20 Business Ideas For Essentialists [2024]
In a world overflowing with distractions and complexities, essentialists find success by focusing on what truly matters. If you embrace simplicity and effectiveness, you could turn this mindset into a profitable business opportunity in 2024. This article explores practical, straightforward business ideas that align with essentialist values.
From minimalistic product lines to streamlined consulting services, there are numerous ways you could create value while maintaining a clear, focused approach. Whether you’re looking to start a side hustle or establish a full-time venture, these ideas could help you align your professional life with your essentialist philosophy. Discover how you could leverage your knack for simplicity to build a business that thrives.
For each business idea, we'll show you real-world examples of other essentialist businesses to help you see what it takes.
Here's the full list:
1. Start a niche website ($107K/month)
If you're searching for a focused online business that balances creative freedom with revenue potential, consider starting a niche website. Essentialists thrive on minimalism and precision, making a niche website, which targets a specialized audience with dedicated content, a suitable venture. You'll select a niche you're passionate and knowledgeable about, craft high-quality content, and optimize for search engines to build a loyal following. Examples of monetization include affiliate marketing, ad placements, or selling digital products, turning your passion into a reliable source of passive income. If this intrigues you, check out niche website success stories for inspiration.
Why start a niche website?
- It aligns perfectly with essentialist principles by focusing on a specific, meaningful topic.
- Offers creative freedom while allowing you to monetize a passionate interest.
- Once established, it can generate passive income with minimal ongoing effort.
How much you can make: $400 — $250,000/month
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
DPW (Digital Procurement World) is a fast-growing conference and community in procurement that has more than tripled in revenue since launching in 2019, capping out the year at €1.8 million, with 95% of their growth coming from inbound traffic leveraging LinkedIn and applying social selling techniques.
2. Start a niche blog ($31.5K/month)
Starting a niche blog can be a wise business venture for an essentialist looking to simplify and focus on what truly matters. By creating content around a specific topic, you could engage with a passionate community while also freeing yourself from unnecessary distractions. Not only does this allow you to focus on a single, meaningful subject area, but it also opens up multiple streams of income through affiliate marketing, collaborations, and more. Interested? Check out some niche blog success stories.
Why start a niche blog?
- You could focus on what truly matters and avoid distractions by honing in on a specific, profitable niche.
- There are multiple ways to monetize effortlessly, through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and collaborations, aligning well with essentialist values.
- Engaging with a passionate community over time will not only boost your network but also personal satisfaction, making every effort more meaningful.
How much you can make: $100 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $650 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Starter Story grew to 1.4 million monthly visitors and millions in annual revenue by sharing the stories of entrepreneurs. Pat breaks down the early days and how he grew the business into something that changed his life.
3. Start a YouTube channel ($72.1K/month)
Starting a YouTube channel could be an excellent venture for an essentialist. With a knack for creating compelling video content, you have the chance to share your expertise, passions, or hobbies while potentially earning revenue through ads, sponsorships, and merchandise. Your channel can focus on anything from how-to guides and vlogs to educational content and entertainment, offering a versatile platform where creativity meets opportunity. Despite the initial hard work, the responsibilities can be streamlined with consistency and quality, aligning well with an essentialist's focus on efficiency.
Why start a YouTube channel?
- It's a scalable business model. One popular video can continue to earn revenue long after it's posted.
- Flexibility in content creation allows you to align your channel with your passions and expertise, ensuring that your work is meaningful and rewarding.
- Engaging with your audience helps you build a personal brand, offering opportunities for growth and diversification.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $333,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,250 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
This case study follows the journey of a young entrepreneur from Nigeria who started a profitable blog generating a monthly revenue of $1,500+ through sales of advertising space, sponsored posts, and information products, and shares his strategies for success including a Twitter growth challenge and guest post pitches.
4. Start an online course sales business ($85K/month)
Starting an online course sales business would make sense for an essentialist because it allows you to focus on your core competencies and share your specialist knowledge with a targeted audience. This method of entrepreneurship provides the opportunity to create a meaningful and scalable income stream while maintaining simplicity and minimalism in your business operations. Given that the e-learning market is projected to soar beyond $645 Billion, there is ample potential to monetize your skills effectively.
Why start an online course sales business?
- Maximize your initial efforts. Once created, an online course can be sold repeatedly, generating passive income over time.
- Leverage your expertise. You already have specialized knowledge; sharing it through a course can be a natural and fulfilling extension.
- Achieve impact and financial goals. Helping others learn new skills is rewarding and financially lucrative, aligning perfectly with essentialist principles.
For more insights, check out some success stories of online course sales businesses.
How much you can make: $100 — $300,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.
5. Start an affiliate marketing business ($77.5K/month)
Affiliate marketing is an ideal side hustle for essentialists seeking to supplement their income with minimal ongoing effort. This business model allows you to promote products you genuinely believe in, earning commissions for each sale. By carefully selecting partnerships and focusing on high-quality content, you could turn this venture into a reliable source of passive income.
Why start an affiliate marketing business?
- You could generate passive income effectively. Once you set up your content and affiliate links, earning potential continues with little ongoing effort.
- It aligns with essentialism. You focus on promoting only products that resonate with your values and are truly valuable to your audience.
- Flexibility in execution. You can choose a niche that fits your interests and work at your own pace, making it a low-stress side business.
For more detailed insights, visit how much you could make with affiliate marketing.
How much you can make: $500 — $773,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $700 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
This case study explores how Spencer Mecham founded Buildapreneur, an affiliate marketing business, and has made over half a million dollars in profit with no employees, relying solely on content marketing through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
6. Start a health and wellness app ($108K/month)
Creating a health and wellness app aligns perfectly with essentialist principles, focusing on delivering high-value, streamlined experiences for users aiming to improve their lives. As an essentialist, you could craft a digital tool that simplifies fitness routines, nutrition plans, and mental wellness exercises into one cohesive platform, helping users to achieve their goals with minimal friction. With the growing demand for personalized health solutions, this venture not only has the potential for substantial market impact but also allows you to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.
Launching a health and wellness app could involve diligently tailored market research, partnerships with health professionals, and innovative development techniques. The satisfaction of streamlining complex health information into an easy-to-use platform with significant potential is immense. For some real-life success stories, check out how others have navigated this journey here.
Why starting a health and wellness app?
- The rising demand for personalized health solutions makes this a lucrative opportunity.
- Essentialist philosophy promotes focusing on what truly matters; a wellness app enables users to simplify and improve their health efficiently.
- Aligning technology with health, you could create a meaningful impact while building a sustainable business.
How much you can make: $600 — $300,000/month
How long does it take to build: 200 days (?)
Founder and CEO of SelfDecode, Joe Cohen, explains how his company helps people discover personalized diet, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations based on DNA and lab tests; generating about $2.7 million in revenue over the past year and raising $8 million in a crowdfunding campaign, SelfDecode provides personalized health recommendations prioritized on unique genetic variants, marking the future of healthcare.
7. Create a mobile app ($70.3K/month)
If you’re an essentialist, starting a mobile app can be an ideal way to supplement your income or develop a side business with minimal resource waste. By honing in on a single, impactful idea, you can create a focused and efficient mobile app that meets a specific need, thus maximizing your efforts’ return. The process leverages your ability to prioritize and simplify, making it easier to maintain a streamlined workflow and reduce unnecessary distractions.
For more details on getting started, check out this collection of success stories from other mobile app entrepreneurs.
Why create a mobile app?
- It allows you to solve specific problems for users with one focused solution, aligning with essentialist principles.
- An app can generate passive income once it's developed and marketed properly, freeing up time for other priorities.
- The potential for scalability means your app could reach millions, greatly expanding your impact with minimal ongoing effort.
How much you can make: $1 — $500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
BACH, an app that plans and books bachelorette parties, has grown from $0 to >$1M net revenue run rate in less than 6 months, gained over 100,000 users in their first 60 days, and has over 40,000 parties using the app this month.
8. Start an ai based business solution ($55.8K/month)
Starting an AI-based business solution could be a strategic move for essentialists aiming to streamline their entrepreneurial endeavors. By leveraging artificial intelligence, you could optimize various aspects of business operations, such as customer service, inventory management, and data analysis, allowing you to focus on high-value, high-impact activities. You don't need a tech background to get started; many platforms offer user-friendly interfaces and robust support to guide you through the implementation process.
The demand for AI solutions is growing, as businesses increasingly recognize the competitive edge they offer. With a solid implementation plan, you could tap into this expanding market, reducing costs and boosting efficiency through automation and data-driven decisions. For more insights, check out some success stories of entrepreneurs who have thrived in this space.
Why consider an AI-based business solution?
- AI tools automate tedious tasks, allowing you to focus on essential activities.
- Data-driven insights provide a competitive advantage in decision-making.
- User-friendly platforms mean you don’t need to be tech-savvy to get started.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $120,000/month
How long does it take to build: 125 days (?)
Mikkelsen Twins grew an online education company from scratch with over 800 students, making over 6-figures in profit every month thanks to their successful program, Audiobook Income Academy 2.0.
9. Develop an online survey tool ($304K/month)
Starting an online survey tool business could be an excellent fit for an essentialist seeking a streamlined, effective way to generate income. You could leverage your efficiency-driven mindset to create a tool that simplifies data collection for businesses, offering features like an intuitive survey builder, seamless data collection, and insightful reporting systems. Given the high demand for customer feedback tools, an entry into this growing market is not only practical but also potentially very rewarding.
Why developing an online survey tool?
- You could meet a growing market need, as more businesses seek efficient methods for collecting customer feedback.
- An online survey tool business could provide recurring revenue streams through subscription models or data analysis services.
- As an essentialist, you could design a tool that prioritizes simplicity and functionality, making it indispensable for businesses needing streamlined data collection.
How much you can make: $40 — $1,600,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
GreenRope, a self-funded CRM and marketing automation platform with over 1,000 customers in 20 countries, was built organically and focused on creating a positive, customer-centric culture without outside investment, with an all-in-one interface solving challenges in managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations.
10. Start a social media automation business ($139K/month)
Starting a social media automation business aligns perfectly with the principles of essentialism. By automating routine tasks like post scheduling and interaction management, you could focus on what truly matters—crafting meaningful strategies and building deeper relationships with clients. This business model allows you to maximize efficiency, reduce clutter, and provide immense value without spreading yourself too thin. Consider exploring Starter Story’s tips on creating a profitable social media automation business to get started.
Why start a social media automation business?
- You could achieve more with less effort by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up time for strategic thinking.
- You could help businesses save time and enhance their online presence, providing essential services that are always in demand.
- The need for consistent and strategic social media management is growing, creating a promising market for your automation solutions.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $400,000/month
How long does it take to build: 50 days (?)
MeetEdgar, a bootstrapped social media automation tool founded in 2014 by Laura Roeder, has grown to $4 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 5,000 customers, with a team size of two dozen, achieved through content marketing, social media marketing, and organic search.
11. Create an AI writing tool ($255K/month)
Venturing into the realm of AI writing tools makes perfect sense for an essentialist seeking to create a streamlined, high-value side business. By harnessing advanced technology to generate accurate, engaging content effortlessly, you could revolutionize how businesses and individuals approach writing tasks. This kind of digital tool not only saves time but also enhances productivity, aligning perfectly with the essentialist's goal of maximizing efficiency and impact.
Why start developing an AI writing tool?
- Streamlined processes are at the core of essentialism; AI writing tools automate the content creation process, saving critical time.
- You could provide a high-demand service in today's content-hungry market, ensuring a steady stream of users and income.
- Developing an AI writing tool aligns with the essentialist principle of making significant contributions with minimal effort, allowing you to focus on what truly matters.
Learn more about the profitability and potential of AI writing tools here.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $1,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 52 days (?)
Rytr, a new AI writing assistant developed by a startup platform and business incubator, has become a market leader, serving over 300,000 customers across the world and doing seven figures in ARR.
12. Start a dropshipping business ($414K/month)
If you're an essentialist looking to supplement your income or start a side business, a dropshipping venture could be a perfect fit. Dropshipping allows you to sell products without holding inventory, minimizing the time and resources needed to manage stock. By choosing a niche, setting up an online store using platforms like Shopify, and partnering with reliable suppliers from platforms like AliExpress, you can build a business that's both lean and scalable. Focus your efforts on marketing and customer service to maximize profitability without overextending yourself.
Why consider a dropshipping business?
- Minimal upfront investment, making it a low-risk option suitable for those with limited capital.
- Freedom to focus on growing your business and not on handling inventory or shipping details.
- Scalable and flexible; you can adjust your product offerings and business operations without heavy lifting.
For more information on the profitability of dropshipping, you can visit Starter Story.
How much you can make: $6,000 — $3,000,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $8,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 10 hours/week
Entrepreneur Kamil Sattar has developed multiple six-figure drop shipping businesses, and his company, e-commerce mentoring, specializes in helping others create their own successful companies, with favorite platforms including using Shopify and apps such as Loox reviews and SMSBump.
13. Start a stock photography business ($14.6K/month)
Starting a stock photography business could align perfectly with an essentialist lifestyle, allowing you to focus on what truly matters. By investing in high-quality photography gear and learning the art of capturing compelling stock photos, you could build an impressive portfolio and generate a steady stream of passive income. This venture emphasizes efficiency and simplicity, enabling you to dedicate your resources to creating valuable content without the clutter of extra commitments.
Why start a stock photography business?
- It offers a scalable way to earn passive income by uploading high-quality photos to stock photography platforms.
- Maintaining an online presence can accelerate sales and profitable margins, providing a straightforward approach to income generation.
- The nature of stock photography fits the essentialist mindset by allowing you to concentrate on creating meaningful and valuable visuals.
How much you can make: $1,200 — $45,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $3,500 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
Pro Photo Studio founder Tsour Lee Adato shares how she turned a $5k investment into a business that services over 500 clients annually and makes approximately $350k per year with plans to expand and become a 7-figure business while offering advice to fellow entrepreneurs to always be innovating, learning and growing, and not to undervalue themselves.
14. Start a cold email service business ($170K/month)
Starting a cold email service business appeals to essentialists because it aligns with the principle of maximizing impact through focused, strategic actions. By harnessing the power of direct communication, you could help businesses reach their target clients through precisely crafted email campaigns. This method minimizes resource wastage and channels efforts into high-potential opportunities, making it a lucrative and efficient side business or full-time endeavor.
Being adept at writing engaging emails and familiar with email marketing tools are key. As an essentialist, your strategic mindset and ability to distill complex ideas into compelling messages will give your clients a strategic edge. Interested in learning more? Check out some inspirational success stories here.
Why consider starting a cold email service business?
- It requires minimal upfront investment, allowing you to start small and scale up.
- Crafting targeted emails aligns with essentialism’s focus on high-leverage activities.
- The ongoing demand for lead generation provides consistent opportunities and growth potential.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $450,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $200 (?)
How long does it take to build: 35 days (?)
GMass, an email marketing platform that allows users to send cold emails and email marketing campaigns with Gmail, has attracted over 500,000 user signups, including major tech companies like Uber, LinkedIn, and Google, and now generates over $200K in monthly recurring revenue through a successful content marketing strategy and focused ad spend.
15. Develop a lead generation tool ($108K/month)
For essentialists looking to supplement their income or start a side business, developing a lead generation tool could be a streamlined, efficient way to make extra money. This business idea involves creating a software platform that automates the process of finding potential customer leads for businesses, saving them time and effort. By leveraging your tech-savviness and marketing insights, you could create a solution that integrates seamlessly with digital touchpoints, collecting valuable customer data like email addresses and interests.
The demand for efficient lead generation is high, making it a profitable opportunity if executed well. If you want to explore further, check out some success stories of how others have turned this idea into a thriving business.
Why consider developing a lead generation tool?
- Minimal ongoing effort: Once your tool is built, it can run autonomously, requiring minimal day-to-day involvement.
- High demand: Businesses are eager to pay for solutions that simplify and improve their marketing efforts.
- Scalable business model: As the tool gains traction, you could easily scale your user base and revenue without a proportional increase in workload.
For more insights, take a look at some startup costs and marketing ideas for lead generation tools here.
How much you can make: $1,000 — $400,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
Dux-Soup is a LinkedIn automation tool that helps business owners and sales & marketing professionals generate more leads, increase efficiency, and save time; with over 70,000 users and revenue of nearly $5 million, it offers automated top-of-the-funnel LinkedIn outreach activities, targeted LinkedIn campaigns and multi-touch & personalized LinkedIn drip campaigns for lead generation.
16. Start a real estate investment firm ($398K/month)
Starting a real estate investment firm offers a streamlined approach to building wealth through property, making it an ideal venture for essentialists. By focusing on key activities such as scouting lucrative properties, negotiating deals, and managing rentals or sales, you could achieve substantial financial returns while maintaining a simplified and purposeful business model. This venture allows you to leverage your passion for real estate and your skill in identifying valuable properties to generate consistent income and long-term value.
Why consider starting a real estate investment firm?
- Real estate investments offer excellent profit potential through property appreciation and rental income.
- The business model focuses on a few high-impact activities, aligning with the essentialist mindset.
- You could achieve financial independence while maintaining flexibility and control over your work-life balance.
For more details, you can explore real estate investment firm success stories.
How much you can make: $10,000 — $1,500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 210 days (?)
Equity Residences is a luxury real estate investment fund that has raised $40 million from over 200 investors, offering them access to a portfolio of luxury vacation homes for investment and personal use, with a minimum investment of $161,500 and plans to acquire a further twenty residences ranging from $1.5M to $4M.
17. Print on demand business ($411K/month)
Starting a print-on-demand business makes sense as an essentialist because it allows you to focus on what truly matters—creating and selling unique designs—without the burden of inventory management or upfront costs. This business model is particularly appealing because it enables you to run operations from home and scale at your own pace, aligning perfectly with the essentialist philosophy of maximizing value from minimal effort. By leveraging platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, you could reach global audiences while keeping your workflow streamlined and efficient.
For more information, you can explore how to start a print-on-demand business and success stories here.
Why start a print-on-demand business?
- It has minimal startup costs, allowing you to dive in without significant financial risk.
- You get to focus on design and creativity, freeing you from inventory headaches.
- The flexibility to work from anywhere makes it easy to integrate into your existing lifestyle.
How much you can make: $200 — $3,000,000/month
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 5 hours/week
Founder Roy Kirchner shares how he started an eCommerce business specializing in 3D printing with an initial investment of $65,000, which now averages monthly gross sales of $330,000 and has partnered with international manufacturers and local businesses while offering technical support and education.
18. Start an email marketing tool ($992K/month)
Starting an email marketing tool could be an ideal business venture for an essentialist. By focusing on creating a streamlined and efficient email marketing platform, you’ll cater to entrepreneurs and small businesses seeking simplicity and effectiveness in their marketing efforts. With the email marketing industry expected to reach $2.53 billion by 2028, the potential for growth and recurring revenue is substantial.
Why start an email marketing tool business?
- High demand for simplicity: Essentialists value streamlined solutions, and an intuitive email tool offers exactly that to businesses looking to simplify their marketing.
- Recurring revenue: Subscription models for email marketing tools generate steady, predictable income, allowing you to focus on enhancing the product.
- Scalability: As your tool gains traction, you can easily scale it to accommodate more users, offering opportunities for exponential growth.
To learn more about how you can get started, check out these success stories from others who've launched similar ventures.
How much you can make: $120 — $20,833,333/month
How much does it cost to start: $1,000 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
H-supertools founder Hasan developed a set of free SEO and digital marketing tools generating $2k per month in profit using Google Adsense, affiliate marketing, selling ad spaces, and email, plans to launch a membership option, and has attained over 80k registered users and 300k monthly visits in less than two years.
19. Start a subscription box business ($97.9K/month)
Starting a subscription box business would make sense as an essentialist because it allows you to focus on curated, high-quality products that deliver unique value to your subscribers. By honing in on a specific niche, you could provide a streamlined, focused service that eliminates the clutter found in typical consumer products. Additionally, subscription box businesses are in high demand and can turn into highly profitable ventures when executed well, providing a solid revenue stream for both side and primary businesses.
Why start a subscription box business?
- It’s a scalable business model with recurring revenue, ensuring a steady and predictable income.
- Subscription boxes focus on quality over quantity, aligning perfectly with essentialist principles.
- By catering to specific niches, you could build a loyal and engaged customer base with a unique value proposition.
For more information and inspiration, you can check out these success stories here.
How much you can make: $400 — $400,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $210 (?)
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
Vowed Box Co. is a line of curated, quirky gift boxes with non-traditional brides in mind, offering four different products that have helped the business become profitable most months since its launch in 2018, with a monthly income of roughly $600.
20. Start an ecommerce reselling business ($83.3K/month)
Launching an ecommerce reselling business fits seamlessly with the essentialist mindset. By streamlining your focus on purchasing and reselling goods, you eliminate the complexities of production, reducing both time and financial investment. This allows you to maintain simplicity while creating a scalable source of income, whether as a full-time business or as a side hustle.
Starting doesn’t require immediate investment in a website; you could leverage social media platforms to build your customer base before expanding. As your business grows, consider developing a dedicated ecommerce site to enhance customer experience and manage transactions more effectively. For more insights and real success stories, check out these ecommerce reselling business success stories.
Why consider an ecommerce reselling business?
- Lower startup costs due to not needing to produce your own goods.
- Flexibility to scale your business at your own pace, starting on social media before building a website.
- Focus on simplicity that aligns with an essentialist approach, allowing for streamlined operations and minimal overhead.
How much you can make: $4,000 — $150,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $2,999 (?)
How long does it take to build: 75 days (?)
Empyre Off-Road, an e-commerce business founded by Greg Shuey which sells aftermarket parts for Toyota Tacomas, Tundras, and 4Runners, generated approximately $100,000 a month in revenue and was able to expand its product offering, focusing on content marketing, email marketing campaigns, and organic social media to attract and retain customers.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
