move on to the one that sticks and that you like to work on.

What you need: Engraving tool (laser or rotary), blank items (mugs, jewelry, flasks, etc.), and design software
How much it costs: ~$300–$1,500 for engraving equipment; inventory and materials ~$100–$500
How much you can earn: $10–$50 profit per item; successful sellers can earn $500–$5,000/month depending on volume

12. Mobile pet grooming

We already mentioned being a pet sitter, but if you’ve got the skills, why not offer mobile pet grooming services as well?

Pet grooming has always been big, but it’s certainly become more popular through social media, with many mobile pet grooming stations uploading short-form content and getting millions of views.

The costs will be a little higher for this, as you’ll need to account for fuel and maintenance expenses, but it’s still a nice little business to start.

You can start by grooming the pets of your friends or colleagues, creating videos while you do so, and then traveling around the country offering your services.

What you need: A van outfitted for grooming, grooming tools, certifications in pet care (optional)
How much it costs: $5,000–$25,000+ if converting a van; basic gear costs $500–$1,000
How much you can earn: $30–$150 per session; solo groomers can make $2,000–$6,000/month depending on area and frequency

13. Woodworker

Another online trend is woodworking, with many people posting their creations on social media and selling them for a rather high price. If you’re already into working, why not turn this into a small business? You probably already have all the tools you need, so you can create some home goods or furniture on demand.

If you don’t want to sell locally, you can open a shop on Etsy or even Whop and start selling your items there. Either way, try to capitalize on the trends and start posting your work on social media ASAP.

What you need: Woodshop tools (saws, sanders, clamps), workspace, raw wood materials
How much it costs: $1,000–$5,000+ depending on tools and scale; smaller setups possible under $1,000
How much you can earn: $5–$100+ per product; monthly income ranges from hobbyist level to $5,000+ if operating at scale

Physical small-business ideas🏢

The following small business ideas require more physical inventory to get started– -like property or vehicle.

14. Food truck

Food trucks are an exciting business to run, as they are essentially a restaurant on wheels - but without the costs associated with running a restaurant.

Once you have a vehicle and equipment, you're pretty much set! No need to source tableware, quality silverware, fittings, or the like. Plus, if you don't want to invest in a truck outright, you can always lease one.

If you want to become a food truck owner then carefully consider your niche. The most successful food trucks have a whole brand identity that they become known for, whether that be Thai food, lobster rolls, wings, or anything else you can cook in a truck.

What you need: Commercial vehicle, kitchen equipment, permits and licenses, food supplies
How much it costs: $30,000–$100,000+ depending on the truck and setup
How much you can earn: Gross $5,000–$20,000/month common; net depends on overhead and volume

15. House flipping

House flipping is no easy feat, but it is something that you can do alongside other employment (if you wish). If you have the cash to invest in a property in need of overhaul, then use your skills and style to turn a rundown residence into a beautiful home.

This can be exhausting and labor intensive, but if you have the passion for it, it can be a great way to earn an income. Plus, you can capitalize on your hustle by documenting your flipping journey online and growing a loyal audience of fans who could one day become paid subscribers to your tips and tricks.

Don’t have the budget to flip houses? Consider real estate wholesaling–a method that allows you to make similar profits without needing to risk any capital at all. Read about how Richard Taylor began wholesaling as a college student and now teaches others how to do the same in his group Hold My Hand Wholesale here.

What you need: Capital to buy distressed property, contractor network or DIY skills, real estate knowledge
How much it costs: $50,000–$300,000+ depending on market and property; renovation costs vary widely
How much you can earn: $20,000–$100,000+ per flip depending on profit margin and region

Everything you need to know about flipping houses for profit

16. Air BnB host

Do you have a second home? Or even a spare room? If you do, then why not become an Air BnB host?

You don't need hotel-style property in order to make money as an Air BnB host. All you need is a property that is clean and safe.

Of course, styling does go a long way, and customers will pay a lot more for a private property with luxe furniture and plush fittings, but there are also many travelers simply seeking a low-cost place to lay their head.

Invest in some attractive room furniture, decor and bedding (this doesn't have to be costly, it just has to look aesthetically pleasing), take some good photos, and decide on an appropriate rate for your property. This is an easy way to gain some extra cash on an unused room or second home.

What you need: A clean, furnished space; listing photos; Airbnb profile
How much it costs: Setup costs (furniture, cleaning) range $500–$5,000; Airbnb takes a fee
How much you can earn: $500–$5,000+/month depending on location, seasonality, and property quality

17. Coffee shop

This small business idea does demand a significant investment of time, money, and effort—but coffee is a multi-billion dollar industry. So, there is a large market and plenty of opportunities.

There are a few different ways in which you could start a coffee business, like opening a coffee cart that operates only on weekends, establishing a hole-in-the-wall coffee stop in the city, or opening a full-service cafe with coffee, food, and events.

The direction you choose is up to you, but starting small and scaling up is always a good idea.

What you need: Lease or property, espresso machine, staff, POS system
How much it costs: $50,000–$250,000+ depending on location and scale
How much you can earn: Net $2,000–$20,000/month if operated efficiently; highly variable

18. Moving company

Moving is one of the most stressful parts of a person's life. The need to pack up all of your worldly belongings and then transport them to a new place is exhausting and overwhelming.

With the right equipment, manpower, permits, and insurance, you can start your own moving company. You don't need a whole fleet to get started - just start with yourself and a small van and scale as your business grows.

What you need: Box truck or van, moving equipment (dollies, straps), insurance
How much it costs: ~$10,000–$30,000 initial setup for truck and gear
How much you can earn: $100–$200/hour; solo operators can clear $3,000–$10,000/month or more with contracts

19. Vending machines

Vending machines cost around $3,000 to $5,000; you can make between $300 and $400 monthly. Although this business won't make you rich anytime soon, the profits are regular and steady. Plus, aside from checking machines to replenish stocks, this is a pretty passive way to make money.

Depending on your cash flow, you can build your business quickly or over time. Either way, the experience will teach you whether to continue with this business or use the cash flow to start something else.

What you need: Machines, locations with foot traffic, snacks/beverage inventory
How much it costs: $3,000–$10,000 for machines and stock; can lease machines to reduce cost
How much you can earn: $100–$1,000/month per machine; scalable to $10,000+/month with 10+ machines

How much does a vending machine make, and is it worth the investment?

20. Yoga studio

Opening your own yoga studio can be a daunting idea, but it comes with the benefit of being a recurring revenue business model.

As a studio owner, you can choose to make your income in one of two ways. The first is that yoga students will pay you on a membership basis for access to your services, and you give a percentage of this income to the instructor. The second is that the students pay the instructor and the instructor pays you a flat fee for use of the space.

Whichever option you choose, opening a yoga studio is a small business idea with the potential to thrive. Yoga classes require minimal equipment (sometimes just a few yoga blocks and balls), can be offered in many different styles, and are a great way to earn recurring revenue.

What you need: Rented space, instructor certifications, mats and props
How much it costs: $10,000–$50,000+ for buildout, branding, and operations
How much you can earn: Membership model can bring in $3,000–$15,000+/month depending on clientele

21. Home gym

If you’re really into fitness and have space in your garage, a small shed, or even a spare room at home, you can create a home gym and sell memberships. The only upfront costs will be the equipment itself, which you’d otherwise buy for yourself.

You don’t need to start big; a few dumbbells, a treadmill, and a pull-up bar will be enough to bring in some customers.

Again, you can start reaching out to friends and creating a small gym community. If that’s going well, tell your friends to bring their friends or reach out to your local community.

As you get some revenue going, start adding some more equipment or turn your home gym into a full-blown one.

What you need: Spare room or garage, basic fitness equipment (dumbbells, bench, treadmill), liability waivers
How much it costs: $1,000–$10,000 depending on setup
How much you can earn: $50–$200/month per member; $1,000–$5,000+/month possible with a local base

22. Custom jewelry

Custom handmade jewelry is always going to be a great gift, which is why it’s a great opportunity for a small business. You’ll usually start selling these from home, but the real money is when you also have a physical store.

To stand out, you’ll have to create unique designs or offer very specific jewelry that is otherwise hard to find outside of dropshipping stores (ie. men’s minimalist jewelry).

You can easily sell these at a premium, especially if they’re handmade, as they’ll be customized to each customer.

What you need: Jewelry-making tools, materials (metals, stones, clasps), branding and packaging
How much it costs: $500–$5,000 to get started depending on style and volume
How much you can earn: $20–$500+ per piece; profitable sellers can earn $2,000–$15,000/month

• Where to sell jewelry online
• The best type of jewelry to sell online: from luxury to handmade

23. Pop-up shop 

Instead of spending so much money on running a shop, you should consider having an online boutique and running pop-up shops around the country. For one, your expenses won’t be as high. But, you’ll also create this sense of exclusivity, as you’ll only be in one place for a few days.

As for what product you want to sell, that’s totally up to you. Jewelry, Print-on-Demand, and everything in between is all free game. Ideally, create and sell different designs in each place you open up the pop-up to really create that sense of exclusivity.

What you need: Inventory of products, portable displays, permits for temporary sales, high-traffic location
How much it costs: $1,000–$10,000 depending on product and venue
How much you can earn: $500–$10,000+ per event; strong brands can scale quickly

24. 3D printing

3D printing got really big in the past few years, so it’s a great time to capitalize on that trend. You can either open up shop and sell any designs you like, or do these on demand, based on what your customers want.

Finding customers might be a little bit difficult at first. So, you should reach out to local communities and friends who might want something unique to put in their house. You’ll also have to pick a niche, like phone cases or household items like a flower pot.

What you need: 3D printer, filament/materials, design software or downloadable models
How much it costs: $300–$5,000 depending on printer quality and scale
How much you can earn: $10–$100 per item; niche product creators can reach $2,000–$8,000/month

25. Tour guide

Going into a more service-based business, if you really have knowledge of a part of your city, you should become a tour guide.

This is a great way to get deep into one of your passions. Scott’s Pizza Tours, for example, brought Scott really close with pizzeria owners in NYC.

Becoming a tour guide might be simple, but you really need to provide value to your customers. Focus on the history of whatever your tour is about, be that your city or a specific part of its culture.

And, remember, social media is your friend here. The more presence you have on there, the more people will want to be part of your tours.

What you need: Deep local knowledge, speaking skills, website or booking system, permits (if required)
How much it costs: Under $1,000 to start; mainly marketing and licensing
How much you can earn: $10–$100 per guest; solo guides can earn $2,000–$10,000/month

• Online business ideas
• How to bootstrap your business

26. Private-label products

If you don’t want to try out dropshipping, you should consider selling private-label products.

Yes, you will need to manage stocks with these, which will be somewhat of a risk. But you’ll essentially be the only business selling that exact product, compared to dropshipping, where you can find a bunch of competitors with the same products you sell.

Here, it’s all about finding the right products to sell, depending on your target audience. Try to find a gap in the market and focus on your local market first, expanding to a wider one once the money starts coming in.

What you need: Manufacturer relationship, custom branding/packaging, online storefront
How much it costs: $2,000–$10,000+ for MOQ (minimum order quantity), branding, and shipping
How much you can earn: Margins vary, but $5,000–$30,000/month is realistic for well-marketed products

Read this complete guide to private-label products and how they work

Home small-business ideas🏡 

These small business ideas are opportunities that you can explore from your own home.

27. Sneaker reselling

One of the best small business ideas you can start from home is reselling. And there’s really no better item to resell than sneakers. The market is huge, and once you have the right connections, you can have a large profit margin.

In terms of how to resell sneakers, you’ll have to keep up-to-date with new hot releases, find a way to source this as close to retail price as possible, and generally have a good eye for potential moneymakers.

Then, you can use platforms like StockX to resell these at a premium and easily make a couple of grand a month.

What you need: Knowledge of releases and trends, capital to purchase inventory, resale platforms (e.g., StockX, GOAT)
How much it costs: $500–$5,000 to build starter inventory
How much you can earn: $20–$500+ profit per pair; hustlers can make $2,000–$20,000/month

• How to start a sneaker reselling business and make money flipping shoes
• Sneaker reselling on a budget
• Hottest sneakers to resell
• Best sneaker reselling Discord servers

28. Watch reselling

If you’ve got a larger budget, you should consider reselling watches. You don’t have to start with the Rolex Daytonas or the Patek Philippes, either. MoonSwatches were selling for double or triple the price right after launch; limited numbered editions are also pretty good moneymakers, due to their exclusivity.

Like sneakers, you’ll have to be up-to-date with all new releases and have a good idea of where the market is heading to find the best moneymakers. To actually sell your finds, simply post them on Chrono24 or any other similar marketplace.

What you need: Capital for inventory, understanding of watch brands and market trends, authentication tools
How much it costs: $1,000–$50,000+ depending on niche (from Seiko to Rolex and beyond)
How much you can earn: $100–$10,000+ per watch; many part-time sellers clear $3,000–$15,000/month

• Meet Vookum, the watch flipping prodigy
• Watch reselling 101 
• Best watches to sell

29. Trading card reselling

Trading cards are an equally great item to resell. Again, the real moneymakers here are based on their exclusivity. Numbered editions, autographs, all of that will get you the big bucks. But sourcing these cards is a whole different beast.

You’ll either need to buy them from other collectors, join box openings on social media, or manage to source one of the few boxes of new collections and hope that you can hit a banger.

Then, you’ll have to find buyers for these cards, which will be easy if you have a very exclusive piece.

What you need: Card knowledge (sports, Pokémon, Magic, etc.), marketplace accounts (eBay, Whatnot), safe storage
How much it costs: $200–$5,000+ depending on your buy-in strategy (singles vs boxes)
How much you can earn: $10–$2,000+ per card; serious resellers can earn $2,000–$10,000/month

• How to make money selling trading cards
• Read about Pokémon card selling expert Brandon Martyn’s group 'Collector’s Capital' here

30. Meal prep service

Many people are realizing the poor quality of food from mainstream stores and are looking for healthier, fresher alternatives. This market gap is an opportunity to provide locals in your community or workplace the chance to eat healthy food.

You can start your business by making healthy meals from home. Whether the customer wants to focus on hitting their macros or simply save time, you can make a lot of money with this business.

Get started by sharing your personal weekly meal prep on social media accounts, offering up inspiration to those looking for meal prep ideas. Then, open up a service to take care of meal prep for paying clients.

What you need: Commercial kitchen access or certified home kitchen, packaging, licenses, basic meal planning skills
How much it costs: $1,000–$5,000 startup (permits, equipment, packaging)
How much you can earn: $5–$15 per meal; $2,000–$8,000+/month depending on volume and subscriptions

How to start a meal prep business

31. Fashion ecommerce store owner

Lover of fashion? Create your own online fashion store!

This small business is more straightforward than it sounds. You do not need to design or create your own clothing, you just need to curate items from other vendors. Whether you want to sell accessories, shoes, swimwear, or anything else, you can do so from home by setting up your own online store.

As an ecommerce store owner, you could choose to dropship your products (more on this later) or keep inventory in your own home.

What you need: Ecommerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce), supplier partnerships, basic branding and product curation
How much it costs: $500–$5,000+ depending on whether you dropship or hold inventory
How much you can earn: $1,000–$20,000+/month; success depends on niche, margins, and marketing

32. Home tutor

This small business can be organized around your ordinary working hours. If you have a skill, you can help others to improve their own understanding of it. Be it math, a musical instrument, another language, or a more specialized skill set, you can earn money by teaching others.

Create a designated space in your home for your tutoring services—that way you can book clients to come to you rather than spending time traveling to their homes.

Start by advertising in community groups and local schools to build up a client list.

What you need: Expertise in a subject, a quiet home setup or online tools (Zoom, whiteboard), local visibility
How much it costs: Under $500 to start (maybe less if virtual)
How much you can earn: $20–$100/hour; part-timers can earn $500–$2,000/month, full-timers much more

How to become an online tutor

33. Sewing and alterations

If you're handing with a sewing machine or needle and thread then you can run an alterations business from your own home. You can offer small alterations services, like sewing on a button or fixing a hemline, and more intricate options such as wedding dress alterations.

To get started all you need is your own skillset and a good sewing machine. Then, advertise in local online groups and place flyers in supermarkets around your neighborhood.

What you need: Sewing machine, thread/fabrics, workspace at home, basic skill or training
How much it costs: $200–$2,000 depending on setup and machine quality
How much you can earn: $10–$100+ per item; side hustlers can make $500–$4,000/month

34. Become a coach

No, we’re not necessarily talking about becoming a sports coach. You can become a coach in pretty much any discipline you have extensive knowledge of. If you’ve been trading for a while, you can become a trading coach.

Becoming a coach will obviously require some experience and a certificate. After all, you’ll need to offer your clients some hands-on training and advice backed by research or data. But, it can be a pretty good moneymaker, as the market is really big, and coaches don’t come cheap.

What you need: Expertise in a field (career, life, fitness, trading), coaching certification (optional but helpful), website and scheduling tools
How much it costs: $200–$3,000 to get started (depends on whether you certify)
How much you can earn: $50–$500/hour; skilled coaches can hit $5,000–$30,000/month

• Lucrative coaching niches
• Types of coaches and how you can become one
• Best coaching platforms

35. Dating consultancy

In similar fashion to coaching, you can also start a dating consultancy. You’ll initially be hands-on with this, helping clients set up online dating profiles, or assisting them in identifying what they want in a partner.

You can really scale this down the line by having several consultants in your business helping your clients.

In terms of marketing, local is the way to go. Ads and social media will really get your name out there. All of this can be done virtually, through Zoom, or your whop.

What you need: Experience in dating/relationships, client intake process, branding (site/social), optionally a certification in coaching
How much it costs: $500–$3,000 (site, marketing, CRM tools)
How much you can earn: $100–$300/session; group program creators can earn $3,000–$10,000+/month

36. Online class instructor

Instead of having 1-of-1s, as you would in coaching, you can become an online class instructor. Since you’ll be doing this from home, you can host meetings with several students at a time around any topic you like. Yes, you’ll need some experience or expertise in your industry. But hosting virtual classes can be a really great and profitable small business.

What you need: Expertise in a subject, video streaming or course platforms, structured curriculum
How much it costs: $0–$2,000 to set up depending on tech and platform
How much you can earn: $100–$1,000+ per student; some earn $5,000–$50,000+/month from course launches

How to launch a fitness community online

Creative small-business ideas🎨 

These small business ideas require an aspect of creativity!

37. Personal chef

Are your friends always raving about your cooking? Make money from this talent by becoming a personal chef! The food services industry is booming, with so many of us turning to services like Uber Eats and DoorDash due to lack of time, energy, or simply interest in cooking.

Start small and scale up your business. You could begin by offering home-cooked meals in your local community and then move into in-home catering as a personal chef for special occasions.

What you need: Cooking skill, portable kitchen gear, certifications (food safety), client acquisition strategy
How much it costs: $1,000–$5,000 for gear, licensing, and marketing
How much you can earn: $100–$500+/event or dinner; regular clients can bring in $3,000–$12,000/month

38. Landscaping

If you have an eye for outdoor design then landscaping could be a great option. The scope of your landscaping business is up to you to decide—perhaps you offer lawn care and mowing services, or maybe you could create beautiful feature gardens brimming with flowers, trees, and shrubbery.

Advertise in your community and share photos of your work on social media to showcase the value of your service.

What you need: Lawn tools (mower, trimmer, etc.), trailer or truck, basic plant and layout knowledge
How much it costs: $2,000–$10,000 to start depending on equipment
How much you can earn: $40–$1000+ per job; even solo operators can make $3,000-$6,000 per month and $10,000+/month if marketed towards lucrative markets

39. Handmade goods

There is a growing market for handmade goods. With so many mass-manufactured products hitting the physical and digital shelves, consumers are seeing the value in one-off products.

Whether that is making luxe candles, hand-built crockery, or hand-knitted sweaters, customers are always looking for thoughtful products to either gift to loved ones or keep for themselves.

When selling handmade goods the production process is in your hands—literally. No third-party product creation or item procurement. You will have to consider shipping, inventory management, payment processing, and other details, but in terms of the product you create, that's all on you.

What you need: Crafting materials (clay, yarn, wax, etc.), branding, Etsy or Whop store, camera for listings
How much it costs: $300–$2,000 depending on product type
How much you can earn: $10–$200+ per item; many crafters hit $1,000–$8,000/month with volume + marketing

• Discover the best DIY products to sell online
• Best crafts to sell online
• Etsy alternatives for selling crafts online

40. Travel planner

The demand for physical travel agencies is dying out, but there is still a huge demand for travel planning.

If you have a knack for planning the perfect vacation with the most beautiful hotels, best restaurant recommendations, and incredible experiences, then consider becoming a travel planner.

You could begin by sharing your own travel plans and itineraries on a social media site.

It doesn't matter if you have actually been on this trip yourself—simply share your dream destinations, complete with travel tips for anyone looking to visit there, and excited holidaymakers will be drawn to your content.

Once you have a big enough following you can start offering up services to sell customized travel itineraries, or even travel booking services.

What you need: Strong research skills, itinerary tools, affiliate or booking platform connections
How much it costs: Under $1,000 to launch a basic travel planning service
How much you can earn: $50–$500+/plan or booking; experienced planners can clear $3,000–$10,000/month

• Find out how you can become a luxury travel agent (and why you should)
• Check out all of our posts about making money with travel here

41. Restoring and flipping furniture

Restoring furniture is a creative and rewarding small business idea. The idea is to buy second-hand items, restore them, and sell them at higher prices.

Besides the initial outlay and some restoration materials, this business idea will mostly cost you your time.

But if you love breathing new life into old furniture, this can be a meaningful hobby, or you can turn it into a larger business venture. You could even offer up a service restoring other people's furniture for them!

What you need: Basic woodworking tools, paint/stain, a garage or workspace, and a vehicle for transport.
How much it costs: $100–$500 to get started depending on tools and initial furniture finds.
How much you can earn: $100–$1,000+ profit per flip depending on the piece and your skill level.

42. Interior design assistant

Most people can't afford to hire a professional interior designer. So, if you have a creative flair and dreams of one day becoming a designer, step into this niche market.

Guide homeowners on how to make a difference to their home interiors with small changes. Offer someone a room makeover at a reasonable price and document the before and after images online.

As with many other small business ideas, you should advertise your creative services on social media.

If your business grows, you can turn it into a full-time pursuit, sidestep the college pathway, or refine your skills with a college background to boost your talent even more.

What you need: A strong eye for design, basic CAD or design software knowledge (like SketchUp or Canva), and experience with mood boards.
How much it costs: $0–$200 if you already own a laptop; optional online certifications can cost more.
How much you can earn: $20–$50/hour or $500–$2,000 per project depending on scope and clientele.

43. Music production

If you’ve got musical talent, you should give music production a try. You can create music beats and start selling them to licensing companies.

This can be a good small business to get some income. Once you make a name for yourself, you become a ghost producer for major players in the industry.

What you need: DAW software (like FL Studio or Ableton), a MIDI controller, headphones/speakers, and creative skill.
How much it costs: $200–$1,500 to start depending on gear and software.
How much you can earn: $100–$10,000+/month through beat sales, sync licensing, mixing/mastering gigs, or streaming royalties

If you’re serious about making money with music and want to join a group to level up, check out SoniX Academy by KXVI (producer for 21 Savage, SZA, and more).

44. Event planner

If you like the operations side of a business, creating an event planning business is a pretty good small business to start. While you can pick a niche, like weddings, it’s always better to start out as an all-around planner and then go with what niche sticks.

Since event planners will always be in demand, you can start small, with local weddings, for example, and then scale that further, bringing in more planners to your business and taking up more responsibility.

What you need: Organizational skills, vendor connections, and strong communication. Software like HoneyBook or Trello helps.
How much it costs: $100–$500 for a basic website, contracts, and marketing materials.
How much you can earn: $1,000–$10,000+ per event depending on size and location.

45. Meal plans

While you can sell meal prep services or become a personal chef, you can also just focus on creating meal plans. Even though some degree or certificate would help, you might also be really into fitness, and so you can sell meal plans that have worked for you.

Start small, by reaching out to friends of yours that want to follow a specific diet and offer them personalized plans.

To get the business going, you can then create more general plans based on what goals your clients might have and start selling these on platforms like Whop.

What you need: Nutrition knowledge, a Canva or Notion account to create plans, and a target niche (e.g., weight loss, athletes).
How much it costs: Nearly free if digital-only; optional investment in website or ad spend.
How much you can earn: $200–$5,000/month depending on how many clients and the pricing tier (e.g., custom vs. template)

All you need to know about selling meal plans online for passive income

46. Flipping cars

Flipping cars at a small scale is basically just like reselling, with a bit more paperwork.

Your goal is to find cars at a low price without too much maintenance work needed. Of course, you’ll have to take care of any repairs and maintenance on your own at the start, but once the money starts flowing in, you can get a mechanic to help you out.

To find cars to flip, look on car marketplaces or even eBay and try to spot a good deal. Once the car’s in your possession, make any necessary repairs and improvements, and list it back on that marketplace for a higher price.

What you need: Mechanical knowledge, a dealer’s license (in some states), and access to underpriced vehicles.
How much it costs: $1,000–$5,000+ per car. You’ll also need insurance and tools.
How much you can earn: $500–$5,000+ profit per flip, depending on car value and repair needs.

How to flip cars for profit

47. Makeup artist

One of the most creative small businesses you can start is becoming a makeup artist. There’s a huge demand, as many people can’t do their makeup on their own (or, at least, do it good enough).

Thus, starting a makeup artist business will be very profitable. Social media is king in this case, so showcase your work through before-and-afters. Plus, you can even go for a niche within the industry (for example, corporate makeup).

What you need: A full makeup kit, hygiene training, and a strong portfolio (Instagram is key).
How much it costs: $300–$1,000+ for a professional-quality kit and branding.
How much you can earn: $50–$500+ per session; bridal/event work can bring in $1,000+ per client.

Online small-business ideas💻

The following small business ideas can be run completely online.

48. Resume writer

When searching for a new job resumes are incredibly important. They form the first impression of any prospective hire, and many people feel overwhelmed when tasked with crafting a compelling resume that makes them stand out in the crowd.

If you have had good success with your resume in the past, then offer up a resume writing service to job seekers. You could offer a variety of services like resume auditing, resume creation, cover letter creation, and even interview preparation.

What you need: Writing skills, understanding of job markets, templates, and optionally a LinkedIn presence.
How much it costs: Under $100 if DIY; possibly $200–$500 for training or branding.
How much you can earn: $100–$500 per resume, with upsells for cover letters, coaching, or LinkedIn makeovers.

• How to become a freelance writer (and why you should!)
• How to make money writing: Expert tips, tools, pay guide & more

49. Social media manager

Social media is a necessary beast that business owners struggle to understand. If you have had success in launching and growing social media accounts then why not offer up social media management services?

Start by thinking about the services that you want to offer. Social media management can include anything from simply uploading content to writing captions, creating images, making reels, working with influencers, developing UGC campaigns, and more.

What you need: Experience with content creation, scheduling tools (like Buffer or Later), and a strong grasp of branding.
How much it costs: $100–$500 for tools and branding.
How much you can earn: $500–$5,000+/month depending on clients, platforms managed, and deliverables.

How to become a social media manager

50. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a business that you can run solely online—and one that requires little outlay. If you have a healthy social media following then you can monetize on this by taking part in affiliate marketing programs.

As an affiliate marketer, you will place a link to a product or service on your social media page. The link usually has a discount code for your followers. Each time a follower of yours makes a purchase then you make money from the business!

What you need: A niche audience (via blog, YouTube, or social media), affiliate links from Whop or platforms like Amazon, ShareASale, or ClickBank.
How much it costs: $0–$300+ for domain, hosting, and optional email tools or traffic ads.
How much you can earn: $100–$10,000+/month depending on traffic volume, trust, and commissions.

• How to get started with affiliate marketing
• Whop Affiliates—Earn recurring income by referring whops
• Top tips for affiliate marketing success

51. Content creator

It's a creator's economy and YouTubers, podcasters, bloggers, Instagrammers and TikTokers are turning their online followings into successful businesses.

You can earn an income as a content creator or influencer through sponsored partnerships, but the real money comes from paid community groups and online memberships.

Monetize your online community and earn an income from the valuable content you put out to your following.

​​What you need: A phone or camera, editing tools (CapCut, Final Cut, etc.), and a clear niche or persona.
How much it costs: $0–$1,000+ depending on quality of gear and editing setup.
How much you can earn: $0–$20,000+/month depending on reach and monetization(brand deals, affiliate, merch, YouTube AdSense, etc.).

• How much money do content creators make?
• How do content creators make money?
• Best video monetization platforms for content creators

52. Small business ad manager

This small business idea is similar to running social media accounts but focuses purely on managing a business' online advertisements.

Social media ads can be incredibly powerful but understanding and using the algorithm is difficult and takes a lot of time. Take this burden off of business owners by running their ad campaigns for them.

What you need: Experience running Meta (Facebook/Instagram), Google, or TikTok ads. Results matter most.
How much it costs: $100–$500 for training or certifications (optional if you have proof of results).
How much you can earn: $500–$5,000+/month per client depending on ad budget and scope.

53. Trading

Becoming a professional trader is a volatile small business idea that has the potential to become a profitable venture. You will need to understand how the markets work, the best trading practices, and it is helpful to have access to trading tools and algorithms.

As a professional trader, you could be your own small business, but this avenue does come with a lot of risks, so make sure that you understand these risks before getting started.

Tyler, aka TJR Trades (in the above video), is one of the most notable young traders today. He encourages people of all ages and financial situations to give trading a try, explaining that if it’s done well and with the right strategy, it can be totally life changing.

What you need: A brokerage account (stocks, forex, crypto), trading strategy, and risk management skills.
How much it costs: $0–$1,000+ initial capital depending on market and approach.
How much you can earn: Highly variable. Many lose money; skilled traders can make $1,000–$100,000+ per month, but with significant risk.

• To learn more about trading, browse our top trading Discord servers list
• Check out all of our articles about trading in our blog here

54. Dropshipping

Dropshipping lets you to run your own online store without having any physical inventory. This ecommerce small business model works by you partnering with a wholesaler or manufacturer who takes care of storage, picking and packing.

You take care of creating your online store so that customers can view and purchase your product, marketing efforts, sales, and customer support.

When done well, dropshipping can be an extremely lucrative business.

What you need: A Shopify store, a product to test (usually from AliExpress or similar), and basic ad skills.
How much it costs: $300–$2,000+ for store setup, testing, and ads.
How much you can earn: $0–$50,000+/month if a product hits, but many stores fail without optimization.

• Read our extensive guide to understanding what dropshipping is and how it works
• Best dropshipping business ideas
• Best dropshipping Discord servers

55. Print on demand

Print-on-demand is similar to dropshipping in that you don't have to physically handle the product yourself. Instead, you work with a POD service that host your storefront on their website.

Then, you upload your artwork. When a customer chooses one of your designs it is printed onto the product, which could be a mug, t-shirt, bag, or something else.

What you need: Design ideas, a platform (like Printful or TeeSpring), and an audience or traffic source.
How much it costs: $0–$500 for design tools and optional store (Shopify, Etsy).
How much you can earn: $50–$10,000+/month depending on niche, designs, and traffic.

• How to get started with print-on-demand
• Best print on demand products 
• Printify vs Printful: Which print-on-demand service is best?

56. Translator

Know more than one language? Use your knowledge to start an online translator service! You can use your expertise to earn money by translating digital documents for a fee.

Or, you can offer live translation service for meetings and phonecalls online through video conferencing systems. This avenue can be made even more lucrative if you are a specialist translator working in the medical or government fields.

What you need: Fluency in two or more languages, and the ability to handle written or verbal translation accurately.
How much it costs: Nothing if you already know the languages; certifications may help.
How much you can earn: $20–$100/hour or $500–$5,000+/month depending on demand and language pairs.

57. Sell eBooks

Writing and selling a book was once a pipe dream for many as it involved pitching to publishers and signing with agencies. Now anyone can publish their own book thanks to the internet.

If you have a compelling fictional story, a gripping memoir, or even useful advice that you want to share, then consider writing and selling an ebook.

Keep in mind that this is a small business so the work doesn't end when the writing has finished. You will need to pay careful attention to your publishing platform, marketing efforts, customer engagement, and much more.

What you need: A well-written ebook (how-to, niche guides, fiction), a sales funnel, and distribution (Amazon KDP, Gumroad, etc.).
How much it costs: $0–$500 to format, design, and optionally run ads.
How much you can earn: $100–$20,000+/month depending on audience size and topic.

• How to sell ebooks online
• Read about how university student Joe Popelas sold $15k worth of ebooks in just 2 months Whop here

58. Virtual assistant

Like personal assistants, virtual assistants work with busy entrepreneurs to manage the tasks that they don't have time for.

However, whereas personal assistants are, by nature, in person, virtual assistants work online. As a virtual assistant you do not have to be in the same city (or even continent) as your clients.

You could be taking care of anything from social media posts to appointment setting, administration, newsletter writing - whatever you can do virtually. As this is your small business you can decide what services you want to offer.

What you need: Admin, communication, and organization skills. Services can range from email support to calendar management and even research.
How much it costs: Very little—just a reliable laptop and internet.
How much you can earn: $500–$5,000/month depending on clients, specialization, and hours.

59. Sell digital downloadables

The market for digital downloadables is huge and shows no signs of slowing down. We have already covered ebooks, but there is a whole world of digital downloadables like Notion templates, Chat GPT plugins, artwork, and so much more.

Digital downloadables is a promising small business idea for anyone with creativity and entrepreneurship.

What you need: Templates, planners, spreadsheets, or digital tools people want. Canva, Notion, and Google Sheets are great for this.
How much it costs: $0–$300 to build a site or list products on Etsy/Gumroad.
How much you can earn: $100–$10,000+/month depending on product quality and marketing.

Read this to understand how to make passive income selling digital products

60. Freelance writer

If you’ve got the writing chops, an online freelance writing business is the best idea for you. You can start small by taking up one-time gigs, like writing a blog post for a company’s blog.

Once you’ve built your portfolio, you can either start charging more, offering additional services, or even build your own content agency. 

Every company out there is looking for some content, and freelance writing is the backbone of all content. You can write YouTube scripts, blog posts, social media posts, and everything in between.

The key is to find a niche in which you already have some experience so you can get the money flowing from early on.

What you need: Strong writing skills, a portfolio, and platforms like Upwork, Contently, or direct clients.
How much it costs: $0–$200 for portfolio setup or training.
How much you can earn: $500–$10,000+/month depending on niche, rates, and volume.

61. Freelance developer

Not everyone can be a good writer. Some folks are much better at coding and web development. If that’s you, monetize your skills by becoming a freelance developer. You can reach out to your network asking who wants a new website, which will help you build a portfolio quickly.

Like a freelance writing business, as a freelance developer, you can either start niching down or create an agency in your discipline (web development, software development, etc).

The internet isn’t going away anytime soon, so there will always be some demand for developers.

What you need: Proficiency in languages like JavaScript, Python, or Swift, plus a portfolio (GitHub or custom site). Niching down (e.g. SaaS front-ends, mobile apps) helps.
How much it costs: $0–$500 for hosting, tools, and optional certifications.
How much you can earn: $1,000–$30,000+/month depending on skill, delivery speed, and specialization.

62. Freelance graphic designer

If you’re more of an artsy person, you should become a freelance graphic designer. You’ll be responsible for creating logos, images, graphics, and just about anything visual for companies and brands.

This can be a real moneymaker and won’t require anything more than your skills and graphic design software. Plus, you can always outsource some of your work to other graphic designers and create a small business out of it.

​​What you need: Strong design skills with tools like Adobe Illustrator, Figma, or Canva. A clean, varied portfolio is essential.
How much it costs: $0–$700 for software and domain/hosting if needed.
How much you can earn: $500–$15,000+/month depending on clients and ability to deliver standout visual assets.

63. Publish a newsletter 

Now, you might think that newsletters aren’t really a business. It’s just a newsletter. Well, in reality, newsletters are becoming very popular, and, in a sense, it’s like creating a small community around a specific niche.

If you’re knowledgeable in a particular industry, you can start publishing weekly newsletters with news (obviously), insights, and general market updates. You can then monetize this through sponsorships. 

What you need: A niche audience and consistent content. Substack or Beehiiv make setup easy. Monetize through sponsorships or subscriptions.
How much it costs: Free to ~$100/month depending on tools and email list size.
How much you can earn: $0–$20,000+/month depending on size and engagement. High-quality B2B newsletters often monetize faster.

• Discover how to monetize a newsletter (from someone who has!)
• Secrets about newsletters make money
• Newsletter ideas to keep readers hooked and subscribed

64. Start a podcast

Newsletters and podcasts go hand-in-hand. Podcasts are more popular nowadays, so you can give them a try and build your small business around your podcast. You can really talk about anything you want, be it sports, self-development, trading, etc.

Another pro—podcasts don’t require too much upfront investment, as you’ll essentially just need a good mic. Once you start gaining some followers, you can capitalize on that by monetizing your podcast through sponsorships, merch, affiliate marketing, all that good stuff.

What you need: A mic, editing software (like Audacity or Riverside), a niche, and consistency. Guests and storytelling help build early traction.
How much it costs: $0–$300 for gear and hosting (Spotify, Buzzsprout, etc.).
How much you can earn: $0–$10,000+/month via ads, sponsorships, Patreon, or upselling services.

Need inspiration? Check out these standout podcast ideas

65. Sell sports picks

Now, let’s get into some more digital products you can sell through your small business. One of the best ones is sports picks, especially if you’re a sports fan. You’ll need to do a lot of daily research to find the best picks, build a community, and share these with them.

Many of the creators on Whop are selling sports picks and making some pretty good money.

When your community gets larger, you can bring in more sports cappers (experts who give out sports picks), and just run the operations of this small business.

What you need: A strong track record predicting sports outcomes, ideally with public win/loss records. Trust is crucial.
How much it costs: $0–$200 to host your own site or run a Discord community.
How much you can earn: $500–$10,000+/month if you build a loyal paying audience. Sell access, subscriptions, or private picks.

• How to sell sports picks
• Selling sports picks with Whop

66. Sell gaming tips

Gaming tips are also a great way to make some money online, and you can create a business out of it. Some of our creators on Whop are sharing PC gaming optimization tips and ways to make money through EAFC tokens.

You’ll need to build a community and share your tips through your whop. To make money from this, you just place your community behind a paywall.

What you need: Deep expertise in specific games (e.g. Fortnite, FIFA, CS:GO), and the ability to break things down.
How much it costs: Free or minimal, unless you want to build a site or run ads.
How much you can earn: $200–$8,000+/month depending on whether you monetize via coaching, guides, or paid Discords.

67. Fitness courses

If you’re into fitness and have seen some progress in yourself, you can create a course where you share tips and your workout routine with folks who are just getting into fitness. This will be a great small side business to create, as you’re essentially selling your knowledge and experience.

Instead of offering a simple course, you can also create a community for all your students, where you can offer personalized advice and let them help each other out.

What you need: Credibility (certification or personal transformation helps), a clear target audience, and video lessons.
How much it costs: $100–$1,000 for production and hosting (Kajabi, Teachable, etc.).
How much you can earn: $500–$30,000+/month depending on sales funnel quality and niche (e.g. postpartum, calisthenics, over-40s).

• Ways to make money as a fitness influencer
• How to sell training courses online

68. Cooking classes

Not everyone’s into fitness, but many folks are into cooking. So, why not host some cooking classes? You don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay to do this, and it can make you some great money to build a business around it.

All you’ll have to do is bring some members in and host regular classes where you’ll teach them how to cook certain dishes through virtual meetings. To market your classes, start uploading some of your cooking on social media.

What you need: Culinary skill and camera presence. Classes can be taught live via Zoom or pre-recorded for passive sales.
How much it costs: $0–$500 for recording gear or platform fees.
How much you can earn: $200–$5,000+/month, of

69. Start an online community

We’ve already mentioned that it’s best to start an online community whenever you sell a digital product or service. But you can honestly build a small business around an online community. You just need to start one.

Essentially, you start a community around a common interest, and once you’ve gained a significant following, you can start selling them different products or services.

You can also use sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and even merch to make money from your community. If you’re ready to do this, there’s no better place than Whop.

What you need: A shared interest, mission, or goal others want to gather around. Use platforms like Discord, Circle, or Slack.
How much it costs: $0–$100/month depending on the platform and community size.
How much you can earn: $0–$25,000+/month via paid access, affiliate deals, product sales, or events.

• Read this step-by-step guide and learn how to build an online community
• How to build an online community from scratch
• Best online community platforms
• Read all of our other posts about online communities here

70. Start a blog

Blogging isn’t as big as it used to be, but it can be a great way to get your business going. You can start a blog about an industry you know or an interest you want to talk about. You’ll have to consistently upload posts, until you start getting some traffic.

Once you have a few thousand people on your blog every week, you can then monetize it through many ways, from sponsored posts to affiliate marketing.

You can also funnel your blog readers to a community, newsletter, podcasts, or any other business idea you want to try out.

What you need: Writing skill, a niche, and SEO basics. Consistency compounds. WordPress or Ghost are solid platforms.
How much it costs: $50–$200/year for domain and hosting.
How much you can earn: $0–$50,000+/month via affiliate links, ads (e.g., Mediavine), or digital products.

• How to make money as a blogger
• Most profitable blog niche ideas
• Best blog platforms to make money online

71. Online ESL tutor

Online ESL tutors are still going strong, and you can definitely build a small business around tutoring. Your main market will be students who want to learn English. One caveat is that you’ll need a TESOL certificate and, preferably, a bachelor’s degree.

While you can start out on ESL platforms, it’s best you do this freelance since you’ll be able to set your rates and keep all the money you make.

You can then either charge a high fee, bring other tutors on board and create a small team, or do both to make the most profit. 

What you need: Fluency in English and ideally a TESOL/TEFL certificate. You can teach via platforms like Cambly, Preply, or independently.
How much it costs: $0–$200 if certified. Most platforms are free to join but take a commission.
How much you can earn: $500–$5,000+/month depending on hours, rates, and client base.

Small business ideas for students and young adults🎓

If you’re a student or young adult, these small business ideas are for you. They’re pretty low-cost (if not zero-cost), and you’ll take advantage of your digital literacy and ambition to build a great business.

72. Become an editor

Be that video or audio editor, your main market will be YouTubers and podcasters who want to improve their work. You have to start small here, as the competition is pretty fierce. But, besides a few tools and the know-how of editing, you won’t need anything else apart from time.

Once you’ve edited a few videos or podcasts, you can start reaching out to big creators and see if they need any editing help.

At that point, you can either niche down to make the most out of the industry or get a team of editors and start selling premium packages to very large creators or media networks.

What you need: Strong grammar skills, attention to detail, and experience with editing tools (Grammarly, Track Changes, etc.). Ideal for books, blogs, or academic papers.
How much it costs: $0–$100 to set up a portfolio site or freelance profile.
How much you can earn: $300–$10,000+/month based on niche, experience, and project volume.

73. Domain flipping

If you have some money to spare, you can give domain flipping a try. Domain flipping takes 2 forms: you either buy an already-existing website, improve its SEO, fill it with content, and flip it for a higher price.

Or you buy domains that you think will increase in value down the line, park them, and resell them to the right buyer tenfold.

What you need: Skill in spotting valuable or brandable domains, plus a small starting bankroll. Tools like GoDaddy Auctions and Namecheap help with sourcing.
How much it costs: $10–$50 per domain + optional marketplace fees.
How much you can earn: $500–$50,000+ per sale depending on domain quality and buyer urgency.

74. Social media influencing

Most of Gen Z wants to become some form of influencer, and, to be fair, the current market makes this fairly easy for newcomers.

You’ll first need to build a good following on social media. It doesn’t have to be too much; many influencers make good money with just 10k followers.

The key is to treat this as a business. Funnel your audience into different business ideas, like newsletters, blogs, podcasts, or your YouTube channel.

Or, find the right sponsors and create sponsored posts, which will be your bread and butter when you start out.

What you need: A niche, consistent content, and audience engagement. Most influencers start on TikTok, IG, or YouTube Shorts.
How much it costs: $0–$500 for gear, editing apps, or branding.
How much you can earn: $0–$100,000+/month via brand deals, affiliate links, product launches, and paid subscriptions.

• The ultimate guide to becoming a successful influencer
• How do influencers make money?

75. Start a YouTube channel

Speaking of YouTube channels, starting one is pretty much like starting a small business. To have a successful YT channel, you’ll need an editor, a scriptwriter, someone to record the videos, that sort of stuff.

So, essentially, a small team. Or, you can even do it all on your own and be your own boss.

But, besides that, all the upfront expenses are a good mic, video editing software, and maybe a camera. You can really scale your YT channel and become a full-on content creator, as we already mentioned above.

What you need: Niche clarity, camera or phone, editing software, and consistency. Long-term payoff comes from volume + optimization.
How much it costs: $0–$500 for starter gear. YouTube is free to use.
How much you can earn: $100–$1000 monthly in the first year, up to $50,000+/month with size and reach from AdSense, sponsors, and digital products.

• How much money do YouTubers make?
• YouTube channel ideas
• Learn how to monetize a Youtube channel early with Whop here

76. Launch a marketplace

Another low-cost small business idea you can try out as a student is launching a marketplace. This can be around any topic you’re knowledgeable in, and while it may require some time and coding skills, the costs are minimal, and the potential is huge.

You’ll have to start by defining your market, business model, and how the platform will function. Once that’s done, build and test the marketplace, and then it’s ready to go live.

What you need: A defined niche (e.g. local art, secondhand bikes), a platform (Sharetribe, Shopify multi-vendor, or custom), and strong supply/demand loops.
How much it costs: $500–$5,000+ depending on build complexity and tools used.
How much you can earn: $1,000–$100,000+/month if scaled properly with high take rates and seller retention.

77. Create a mobile app

If you’re not a fan of marketplaces, you can also create a mobile app. This can be a great business, regardless of whether your app is free or not, as it’ll only require some programming skills and some of your time.

Try to find a gap in the market, especially around your interests. For example, you can create a quiz app to play with friends but focus on updating it consistently with new questions.

You’ll earn some great income from this through ads or in-app purchases.

What you need: A unique, useful idea plus the means to code it (or hire devs). App builders like Flutterflow or Adalo help non-coders.
How much it costs: $0–$10,000 depending on method and complexity.
How much you can earn: $0–$100,000+/month via subscriptions, ads, or one-time purchases.

78. Sell a SaaS (Software as a Service)

On a more general note, you can always try out selling a SaaS. The SaaS business is pretty much booming.

Truth be told, SaaS is a business model for selling software, yet it’s so popular that it’s become a whole part of the market. Think of any software you’d like to sell, and once you create it, put it behind a monthly or annual membership. 

What you need: A real problem to solve, a lean MVP, and a go-to-market plan. Ideally in a niche where churn is low.
How much it costs: $500–$30,000+ depending on team, dev stack, and launch strategy.
How much you can earn: $2,000–$500,000+/month depending on scale, pricing, and retention.

Learn how to sell SaaS the right way

79. Become an author

If you want to combine your writing chops with creativity, you can always become an author. You don’t necessarily have to sell ebooks; you can write books, novels, online stories, or anything that gets your creativity going.

And, the great part is that it requires nothing more than your time. You can then self-publish these on your website, your whop, or through Amazon.

What you need: A compelling idea, strong writing skills, and a clear audience. Self-publishing is more viable than ever via Amazon KDP or Gumroad.
How much it costs: $0–$1,000 for editing, cover design, and formatting.
How much you can earn: $50–$50,000+/month depending on niche, marketing, and catalog size.

80. Create an AI product

You’ve probably heard about the AI craze, so why not capitalize on it? If you’ve got the coding skills, you can create some form of AI product to help your target audience.

This can be a chatbot, some tool for writers and graphic designers, or even some software to make the jobs of finance and cybersecurity folks easier.

Since AI is so new, it’s all about positioning your AI as the best in its respective space, and most people will buy into it. And you can even reach out to investors and get some funding for your small business!

What you need: A problem worth solving using AI (e.g., automation, personalization, summarization). Tools like OpenAI APIs, Bubble, and Cursor help non-coders.
How much it costs: $500–$10,000+ depending on functionality and backend costs.
How much you can earn: $500–$50,000+/month depending on adoption, utility, and recurring model.

• AI content creation: how to get started and make money
• Find out how you can make money with AI with these side hustle ideas

How to start a small business in 2025

To start a small business you will need to work through a series of steps that will take your business from idea to reality.

Here are the steps that you can take to start your small business:

Solidify your business idea

Before you begin you need to solidify your business idea. Read through the above list of 80+ small business ideas and find one that you love and is viable.

For example, you may love the idea of opening a coffee shop, but if you don't have the funds or experience needed to succeed in this industry, then its a non-starter.

Think about what you love and are good at when choosing the type of small business you want to start.

Research the market

Once you have chosen a business, the next step is to look at the market. It may seem like a great idea to start a pet-sitting business, but if there are already multiple pet-sitters in your area, how likely is it that you will bring in business?

Undertake some research to uncover how much need there is for your business idea, and, if you do decide to go ahead with that idea, create a profile of your ideal customer base.

If at this point you realize that your idea is not viable, go back to step one and choose a new business concept.

Create a business plan

A business plan is the roadmap for setting up your business. A plan helps you to understand what you need to achieve and by when, whilst also outlining any potential roadblocks that may hinder the journey to launching your business.

This is an essential step for requesting any outside funding.

• How to create a business plan
• Business plan templates for budding entrepreneurs

Choose a business structure

There are different business structures, including Sole Trader, Partnerships, Company, and Trust. Carefully research the pros and cons of each to decide what you want to use as your business structure.

File for relevant licenses and permits

The next steps is to gain your licenses and permits. These will depend on the type of business you are launching, so carefully research what you need to have in place to legally run your business.

Set up your business finances

One big mistake that small business owners make is not getting their finances in order from the start.

If you begin by using your personal bank account you are simply setting yourself up for a difficult period of trying to manage and keep track of the business expenses. So, set up a business bank account before you launch.

Get your business tools

Make a list of what you need to run your business.

Do you need accounting software? Does your business need any physical items? Do you need a payment processing system? Prepare yourself now so that you are not scrambling after launch.

Market your business

Start marketing your business before you launch. Prepare your website, content, and make your advertisements. Make sure that people know about what you offer before you even open.

Launch your small business

That's it—you're ready to launch! After this, it's all about scaling through hiring, marketing, and product development.

Launch your business today with Whop

Starting your small business has never been easier—thanks to Whop. With Whop, you can sell a wide range of digital products, from ebooks and software to online courses and private community access.

Digital products let you build a profitable business without the hassle of inventory, storefronts, or even leaving your home. And with demand for digital goods growing every day, there’s never been a better time to get started.

Whether you're offering education, tools, or content, your online store can be live in just 10 minutes.

Ready to launch? Start your business today with Whop.